Review: Whisper of Warning

Title: Whisper of Warning

Author:Laura Griffin

Publication Date: March 31, 2009

Genre: Romance (Suspense)

Pages: 336

Geographical Setting: Austin, Texas

Time Period: Contemporary

Series: Glass Sisters Series, book 2 (but can stand alone)

Plot Summary:
Courtney Glass is an Austin beautician trying to leave behind an affair with a married man (well-known attorney John David) that ended six months ago. When she receives numerous text messages appearing to be from him insisting they meet at a remote trail, little does she know that her attempt to tell him off for good is going to end in her witnessing his murder and becoming a target herself. A masked man enters the vehicle they are in and forces her hand around the gun before shooting John at point-blank range. She manages to run after the gun is turned on her, successfully fleeing into the arms of the authorities who aren’t sure they believe her story except for one officer, Will Hodges. Even with the ex-military man’s higher-ups ready to make an arrest, Will finds himself dangerously drawn to Courtney and she to him. He begins finding excuses to “interview” her, but before long it is revealed that there is more to the case than just a hit on John David.

My Review:
Though this book is a RITA Award winner for best romantic suspense, 2010, it skews a little more toward the suspense side but has enough sexual chemistry throughout to keep fans of both elements pleased. Griffin, a former journalist, writes in short sentences and paragraphs that offer rich detail at a rapid pace with a heavy dose of snappy dialogue. Readers quickly know they are in for a fast ride as they are catapulted into the action, with the protagonist witnessing the murder and nearly losing her own life within the first chapter. There is also little question of the immediate attraction between Courtney and Will, leaving readers wondering “when” rather than “if” their relationship will go to the next level. The pasts and lives of both Courtney and Will have a fair amount of exploration for the genre, but their cores are found in the typical romantic stereotypes. Readers learn primarily about the reasons she is keeping the whole truth from the police and some of the feelings behind Will’s attraction to her. Courtney is a strong woman who does not break down or whine despite her trauma; instead, she does not seem to fully realize the danger she is facing. The focus stays on them, with most chapters being told from either of their points of view (in third person), except a handful that deal with another officer working on the case. Because the characters are open ended, it is fairly easy for readers to find a way to relate enough to insert themselves into the story. Around these characters is a minimalist frame meant to emphasize the photo inside more than the container. There is a smattering of detail about the main Texas setting, and a little more space devoted to the small New Mexico town Courtney flees to. However, these elements provide little to the feeling of the novel, which could ultimately be set in a variety of modern cities. Griffin instead focuses on her successful blending of a suspenseful, romantic tone, with some light passages when possible. Peppered throughout the first half of the book, before the case really turns toward its culmination, are scenes of Courtney managing to evade the murderer, working through her feelings for Will, and enjoying her outings with other characters. The conversational tone, interesting but familiar characters, and a few steamy bits mixed with an interesting mystery make this a competent addition to the romantic suspense genre.

Read-alikes (books I might not have read but should be similar): Readers who enjoyed Laura Griffin’s style should check out any of her other books, but might specifically look to Untraceable (2009). Private investigator Alex Lovell (who aids Courtney in WoW) helps people disappear from their lives, but when a client does not follow the rules and disappears for real, she must employ the help of police detective Nathan Devereaux. Rescue Me by Christy Reece (2009) should appeal to readers looking for rich characters, an engrossing pace, sharp dialogue, and a suspense-heavier plot who do not mind a slightly darker tone. Eden St. Claire is a covert operative for Last Chance Rescue Enterprises who is led to the Greek isles when an innocent girl is kidnapped. There she encounters Jordan Montgomery, a man from her past who has been searching for her. Readers who enjoyed experiencing a protective police detective watch over a competent, strong woman but who are okay with a little more grit may look to I’m Watching You by Karen Rose (2004). Kristen Mayhew is an assistant state attorney with a dark secret who finds three bodies in her trunk and quickly realizes they are criminals she failed to convict. Handsome detective Abe Reagan steps in to protect her. For another Texas tale revolving around a falsely-accused woman, look to Fatal Error by Colleen Thompson (2004). Susan Maddox is a high school science teacher whose husband embezzles money from his car dealership before running away with another woman. When they turn up dead, Susan is the prime suspect and turns to her husband’s brother to help her track down the real killer. A different side of law enforcement can be found in Dee Henderson’s engaging Christian fiction thriller Danger in the Shadows (1999). This unofficial prequel to her best-known O’Malley Series follows Kate Richmond, an author who lost her sister as a child after they were both kidnapped by a stalker who still pursues her. Now under FBI protection, she must rely on her agent brother after a chance meeting leads to attraction between her and high-profile ex-football player Adam Black.

