My Thoughts:

I'm not quite sure where to begin with this review.  This book is about a teenager named Willow who feels responsible for her parents' tragic death.  To cope with the emotional pain, Willow begins cutting herself.  Cutting is a topic that I know very little about.  Before reading this book, I couldn't understand why someone would want to mutilate their body by cutting themselves.  It seemed more like suicidal behavior than anything else.  After reading this book, I have a greater understanding of the emotional pain and turmoil that leads someone to cutting  --  and it's not suicidal behavior at all.

Willow was behind the wheel when a tragic accident took the lives of her parents.  Stumbling through life post-accident, Willow becomes estranged from her older brother, David, whom she finds herself living with after the accident.  Feeling that he blames her for their parents' deaths, Willow retreats into herself, trying to deal with the emotions the best way she knows how  --  through cutting.

One day at her job at the library, Willow meets Guy.  He soon discovers her secret, but instead of running the other way, he does everything he can to help her.  The development of this relationship is very sweet and I really enjoyed reading it.  Through this relationship, we see the healing power of love.

This book is so much more than a young adult novel of teenage angst.  It is not an easy book to read.  It is raw and emotional and the cutting scenes were hard to read (for me, anyway!).  I know this review isn't doing the book justice, but I just don't know how to describe the emotions this book brought out in me.  It's definitely a book I would recommend.

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense/Thriller (Medical, Political)
Softcover ARC provided by the author
ISBN
xxx pages My Rating:  4 stars 

Four murders.

Three accidents.

Two suicides.

One left…

THE LAST SURGEON

Michael Palmer’s latest novel pits a flawed doctor against a ruthless psychopath, who has made murder his art form. Dr. Nick Garrity, a vet suffering from PTSD—post traumatic stress disorder—spends his days and nights dispensing medical treatment from a mobile clinic to the homeless and disenfranchised in D.C. and Baltimore. In addition, he is constantly on the lookout for his war buddy Umberto Vasquez, who was plucked from the streets by the military four years ago for a secret mission and has not been seen since.

Psych nurse Jillian Coates wants to find her sister’s killer. She does not believe that Belle Coates, an ICU nurse, took her own life, even though every bit of evidence indicates that she did—every bit save one. Belle has left Jillian a subtle clue that connects her with Nick Garrity.  

Together, Nick and Jillian determine that one-by-one, each of those in the operating room for a fatally botched case is dying. Their discoveries pit them against genius Franz Koller--the highly-paid master of the “non-kill”—the art of murder that does not look like murder. As Doctor and nurse move closer to finding the terrifying secret behind these killings, Koller has been given a new directive: his mission will not be complete until Jillian Coates and Garrity, the last surgeon, are dead.

My Thoughts:

I was a little flabbergasted when famous author, Michael Palmer, contacted ME – yes, lil ‘ol me! – to review his upcoming book!  I happily obliged, of course!!  I will, sheepishly, admit that this is the first book I’ve read of Palmer’s. 

It will not be my last.

From the first sentence on the first page, I was entranced.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with all of its twists and turns, ups and downs.  It held my interest page to page.  I normally don’t seek out political thrillers, but this one was really good!  I’d actually classify it as a medical/political thriller.  There wasn’t too much medical detail, but just enough for me to understand what was happening.  The story centers around former Army trauma surgeon, Dr. Nick Garrity, who has been searching for his war buddy, Umberto, for over 4 years.  Nick and Umberto experienced a tragedy while on tour together and both are suffering the severe effects of PTSD.  Nick’s path eventually crosses with Jillian Coates, who is investigating the recent death of her sister, Belle.  The police ruled Belle’s death a suicide, but Jillian firmly believes that there was foul play involved.  Nick and Jillian soon discover a link between Umberto and Belle that takes them on an unexpected roller-coaster ride where they discover secrets that someone is determined to keep buried. 

Mixed in with the narrative of Nick and Jillian, we meet Franz Koller, a diabolical master of the “non-kill”, who is paid by a mysterious person to murder certain people.  These scenes are chilling and cringe-worthy and will surely make you squirm!  Mr. Koller is surely not someone I’d like to meet in a dark alley!!  His ability to change personas to meet the needs of his next “assignment” will definitely keep the reader on edge, furiously turning the pages to see what will happen next!

This is a great thriller and one I would highly recommend.  It’s an edge-of-your-seat brain-bender with a stunning and unexpected conclusion!  I can’t wait to read more of Palmer’s work!

Many thanks to Mr. Palmer for providing me with a review copy of this book!  Although I received it for free, it in no way influenced my review of the book.

Follow Michael Palmer on Twitter:
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NYT Best Selling Author
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One of the best parts of the book are the stories of the Chinese mothers and fathers who are forced to give up their baby girls. China has very strict laws about having one child, with the male child being the most desirable. If a family has a daughter first, they are allowed to try for a son, but if a second girl is born, there are strict punishments on those families. Thus, many women are forced to give up their little girls – leaving them in parks, on police station steps, or at orphanage doors - in order to avoid punishment. It is utterly heartbreaking and I cannot imagine the pain that these families must endure, hoping that their children end up in good homes. I truly loved reading their stories and it added so much depth to the novel.

