Die Again

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As you all know, I am a die hard Tess Gerritsen fan. I love the gritty details in her books and sometimes even yearn for them. She writes a book like no other, and the content is pretty fantastic. There's the medical aspect and the crime aspect which perfectly intertwine together to make something wonderful. While this book falls in to the Rizzoli and Isles series, there wasn't a lot of drama with Rizzoli's family and that gets to be a bit annoying. It was more about her working with Isles to find the killer but also she has to go above and get help from her hubby and Interpol as the case goes across countries and borders. I really enjoyed how Gerritsen was able to capture the life on a safari. It was very captivating I felt like I was able to actually imagine myself there experiencing it. I will say that the killer in this book was very different from the regular style that Gerritsen uses, which was a huge advantage. I was never able to peg the killer until Rizzoli had it figured out. All my guesses were wrong, so that means Gerritsen won. If you're looking for an interesting read without it being heavy but still has a great plot and story line, I definitely suggest this book. 5 Stars for sure.

I Hate Everyone Except You

I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a lighthearted, easy read. There were a lot of times where I was laughing out loud, which is always nice every once in a while when reading. There was only one chapter in the book that I couldn't not stand to read, although I tried very hard to, and it was the chapter called Freakin' Fabulous, The Sitcom. It is written in script style and I just didn't find it that interesting in comparison to the rest of the book. I respected how when there was sex content or promiscuous activities Clinton would write “The details of which will be left to the reader's imagination.” I found that a very classy way of keeping some privacy but still having his fun with the reader. Clinton discusses his life before and after What Not to Wear and what working with Stacy London is really like. It was a nice inside shot of how the show operated. Clinton is absolutely fabulous and hilarious, and who wouldn't want to read a book with the title “I Hate Everyone Except You.”

The Shack

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Some would say I'm a little late to the table at reading the Shack but after seeing the movie trailer I thought I would like to read it before I saw the movie. The Shack is heavily religious based and I did read the entire book without trying to judge it due to that. The first 1/4 of the book was amazing. The story was gripping. Every time I had to put it down I was thinking about what was going to happen next and what the characters might be up to. Then as the book carried on it began to get more and more religious and in my opinion, the story lost its lustre. Throughout the rest of the book it was using three main characters to compile and be God. I found this somewhat troubling because I don't really know a lot about religion so having three characters play the part of a major higher power threw me. It was interesting the questions that Mack presented the God characters with but somehow I didn't find much satisfaction or solace in the answers he received. In the end it had me questioning how a book could have such an amazing first quarter and the rest just be okay. When I had researched the book it had an either “you love it or you hate it” type of disposition in its following. Would I recommend this book? Probably not but I would ask what you are looking to read first. If you are looking to read something religious based that toys with how and why God does things that he does, then this might be the book for you. If you are looking to read it because it was a best seller for a long period of time, I would say sure but I would forewarn you how religious it is.

My honest feeling to this book, disappointment, but I still read it and it wasn't the worst thing I have ever read so I do give it some credit.

The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I loved the Percy Jackson series A LOT, so I was hoping this was going to be the same but with the Roman Mythology and heroes. It sort of was but I just didn't really like the story or the characters at all. While it is a quest and the heroes are trying to find out who they are and who their parents are, it's nothing compared to Percy Jackson. I have to say I was really disappointed. I kind of felt like Riordan should have just done a completely different series instead of tying it in with Camp Half Blood and the other characters. The one thing that I did like was Festus, the giant bronze dragon. Really liked him even though he wasn't a huge character, I love dragons what can I say.

Overall, really disappointed. Not sure that I will continue with the rest in the series.

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Scar Tissue

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very hard book to rate. I didn't think it was very well written, but that's not why I was reading it in the first place, but it didn't help the cause any. Sex, drugs and rock and roll can be a very interesting ride and why not take the chance to go through it by reading a book.

It was a giant roller coaster ride of the life of a rock star that has major points of addiction issues, relationship issues, etc. The one thing I can say for sure, celebrities do not have it easy. As much as people think they are living the dream of being famous and wealthy, it's one hell of a life. They have people trying to expose or use them at every turn, ie the paparazzi and reporters. They have people trying to exploit them for personal reasons, ie, wives/girlfriends/partners or friends. Then a major issue is what they have access to, ie. drugs (the variety is limitless), sex, alcohol and so much more. For a person with addiction issues the celebrity life is not an easy one and this picture was clearly painted in Kiedis' book. In and out of relapse and recovery, is and was a hard journey for Kiedis, who later discovered the link between using and the end of relationships for himself. Since I am not a long standing fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, when he was writing about their early music and when they just got their break, it wasn't about songs that I knew about or liked. It wasn't until approximately half way through the book that Under the Bridge was mentioned and then the musical stuff started to click for me. One point I found interesting, was the bond between Kiedis and Flea, who considered each other brothers and family. Through thick and thin they were in each others lives, they supported each other musically and reached success together, as well as with the others in the band. The dynamic between them was very interesting and sometimes tumultuous, but they always remained friends no matter what.

I will admit that I did find the end of the book a little preachy regarding addiction, but I will give Kiedis the credit he deserves for fighting with his demons and coming out on top. Another thing I found a little annoying, is that the pictures were not in any sort of order. They were from various times and just chucked in with a little blurb. It would have been more effective if the pictures were done in some sort of order, but that's just my opinion.

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A Life in Parts

A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The opening chapter had my jaw dropped and me thinking WTF. Bryan Cranston truly captures the role of storyteller in this autobiography. A lot of the time when I was reading I felt like I was sitting at a campfire sharing with him and he actually telling these stories to me. The book is well written for a celebrity. In short, the book is divided in to different roles he has played or been throughout his life. Cranston lives an interesting life full of adventure and yet remains to be a very humble guy. I cannot say more about this book without giving the story away but I definitely give it 5 stars.

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Fudge-a-mania

Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I loved this book as a kid but reading as an adult just wasn't the same.

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