Book Review – Page 11

The Young World by Chris Weitz – AWESOMELY GUSH WORTHY!

Published on July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Expect big things from this amazing book… I don’t think this is the last we will hear from Chris Weitz ~Sheila

It has been two very long years since the mysterious virus had wiped out all children and adults leaving only the teens to try to survive in this new unsteady world. In New York as the teenagers have battled for food and space it seems as though it has turned into a city of tribes; each protecting their own.

Jefferson and Donna are part of the Washington Square Tribe. Jefferson the leader by default, and Donna the teenage in-house “doctor”, are finding it harder and harder to come by supplies and food to keep their group going. It is no secret that a tribe without the proper supplies is a weak tribe, and a weak tribe may as well be a dead tribe.

When a member of the group nicknamed “Brainbox” for his skills at coming up with ideas to create electricity and more believes he may have an idea of what has caused virus and may be able to reverse what has happened to the world if he could just look at a book that is in the library way across town, Jefferson, Donna, and another tribe-mate Peter, all join in the cause. Something has to be done before they too die…

but what dangers lie out beyond the sanctuary of their area? And what truths are trying to be protected at any cost?

Welcome to New York, a city ruled by teens.

After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he’s secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when another tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure to the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip to save humankind.

The tribe exchanges gunfire with enemy gangs, escapes cults and militias, braves the wilds of the subway and Central Park…and discovers truths they could never have imagined.

– See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/chris-weitz/the-young-world/9780316226295/#desc

I first picked up a glimpse of this book at the Book Expo in May. I seen it in the women’s bathroom.

he Young World, Chris Weitz, Book Journey — Nicely played Little Brown… Nicely played.

This (above) was the advertising in the women’s bathroom at the expo. I seen it.. and went to the Little Brown booth immediately (I did not pass go, did not collect $200) and requested an advanced copy of it.

I am so glad I did.

This book is not released until July 29th and normally I would not review a book this far ahead of release date…

but…

I want to get you as EXCITED about this one as I am. I want YOU to be aware of what is coming that is super awesome sauce so you can put it on your radar and know that if you enjoy YA Dystopian fiction with the more than likely potential of being a movie as well, then hang on… you are in for a treat.

I LOVED the layout of The Young World. Set in New York in the futuristic pit of a world. The protagonists are diverse and engaging. I enjoyed the concept of the different tribes made up of teens. Each had their own skill sets that they embraced – some were for good…. some – not so much.

The Young World is a great ride and do not pass on this first book of The Young World Trilogy (don’t groan – the book is fast paced and engaging and you will not want to wait!)

Fun Fact:

Chris Weitz is the director of Twilight: New Moon, About a Boy, The Golden Compass, Antz and American Pie. His most recent film is A Better Life, which was nominated for an Academy Award. THE YOUNG WORLD is his first novel. – See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors/chris-weitz-teen/#about

Chris Weitz is the director of twilight, New Moon, About A Boy, The Golden Compass, ANTZ, and American Pie. His most recent film is A Better Life, which has been nominated for an Academy Award. The Young World is his first novel.

So now that I have GUSHED all over this review… here is a list compliments of Hachette Book Group – as to where you can plan to purchase this book:

Where to buy!

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: July 29, 2014

– See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/chris-weitz/the-young-world/9780316226295/#details

Welcome to New York, a city ruled by teens.

The tribe exchanges gunfire with enemy gangs, escapes cults and militias, braves the wilds of the subway and Central Park…and discovers truths they could never have imagined.

– See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/chris-weitz/the-young-world/9780316226295/#desc

That Night by Chevy Stevens

Published on June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

Toni Murphy was your typical 18 year old teenage girl. She quarreled with her parents, had drama at school, and had the boy the in turn had her heart; Ryan. By far the worst of it – were the group of girls at school who were set on making Toni’s life a living hell. (Think mean girls on steroids). As the girls became meaner, and bolder, Toni’s life begins to unravel, and when they become friends with her younger, innocent sister Nicole… the battle really begins.

