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vivalibrarian's reviews
519 reviews
Defending Jacob by William Landay
3.0
"It turns out, you can get used to most anything. What one day seems a shocking, unbearable outrage over time comes to seem ordinary, unremarkable."
Andy Barber is an assistant District Attorney and has been for the last twenty years in his affluent suburb of Boston in Massachusetts. When a 14-yr-old boy is murdered in the community tiny ripples become huge waves as Andy's own son becomes the lead suspect. What lengths would you go to to protect your son and your family?
Dubbed as a legal thriller, this novel is just as much a character study into the family Barber. The dynamics of shock and grief juxtapose with the fear of the past coming to haunt and the terrifying journey of struggling with wondering if the son you raised might be a monster. Moderate pace, disturbing and suspenseful-you will not soon forget the Barber family and the very public journey they embark here.
Read-alikes: Scott Turow, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
Andy Barber is an assistant District Attorney and has been for the last twenty years in his affluent suburb of Boston in Massachusetts. When a 14-yr-old boy is murdered in the community tiny ripples become huge waves as Andy's own son becomes the lead suspect. What lengths would you go to to protect your son and your family?
Dubbed as a legal thriller, this novel is just as much a character study into the family Barber. The dynamics of shock and grief juxtapose with the fear of the past coming to haunt and the terrifying journey of struggling with wondering if the son you raised might be a monster. Moderate pace, disturbing and suspenseful-you will not soon forget the Barber family and the very public journey they embark here.
Read-alikes: Scott Turow, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
2.0
"I'm just hoping to be the Not Dead Guy," Cal muttered.
I loved Hex Hall and I suffered thru the middle book in a trilogy-itis in Demonglass to get to Spell Bound and was excited to have a whole weekend of no plans to dive in. Sigh. Ok, ok, let me put on my professional hat.
Sophie Mercer, fourth generation Demon, has been stripped of her powers just about the time she discovers that her sworn enemy the Brannicks, are a little bit more complicated. One by one she is reunited with her family, Jenna, Cal and of course Archer as the evil plan of the Casnoffs(another sworn enemy) becomes clear. Will Sophie get her powers back in time?
The third book is full of snark and humor which will make fans of the series happy. The themes of loyalty and courage with family and friends also remains strong but what I hate is the absolute predictability of what was going to happen, especially with Cal. Come on!!! I almost threw the book across the room when that happened. Yeah, I'm not going to tell you what but its the oldest writing trick ever. Life is messy people-just let it be messy.
I loved Hex Hall and I suffered thru the middle book in a trilogy-itis in Demonglass to get to Spell Bound and was excited to have a whole weekend of no plans to dive in. Sigh. Ok, ok, let me put on my professional hat.
Sophie Mercer, fourth generation Demon, has been stripped of her powers just about the time she discovers that her sworn enemy the Brannicks, are a little bit more complicated. One by one she is reunited with her family, Jenna, Cal and of course Archer as the evil plan of the Casnoffs(another sworn enemy) becomes clear. Will Sophie get her powers back in time?
The third book is full of snark and humor which will make fans of the series happy. The themes of loyalty and courage with family and friends also remains strong but what I hate is the absolute predictability of what was going to happen, especially with Cal. Come on!!! I almost threw the book across the room when that happened. Yeah, I'm not going to tell you what but its the oldest writing trick ever. Life is messy people-just let it be messy.
Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder
5.0
There's this great line towards the beginning of this book where Batman is quite literally flying thru the air on a motorcycle going after the bad guys who are in a helicopter. Yes, helicopter. When Alfred wonders if he should cancel his upcoming meeting, he scoffs, "This will only take a minute."
That is the Batman we are used to-cocky and confident that he knows Gotham City like no one else. That Batman doesn't stick around long. Is it possible that there are forces at work running Gotham that Batman doesn't know? If this Court of Owls he's heard about his whole life really exists, then everything he believes to be true is not.
There are a few authors that are my absolute favorite because of their depth of storytelling. They have a gift for pulling in the history and myth of things we know well into a story in an almost reverent way but at the same time pushes the reader beyond and into new territory. Even with something so well known as the Batman myth. Scott Snyder is fast becoming of those authors for me.
This book gathers #1-7 in the Court of Owls storyline together. Once I finished I downloaded #8-10 (isn't technology grand?)and #11-the end of the storyline is out this week. You cannot stop at #7...trust me.
*Update* #11 took the story down a notch for me only because of Batman. That crazy Batman. Has to know everything and if he doesn't know it, he works it into his new world order. To be expected, yes. Did I want something a little different? YES!
That is the Batman we are used to-cocky and confident that he knows Gotham City like no one else. That Batman doesn't stick around long. Is it possible that there are forces at work running Gotham that Batman doesn't know? If this Court of Owls he's heard about his whole life really exists, then everything he believes to be true is not.
