Review: Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Format: E-book
Pages: 305
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My review: From the first page I connected with Lena – something about her only having one friend and not really connecting with any of the other classmates drew me to her. Or maybe it was her ability to communicate with her cousin, Grace that really gained my admiration. Either way, I was smitten for Lena and her youthful desires and heartaches. My feelings towards her only grew as the pages turned.


At the beginning of each chapter was a quote from one of the handbooks that set out the rules to this loveless society. It was an excellent chapter set-up providing a sense of the environment Lena and the others lived in. The sense of terror and repulsion of love was built in these pages. Such a unique twist on the tradition dystopian plot line - love being surgically removed to eradicate war and control a population.

The ending was ferocious, fast-paced and beastly in its intensity, leaving me physically breathless and on the edge of throwing up. I actually had to calm down for a few minutes to make sure my dessert stayed put before I could even allow myself to process the last few pages. Talk about a cliffhanger ending, leaving us waiting for the second book in the trilogy. The way it ended would keep me reading the entire trilogy even if the entire novel didn't catch me the way it did – the ending grabs you so that you can’t get away.

I need to discuss this book with someone, so please go buy it (Barnes and Noble, Amazon), get it from the library or borrow it from a friend so you can read it! 

Review: Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: May 14, 2010
Format: E-book
Pages: 520
Source: Library

From Goodreads: Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter of the U.S. war against Islamic extremism in Iraq. He has been both a foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous places and a legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and literature. He is a fervent atheist, raised as a Christian, by a mother whose Jewish heritage was not revealed to him until her suicide.

In other words, Christopher Hitchens contains multitudes. He sees all sides of an argument. And he believes the personal is political.

This is the story of his life, lived large.

My review: I have been a big fan of Christopher Hitchens for years and even have a signed copy of god Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything from a conference I went to a few years ago. Many of his other books focus on religion but Hitch-22 focuses on Hitchens himself and politics. This book was an excellent history lesson both for general political world history and Christopher Hitchens history. I had no idea that he was so involved in politics throughout his school years.

My favorite part of this book was reading about Europe and his travels to war torn countries. It was an excellent, interesting perspective on such a volatile period in our world's past. There is a lot of name dropping and very detailed stories about his friends, school mates, and social enemies in government that I felt a little lost while reading because they didn't ring a bell in my mind. In other words, I felt a little ignorant but still remained fascinated and interested in the book.

Overall, the book was a good view into the events of the 60's through September 11th. Hitchens gives a rare perspective of being a foreigner during such an emotional USA time. A reminder that pride in this country isn't just limited to US citizens.

Review: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

Format: E-book

Pages: 464

Source: Library

From Goodreads: The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart

My review: I have become more and more obsessed with historical fiction in the past few years so when I saw this book available on the Free Library of Philadelphia’s website I swiftly checked it out. I am so glad I did because I loved it. The story was full of drama from fatherly love shown via murder to gay lovers. Written into that drama was a young girl and her twin brother’s coming of age in a new world so far from home. 

Selene and Alexander both had such tender hearts when they experienced their parent's deaths, were captured and brought to Rome. Not only did they experience culture shock but they were also dealing with grief unknown to them surrounded by people the didn't know if they could trust. This novel was written in such an innocent, but knowing voice through Selene that I had to remind myself this young girl was actually a child. Young enough to still believe in the goodness of people but wise enough to know that some, if not most, were not to be trusted. 

Built into this novel is a love story on multiple facets, demonstrating how even in a time of arranged marriages for political power - love still existed. Octavia is compassionate, even through her barbaric brother's behavior and that compassion stirs Selene into voicing her disgust with the slave system in Rome. By the last page I had witnessed a young child grow into a young woman in love. I wish the story could have continued into her adulthood in more detail - I would have loved to experience those days with Selene as well. 

Russian Winter GIVEAWAY Reminder

There is just under one week left until a lucky winner is drawn for the Russian Winter giveaway. Enter here!

Tot Tuesday: One Snowy Day by Tammy Salzano

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

One Snowy Day by Tammy Salzano - We wanted to get Sammie a winter theme book that wasn't holiday based and this book fit perfectly! She loves penguins so it is an extra cute way to learn to count. The book is full of bright colors and all the items needed for a fun day in the snow!

