Me Like to Read - Review: Heat Wave

I finished Heat Wave by Richard Castle and I give it 3.5 stars.

A real estate mogul jumps is thrown from his penthouse apartment in New York and leaves his twenty-something trophy wife and pre-K son to grieve him. We find out that the Mrs. is really mourning the fact that he left her nothing because he gambled it all away or spent it on other women. You want to accuse her of the crime because her past is shady. Like stripper poles and rich old men shady. But then she's attacked, so, you know.

There's the accountant that kept meticulous books but always did what his employer wanted. A whole lotta thugs that find convenient alibis in each other and bad people doing bad things. But then... wait for it!... a heat wave hits and causes a blackout in the city. (insert gasp). Things go missing. And just when you think you have it figured out you don't (unless you do) because the writer has decided that you don't need important pieces of information that connects the characters to each other.

The book itself (and all its sequels) were written by a ghostwriter hired by ABC because they wanted to support the series "Castle". Thank God! Because the book was written in an annoying way that dragged me through the streets of New York and made me feel like a tourist. Really, it should have come with a map. Add to that the offhanded attempts at humor (Detectives Ochoa and Raley are affectionately nicknamed "Roach" because... well, just because. I swear man humor is retarded.), the absurdity of the circumstances, and the ridiculousness of trying to have an A, B and C storyline in less than 200 pages and you can see why this book made my head hurt much like the show does on the nights when I wake up on the couch to find it grinding into my subconcious. But if you're a guy? You'll love this book. It has sex, crime, stupid jokes, and just enough pages to keep you intersted to the end. Ladies can pass.

It is, however, the most elaborate marketing scheme since Chris Gaines and since we all know how that ended, I say "Bravo!" to ABC for making this one work. And apparently, they're doing a good enough job at it because they keep pushing out New York Times Bestsellers.

Me Like To Read - Review: Mini Shopaholic

Writer's Block.

That's what has kept me from writing a review on a book that I finished over a week ago.

I want to say that I'm at a loss for words because everything in my life is so crazy that I can't find time to sit let alone write about a piece of nonfiction. But the reality is that I have nothing to say about this book because I was so absolutely bored by it.



Snagged from Miss Kinsella's website


In Mini Shopaholic, our heroine - Rebecca Brandon (nee' Bloomwood) is now 29. We've watched her pay off her debt, take on Manhattan, fall in love, find her lost sister, get married and have a baby. After all of that, I expect Becky to have learned something - ANYTHING - about how to handle her money but she hasn't.

I'll admit that this book feels like it was rushed for money. Becky exhibits no more discipline over her life than she did when she was still living in Suze's apartment. All the years that she's been with Luke and she still takes him for granted. I read in horror as she continued to spend like a sieve and get offended when challenged to wear everything she currently owned at least once before buying anything new.

It upset me that she exhibited no control over her child and instead made excuses about how she was simply "spirited" and "normal" and quite possibly a genius when really Minnie is just out of control. So much time is spent scheming on ways to convince Luke to have another child so that she can go and buy more things. I know it's just a book but I was still sickened by her insatiable materialism. Becky is clearly an addict... but no one in her life cares enough to tell her.

There's also the continued theme of lies and fabrications. Becky has told her parents that she, Luke and their daughter will be moving into their own home. Yes, the three of them (and aaaaallllllll of Becky's stuff) have taken up every nook and cranny in her parents home for the last two years and finally declares that they have found their own place. Except they haven't because the deal fell through. But instead of being honest, Becky insists on her fantasy that they can drive around in the moving truck and pull up to a magically available flat. She won't admit the truth of the situation because she's too busy pouting about how her parents are thrilled for her to be moving out instead of begging her to stay.

In the end, she is rescued from her foolishness by - here's the twist - people that love Luke. Everything works out in the end not because they can't stand to see her fail but because Luke deserves so much more. Even Rebecca stands in awe at the lengths that individuals go to see her husband happy. That message spoke to me and let's hope that when Becky embarks on her next journey she takes that message with her.

I Swear To God We Are Not Related

Check this company out. They have some awesome designs including these for t-shirts.