Red Flags: A dash of heavy language; some sexual content, with one full encounter vaguely described; mild violence

Final Verdict: I read this book for my readers advisory class, and while I usually real Christian romances, I rather enjoyed it. Sure, the characters are shallow compared to heavier genres but it was something light compared to all the heavy reading I do for other classes. It also wasn’t too heavy on the sex, and those few pages would be easily skipped if you were so inclined (their arrival is pretty obvious). Also, the suspense part was rather well-written for the genre.

Review: Starvation Lake: A Mystery

Editor’s Note: Hello, again. This review is in a different form as it is a (slightly modified) assignment for the readers advisory class I’m taking. I’m currently working on a second (and last) one, so you’ll get one more that looks like this. I’m not disillusioned that I actually have readers, but if one of you does exist, are there elements you like better? I can’t guarantee a plethora of read-alikes every time, but I can see its usefulness. To briefly sum up my 2 1/2 star rating, I was bored by the first 250 pages of this book but really into the last 100. I haven’t read the second one, so maybe it improves this now that the stage is set, but this one just didn’t suck me in. However, numerous Amazon.com reviews state the exact opposite, praising it as fast-paced (mysteries aren’t really my preferred genre anyway). If you read it, feel free to let me know which side you fall on!

Starvation Lake: A Mystery (2009)

Author: Bryan Gruley
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Detective)

Plot Summary:
Gus Carpenter was a big time Detroit journalist aiming for a Pulitzer before a bad decision saw him crashing back into his hometown newspaper where his days are consumed with rewriting community happenings submitted by gossipy ladies and getting local reactions to national stories as editor. That is until the snowmobile of his former youth hockey coach, who died years ago, washes up on the shores of Walleye Lake — a separate body of water than where his crash allegedly took place ten years ago. Now he must readjust to life in his childhood town, where he is better known for being the goalie who let the team’s state championship slip away, while uncovering the secrets some residents have tried to keep for over a decade. As he and aspiring fellow journalist Joanie work through interviewing a cast of local residents, the case ramps up with the suicide of one of the men who was there the night the coach died and the arrest of a surprising suspect.  Woven throughout is a subplot involving the reason Gus was fired from the Detroit paper. 

Geographical Setting: Northern Michigan
Time period: Contemporary (2009, set 1998)
Series: Starvation Lake mysteries, book 1

Appeal Characteristics:
This 2010 Edgar Award Nominee for first novel is sure to appeal to fans of the mystery genre who like their books with a dose of light grit and heavy subject matter, though the first book may take some patience to get to the payoff. Gruley weaves his real life knowledge of both journalism and hockey into his tale in a highly detailed but interesting way that will please both those drawn to the book for those elements and those who are not puck enthusiasts. However, this can slow down the pace, especially for the first half of the book, which seeks to set the stage for the rest of the series. There is a healthy dose of realistic and sometimes witty dialogue to quicken the experience mixed with occasional long chapters and numerous description-heavy passages that are easily absorbed. Once solid details about the alleged crime and Gus’ past begin to emerge, readers should clear their schedules as they eagerly turn the page to learn what happened to Blackburn and whether Gus will reveal his source. Told from the first person perspective, Gus is experiencing a low point in life at the age of 34, and often draws the reader into his somber feelings about his past with the town and in Detroit. There is a humorous undertone, however, seen in characters like Joanie, who begins the book refusing to ever swear and ends by dropping a string of profanity. The last 100 pages or so take a decidedly bleak tone. The people who are intertwined with the case are numerous, with several of them well-developed to serve this story and future books in the series. Along with learning about Gus, the reader learns about Joanie and her desires to move up in the journalistic world; Gus’ mother who was widowed more than a decade ago and is close to her son but feels the weight of the secrets she has kept from him; and Soupy, a childhood teammate and close friend who has welcomed Gus back. They are an interesting, varied group of people with flaws who do not fit stereotypes, though readers may find it difficult to relate to any of them. The characters are framed by a beautiful northern Michigan setting, though it could be set in any area that has lakes and heavy snow but will appeal to those who like small town settings. There is great detail given to the area and its history, sometimes to the point of being confusing as it is not central to the story. While not as tight and journalistic as Hemingway is famous for, Gruley does write concisely and with short, easily understood sentences. This makes for a conversational tone, such as when he describes several hockey matches as if teaching those who know little about the sport the importance of each move.

