Currently reading
The Kill Order (Maze Runner, #0.5)
The Accidental Werewolf 2: Something About Harry
Days Of The Comet
The Great Hunt
This is a story of an American writer turned reluctant spy during Germany's invasion of Greece during WWII. It is also the first book by Leon Uris that I've read.
The writing was well done - well paced, good character development (mostly) and tension throughout. The Greek/British Underground was busy pulling a fast one on the German invaders, even as the author was giving the reader misdirection. :)
One thing that annoyed me - a typical pet peeve - is that there is a love story where by the 5th day after meeting, they use pet names (honey, darling) and by the 9th, they've professed their love. Maybe I'm just not a believer in love at first sight....
I would rate this a 3.5 due to the good storytelling and the tension throughout.
Split Second
My online reading group plans to read the second book in this series in July. Since I do not like to read a series out of order, I decided to read this in preparation. Once I started the book, it seemed somewhat familiar but I was unable to decide if it was because I had already read the book or if I knew things because of the tv series. Turns out, that I had read the book before but so long ago that I forgot most of it...most importantly - the big reveals. :). Despite being a re-read (something I typically don't do), I found the book, an interesting, enjoyable mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
2
Blood Brothers (The Order of the Sanguines, #0.6)
This short story is numbered 2.5 in the Order of the Sanguines series. The story centers around Christian, a young Sanguinist we met in Innocent Blood. I understand why the authors decided to give Christian a more detailed backstory as he is a very interesting and charismatic character. Unlike the prequel short story, City of Screams, this additional story does seem to fit with the main story and provides more character depth. This story should be read as a supplement to the rest of the series as the reader would miss some of the nuances if it was read as a standalone. Rating 4
 - James Rollins, Rebecca Cantrell)
Innocent Blood
This is the second book in the Order of the Sanguines series and continued on from where the first left off. The prophesied trio - the Knight of Christ, the Warrior of Man and the Woman of Learning - continue their quest to discover the secrets of the Blood Gospel.The story was fast-paced and intriguing. You learned more backstory of the Sanguinists and Elisabeta Bathory. Can't wait to get to book three in the trilogy. Rating 4.25-4.5
Dark Watch
This is the 3rd book of the Oregon Files series by Clive Cussler. With this book, he has changed his co-author from Craig Dirgo to Jack duBrul. While the first two books were good, this one was so much better. The writing style was stronger, the plot had more tension and there was significantly more character development (yea!). Those who have read the first two books and gave up, I urge you to give the series another try.I rated the first 2 books 4 each as they were fun, easy reads that kept my interest throughout in one of my preferred genres - despite rather anticlimactic endings. This one is well on its way to being 4.25 to 4.5 (assuming we could give partial stars) as it was a much more enjoyable read due to the improvements mentioned above.
Book Summary from GR: Cabrillo and his motley crew aboard the clandestine spy ship Oregon have made a very comfortable and very dangerous living working for high-powered Western interests. But their newest clients have come from the Far East to ask for Cabrillo's special brand of assistance: a consortium of Japanese shipping magnates whose fortunes are being threatened by brutal pirates trolling the waters of Southeast Asia.
Normally, such attacks on the high seas are limited to smaller ships and foreign-owned yachts-easy targets on the open ocean. Now, however, giant commercial freighters are disappearing. But when Cabrillo confronts the enemy, he learns that the pirates' predations hide a deadly international conspiracy-a scheme of death and slavery that Juan Cabrillo is going to blow out of the water.
The Ice Twins
this is not my typical type of book but I'd had it recommended to me by several people and saw very high ratings on both LM and GR so decided to give it a try....which I'm glad I did. The book is definitely more psychological thriller than horror. The story is about a couple whose identical twin daughter died in an accident 14 months ago and now the surviving twin has told them that she is actually the one that they thought died (talk about guilt!). The family is in the process of giving up their life in London and moving the an isolated lighthouse island on the coast of Scotland (yep, THAT'S going to work out well...)The book got me hooked right away and I read it in a day. Not light reading, not "entertaining" but definitely interesting.