I love the magical theory of the “red thread”, that people are destined to be together. I believe in fate and destiny and I loved reading about the invisible “red thread” that brought the American families and their abandoned Chinese daughters together. It truly was pure magic.

I thoroughly loved this book and I would highly recommend it to my readers. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would – that’s how much I loved it. Put it on your wish list now and come back here after you read it and let me know what you thought!

Reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind, Ordinary People and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Still Alice packs a powerful emotional punch and marks the arrival of a strong new voice in fiction.

My Thoughts:

This is one of the most incredible books I have ever read.  It is going into my top 10 all-time favorites.  It is the story of 50 year old Alice Howland, a cognitive psychology professor and researcher at Harvard, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease.  The story is told from Alice's perspective as she progresses through the disease.  It is sad and heartbreaking, but also a beautiful story of familial relationships.  We see the effect of the disease on Alice's husband and three children, the most striking of which is between her and her somewhat estranged daughter, Lydia.  Once you start it, you will not be able to put it down.  It is wonderfully written and highly engaging.  I immediately gave the book to my sister-in-law to read (my mom is next!).  I cannot rave about this book enough!!  Wonderful story.

Genre:  General Fiction
ISBN:  9781590307205
193 pages My Rating:  4 stars Meets the following challenges:2010 100+ Reading Challenge2010 Reading From My Shelves Project 
Anna has grown up haunted by her younger sister's death. In the life she constructs as a barrier against the emotional wreckage of her family tragedy, Anna settles comfortably into a career as a teacher of deaf children. But a challenge arrives--in the form of a young girl. Adrea's disarming vulnerability and obvious need for love offer Anna the possibility of reconnecting with the world around her--if she has the courage to open her heart.

In this debut novel, Rachel Stolzman has crafted a moving and poetic witness to love's power to transcend grief, pain, and the constraints of human language. The Sign for Drowning is a poignant story of loss and the unexpected occasions of grace that enable us to heal from it and grow beyond it.

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderful story of loss and love centered around Anna and her adopted child, Adrea, who is deaf.  Anna witnessed the accidental drowning of her 5 year old sister, Megan, when she was just 8 years old.  Although her family remained intact, Anna and her parents have never fully recovered from the loss.  After the drowning, Anna and her parents begin to drift apart, each grieving, but splintered as a family.  In order to try to communicate with Megan, Anna begins studying American Sign Language.  She grows into an adult and becomes a teacher for hearing-impaired children.

The story is told from Anna’s POV as an adult and her path to healing through the adoption of Adrea, a child who is deaf.  The author intersperses snippets of the past to give us a better sense of Anna and who she is in the present and how she came to be where she is.  We also learn how Adrea came into her life.  There are many beautiful moments in the story between Adrea and Anna that will bring tears to your eyes.  The author is able to capture the raw emotions of Anna as she tries to understand and come to terms with the loss of her sister through the adoption and mothering of Adrea.

This is a beautifully written story and a quick read at only 193 pages, but it’s very raw and emotional.  I recommend it highly.

Other blogger reviews:

StephTheBookworm

My Thoughts:

Cracked Up to Be is the story of Parker Fadley, a mean-spirited perfectionist who has a huge secret that is destroying her “perfect” life. This is a quick and easy YA read, and, although I could feel for Parker at times, I did not find her character very likeable. I thought, at first, that she was being mean to people because she didn’t want anyone to be close to her due to her "secret". But, as I continued to read the story, I got the impression that she was always a bit mean-spirited and the situation she found herself in just made it a worse.

I really enjoyed how this story was told, from present-day conversations and issues, to flashbacks of the night her life changed forever. It really tied together nicely and I found it a very compelling way to tell the story. I applaud the people around Parker who were trying very hard to help her, even though she keeps pushing them away. I could relate to Parker’s panic and anxiety attacks, even though she didn’t want to readily admit that that’s what was happening to her! Her nervous tick was also very interesting! You could really tell that she needs intensive help to deal with her issues.

Overall, this was a good story about how your “perfect” life can change in an instant. I would have liked a bit more information on her “secret” and about the ending of the book. I can’t say what exactly without giving away the story, though!! I just want to know exactly what happened in the aftermath of the “secret”. Coming from a teen’s point of view, this story was especially interesting and I found it very believable. I would definitely recommend this book to any YA fans!

My Thoughts:

I absolutely adored DEEP END OF THE OCEAN. I thought it was phenomenally written, with raw emotion and deep character development. When I saw that there was a sequel, I was ecstatic!  I've been curious what happened to the beloved Cappadoras'. 

Let me start off with a brief synopsis of the book, courtesy of Amazon.com:

“In the crowded greenroom of a porn-movie production, hundreds of men mill around in their boxers, awaiting their turn with the legendary Cassie Wright. An aging adult film star, Cassie Wright intends to cap her career by breaking the world record for serial fornication by having sex with 600 men on camera—one of whom may want to kill her.