Mr. T has a problem with letting Nat have her own things. He likes to think that everything is "ours". Normally, I would say, "Bravo!", "Indeed!", "Right on!". But I can't because it's hard to see them share everything when everything belongs to Nat. The living room furniture is her half of what she and I purchased together in 2005. The bedroom furniture is what she collected on her journey through college and life. The kitchen utensils are all the things Mom and I set her up with when she packed up and went to art school. The car is her car that she will have paid off in April. Even if you don't do a detailed inspection of what has been categorized as "ours" it's easy to see that nothing of Mr. T's made it into the pile.

This has Nat on edge. Which put me on edge. A much sharper, pointier edge than I should have been on when my Sister Day got encroached on. Yes, encroached. Because Mr. T felt that Sister Day should be Sibling Day and called both of his sisters and invited them to our gathering. Which he neglected to mention and we only found out about because Little T (his youngest sister who's 17) blew up Nat's phone wanting to know where we were then, where we were going to hang out, and who was driving because we were going 5 deep. And then Middle T (the middle child and oldest daughter who's 19 and in college) went on about how excited she was to have Sibling Day because "we've never hung out with just the sibs" and this is gonna be "super great!" All I'm saying is that I haven't had a night out with just my sister since she met Mr. T because apparently he has no friends. Which we will address at a time when I'm not angry or distracted.

So we go out - the five of us - and hit up a downtown spot that's known for their whiskey. Middle T orders a beer but I give her the Mom face and let the server know that she's 19. Mr. T calls me a hater. I remind him that I volunteer at prisons I don't reside in them. Whatevs. That's when Little T decides to tell us all that she's pregnant... again. Because she already has a one-year-old. I. Lose. My. Damned Mind. I told her that this was unacceptable. To get pregnant once was a mistake but now she is being careless and disrespectful to herself, her son, her mother and the rest of her family. She obviously has learned NOTHING by being a single parent because if she had she would not have been so careless this time around. What's worst is that it's a completely different individual from her son's father and can't determine if she conceived by her current boyfriend or the guy she cheated on with him.

Mr. T tried to stop me but I told him that I blame him as well. As her older sibling it is his duty to hold her to a higher standard, to expect more from her, to ensure that she was motivated to continue her education. Instead we find him enabling her, fabricating her excuses, and shrugging it off like she didn't just take a dozen steps backward. I told Little T that just because she comes from a family that expects nothing from her and her life doesn't mean that she shouldn't expect more of herself. I implored her to get her GED or a part-time job. I challenged her to rise to the occasion and to use this time in her life to begin the path towards better opportunities for herself and her children.

I should have said it all in Italian because she still would have given me the same blank stare but I would have at least had a chance to practice. (Rosetta Stone is expensive. We want to make sure it's working.) I shoke my head in sadness and mumbled about how they are an entire family that doesn't believe in consequences. Mr. T thought I was being too hard on his sister and overstepped my boundaries by far. I told him that someone needed to say it and he only thinks I was too harsh because I'm nice to him. He was under the impression that I was nice to him because he's good to my sister. So I told him what I really think. That he's not good enough for my sister. That he has nothing to offer her and until he brought something to the table he would - in no way - be in my good graces. I told him that I think he's lazy, entitled, and flat-out ridiculous. When he met my sister had neither car nor job nor place to lay his head and I find that completely unacceptable. I told him more about him than he could ever dream of me knowing and that of the twenty or so people that I've asked about him NOT ONE has been willing to vouch for him. I told him that I'm letting him bide his time but the next time he brings Nat to tears he will be dealt with. I let him know that under no circumstance was I supportive of their union but I will always be supportive of Nat. And that as long as he makes her happy, he'll be allowed to stick around. I told him that he thinks Ashton's mom makes his life hard but he would find out what hard really is if he were to put Nat in the same position.

In short, I put my claws in him so deep that I think I still have remnants of his sack under my nails. I don't know if he's scared and I don't really care. But like I told him... it's in his best interest to believe everything I said because I'm not known for lying.

We Are Not Friends

Question.

If someone decided two years ago that they weren't going to speak to you ever again because they thought that you were unjust in your quest to be an accomplice to a major win, do you have to befriend them again?

This question is, of course, anything but hypothetical. It has everything to do with Charlotte - the woman at work that I've started to post about at least 5 times over the past 12 months but never actually got around to telling you about. Procrastination rocks!

