Meg’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2010)

Meg’s comments from the Challenge: 50 Books group.

Open House by: Elizabeth Berg

Nice, light book. Flowed really well which for a book like this is crucial. The main character, Sam, was sympathetic and humorous and I enjoyed reading from her perspective.
Very good for some light reading.

"Spot of Bother" by: Mark Haddon

Oh my gosh that took what felt like forever, lol. It wasn't bad but there was one little detail that constantly took me out of it and made everything happening completely ludacris...if George really thought he had cancer...why didn't he just get tested for it? He could by request....right? This was the basis of his complete meltdown through out the entire book and it could have been handled if he just got it all tested out.
The rest was good and interesting, just George's parts killed me. There was a reason it took me almost two months to finish this.

"Dark Places" by: Gillian Flynn

There are not a lot of books that can grab my attention and demand I focus till I reach the end, but Gillian Flynn’s “Dark Places” achieves that and still left me wanting more, even though by the end I was emotionally spent.

The story follows Libby Day, the sole survivor of a vicious massacre that kills her mother and two older sisters when she was seven years old, her older brother Ben, then 15, accused and put away for life for these murders…due in large part to her testimony accusing him of the crime.

The narratives are from three people, Libby in the present, Patty Day (the mother), and Ben the day before the murder leading up to the event.

The beauty of this book is it’s characters and the way the author let’s events unfold, and she truly achieves something very rare…an actual surprise that you don’t see coming but the pieces were perfectly placed from the beginning of the story.

What I love about this book is truly how messed up the main characters are, yet I feel such a deep sympathy and empathy for them, that I can’t hate them. Libby and Patty are very similar that the weight of their worlds has bogged them down. Maybe understandably so, but their utter defeat in life has caused them to make horrible decisions. Libby in how she’s lived her own life, not as a gift as some would imagine, but as this burden that she doesn’t know how to deal with. Patty in her utter defeat from her life’s circumstance.

Ben is probably the one that intrigued me the most and his was the narrative I most enjoyed reading. He is so very much a product of his circumstances and just in the trials of being a 15 year old boy who doesn’t know where he fits and wants desperately to belong and be seen. He’s emerged in the “heavy metal” culture of the 80’s where “satan worship” was the reason adults attributed to their kids being different. Through the story, Ben is the one who was accused of strangling one sister, brutally axing his other sister, and shooting his mother face off with a shot gun. Which makes his narrative so interesting to me cause I genuinely went back and forth with if I thought he did it. Cause his narrative reveals how very young he is at heart but he definitely has a dark side that just makes you wonder if he could do something so horrible. Through his friends I built new theories and disregarded them just as well as the story progressed.

This story is filled with a lot of messed up things that some may not life, references to satan worship, animal brutality, inappropriateness with a young girl, fairly graphic sex, and murder. This author really does “go there” and she writes in a way that keeps surprising you with every new development.

Going towards the climax of the story, finding out the how’s and why’s, I was left almost in tears, it’s that good. But make no mistake there are no happy endings here…in the end, a mother and two girls are still dead and a family is completely broken forever because of it, regardless of fault. In the end, all you can hope for is a sort of peace and finality.

I recommend this to one and all.

"Blue Moon" by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Ya know, when these books are good, they are really good...and when they are not it's hard as hell to get through it. This book wasn't bad at all, but the middle of it before it picks up is so boring and repetitive to me.

But when things started happening it got interesting. I was very intrigued and surprised at the turns it was taking and do want to read the next and hope it doesn't take me another month to finish, lol.

Gone Girl

This book starts in a very typical way...about 150 pages in you start to sense something is not right, and then BAM, major plot twist! Then BAM, another plot twist that leads to a conclusion you didn't see coming when you started it.

I was half way through the book when it really started picking up and after that it only took me two more days to finish. It's definitely more then what you think it is when you start it.

While the ending may leave you feeling down and disappointed in a sense, I had to admire the gumption it took to actually leave the book at that point. I'm curious if the movie will have the same balls.

"The Fault in Our Stars" by: John Green

Amazing Amazing Amazing!!!

I really liked this from the start. The language is so upbeat even though the topics are depressing. You fall in love with Augustus and Hazel not because you feel sorry for them or because they are tackling their disease with bravado, but because of who they are separate and apart, and who they are are pretty cool :)

From the beginning you have an idea of the turn it's gonna take eventually so you read with a sense of despair. I sensed the twist before it was revealed and that rarely ever happens for me, lol. I spent the last 50 pages crying...not just little tears but just one step away from bawling like a baby, gasping for air. This really affected me in a way I don't normally get affected by books so I know this was special.

