The Host by Stephenie Meyer

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I just finished reading this long book and must say that I really liked it! Science Fiction meets Romance without all the mushy details. Well there was some mush but it was bearable.

In this story the earth has been taken over by beings that call themselves Souls. They are your standard Scifi parasite that takes over the human host and continue on with a human life with the Soul in control. The Soul Wanderer is placed in Melanie's body but finds that she can't suppress and do away with Melanie. They coexist in Melanie's body and soon Wanderer finds herself caring for the people and things Melanie cared for. In time they end up with one of the few remaining groups of "wild" humans that include Melanie's brother and true love Jared. Their story of survival, Wanderer & Melanie as well as the humans, makes for a great read.

My thoughts: Throughout this book the Soul, Wanderer, claimed that Souls were kind, would never hurt anyone. However this view doesn't go with the fact that they took over a whole planet of people and essentially murdered everyone on it. This was never addressed. Even so, I think you will like this book.

4

The Kill Clause by Gregg Hurwitz

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library bookThis book starts out with a tense, emotional scene and doesn't let up. Some of the scenes tend to be graphic, detailed bloody descriptions.

U.S. Marshal Tim Rackley and his wife Dray, a Deputy Sheriff, learn that the body of their seven year old daughter has been found. Soon the killer is found and on a technicality he is released. Whole questioning him Tim came to believe the killed didn't act on his own. He is approached by a group that calls themselves The Commission. They are a group that wants him to join them in delivering justice to killers who have been loosed on technicalities. The current members of the group have all had loved ones murdered, and the killers in each case have been set free. They reevaluate capital punishment cases from the past and decide for themselves if the suspects are in fact guilty. If so the commission would sentence them to death. They want Tim to be the executioner. In return, they will revisit case of his daughter's killer, last.

It was very fast paced and I couldn't put it down. As a teacher of young children abuse in any form of children burns me up. I hated that this story was based on the murder of a child.

3 (582 pages)

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Read a plot summary and review I found at Amazon here.

This is said to be one of the greatest novels of all time . I was somewhat hesitant to tackle this book, but am now glad I did if for no other reason than that it is a classic. I found it tedious in places but plowed own through and finished it.

3 (533 pages)

Classic, crime

The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

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This is the sixth book in the Rachel Morgan series.

This book starts right out with the demon action in the very first chapter. Rachel and her mother are shopping for Halloween costumes and talismans when the demon Al appears, destroys the shop, and nearly kills Rachel. Somebody is summoning him and setting him after Rachel. Suddenly, not only is Rachel in danger, but everyone she loves and cares about are too.

In this story Rachel learns that Ceri is pregnant -- and to keep her baby and the elf race healthy, they need a sample of ancient elf tissue from the ever-after. As a journey to the ever-after might help her defeat Al she agrees to go with Trent. Jenks sneaks a ride with Rachel and is the only one who can get the sample.

This is a story of ongoing revelations: Rachel learns of her true nature, how her father died, who her bio-dad is, the father of Ceri's baby, Keasley's true identity. She did not, however, findout who killed Kisten.

In the end she is forced to make another deal with Al to protect her friends and family.

I enjoyed this book, the humor Harrison slipped in was great. Rachel's character grew and matured. I can't wait for the next installment.

If you like Sci/Fi Fantasy I give it a 4. (464 pages)

Samantha at The World's Fair

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I've had this book for a while on my shelf. I bought it because it is an antique book and because it was written by Marietta Holley, who was a friend of Clara Barton and Susan B. Anthony. Holley wrote about women's rights and other social wrongs.

In this book she spoke out about slum lords, the mistreatment of native Americans, women's rights, and the government, and temperance doctrines among other things. She gave wonderful descriptions of buildings, displays and artwork found at the World's fair. Throughout the book Samantha and Josiah visit most sections of the fair with entertaining conversations and confrontations.

One of my favorite quotes is when Samantha was unhappy with Josiah. "I looked at him witherin'ly, but he didn't seem to wither any."

I loved this discription: And pretty soon the White City riz up like a city of dewilderin' beauty and enchantment, with the sun a-lookin' down from a blue sky, and lightin' up the tall, white walls, and gilded domes, and towers, and minarets. And as we floated along by jackson Park, and could git a plain view of the perfect buildin's - the lagoons with fairy boats a-skimmin' over the sparklin' serface - in fact, in plain view of the hull vast, bewilderin' seen of matchless splendor - why, I declare I felt almost as if I wuz took back clear into the Arabian Nights Entertainments, and magic seens wuz bein' unfolded before my enraptured vision.

All in all I liked this book because of the discriptions, but it seemed that that was all the book was. It was a slow go. One of the reasons I read "The Devil in the White City" was because I already had this book.

2 (694 pages)