What else have I been reading?

If the blog has seemed a little emptier than usual, I apologize. A lag in my ability to obtain YA books from my library has led me to read in other sections of the library & wade my way through the books I picked up when Borders was going out of business. GASP! While I may have enjoyed some of the titles I dabbled in, these are some of the lesser successes. Not many of them were complete failures mind you, but none of them really hit the mark with me.

First Kill by Heather Brewer
I resisted trying the Vlad Tod series because I just couldn't stand another vampire book. I go through spells where they're all I'm into, but this just never satisfied my need. When First Kill appeared as a book from the slayer's point of view I thought that it might bring me around. Alas it just didn't suit me. I found myself unable to really connect with the characters. Maybe I should have read the Vlad Tod series first... Who knows.




Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I've heard a lot of people say that this book was amazing. It looked a little iffy to me since it's about a horribly blessed woman going through a rough patch in her life and how she decides to travel the world in search of something to believe in. While I loved Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love felt trite in comparison. I know it's her "memoir" so it should be self-centered, but I just couldn't stomach her belly-aching. After a while I just wanted to scream at her. While the settings were incredible and the people were fascinating, I just couldn't deal with this woman.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Having worked in a public library when this book came out and was ridiculously popular, most people are surprised I haven't read it. I'm that way about most popular books; either I read them before they are popular (like The Help) or I shy away until the hype dies down. Many people warned me that this book took a while to get into, but I just never did. I read the whole thing to the end just to see if there would be something to catch me & it just never happened. Maybe it's because I'm not much of a mystery (in the traditional sense of the genre) reader or maybe it was the utter confusion I felt about some of the more graphic/violent scenes. Either way, I can at least say that this was not my cup of tea.

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
I know that viewers often have issues adjusting their perception from film/tv to book format of something they love, but I was hoping that wouldn't be the case for me. I really admire Kathy Reichs for her work (since the books are based on her own experiences as a forensic anthropologist) and love the tv shows Bones, but I just couldn't get into this book. I only read about 1/3 of the book, so I may give it another shot at a later date, but it's painfully obvious that this is a new writer still working out her rhythm. I was even more surprised at how different the characters were. I was expecting replicas, but it's now obvious just how many liberties have been taken in the creation of the show.




Have you ever experienced this? What are some books you just couldn't get into? Sound off in the comments!

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Tory Brennan is just like her famous Aunt Temperance Brennan in so many ways. Namely she seems to get herself into trouble without being able to fully rescue herself on her own. Tory is still adjusting to her new living situation as she was unceremoniously dumped upon her never-before-seen father when her mother tragically died. So in addition to parental awkwardness, social isolation, & general teen angst, Tory manages to create plenty of mischief with her crew. As the lone girl, and kind of the ring-leader, of a rag-tag team of misfits on a secluded South Carolina research island, Tory and her friends find plenty of trouble to get into. They're all children of university professors/researchers whose work has them studying local sea creatures & habitats, so naturally they're brilliant in the intelligence department, but still developing common sense.

One of their favorite places is Loggerhead Island where the university has the main research compound. There are wild monkeys roaming about and plenty of other wildlife to observe, but the crew's favorite, or should it be Tory's favorite, are the wolf-dogs. A lone wolf was brought to the island and soon discovered a German Shepard mate. Together they have two gorgeous wolf-dog pups that the crew are keeping tabs up with. When one of the pups goes missing, and the parents become agitated, the crew decides to explore the forbidden compound. They were not prepared for what they found, nor the consequences of their snooping. The crew is now more than just friends, they're a pack. In a race against more than just time, these four teens have to solve a murder and hope to save themselves in the process.

I must start off by saying that I am a newly-minted fan of the television show Bones. This wonderfully charming show is based on Kathy Reichs's adult mystery series surrounding Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist. That alone would have been enough to get me to read Virals, but the summary was so much more enticing!! This book was non-stop action and intrigue with lots of mystery and teenage fun mixed together. I was quite amazed at how adeptly Dr. Reichs combined her mystery-solving, science-loving content with the characters. Nothing felt forced or out of the realm of possibility for these teens.

I really enjoyed the dynamics of the crew's relationships. It's kind of obvious that there is some friction among some of the more dominant members and that there is definitely at least one follower. What was truly fun to watch play out was the epiphany that so many guys have later in their teens, "Oh my gosh, she's really a girl!" It just suddenly dawns on them that there is something different about their friend and this story was no exception.

If you like depth, non-whiny teens, and a good mystery with some ethical dilemmas, this book is perfectly suited to fulfill your needs. Happy reading!

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours and will be available in November 2010.