Book Review; "Midnight Crossroad" by Charlaine Harris

On Friday I finished my first book of the year and scratched "Book by a Female Author" off my 2015 Reading Challenge list.

Midnight Crossroad (A novel of Midnight, Texas)
Charlaine Harris | May 6, 2014

Amazon Synopsis: From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse and her world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a darker locale—populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that’s how the locals prefer it…

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...

My Thoughts: I read (and loved) all of the Sookie Stackhouse books and I think I was expecting "Midnight Crossroad" to be very similar. Harris is a great writer - her characters, settings, and plot are all well-developed and well-written - but I still struggled to get through this book. I blame that on the fact that I was expecting there to be more of a cross-over with Sookie's world. If I hadn't known who the author was I'm not sure I would have struggled quite so much, but I still don't think I would be inclined to pick up book 2 when it's released in May.

Have you ever been disappointed by a book from an author you usually enjoy?

 

2015 Reading Challenge

 

I absolutely love to read. I've been a reader as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school I loved my mom's old Nancy Drew books and the Baby-Sitter's Club. In junior high and high school I read pretty much whatever I could get my hands on. When I was in university I didn't read as much as I would have liked, but over the past couple years I've turned back into an avid reader.

 

Lately I've been stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to reading. There's so much fantastic YA dystopian fiction that I want to read every series I hear about. I feel like I need to branch out though, I can't keep reading the same type of book over and over again. A couple of my staff mentioned the 2015 Reading Challenge that PopSugar posted. Since they both decided to give it a try I figured I would too.

 

There's one category for each week of the year, but I'm not going to do them in order. I'm a little behind since it's January 15th and I haven't finished a book yet this year, but I think I can catch up.

 

Here are the categories in case you're interested:

 

1. a book with more than 500 pages
2. a romance
3. a book that became a movie
4. a book published this year
5. a book with a number in the title
6. a book written by someone under 30
7. a book with nonhuman characters
8. a funny book
9. a book by a female author
10. a mystery or thriller
11. a book with a one-word title
12. a book of short stories
13. a book set in a different country
14. a nonfiction book
15. a popular author's first book
16. a book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet
17. a book a friend recommended
18. a Pulitzer-prize winning book
19. a book based on a true story
20. a book at the bottom of your to read list
21. a book your mom or dad loves
22. a book that scares you
23. a book more than 100 years old
24. a book based entirely on its cover
25. a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
26. a memoir
27. a book you can finish in a day
28. a book with antonyms in the title
29. a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
30. a book that came out the year you were born
31. a book with bad reviews
32. a trilogy (the first)
33. a trilogy (the second)
34. a trilogy (the third)
35. a book from your childhood
36. a book with a love triangle
37. a book set in the future
38. a book set in high school
39. a book with a color in the title
40. a book that made/makes you cry
41. a book with magic
42. a graphic novel
43. a book by an author you've never read before
44. a book you own but have never read
45. a book that takes place in your hometown
46. a book that was originally written in another language
47. a book set during Christmas (or similar holiday)
48. a book written by an author with your same initials
49. a play
50. a banned book
51. a book based on OR turned into a tv show
52. a book you started but never finished    

 

I'm currently reading "Midnight Crossroad" by Charlaine Harris. I picked it up from the library because I enjoyed her Sookie Stackhouse series, but I'm struggling to get into it. I'm hoping that trying to get the next book checked off my reading challenge list will keep me motivated to get through it.

 

Are you doing any reading challenges? If you're not enjoying a book do you keep reading until the end, or do you start a different book?

Book Review; The Grand Finale

The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich (1988)

Goodreads says...

Berry Knudson had a talent for disaster, but when she climbed a tree to rescue a kitten, she wasn't prepared for the scrumptious hunk undressing in a nearby window, or her dive downward that smashed Jake Sawyer's pizza and won his heart! But was there room in her chaotic schedule for a risk-taking inventor with dreams? She took classes, delivered pizzas, and cared for three eccentric old ladies she rescued from the train station. But Jake thrived on a challenge, and he could be very inventive. Could he teach her there was time to make butterscotch pudding and let herself be loved?

