Book Review: The October Horse by Colleen McCullogh

Well researched, but dry as dust! I wanted to read about the relationship between Cleopatra and Ceaser. That was in there, but it was buried under way too much military and political detail. A history text would have been just as interesting as this tome.

Movie: Moon

I know this blog is supposed to be about books, but the movie we saw yesterday was so good that I had to write about it. Moon is science fiction as it should be-an excellent story that just happens to be set in the future. It takes place on the moon and there is really just one human character, but that one character manages to solve a pretty big mystery. If you love special effects then this movie won't please you but if you want a good story and strong character development, then go see this one!

Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdette

The second of John Burdette's books about Thai detective Sonchai Jitplecheep. This one was also a good read, but not quite so tightly written as the first one.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This is the most believable ghost story I have ever read. Set in post WWII England, a young doctor becomes involved with an impoverished upper class family whose once fabulous home is crumbling around them. Eerie and tragic events intertwine until it is impossible to tell what is real and what is sheer madness, yet I never once found myself thinking, "Oh, this could never happen in the real world!"

The Little Stranger should become a classic. I think Sarah Waters is on a par with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. Definitely check this book out!

Hell Swamp by Susan Whitfield

Hell Swamp. What a story! Author Susan Whitfield whisks her readers off to the rural south to solve a grisly murder along with female SBI Agent Logan Hunter. Her hard hitting prose leads us through swamps and down dirt roads, into both mansions and shacks, before finally presenting us with a surprisingly evil conclusion.

I always like to see women portrayed as strong and able to solve problems in their own right, not just as creatures to be rescued by some man. Susan Whitfield has managed to create a strong female protagonist who is at the same time feminine and sexy. A good role model for us all!

Josie and Jack by Kelly Braffett

What a deliciously creepy book! Two teens, homeschooled by their brilliant physicist father, set out on their own and end up in New York City. There, the legacy of their abusive upbringing comes to fruition. Josie and Jack is essentially a coming of age story with a twist. It's reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic, only more believable.