Judge & Jury: 3 Stars

 

Judge & Jury by James Patterson and Andrew Gross

A co-worker recommended this one to me because the audiobook is read by Joe Matenga and she thought he did an excellent job. She was not wrong. He was a fabulous reader and his interpretation of the book alone kept me captivated.

In this novel, Andie  DeGrasse gets served with jury duty.  As a single mother who's an aspiring actress, she has no desire to serve so she tries to get let go.  Instead she gets selected for one of the highest profile cases in the nation. FBI agent Nick Pellisante finally captured Mafia boss Dominic Cavello and he was finally going to be judged for his crimes.  Or was he?

After a devastating attack on the jury, Andie and Nick are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, hoping that Cavello will eventually get what he deserves.  But since it looks like the law may not be able to make that happen, the two decide its up to them. 

This book was a fun, light read, with an excellent narrator. The story was unique and I never predicted where it was going next.

Unfortunately, I am not sure I will read another Patterson book.  The characters were never really likeable and their chemistry never resonated with me. Their characters and relationship felt forced and awkward. It was hard to get into the book when you didn't really care about the characters. 

Rating: PG-13

Recommended for those who enjoy: action, adventure and mildly scary stories.

Stardust: 5 Stars

 Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Guys....I think I am in love!  I am also a wee bit upset at all of you for not telling me about Neil Gaiman sooner! 

In all seriousness though, I am officially captivated by Gaiman.  I read Good Omens a couple months back and absolutely loved it. But since he co-wrote that with Terry Pratchett, I wasn't sure if that meant I would like both writers or just one of them.  But after reading Stardust and getting halfway through The Graveyard Book, it's obvious that Gaiman is a magnificent, magical author. I am definitely going to try more of his work.

In Stardust, we join Tristan Thorn on a quest for his true love, or at least who he naively thinks is his true love. Victoria clearly has no interest in Tristan and jokingly tells him that if he goes and gets a falling star, that she will marry him. Little did she know, twitterpated Tristan was going to do just that. But when Tristan discovers the star is a girl, the journey only becomes more interesting.

This story is magical and hysterical. Gaiman masters the art of storytelling with excellent, quirky characters and captivating scenes. He masterfully writes his own fairy tale for adults, but that obviously would appeal to children as well (except maybe when the unicorn dies). Even his antagonists are bewitching, despite their lack of morals. It makes them easy to hate, but still so enjoyable to read about.

I simply cannot recommend this book enough. It was entertaining and fun.  I love that Gaiman is a writer who likes to try new things and experiment with his work. I listened to the audiobook (read by the author and was magnificent) and it was followed by an interview with Gaiman. He tells of how the story came about. Considering his intentions and first release of this story involved a specific illustrator and lots of pictures, I now want to own that version of the book!  I guess that is another book to add to my wish list!

Can anyone recommend some more Gaiman book to me?  As a newbie, I am ready to soak him in!

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: fairy tales, adventure, and quirky writing.

Robinson Crusoe: 3 Stars

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

This is the ultimate child rebellion book. Robinson's parents want him to grow up, get an education, and become a lawyer.  Robinson wants to travel the world. In the 17th century, defying your parents and society wasn't as common or as easy as it is today. But Robinson did it. He boarded a ship and left his home without getting his parent's blessing.  Little did he know that the adventure he looked for, he would get tenfold.

After one shipwreck, you would think that Robinson would decide against heading to sea, but instead he heads right back out on another ship, only to be captured by pirates and enslaved. After escaping slavery, Robinson is able to get land and live in Brazil.  But his taste for the sea has not been satisfied still. 

After years of living on his plantation, Robinson decides that it is time to set sail again, and this time, the result is far worse.  The ship wrecks and Robinson is stranded on a an island all alone.  Or at least he thinks he's alone. He eventually finds out that there others on the island as well, but not exactly the friendliest of people. They are cannibals.

Robinson ends up rescuing a man from the cannibals who doesn't speak English.  He names him Friday and thus begins one of the greatest bromances in all of literature. Robinson teaches Friday English and teaches him about Christianity.  They two grow close and end up saving more people from the cannibals. Eventually they escape the island and Robinson heads home, decades after he left.With his family long gone, Robinson moves back to his plantation in Brazil with his best friend.