My thoughts...

Janet Evanovich is one of my favourite authors, so when I saw one of her earlier books was available in the e-book section of my public library I thought I'd grab it for a fun read. It wasn't bad, but I didn't find it held my interest. The characters were okay, and so was the plot, but it didn't have me laughing out loud like I expected.

Has your favourite author ever disappointed you?

Literary Junkies; May

I know, two posts in one day is kind of overkill. But I forgot that today was the third Tuesday of the month which means that it's time for the Literary Junkies link party. I think this is yet another sign that I need a planner for my blog, then I'll remember stuff like this and not schedule another post for the same day...

Anyway, on to the questions!

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!

I'm currently reading Barbie and Ruth by Robin Gerber. It's a different type of book for me, but I'm enjoying it.

Goodreads says...

"Barbie and Ruth is the entwined story of two exceptional women. There's Barbie: the diminutive yet arrestingly voluptuous doll unveiled at the 1959 Toy Fair who became the treasure of 90 percent of American girls and their counterparts in 150 countries. She went on to compete as an Olympic athlete, serve as an air force pilot, work as a boutique owner, run as a presidential candidate, and ignite a cultural firestorm.

And then there's Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator: the tenth child of Polish Jewish immigrants, a passionately competitive and creative business pioneer, and a mother and wife who wanted it all. After a business scandal that forced Ruth out of Mattel, the company she founded, she drew on her experience as a breast cancer survivor to start a business that changed women's lives. She was ultimately honored as a pioneer, humanitarian, and masterful entrepreneur."

 

 2. Do you judge a book by its cover? What cover elements make you not want to pick up a book?

I think everyone does to a certain extent. I like covers that are well done. Nice colours, nice artwork. Nobody half naked on the cover...

 

3. Do you participate in any other bookish link-ups? Tell us about them so we can join next time!

I don't participate in any other link ups, but I am participating in the Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge. (That's what made me pick up Barbie and Ruth in the first place, one of the categories is biography, autobiography or memoir.)

 

4. Have you ever watched a movie that was better than its book version? Explain yourself!

No, I haven't. More often than not I avoid movies made from books I enjoyed. I have watched all the Harry Potter movies, and the Hunger Games and while they were good, I definitely don't think they were better than the book.

 

5. Summer is here! Do you read more often during any particular season?

I don't. I tend to read the most on my lunch break and that doesn't change. In the colder months I'll read snuggled up on the couch, and in the warmer months I'll read out on the patio.

 

6. What is the worst book you’ve read this year? Why?

I don't think I can really pick a "worst" book. I've had a couple that I've struggled to get into, but I've finished everything I started.

I won't be able to join the Twitter chat tonight, but I did read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and I enjoyed it. It was actually one of those books I had a hard time getting in to, but once I did I was hooked. It was different from my usual book choice so I'm glad I read it. One of my goals for the summer is to expand my reading horizons a bit.

Are you reading anything really good right now? Have you read anything recently that was just bad?

Summer 2014 Book Challenge!

I totally stumbled across this late, but I'm definitely jumping in. I haven't figured out all of the books I'm reading, and I still have to finish the book I started before May 1st, but I'm so excited!

I've already picked out books for a few of the categories...

Freebie! I think I'm going to go with Redshirts by John Scalzi. I originally looked at it for my dad, but I think it's something I might enjoy too, and it's definitely different from what I usually read.
Read a book from the children’s section of the library or bookstore. I'm going to use one of my three re-reads for this one and re-read A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Read a book that was/will be adapted to film in 2014. Definitely going with The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I'm super excited about this one.
Read a biography, autobiography or memoir. I bought Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her for my mom a couple years ago. (She's a Barbie Doll collector.) I'm not sure she ever read it, but I'm going to snag it the next time I'm over there.