Read-alikes: Readers drawn to Gus and the happenings of Starvation Lake should continue with the second book in the series, The Hanging Tree (2010). The amateur detective is once again front and center as he investigates the death of a woman who apparently hung herself from a tree upon returning to Starvation Lake more than 20 years after leaving. Hockey and journalism continue to frame the events around the crime, along with complex characters and conversational but knowledgeable writing. Another similar title can be found in Dennis Lehane’s famous novel Mystic River (2001). The novel takes place twenty-five years after three boys were playing together in Boston when one was abducted and molested. After having taken very different paths in life, they are brought back together during a murder investigation. This book has similar themes and a darker writing style, as well as well-developed characters presented at a slightly faster pace that should appeal. Readers drawn to the small town setting and intricate, reflective plot may also enjoy A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (2009). When an Afrikaner police officer is discovered dead in a small town that lies on the borders of South Africa and Mozambique in 1952, an Englishman and his Zulu companion begin investigating and uncover shocking secrets and lies. Those interested in a similar setting and profession should check out Dead Dancing Women by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (2008), the first in a series that follows Emily Kincaid. She has recently fled the city for the northern Michigan woods where she now works as a part-time journalist and failed mystery writer until she finds a severed head in her garbage can. She ads amateur detective to her resume as the novel introduces readers to life in a small town populated by an eccentric cast of characters with a humorous tone. Fans of mysteries told with the hockey rink as a backdrop should seek out Michael McKinley’s 2010 finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for best first novel, The Penalty Killing (2010). Martin Carter is a former professional hockey player who now works for a hopeless New York team whose playoff hopes are left to die on the ice after a crucial game turns violent, leaving a star player in a coma and the only person who saw what happened dead. The innovative plot, violent but knowledgeable hockey detail, and focus on a male protagonist should also appeal.

Red flags: Heavy profanity; heavy sexual topics discussed, but only one encounter is vaguely described; mild violence, mostly “off-stage” or sports injuries

Review: Becoming Me

Editor’s note: Hi, it’s me again — still alive! When I started this blog last month, it was not with six units of intensive summer classes and a 12-15 hours per week internship at the local public library’s reference desk in mind. To that end, I will continue to update as I finish books, they just may be a little more scarce until August

Title: Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 1)

Author: Melody Carlson

Publication Date: August 10, 2000

Pages: 256

“Official” plot description

In the fictional Diary of a Teenage Girl, sixteen-year-old Caitlin O’Conner reveals the inner workings of a girl caught between childhood and womanhood … an empty life without Christ and a meaningful one with Him. Through Caitlin’s candid journal entries we see her grapple with such universal teen issues as peer pressure, loyalty, conflict with parents, the longing for a boyfriend, and her own spirituality. Readers will laugh and cry with Caitlin as she struggles toward self-discovery and understanding God’s plan for her life. And they’ll be deeply moved by her surprising commitment regarding dating. (from Amazon.com)

My Review

Sixteen-year-old Caitlin gets a new diary and soon after gets a landslide of life events to share with its pages. I’m not sure why I haven’t read this series before, since I was actually a teenager when it came out, but for whatever reason, I delayed until recently. My 16-year-old self would have related very well to the first half of this book, even though it’s before she becomes a Christian. The second half delves into many serious issues facing teens today from a positive Christian perspective that some may consider preachy but I think it’s earnest and realistic. Thankfully I never had to experience any of them, but I know that’s a rarity. Teenagers need literature they can relate to, but too many times YA books straddle the line of promoting the dangerous behavior instead of just showing it. Carlson does an excellent job of discussing real issues such as teen pregnancy, dating, sex, school shootings, and parents going through a rough patch frankly without going over the top.

I also think it’s an excellent series for parents of teenagers (especially girls, for obvious reasons) to take the time to read. It’s a good insight into the teenage mind and the situations your kids or their friends are almost definitely facing if they are in public or private school (although you never know the peer pressure of older siblings for homeschoolers ).

