Come Closer - Sara Gran

I don't usually read books in the horror genre, but I picked this up after it was mentioned in the NY Times Book Review. This slim volume can be finished in one sitting, and makes for an entertaining couple of hours.

Amanda works for an architectural firm, and is contentedly (if not blissfully) married to her husband Edward. Her career and marriage unravel as she begins having dark thoughts and acting out hurtful behaviors that she becomes unable to control. Come Closer is unique because it is written in the first person, so it is not clear to the reader whether she is becoming mentally unstable or if she is truly possessed by a demon.

This book is not gory or make you sleep with the light on scary, but it is very creepy ad readable.
Come Closer: A Novel - Amazon info page

The Collaborator of Bethlehem: An Omar Yussef Mystery - Matt Beynon Rees (mystery/thiller)

The Collaborator of Bethlehem is an foreign take on the classic amateur detective story, but this one is definitely not a cozy! Omar Yussef is a middle-aged school teacher living in Bethlehem. When one of his favorite former Christian students is accused of collaborating with the Israeli army in the assasination of a local violent Palestinian activist, Yussef abandons his quiet intellectual life to prove his student's innocence. His investigation forces him to confront those with whom he shares ideals, but who have turned to the extremism and violence that he cautions his students against.

The murder plot itself is not particularly novel, but the insight Rees' provides into life in the Palestinian camps is. Though not overly political, this book is mildly anti-Israeli. However, Rees is very balanced in his treatment of the Palestinians - he is sympathetic to their cause, but critical of some of their means.

This is the first in a series of murders featuring the school teacher/detective. I have added the second to my wishlist. I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers who are looking for something different.
The Collaborator of Bethlehem: An Omar Yussef Mystery (Omar Yussef Mysteries) - Amazon info page

Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why it Matters - Bill Tancer (business, technology)

The author of Click works for Hitwise, a company that tracks what people are doing online. In this book Bill Tancer shows how monitoring the terms web users search for using engines such as Google and click streams (the trail of sites visited during a surfing session) can be used to predict the next breakout band, the success of a new website, whether housing sales will rise or fall, and even the next winner of Dancing With the Stars. Tancer explains all this in a jargon-free way and his references to numbers and statistics are minimal, making this a surprisingly fast read. Along the way we learn mini histories of popular sites such as Wikipedia and Myspace, and the point at which celebrity interest turns to obsession.

My only complaint about this book is that he sticks with some topics a bit too long: I don't care enough about prom dress buying patterns to want to read a whole chapter on the topic. This gripe is relatively minor though, as most of the topics are current and interesting.

This book is sure to appeal to fans of Malcolm Gladwell. Tancer's book is shorter and easier to read than Gladwell's works however, which is probably a plus for the short attention spanned users of the Web 2.0 that Tancer describes.
Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why it Matters - Amazon info page

Choke - Chuck Palahniuk (fiction)

Like others, I saw the film Fight Club but had not read any of Palahniuk's books before. This book had been sitting on my TBR shelf for a while, and with the upcoming release of the movie I figured it was time to give it a try.

The word "sick" seems to occur frequently in reviews of Palahniuk's work. After reading this book I understand why. Many of the images in the book are quite disgusting, but "sick" is also a good word to describe the world as Palahniuk portrays it. Despite the high gross-out factor, this book is at times laugh out loud funny - indeed I could not decide if some of the scenes were for shock value or attempts at dark humor.

The protagonist Victor behaves in an appalling manner, but because the book is written in first person we can almost understand why and feel sympathetic towards him. However, whenever Victor starts to become likable, Palahniuk quickly does something to make us gag or laugh again. What a strange book.
Choke - Amazon info page

Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith (mystery/thriller)

This thriller is one of the most hyped books this summer. The story follows one man's hunt to catch a serial killer of children. In typical thriller fashion, different chapters reveal what is happening with the protagonist, the killer, and occasionally victims or other side characters. Most chapters end with a cliff hanger before checking in with another character in the next.

Where Child 44 differs from the usual Safeway novel thrillers is in its setting - the story takes place in a Soviet Union ruled by Stalin. Clearly the author did quite a bit of research into that era, and he does a good job of showing the horrors and difficulties of life during that time. Much of the novel is spent developing the characters and setting - the murder investigations don't really rev up until the second half of the book.

Although the dialog is sometimes over-earnest and the who-dunnit aspect of the story is not very exciting, this book is still worth a read because of the dark but fascinating world and time it draws the reader into. This book should appeal to mystery/thriller fans, as well as those who enjoy historical fiction.