Review: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Hardback
Pages: 398
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

My review: One word – Rebellion. This entire book is contained within those 9 little letters and Katniss is at the center of almost every part of each and every rebellion that happens within the pages. Katniss struggles with trust throughout the series but possibly none more than in this book. Who she should trust seems to twist and turn with each page and the reader feels her frustration and fear. Underlying every aggressive move she makes towards the Capitol and President Snow she has to re-evaluate the price it costs her – more loved ones killed, more innocent citizens brutalized but most of all possibly the loss of her heart. How much blackness can she witness and live through before she herself becomes so dark that she is no longer Katniss?

Throughout much of this book I was a blubbering, sobbing mess – it was full of such raw and deep emotion from so many of the characters that I felt like I might not be able to handle it all. It isn’t an easy read, but to end the series appropriately it really couldn’t be. The ending was bittersweet but perfect, in my tear blinded eyes because in my mind I wasn’t worried which (if any) male she would end up with but if she would end up finding the Katniss inside of her and keeping her safe, the place that the Capitol couldn’t touch because it was full of love. I was Team Katniss the entire way!

Review: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardback
Pages: 391
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: I'm not putting the Goodreads summary on here because it has a direct spoiler for Hunger Games. So - here is the link but you have been forewarned!

My review: Once a citizen, always in the hands of the Capitol. Katniss always had a sense of freedom in District 13 that allowed her to breathe and accept the poor conditions they live in day after day. Now that she has been proclaimed a victor, that is all changing and her eyes are being opened to the true hold the Capitol holds on each and every citizen. Katniss spends this book reliving the horror of the Arena night after night and when a twist in the customary Quarter Quell she finds her nightmares to be a living reality. In the web of the secrets, lies and rebellion Katniss has to fight to figure out on which side she belongs and what she is willing to give up in the process.

One of the main aspects of this series that caused me to become lost in this fictional world is the complete cast of characters that are well-written and well-rounded individuals. They have real emotions, real responses, real hate, real love and real hunger. That hunger is both for actual sustenance to nourish their bodies and a hunger for power, greed and control. There are truly great characters in this novel, from the evil to the good – they are all contained in the pages of this series. Many of them have true horrors in their lives that have left them broken in some way and Katniss feels a connection based on her own history.

Review: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 374
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My review: I bought this series in hardback when the final book was released but each time I looked to pick up a new book to read I skipped over it for some reason. I wish I knew why because I should have read these the moment they arrived on my doorstep! I am not a big fan of the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre for the simple fact that most of the time it depresses me. The stories can be beautiful but I finish without hope, and that leads me to be a little blue for a few days. This series is far from that though, so much that I devoured each book in one day!

Katniss is the perfect main character because she has faults but doesn’t really care. She is tough as nails because she has to but she is also kind and smart. She sees the worst in everything but also believes in hope, primarily because of Prim, her younger sister. Katniss has been on her death bed but is able to find hope in something based off a single innocent action and one tiny memory that springs her into action. That action saves her life and those of her mother and sister but sets her life on a path that leads to the Hunger Games. As a Mom myself, I can’t imagine being forced to watch my child being forced into the Arena in a last-man-standing fight. My chest tightens just thinking about it now.

After I got over how the word game was being twisted into making pure barbaric behavior something to watch, the story took over and I hung on for dear life page after page. Katniss comes to the Capitol with District 13 understanding and nothing else, which leaves her in awe, confusion, and disgust at the luxury of life in the Capitol. She resents those on paid to help her ready for the Games but as she matures in the face of almost certain death she realizes that they are as much of a pawn in the game as she is.

The arena was disgusting, heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. I have heard that the true nature of a person comes out in life or death moments and this book must have been written with that in mind. Alliances are made and broken, secrets kept and shared but there is always death as there can only be one winner of the Hunger Games. When it is down to the last two tributes, the Capitol receives the shock of it’s existence because the Girl on Fire is not one with a thirst for blood but one who followers her heart.

Tot Tuesday: Good Morning, Good Night by Melanie Mitchell

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children's book. Children's books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Good Morning, Good Night by Melanie Mitchell - There are a wide range of touch and feel books available for toddlers but this is one of my favorites. The touch area's are very large so they really allow Sammie to feel. Many of similar books have small texture area's so she hardly notices they are there or has a hard time finding them on the page. The text is cute as well.