One night at a party that Toni, Ryan, and Nicole are attending, Nicole turns up dead. Her body found in a nearby lake with appearances of a struggle. As Toni and Ryan were the last to see Nicole, the two teens are pinned for the murder.

Now at 34, Toni is released on parole with the knowledge that she in never to be in contact with Ryan again who also should be released around that same time. As Toni makes her way back to her home town to try to piece together what is left of her life, clues start coming together to what really happened…

That Night.

It is no secret that I adore Chevy Stevens. When I listened to Still Missing on audio I was floored at how engaged I became with her well written story of a missing girl. Since then I have eagerly awaited each release of her books.

That Night was a twisted read that hits hard on the hot topic of bullying. The girls in the book made Toni’s life unbearable and I could not imagine being in her shoes. As you will find out if read the book, things are not much easier for her in prison; it’s just a different level of mean girls.

There were aspects of this book I really enjoyed – and some not so much. Toni is not an easy protagonist to like, but you will find yourself rooting for her anyway. In the end author Chevy Stevens breaks through with another “WHOA.” from me. Just when you think you have it all figured out.. you will discover that you know nothing… NOTHING, about That Night.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press Publicity for sending me a

copy of this book for an honest review.

FACE OFF – Authors face off their protagonists against each other! Edited by David Baldacci

Published on June 4, 2014June 4, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

Ever wonder what your favorite thriller authors are doing between books? They are imaging how their protagonists would stand up to the likes of other thriller writer protagonists… 😉 ~Sheila

Imagine if the protagonists from your favorite thriller writers teamed up to work together (or not). What level could you take a storyline?

What if Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenvie ran into Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch while apparently on a stake out for the same man?

Or John Sanford’s Lucas Davenport finds himself in the vicinity of Jeffrey Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme?

Or Lee Child’s Jack Reacher is hanging out with Joseph Finder’s Nick Heller?

And add-on a total of 22 characters facing off in 11 short stories, collaborated by the two authors to make each short story. And, (I think this is fun) each story starts out with a page or two blurb of how the authors worked together to create a short yet engaging thriller story in about 20 pages or less.

I have to say, I loved the idea of this book, and then actually reading it made me love it more. This is one of those remarkable ideas of bringing authors together with their protagonists for a big party! Always the fan of Dennis Lehane I rad his story that was created with Michael Connelly first and loved the quick paced thriller with a humorous edge to it.

Bosch looked over Patrick. “You like baseball Patrick?”

“Big time. Why?”

“You’re the first guy I have seen in this town not wearing a sox hat.”

Patrick pulled off his hat and considered the front of it as he ran a hand through his hair. “Imagine that. I didn’t even look when I left the house.”

“Is that a rule or something around here? You’ve all got to represent Red Sox Nation or something?”

“It’s not a rule per se, more like a guideline.”

Fans of thrillers this book is a must.

Each author has donated his or her story and all of the proceeds from the book go to fund ITW (International Thriller Writers), which charges no dues to its members.

Bob Harper Skinny Meals / Weekend Cooking

Published on May 10, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

You know him from the show Biggest Loser when he is pushing contestants to their limits. Bob is also a personal trainer, as well as some one who takes care of their own body and what they put in it.

As Bob says in the forward of this book, what he is sharing here is the same foods and meals he eats and encourages those he works with to eat. Healthy eating habits and working out are the keys to a fitter, fuller life.

As soon as I seen this book on-line I knew I wanted to own it. Lots of delicious looking recipes that did not seem to be above my cooking skills. No recipe over 350 calories and balanced so your carbs are eaten by mid afternoon and your suppers are balanced with the fiber and calories you need for burning them through the night.