Whatevs. Point is: I think I might have led her on.

I'm a Sag girl. We are dirty, flirty birds and optimistic to a fault. I am a firm believer that it sucks now but will soon get better. I may hate you in this moment but give it another five and I won't be angry. I won't forget but I won't be angry. The not forgetting makes me a Champion Grudge Holder. You can ask CBS111. She forgives and moves forward. I forgive and will write it in your eulogy. But that doesn't mean that I have to be hateful.

And that's where I go wrong. Charlotte thinks that because I let her use my dirty fork that it's all good. But the reality is this: She mumbled, "Dammit! I left my fork home" *slams cabinet door*. I looked up and realized I was the only person in the room. I said - and I quote - "You can use mine if you want to wash it".

What choice did I have? To let her starve? I'm not gonna watch anyone go hungry if I can prevent it.

But then, the day after the fork thing, she asked me about Nat's wedding. Then she made some comment to me that was solely work related. And then she said something about the ginormous apple I was eating. And honestly, I don't even know what the hell she said because I was only half listening because WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!

But then this morning, she hustled over here to ask me more work questions and said she knew that I would know the answer and she couldn't ask the boss because he's in meetings and I had to have her repeat the question three times because I couldn't focus on her words because all I could think was "What the hell is going on here?". The worst part is that her visit was obviously contrived. She wanted to know if the spreadsheet would override the system. And it will. Like it has for the 5 years we've been running this program. That's why the spreadsheet was created - to make our lives easier. Why would they change that with just 3 weeks to go?

I'm not telling you this to seek out your advice. I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to ignore the shit out of her. What other choice do I have? It wouldn't hurt so much if the fall from grace hadn't been so volatile. I mean, Charlotte and I used to hang out hard core.

I've spent many nights driving down to her place, eating at the VFW, and crashing in her guest room. We even spent a couple New Years' together. So I felt betrayed when she three-pieced me with the liar / thief / cheater accusation. Just sayin'.

So, anyways, that's what's going on there. And Palmer wants to take me out to dinner when he comes to town next. I accepted. He says that he knows that we're just going as friends and he doesn't care where we go because he's putting it on the company card. What I'm going to write next is evil and underhanded and I'm telling you now so you have time to cope with it. We're going to the nicest steak restaurant in town. I intend to wear my nicest dress, arrive with manicure, pedicure, and perfect coif, strike up gay and light-hearted conversation, eat and drink a very expensive, very free meal and then head straight to Steve's house.

Basically. Fuck 'em. Both.

Me Like to Read - Reviewing the Millennium Trilogy Series

It's only the tenth day of the year and I have 5 books under my belt. This challenge has been both the best and worst thing to happen to me this year. It's the best because it's taken me back into the world of literature that I love so much. It's the worst because I forgot how single-minded I can be when engrossed in a good book.

I have recently finished the Millennium Trilogy Series written by Steig Larsson. Collectively, it's one of the best series I've read in a long time. For the purpose of the reading challenge, I will only count one of them toward the 26 books I committed to read this year because I feel like doing otherwise would be cheating. But I will be reviewing them all separately.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first installment of the Millennium Trilogy. It centers around Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who finds himself disgraced when he publishes a story that he can't verify. He refuses to fight against the corrupt financier who has tarnished his name and has all but given up on his profession when he's hired to write a billionaire's biography. The trick is that the billionaire really wants him to find his niece who went missing almost 40 years ago.

Mikael takes on the task with the promise of five million dollars if he succeeds. He knows that he can't do it alone and requests the aid of one of the world's finest hackers - Lisbeth Salander. Together they unearth a secret that Mikael can't tell and Lisbeth won't let go unpunished. You find that Lisbeth is a lot disturbed but when you see the kind of people who have been pushed into her life you understand why.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a full-on adrenaline rush. It's filled with dark twists and demands your full attention at all times. The only draw back is that it includes so much violence against women. So much so that it - at times - vexed my spirit.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The second book in the Millennium Trilogy is - like in trilogies - the best. Mikael has exacted his revenge and Lisbeth is trying to go back to the person she was before she started to care about anyone that wasn't herself. While she's in the midst of finding her way, she lands smack dab in the middle of Mikael's next big story - sex trafficking.

