Book #25 of 2012...

Miss Peregine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

From Goodreads.com:

A mysterious island.An abandoned orphanage.A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

My take:

5 out of 5 stars. I had read this wasn't a good book, that the story line was lacking and the only good thing was the pictures. But I didn't find this to be the case. I liked the character of Jacob very much and found the story to be very engaging. My only question is, is there going to be a second book? I haven't found anything that says there is going to be a second book but the end of this one sure seems to indicate that there is going to be one. I would read this one again.

Book #24 of 2012...

The Red Rooster by Micheal Wallace

From Goodreads.com:

Of all the desperate women in German-occupied Paris, Gabriela Reyes is the least likely to scratch out her survival as a whore for a Gestapo agent. After fascists murdered her mother and brother and tortured her father in an insane asylum, she hates the Germans as much as she fears them. But when she discovers the man responsible for destroying her family, she decides to become his mistress to try to free her father and avenge her family.

Helmut von Cratz is a war profiteer using his wealth to undermine the Third Reich and is one meeting with an American agent away from ending the German occupation of France.

But Gabriela's sudden appearance as Colonel Hoekman's mistress jeopardizes Helmut's careful plans. Now he must decide: will he abandon his plans, or will he sacrifice yet another woman to the German war machine.

My take:

5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting reading about what life may have been like for a single woman behind the German lines in France during World War II. It was a good story line and it really made me think about what I would be willing to do in the same situation.

Book #23 of 2012...

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

From Goodreads.com:

After the nuclear holocaust of the Great White, the surviving humans condemn all Misfits (mutants) to either death by fire or exile to Obernewtyn, a remote mountain institution where mysterious experiments are performed on some exiles. Elspeth Gordie is a Misfit, struggling to hide her mutant mental abilities and earn a Normalcy Certificate. But when her secret is betrayed, she is sent to Obernewtyn, from which no one has ever escaped. At Obernewtyn she finds not only dreadful experiments, but ambitious overlords who seek to use the Misfits' paranormal powers to recover the devastating secrets of nuclear war.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. Decent story but I'm not sure that I'll read the next one.

Book #22 of 2012

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

From Goodreads.com:

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door." Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

My take:

5 out of 5 stars...this is THE BEST post apocalyptic/zombie book I've read this year. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Can't wait to read the second one. This not a long book but the characters are good, the plot is good. Keeping this one to read again.

Book #21 of 2012...

Strange Places by Rob Heinze

From Goodreads.com:

After Seth dies at a place called Widow's Peak, Tracy Mitchell takes a reporter's job at a magazine called Strange Places. The job description is simple: visit so-called "strange places" in New Jersey and write about what you find. Tracy has another motive for taking the job, and that is to understand how Seth, her best friend's brother, had been killed by a lightning strike on a clear day at a strange place called Widow’s Peak. And to understand this will allow her to process her friend’s subsequent death.

What Tracy discovers is a terrible evil linked to all the strange places...an evil that does not want to be discovered.

My take:

5 out of 5 stars on this one. This was another Amazon freebie I picked up on a whim but it was really good. Scary and a good mystery. This was not a book that I figured out the ending before I got there. Interesting character development and just all around good story telling.

Book #20 of 2012...

Tales of Mystery and Terror by Arthur Conan Doyle

From Goodreads.com:

This volume presents some of Conan Doyle s unduly neglected masterworks. Each begins in a quietly factual way, making all the more dramatic the crescendo of fear and puzzlement that ensues as each new circumstance is revealed. Even without his supremely logical brain child, Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle shows that his tales are unbeatable for thrills and excitement. This is a great opportunity for the listener to discover a new facet of this master s ability to mystify and enthrall.

My take:

3 out of 5 stars. This is a collection of short "camp fire" stories. I'm sure they were pretty scary when they were originally published but by modern standards they're pretty tame. I enjoyed most of the stories by my favorite was The Brazilian Cat and The Lost Special. I think this would be great "scary" stories to read to children. I don't think it would freak them out but it would be fun to see if they could figure out the endings before you got there.

Book #19 of 2012...

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorn

From Goodreads.com:

In a sleepy little New England village stands a dark, weather-beaten, many-gabled house. This brooding mansion is haunted by a centuries-old curse that casts the shadow of ancestral sin upon the last four members of the distinctive Pyncheon family. Mysterious deaths threaten the living. Musty documents nestle behind hidden panels carrying the secret of the family’s salvation—or its downfall.

