April 2011 #1 - LOVE YOU MORE

Title: LOVE YOU MORE

Author: Lisa Gardner

Publisher: Bantam Books

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-553-80725-7

Audience: Adult

Setting: Boston, MA area

1st Sentence:

Prologue
Who do you love?

Why I chose this book: This book is 5th in the series and I've read the four previous novels.

Why I read it to the end: I love Lisa Gardner books. It's like the anticipation of seeing a friend you haven't seen for a year. I get giddy when a new book comes out.

Rating: 4.75/5

March #3 - MY ROTTEN LIFE: NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE

Title: MY ROTTEN LIFE: NATHAN ABERCROMBIE, ACCIDENTAL ZOMBIE

Author: David Lubar

Publisher: Tom Doherty & Assoc.

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7653-1634-9

Audience: Juvenile

Setting: East Craven, NJ

1st Sentence:

It's no fun having your heart ripped from your body, slammed to the floor, and stomped into a puddle of quivering red mush.

Why I chose this book: I'm a zombie kick and read and collect all sorts of zomfic and zombie non-fic.

Why I read it to the end: It was a cute and fast read about 5th grade Nathan who, tired of being bullied and hurt, undergoes an experiment that wrongly turns him into a zombie. There are definite advantages, but in a race to find a cure, he realizes that it's not all it's cracked up to be, until a decision to be made counts the most. This book is the first in a series. I have not read any of the others yet.

Rating: 3/5

March #2 - TRAPPED

Title: TRAPPED

Author: Michael Northrup

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-545-21012-6

Audience: Young Adult

Setting: Rural New England, Tattawa Regional High School

1st Sentence:

We were the last seven kids waiting around to get picked up from Tattawa Regional High School.

Why I chose this book: I usually read at least ONE inclement weather book during the winter time and a blizzard book in March just sounded right at the time.

Why I read it to the end: I liked that the author actualized the dire situation with what typical teenagers without adults around would do and how the environment of the school still resonates with the cliques left in the hallways. In the book, nature is the enemy. The ending left me a little cold though, because it was open ended. I don't know if there is plans for a TRAPPED 2. We'll see...

Rating: 3.75/5

March 2011 #1 - ON MAGGIE'S WATCH

Title: ON MAGGIE'S WATCH

Author: Ann Wertz Garvin

Publisher: Penguin Group

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-425-23678-9

Audience: Adult

Setting: Wisconsin

1st Sentence:

"Wash your hands and say your prayers, 'cause Jesus and germs are everywhere!"

Why I chose this book: This book was for my library's book discussion group and it was a book I chose because it was a debut novel which I love to read.

Why I read it to the end: The book was slow starting out as Maggie, seven months pregnant, moves home to her small town in Wisconsin and revitalizes the Neighborhood Watch. Good thing because there is a sex offender in their midst. As the book progressed it picked up steam and by the last page I was sad to say goodbye to the quirky characters. The other members of the book discussion group did not like it and found Maggie to be a very one dimensional character without many likeable qualities. But I know pregnant ladies can get weird so maybe that was her deal...

Rating: 3/5

February #6 - THESE THINGS HIDDEN

Title: THESE THINGS HIDDEN

Author: Heather Gudenkauf

Publisher: Mira

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-7783-2879-7

Audience: Adult

Setting: Linden Falls, IA

1st Sentence:

Allison
I stand when I see Devin Kineally walking toward me, dressed as usual in her lawyer-gray suit, her high heels clicking against the tile floor.

Why I chose this book: The author is an Iowan and we buy all her books for our library and I read them all. Plus, I think she's a great author.

Why I read it to the end: The story is told in alternating POV chapters. The book is all about secrets with a storyline that could easily have been ripped from the headlines of my town.

Rating: 5/5 - One of my favorite books of 2011.

