Trenton Lee Stewart - The Mysterious Benedict Society

This book was an absolute delight to read! Even though it's a kids' book, as an adult, I enjoyed it thoroughly. The story was original and refreshing, and it's just so clever! Trenton Lee Stewart creates four protagonists who are all very smart and capable in their own way that will resonate strongly with today's kids. I also think it's great that there are all these puzzles weaved into the plot because they challenge readers and get them thinking to try to solve these puzzles themselves - I know they certainly got my brain working! I can imagine myself reading this as a 10-year-old and I know I would have been absolutely fascinated by the Mysterious Benedict Society and their adventures. It was still a joy to read it now, even though I'm no longer in the target age group! I am really pleased to have discovered this book and also so thrilled to find such great literature that is available for children these days. I hope Trenton Lee Stewart writes more adventures for this bunch - it would be a really great series!

Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain

I didn't think I would like this book. Firstly, my care factor for racing is zero, so that aspect of the novel didn't appeal to me at all. Also, while I loved Marley and Me and this novel featured a dog as one of the main characters, based on what I read from the blurb, it seemed so ridiculous to have Enzo narrate the story and to be portrayed as a philosopher trapped in a dog's body. Right. Despite my preconceptions, I decided to go ahead and borrow this book from the library because of the rave reviews that I had seen on Amazon. After all, what did I have to lose? I am so glad I did because I ended up loving this story, racing bits and all. Garth Stein has created such real and remarkable characters that as a reader, I just can't help but be swept up by the moments and follow their journey. I felt their joy when Denny and Eve had Zoë in their lives; I was saddened by the immense grief that Denny felt when Eve passed away; I shared Enzo's outrage when Zoë grandparents ganged up on Denny and took her away. In lesser hands, this novel could have verged on the ridiculous; but Stein masterfully crafted an absolutely beautiful story that was utterly engaging and moving. Two thumbs up!

Bodhi Oser - Fuck This Book

Oh dear. It's possible to sell a book like this?! Remarkable. Most of these had me chuckling and kept me amused while waiting for dinner to made. I certainly did my bit by reading out the funny ones to entertain my other half while he cooked dinner! There were a few that really had me laughing, like the sign at the tennis court; the one with "considerate" operators able to communicate in English and Spanish; and the poor cashier at a gas station. This particular one really stood out from the bunch for me:

Persons must obtain approval of the principal before fucking in classrooms or on school grounds.

Final comment? Dearie dearie me! :)

Neil Gaiman - The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House

The Doll's House is the second volume in the Sandman series and has more of the quirky and dark tales from the first. There's a story in the second volume that involves serial killers having a convention; I mean, who thinks of that?! While I'm not enough of a comics expert to comment on the art itself (my husband reckons the art is shit, which is the reason why he's never read this series) but the storytelling is what's captivating to me. The way that Gaiman weaves the different tales into the mythology of the Sandman itself is masterful and leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to borrow the rest of the volumes from the library and continue with this series.

Neil Gaiman - The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes

I have never really been inclined to read comics although I do read some Japanese manga. That said, I have been very interested to read the Sandman series because they are Neil Gaiman's creations and I do love Neil Gaiman. I borrowed the first two volumes from the library and got stuck into them. Although I had an inkling of what to expect, I was still quite surprised when I read them. I guess being a novice with comics, while I wasn't expecting fluff (certainly not from Neil Gaiman!), I didn't expect the stories to be that dark. These tales were intoxicatingly wicked and strangely compelling, as I would expect from Gaiman. I don't see myself suddenly wanting to read the other 'classics' (such as Superman, Batman etc.) but I would definitely want to continue with this series, especially when it's so highly regarded in the world of adult comics.

Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi - The Monster of Florence

This is a remarkable tale about two men who set out on a quest to uncover the mystery behind the Monster of Florence - Italy's own Jack the Ripper - but end up being arrested as the main suspects instead. With all the twists and turns throughout the entire saga, it would be easy to think this is just a made-up story, but as with most things, truth is stranger than fiction.The first half was a little more interesting because it provided the background and history of the Florence killings. The second half focused on the bungled investigation by the Italian police force and the seemingly inept judicial system, especially when the police turn on the authors, accusing Mario Spezi to be the Monster himself and Douglas Preston an accomplice. This section could be a little dry at times but helped to highlight the incredulousness of the situation. In the end, the Monster of Florence remains a mystery and is unsolved to this day. I'm not really a true crime fan, but overall, I thought this was an intriguing read.

MaryJanice Davidson - Undead and Unworthy

It's been a few months since I've blogged about my reading! I kept up with the reading (although not as much as I would have liked) but with so many major events that have happened over the last few months, I just did not have the time to update my book blog. Well, as the saying goes, better late than never, so here are all my updates!

Let's start with the latest addition to MJD's Undead series, Undead and Unworthy. I borrowed this from the library (did I ever mention that I love my local library?!) and it was another quick read that I polished off in a day. That said, I don't think it's a great addition to the series, especially when I thought MJD had only just brought back a bit of sparkle to the Undead series in Book 6.

Firstly, I HATE the new cover (at least the UK version is still semi-decent). It looks absolutely horrid and I don't know what possessed the publisher to make the change and what came over MJD to give the tick of approval. Sure, I get the whole new start thing and looking for that something to rejuvenate the series, but this just doesn't work. The old covers were quirky and fun, capturing the quintessential essence of Betsy; the new cover just doesn't feel right and doesn't convey the 'Betsy-ness' of the Undead series. Of course, it clashes terribly with the rest of the collection that I don't even know if I will want to purchase Book 7 because it will stand out like a sore thumb! (I need matching covers in a set!)

MJD also attempts to breathe new life into the series by creating a new story arc for Betsy and her sidekicks. Well, I'm not sure if it's working all that well based on Book 7. I think it was rather drastic to kill off Antonia and Garrett, especially after giving them happy endings just in the previous book. MJD seems to be using that TV trick where major characters are killed off to 'shake things up' but I don't think it achieved the desired effect. I am still a fan of the Undead series and I will perservere with it and wait for the release of Book 8, but MJD has been producing more misses than hits - let's hope that she can recover some of the Betsy magic for the next book.