The forward to the book are basic steps for balancing your meals and not over eating. Bob says always drink a full glass of water before any meal. Even take a glass of water by your bedside so first thing in the morning you can drink it. Not only does it help you feel fuller before you eat, it also helps flush out the things your body does not need. He also suggests no eating after 8 pm and go to bed hungry. Your body starts to burn fat around 3 hours after eating. Why not deal with those “hungry hours” while you are sleeping? 😉

Since purchasing the book I have made several recipes out of it, planning to use it more in the future as well (there is a spaghetti squash recipe filled with vegies I have my eye on to try).

Here is the Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce I tried. Or I would like to call it, “you had me at avocado!”

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 large zucchini (approx. 2 cups worth)

Avocado Cream Sauce

1/4 avocado
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup low sodium broth (either veggie or chicken)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions

Slice zucchini very thinly lengthwise. Then cut each piece into thirds, lengthwise so that they are like thick noodles. Steam “noodles” for 2-3 minutes or until they are just cooked through.
In the meantime, blend avocado, basil, broth, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan in a processor or blender.
Toss “noodles” with sauce and cubed chicken, and serve.

Nutritional Information

258 calories, 27g protein, 19g carbs, 11g fat

My thoughts – I love the use of strips of zucchini as the “noodle”. It just felt fresher. The avocado sauce was delicious! I enjoyed this very much, it was easy to make and I will make it again. 🙂

This recipe was posted for Weekend Cooking. Stop over and see what other people are cooking up!

The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert

Published on May 8, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Bay Singer knows nothing of her past. She lives alone with her mother Nan who is mocked by the community as a “witch” of sorts, putting out shoes all over the lawn with flowers planted in them. While Bay is protective of her mother, she is getting to the age where she wants to know more about her life and about her secretive mother. Nan is just not sure if Bay really knows what she is asking… the secrets of her birth… the caul… the box… and of course Nan’s own teenage past and the tragedies it holds within.

Reading The Memory Garden was like walking through a fairytale that shimmers with fantasy but at the same time feels so real. I liked Bay, and I liked Nan, and I really liked the two mysterious friends of Nan’s who come popping out of the past to help set things right after so many years.

The chapters each start with a flower or budding plant and gives you a little sample of what this flower can be used for:

PUMPKIN The round, edible fruit of a trailing vine, pumpkins are a symbol of fertility. Dead spirits are invoked by the pumpkin when faces are carved into it, and it is lit from within. The spiral of life is represented by the pumpkin; the harvest brings death, but the seeds bring birth.

It is a delightful fun romp of friendships and fantasy, secrets and celebrations, and well worth a read!

The Accidental Book Club by Jennifer Scott

Published on May 7, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Recently widowed Jean Vison never dreamed she would be running a book club. Yet when you gather a few friends together to come over and bring food and wine, you pick a date, and you talk about a book…

Jean guessed that it what it was.

Loretta finds what she is lacking in her marriage within the pages of the books she chooses to read.

Dorothy’s home life with her out of control sons makes book club the idea l place to take a break from the norm.

May is always good for sharing her latest dating disasters.

Mitzi who always finds some underlying political agenda in every book – EVERY book.

And quiet Janet who keeps her voice low, her nose in the book, but can speak up when she needs to.

When Jean’s life takes an unsuspected turn and she is asked to take care of her delinquent granddaughter Bailey while Bailey’s parents try to salvage their marriage… things in book club become real very fast.

There’s something about a book club that brings everyone to a deeper level….

It’s not hard to please me. Put a word in a book title like “book Club, book store, _____________’s wife”, and I take a closer look. Yes, The Accidental Book Club drew me in by its title…. but it held me, with the story line.

Set with a cast of mismatched characters (as any book club will have) The Accidental Book Club is just what it should be…. a hot mess of women centered around a good or not so good book. Toss is a little teenage angst and you have yourself a story!

Our protagonist Jean is still recovering from the loss of her husband. Inviting a group of women in to her home and into her life is a big step for her but she is enjoying it. Add in a granddaughter she barely knows and things become a bit crazy not only for Jean, but for the rest of the book club as well.

Hey… we all have our stuff right?

The Accidental Book Club is a quick fun read with a cast of assorted characters that will keep you wondering, what will they read next?

