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★★★
Three stars.
I could not wait to begin this novel after receiving this book from Quirk Books (through Goodreads' First Reads).
Ben H. Winters drew me in right away with the warm, vivid description of what at first appeared to be the dream house for Alex and Susan, and their daughter Emma. It's cheaply priced, bigger than their old place, within transit for Alex. The brownstone on Cranberry Street genuinely seems to good to be true....
Unfortunately, from Susan's eyes, it was too good to be. Before their boxes are even unpacked, a murder takes place in the neighborhood, taking the lives of two infants. Not to mention, it isn't long before the house seems to be falling apart before her eyes; cracks she hadn't noticed, floor boards that aren't quite safe, a God awful stench in the "bonus" room that she wanted to put her studio in. And of course, the mysterious bites that began to appear on her flesh- and no one else's.
Cursed by these bed bug bites (even though everyone around her doubts their existence) and motivated by a series of mysterious website posts and an even more strange book, Susan feels that something bad has happened in this house, and that it is up to her to find out what that "something" was, and more importantly, who is to blame. Maybe then, and only then, will the bed bugs leave her be.
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This book is written with an ominous, mysterious undertone from start to finish, which leaves the reader wondering what is to come. Whether it be in the form of Angela, the old, sharp and widowed landlady who always seems to say something odd or Louis, the old "handyman" seen lurking about at the oddest places, there is always someone or something that has a tone of darkness about them. It paints a haunting shadow over the text of the story, making the reader turn each page cautiously, as though the horror of these small, vampiric insects may crawl out from the very pages themselves.
I found this book to be well written, intriguing, and creepy. If you can read this without feeling an itch or two on your own skin, then you've a stronger mind than I. All in all, it is a psychological horror/thriller novel that is definitely worth the read.... Good luck falling asleep tonight- they don't bite.... Much.
★★★★
Four stars.
On the surface, there is absolutely nothing spectacular about Sookie Stackhouse. Sure, she's pretty. But she's only a waitress in a nowhere Southern town in Louisiana. But she's far from normal- she can read minds. It irks her a bit, admittedly. But around these parts, vampires are allowed out of the coffin, and she's not the least "disabled" one around. That's when she meets Bill- a vampire who's tall, dark, and handsome, but above all, dangerous. Sookie must decide if her growing feelings can outweigh her will to live.
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I loved this book.
After much bitterness & delay, I finally decided to give this vampire series a try, & I'm very glad that I did. I don't think I'll start watching True Blood, but I definitely want to read the rest of the books.
I found that this book had a nice balance of vampirism (without too many overly cheesy moments), mystery, murder, & sex. It was darker & more violent than I had anticipated, but I mean that in the most positive sense. The fact that it takes place in Louisiana/New Orleans was an added perk (since it is my favorite place to visit). My only real complaint is that it ended far too briskly, & now I must finish the series. However, a long time vampire fan myself, I am happy to add this to my bookshelf.
I recommend it for vampire fans who'd like a bit more of a bite in their novels.
★★
Two stars.
This is a self-help book for women that includes short stories on various man problems. The author offers help and tips on how to deal with it, with most of them involving the women telling her man to take a hike.
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I don't have much of a review for this one- there's not much to say. I honestly don't understand all of the hype that surrounded this when it came out. This book is pretty much common sense. It takes you through a series of stories where the author pretty much just rephrases the same advice each time. I would have given it one star, but admittedly a few of his lines did make me laugh, so I guess it wasn't a complete waste of time. It's a fast read, but I don't really recommend it for any woman who actually needs dating advice.
★★★
Three stars.
Bree Tanner is a member of the new born vampire army, as mentioned in The Twilight Saga's Eclipse. She doesn't remember life before her transformation. The only life she knows is the one out of the sun, and fueled by human blood. But living as part of the army has a cost. There are rules that must be followed. If she isn't home on time, or is seen by humans, then she will be put to death. With the help of a newborn friend, Diego, Bree must figure out who their leader, "Her", is, and figure out how to stop the game that the newborns are all just a pawn in.
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All in all, this book is alright. I think it's more of a companion book than a stand alone novella, despite how it's advertised. It was a good break from Edward & Bella's story, and added a bit of depth to a short lived character named Bree Tanner. It gave more insight to her death, and it made me like her a bit more. She didn't seem so weak or boring after reading this novella. If you're a Twilight fan- great, read this. If not, you're not missing anything crucial or amazing. It's simply a short little add-on to the story.
★★★
Three stars.
The Growing Dim Project is a solid book, worth checking out.
Author Nicholas McGirr's words set the scene vividly, making his vision for characters and their surroundings easily conveyed to the reader. The emotions that McGirr pours into his novel is clear, and gives the book a very "real" feel, making the novel seem perhaps a bit unrefined at parts, but full of heart. It makes the book all the more pleasant to the reader.
That being said, the flaw that locked in my rating is the jagged manner in which a good story is told. I found it hard to focus. As opposed to sticking with the view points of a solitary character, McGirr alternates between characters quite frequently, not only to switch scenes, but to give different views on conversations as well. I found myself having to reread a bit here and there in order to double check which perspective I was actually on. It helps you to learn about each character, but I think that could have been done in a smoother way.
All in all though, I found this book a good read. It was worth the struggle I had with the character perspective. A dark, enjoyable balance of rock music, relationships, and Greek mythology make this book one that can please just about anyone who picks it up (or downloads it).
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for other books in this series, and in general by this author, because I think Nicholas McGirr is a genuinely talented author to watch out for.
★★★★
Four stars.
After protagonist Darren Shan & his best friend obtain tickets to an illegally run, secret freak show, both get pulled into a darkness where freaks are real, vampires exist, & giant spiders can be controlled by telepathy. Possessed by his obsession with spiders, Darren decides to sneak into the circus after hours and steal the gorgeous spider from the show. The problem? That spider is owned by a vampire- one that's not all too happy that she's missing. Darren longed for adventure, but will he escape from this one with his life?
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I love this book. This is the first novel in the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan. It's admittedly a bit juvenile and it's easy to read, but I didn't want to put it down. I was pulled in by the same excitement and darkness that Darren was, and I wanted to be by his side exploring the freak show with him. My only slight irritation is the insane amount of exclamation marks used throughout the book. I understand tat the author wanted to show emphasis, but it could have definitely been toned down.
★★
Two stars.
Star Leigh is the woman that every girl wants to be. She's busty and popular, and snags a job a beer girl. Shortly after, her acting career is launch, she's living in California, and getting caught up in the whirl wind of partying, fame, sex, and stardom. She must learn who is a friend, who is an ally, and who just wants to see her crash and burn. After all, being a Star comes with a price, and is it one that she's willing to pay?
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This was a quick, easy, typical chick lit summer read. Pamela Anderson gets her story across under the masked label of "fiction", though anyone who is a fan of hers can pick out the comparisons.(Fictional busty blonde Star Leigh gets a job as tool girl on "Hammer Time"). It's not a complete waste of time, but it's clear that she should stick to acting/modeling/defending animals. It's an interesting read, but I found that the end was too soon. I wasn't sure if my book was missing pages, or if it really ended so abruptly. Overall I found Star to be a completely average, one time read.
Fans of Gossip Girl and girly books of that sort might enjoy this far more than I did.