My take:

3 out of 5 stars. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. But the whole time I kept wondering if I'd read this book before. I'm sure I have but I don't remember when or where.

Book #18 of 2012...

Colony by Scott Reeves

From Goodreads.com:

On New Earth, it's the same old, same old... In the 30th century, a group of colonists arrives on a far-off planet to begin new lives free from the taints of old Earth's corrupt civilization. But they've unwittingly brought a snake with them into their Garden: a ruthless, violent thug plans to seize power and bring the entire galaxy into his bloody hands. Only one man stands in his way...

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. Interesting story about what could happen if we cry to colonize other planets and how our problems will follow us.

Book #17 of 2012...

A Land of Ash Edited by David Dalgish

From Goodreads.com:

The Yellowstone Caldera has erupted once every 600,000 years. We're 40,000 years overdue.

A LAND OF ASH

Lava flows stretch for hundreds of miles. A cloud of ash billows east, burying the Midwest, destroying crops, and falling upon the Pacific Coast like a warm, dead snow. The remnants of the United States flees south as the global temperatures plummet.Amid this total devastation are stories of families, friends, sons and fathers and wives: the survivors. Within are eleven stories focusing on the human element of such a catastrophe, from an elderly couple gathering to await their death to a father sealing his shelter in hopes of keeping the air breathable for his daughter. Contributing to this collection include many popular and up-and-coming independent authors, including David McAfee, Daniel Arenson, and more.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. This was a fun book. Obviously the story line isn't fun but it was really enjoyable to read short stories by many different authors along the same story line with some of the same elements. I really liked this book.

Book #16 of 2012...

Failing Test; Book One of the Shadow Series by J.M. Pierce

From Goodreads.com:

You know him, but you can't remember his name. He is the one that is always there, in the background, all but invisible to those roaming the hallways. What if he had a secret? What if it was a secret that even he didn't know?

Test Davis has always been a blur to those around him. He's a shadow like a million other kids--not smart enough for the academic team, not beast enough for the football team, not extroverted enough for the drama crowd. In all things Test is just...not, which is why no one ever notices him.

But what happens when someone does notice him-- Nicole Paxton, a cheerleader, no less? What happens on the night that Test finds out there's nothing average about him and that a powerful gift has been hidden within, secretly waiting to be set free and alter his life forever? The question is, will that power save him and those he loves or tear them apart?

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. Good read, not heavy. I might read the next book in the series.

Book #15 of 2012...

Skylights by Rob Heinze

There was no information on Goodreads about this book. But I have to say I think I've read this book before but I can't remember when or where. It was just so familiar.

It was the story of tourists that went on a helicopter ride to see the frozen north. There were strange lights in the sky that caused the helicopter to crash and they were trapped in a cave by the lights. If they were outside the cave when the lights came, the lights would kill them. Two of them went insane and one wondered off during a light storm. In the end only 2 of them survive and are rescued.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the book but again I felt like I'd read it before but I still have no idea when or where.

Book #14 of 2012...

Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer

From Goodreads.com:

In the sleepy small town of Barracuda Bay, Maddy Swift leads the life of a fairly typical teenager, but while attending a party one night, Maddy is struck by lightning and awakens to realize she has been reanimated and turned into a zombie. While becoming acquainted with her new "lifestyle," Maddy stumbles upon two unexpected undead chaperones, fellow students Dane and Chloe, who begin to teach her the ways of zombie life, including defending the populace from Zerkers—the bad zombies. Together, on prom night, the three teens must ultimately defend Barracuda Bay High from an all-out zombie Armageddon.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. It says it's a love story but I didn't really get the love story part until the end. It was a fun, easy YA read.

Book #13 of 2012...

Bad Man by Angela Baker

From Goodreads.com:

Messages from the Borderlands are diaries and stories left behind after a series of cataclysmic disasters on earth. These tragic and early survivor stories are uncovered from the debris and shared. Acts of desperation, treachery and violence are the norm in the post-apocalyptic world of the Borderlands, but occassionally, there is also hope.Bad Man is the story of one desperate man and what he has to do to ensure the survival of himself and his daughter. When another survivor disturbs the delicate balance with lies and treachery within one of the last safe places left in the Borderlands, he has to choose life even at the cost of another's.