The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Published on May 5, 2014May 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

“Endings can be happy or sad. I don’t care anymore as long as they are earned”. ~ The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey

A.J Fikrey once had it all. He and his amazing wife Nic’ ran the book store, Island Books together and the store, as they, thrived. Now, after Nic’s untimely death, A.J. Has taken to drinking and the store is suffering for a lack of vibrancy as it once had. A.J. has given up on everything and is planning to sell a very rare book of poetry he owns to take him away from the book store to start somewhere new.

When A J discovers that the book that was supposed to be his ticket out has been stolen, he despairs that there is nothing good left in the world. And just as he has reaches his lowest of lows… something incredible happens. Something; that changes everything.

As someone who has often dreamed of owning a little book store in a remote place such as described in this book (and also when this dream began for me when I read Dance Upon The Air so many years ago…), the setting of this book is all so appealing to me.

The Storied life has a simple setting to it, yet drew me in to it with surprising dialogue that I liked the feel of on my tongue. There are several passages that are quotable and I savored every one if them.

Kudos to Author Gabrielle Zevin who wrote this delightful book in a way that has left me still thinking about it after that final page was turned.

Interestingly enough, there is a certain buzz around this book. Since I mentioned I was reading it, people are curious about it and asking what I thought. It is hard to say what I thought, while I didn’t find the story itself to be anything exception – there is something about the writing that is. I can not quite put my finger on it but I have a feeling this is a book I could read again and come away with an even deeper appreciation of it. ~ Sheila

Bookies Review: A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Published on April 11, 2014April 11, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was our book clubs April 2014 read. Amazon describes this book as:

In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home. When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives. He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.

For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise. Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility. But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja’s world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate. A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance.

This book was a bit heavier than anything we have read recently. Some of us stumbled through a deeper read with names (like Ahkmed, Khassan Akim, Maali,) and words that caused your mind pause as you sorted through the sound and meaning. Admittedly, several Bookies were lost along the way and stopped early on in the read not finding their way around the words or the drawn out nature of the authors way of writing.

On the flip of that – a few Bookies loved the challenge of the language and wholeheartedly embraced this fictional and historical read based around the Chechnya war.

“At the kitchen table she examined the glass of ice. Each cube was rounded by room temperature, dissolving in its own remains, and belatedly she understood that this was how a loved one disappeared. Despite the shock wave of walking into an empty flat, the absence isn’t immediate, more a fade from the present tense you shared, a melting into the mast, not an erasure but a conversion in form, from presence to memory, from solid to liquid, and the person you once touched runs over your skin, now in sheets down your back, and you may bathe, may sink, may drown in the memory, but your fingers cannot hold it.”
― Anthony Marra, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Whatever side of the book you fell on, yay or nay – we all had to admit it made for an interesting and engaging discussion. Usually when I bring up a discussion question during the group’s time together one or two of us will respond with our thoughts and we move on, but this time,this book, brought out more discussion, some heated, some pained, much filled with facts,mixed with the facts of this war and the historic beauty as well. I found myself as the “note taker” of the group, just sitting back and listening to the conversations of what each person found within this books pages. Their discussion and enthusiasm made me want to dig in more.

We were, for the most part, touched that the books events actually happened in our lifetime… and in the end we were able to pull out themes in the books such as connectedness and the importance of it, humor within a dark world, author Anthony Marra pulls a deep passionate look at a war-torn country in this debut novel.

Of course we had food…

The pudding, while quite to the point of the book – was pretty impressive. I made the upper right hand corner Chechnya spicy chicken from the culture and the 4th picture down of the wheat pasta to tone done the strong taste of the chicken. Lemon rice (2nd picture down) was mentioned in the book, the Gnocchi Salad (3rd picture down) was culturally correct, and the yummy desert on the bottom… well… yummy. 🙂

What will book clubs like about this book?