The Exceptionally Good: The realism of this book/series may be unparalleled, particularly in young adult Christian fiction. Not everything turns out happy or without consequences.

The Exceptionally Bad: While I can assure you that my 14-year-old self filled her diary with this much cheese (religious and otherwise), it was a little over-the-top to end nearly every chapter with a prayer. I must confess to heavily skimming many of them.

Perspective: First person to a diary

Clean?: Some used to Christian fiction may scratch their head at the topics covered, but this is reality — dealt with tactfully but without cleaning it up

Final Verdict: If you have a couple hours to kill and want some insight into the mind of a teenager struggling with life and becoming a Christian, or you are one yourself, definitely take the time to visit your local library for this title.

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Dark and Hollow Places

Author: Carrie Ryan

Publication Date: July 2009; March 9, 2010; and March 22, 2011

Pages: 310, 407, and 377

“Official” plot description

In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? (Bk. 1)

My Review

When you can’t put a book down, it must have something to it. This young adult, post-apocalyptic trilogy delivered more than I was expecting of it since I haven’t read much YA fiction in several years. I only gave the plot description to the first book because when I read the next two I had no idea who/what they were about and it was a pleasant surprise. Yes, there could have been a little more character development in the first book (I didn’t really care whether anyone lived or died), and Mary was annoying at times (especially since it’s first person). However, when you consider the kind of life she has led and the massive breakdown in what little life that was, it makes her irrational goals and decisions a little more understandable. Plus we adult readers need to remember she’s a very young teenage girl — how rational were we at that age? Sure, there are some story lines left dangling, but this isn’t a genre known for its answers, and many of them are answered in the next two books. Each one is from a different character’s perspective, all connected, but the last two are directly linked. I felt the last book was the best/strongest, but the first one had me up too late missing sleep because I was just so drawn into what was going to happen next.

While the setting is futuristic, the books still touch on many universal teenage themes such as love, acceptance, physical beauty, inner beauty, attempted suicide, and realizing how to balance pursuing your own dreams and being independent with what is expected of you by your parents and others. It’s not heavily involved in showing teens the way to adulthood, but the subtleties adding an interesting dynamic that may go unnoticed by some readers of the same age. Readers obviously can’t directly relate to the main characters (unless you’re living in a fenced-off world surrounded by zombies I’m not aware of, in which case I apologize for not representing your point of view) but there’s enough of this world left to recognize.

Since all three leads are female and there’s an awful lot of gushing about boys (sometimes over the top and sometimes just right), this is definitely a series aimed for a female audience. The age range is a little more open, though I’d say anyone under 13 or 14 won’t really get it as well. Adults willing to overlook the undertones of silly teenage thought can also go along for a walk through the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

The Exceptionally Good: Book 1 had me up until all hours because I just couldn’t pull myself away from it. While not quite as gripping, book 3 had a similar effect and actually turned into my favorite in the series. Female protagonists are strong without losing touch with their femininity, which is refreshing in modern literature. I would definitely chalk this up to being more literary when it comes to the zombie genre.

The Exceptionally Bad: If I haven’t repeated myself enough, Mary can be annoying. My biggest complaint, though, has to go to the fact that book 2 really dragged. It turned out to be about 50 pages too long (and does come in as the longest in the series), and could have used some tightening up of the writing. I found myself skimming large swatches because they either contained nothing pertinent or things that had already been said before. However, trust me, making it through book 2 worth it once you get to 3, at least in my opinion.

Perspective: First person

Clean?: Especially for YA fiction, this series is extremely clean.

Final Verdict: Fans of post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories that don’t mind YA fiction should definitely check this out at their local library!

Review: Lady Audley’s Secret

Title: Lady Audley’s Secret

Author: Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Publication Date: 1862

Genre: Sensation novel, early mystery, psychological

Pages: 496 (including extensive commentary)

Geographical Setting: English countryside, some in London

Time Period: Contemporary to 1862

Plot Summary:
Lady Audley is a young, beautiful governess who recently left her work and married a wealthy widower, Michael Audley. After she moves into his estate at the beginning of the novel, Mr. Audley’s nephew Robert soon meets up with his old friend George Talboys who has recently returned from Australia where he was trying to earn enough money to care for his family. He is anxious to reunite with his wife, Helen, and their child, but soon discovers his plans are going to drastically change. When the pair visit Michael, a mysterious disappearance leads Robert to start wondering if everything is as it seems.

