Outlander (by Diana Gabaldon)

As I have mentioned before, my mom is a lover of books that come in "series". Her bookshelves at home are lined with series - murder, mystery, romance, witches, if its a series, she owns it. Which, I have to say, benefits me also, especially if I want to start reading the series, because she has all the books already. Good for the pocketbook. Well - two years ago (or thereabouts) when I went home for some holiday, she bestowed upon me the Outlander series, and said, and I quote "you will no be disappointed." Hesitant to get wrapped up in a series of books with each book at a meager 800 pages each, I put it on my bookshelf and didn't look back. That was until last month, when after reading "In cold blood" I needed a fast/lighthearted read. Something to take my mind of the reality of civilization. So why not read about a time travelling nurse in the 1940s? I opened the first book of the series - "Outlander" and began my journey. Oh My Gosh. I quickly realized how ADDICTING this book was. I would think about it at work, and be excited to get home to read it at the end of the day. We aren't talking a literary masterpiece here, but it is damn good. It has all the makings of the perfect chick book - love, time travel, romance, scottish warriors, love, romance, ... love, romance... you get the point. Basically, the book is about a main character - Claire Randall aka Claire Beauchamp. She is visiting Scotland with her hubby in 1940s (after WWII) - Frank Randall - and while on a hike to look at some rocks, she gets hurled back into the 1700s, in Scotland. She gets swept up in the life and times and love of the 1740s and basically the book follows her story from that point on. Its a guilty pleasure to read this book, and luckily for me there are 7 more books in this series to carry me onward. I just started the second book - Dragonfly in Amber, and it is not disappointing either (and it is also 800+ pages). I recommend this book if you are looking for an easy, entertaining, and addicting read. It won't take you long to power through the 800 pages, and it will definitely leaving you wanting more at then end, and luckily there is more!

One Day (by David Nicholls)

I picked this book up at B&N on a whim. I was trying to find "The Art of Racing in the Rain" (for book club) and stumbled upon this book, as it was a pick of one of the employees at B&N. My, am I glad I found this book. What a thought provoking, emotional, and creative novel. This book follows the lives of two people - Emma and Dexter, and is set in England. Em and Dex meet on their last day of college after graduation. Em, after having a crush on Dexter for almost all of college, finally lands him at a party that night. What follows is a dramatic and yet delightful trip through the next 20 years of their lives, but only told on one day of the year - July 15th (hence the title "One Day"). Each chapter is July 15. Each chapter discusses what is going on that day in Emma's life and in Dexter's life. Each of the characters has an impact on the other's life. This book read fast, was immensely addicting, and hard to put down. I'm glad I read it on vacation because I had extended periods of time to read. This isn't a happy go lucky chick lit book. It deals with real struggles throughout the book, but it also unravels a genuine love between the two main characters. I felt myself relating at times to the struggle to "find yourself" and establish yourself as a woman in her 20s, and I also related to the quest to find love, and the obstacles along the way. I recommend this book. It is quite enjoyable. Make sure you have tissues handy throughout the book.

Up Next: The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein)

Little Bee (by Chris Cleave)

What an interesting book. This one did not take me long to get through. I won't divulge too much of what this book is about because it'll ruin it for you and I don't want to do that. But, what I will tell you is this - read it. This book is not "easy" emotionally. Its not a romantic book. It is a love story though. This book centers around a character named "Little Bee" who is a Nigerian Refugee and a British woman named Sarah and how their lives impact each other's lives. This book will take you through the emotions of anger, fear, compassion, gratitude, frustration and happiness. That's all I will tell you about it thought - I definitely recommend you read this one for yourself! And then let me know what you think!