There are a few authors that are my absolute favorite because of their depth of storytelling. They have a gift for pulling in the history and myth of things we know well into a story in an almost reverent way but at the same time pushes the reader beyond and into new territory. Even with something so well known as the Batman myth. Scott Snyder is fast becoming of those authors for me.
This book gathers #1-7 in the Court of Owls storyline together. Once I finished I downloaded #8-10 (isn't technology grand?)and #11-the end of the storyline is out this week. You cannot stop at #7...trust me.
*Update* #11 took the story down a notch for me only because of Batman. That crazy Batman. Has to know everything and if he doesn't know it, he works it into his new world order. To be expected, yes. Did I want something a little different? YES!
Otter and Odder: A Love Story by James Howe
3.0
"The day Otter found love, he wasn't looking for it. He was looking for dinner."
I think that sums up how I feel about this book. A little different but in the end it all comes down to following your heart.
As a sidenote, I met the author and illustrator at BEA and love love LOVE my fish autograph. Be jealous.
I think that sums up how I feel about this book. A little different but in the end it all comes down to following your heart.
As a sidenote, I met the author and illustrator at BEA and love love LOVE my fish autograph. Be jealous.
American Vampire, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder
4.0
The swagger of the old west + a sweet girl with big dreams + the best kind of shivery horror = Happy Jen!
Two out of three of my favorite storytellers (Stephen King, Scott Snyder) come together to write this outrageous hybrid of genres (western, horror) thrown into the graphic novel format. Rafael Albuquereque's illustrations are raw, scary and a perfect compliment to the story.
Pearl is a girl trying to make it big in Hollywood. What she thinks is her big break turns out to be the worst night of her short life. Skinner Sweet is the vilest of villains of the old west. He's also a vampire. Not a sparkly love-struck vampire, but a vicious, smart and cunning new breed of vampire that irritates the hell out of the establishment. Yes, Skinner Sweet is an American Vampire. What does that mean? Start reading.
Two out of three of my favorite storytellers (Stephen King, Scott Snyder) come together to write this outrageous hybrid of genres (western, horror) thrown into the graphic novel format. Rafael Albuquereque's illustrations are raw, scary and a perfect compliment to the story.
Pearl is a girl trying to make it big in Hollywood. What she thinks is her big break turns out to be the worst night of her short life. Skinner Sweet is the vilest of villains of the old west. He's also a vampire. Not a sparkly love-struck vampire, but a vicious, smart and cunning new breed of vampire that irritates the hell out of the establishment. Yes, Skinner Sweet is an American Vampire.
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
3.0
"You can run. But you can't hide."
Marian is a successful producer in New York that has it all-excellent career, hot boyfriend, penthouse apartment. But sometimes, the decisions made in the past can come haunt the present and for Marian this manifests in a precocious 18-yr-old on her doorstep.
Giffin writes the kind of book I like to pick up and read when the rain is falling and you have the whole day to do nothing but immerse yourself in her characters. Her writing is easy like Sunday morning. I used to recommend her to patrons who were almost always pleasantly surprised by this new author. Can't say that anymore, but WWB shows she is still growing as a writer.
Marian is a successful producer in New York that has it all-excellent career, hot boyfriend, penthouse apartment. But sometimes, the decisions made in the past can come haunt the present and for Marian this manifests in a precocious 18-yr-old on her doorstep.
Giffin writes the kind of book I like to pick up and read when the rain is falling and you have the whole day to do nothing but immerse yourself in her characters. Her writing is easy like Sunday morning. I used to recommend her to patrons who were almost always pleasantly surprised by this new author. Can't say that anymore, but WWB shows she is still growing as a writer.
The Laments by George Hagen
3.0
"Laments travel."
The Laments are a dysfunctional but completely likable family from Rhodesia that find themselves living in Africa, England and America as they struggle with small issues such as identity, race, prejudices and tragedies. How they fall apart and put themselves together again is the core of this tome.
I am still wrapping my head around this book. There was nothing about it that grabbed me so strong I couldn't put the book down. But, at the same time I continued to pick it up and read until I finished. It perplexes me in its simplicity. Simply put, it's a character study of a family as a unit and as individuals.
The Laments are a dysfunctional but completely likable family from Rhodesia that find themselves living in Africa, England and America as they struggle with small issues such as identity, race, prejudices and tragedies. How they fall apart and put themselves together again is the core of this tome.
I am still wrapping my head around this book. There was nothing about it that grabbed me so strong I couldn't put the book down. But, at the same time I continued to pick it up and read until I finished. It perplexes me in its simplicity. Simply put, it's a character study of a family as a unit and as individuals.
Fifty Shames of Earl Grey: A Parody by Andrew Shaffer, Fanny Merkin
3.0
"BDSM is a live-action role-playing game: Bards, Dragons, Sorcery and Magick. I play with women in my dungeon and things can get...a little hot."
I double snorted on page 4. I think that's the best review I can write.
I double snorted on page 4. I think that's the best review I can write.