Review: Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell

Publisher: Self Published
Format: E-book
Source: Provided by Author


From Heather Wardell's website: Mary's given up everything, including an unsatisfying marriage, to become a chef. But the career comes with a side dish: Kegan, her sexy but controlling new boss. They're soon in a relationship, and in all-too-frequent arguments, and when it becomes clear they can't work together and be together Mary faces a dilemma: keep her dream job or her dream man?

My review: Heather Wardell’s books initially give the image that they are fun and fluffy but soon after starting you realize that they are actually deep and emotionally touching. While this novel wasn’t as heart wrenching as Planning to Live it was still very powerful. The underlying theme of self-confidence and self-worth was intertwined into the story, connecting the reader to the characters to the point that I actually cheered out loud during a scene towards the end of the story. Kegan and Mary are both characters with real flaws – both stumbling through their days trying to be something better, fighting hard to reach what they want. The range of characters didn’t stop with those two but included others facing real life situations – struggles, lost hope and fear. These subplots gave the story range and depth and brought perspective to Mary and Kegan, as well as the reader.

I am the worst in the kitchen but the cooking and restaurant world has always fascinated me so I was looking forward to a fun dip into that world. I loved the creative ideas behind Magma’s menu and the initial tastings – a unique and modern spin on spices. Such a twist on the traditional locale based cuisine that I wished there was a restaurant near me with that same type of environment and food.

Official launch day is January 24th, but you can buy this book via Amazon here now!

Russian Winter GIVEAWAY

For some unknown reason I received two copies from Goodreads of this fabulous novel (see my review here) in hardback so I am giving the extra copy away to one lucky winner. This is only available to those with a US Mailing address and ends on January 31st at midnight. I will contact the winner via email and if I don’t receive a response with mailing address within 48 hours I will draw a new winner. Good luck!

Review: Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

Publisher: Harper
Format: Hardback
Pages: 480
Source: Goodreads Giveaway


From Goodreads: A mysterious jewel holds the key to a life-changing secret, in this breathtaking tale of love and art, betrayal and redemption.

When she decides to auction her remarkable jewelry collection, Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead, the former ballerina finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed the course of her life half a century ago.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theater; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a brilliant composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression. And it was in Russia that a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape that led Nina to the West and eventually to Boston.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes that a unique set of jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together these unlikely partners begin to unravel a mystery surrounding a love letter, a poem, and a necklace of unknown provenance, setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

Interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the backstage tumult of the dance world and the transformative power of art, Daphne Kalotay’s luminous first novel—a literary page-turner of the highest order—captures the uncertainty and terror of individuals powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in times of great strife, the human spirit reaches for beauty and grace, forgiveness and transcendence.

My review: This is one of those books I love – that crosses into more than one genre including both historical fiction and modern fiction. Nina is a beautiful dancer who grew up in the Russian Ballet becoming simply known as “The Butterfly” but she defects into the United States leaving tragic memories behind. Grigori Solodin is a college widowed professor who has translated Nina’s husband’s poetry into English. These two individuals are not mere strangers but an unknown connection strings them together as the reader is taken from the past to the present, experiencing the full weight of the Russian government. Nina and her husband were not omitted from the far reach of the Russian government, even with her highly held ballet abilities. Included in the story is not just the story of beginnings and making right a long past mistake but also of perseverance and tolerance and subtle, but strong push against the government that threatens to wipe out entire classifications of people.

Many novels that jump back and forth between the present and past seem to leave me lost, unsure of what decade I am in but this novel was full of fluid changes. Rather than chapters, this book was separated by the pieces of jewels Nina is auctioning, with the proceeds going to the Boston Ballet. Each segment is identified by the auction details of the piece and the next chapter unfolds swirling around that piece of jewelry. I loved this unique layout of the novel and believe that it formed the novel into its final complete package, helping to connect the past and the present.

After reading this novel, I want to expand my reading horizons with a few more Russian historical fiction novels so does anyone have any recommendations?

