My New Obsession

I kept hearing about this book and then I saw it chatted up on one of the Barnes and Noble book blogs. I haven't seen the show on TV, but this book is my obsession. There are so many characters, that I needed to keep a journal at first to keep track of them all. It's important to know and understand who all the players all and how they relate.

This book has it all: intrigue, mystery, politics, treachery, love, magic, wolves, dragons, princes and kings and so much more! The characters are real, you almost feel as if you know them. It's one of those stories whose very depth and breadth is all encompassing. I loved this story and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who love fantasy writing. I am mid - way through book two now and I just can't wait to see the show on HBO, though I am glad that I read the book first.

Night is coming...

Shutter Island

To be honest, this is not usually the type of story that I enjoy reading. However, there was something about it that seemed appealing and I found myself coming back to this book over and over. Finally, I determined to read it.

It was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. It was absolutely riveting. I lived and breathed it, felt every twist and turn. It was emotionally exhausting but one of the most amazing suspense books that I have ever read - a true masterpiece of the genre. I loved it!

Lady Audley's Secret

This was acutally a book club selection. I was irritated with this choice, at first. When I read the synopsis of the book, I thought I had it all figured out. It was so obvious, after all. Then, I started reading. The writers craft was so beautiful it was almost lyrical. The descriptions were moving, like painting a picture with words. The descriptions reminded me of the descriptions of the Manderly estate in Rebecca, by Dauphne du Maurier (if you haven't read Rebecca, it's a MUST!).
Even though the plot seemed obvious, the story reels you in. I find myself caring about the characters, especially Robert, almost in spite of myself. In the end, this book managed to surprise me, several times in fact and I found myself pleasantly surprised. It's a little slow, at first, but if you give it a few chapters to develop, the story is well worth it!

Juliet

We all know the tale of Romeo and Juliet, but what if the story were true? What if Shakespeare based his tale of star crossed lovers on real people?

Julie Jacobs is devastated when her aunt passes away leaving her nothing more than a key and a ticket to Italy. What starts off as a journey of self discovery turns into a quest to answer a centuries old mystery. This is a wonderful, riveting page turner. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good mystery or love story.

An Update

Now that my Master's degree is finally finished, I can return to reading for enjoyment. My reading for the last couple of months has been sporadic, but I mean to change all that this summer. Here are a few of the books that I have been reading:

American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio. This is an interesting work in that the main characters are never mentioned by name. The main character is referred to only as the subject or the President. His wife is named as the First Lady or his wife. Even though names are never specifically mentioned; however, it is clear that the author is dicussing John F. Kennedy. The details discussed in the book are interesting even though the facts of Kennedy's life and adultery are mostly well known by now. I would rate this book a 2 out of 5. No more.

Beastly by Alex Finn. This is the fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, told with an interesting modern twist. It is of course, completely transparent to anyone familiar with the story. This book is perfect for tween girls who enjoy reading about romance and the supernatural.

Finally Finished!

My youngest daughter and I started reading this series in the fall of 2010. We have so enjoyed reading them, and I highly recommend the entire series to lovers of magic everywhere! There are 15 books in the series, so, with my Master's degree and other reading, it did take me some time to finish the entire series. Finally though, the story has reached a most satisfactory conclusion! I loved the wolves, the owls and all the characters throughout the series. At times I thought that Kathryn Lasky was wandering with the story, but she always managed to bring the story back to the main characters and refocus the attention. This series is so much more than meets the eye....