February #5 - TICK TOCK

Title: TICK TOCK

Author: James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-316-03791-4

Audience: Adult

Setting: New York, NY

1st Sentence:

Like the luxury co-ops and five-star, French eateries located in Manhattan's Silk Stocking District, Benchley East Side Parking was outrageously exclusive.

Why I chose this book: Of the Patterson series, the Michael Bennett series is my favorite and this is #4.

Why I read it to the end: Patterson books are what they are, as I've mentioned before. They are quick mindless reads and I read them because his short one-page chapters make me feel like I'm accomplishing something. Despite that short scathing review, he is one of my favorite authors and writes a thrilling and fast paced story. They just don't have a lot of depth to them. So, if you're new to Patterson and are expecting TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, stop and go look for something else. But if you're looking for some fun, try this series. But I recommend starting with #1, STEP ON A CRACK.

February #4 - ME AND EMMA

Title: ME AND EMMA

Author: Elizabeth Flock

Publisher: Mira

Copyright: 2005

ISBN: 978-0-7783-2082-1

Audience: Adult

Setting: Toast, NC

1st Sentence:

The first time Richard hit me I saw stars in front of my eyes just like they do in cartoons.

Why I chose this book: This was the third book chosen for our book discussion group. I actually chose this book because it had been on my TBR list for a long time and I wanted something different from the other books we'd read. I found by reading this book that I truly enjoy southern fiction.

Why I read it to the end: The depressed childhood that the main characters had made for some lively discussion and it was fun hunting down some candy from the 1950's to share with the group as we always share food at our discussions. Flock's stand-alone follow up to this book, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER was just published in August and has made my TBR list as well.

My rating: 4/5

February #3 - FLIP THIS ZOMBIE

Title: FLIP THIS ZOMBIE

Author: Jesse Petersen

Publisher: Orbit

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-316-10295-7

Audience: Adult

Setting: Phoenix, AZ

1st Sentence:

When the zombie plague struck, I was just an office schlub.

Why I chose this book: I loved the first book MARRIED WITH ZOMBIES. Unfortunately, I had to wait for them to actually be published before I could read the next ones.

Why I read it to the end: David and Sarah have started Zombiebusters Extermination Inc. and are working with a doctor to save the world. It was a good, fast read, although for rating purposes, I did enjoy the first book better.

My rating: 4.5/5

February #2 - THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS

Title: THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS

Author: Katherine Paterson

Publisher: Harper Trophy

Copyright: 1978

ISBN: 978-0-06-440201-9

Audience: Juvenile

Setting: Thompson Park, MD

1st Sentence:

"Gilly," said Miss Harris with a shake of her long blonde hair toward the passenger in the back seat.

Why I chose this book: I had to replace our library's copy because it was falling apart and when the new copy came in, I decided it had been a long time since I read it last.

Why I read it to the end: This was a favorite book from my childhood. It gave me my first glimpse into the life of the foster system and I remember admiring Gilly's sassiness. May be where I got mine...

My rating: 4.5/5

February 2011 #1 - LEFT NEGLECTED

Title: LEFT NEGLECTED

Author: Lisa Genova

Publisher: Gallery Books

Copyright: 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4391-6463-1

Audience: Adult

Setting: Welmont, MA

1st Sentence:

Prologue
I think some small part of me knew I was living an unsustainable life.

Why I chose this book: I wanted to read Genova's first book, STILL ALICE, but couldn't bring myself to because of the Alzheimer's disease angle, and living with my granmother's disease made reading about it just too raw. I thought I'd give this book a shot first.

Why I read it to the end: Sarah is a very busy woman - and one day, while commuting to work she is in a car accident, sustaining a head injury that causes a condition called left neglect. This condition does not allow the brain to register that which is on the left. This topic was new to me as far as medical fiction goes and I was totally enthralled by it. The book travels through Sarah's rehab, her reconnect with family and her shift in priorities. I thought the book was similar to Jodi Picoult in writing style and would recommend it to my patrons who enjoy Picoult's work.
This was one of my favorite books of 2011.

My rating: 5/5