KINDLE BOOKS I'VE READ THIS YEAR

Here's a list of the eBooks I've read so far this year. I intended to post reviews on each of these, but somehow never did. I've given brief descriptions and reviews of each.

CURRENTLY READING

The Talisman - Stephen King, Peter Straub

The story of a boy who must cross the country and travel between worlds
to find the Talisman that will save his mother's life. This is one of my all-time favorite King
books and one of the few to never be made into a movie or mini-series. I first read it over 20 years ago and am enjoying it just as much all over again. My next book is its sequel Black House.

Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

Four short stories dealing with the evil men are capable of told in brutal, gory, explicit detail. 
The Saw movies could take a few lessons from King. 

11/22/63 - Stephen King

A memorable date for the assassination of President Kennedy and the
probable date of my conception. King asks the question, "If you could go
back in time, would you change it?" Not so much a story of time travel and theories
as it is a love story and a lesson in history and the complexities of going back in time.

Back to Work - Bill Clinton

The Hunger Games Series - Suzanne Collins
Click here for my review.

ME - Ricky Martin
Click here for my review.

Sookie Stackhouse Novels - Charlaine Harris

All Together Dead

Club Dead

Dead and Gone

Dead as a Doornail

Dead in the Family

Dead Reckoning

Dead to the World

Dead Until Dark

Deadlocked

Definitely Dead

From Dead To Worse

Living Dead in Dallas

Once you get to the second book, all similarities to the HBO tv series, TRUE BLOOD, end.

At it's core, The Sookie Stackhouse novels are women's trashy romance novels that

also happen to include vampires, shape shifters, witches and demons. Each 

book is its own story but also ends in a cliff hanger that makes you want to 

immediately pick up the nest book. The series does come to a satisfying conclusion

in the 12th book. Much better story writing then the tv show which has me

shaking my head at what those writers are smoking. A quick and easy read 

perfect for vacations, traveling and the beach. 

Kiss of Midnight - Lara Adrian

I don't remember why I purchased this book, probably read about it on a blog, but it

is another women's trashy romance novel series revolving around vampires. It takes 

place in Boston, which is nice, and the twist is that the vampires are actually

beings from another planet that have been stranded on earth for over 2,000 years.

It was a good read but I wasn't in the mood to start another trashy romance series.

MOST TALKATIVE - Andy Cohen

If you have as much of a crush on Andy Cohen as I do, reading his book is a no brainer. I was 

very surprised by how much he talked about his coming out process and how coming out in the

age of AIDS affected him. Funny and revealing, it's best read with a cocktail or two and if

you're not a fan of any of the Real Housewives shows then you can skip a few chapters.

PARANOIA - Joseph Finder

This was a great read and perfect for computer geeks. A look into the world of

corporate espionage and security and the lengths to which men will go for

revenge and greed. A bit of a surprise ending and I was very disappointed to 

learn this was a one only book. I was so wanting to continue the story. It is

slated to be a major movie release in Fall 2013. Finder has authored many books and I

have added a few to my list of books to read.

My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and 

What Makes a Family - Zach Wahls

You know him as the handsome, eloquent young man who spoke before

the Iowa legislature about marriage equality. His book was not what I expected. Zack 

has written a guide on effective parenting, what it is to be an Eagle Scout, life with 

a family member who has MS and LGBT activism. It is very well written and

an amazing story of how a family can be both ordinary and extraordinary. Well worth your time.

11/22/63 by STEPHEN KING: A KINDLE REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: I am a Kennedy baby (my mom denies this), born 08/26/64, nine months later.


At first glance 11/22/63 seems like it's going to explore the question, "Would the world have been better off if Kennedy hadn't been killed?", but it is so much more than that.


King dives right in and in the first few clicks (it's an ebook), you’re back on Sept. 9, 1958. It’s 11:58 a.m. There are only two conditions to traveling back in time. One, it’s not a one-way trip. It doesn’t have to be. But when you return, no matter how long you’ve stayed in the past — two days, five years, whatever — only two minutes have gone by in the present. Two, each time you go back to the past, there is a reset,  it’s 11:58 a.m., and everything you did on your previous trip has been erased. Also, you continue to age.


Living in the past, even the recent past, is not so easy but if you know your history and play it smart, you can fit in. It becomes very clear that King has studied his history and truly pondered how a man from the present  could live in the past, 20 years before his birth. This is fascinating and King's attention to detail is thought provoking, paradigm shifting and fun - he worked on this novel for almost 30 years. However, at its core (at least for me), 11/22/63 - is a true, old fashioned love story. 


Just as King has us rooting for true love, he reminds us that he is a horror writer and in keeping with his recent books - Under the Dome; Full Dark, No Stars - the horror does not come from the sewers or dark creatures, it's humans and it's brutal. King doesn't hold back and I found myself thinking he could teach the SAW writers how it's really done. By the time we get King's answer to Kennedy living, it's almost insignificant. 


11/22/63 is a great read and while King does revisit some past novels and characters, the casual King reader won't notice. At 878 pages, it's about average length for a King book and we get to know and care about the characters at a depth never approached by The Hunger Games, which I read after this novel. Not really fair to The Hunger Games.

ME by RICKY MARTIN: A KINDLE REVIEW

Disclaimer:  This is actually an iPhone 4s Kindle App review but that would make the title too long.  I was a devoted Kindle reader (and still luv it) until I downloaded the Kindle app to my iPhone 4s and The Cloud. There are fewer words per tap but it's just so easy to whip it out. (my iPhone you perves)

I have been infatuated with Ricky Martin since the first time I saw him. I was at JR's in DC, having a drink and a good time when the place suddenly grew quite. What was going on? As I looked around, I saw that everyone was fixated on the tv (much smaller than today's big flat screens) and there was Ricky Martin filling the screen and the airwaves. He was performing The Cup of Life. So electrifying, handsome and those hips, I, like most, was hooked.

