Book Review - Spun by Catherine McKenzie

Spun by Catherine McKenzie is a fabulous novella that packs the same punch as a full length novel. It’s a sequel of sorts, to the novel Spin, but the point of view switches from Katie to Amber.

Several years have passed and Amber has managed, for the most part, to stay clean. But she’s been reduced to starring in perfume commercials and working with pretentious directors who don’t realize that she’s actually smarter than they are. Meanwhile, the paparazzi are still after Amber and her parents only communicate with her through televised “interventions.” Her best friend is still her publicist, and even Katie seems to have betrayed her.

So it’s no wonder that Amber is still drawn to her first love, the self-destructive Connor, and she can’t resist coming to him when he sends her a text in their coded language. But what follows is both unexpected and devastating.

Catherine McKenzie’s writing style is so polished and clever, but she also manages to make me laugh and cry. Spun is perfect for a plane ride or an evening or two of pleasant diversion. The pop culture references are flawless and the characterization is well done. Spun is just heavy enough not to feel fluffy and it’s also quite entertaining. A great read!

Princes and Progress

There's a new post on November Surprises, Lucy's political blog.To read about the Supreme Court and make up sessions, click here.

Also, there is good News! For the next couple of days, The Holdout is only 99 cents on Amazon, and November Surprise is free! (Click on the titles to visit their Amazon page.) Also, American Angst will be out soon, so you can get more Lucy/Robin stories. Click here to find out more!

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!

Kindle Quest 2014 - Hopeless

One of my New Year's resolutions is to get through all the books I've downloaded on my kindle that are just waiting to be read. So a couple of weeks ago I started reading Hopeless, which I downloaded for free. I had heard a lot about it, and the fact that it has over a thousand five star reviews on Amazon made me both jealous and curious.

I enjoyed the first part. I liked the author's voice and I thought she had some clever lines. I liked her descriptions and I also liked how she formatted the book, and the pacing. The chemistry between Sky and Holder was very intense and I could understand why readers responded so well.

Then I got into the second half. It started to get kind of dark, but I was still curious to find out what happens (and I was right in my predictions.) I don't mind that the story got really serious, but I do have a problem with how some of it was handled.

Because the last fourth bothered me. SPOILER ALERT: Don't keep reading if you don't want the story ruined for you.

Okay. First of all, Sky and Holder watch her father commit suicide, then go back to their hotel room and have amazing sex? Uhgg. That just didn't seem right. Second of all, Sky's father was a cop. It never occurred to him to find his long lost sister and see if she kidnapped his daughter? I don't buy that. And then there's Holder. He seemed just a little too perfect in his reactions. And I got very tired of all lines about people's eyes - the concern in their eyes, the sadness in their eyes, the pain in their eyes - I know Colleen Hoover can do better because she does at other points in this book. And I also got tired of hearing about how strong Sky is. Holder tells her that a lot, and she tells herself that, and then they make out some more and then there's more description of how breathtaking their love is.  And the scene at the end? Uhgg. I also don't buy that a four and six-year-old would have that kind of conversation, and besides, their parents wouldn't let them be up that late and alone at night anyway.

I don't usually write critical posts about other author's work. And honestly, I do respect Colleen Hoover and her success. I guess I just needed to rant a little, because I don't understand why so many people are in love with this book. Please don't judge me for it.