A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena will bring up some all so real discussion of what this was war must have been like to live through. Discussion can lead to just what a fragile society we are, by removing resources we could just as easily experience something like this. This is a book that caused conversation and emotion to flow freely -for our group, I barely needed to ask questions to stimulate conversation, we were talking about the book from the moment we walked in the door.

While not a light fun read or discussion, it is one that will cause your group feel that they just read something very important and most likely come out the other side knowing a little more about our world.

Personal note: as of this writing, I sadly admit I have not thoroughly read this book myself. In a busy month and finding the book more work to get into than some, I skimmed the pages getting the feel for the discussion. I would also like to note after listening to my group share their thoughts on this book, I know I will be going back and reading it properly because hard read or not… I think this one is important for me to get a strong feel for this book…. something tells me, this one may move on to something more and I do love being ahead of the media. 🙂 ~Sheila

Missing You by Harlan Coben

Published on April 6, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

2nd generation Detective Kat Donovan knows what it is like to be on the losing end. Eighteen years earlier her father was gunned down and his killer now sits at the end of his life sentence. Shortly after, Kat’s fiance Jeff breaks their engagement with little explanation. From that point on Kat buried herself in her work leaving little time for anything else.

When a friend signs Kat up for online dating service, Kat is skeptical, but one night starts looking through the men that the site has lined up for her as possible “connections”. Kat freezes when she finds herself staring at the man who broke her heart all those years ago; apparently using a false name. When she tries to message him he replies with a flat response giving no acknowledgement of their past at all… and as Kat digs deeper… what she discovers is enough to bring chills up her spine…

If Jeff caught up in a scam of luring women and men with money into false hopes of a relationship?

With her personal life and her career all colliding at once, Kat starts investigating where it is clear that people on both sides of the law do not want her looking in to deeply.

Harlan Coben NEVER disappoints. Every book that man writes is worth the wait. I loved this book! Kat was a great protagonist, she was strong and independent, but had a softer side as well.

As you dig into what is really happening in this book it is enough to give you chills as it is such a real feeling scenario you can easily imagine reading about something like this in a newspaper.

There is so much awesomeness in this book yet I do not want to give even a sample away as this is a book served better with you diving in and putting your seat belt on – you are in for a thrilling adventure!

DO not hesitate to pick this book up – I mark my reputation as a book reviewer that this is Harlan at his finest. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

The Troop by Nick Cutter

Published on April 5, 2014April 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Goosebumpy good! ~ Sheila

Scoutmaster Tim Riggs is once again taking his troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for their annual trip. The boys are a great group that are a joy to hang out with.

Then their first night there while the boys are sleeping, Tim hears noises around the camp. Going out to explore, he comes across a man who is clearly extremely sick and so bone thin Tim can not even believe that he standing on his own. The man is hungry and Tim brings him back to the camp ground trying to do “what a good scout” should do to give him some of their food.

Things only turn worse as the man cries out in pain and thrashes around deliriously, and Tim starts to rethink his decision of bringing this man into a camp with the young boys who have awaken and are curious as to what is going on.

What starts out as simple weekend adventure, quickly turns into a nightmarish weekend of survival as Tim and the boys realize they have exposed themselves to something they could have never imagined and what happens next is not written in any scout book….

Goosebumpy good! I have always been a fan of good old-fashioned scares…. the books and movies I grew up on that were scary, but not over the top gruesome and so far-fetched you wondered about the mind who wrote them. When I heard that The Troop was a good scare… I was in.

Is The Troop a good scare? You bet! As I listened to this one on audio, I found at times I was thinking “oh no, oh no….” Nick Cutter’s debut novel does not leave you feeling like you were short-changed in the scare department for sure! This read is totally camp fire worthy! The book flashes backward and forward occasionally as pieces of what is happening is revealed brilliantly through snippets of information of both before the trip and after. These flashes were well positioned and I never felt lost in what was happening only more involved.

The book is not perfect. I was left with a couple of questions I felt should have been addressed, but still I would recommend this book to good old-fashioned thriller lovers…

Did it scare me? You bet. 🙂