This book was entertaining and funny.  I struggled quite a bit with how it was written. I felt like Defoe focused so much on the mundane details and not as much on the action a I would have liked. The reason for this had far more to do with the social practices of the time the book was written. The majority of these practices are dead, thus making the details of things (like the origins of the name Crusoe) very boring to read about. But, alas, this is one of the perils of reading literature that is hundreds of years old. 

At the end of the day, the story is very entertaining and engaging. 

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: action, adventure, pirates, and classics.

The Lost Hero: 4 Stars

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I promised someone I would get all caught up on this series before the final book came out in October. This is the first book in the second Percy Jackson series, The Heroes of Olympus.  

Thinking that this was like the previous Percy Jackson series, I was shocked to find one thing missing from this book: Percy! As it turns out, the "Lost Hero" of The Lost Hero is indeed Percy and Annabeth is searching for him.  But Annabeth is not alone. Annabeth discovers three unknown demigods in the world and wonders why they were not claimed by their parents before. First, there's Jason, who has no recollection of who he is or where he came from. Then there is Piper, Jason's girlfriend, or so she thought, but with his missing memory, it looks like that may be a lie. And finally there is Leo, Jason's best friend with a sense of humor and dark past. The question is, where did these three come from and where is Percy? 

Considering I am not much of a series reader and this is the second series for the same character, I was shocked to realize that I liked this book more than all of the first series. Not only are Percy and Annabeth older and more mature (making it far more enjoyable for me to read), but the addition of Leo was well done. It took about half of the book before I knew that Leo was going to be my favorite character of the entire Percy Jackson world. He's clever, funny, and loyal. He's a brilliant side character with excellent character development and a deep past that makes him so much more then just the goofy sidekick. 

Well done Riordan! 

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: action, adventure, humor, and mythology.

Lord of the Flies: 4 Stars

 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is one of those books that I always meant to read, but since it wasn't required in high school, I hadn't. But I added the book to my Classics List so I would finally read it.

I didn't know what to expect from the book, but when I picked it up from the library, two of my sisters saw it and both asked why I was torturing myself with this terrible book. I thought maybe I made a big mistake and that maybe I should skip it. But I read it anyway and was very glad I did. 

The book takes place during a war. After an attack on the city, an evacuation takes place and all the boys from the local schools are put on a plane.  But when the plane crashes on a deserted island, the boys soon realize they are without adult supervision or immediate rescue. It's up to them to save themselves.

Ralph is the first boy to step up and take charge with a young chubby kid they call Piggy by his side. Ralph's first priority is to get a fire going on the top of a hill so they have a constant smoke signal going so all passing ships can see it. Then he works on shelters and food. It doesn't take long before the boys are getting hungry and realize that hunting is more difficult than they expected. Also, several of the young boys claim that they have witnessed a giant beast in the forest and are scared. 

A young boy named Jack decides he will make a better leader.  He convinces the boys to abandon the fire and smoke signal and all together they go hunting to catch a boar. Once they have eaten, he gains confidence in his leading abilities, and when Ralph fights back, Jack leads against Ralph, promising safety from the beast.  And this is when all hell breaks loose. 

Golding does a phenomenal job of describing young boys without any direction and the desire to have power. You have Ralph who understands that food, shelter and safety are important, but since being rescued is the end goal, puts a smoke signal as the number one priority.  Then you have Jack, who abandons all other endeavors to tackle whatever task the majority grumbles about most. Without rules, there is no one to keep them in line, or prevent them from taking things too far. 

The imagery of Ralph on the beach on the beginning of the book and again at the end of the book shows the end of innocence. The dramatic change you see in Ralph is amazing and thought provoking. It made me think a lot about my own life. Do I side with the person that has my best interest at heart or the person who has my interest for that moment? Do I prioritize my life based on what others view as important or based on what I really want in the long run?

This is a book I can see myself reading again because it was so thought-provoking.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy: dystopian, action, adventure, and thought-provoking books. 