Up Next: The Shack (William P. Young)

In the Woods (by Tana French)

I just finished this book for book club (which meets tonight). This is a mystery novel, similar in a way to Steig Larrsons "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to get through (it might have been more of my busyness at work, then the book itself). It takes place in Ireland (Dublin and Knocknaree - a small town in Ireland). It was interesting to learn a lot about Ireland and the fictional police force that the author made up. This book follows two Murder Squad detectives, Cassie and "Rob" Ryan, as the seek to uncover who murdered a teenage girl in what is called "The Woods" located in Knocknaree Estate. Knocknaree also happens to be where "Rob" Ryan (the quoatation marks are added because his real name is Adam, which plays a key part in the book) grew up and was part of a disappearance of two of his best friends back in the 80s, a crime that is still unsolved. The book was a little heavily worded at times for my taste (I did some skimming of descriptions of things), but the dialogue was well written between the characters. The author does a good job of exploring the dynamics of a "partnership" between Rob and Cassie, and the role this partnership plays in each of their lives, and how one incident can cause repercussions for the rest of your life. I'm excited to discuss this book tonight at book club, and I recommend it to all those mystery lovers out there. The ending will surprise you and surely lead to discussions. I have mixed feelings about the ending, just to put that out there. Let me know what you think!

Rating: Could put down but enjoyed it while i was reading it.

Up next: Little Bee (by Chris Cleave)

The Girl Who Played with Fired (by Steig Larsson)

Well, with the holidays and everything, I was able to read a few books. The first one - the book to the left - I received as a present from one of my friends. This is the sequel to the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It was just as good, or better. The upside of this book was you didn't have the 100 pages of explanation of characters like the last book, which is understandable since it is a sequel. This book dealt with the issue of sex trade in Sweden (I'm not sure if this is a real issue in Sweden, by Swedish knowledge is a bit lacking). In this sequel we have the same characters from the last book - Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. There is less interaction between the two in this novel. This sequel focuses on the life of Lisbeth more than the first book. We get a glimpse into her back history and the reasons why she is the way she is, while also watching her character mature and grow into a better version of herself. This book hooked me more then the last book (don't get me wrong, I really liked the first book). There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel as they seek to discover who murdered two people investigating the sex trade and the major players. It's once again, a mystery, and a very well written one at that.

Rating: Hard to put down.

Up Next: Naked in Death (by JD Robb)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (by Stieg Larsson)

I really enjoyed this book. This book is the first book in a new series (I'm hoping to get the second book for Christmas - The Girl who Plays with Fire!). I won't lie, it took a little bit to get into this book. The storylines are a bit complex, and the author is very detailed in his descriptions. And all the characters have Swedish names. After I got through the back stories and preliminary information, I had a hard time putting it down. So, if you start this book, push through the first 100, it'll be worth it in the end. This book is about a Swedish journalist, a Swedish Private Investigator, and a Swedish Financier. An investigation brings the three together. This book has elements of mystery, romance (albeit not the lovey type of romance), suspense, and murder. It throws curveballs at you, and kept me entertained after the first 100 pages. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in a good mystery.

Rating: CPD (after 100)

Up Next: The Pillars of the Earth (by Ken Follet) (this one is a mammouth (1,000 pages), so I am intermixing other books in as I get tired of it)

Dead Until Dark (by Charlaine Harris)

Okay, who doesn't enjoy a little juicy/easy read every once in a while? I know I thoroughly enjoy it! After reading Same Kind of Different As Me, I needed a lighter book to enjoy. (oh, I forgot to mention, when you read Same Kind of Different As Me make sure you have a kleenex box next to you towards the end of the book, just saying...). I went home to visit the mom and wound up with the whole Dead Until Dark series loaded into my SUV to take back with me to Houston. Dead Until Dark is the book that is the basis for "True Blood" on HBO. A fave of mine. I was interested to see how closely the show stuck to the book and well it does a pretty good job (now granted I've only read the first book, there are about 8 more to go). This book is about Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Vampires have just entered the human world, and some are strikingly handsome. Like I said, if you have seen the first season of True Blood, then you know what this book is about. For those that don't watch it or don't have HBO, it is about Sookie meeting the vampire Bill who is trying to go "main stream" into society and live among humans. The book follows their love story, and other trial/tribulations/murders that take place along the way. Its enjoyable and an easy read. Now I just need to tackle the other 8 books (i'm bad at keeping up with series).

Rating: Good, but could put down.

Up Next: Sisters (by Danielle Steel) (yes you read that right, I even checked it out from the Public Library!)