I recommend this to everybody.

I would have finished this much sooner but I don't have the kind of time anymore to sit and read all day, as much as I would like, lol.

Monica wrote: "1.

I finished this one the last week of Christmas Break (the first week in Jan) What can I say about this...? Just read it. Everyone needs to read it."

I am determined to read this this year...I've had the book sitting in a pile for months and just haven't been in the "mood" for what I am sure is an emotional read.

"Labor Day"

Bittersweet, yet not, lol. Told from the 12 year old boys perspective, it's an outsiders point of view to what is a very melancholy courtship. I had been seeing the previews for the movie for weeks and after seeing this on buzz feeds books to movies list, I was really intrigued and wanted to give it a try. Light read that I enjoyed. Although I'll be very interested to see how the movie unfolds, I have a feeling it's going to have to take some liberties to add material.

Does anyone suggest any good books or popular lists of books I can check out? My biggest issue at times is figuring out what I want to read next...I am gonna read at least three books from "Buzzfeed's 16 Books to Read Before they Hit Theatres" but I am always open to suggestions.

"12 Years A Slave"

With the movie coming out (or already out I'm not sure) I was definitely interested in reading the memoir first. I'm glad I did. Its a very interesting account of a serious injustice in a time where injustices were a part of life for a black person.

its a memoir so there's not a lot to criticize. Who am I to say he should have omitted this and elaborated on that.

Yeah I was a little underwhelmed by "Allegiant" till the end. I thought the end was well done and your definitely left with a lot of feelings...but "Divergent" and "Insurgent" were better in my opinion. You still want to read it just cause it's the end of the series...it's like you've gotten to that point, you might as well read it.

The last time I completed my goal was back in 2010! I loved all the reading I did that year and I very much want to achieve this again. Life and other interests get in the way but I am determined to make time this year.

So with a new baby, an almost five year old, and a recent move under my belt...here I go!

1. "Allegiant" by: Veronica Roth (01/15)
2. "12 Years A Slave" by: Solomon Northrup (01/16-01/25)
3. "Labor Day" by: Joyce Maynard (01/26-02/01)
4. "The Fault in Our Stars" by: John Green (02/02-02/07)
5. "Gone Girl" by: Gillian Flynn (02/07-02/18)
6. "Blue Moon" by: Laurell K. Hamilton (02/25-03/28)
7. "Dark Places" by: Gillian Flynn (03/29-04/04)
8. "A Spot of Bother" by: Mark Haddon (04/05-05/20)
9. "Open House" by: Elizabeth Berg (05/21-05/30)
10. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by: Maya Angelou (05/31-06/14)
11. "The Fourth Hand" by: John Irving (06/14-06/23)
12. "Girl Missing" by: Tess Gerritsen (06/24-06/25)
13. "To Selena, With Love" by: Chris Perez (06/28-06/29)
14. "Sharp Objects" by: Gillian Flynn (07/01- 07/04)
15. "The Wedding" by: Nicholas Sparks (06/27-07/06)
16: "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by: Ransom Riggs (07/06-07/09)
17. "Hollow City" by: Ransom Riggs (07/10 - 07/13)
18. "Ash Wednesday" by: Ethan Hawke (07/14 - 07/16)
19. "Night Road" by: Kristin Hannah (07/16 - 07/17)
20. "Grave Sight" by: Charlaine Harris (07/18 - 07/21)
21. "Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison" by: Piper Kerman (07/22-07/28)
22. "The First Phone Call from Heaven" by: Mitch Albom (07/30 - 08/03)
23. "There's No Place Like Here" by: Cecelia Ahern (08/05 -09/20)
24. "This is Where I Leave You" by: Jonathan Tropper (09/21 - 10/13)
25. "Sleep Tight" by: Rachel Abbott (10/14 - ?)

"The Killing Dance" by: Laurell K. Hamilton

This book is probably my favorite after "Guilty Pleasures", finally some movement in Anita's story. Things happened, consequences are rendered, acknowledging feelings and acting on them. Very very interesting book and the plot developments came at the right time cause I was getting bored with the series. The previous books weren't bad, but they were straight up detective/mystery and I really wanted to see some real development of Anita and her relationships with Jean Claude and Richard...I'm totally down with her loving two men and I am interested to see where everything goes.