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5): 3 Stars

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

This is the final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. The fight against Kronos has reached the final battle. Annabeth, Grover, and Percy must now face Luke, a task Annabeth is heart broken over. But with all the gods busy trying to keep the world in order, Mount Olympus is vacant and it's up to Percy to save it. It doesn't help that Mount Olympus is in the Empire State Building in New York; the same New York Percy's mother and step father are in. He must succeed, or all is lost.

I love the way Riordan's mind works. This entire series is based on a prophecy; a prophecy everyone assumes is about Percy. Percy is the hero afterall.  He's Camp Half Blood's golden boy. But what if they are wrong?

Riordan always keeps me guessing and never stops surprising me. I love that. I find some children's books far too predictable, but not his. His books are funny, engaging, and entertaining.

That being said, sometimes the teenage angst is too much for me. While it's true that teenagers are emotional and not always logical, it doesn't mean it doesn't drive me crazy.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those that enjoys: children's books, action, adventure, mythology, and humor.

Peter Pan: 4 Stars

 

Peter Pan by JM Barrie 

I thought today would be a good day to review Peter Pan because when I think of Peter Pan, I often think of Robin Williams and his portrayal of Peter in the movie Hook. I remember watching that movie over and over as a child and it helps explain why Robin Williams was my favorite actor as a child (that and because he was the Genie!) His charisma and humor will be greatly missed.

Like I am sure most of you know, Peter Pan is about a little orphan boy who ran away to Neverland where he never grew up. He would occasionally sneak back to the real world to hear stories outside the Darling home. But one day, Peter lost his shadow. Desperate to get it back, Peter returned to the home with the help of Tinkerbell, a fairy. Lucky for Peter, Mr. Darling had decided to tie up Nana, the kid's dog, outside. Peter was able to get into the home easily, but not quietly. He accidentally woke up Wendy, who helped him reattach his shadow. Soon John and Michael were awake and the three decided to join Peter in Neverland. 

Neverland wasn't just a home for Peter, but a home for many young boys called the Lost Boys. But the Lost Boys weren't the only inhabitants. There were mermaids, Indians, pirates, and fairies! The adventure begins when the pirate captain, Captain Hook, sees an opportunity to finally capture his arch nemesis Peter Pan, thanks to a jealous Tinkerbell.

The story was cute and fun, just like I had imagined it would be. I really enjoyed the imagery that Barrie was able to convey in the book. I highly recommend this for young and old alike.

Rating: G

Recommended for those who enjoy: children's books, pirates, adventure, action, and humor.

Treasure Island: 3 Stars

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Before reading this book, I already knew most of the plot details, thanks the the Disney film I grew up watching.  Given that this movie came out over 30 years before I was born, many of you may not be as familiar with it. Well, I decided to look up and see where the young Jim Hawkins was now, perhaps finding he was in a movie someone may recognize. Turns out, young Bobby Driscoll lived a tragic life. After becoming a child star, Bobby's life became rocky as jobs didn't come as easily but drugs did. He died at the young age of 31, found in an abandoned building. Unable to identify him, he was buried as a John Doe. Nineteen months after his body was found, his mother sought after him, trying to reunite him with his dying father.  Such a tragic end, and I can't watch the movie the same anymore. 

Anyhow, back to the book! 

Young Jim Hawkins works in an inn with his father, when an old pirate known as "the captain" arrives, paying Jim to keep lookout for other pirates. Two come, scaring "the captain" who ends up dying from a stroke, leaving behind a chest for Jim. In the chest is a map. With the help of a man name Trelawney, Jim joins a crew to go find this treasure, lead by Long John Silver, a pirate that might not be trustworthy. Adventure begins! 

The movie actually followed the book pretty closely and the plot was very close to accurate.  That took away from some of the fun of reading, since I already knew what was going to happen. On occasion, I found the book to be just a smidge boring, but that is due to it being a bit dated (it was written in 1883 after all). 

But at the end of the day it was a fun book and I enjoyed it.  Also, the audiobook was read by Alfred Molina and he did a marvelous job! 

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who like children's books, adventure, pirates, and action.