Judging a book by its cover, Ricky is one of the most handsome men EVER, with a great physique and tons of talent but when you get past the cover (interviews and writings) you learn that he is also a very spiritual, compassionate, loving, hardworking and charitable man. Sigh! So I downloaded ME.

ME basically reinforces everything we knew (or at least what I knew) about Ricky and reveals little more. Of course, when ME came out in Nov 2010, so did Ricky - that was news then but this is now. Ricky gives us great insight as to what drives him as a human, his days in Manudo, his spirituality, his truth (that he is gay although he says homosexual) and becoming a father. His writing is repetitive but always interesting.

It could be very easy to hate or be extremely jealous of this man who seems to have been born under a lucky start but he comes across (as always) as very genuine, trusting of his instincts and thankful for his opportunities. He is quite clear that none of what he has accomplished has come without hard work, dedication and a price but he would't have it any other way.

ME is a nice read and was a much needed change from Steven King's 11/23/63 and Full Dark, No Stars and The Hunger Games series.

DOGABLY PAWFECT BOOKS

A leading reporter offers a tour of military working dogs' extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impacts they have on those who work with them.


People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. A dog's natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don't have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog-the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table-could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium.


Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world's most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory.

He believed the dog was immortal.


So begins Susan Orlean’s sweeping, powerfully moving account of Rin Tin Tin’s journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. Orlean, a staff writer at The New Yorker who has been hailed as “a national treasure” by The Washington Post, spent nearly ten years researching and reporting her most captivating book to date: the story of a dog who was born in 1918 and never died.


It begins on a battlefield in France during World War I, when a young American soldier, Lee Duncan, discovered a newborn German shepherd in the ruins of a bombed-out dog kennel. To Duncan, who came of age in an orphanage, the dog’s survival was a miracle. He saw something in Rin Tin Tin that he felt compelled to share with the world. Duncan brought Rinty home to California, where the dog’s athleticism and acting ability drew the attention of Warner Bros. Over the next ten years, Rinty starred in twenty-three blockbuster silent films that saved the studio from bankruptcy and made him the most famous dog in the world. At the height of his popularity, Rin Tin Tin was Hollywood’s number one box office star.

Why do dogs speak so profoundly to our inner lives? When Mark Doty decides to adopt a dog as a companion for his dying partner, he finds himself bringing home Beau, a large golden retriever, malnourished and in need of loving care. Beau joins Arden, the black retriever, to complete their family. As Beau bounds back into life, the two dogs become Mark Doty's intimate companions, his solace, and eventually the very life force that keeps him from abandoning all hope during the darkest days. Their tenacity, loyalty, and love inspire him when all else fails.


Dog Years is a remarkable work: a moving and intimate memoir interwoven with profound reflections on our feelings for animals and the lessons they teach us about life, love, and loss. Mark Doty writes about the heart-wrenching vulnerability of dogs, the positive energy and joy they bring, and the gift they bear us of unconditional love. A book unlike any other, Mark Doty's surprising meditation is radiantly unsentimental yet profoundly affecting. Beautifully written, Dog Years is a classic in the making.

Visit our other doggie-friends: 

Peter at Tippin' the Scales 

Rick‘s @ Its a Ruff Ruff World 

Buddy Bear @ One Step At A Time,

Ray @ Ray’s Cowboys [NSFW]

CoreyJo @ Corey's Dark Corner [NSFW]

and join in all the doggy fun.

THE HUNGER GAMES: A KINDLE REVIEW

I've been catching up on my reading which include Steven King's 11/23/63 and Full Dark, No Stars; Bill Clinton's Back To Work, Ricky Martin's Me (still in progress) and surprisingly Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Trilogy. Yes, all three books.

I decided to read The Hunger Games, mostly on a whim (damn you Kindle! {shakes fist at sky}), to see what all the hype was about both the book and the coming movie. For those of you living under a rock, the movie starts this Friday, 3/23.

I knew three things about The Hunger Games before reading it:

1. It is/was a wildly popular book series.
2. Most importantly, it was written for the young teen market.
3. There was a lot of excitement about the coming movie.

What won't hurt you to know:

1. It takes place in the near future, 150 years or so, after some sort of war or apocalypse.
2. The government is everywhere and knows everything. Hello big brother.
3. The government controls everything - food, knowledge and your perception.
4. Make sure you have time to read it because you won't want to put it down.

My spoiler free thoughts:

1. It is a real page turner! I couldn't put it down and read the 378 page book in 1.5 days.
2. Although it is sold as three books, it really should have been one. Unlike the Harry Potter books, the quality of the story and the reading level both decline. 
3. The books are written much more like an action/adventure movie script - heavy on the action and light on the character development. This is fine for the first book but wears thin by the third. Maybe I read too much Steven King.
4. Katniss is the heroine and becomes quite annoying but I had to keep reminding my self that she is just 14 and this book is written for young teens. I think most teens will identify with her self doubts, fears and loneliness. I think it will trigger many memories for adults.
5. Katniss doesn't really grow or learn from her experiences, which is really frustrating even when you remember her age and that the books span less than two years.
6. Josh Hutcherson perfectly matches the image I had of Peeta. We'll have to wait to see if he can portray Peeta's spirit and strength.
7. The trilogy makes for quick, light reading and despite it's faults, I recommend it.

THE END OF BOOK BURNING?

There has been much debate of the impact eReaders like the Kindle are and will have on books, newspapers and magazines but I had a thought last night that I have not seen addressed. 

Will eReaders put an end to book burning or will people just burn one eReader loaded with hundreds of copies of the book they want to burn? What do you think?