My take:

3 out of 5 stars. Again, Meh. It's really a short story more then a book. It just didn't grab me at all.

Book #12 of 2012...

Zombie Bits by Scott Nicholson

From Goodreads.com:

A collection of eight zombie short stories from best-selling author Scott Nicholson. Includes two stories from "The Best of All Flesh" series, as well as the original post-apocalypse story "A Farewell to Arms" written especially for this volume. Also includes a short story from Jack Kilborn (ENDURANCE) and a "Zombie Apocalypse Survival Scorecard" from Jonathan Maberry (PATIENT ZERO, ROT AND RUIN.)Includes an opportunity to appear as a zombie in the Murdermouth comic book. Nicholson is author of 10 novels, including THE RED CHURCH, THE SKULL RING, SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD, and DRUMMER BOY. Learn more about his work at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/ or email hauntedcomputer@yahoo.com.

My take:

2 out of 5 stars. Meh, it was ok.

Book #11 of 2012...

Th Light at the End by Donna Burgess

From Goodreads.com:

Bill Andrews always ran the north end of the beach on Wednesdays, but this morning starfish littered the sand. Not a few, but thousands. He stood, quietly perplexed, as the winter sun glinted off the Atlantic and the waves lapped gently at the fields of dead and dying creatures. Here and there, pointed limbs flexed slowly toward the endless blue sky as if grasping for some kind of mercy that was not coming.

The news made little of the dying and the article buried deep on page five. However, there was a much larger dying in the wings...

Something dire is coming and the government is keeping everyone in the dark. A strange little countdown clock has appeared in the bottom corner of the cable news networks and people are beginning to talk.

They feel anxious, afraid. What do you do? Hide? Live your life as if tomorrow is promised to you? Do you give up? Do you hope? Turn your neighbors away at the door? Turn the gun on yourself? Turn inward or reach outward? Do you hold your family close and know that whatever happens you are together?

The Light at the End is a 4500 word tale of hope and family during Earth's darkest moment.

Also included: an extended preview of the apocalyptic novel, Solstice.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. Great short story about what may happen at the end of the world.

Book #10 of 2012...

The Crossing Places by Ellie Griffiths

From Goodreads.com:

When she’s not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants - not quite earth, not quite sea.

When a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. Nelson thinks he has found the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing ten years ago. Since her disappearance he has been receiving bizarre letters about her, letters with references to ritual and sacrifice.

The bones actually turn out to be two thousand years old, but Ruth is soon drawn into the Lucy Downey case and into the mind of the letter writer, who seems to have both archaeological knowledge and eerie psychic powers. Then another child goes missing and the hunt is on to find her.

As the letter writer moves closer and the windswept Norfolk landscape exerts its power, Ruth finds herself in completely new territory – and in serious danger.

THE CROSSING PLACES marks the beginning of a captivating new crime series featuring an irresistible heroine.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. I don't normally read mysteries but this one was offered on Amazon for free for Kindle a while back so I snatched it. I figured even if I didn't like it, at least I could try something new for free. If you have a Kindle, you should check out the discussions area. Every day there is a thread with lists of Kindle Books they are offering for free for a short period of time. Because of this my reading list is out of control.

Anyway, back to the Crossing. Great mystery. I loved it. It was complicated enough to keep it interesting for me but not so complicated that I couldn't follow it (not that I'm dumb). I did guess who done it before the end of the book but I really loved finding out I was right. The main character, Ruth is warm and believable. I really enjoyed this book and would consider purchasing the next book in the series.

Book #9 of 2012

Little Valley by Shawn Weaver

From Goodreads.com:

Bringing his family home to Little Valley, Wisconsin, Allen Young thought that this move was the chance for a new beginning, a new job, a new town, a breath of fresh air. Little did he know that the very home he had lived in as a child held more than the memories of his father and grandfather. It held their very souls.Built by loving hands a replica of Little Valley sat in a room on the second floor of Allen’s new home. With loving care every tree, every building, every street was placed on the model. And, day by day, whatever happened in town showed itself in miniature detail before Allen’s eyes.Then one by one his children vanish within the house. Their soul’s caught in the battle between the living and the dead, a battle of those wanting to be brought home to an eternal rest, and a soul wanting them to stay locked in an eternal embrace.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars for this one. I downloaded this on my Kindle for free. I always check the daily listing of what's free for that day, and this one was listed there. For being a short book, only a couple of hundred pages, this was a good story. Reminded me of early Stephen King. I would be interested in reading more by this author.

