Remember Me? 3 Stars

Remember Me? by Sophia Kinsella

What would you do if you hit your head and woke up in a hospital three years later? You haven't been in a coma for three years; you just have selective amnesia. This happens to Lexi Smart is Sophia Kinsella's chick lit book, Remember Me? Not only can Lexi not remember the last three years of her life, but she seems to have hit it big.  She's has money, a hot hubby, and her teeth have been fixed.  She is much thinner as well. She feels like she woke up to her dream life, but soon begins to notice that things may not be as wonderful as they appear. As Lexi puts together the missing pieces of her life, she begins to see things she wishes she did not.

Another fun read from Kinsella!  Remember Me?, like most of Kinsellas books, would make a wonderful chick flick. Its a fun and entertaining book that keeps you wondering how Lexi will resolve her life. 

I will say that I became quite concerned that Kinsella was going to take this book in a direction that I wasn't sure I could stomach.  But she did a phenomenal job of taking the book a different direction.  Good job! 

Rating: PG-13

Recommended for those who enjoy: chick lit, humor, family drama, and sassy female protagonists.

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.

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.

Can You Keep a Secret?: 3 Stars

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

My love affair with Sophie Kinsella's books continues with Can You Keep a Secret? Her books are NOTHING like anything else I read, but I love her books.  They are fun and humorous and a great  read after heavier reads because they are so light and simple. 

In this particular book, Emma Corrigan has just made her first solo company presentation and it went terrible!  Now she is on her way home and is in a horrible, whoa-is-me mood. While nursing her wounds, she boards the plane home, a trip she is not looking forward to since she is terrified of flying. After hitting horrific turbulence, Emma confesses ALL of her secrets to the man next to her.  And wouldn't you know it, he is the OWNER of her company.  Whoops! 

Filled with adorable missteps and silly misunderstandings, this book is another chick lit book like all her others. They are like chick flicks for books. It's not my favorite of the books of hers I have read and it's rather predictable, but it was a fun read. 

I did really like that her roommate's name was Lissy.  That's my sister's name and it's not a common nickname for Melissa.  It's usually Missy or Mel. 

Rating: PG-13

Recommended for those who enjoy: chick lit, love stories, female leads, 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.

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line: 4 Stars

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

The TV show Veronica Mars is one of my favorites of all time. Veronica (played by Kristen Bell) has such spunk and sass, while still being vulnerable and sweet.

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Then there was Logan; the brutty bad boy with a soft spot for the sassy girl.  ***swoon*** Yeah, I have a soft spot for this guy.  He won me over long before he won Veronica over. (Puka shells and all!)

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The first season was beyond brilliant/amazing and I couldn't get enough of it!  The second season was pretty great, although it wasn't nearly as good as the first.  The third season was very disappointing...and then it ended....crappily. (Ok, so crappily isn't a word, but if you saw the show, you know it's the perfect way to describe it.)

So when they announced that through Kickstarter they had funded a movie, I was beyond excited and took the opportunity to re-watch the entire series (adding a couple of sisters to my obsession).

The movie was excellent and righted all the wrongs in season three.  And there was this....

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Anyhow, the movie ended and I thought "Sad day...no more Veronica Mars".  And then, like some miracle blessing, they decided to start a book series!  This was one world/group of characters I was not ready to let go of, and thanks to Rob Thomas, I don't have to!

The book picks up right where the movie left off and didn't miss a beat. Veronica is now a private detective in Neptune...again. When a young girl goes missing during spring break, she is hired to find her and save the tourist industry. But this is easier said then done when another girl goes missing, and this time, it's a little more personal.

I loved this book! Seriously, it was awesome and didn't miss a beat. The characters we knew and loved from the series were in the book and were the same as we remember them. The author doesn't change the past at all and even brings up several plot points from the TV series and movie in the book, since they play a role in Veronica's life now. Excellent job!

I will note that this book is probably best read by fans of the show and movie. If you have seen neither, you may get a little lost/bored/not nearly as excited as me.

Rating: PG

Recommended for those who enjoy mysteries, sassy female protagonists, and humor.

This is Where I Leave You: 3 Stars

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

I saw that this book was being made into a movie starring Jason Bateman.  I  have adored Jason Bateman ever since Arrested Development (which I realized is towards the middle of his career since he was a child star), but I tend to watch everything he's in, even if it's stupid (Identity Thief was terrible!) Anyhow, the book was on sale on AbeBooks.com for like $2 so I bought it and read it. 

Judd Foxman's father has passed away. As if that's not enough, he must now go to set Shiva with his distant family right after his divorce. His wife's affair with his radio shock jock boss is now public knowledge, as well as the death of his child only one month before it's birth. With a brother who lost a scholarship and now runs the family business, a sister who's husband doesn't seem to treat her well, a much much younger, flighty brother, and a grieving mother who was never ashamed to talk about anything with her kids, Judd's seven day stint at home may not be ideal.

The concept of this book looked absolutely fascinating.  Forced to deal with all of his issues in a one-week trip, Judd is living every man's nightmare. His life has spiraled to a point of extreme depression and tragedy and EVERYONE knows it. He has long since buried and neglected issues with each of his siblings and his parents. He has very new issues with his ex-wife, ex-boss, and situation in life. Judd has wanted to get in a car and just drive; leaving his problems behind.  But with the death of his father, Judd doesn't have that option for at least seven days. 

I love the way this book addresses the issues in Judd's life. While his biggest issues may be his recent divorce and punching his boss, Judd's issues go back much further. Judd is able to pry back the layers of his life, slowly getting to the root of many of his issues.

I was pretty disappointed in much of the unnecessary plot lines of the book. The whole scene with Judd and his sister-in-law, I just...I have no words.  I thought it was poorly addressed and poorly written. It was a very serious issue that well....let me just explain it flat out.  

DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS!

Unable to get pregnant from her husband, Judd's older brother, Alice confides in Judd, her ex-boyfriend. Then she sneaks up on him, forces him to have sex with her, and then leaves, hoping that he will give her the child she wants with the closest DNA to her husband. Judd and Alice barely address this later. It was rape, plain and simple, and I do not like how lightly and casually the author deals with this topic.  Just because it's a man being raped by a woman doesn't make it any less of a horrific and terrible crime. I was appalled and disgusted with the author lack of taste and tact.

Rating: R

Recommended for those who like family drama, therapeutic novels, and humor.