Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: If I Am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus

First line: Two months ago I left my husband, and now, for the first time in years, [...]

Initial thoughts: I remember standing in Target and the title of this book caught my eye. At first, I thought it might be some sort of thriller, but as I read the back cover and the blurb, I realized it was more a memoir.

What snagged me was the first paragraph of the blurb: “In April 2002, Janine Latus’s youngest sister, Amy, wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, it read, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me….”

From that moment, I was intrigued. I knew I wanted to read this book.

Book description (from the back cover):

Hey, I finally say, he hit me.

He what?

She is quiet. Then she says, Are you okay?

I don’t think so, I say. I think my nose is broken. And maybe my ribs.

She gasps.

He hit you in the face?

Yeah.

That son of a bitch, she says. What are you going to do?

I don’t know.

You broke up with him, didn’t you?

No, I say. I mean, it wasn’t all his fault.

Janine, she says, there is nothing you could have done to deserve this. Repeat after me, nothing.

She is my baby sister and I am ashamed that she is the wise one, the one who is witness to my failure. I don’t say anything. We are both quiet. Then she speaks.

Are you going to wait until he kills you?

Book Details: 336 pages; Simon & Schuster; Pub. April 15, 2008

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

First line: So let’s set the scene, shall we? Hamlet. In a hotel. But not one of the [...]

Initial thoughts:

When I saw the back cover of this book I laughed. It was adorable, but unfortunately, it cannot be properly rendered in words. Here’s the next best thing: a photo! (Click it for larger, more legible image.)

Now I have to admit something…I haven’t read the first book, Suite Scarlett, but I want to. I want to because I’m eager to read Scarlett Fever and don’t want to interrupt the flow by reading the books out of order. I’ve already purchased Suite Scarlett and now am waiting patiently…or not so.

Anyhoo, this book looks like it’s going to be a hoot!

Book description:

Faced with her family’s financial woes, Scarlett has taken on the job of assistant/indentured servant to a newly minted theatrical agent, professional eccentric Mrs. Amy Amberson. Scarlett ends up at the back and call of a Broadway star (her own age!), dealing with territorial doormen, and walking a small dog with insecurity issues–all while starting her sophomore year at one of New York’s most rigorous high schools.

It doesn’t help that Scarlett’s brain is clouded with thoughts of Eric, her former sort-of boyfriend. She has thousands of things to say to him, if only he would call. And then there’s her new lab partner, the impossible Max, who’s on a quest to destroy what little mind she has left.

Meanwhile, her older brother, Spencer, has become New York City’s most controversial TV villain; her ever-reliable older sister, Lola, is sliding off the rails; and her younger sister, Marlene, most worryingly, has suddenly become…nice

But somehow Scarlett will prevail…right?

Book Details: 352 pages; Point; Pub. February 1, 2010

Happy Tuesday! It’s time again for another edition of Teaser Tuesdays…

Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Let the book fall open to a random page
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• You also need to share the title of the book where you get your teaser from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers

This week’s teaser:

“As the chariots lined up, more shiny-eyed pigeons gathered in the woods. They were screeching so loudly the campers in the stands were starting to take notice, glancing nervously at the trees, which shivered under the weight of the birds.” pg. 79 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Last year I read the first book in the series, The Lighting Thief, and enjoyed it very much. In fact, it made my 9 books I’m glad I read in 2009 list. For the longest, I’ve been meaning to pick up the second book and continue Percy’s adventure. Now just seemed like the perfect time.

A bit of fantasy to help me escape from the trappings of impending responsibility and I have a soft spot for Greco-Roman mythology. So far this book isn’t disappointing, but I’m still in the early portions of the book.

On an almost random tangent, I just learned that a new movie based on The Lightning Thief is due out in theatres and I can’t wait to see it.

I read a lot of reviews. They’re how I decide whether I’ll take a shot on something (in the event that the synopsis doesn’t completely grab me and shake me and say you must read me NOW in a really crazy voice).

I’ve read so many reviews that I know what makes a review helpful to me:

• Overview of the story (beyond the back cover blurb, which can sometimes be deceiving)
• Overview of the writing style
• Overview of the plot and character development

And I know what doesn’t make a review helpful to me:

• Blanket statements, such as I LURVE IT!! or I HATEZ IT!!!1, with no supporting explanations
• Spoilers with no warning*. EPICFAIL.

Yes, I indeed know what’s useful and less so for me, but I’d like to see this subject from different angles. I ask, what makes a review a good, helpful review? What’s important to you in a review?

(* As a supplementary question, what constitutes a spoiler of the EPICFAIL variety?)

By the way, if you feel compelled to include examples of reviews you’ve loved, I will not stop you. In fact, I will likely thank you and offer you cupcakes.

I wanted to start the new year off with something great at Today, I Read… and then I got some wonderful news from Sheila—she’s allowing me to give away an autographed copy of Wish by Alexandra Bullen.

Here’s a rundown of the story:

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone… until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn’t just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can’t solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

Since my Hush, Hush giveaway was such a success (and a ton of fun to boot), I decided to keep the format. Basically, to enter the giveaway, you must help write a story…this time around, a fairytale.

In this post will be a sentence which will serve as the beginning of our story. The first person to comment must copy the first sentence and add another sentence to the story, the person after that must copy the previous commenter’s sentence and add another sentence, and so forth.

I know, I know…the torture! the agony! the inhumanity!! You’re probably naming all the ways you aren’t creative, but I beg to differ (don’t you remember that awesome finger painting you did when you were six that could rival a genuine Van Gogh?) and plus, wouldn’t it all be worth it if you win a copy of Wish?!?

So without further ado…

Here’s the first sentence: Continue reading »