Child 44 - Amazon info page

The Big Girls - Susanna Moore (fiction)

The Big Girls tells the stories of four people whose lives are interconnected. Most of the story focuses on Louise Forrest, a psychiatrist working at a women's prison, and Helen who is her patient there. Helen is incarcerated for the murder of her children, yet Dr. Forrest feels sympathetic towards her and tries to help her. The other characters whose stories are told in first person are the prison warden, and Annie, and aspiring actress who happens to be dating Dr. Forrest's ex-husband and is the object of Helen's interest.

Sound confusing? Although the narrator alternates randomly, it is not as confusing as it sounds because each character has a distinctive voice - once you get to know them it is clear after reading a section or two of each section who is speaking. What was confusing to me was whether or not there is a point to this book. There are lots of references to violence, lesbian relationships in prison, and gross things in jail bathrooms, but ultimately I didn't find much redeeming value to the story other than being slightly shocking entertainment.
The Big Girls - Amazon info page

Bad Things - Mike Marhsall (horror, mystery/thriller)

John and Carole Henderson live separate lives as they attempt to move on following the drowning death of their young son Scott. Carole tries to give a sense of normalcy to their surviving child Tyler, while the once successful John is now a recovering alcoholic spinning his wheels working at a local Italian restaurant. When John receives an anonymous email suggesting that Scott's death was not an accident, John returns to the small town where his son died in an attempt to find the truth.

John's efforts are thwarted by local law enforcement and members of a tightly knit community who do not want their dirty laundry to be aired. John realizes that his former neighbors are hiding something, but as an outsider he has no way of knowing that he is dealing with supernatural forces outside of his power to control.

Mark Marshall's novel begs comparison to the best works of Stephen King, in that the story relies on other-worldly powers yet is genuinely scary in places and not the least bit cheesy. The dark tone of the book reminds me of Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects," but the descriptions of John's struggles and mourning are worthy of literary fiction - Marshall's book works because his characters and locations are so believable. "Bad Things" is a welcome change of pace from mindless horror/suspense novels.
Bad Things: A Novel - Amazon info page

Cesar's Way : The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems - Melissa Jo Peltier, Cesar Millan (memoir,dog training)

I have never watched Cesar Millan's television show, but my petsitter talks about him a lot so I was curious about this book.

This book is a fun read for dog lovers, especially the early chapters in which the author describes his life and how he came to be the famed dog trainer that he is today. It is also fun to read about the celebrities he has worked with (Oprah, Jada Pinkett Smith) and how their dogs walk all over them.

However, do not choose this book if you are looking for detailed advice about dog training or correcting problem behavior. Although the title may imply otherwise, all the solutions here are very vague and generally fall into one of the following categories: you (the pack leader) need to work on "calm-assertive energy," you need to take your dog for a half hour walk, or you (still) need to work on "calm-assertive energy" so that your dog will have "calm-submissive energy." Unfortunately, Millan doesn't really tell the reader HOW to obtain that kind of energy, other than perhaps by emulating Oprah.

Although the stories of dogs rehabilitated by the author are heartwarming, ultimately the novelty wears thin because not much insight is given into how the dogs' behaviors are turned around (other than by the author's "calm-assertive energy.") This book would have been much more interesting had the author spoken more specifically about fewer cases, or made the book shorter.
Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems - Amazon product page

The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat - Claudia Bishop (cozy mystery)

This cozy concerns a country vet/private detective who is called on to investigate a murder at a dairy farm. There is the usual pool of quirky suspects, but I enjoyed this book because of its slapstick, LOL humor.

Apparently The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat is the third in a series of mysteries featuring Dr. McKenzie, but the "cast of character" at the beginning of the book allows those new to the series to enjoy it.
The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat (The Casebook of Dr. McKenzie) - Amazon info page

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy - Martin Lindstrom (marketing)

As a marketing consultant, Martin Lindstrom knows that traditional market research processes such as focus groups are inherintly flawed. People often do not consciously understand what they like or do not like and the reasons why, so they give marketers inaccurate data. In an effort to learn more about the subconscious affects brand recognition and purchasing decisions, Lindstrom teams with a neurologist and conducts fMRI and SST studies on consumers.

Their experiments try to answer questions such as do warning labels on cigarette packages really deter smokers, does sex really sell, and does product placement on TV shows work? The answers are fascinating and may surprise you. Lindstrom's book is peppered with entertaining anecdotes of failed ventures from big brands such as Coke and Pepsi that illustrate his points.