"Bah, Humbug" by: Heather Horrocks

Sometimes what I read need is the lightest, fluffiest of fluffs, lol. This was a 96 page novella that I found on the list of free kindle books. Was in the mood for something light and nothing I had really did it for me. What attracted me to this (beyond it being free) was the cover actually. It was so pretty and what can I say, I like pretty things, lol.

This story was a straight rom com that Hallmark has made into movies for years, but it was sweet and interesting, which is all I really wanted at the moment.

"Bloody Bones" by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Good book much like the previous one. It only started feeling repetitive...but I suppose thats what to be suspected cause this is a serialized series. I like the progression in her relationship with Jean Claude...its interesting reading these back to back cause you can see how her experiences are changing her. Growth is always a nice thing to read when reading a series.

It took me over a month to read this even though this book was only about 350 pages cause I got bored, i'll admit it. Once I sat down with it I would be into it but it wouldnt really call to me. Even though I take it with me almost everywhere, lol. I was gonna read the next one but then remembered Kindle has sites for free books. So I'm looking there for something light and fun.

"Dead Reckoning" by: Charlaine Harris

:::sigh::: I'd say the first five books (give or take a few) encompass the specialness of this series and what everyone loves about Sookie. As the series has worn on it seems the writer is becoming beaten down by her own mythology and it's never more evident then in Sookie herself. She's a shell of the girl we loved when we met her. Its sad cause I was such a fan of these books and now im just reading to see what happens next...not because im excited by it.

Although not much happened here...lots of talking and descriptions of mundane chores, very little sex and what there was, was pretty meh. The spark just feels like a dull haze with this book. I heard through the grapevine that Harris is finishing the series up soon and i'm hoping that's enough to make her inspired again.

"The Lunatic Cafe" by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Once again, how does this chick work with as little sleep as she gets? lol. I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming irratation with Anita in this book when it came to her expectations of Richard...she claims to be unpredjudiced but she definitely holds a double standard to Richard. Marriage was a surprise but I know, even if I hadn't read one of the later books, that thats not going to happen. The climax to the mystery was good and I was feeling misty at the thought of losing one of the sub characters.

I have a feeling the style is gonna change soon just so the stories don't get stale.

"Circus of the Damned" by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Another good installment in my opinion. Stuff is always happening and I am now wondering if Anita will move out of her apartment, lol. Seems the number one place she keeps getting attacked and abducted is at her apartment. Her continued story is developing quite nicely. I can't wait to read the next.

There were external reasons as to why this took me so long, which is a bummer all around. Im thinking of changing my goal to a more realistic 25, since I have now three months to finish.

"The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks followed the same formula as he's known for...disclaimer: I say that after only reading "the notebook" before this one. But hey, who said its a formula tat doesn't work? I have not seen the movie but I was intrigued by the premise, that a man could hold a picture of a woman for x amount of years, consider it a good luck charm, walk cross country to find her, and have it not be creepy, but romantic? lol. This very well could have been the plot to a psychological thriller as well, but it works for me. I bought into it from the moment Logan entered Hampton.
I was glad that it was pointed out that a lot of drama could have been avoided by him just coming clean up front with the picture.
I also liked how the main villian, Keith Clayton, is portrayed as scum bag with one trait that makes him human and maybe the teensiest bit likeable. I mean, even Hitler loved his dogs.
This was a great book to read as an in-between while I am waiting for the third book in the anita blake series to get to me. I rooted for Logan and Elizabeth. It's easy to keep up with, entertaining, and made me want to see what happens next. Now a days, thats the least I ask of any book I read.

One thing that comes to mind after finishing "The Laughing Corpse" is Anita can never seem to catch a break, lol. Although she survives so maybe the laughs on us. The different sub plots went on in this book, the Harold Gaynor mystery, the zombie murdering massacre, and Jean Claude...the first two get tied up nicely with the third ending (by the end of the book) much like how it ended in the first one, lol. Great story with a lot happening. Very seldom, if ever really, was there a lag and I like that. Again, Anita can be a little cheesy but I don't know if its cause of how I perceive cheesy to be, or that maybe things were a little cheesier in the 90's, lol.
I'm still waiting on the third book so I may try to squeeze a quickie (if I can read that fast) between now and tuesday.