A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was really good, just really long! It is 584 pages and jam packed with tons of stuff going on. I really loved the story, but I feel like the author could have made it a little less complicated and left some of the stuff out. What makes this book a little different from the other supernatural/vampire books is that the main characters are 30 something year olds. No teenagers! So that was a little refreshing. I don't think this is a young adult book, but it probably could be because there is no swearing and while there is talk of sex, there is very little descriptive sex scenes. Anyways, here is a little of what the book is about....

Diana is a historian whose family history is extensive and well known. She is part of the Bishop family who are a long line of powerful witches. Diana however has tried to forget and ignore the fact that she is witch. That is until while in the library doing work she comes across a bewitched manuscript. She sends the book back, trying to fight her urge to use magic to figure out this manuscript and that is when her life changes. Next thing she knows she is running into more witches, daemons, and vampires everywhere. She meets Matthew, a mysterious vampire. Together they try to understand and find the importance of this manuscript, they fall in love, fight off other creatures and try to bring Diana's witch out after being ignored and hidden deep inside her. There is a lot more going on too, but this gives you a taste.

A Discovery of Witches is the first in the All Souls Trilogy. The next book comes out summer of 2012.

Happy Reading!



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The White Devil

The White Devil by Justin Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I would probably put this at a 3.5. I really enjoyed this book, and once I was in 80 pages I found it hard to put it down. This is a different type of book for me to read. I really enjoy murder mystery type books, but I tend to stay away from ghost stories. I freak myself out way too easily and am way too scared to watch scary movies so why would I read a scary story? This novel had a good balance between the ghost/scary story and a romance/murder mystery. This made it much more manageable for me.

The book follows Andrew, a senior in high school who has somewhat of a bad reputation. He has been kicked out of his previous schools in America so as a last stitch effort his dad sends him to a prestigious, all boy British boarding school. Not long after he arrives strange things begin to happen. Including Andrew finding his only friend dead. The freaky thing, he saw the murderer. BUT........ he is pretty sure the murderer was dead also. Andrew finds himself tangled up in the history of a fellow student, Lord Byron's, life that took place in the early 1800s.

I do have to say there is some language in this book, not too much though. There also is a sex scene or two, but I thought they weren't' too wordy or descriptive. The one thing that might make people uncomfortable is some of the references to homosexuality. This is a all boy school and supposedly in the 1800's (Lord Byron's days) it was not uncommon for some of the boys to experiment. Lord Byron just "experimented" a little more seriously than some of the others. So just a little heads up if you are planning to read. I would recommend this book if you are up to it!

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The Fates Will Find Their Way

The Fates Will Find Their Way: A Novel by Hannah Pittard

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Okay, I did not care for this book. I thought it would be somewhat interesting, but that was not the case. I actually found myself skimming most of it just so I could get it over and done.

It is about a teenage girls disappearance and how her male classmates cannot get over it. The narrator is a one of these classmates and the whole book is about him and his friends and the fantasies they have come up with pertaining to her disappearance. They are still obsessed and talking about her when they are adults and have wives and children of their own. I guess I just did not get this book. I didn't really see the point and I found it to be really odd.

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Against Medical Advice

Against Medical Advice: A True Story by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Okay so I guess I am on a medical kick right now. I actually picked this up at the library without really knowing what it was about. I just know I like James Patterson and was in a mood for that type of a book. Well, this wasn't his typical book. It definitely is not a murder/mystery, detective like book. But it still was really good!

James Patterson partnered with Hal Friedman for this book. Hal's son, Cory, has been suffering from Tourette's, OCD, and severe anxiety for 13 years. Hal decided he wanted to tell Cory's story and the difficulties that he and his family have had to face. This is a true story and is told in the son's voice. I can't even imagine the things he went through. Not being able to control your body, what you do or say. I just felt for this little 5 year old boy when he felt the need to spit in his sisters and then father's face. He felt so bad and didn't want to do it, but he had to. His parents had so much patience and faith in Cory. And I can't believe how many medicines and treatments he went through.

Anyways, this is a really good book. And a pretty fast read. The chapters are super short (I love this about James Patterson), and the story is really interesting.

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If I could I would probably rate this a 4.5. This was such a fascinating book! I never really new about HeLa cells, never really given medical research much thought. This book tells the story of Henrietta, a woman whose cells taken without her knowledge have made some important and life changing advances in medicine. She has been dead for more than sixty years, yet her cells are still alive. They were vital in research for the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, and cloning, and has helped us learn more about cancer, virus's, and much much more. I really enjoyed how this book was written because I tend to get bored with books that just list facts after facts. But the author has tied in the interesting story of Henrietta, her family, and politics surrounding her cells. I definitely learned a ton reading this book and am very glad I know about this now. I think it brings up a lot of issues that thankfully the medical field have realized and have taken steps to fix and address. I would definitely recommend this book! If you are interested in history, racial issues, the medical field, research, or anything really, you will enjoy this book.

Have you read this book, what did you think?

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The Reader

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have to say this was a interesting story. I really liked how the story was told and the confusion of emotions the characters experienced.

The book is set in post WW2 Germany. 15 year old Micheal is on his way home when he falls extremely ill. Hanna, a woman twice his age, comes to his rescue. Once Micheal is well he goes back to Hanna's home to thank her. What follows is a passionate, odd and sexual relationship between the two. Then Hanna disappears. Fast forward to Micheal in law school following a case. He then sees Hanna who is on trial for a hideous crime. Hanna does not defend herself and Micheal is not sure what to do or think.

I just saw that this book was made into a movie in 2008, so I will have to check that out too.

Happy Reading



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City of Bones

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow! This was a really good book! It is a series (the first book in the Mortal Instruments series), and I am so excited to keep reading and find out how everything turns out.

Anyways, the book follows Clary, an average 15 year-old, at least that is what she thought until her whole world was turned upside down. One night she finds herself seeing people, and creatures, that no one else can. The next night her mother is kidnapped and she is attacked by a demon. Clary finds herself teaming up with a group of teenagers who call themselves shadowhunters. They explain to Clary that they hunt down and kill all different types of demons. The shadowhunters are extremely curious of how Clary all of the sudden as the "sight" (ability to see the demons, shadowhunters, vampires, etc.). The book follows Clary on this amazingly weird adventure to find her mom, and understand more of her past.

So I am definitely going to keep reading this series. And the best part is that there area 3 other books already out, so no waiting!!!!



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