Tot Tuesday: Dinosaur Opposites by Paul Stickland and Henrietta Stickland

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Dinosaur Opposites by Paul Stickland and Henrietta Stickland - We bought this through a Scholastic book order from Sammie's daycare a few months ago on a whim and we love it. The illustrations are full of color in pictorial examples of opposite words, such as under/over, happy/sad, and slow/fast. This book is perfect for teaching opposites and is fun for the adults reading it too.

Review: Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz

Publisher: Hyperion
Format: E-book
Pages: 352
Source: Library

From Goodreads: A breathtakingly honest, gloriously written memoir about the complexities of forgiveness when a young widow discovers her husband's secret life after his death. Julie Metz seemed to have the perfect life--an adoring if demanding husband, a happy, spirited daughter, a lovely old house in an idyllic town outside New York City--when in an instant, everything changed. Her charismatic, charming husband, Henry, suffered a pulmonary embolism and collapsed on the kitchen floor. Within hours he was dead, and Julie was a widow and single mother at 44. Just like that, what seemed like a perfect life melted away. But the worst was yet to come.

Six months after his death, Julie discovered that her husband of 12 years, the man who loved her and their six-year-old daughter ebulliently and devotedly, had been unfaithful throughout their marriage, going so far as to conduct an ongoing relationship with one of Julie's close friends. This memoir--moving, simple, filled with incandescent images--is the story of coming to terms with painful truths, of rebuilding both a life and an identity after betrayal and widowhood. Ultimately, it is a story of rebirth and happiness--if not perfection.

My review: I have had a hard time sitting down to write this review, which is not to say the book is bad just that it was ok. It didn't leave the tragic mark on me I thought it might when I started reading it. The betrayal was definitely there, and the way Julie found out about Howard's other women (and practically an entire other life) was heartbreaking but it didn't leave a stain on her life.

They had marital problems, were both seeing their own counselors and medications and a marriage therapist so it wasn't too surprising to me that affairs were going on. What surprised me most was how blind Julie had been to it, at least from the local women. It seemed obvious to me and she asked questions/wondered a few times before his death but she never pushed too hard, almost preferring to remain in the dark.

In all, the book was ok, nothing spectacular and certainly not surprising but a good story of forcing yourself to see the truth and stumble your way back to living. There was a reference to a Richard Dawkins book towards the end of this memoir that made my day!

Totally Swoon Worthy!

Oh. Dear. I just might have to make the hubster make me one. Thanks to my Super Mom for sending me this link...I think I drooled all over my phone!

From: /www.captivatist.com

December 2010 Wrap Up

My re-read of the Harry Potter Series dominated my December but I am extremely glad I decided to re-read them. I fell in love even more with the characters and J. K. Rowling's writing! I finished the month having read 10 books which is a decent month. I had a few extra days off work, in addition to the holiday's which resulted in less lunch hours of reading plus a toddler with bilateral (one in each ear) ear infections so she wasn't sleeping well which meant I was in bed much earlier than normal and that cut into my evening reading time. In all, a good month to end the year! My year total is 117! My original goal was 60 but I bumped it to 100 when I hit 60. When I hit 100 I decided to bump it to 120 (double my original goal) but fell just shy of that. I'm ok with read 117 books in one year!

My goal for 2011 is 111 books which I anticipate will be a good target even though it is less than this year because we are hopefully (keep those fingers crossed) selling our house and buying a new one sometime this year. I am sure the act of packing, moving and then decorating a new place will take some of my reading time.

I find it a little crazy that we are already into 2011 and I have officially been blogging on this book blog for a year! Wow does time fly! :)

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Review: The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: E-book
Pages: 336
Source: Library

From Goodreads: Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.
On the eve of the United States's entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter. In London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape.
The residents of Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen. The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.


My review: I love reading historical fiction novels, especially those surrounding World War II. For some reason I am equally fascinated with and disgusted with this era and the stories that come with it. This novel spins around a unique aspect of the time, the mail and its role in the war from an emotional perspective. In today’s world of immediate contact it is odd to think that the only news from, or about, a loved one came from the mail. This mail could take weeks to reach the home front or the battlefields. The written word can have a deep and undying impact on a person and their life, but this novel travels down a path of what happens when those written words are left lost in transit, never to arrive in the mailbox.

