Kindle Quest 2014 -Whiskey Rebellion

I downloaded Whiskey Rebellion last winter, after I'd seen it advertised for free, several times. It sounded fun, and I like a good, sexy mystery every now and then. I wasn't disappointed. Liliana Hart has a lot of strengths as a writer, and that includes writing very clever, funny description and creating good chemistry between her characters. Addison is hilarious and lovable, and she reminded me a lot of Stephanie Plum. I know I'm not the first reader to make this comparison to Janet Evanovich's books, and I really did think most of this book was best-seller type material.
I was a little disappointed with the end, because I thought too much was packed into the last couple of paragraphs, with no real resolution. But I guess she was leaving readers wanting more, so they'd buy the second book in the series.
This is just another example of how much talent there is out there. Liliana Hart could have been Janet Evanovich, if she'd had her luck, because she definitely has her talent. Still, Hart seems to be doing okay. The Whiskey Rebellion series looks like it's doing very well on Amazon, and she can boast being a USA Today bestseller. It's well-deserved.

Kindle Quest 2014 - The Fault is in Our Stars

I bought this book last summer. It was on sale for under two dollars and since some place like Time or The New York Times Book Review said it was the best book of the year (rare for a YA novel) I thought I should go ahead and buy it. But I hesitated to read it for two reasons. One, I worried that it would make me think about what it would be like if either of my children got cancer. It did. Two, I figured the book HAD to be overrated. It wasn't.

I didn't think there was any way that a story about two kids dying from cancer could be so unique, engaging,and ultimately uplifting. John Green has managed to create compelling, lovable characters that I truly cared about and a great plot, but that, to me, wasn't the most amazing part. How did he manage to write so profoundly in such an accessible way? I have total writer's envy after reading this one.

And I came to a conclusion. There are writers who are good because they have learned from other writers and they managed to draw stylistically from them to create something unique of their own. On my good days I believe that I belong in that group. Then there are writers who define a genre or contribute so much original thought that the work they create becomes an instant classic.

That's John Green, and that's The Fault is in Our Stars.

Cold Medicine and A New Cold War

There's a new post on November Surprises Blog! To read about why Lucy can't go to her political science conference (and about her opinions on Putin) click here.

Book Review - The Supreme Moment

At first The Supreme Moment reminded me of The Hunger Games. You have a teenage girl who's father is gone, and she's willing to sacrifice herself to keep her mother and little sister safe. Avery is very strong but she's also way more scared than she admits to being, which is another similarity to books like Hunger Games or Divergent. But that is not to say that this book isn't unique. It definitely is! The relationship between Avery and Darrion is developed with complexity, in an adult sort of way, that is both mysterious and believable. And the author's imagination and creativity are incredible! The Supreme Moment has a strong ending that won't disappoint, but the world that's been developed is so complex, I'm thinking there's room for many more novels. I hope so anyway!