Moonangel's Book Reviews 2015

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Finished, The Stand, by Stephen King.  What can I say.  It was pretty awesome.  Nick Andros is my guy.

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Finished, A Desperate Fortune, by Susanna Kearsley.  Here's my review:

Really enjoyed this book. The modern story (in first person) was okay. The historical story was what I fell in love with. After reading the book through once, I went back and re-read just the historical story. I wanted the full story without the interruption of the modern story.

I liked how the author was able to show us two different relationships in two different times pointing out what was important then and now. That was well done.

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Finished, The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey.

It was okay.  Lot of examples from people who got out of debt.  Didn't help me much because I've heard of everything already.  Just wanted to know if there was anything I missed.  A lot of these people in debt spent way too much, even Ramsey himself.  I have never spent much in my life.  I've had some bad luck with finances but pulled out of it.  I wish he would talk more about just debts in difficult situations, not debts because of over spending.

I did take down the worksheets he included in his book so maybe I might work on that when I have time and see where I stand on his worksheets.  I already have my own budget worksheets and husband and I already have a plan to tackle our debts, which are just student loans (that's all we have as far as debt goes besides our houses).  As for an emergency fund, we have one and we're continuing to put money into it.  We also have 401K's, stocks, and kids savings accts.  I do need to work on the will though.

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Finished, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

It was intense and dark.  Very dark.  The writing was a bit unusual.  The author does not use proper punctuation so it might seem annoying.  It didn't bother me much except for when he wrote can't without the apostrophe.  The ending left me in tears but relieved.  Amazing story and written in a way that put me on the edge of my seat.

It's about a man and his son and their trek through a post-apocalyptic land.  They learn who they can and can't trust while struggling to survive.

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A few days ago I tried reading, "Hush Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick.  It's a YA paranormal fantasy.  I got the book for $.50 at Goodwill.  I could barely finish the 2nd chapter and tried to start on the 3rd chapter but couldn't go any further.  I wanted to like it so bad.  I mean, I don't know about other readers but I truly try to get into the book before I give up.  The prologue was interesting.  It was dark and mysterious.  I have a thing for dark winged angels and so that part hooked me.  But, then when the actual story started, it was horrible.  The main character couldn't decide if she liked the new guy.  She hates him but she has to spend time with him.  Yet, she wants him.  That just does not make sense.  When they are together they are always attacking each other.  They're never in a good calm conversation.

Anyway...

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Last night, I finished, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

Great story.  Really enjoyed it.  Bought this book at Goodwill for $.50 too.  Hoping to watch the movie soon.

This was a fiction taken from true facts so it really touched me.  The author's note (her research) mentioned that one of the elephants she took information from named, Topsy, was electrocuted with 66 hundred volts sent through her killing her in 10 seconds.  This was when Thomas Edison, who believed direct current (DC) was the future, was going through some serious competition with Tesla and his alternating current (AC) theory and was trying to prove a point.  I had to put the book down and allow myself to cry for this poor innocent elephant.  I woke up with red swollen eyes and now just the thought of it still gives me tears.  This is why I cannot read non-fiction.

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City of Bones was okay.  I liked the idea but I'm not big into vampires and werewolves.  I already knew this book was about vampires and werewolves because daughter talked a lot of about the book and the movie.  I've also seen the movie.  Saw it before I read the book.  I thought the movie was much better than the book.  In the book the teens were very snotty and they jumped every time someone walks into the room or calls their name and they're not aware.  At one point, the author wrote (not word for word), Clary leaped to her feet and was so jittery she couldn't sit down anymore.  This was after she learned who her father was, a father she never even knew.  Also, the dialogues were annoying. They were pointless.  I did enjoy the fight scene near the end.

Some reviews for this stated that it's similar to her Draco Trilogy.  Would you say this to be true if you've read those?

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Some reviews for this stated that it's similar to her Draco Trilogy.  Would you say this to be true if you've read those?

I've not read those but based on goodreads reviews, they are fanfiction based on Harry Potter.  I have read her other trilogy, The Infernal Devices.  I read the first book, Clockworks, and it wasn't my taste.  Author spends about 5 pages each on silly conversations about nothing really.  I think she does that just to add fillers.  Her world building and early-on character development aren't bad but then the characters all become (I don't want to use this word but...) stupid.  And of course, as mentioned, the conversation fillers are horrible.  Reading them is like trying to eat slimy okra.