My Review:
If you’ve ever thought about picking up a Victorian novel, this could be the one with which to start. This story ends up being one of the meatier 19th century novels I’ve read, boiling down to a tale that is part sensation, part detective, and part evil stepmother. It was out of print for several years after Braddon’s dead in the early 1900s, but has seen a recent resurgence in scholarship and was even what I wrote my undergraduate capstone on ( “Two Sides of Morality: Reexamining Actions in the Male Dominated Culture of Lady Audley’s Secret“).

So, now that I’ve established that other people like it and what it is, why should you read it. One of the first things that stood out to me was Braddon’s language. Sure, it’s over-the-top and flowery like most Victorians, but at the same time she has such skill that it’s very easy to understand. The first few pages describing what it would be like to venture to Audley Court and see the path for the first time were superb. There’s also a slow undercurrent of humor throughout the novel that really makes the characters come to life. The plot may not have all the layers modern readers are accustom to, but hold on until the end and I promise there are still some twists to be uncovered.

The gender studies found subtly throughout have become a magnet for modern feminists, which is why I argued with them in my capstone. I don’t believe that Braddon intended much of what modern critics have read between the lines, but Robert has some interesting thoughts about “petticoat government” and what a woman’s place really is. These aspects are interesting when you consider that this was one of the first novels to take the crazy plots of French novels and place them in a domestic setting familiar to the intended audience. And now I’ve made it sound like you’ve got to view it very scholarly, which is far from the truth, but having it in the back of your mind can make it even more amusing.

The Exceptionally Good: Braddon’s writing style is wordy compared to current fiction, but much more down to earth than most of the time period. The characters and plot are enthralling enough that this will still keep you wanting to turn pages once you get past the opening.

The Exceptionally Bad: To the modern reader, the plot may still seem a little thin despite being one of the better from the Victorian era. However, regardless of whether most of your suspicions are confirmed or not, the end is still interesting and offers a fair number of twists. One way to help get around this is to read as little as possible about the novel beforehand.

Read-alikes (books I have not necessarily read but should be similar): If you liked LAS, I would recommend checking out other titles by Braddon (The Doctor’s Wife, John Marchmont’s Legacy, and Aurora Floyd are novels you should be able to find in print). One of the biggest influences on this novel was one of the few sensation fiction books at the time, Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1859). It tells the story of a young drawing master who meets a mysterious woman dressed in white while walking home in London whom he later finds out has escaped from an asylum. Another contemporary predecessor was East Lynne by Ellen Wood (1861), which follows a refined young woman who leaves her neglectful husband and infant children to elope with an aristocratic suitor. It was the first book to be labeled “sensational fiction” by critics because it was so scandalizing at the time. If you enjoyed the domestic side of the novel and are looking for something a little more modern, you might like Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier. The story is told from the point of view of a young woman who becomes the second wife of Max de Winter and must adapt to life with him at his English estate, Manderley.

Red flags: “Off-stage” violence

Final Verdict: If you even remotely think this could be your cup of tea, I highly recommend it. It is a must for established fans of Victorian literature and to just a somewhat lesser extent those into classic mysteries.

Review: House of Leaves

Title: House of Leaves

Author: Mark Z. Danielewski

Publication Date: March 7, 2000

Genre: Psychological suspense, experimental fiction

Pages: 709

Geographical Setting: Virginia

Time Period: Contemporary

Plot Summary:
The story focuses on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green were prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story — of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

My Review:
That plot description is the best I could find and even it falls terribly short. This is a nightmare to someone who wants to read a book from point A to point B with little to no fuss in between. I fall just a step outside of that (reluctantly willing to be daring), so it was sometimes a challenge to get into the academic structure of the book (footnotes, appendices, page layouts to invoke feelings, etc.) but really it could be no other way. It ends up boiling down to a book within a book within a book… which is less confusing than it sounds, trust me. An unnamed editor who appears rarely to write a footnote or two has pulled together the main footnotes of a flunky tattoo artist (Johnny Truant) who begins studying the papers left behind by an old man who wrote a long recounting of a documentary called the Navidson Report created by a man who suddenly found a door to a never-ending labyrinth in his kitchen. This might sound boring, but each layer is so complex it’s not, despite the fact that you may hit the maximum number of  renewals at your library while working through it. Truant is a sarcastic, hyperbolic, rambling, unreliable narrator who questions many times whether the whole thing is just too out there to be true. I found myself frustrated while reading some of his footnotes that would go on for pages and pages for no reason, but I’m sure I was supposed to. I wanted to know more about what was going to happen every time someone ventured into the dark space the house was creating endlessly.