This book is fast written and written in a very non-technical way. My only criticism of this book is that I would have like to have understood more about the neuroscience behind the experiments. Lindstrom states the results of his studies but no specifics, so I was often left wondering what particular part of the brain responded to an ad, or how did that response of the brain differ when viewing the different ads? Perhaps the author was trying to tell a story that a person with absolutely no scientific knowledge can read, but in my opinion by leaving out those details he risks the reader not understanding how interesting these experiments actually are.

Buyology will appeal to fans of The Tipping Point and similar books. I hope that there is a followup book - it will be interesting to find of if "neuromarketing" takes off, and how successful it is compared to traditional marketing strategies.
Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy - Amazon info page

The Book of Books - Les Krantz, Tim Knight (reference - literature)

This book is full of helpful suggestions for what to read next. The sections are organized by topic, and under each topic is a list of books or authors to try. Some of the categories are straightforward, such as American West Novels. Others are more inventive, such as New Yorker Contributors. I like that this book covers some non-fiction as well as literature - there are entries for Animal Behavior and Science, amongst others. The Book of Books would make a nice gift for any bookworm.

Blue Christmas - Mary Kay Andrews (chicklit)

Weezie Foley is the owner of an antique shop in downtown Savannah. She is intent on winning this year's window dressing contest, but her fruit-based displays are sabotaged by hungry but otherwise mysterious vandals. She quickly comes up with a new theme, "Blue Christmas." Turns out that Blue Christmas is a theme for more than Weezie's window display: her boyfriend is too busy with work to celebrate the holidays, her neighbors are angry at her mutt dog Jethro for knocking up their pedigreed pup, and someone has been sneaking into Weezie's store and home.

I bought this book as part of a cozy mystery lot on eBay, but I would classify it more as chicklit. There is a very, very small amount of mystery, but it is more a vehicle for humor. This book is a breeze to read, and Weezie and the occupants of her town will provide you with an entertaining diversion during the holiday season.
Blue Christmas - Amazon info page

Blindsighted - Karin Slaughter (mystery/thiller)

This was my first Karin Slaughter book, and apparently the first Grant County book is a great place to start. Slaughter does not shy away from violence or grisly descriptions, but unlike many of her male counterparts her female characters are well-developed and realistic.

The only part of this book that was a little weak was the ending; I thought the revelation of who-dunnit came a bit too early. Other than that small complaint this is a near perfect thriller.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the Grant County series, because there are clearly some storylines involving this book's main characters that could be continued.
Blindsighted (Grant County) - Amazon product page

Black Maps (John March Mysteries) - Peter Spiegelman (mystery/thriller)

This book was recommended to me by the owner of a local mystery specialty book shop. I was not disappointed. Although the book starts out a little slow as characters are developed and some financial terms are explained, once it picks up it is difficult to put down. Who knew money laundering could be so exciting! My only small complaint is that the "romantic" are very cheesy. Fortunately, they do not last long and the action picks up quickly again. If you like Stephen Frey you will enjoy this book, though this one is more intelligently written.

Big City, Bad Blood - Sean Chercover (mystery/thriller)

Big City, Bad Blood marks the debut of a promising new author in crime fiction. Sean Chercover's first outing reads as though it were written by a veteran crime author.

The story is told in first person by Ray Dudgeon, a middle-aged private eye. Ray is hired to protect a B-list film studio exec who unwittingly became entangled with the Chicago mafia. Ray knows Chicago well and has dealings with The Outfit in the past. As Ray tried to keep his client alive, he becomes caught in the middle of a mob turf war and uncovers a scandal involving many high-placed officials in the Chicago government.

There is plenty of action and violence in Big City, Bad Blood. The tone and style is reminiscent of pulp fiction, but the characters (especially Dudgeon) are remarkably fleshed out and complex for a crime novel. Fans of the Hard Case Crime series should enjoy this book. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

The Best Revenge - Stephen White (mystery/thriller)

Psychologist Alan Gregory is on the verge of a midlife crisis. As he ponders his effectiveness as a therapist, he takes on an interesting new patient: Tom Clone, a former death row inmate who was recently exonerated based on DNA evidence. Unbeknownst to Alan, Tom Clone was referred to him by another of his patients Kendra James, the troubled FBI agent who found the evidence which overturned Clone's conviction.

Tom Clone's transition back to civilian life is made difficult by those who do not believe he is innocent. Tom and Kendra grow cautiously closer, but hidden secrets from Kendra's past come out and ultimately endanger the lives of Tom and Alan.

