Latest Reads: Spring 2014

Latest Reads: Spring 2014

Happy May…er…Spring! I don’t even know where to go from here…seriously…where does the time go??? This started off as a ‘March/April Latest Reads’ and now it’s turned into a ‘Spring’ edition, because it’s MAY! I don’t even know what to say, except…’it’s beyond me’! Honestly, I’m baffled! I mean, I knew time flew faster when you got older, but this is out of control! Time goes too damn fast!

So what happens when one actually has time???

Sadly, not as much as one would hope! Lots of school work and minimal writing, which is LAME! But the REAL world demands certain expectations. Regardless, I dig what gets thrown at me (for the most part), so I’m always looking for new adventures/opportunities! AND thankfully…no matter what comes my way, there is ALWAYS a good book to inspire/entertain/distract me! Without further adieu, please enjoy my thoughts on some of my latest great books!

JHappy ReadingJ

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

I LOVED this book! It was well written and engaging the entire time. In this story, we meet a variety of people whose lives will all intertwine quite dramatically. I’ll be honest, I had ‘the husband’s secret’ figured out early, but I was not deterred in the slightest. In fact, the author lets the readers in on ‘the secret’ about halfway through the story. Then the reader must learn how exactly that secret with effect the lives of all the characters. And I saw the ending coming a mile away, so I was ready to give it four stars…until the prologue! At the very end the author outlines all of the different scenarios that could (or could not) have happened, along with other other secrets that may (or may not) have been kept. Let’s face it, we all have secrets and some are definitely better left buried.

Final thought: All in all, it was a great read!

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

In this story, we follow a young, Mormon, teenage girl. She leads a sheltered life complete with an alcoholic abusive father and a submissive mother. As the eldest, she is responsible for caring for her younger sisters, but her body begins to change and hormones begin to rage. Suddenly family, responsibility and religion aren't her top priorities any more. In fact, she begins to question everything in life, while making some very grown-up choices, which of course come with a bevy of consequences. I couldn’t put this book down, until the end, which I HATED!

Final thought: I gave this book four stars because of the ending. I hope the author has something better planned for the sequel!

Lone Survivor by Marcus Lutrell and

I loved this one as well. This is the story of the Navy SEAL team that went into Afghanistan and only one came out, hence the name. It is a long story, and it took me months to read. (Not because I had trouble keeping interest, but because it has very long chapters, and I read by chapters. Very rarely do I have 45-60 minutes to sit down and read). However, I recently took a trip and I was able to finish it in 6 hours of travel…all I needed was time! This story story whirled and twirled me through a bevy of emotions. In fact, it got out of control. At one point, I was sobbing like an infant on the plane and the flight attendant had to ask me if I was OK. In this story, we follow Marcus through SEAL training, then on his mission to Afghanistan, where he details every event that took place. There are times when I was VERY angry at people and cultures. AND there were also time when my faith in humanity was restored. An incredible read!

Final thought: I look forward to seeing if Mark Wahlberg can do Marcus Lutrell justice on the big screen.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a J.K. Rowling)

I should probably start this with…I LOVE HARRY POTTER! I have fond memories of lying in bed or on the couch reading many HP books cover to cover...just amazingly well written! BUT I went into 'Cuckoo' with a full understanding that this was NOT ‘Harry Potter’. It is not even remotely close to fantasy. It is realistic fiction/mystery to the nth degree. I have the utmost respect for J.K. Rowling. She is my idol and I aspire to be like her one day, but this story fell short for me. I had the killer pegged early on. AND…I’ll be honest…it really pissed me off I had to wait until the middle of the book to understand the significance of the ‘Cuckoo’! Don’t get me wrong…there were GREAT parts! I LOVE the private eye, Corman Strike, and his secretary (I’ve already put the next book on my wish list!), but there were also many other parts that fell short for me.

Final thought: Will I continue to read her books? YES! She’s an icon and she has an incredible talent. I admire her for getting out of her comfort zone!

So far on the next on the 'Latest Reads' list:

Dances with Dragons by George R.R. Martin: The LAST published Game of Thrones book. In all honestly, Martin had better hurry up with the rest! So far, I hate to put this one down!

Reinfection by Cynthia Hickey: The 4^th zombie novella in a series, written by a friend of mine, is keeping me VERY intrigued!

THEN: I’m not sure….I have a ton downloaded that I must choose from…I will NOT download any new books! I will NOT download any new books! I will NOT download any new books! 
Be sure to check back to see what comes next (and whether or not I can restrain myself from uncontrollable downloads)!

Until then….

JHAPPY READINGJ