This book will mess with your head if you let it. I read it late at night while my roommate was sleeping and there were times I let myself wonder if the walls in my apartment were really the dimensions they appeared to be and if the kitchen I can’t see into from the living room had suddenly found itself home to a door where none existed before. My first impression was definitely that this one hit it out of the park despite being largely out of my typical scope.  Still, at the heart of it all is a very creepy and boggling story, which will stay with you.

The Exceptionally Good: There is a really strong storyline being played out at the heart of this book. But instead of settling for an eerie novella, he turns it into an entire experience. How much of that you choose to experience is entirely up to you.

The Exceptionally Bad: Nothing about this novel was that terrible. Sure there were times it felt like it was trying a little too hard, and I still find the ending a little weak considering the build up, but it leaves you with enough questions that you even doubt whether it was a weak ending.

Read-alikes (books I haven’t read but should be similar): Those drawn to the expanding atmosphere of HOL should consider Fog Heart by Thomas Tessier (1997). Two skeptical couples are drawn together by a medium who might be able to lead them to important truths or a tightening web of terror and death. Is her gift real, or just a sign of madness? If a large cast of characters and deeper psychological implications explored through experimental writing are your desire, you might try Interstate: A Novel by Stephen Dixon (1995). The story of a father who experiences the unthinkable (a man shooting one of his daughters for apparently no reason after passing them on the highway) is told through eight interrelated narratives in this demanding, edgy, and jarring novel that requires focused attention. If you’re interested in more to do with the Greek mythological and labyrinth aspects of this book, look into The Helmet of Horror: The Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur by Victor Pelevin. The Russian novelist retells the myth by bringing a group of strangers together in a modern-day labyrinth where they are trapped in identical rooms and told to interact through a chatroom thread.

Red Flags: A heavy dose of swearing; sexual situations within the footnotes

Final Verdict: Highly recommended to readers of psychological horror, thrillers, experimental fiction, or anyone looking to step out of their usual genres for a long read.

Welcome!

You  may be asking yourself why the world needs another book review website, and the answer is probably that it doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t want one, and so I present The Book Return: One Library Student’s Musings on Her Journey Through the World of Fiction (okay, the subtitle may or may not be official). The title seemed fitting given that any books on this site have gone through either a literal or symbolic book return after being read.

For the last couple of years, I haven’t done so well at exercising one of my favorite hobbies (reading), so this year thanks to www.goodreads.com, I issued myself a challenge to finish 50 books. Now I decided that in addition to reading them, I’d like to regularly write up my thoughts about each of the books. Eventually I’d like to have a thorough list of reviews on all the books I’ve ever read, but that may be just a little overly ambitious.

So, what will this site be? It’s meant to be a humorous but serious look at the fiction I pick up, hopefully to help you at least get a good laugh and maybe get something else to add to your shelf. There will be no spoilers. Should I feel an exception is warranted, spoiler text would be hidden behind a link. There is nothing worse than having a good book ruined! I may also occasionally post about interesting things to do with books, the book trade, publishers, libraries, etc. My tastes are all over the board, but are skewing toward post-apocalyptic right now. I also have strong interests in Christian fiction, Victorian literature, and realistic fiction, with some horror and mysteries thrown in for spice. Posts will be tagged by genre so you can easily find books that way if you like.

What can I guarantee you won’t find here? Erotica, fantasy, historical fiction (books written now about the past), gay fiction, feminist fiction, metafiction, or anything published by Harlequin. That’s just the way it is.

I am working on coming up with a standard form for my reviews so that you’ll get the same information about every book. While I am opening to reading on a variety of themes, I used to not be and know people who aren’t, so each writeup will expand on any “questionable” material. This is more of an FYI than a condemning of the book! If there are other things you’d like to see included, let me know at the e-mail address I mention below.

One of my goals as I move through earning my masters in library science is to expand my reading horizons, so I’m always open for suggestions. I can’t guarantee I’ll take them, but you’re more than welcome to shoot me a note in the comments or at kncook [at] indiana . edu. Also feel free to find me on Goodreads by clicking here.