Although Alan, Sam and Lauren do not figure as prominently in this book as in some of the others in the series, The Best Revenge is in my opinion one of the best entries. The character of Kendra is particularly well developed, and the plot takes a number of unexpected twists and turns. This would be a good book to start with for those new to Stephen White.
The Best Revenge - Buy now

Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Animals, Family and Life by John Grogan for The Philadelphia Inquirer - John Grogan (Essay)

This book is clearly intended to appeal to fans of Marley and Me (aka every literate person in America who has ever owned a dog), but those expecting more of the same may be disappointed. The "animals" section is brief, though it does contain an enjoyable essay about how the author's life changes after Marley and Me became a best seller. Most of the book is short essays on news happenings, people (mostly old or sick), or rants on smoking, smoking bans, (?) and littering.
As another PBS reviewer said, this is a waiting room read. I can see how Grogan's column would be enjoyable as a periodic newspaper feature, but as a collection I don't think the essays hold up as well.
The other strange thing is that the book clearly states that John Grogan had nothing to do with the publication. Although they are giving some of the proceeds to charity, the whole thing just smacks of someone else trying to profit from Grogan's success.
Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Family, Animals, and Life from The Philadelphia Inquirer - Buy from Amazon

Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress, Bk 1) - Gena Showalter (paranormal)

Awaken Me Darkly is the first book in the Alien Huntress series, and features Mia Snow: a tough talking law enforcement agent who is also a workaholic and has daddy issues. She is investigating a series of murders, and one of the suspects is a tall, light, and handsome alien. She it torn between loyalty to her job and the other-worldly and tabboo desire she feels for her 300 year old suspect.

This book starts out slow as the reader gets to know Mia and her hangups. Once her alien suitor is introduced the pace of the story picks up considerably. The police procedural portions are well written and believable (despite the fact that they contain discussions of aliens), but some of the scenes that are meant to inspire romantic tension are pretty cheesy. For example, after dumping a bowl of salad with vinagrette dressing over the alien's head in a fight, Mia kisses him and announces that he tastes good. Like balsamic perhaps? A hot makeout session ensues, but it is then announced that the alien still has a noodle on his head. Pasta salad with vinagrette, I guess?

Awaken Me Darkly has potential, but was not consistently good enough to make me want to read the rest of the series.
Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress, Book 1) - Buy from Amazon

Ashes To Ashes (Blood Ties, Bk 3) - Jennifer Armintrout (paranormal)

Ashes to Ashes is much better than the previous entry in this series, but not nearly as good as the first.

Although the author does attempt a recap of previous events, this book makes more sense when read after Possession, as the characters and storyline continue where Possession left off. Ashes to Ashes finds our heroine on the run from the Oracle and (still) trying to sort out her feeling for Nathan and Cyrus. There is only one more book to go in this series so I suppose I will read it also since I've come this far.

Ashes to Ashes (Blood Ties, Book 3) - Buy from Amazon

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein (fiction)

I read this book in two sittings, and it is now one of my favorite fiction books. The narrator is a dog who who hopes to one day become a man, despite bearing witness to the cruelties that people can inflict on one another. He realizes and shows the reader through the story he tells that although things can look hopeless love, determination, and loyalty can often set things right.

Clearly this book will appeal to dog lovers, but hopefully this book will find wider appeal. This book would also appeal to fans of Jodi Picoult because of a controversial subplot. Men will appreciate the descriptions of car races and references to famous drivers. This book will take you through emotional highs and lows. Any lover of engrossing fiction should be as happy to go along for the ride that Garth Stein offers as would the canine narrator Enzo in his master's race car.
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Buy from Amazon

The Art of Keeping Secrets - Patti Callahan Henry (fiction)

Annabelle Murphy's husband Knox was presumed killed in a small plane crash, but his body was never found. Though their marriage was not perfect, it was happy and Annabelle and her children have learned to deal with the loss of a husband and father in their individual ways. Two years later Knox's plane and body is recovered along with the body of another woman, and Annabelle and her family are forced to reevaluate their relationships with Knox while looking for answers to the questions surrounding his death.

Annabelle's search for the other woman forces her to cross paths with Sofie Milstead, a young marine biologist who better relates to dolphins than to humans. Sofie has secrets of her own, which Annabelle must learn in order to unravel the mystery of her husband's secret life.