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Yes, I did read that as well.  Some reviews say that if you've read the DT, then you've read "City of Bones."  I saw the movie and wasn't too impressed. It was slow for me, personally, and the characters didn't have depth.

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Yes, I did read that as well.  Some reviews say that if you've read the DT, then you've read "City of Bones."  I saw the movie and wasn't too impressed. It was slow for me, personally, and the characters didn't have depth.

Well, I don't care too much for City of Bones so I won't be reading DT.  If the movie wasn't so great for you, then City of Bones book will be even worse.  The movie wasn't that great but it was better than the book, if I were to compare the two.

If you haven't already I'd recommend, The Bone Season, by Samantha Shannon.  No werewolves or vampires but it is paranormal .  It's an adult novel but no real strong sexual content, just some cuss words. I allowed my daughter to read it and she totally loved it.  Most the world building happens in the beginning to create the atmosphere for what's to come.  Some might say it's a bit slow at first but I actually enjoyed it.  Her second book of the series, The Mime Order, was not that great though.

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Were Clary and Jace really siblings or was it a trick fabricated by Clary's father?

Thanks for the recommendation .  I don't read much paranormal (fictional?) books, I'm more of a self-help and business type of book person.

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Finished Relic by Douglas Preston.  It was okay.  The idea was cool but the characters weren't so smart and were unwilling to work together.  It just doesn't make sense that all these scientists and police/FBI people are not willing to work together.  But, not only that, they were bickering and just rude and mean.

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Were Clary and Jace really siblings or was it a trick fabricated by Clary's father?

Thanks for the recommendation .  I don't read much paranormal (fictional?) books, I'm more of a self-help and business type of book person.

I'm not sure.  I think they were though.  As mentioned, I just was not that into it.

No prob.  I'm not a big paranormal reader either.  I am a post-apocalyptic sci-fi-er.  It's good you are reading business.  No more business books for me because I read a ton in college and out of college when I was learning to create my own business (I do follow business articles on FB though but I can only take it in small doses at this time). Self help books were really big in the late 90's and early 2k's and I got a giant dose that will last me a lifetime.  Went to see the grandfather of self-help: Dr. Wayne Dyer some time ago.  Loved everything about him.  He died this year and I'm so grateful to have met him in Teton Valley in Wyoming at a talk.

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IF they were, that would have been gross since they were attracted to each other.

Interesting.  Dr. Wayne Dyer, huh?  I've heard of a couple of books that he wrote but haven't read them.  What was it about him that you loved or appreciated?

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Yeah, I can see how it can be gross but it just doesn't matter to me because I really didn't enjoy anything about the book.

Dr. Dyer is a knowledgeable and extremely inspirational person.  I'd recommend everyone to watch and read his stuff.  I don't think it's even possible to pick what I love and appreciate.  It's everything.  Franklin Covey is also up there with him along with Zig and Tony Robbins.

But honestly, the self help stuff was needed when I was going through my darkest times. They made me feel human and normal.  So not everyone will need it.  If Dr. Dyer was big right now, I probably would not be into it because right now my life is stable and perfect.  And perfect, I don't mean better than anyone else's.  My life has turned out just the way I wanted it and that's perfect in my eyes.  It wasn't an easy road...in fact it felt more like having gone straight through a tornado in which you never knew when it'll ever end.  Still, even though things are bright nowadays, there are bad days and good days and horrible days and extremely exciting superbly happy days but it's life and it's good.  I'm always thankful for freedom and for the struggles my parents went through from Laos to the Thailand refugee camps to the U.S. and that greater power I call God whom guided my parents and my two sisters and I (now there are more of us) safely to the camp and the wonderful family who sponsored us to the U.S.  And, I'm grateful for a wonderful loving, over loving husband who's worked so hard to provide for me and our two daughters.  And of course, I couldn't be more happier and grateful for my two girls who love me more than the universe itself.

But having said all that, my heart is still in the sci-fi world when it comes to reading.  I love the feel of shining metal, matted metal, outer space, stars, starships, outer space suits and gears.  I can't resist the destruction of a world (not alway earth but a made up world works perfect) where everything is displaced and people have to start over, or if they have started over, what they do with their lives and how they live in their new world.  And, most of all, I love great description and character development of protagonists and antagonists that really bring the stories to life.