Told from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, Mr. 600, and Sheila, the talent wrangler who must keep it all under control, Snuff is a dark, wild, and lethally funny novel that brings the presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction.”

This is the first book I’ve read of Palahniuk’s and, given the accolades I’ve heard about him as an author, I was sadly disappointed. I thought it was the most bizarre book I’ve ever read and it took two days of my life that I’ll never get back. The book itself didn’t seem to have much of a plot that I could figure out. It seemed to me that the author tried to imagine every ridiculous situation that he could put into this book just for shock value. It just came off as silly. The ending was just as ridiculous, if not more so than the rest of the book.

I will say that the author’s writing style is very engaging and it is a fast read, but that’s really all the positive emotion I can muster for this particular book. I won’t give up on Palahniuk yet, but I’m going to do a bit more investigating to find his higher rated books next time!

If you’ve read any of Palahniuk’s books, please let me know which ones you’d recommend!

What would you do if you saw your adopted child’s face on a “missing child” postcard? Would you rush to find the truth? Or would you toss the card without a second thought?

LOOK AGAIN explores this very issue. Ellen Gleeson legally adopted Will two years ago, but when she sees his face looking back at her on a “missing child” postcard, she becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. From the very first page, the reader is pulled into Ellen’s world as she struggles to uncover the truth about her son’s adoption and learn more about the child on the postcard. Are they the same boy? What will Ellen do if they are? Can she just walk away knowing she might have another mother’s child?

I found Ellen to be very realistic and believable. I could imagine myself in her situation and struggling with the “what-ifs”. It was utterly heartbreaking to read at times; Ellen’s emotions are so raw that I felt like I was right there with her, experiencing the things she was experiencing, on the brink of tears. I’m not sure that I could be as strong as her character was!

This is a great book; fast-paced, with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The end was tidied up quite nicely, although I was a bit surprised by it!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I am looking forward to reading others! What Scottoline books would you recommend to a new reader of her’s?

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

My Thoughts:

In the fourth, and final, installment of the hugely popular Twilight Series, Breaking Dawn follows the exploits of human Bella, vampire Edward, werewolf Jacob, and the supporting cast of characters, including the Cullen vampire coven and Bella’s father, Charlie. I am a fan of the series, but I did not love this book. There were many times that I just said “WTF?” I didn’t understand why the characters did what they did. I can’t really go into detail without giving away plotlines, but this book just left me feeling disappointed. I was happy with the outcome, but the path to the outcome was really bizarre and didn’t make much sense to me. I didn’t feel that the characters were true to who they are and it was a bit frustrating to read at times. That’s really all I can say without spoiling it. I’d give this one 3 stars.

This book falls into the following 2010 challenges:

2010 100+ Reading Challenge

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

My list of books:

1. Breaking Dawn (Twilight, Bk 4) by Stephenie Meyer (January)  --  3 stars
2. Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz (January)  --  3.5 stars
3. Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis (January)  --  2.5 stars
4. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (January)  --  3.5 stars
5. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk (January)  --  1 star
6. No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard (January)  --  3 stars
7. Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger (January)  --   3.5 stars
8. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (January)  --  4.5 stars
9. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (January)  --  3.5 stars
10. Shadows Still Remain by Peter de Jonge (January)  --  2.5 stars
11. The Sign for Drowning by Rachel Stolzman (January)  --  4 stars
12. Still Alice by Lisa Genova (February)  --  5 stars
13. The Red Thread by Ann Hood (February)  --  5 stars
14. The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer  --  4 stars
15. Willow by Julia Hoban  --  4.5 stars
16. Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky  --  4 stars
17. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers  --  4 stars
18. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (March)  --  5+ stars
19. Scandal Sheet by Gemma Halliday  --  3 stars
20. Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris  --  2.5 stars
21. A Note From An Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker  --  4.5 stars
22. 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro  --  4 stars
23. Worse Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge  --  4 stars
24. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth  --  4 stars
25. The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott  --  4 stars
26. Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay  --  4 stars
27. Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (April)  --  4 stars
28. Between Friends by Kristy Kiernan  --  5 stars
29. The PMS Murder by Laura Levine  --  3.5 stars
30. Death by Pantyhose by Laura Levine  --  3.5 stars
31. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver  --  4 stars
32. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  --  5 stars
33. Cars From a Marriage by Debra Galant  --  4 stars
34. Glorious by Bernice McFadden  --  4 stars
35. My Sister's Voice by Mary Carter  --  2.5 stars
36. Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown  --  4 stars
37. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (May)  --  5 stars
38. Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu  --  4 stars
39. Push by Sapphire  --  2 stars
40. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride  --  4 stars
41. Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
42. The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens  --  3 stars
43. The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge  --  4 stars
44. Tangled by Carolyn Mackler  --  4 stars
45. How it Ends by Laura Wiess (June)  --  4 stars
46. Life After Yes by Aidan Donnelley Rowley  --  5 stars
47. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund  --  3 stars
48. I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder  --  4 stars
49. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder  --  5 stars 
50. Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo  --  4 stars
51. Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro