Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

“Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons” by Lorna Landvik—I tried to read this book as it seemed to have a good plot. I couldn’t get through the first few chapters. Too many characters, too much jumping around. Anyone else read it? If not…don’t.

Body Double

“Body Double” is book four in the Jane Rizzoli series by Tess Gerritsen. I am still tuned into this series and enjoying each book. “Body Double” didn’t disappoint. The suspense was rich and the plot chilling.

Gerritsen is a phenomenal writer. On to the next!

The Green Mile

A favorite from the past: “The Green Mile” by Stephen King.

When I was a teenager I used to read primarily from the romance genre. My Mom was into the thriller/horror genre, Stephen King being one of her favorites. I had tried a few of his novels but never engaged. However, at one point I was out of reading material and Mom had just bought the first of six in the Green Mile series. It was short, I was bored, so I read it. I was hooked! And then I had to wait a month for the next installment! Those were six months of anticipation, waiting to see how the story would end.

"The Green Mile" was worth the wait. The character development is perfect and the suspense is high. It varies from other King novels that I've read in that it feels more realistic and is missing the "horror."

Also, if you are a writer, King's "On Writing" is an inspiring read.

The Book Thief

I recently had a rant about adults who read YA novels. I am always surprised that so many adults are drawn into YA books like “Harry Potter,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Twilight.” And now I have to eat my words.

I finished “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak and was simply amazed. Surprised that this book is coded as YA! This book is one of the best books I’ve read in the past few years.

Zusak has a talent for building complex characters and creating vivid, moving scenes. The story is narrated by “Death,” which, I wasn’t crazy about at the beginning, but came to love as the story went on. Set during WWII, this book is full of powerful relationships and moving prose.

I loved it and recommend it to everyone!

The Metamorphosis

My favorite short fiction piece is Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” Rarely do I read something that gives me chills and makes my mind spin; this story did both. The main character wakes up one day as a giant bug. Sounds crazy, right? If I hadn't been forced to read this story in college, I may not have fallen in love with it. I may have lost interest from the beginning. But since I was being graded and had a sheet of questions to answer I continued. It brought me to tears.

I fell in love with Kafka.He is the master of dark lit. He has a gift for rich, vivid imagery.

If you don't appreciate literature that you have to read into and analyze, don’t read this one. However, if you love classic, serious prose, this story gives you so much to enjoy and reflect upon. I have interpreted the meaning different ways at different times.

In short--Amazing.

The Prophet

Another book to share from my personal collection—"The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran.

I adore this spiritual classic. Gibran imparts philosophical and spiritual lessons using a poetic style. The language is beautiful and the content is inspiring.

If you haven’t read this one, do so!

The Devil Wears Plaid

Kidnapped by a handsome Highlander…why not? In "The Devil Wears Plaid" by Teresa Medeiros Emma and Jamie come to life on the page. If you are a historical romance fan, try this one.