The Art of Keeping Secrets is a well-written story about family, friendship, and trust. The character of Sofie is particularly strong, and I wish that more of the chapters had been devoted to her. The end to me was ultimately unsatisfying, but that could be because I think would have felt differently in the end than Annabelle did. On the other hand, that means this is a good book: it gives you lots to think and talk about even when the story is finished.
The Art of Keeping Secrets - Buy from Amazon

Angus - Charles Siebert (fiction)

This slim novel is narrated by Angus, a young Jack Russel who finds himself in a life-threatening predicament. As he struggles to return to his family, he ponders his life so far and the strange but wonderful relationship between man and dog. Beware: this one is a tear-jerker!
Angus: A Novel - Buy from Amazon

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant - Jenni Lapidus (food/cooking)

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. The relevance of the essays to the book's theme was frequently questionable, and much of the material from the more widely-known contributors was reprinted from another source. However, I enjoyed several of the pieces very much. I particularly enjoyed the essay about dining solo in restaurants, and facing that dreaded question "Just one?" Several authors also address the loneliness that cooking for one can induce, which is something that most anyone who has ever lived alone can relate to.
In the end I read some of the essays in their entirety and just skimmed the others.
Although there are recipes included at the end of some of the essays, this is definitely not a cookbook.
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone - Buy from Amazon

All Souls' Night (Blood Ties, Bk 4) - Jennifer Armintrout (paranormal)

All Souls' Night is the last in the Blood Ties series, which started off strong with The Turning then quickly took a nose dive. Readers new to the series should not try to being here, as this installment picks up pretty much where Ashes to Ashes left off. The Oracle is dead, Cyrus is alive (again), and The Soul Eater is still threatening to eat both Cyrus and Nathan to become a god. Carrie, Nathan, Max, and Ziggy must thwart his evil plan.

If you have read the other books in this series it is worth reading this one as all the loose ends are tied up. However, be forewarned that the gross-out factor is very high in this book - for some reason Armintrout goes nuts with the torture and gory descriptions. Fortunately Carrie's sarcastic humor is still intact, which keeps this book from being totally goofy.
All Souls' Night (Blood Ties, Book 4) (Bk. 4) - Buy from Amazon

The 7th Victim - Alan Jacobson (mystery/thriller)

Special Agent Karen Vail is a profiler with the FBI on the hunt for a serial killer. The killer is nicknamed Dead Eyes by the task force searching for him because of the way his victims eyes are stabbed with steak knives. Vail's struggle to remain human when she is exposed to such brutality is only complicated by problems in her personal life: she is in the midst of a nasty divorce from an abusive husband, and struggles as a single mother to a teenage son.

The blurbs on the book's cover and the considerable publicity surrounding focus on the extensive research the author did into the operations of the FBI's profiling unit. This research pays off in this book, as the terminology and processes used makes those aspects of the story ring true. However, some of the plot twists do not. I can't say anything more because I don't want to give away the surprises, but I found the ending a bit too contrived. Also, the chapters focusing on the serial killer's perspective are silly rather than scary and too frequently sprinkled in - after the third chapter it is clear that killer thinks women are *****es and wants to rid them of their eyeballs, yet the reader is reminded of these things in chapter after chapter.

Fortunately Karen Vail and her team of agents and cops are likable and more realistic than the killer. They propel along the entertaining if somewhat implausible story. This book should appeal to fans of Thomas Harris, Stephen White, and others who enjoy stories about the minds of serial killers.
The 7th Victim - Buy from Amazon

30 Days of Night - Ben Templesmith, Steve Niles (graphic novel)

In 30 Days of Night, vampires take advantage of Alaska's long, darkness filled winters to feed. These are not Charlaine Harris' vampires - this is a scary and very violent graphic novel. Templesmith's art style is well-suited to Niles' dark material.
30 Days of Night - Buy from Amazon

A Fistful of Diamonds: A Gemstone Thriller - John B. Robinson (thriller)

A Fistful of Diamonds is a nice change of pace from the usual "Safeway novel" thrillers.

Lonny Cushman is a gem dealer who both loves and hates his work. His father was in the business. Although Lonny was born into it and is addicted to the hunt and the profits, his conscience frequently bothers him when he considers that his business costs African lives. This second installment of The Gemstone Thrillers series takes place mostly in Rwanda, where Lonny is attempting to procure rare green diamonds and locate the father of his female companion.

The author lived in Africa, and his knowledge of its people and places gives authenticity to the story. He does not shy away from the violence in Rwanda and the Congo; some scenes are quite gory and graphic. This book does provide a fascinating glimpse inside the bloody world of gemstone trading. My only complaints are that it is difficult like Lonny much (though perhaps his character will develop as the series continues), and the author does occasionally resort to cliched descriptions. (The reader is warned that the latter generally occurs after the word "like", e.g. "like a fish needs a bicycle.")

Minor critiques aside, A Fistful of Diamonds is a nice change for readers looking for an adventure as the plot moves along briskly.
A Fistful of Diamonds: A Gemstone Thriller - Buy from Amazon

Welcome!
Initial posts will be reviews I have written in the past. My wonderful husband is helping (actually doing) the formatting for this page, and we hope to set up an index for all the reviews eventually.