8th Book of 2012

This is the second book I finished over the MLK weekend...I love a long weekend. Lots of relaxing, reading and knitting. But they're never long enough...

Dropped Calls by Mateo Hellion

This was more of a short story then a book. But if Goodreads counts it as a book, then so do I. Plus who wouldn't want a short story to count for their goal of 100 books in 2012?

From Goodreads.com:

Carla finally located what she had been looking for and placed a slender metallic black cell phone on the desk and slid it to him, “here, try this.”“Thanks, but I already have a cell phone and it’s anything but a stress reliever.”“I’m sure, but this isn’t just any cell phone, it’s special, it will allow you to get back at those S.O.B.’s that keep wrecking your life.”“Yeah right and there’s a million dollar check waiting at home in the mail.” Henry replied.“Oh Henry, such doubt,” She turned the phone on and the screen glowed a devilish red, “It drops the people you call.”…And so Henry Lockmann’s nightmare begins, with the simple game of revenge. He only has to place a call to who he’d like dropped and the phone would drop them. It would then randomly choose a contact from his address book and drop them too, tit-for-tat. It doesn’t take long for Henry to realize that his new cell phone isn’t just dropping cell service, its killing people, and their dropping like flies.Drunk with the power to play God, Henry plunges into a hell he could never imagine possible.

My take:

4 out of 5 stars. For a short story, it was pretty good and I could have used a few more pages of it.

7th Book of 2012

Since it was a long weekend, I finished a couple of books over the weekend. One review today and one review tomorrow. And hopefully an update on Gnarled Oak Cardigan sometime this week and an update on my training.

Oops. I just realized I listed both Breakdown and What I talk about when I talk about Running as book 4 for 2012. So that makes this book 7 not 6. Oh well..

Any way, the book...

Littlefield by Scott Nicholson

This was two of Scott Nicholson's books in one. It contained The Red Church and Little Drummer boy. Two stories with the main/secondary character is Sheriff Littlefield. Both books are set in the same county in West Virgina. Both are scary thrillers. I wouldn't call them horror storys but thrillers for sure.

From Goodreads.com:
A two-novel collection featuring Sheriff Frank Littlefield, whose tiny Appalachian community has its share of supernatural mysteries.

THE RED CHURCHBook I in the Sheriff Littlefield SeriesFor 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her.Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost.The Days, the Littlefields, and the McFalls are descendants of the original families that settled the rural Appalachian community. Those old families share a secret of betrayal and guilt, and McFall wants his congregation to prove its faith. Because he believes he is the Second Son of God, and that the cleansing of sin must be done in blood."Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and unless Frank and Ronnie stop him, everybody pays.

DRUMMER BOYBook II in the Littlefield SeriesOn an Appalachian Mountain ridge, three boys hear the rattling of a snare drum deep inside a cave known as The Jangling Hole, and the wind carries a whispered name.It’s the eve of a Civil War re-enactment, and the town of Titusville is preparing to host a staged battle. Sheriff Frank Littlefield doesn't want to believe the local legend that a ghostly troop of Civil War deserters is stirring in the Hole. But one dead soldier is intent on returning home.And one misfit kid is all that stands between the town and the cold mouth of hell…

From bestselling mystery, thriller, and paranormal author Scott Nicholson (Speed Dating with the Dead, Disintegration, Liquid Fear). Nicholson has also written seven story collections, four screenplays, two children's books and three-comic book series. Includes the bonus ghost story "The Endless Bivouac" from the collection Ashes. DRM-free

My take: I gave it 3 out of stars. I enjoyed the stories but I didn't love it. It wasn't enough to keep me up at night, not wanting to sleep so I can keep reading. But good stories and I will read other books by this author again.

5th Book of 2012...

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddis

From Goodreads.com:

In a war-torn future United States, fifteen-year-old Tessa, her childhood friend Gideon, now a traumatized military hero, and Dek, a streetwise orphan, enter enemy territory and discover the shocking truth about a war that began more than seventy-five years earlier.

My take:

3 out of 5 stars. Decent but not great. It just didn't do much for me.