Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz

Product Description: From New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz comes a moving and powerful novel, the first one inspired by life on his celebrated Bedlam Farm—and perceptively told from the point of view of Rose, a dedicated working dog.

Rose is determined and focused, keeping the sheep out of danger and protecting the other creatures on the farm she calls home. But of all those she’s looked after since coming to the farm as a puppy, it is Sam, the farmer, whom she watches most carefully.

Awoken one cold midwinter night during lambing season, Rose and Sam struggle into the snowy dark to do their work. The ever observant Rose has seen a change in her master of late, ever since Sam’s wife disappeared one day. She senses something else in the air as well: A storm is coming, but not like any of the ones she’s seen over the years. This storm feels different, bigger, more foreboding.
When an epic blizzard hits the region, it will take all of Rose’s resolve, resourcefulness, and courage to help Sam save the farm and the creatures who live there.

Jon Katz consulted with animal behavior scientists to create his unique and convincing vision of the world as seen through the eyes of a dog. Poignant, thrilling, and beautifully wrought, Rose in a Storm is a wonderfully original and powerful tale from a gifted storyteller.

First line: Inside the farmhouse Rose lifted her head and pricked up her ears

My Thoughts: As I have said before I am a sucker for animal stories, especially stories about dogs. I ended up loving Rose and worrying about the end, hoping it didn't end up too sad. The author did a great job on his descriptions, they are very vivid. I could almost feel the strength of the storm and the determination of Rose. I have always desired to know what goes on in a dogs mind so I enjoyed the author's vision concerning Rose's thoughts and was pleased that he did not try to put human thoughts into Rose's behaviors. I was surprised to find a few supernatural twists written in. Some may find that it reads more like nonfiction instead of fiction but I could not put it down. This is the first of Katz' books I've read and I think I'll read some more. If you like animal fiction, I think you will love this one. Don't miss it.

Rating: B+

Quote:She moved quickly through the living room to the back door of the farmhouse, where she looked down at Sam's feet, and saw that he was wearing his old boots. She whined a bit in excitement - those shoes meant they would soon be working together.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

About the book: First there were ten--a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal--and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

First line: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in The Times.

My Thoughts: I read this book, first published in 1939, especially for one of my challenges, the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge. It is one I've been wanting to read for awhile as well. This version has the characters going to the more politically correct Soldier Island instead of Indian Island. I was surprised to find this one thing changed while other things that would seem to me to be more offensive were left in. After reading it I think it is a must read for any mystery fan. I found Christie's story compelling as she took me to Soldier Island and through the final hours of ten murderers who had been judged and condemned by a stranger. None of the characters were particularly likable, which is just as well. Christie shifted the viewpoint from character to character where you learn the truth of of what each had done. The roller coaster ride continued as the characters tried desperately to solve the mystery before they all died. I was kept guessing whole time. It was full of mysterious cliches: the thud of a body in the hall, the crash of a fallen tray of glasses etc. It is not a very long book and I read it all in one sitting, fully engaged the whole way.

Rating:

Quote: There was a silence—a comfortable replete silence. Into that silence came The Voice. Without warning, inhuman, penetrating . . . “Ladies and gentlemen! Silence, please! . . . You are charged with the following indictments.”

Links:
Wikipedia
Spark Notes

Agatha Christie

Skeeter: A Cat Tale by Anne Watson

When a stray kitten romps into Lynne's life, she has no idea what she's getting into. As Lynne describes in letters to her friend Angie, Skeeter is all Cat - high spirited, contrary, and inventive. He's so goofy that he reminds Lynne of her own nuttiest escapades; so irrepressible that even Lynne's neighbor, mark, gets wound around his paw. And when Angie visits to see skeeter for herself....Well, no one who meets Skeeter will ever be quite the same again.

Anne L. Watson's writings on cats have appeared in the newsletter of the Gozo SPCA. She lives in Friday Harbor, Washington, with one formerly-stray cat.

Quote: "I think I'll continue being pack leader. Like all despots, I perpetuate Skeeter's servitude by monopolizing the means to freedom: the checkbook, the car keys, the can opener."

My Thoughts:This was a cute little story. I didn't realize how short it was until I finished it because I read it on my Kindle. I have since found that it is only 112 pages long. The story of Skeeter was told in letters written to Lynne's friend, a string of anecdotes. It was rather loosely strung and I think it could have been a better story with more details. I enjoyed reading about Skeeter, his antics were funny. As a cat lady myself I found myself laughing and comparing Skeeter to some of the cats I have owned over the years, especially when she was trying to get Skeeter t except a harness and leash. Cat people would like this book.

Links:

The authors site

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

eBook Reading Challenge

2010 Cat Book Challenge

Monthly Mixer Mele

Total pages read 2010:

This book - 112

Total - 4840

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

About the book:The year is1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, have come too Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Multiple murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this remote and barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on them, a strange case takes on even darker, more sinister shades - with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, and lethal countermoves made in the cause of covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed, because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems. But then neither is Teddy Daniels.