Some of them I still need to think about...

Read a book that was written before you were born.Finish reading a book you couldn't finish the first time around. (This is going to be tough, even if I'm not enjoying a book I try really hard to finish it.)
Read a book that is on The New York Times' Best Sellers List when you begin reading it.
Read a historical fiction book that does not take place in Europe.
Read a book with “son(s),” “daughter(s)” or “child(ren)” in the title.
Read a book written by a blogger. (Would definitely love some suggestions for this one!)
Read a pair of books with antonyms in the titles.

Do you have any books you're planning to read this summer? Any suggestions for categories I haven't picked a book for?

Literary Junkes; April Edition!

I think I may have found the perfect link-up...

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it!
I'm currently reading The Selection by Kiera Cass. Amazon.ca does a much better job at the synopsis than I could so...

"For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."

I'm not going to lie, this isn't my first time reading it. But the third book comes out in May, so I decided to re-read the first two. I'm a sucker for trilogies!

2. Divergent, Hunger Games, or Twilight. Which do you prefer and why? (If you’ve never read them which do you think you’d prefer?)
I think I would have to pick Divergent, simply because I found Mockingjay to be a bit of a let-down after the first two books in the Hunger Games series. Twilight is a guilty pleasure - whenever I'm looking for something a bit less deep I grab it. (I still consider Twilight a favourite, just not in the same category as Divergent and Hunger Games.)

3. TV Series Based on Books they start out very close to the book to draw in the fans but then will start to separate themselves by changing things and adding characters. What are you thoughts on this?
I can't think of any shows I watch that started out as books... I heard True Blood was really different from Charlaine Harris' books so I never bothered getting in to it.

4. You’ve just been recruited to help a movie studio bring your favorite book to the big screen. What’s the movie and who are you choosing to play the main characters?
Definitely definitely Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson. I think the books would make excellent movies. I'm not sure who I'd pick to play the main characters... I'd love to see Sir Patrick Stewart as Merlin I think, but as fair as the male/female lead I'm not sure. Hmmm...

5. Going back to the above question, do you keep it word for word the same or do you use this chance to change little things you thought would make the book better?
I think it would translate really well into a movie with very few alterations.

6. After you finish a physical copy of a book do you keep it for a reread, put it on a shelf to collect dust, donate it to Goodwill, or do you just not purchase physical copies of books?
I have an e-reader, but I still purchase physical copies of books by my favourite authors. I very rarely get rid of books. I'm a re-reader - if I enjoyed something I like being able to go back to it. I have as many books on shelves as possible, but there are also boxes in the closet in the spare room.

I'm always looking for book recommendations, so be sure to let me know if you have something I might enjoy!

xo,
Sara

Need Something to Read?

I love to read. I've always been a reader. I remember devouring Baby Sitter's Club books, and mom's old Nancy Drew books when I was in elementary school. I would read pretty much anything I could get my hands on.

I tend to read a lot of the same genre of books. I read a lot of young adult, dystopian, fiction. The last series I finished was the "Shatter Me" trilogy by Tahereh Mafi. Before that I read the first three books in Marissa Meyer's "Lunar Chronicles." (I enjoyed all of them by the way.) Every so often I like to read something a little differrent though. (Something written for people my own age...)

One of my favourite non-YA authors is Janet Evanovich. I love the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a rather inept bounty hunter who has too many men in her life and is incredibly unlucky when it comes to cars. There are 20 books out so far, and the next one comes out in June. In some ways the books are all very similar, but it works, I don't ever feel "bored" when I'm reading them. I can't count how many times I've been laying in bed reading and started laughing. Evanovich has a new series out that I'm really enjoying as well. Co-authored with Lee Goldberg the Fox & O'Hare series is about an FBI agent who's being forced to work with a con-man she spent years hunting. These are great books for when you need a break for heavier material, whether it's text books or "deeper" novels.

Any books you think I should check out?

xo,
Sara