Read in July/August

Here's a quick run-down of what I've read in July and August. A couple more, that warrent a longer review, coming soon.

The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper: Sound, usable rules for healthier eating.  Can't say I'm following every one of them, but I learned some good basics for healthy eating.  Highly recommended for anyone who wants realistic, easy to follow guidelines for losing weight.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner: Explores the new trends of surrogacy and egg donors, and the effects they have on everyone involved.  Interesting premise but just didn't grab me - 3 out of 5 stars.

Watership Down by Richard Adams: "It is a powerful saga of courage, leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventurers forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community...and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called "home." Classic - 'nuff said.

True Colors by Kristin Hannah: While the story is centered on racial prejudice and a man wrongfully imprisoned, the real story is in the relationship between his wife and her two sisters. Extra interesting to me because I am the middle child of three sisters.  Moved a little slow - but still gets 4 stars.

Jeeves Takes Charge by P.G.Wodeshouse:  A classic in audio version performed perfectly. The variety of voices performed by one man was amazing.

A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber:  If you follow me on Twitter (@mrschupa), you might remember that I mentioned wanting to load up the car and just drive till we see an ocean. This is the book that helped spark that wanderlust.  Three generations of women drive from Washington to Florida - working out their life problems along the way. Good but not great.

Demon Rumm by Sandra Brown:  Don't bother

11th Hour by James Patterson:  Latest in the Women's Murder Club series. It's typical Patterson - standard thriller, nothing out of the ordinary, but keeps you turning pages.

A Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

I'm not surprised that a Christmas novel turned out to be feel-good fluff - I'm usually a fan of Christmas-themed feel-good fluff - but this one walks the fine line between fluff and unbelievable (but not in a good way).  Gaby has four grown children that haven't been home for Christmas since their father died, so the idea of a surprise wedding on Christmas Day as a way to lure them home is a good start.  Each of the four children are dealing with their own problems which added some needed complexity to the plot.  And the easily attained solutions to the problems brings in the heartwarming happy ending expected of a holiday book.  But every wedding needs a groom ...

Even in a Christmas-cheer-laden fictional world, the three potential grooms are either idiots or desperate.   One man proposes and two more pop up and say "Hey, wait a minute.  I was going to propose."  She says yes to one of them but won't say which, so these three stooges good-naturedly agree to jointly help plan the wedding, rent tuxes and stand at the front of the church like Dating Game contestants and wait to see who the bachelorette chooses.  Were there parting gifts for the losers?  It was impossible to feel any connection to a heroine that treats marriage like a party game and suitors so shallow they shrug off rejection with a back-slap and an aw-shucks grin.

If you want a glittery holiday read, A Christmas Wedding, is sweet - just don't dig too deep.  3 out of 5 stars.

Teen Drama: Hunger Games and Witch & Wizard

By now, if you haven't read the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you have at least seen them, read reviews, and heard pro-and-con discussions, so I'm not going to write a book by book review.

We were introduced to the series last summer when Amanda enrolled at Kansas State University.  A new program, Kansas State Book Network (KSBN), distributed a free copy of book one to each incoming freshman.  The general idea was to give "K-State faculty, staff and students...something intellectual to discuss with the incoming freshmen".  The press release (link above) also said that "several K-State instructors are already planning to incorporate the book within their curriculum... Along with campus discussion and visiting speakers, a campuswide multiplayer game will be offered in the fall revolving around "The Hunger Games."

Amanda hasn't been a big reader since the days when she would select a Dr. Seuss and wordlessly back up to your lap, waiting to be picked up and read to. The only book she's ever raved about was Mr. Popper's Penguins in 3rd grade.  But she decided to give Hunger Games a try so she wouldn't be out of the loop - and she loved it.  I actually found her in her room - READING - no tv, no computer, no texting.  Well, a mom can dream - there may have been texting - but there was definitely reading.  After completeing the first book she requested volumes two and three!! 

Dave and I took that as the highest praise and decided to read along.  In case you've been living under a rock, here's the general premise of the series:  In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. (from publisher synopsis)  Most definitely NOT my usual genre!  But we were so intrigued, that we read all three together.

I understand why the story appeals to the high school/college demographic - teens rebelling against adults that force them into the ultimate TV reality show.  Oh, the drama!  But the Panem government also has shades of Communism that strike a chord with anyone who lived through the Cold War.  Much like the Harry Potter books, even though this series is marketed as Young Adult, it appeals to a broad audience.

Fast forward to October.  James Patterson, ever the clever marketing exec, got in on the hoopla with the first of the Witch & Wizard series, a Hunger Games knock-off aimed more at the Jr. High crowd.  Dave and I both needed a "teen book" to complete our Library Bingo cards, so we shared this one on a recent car trip. 


The similarities to Hunger Games are obvious, with a sprinkling of Harry Potter stirred in, but it's still an engaging tale that brought us back for volume two - The Gift - which came out in December, and we'll probably read at least one more to see how the story develops.

We recommend Hunger Games for all adults - both for entertainment and for the cautionary tale.  We recommend Witch & Wizard for the younger set, or for parents/grandparents who want to "have something intellectual to discuss" with the kids.

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson

This is a do-it-yourself book review.  Find any positive review of a Patterson thriller, insert Postcard Killers in place of the title, Liza Marklund in place of the co(read "actual")-author, Sweden as the location, and posing bodies to mimic famous works of art as the killer's m.o.  - there, you have a review of Patterson's latest.

Not that it's necessarily a bad thing.  There are many authors who write from a formula - ever read a Harlequin romance?  Even big names reuse plot ideas - Grisham's first three big sellers (The Firm, The Client, and The Pelican Brief) were all the same basic story.  And Patterson's formula is always a hit, so why mess with success?

Once again there is a serial killer on the loose, our hero sets out to capture him, pages fly by, hero meets heroine, more flying pages, a climactic moment and a bit of romance, and we're done.  Sadly, this time the climactic moment could have used a little Viagra - it wasn't all that exciting - and the Swedish words constantly thrown in only to remind us that the author is from Sweden and knows more about it than we do, were annoying.  Other than that, a first-rate thriller that kept us both entertained on a long car trip.

Thanks for your help in writing this quick review.  Now we still have time for a round of golf.