Quote: "Ah," Cawley said, "now we're getting into the true horrible beauty of the full-blown schizophrenic's paranoid structure. If you believe, gentelmen, that you are the sole holder of truth, then everyone else must be lying. And if everyone is lying..." "Then any truth they say," Chuck said, "must be a lie."

Why this book?: I've been seeing the ads for the movie and thought is looked good. Then I found the book for four something for the Kindle. So I got it.

My Thoughts: First off, this is not a spooky ghost story, as I thought it might be from the TV ads of the movie. It is a psychological thriller and it was quite an emotional ride for me. This story was told totally from Teddy's point of view, no info from other characters. The 1954 setting was true with to the time with Cold War overtones and rememberances of The War (WWII.) After finishing I went back and read the prologe again then reread the end. Wow. The only other book that I have read that has such a twist at the end was Ted Dekker's THR3E. I'll have to tell you that I felt my heart sink at the final few sentences, very sad. I'll probably reread this one at some time.

Links:

At Bookreporter.com

Dennis Lehane

Movie Trailer

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

eBook Reading Challenge

Pages read in 2010:

This book - 336

Total - 4728

Psych: Mind Over Magic by William Rabkin

Product Description: Based on the hit USA Network series Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic. Now, he's either going to clean up- or be found out. Murder and Magic are all in the mind...When a case takes Shawn and Gus into an exclusive club for professional magicians, they're treated to a private show by the hottest act on the Vegas Strip, "Martian Magician" P'tol P'kah. But when the wizard seemingly dissolves in a tank of water, he never rematerializes. And in his place there's a corpse in a three piece suit and a bowler hat.Eager to keep his golden boy untarnished, the magician's manager hires Shawn and Gus to uncover the identity of the dead man and find out what happened to P'tol P'kah. But to do so, the pair will have to pose as a new mentalist act, and go undercover in a world populated by magicians, mystics, Martians-and one murderer...

Quote: "Headhunter who?" Shawn stared at him as if he'd just said he couldn't name all the Goonies. "He's only the reigning champ of Extreme Handball in all of Santa Barbara. and I'm playing him next. Do you know what this means?" ............ "Headhunter Hank can - " Gus broke off, finally recognizing the name. "Hank Stenberg?" You're going to play against Hank Stenberg?"
"Someone's got to take that killer down"
"You mean the kid who lives down the street from your dad? I doubt he's even twelve
years old."

Why this book you might ask: I was looking through Amazon for a book with OVER in the title for the Opposites Attract challenge when I ran across this book. I love the TV show Psych so I thought "Why not?" I wasn't sorry.

My Thoughts: This was a cute quick read with some laugh out loud moments. It started out like the show: in the 80s when Shawn and Gus were kids. The author did a good job with the personalities, I could just hear them and picture them. He wrote in all the charm and humor from the show and it is captured perfectly. If you like Psych you'll like this book. If you like light funny reads you'll like this too.

Links:
At USA Network.
William Rabkin

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 345 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: NAL HARDCOVER (July 7, 2009)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B002FQOHSI

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
eBook Challenge
Monthly Mixer Mele
Opposites Attract
NaJuReMoNoMo

Pages in 2010:
This book - 288 pages
Total - 1853

Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

About the book: "Sweet Thursday" reads as a post-war continuation of "Cannery Row". Set on the Californian coast, amongst the junk heaps and flop houses of Monterey, the book brings to life the denizens of a netherworld of laughter and tears - from fauna who runs the local brothel, to Hazel, a bum whose mother must have wanted a daughter.

Quotes: He rejected the theory of private ownership of removable property almost from birth.

"I'm going to call my paper 'Symptoms in Some Cephalpopds Approximating Apoplexy.' " "Great God Almighty!" said Mack.

Why this book you might ask: After reading Cannery row last year I found that Steinbeck had written a sequel to it. Sweet Thursday. I've wanted to read it ever since.

My thoughts: I truly enjoyed this book. I loved revisiting the folks from Cannery Row. It was light-hearted with plenty of humor and love. Love of friends, love of community, & romantic love - Cannery Row style. Steinbeck's turn of a phrase, such as the quote above talking about one of the character's bend to thievery, was fun to read and turn over in my mind. I will read this book again, I'm sure. If you haven't read Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday you should give these novellas a chance. I read it on my Kindle.

Links:
Preview here.
A critical study of Sweet Thursday.

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 244 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics (June 24, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B001BC2ZTA

Challenges:
100+ Reading challenge
eBook Reading Challenge
NaJuReMoNoMo
Monthly Mixer Mele
5x4 Reading challenge
Decades Challenge

Pages Read in 2010:
This book - 288 pgs
Total - 1010