I loved the intertwining characters and how the story flowed from one to the other and back again truly demonstrating how interconnected we all are to each other. There are many people fighting for justice but they do it in their own unique way. From trying to reach listeners across the country with a stiring radio broadcast that packs a punch all while skirting around the German censors to helping the victim's of the bombed out cities. Some even take watch over their own small town's across the country, doing whatever it takes to keep alert and safe.

Tot Tuesday: Lullaby Moon by Rosie Reeve

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Lullaby Moon by Rosie Reeve - This is a sweet story perfect for bedtime reading with a child from baby to elementary school age. It is my favorite book to read with Sammie on the night's my husband is at work and it is just us girls. The writing is lyrical but in a soft, calm manor. The story follows a baby mouse through his bedtime routine with colorful but soft imagery. The illustration is adorable with the baby mouse playing outside, drinking warm milk and reading a book with his momma. I love everything about this book and it is one of my most favorite baby/children book recommendations to make. 

Review: Port Mortuary (Kay Scarpetta #18) by Patricia Cornwell

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: E-book
Pages: 512
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Port Mortuary, the title of Patricia Cornwell's 18th Scarpetta novel, is literally a port for the dead. In this fast-paced story, a treacherous path from Scarpetta's past merges with the high tech highway she now finds herself on. We travel back to the beginning of her professional career, when she enlisted in the Air Force to pay off her medical school debt and found herself ensnared in a gruesome case of what seemed to be vicious, racially motivated hate crimes against two Americans in South Africa. Now, more than twenty years and many career successes later, her secret military ties have drawn her to Dover Air Force Base, where she has been immersed in a training fellowship to master the art of CT-assisted virtual autopsy--a procedure the White House has mandated that she introduce in the private sector.

As the chief of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, a joint venture of the state and federal governments and MIT, Scarpetta is confronted with a case that could shut down her new facility and ruin her personally and professionally. A young man drops dead, apparently from a cardiac arrhythmia, eerily close to Scarpetta's new Cambridge home. But when his body is examined the next morning, there are stunning indications that he may have been alive when he was zipped inside a pouch and locked insider the Center's cooler. Various 3-D radiology scans reveal more shocking details about internal injuries unlike any Scarpetta has ever seen. These suggest the possibility of a conspiracy to cause mass casualties. She realizes that she is fighting a cunning and cruel enemy that is invisible as she races against time to discover who and why before more people die.

In Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell brings Scarpetta together with Marino, Benton, and Lucy in an intimate way that is reminiscent of the early novels, and we welcome a voice we haven't heard in years. The point of view is Scarpetta's, and this is her story.


My review: The latest Kay Scarpetta installment brings back something that has been deeply missed in the past few books - first person. Finally we are back into Scarpetta's head, a place that really sets the tone of the story.

It has been a while since I read the previous book in the series but Scarpettas's obsession with a tragic occurrence in her past seemed a bit odd. I can understand that she felt responsible for what happened back then, but I don't remember this event popping up in her mind previously so it seemed odd that it sprung up this many books into the series. I think the reason it was in the forefront of her mind is because she is back working with the military when the book opens.

I loved the continuation of the complicated relationships in Kay's life including Benton, Lucy and Marino. One relationship in her life comes to a close in the middle of a possible career ending firestorm. I really hope that Patricia Cornwell takes the next book back into the field and morgue because I miss the stories and investigations. This one had elements but Scarpetta was somewhat removed from the happenings. I think the way this book ended, there will be more of what I want in the next book.

Grade: A

Check It Out!!!

I am welcoming 2011 with a new look here on the blog! If you are reading this through Google reader, please click on through to the blog so you can see the new look!

As for the header designer, I must acknowledge by amazingly talented Mom! She rocks the socks off of Photoshop...and she is free which is a plus! :) On a serious note, she truly is fabulous and put up with all my vague thoughts/ideas turning them into exactly what I wanted - a look that represents me! Well, pretty much me, just with a pre-baby belly but hey it's my blog so I can be skinny! :)

I will be rolling out a new rating system soon, one that will correlate with my Goodreads star rating a bit better. I am very excited about all of these changes (hence, the bazillion exclamation points on this post!) and hope you like them too!