They find that they are both hunting the same person and share the same source except Lis is accused of murdering him and Mikael's not. She goes on the lam as she focuses more on finding the bastard who really committed the crime and less on clearing her own name. Mikael puts all of his energy into the latter if only because the Lisbeth Salander he knows is one very different from the one the government is hunting.

It's a high-octane ride that's good from the first page to the last. The Girl Who Played with Fire had me gasping out loud and forgetting that the events weren't real. It weaves it way through one of the best kept secrets in the Swedish government and proves how far a country will go to save its global reputation.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

This last book starts with Lisbeth being air lifted to the hospital alongside her nemesis. She's finally been captured by the state and they have no intention of letting her go unless Mikael can prove that she is innocent of the crimes. While Lis is still the star of the book, there's not much she can do as a ward of the state and we are left to put all of our hopes in the lap of Mikael Blomkvist. He knows two things for sure: 1) Lisbeth Salander didn't commit the crimes and 2) he might die trying to prove it.

There are a number of new characters introduced in the first hundred or so pages. I counted two doctors, six police officers and an entirely new entity called "The Section". Being force fed so much new information made it hard to enjoy the book and there was really no action until page 125. I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster as the plot would take me to the peak of action and then let me free fall into boredom.

All in all, I was utterly moved by the amount of people who wanted to help Lisbeth simply because they knew it was the right thing to do. The characters were all smart enough to pick up on the goodness in her soul despite her eccentricities. At times it was hard to accept that all of the bad characters were coming to a bad end but I guess that's what fiction is all about.

In the end, Lisbeth finds herself wrestling with her own reality. She can't believe that she has feelings, friends, and freedom. It's a place that I'm sure we've found ourselves in at one time or another and it's the first time that any part of her adventure actually seemed real.

Me Like To Read - First Review: Room by Emma Donaghue

So, let me just say that taking this challenge is probably the best decision I made in 2010.

I've already read 3 whole books, am in the middle of this one and put it aside for this one.

The deal is that I have to write a review of each book read and link that post to the challenge blog.

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that this is unlikely to last. I will do my best to tell you about each book but with my Nook, I'm now collecting and blazing through them so fast it's unreal.

I promise to give this whole review thing my best shot. And with that, I present to you the review for the first book I completed for the challenge: Room by Emma Donaghue.

Ed note: Click the link for the title, read Audrey Niffenegger's assessment and embrace it. Right now, you're questioning how she could come to that conclusion; I know that I did. But once I finished Room I understood.

Room is told completely through Jack, the five-year-old son of a woman who was kidnapped and imprisoned by a sexual predator. His mother, Ma, lives everyday in angst hoping and wishing for freedom while Jack spends everyday waiting for his friends to show up on t.v. He doesn't understand why Ma is sometimes "gone", he just knows that those days are the days he has to fend for himself and make his own meals and keep to his rigid schedule.

He knows that Old Nick is bad because that's what Ma told him but he doesn't know why. Jack understands that he is supposed to be asleep in the wardrobe when Old Nick comes around but sometimes he's awake and counts the creaks. One time he participates in some mischief that ends up causing his mother pain. He tells her that he's sorry and she says that she knows, but even at five Jack knows that its not the same as it being OK or being forgiven.

When Old Nick gives Ma some terrifying news, she panics and forgets her role as hostage. It's only after they find themselves at the mercy of Old Nick's whims that she puts together a plan for escape. Only it relies entirely on Jack who has never spoken to anyone expect for Ma and thinks it would be much better to try when he's six.

This is a story that goes inside the life of a captee and their child. It's an angle that's never been covered by any media outlet. Reading Room took me outside of my realm of comfort where I safely shake my head and freely voice my disdain for the people in this world who cause suffering to others. It took me to a place of deeper understanding for the victims - especially the ones that don't know they are.

Happy New Year!

I hope that your celebrations were everything you wanted them to be. I forewent cleaning my kitchen to read 200 pages from this amazing mystery novel, but stopped just in time to make all the delicious good luck foods that Gram used to make.

Nat and Mr. T came by to watch Easy A and drink sangria. We finished by missing the ball drop and throwing confetti 15 seconds too late. Hahaha!

Happy New Year to you and your families. May it be filled with prosperity and joy.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5