City of Screams (The Order of the Sanguines, #0.5)
This is a prequel short story to the Order of the Sanguines series. While the story itself was fine and centered around the character that (so far) I like the best in the series, it didn't really add anything to the rest of the series and doesn't need to be read for additional detail/clarification. The rating: 2.75
 - James Rollins, Rebecca Cantrell)
Sacred Stone
I was a bit concerned when I started this as many of the reviews commented on it being disjointed and hard to follow due to the large number of characters but I actually found that it worked well. The storyline was structured with multiple discrete episodes that each was pulled into the main storyline as needed.the story itself was a fun, easy read with spy action and thriller components. I am looking forward to getting to know the crew of The Oregon better as I definitely see the people, and their various talents/personalities, as a major strength of the series.
the only significant issue I've had so far -with both books - is the the endings are a bit anticlimactic as the mission is completed.
The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series
I thought this was a very interesting story....definitely included an unexpected element. I was not, and am still not, a fan of the female lead, Erin. She often comes off as too "girlie" in her reactions (to her potential love interest, to the injury of one of her students, etc) but then comes through with a "tough as nails" response when needed...it seems a bit inconsistent but maybe I'll come to appreciate that about her as I read the rest of this series. I like the two main male characters, Rhun and Jordan, a lot.
The Accidental Genie
This series started off bumpy in the first book but it didn't take long for the series to find its balance. Accidental Genie is the 7th book in the series and is one of the better ones.
Golden Buddha
A new Clive Cussler series for me. Different from the Dirk Pitt books I'm most familiar with, this has an ensemble cast. Yes, it still has the classic cars and the detailed technical descriptions, but you don't get the same character building. I am guessing that will happen as I get to know the members of the team better in later books. In any case, it was an interesting, enjoyable read that I would recommend to readers who enjoy action adventure (or as my favorite used bookstore labels it, Men's Fiction...lol)Book Description: Juan Cabrillo's first adventure with the Oregon-a state of the art spy ship disguised as a nondescript lumber hauler-takes him and his crew into dangerous waters, as they try to put Tibet back in the hands of the Dalai Lama by striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese.
No Second Chance
This is the first Harlan Coben book I've read. His writing style was interesting and well-paced. The story generally unfolded naturally and didn't need the author to hurry it along or insert clues that the characters would have been unable to discover on their own. The storyline was good and kept me reading - not so many red herrings as to become frustrated. I will read more Harlan Coben.The book desciption from Amazon:
Dr. Marc Seidman has been shot twice, his wife has been murdered, and his six-month-old daughter has been kidnapped. When he gets the ransom note - he knows he has only one chance to get this right. But there is nowhere he can turn and no one he can trust.
Childhood's End
the story line was interesting initially but I was actually really unhappy with the ending...The interaction between the Humans and the Overlords was the best part of the story. The control they exerted without violence -- just the threat (or the show of what they COULD do if they chose to) was enough to make the humans fall into line. Even the "rebellious humans" were tame in what they tried to do.
The book and writing was good enough for me to rate it a 3 but that's the highest I could go. The book was a little over 300 pages and it still took me 15 days to read it.
1
The Last Kingdom
I had this book on my TBR for several months but only got to it after watching the first season of the TV series on BBC. The book is a detailed account of the battle for England in the late 800s between the Danes (Vikings, Norsemen, etc) and King Albert. The story follows Uhtred Ragnarson a Saxon who was captured by the Danes when he was 10 and raised as a son by Ragnar. Uhtred struggles with his upbringing as a Dane and love for Ragnar and the love of his ancestral home Brabbenburg in Northumbria.Note for those interested in both the TV series and the book - The first season of the TV series extends beyond Book 1.
The Last Kingdom
I had this book on my TBR for several months but only got to it after watching the first season of the TV series on BBC. The book is a detailed account of the battle for England in the late 800s between the Danes (Vikings, Norsemen, etc) and King Albert. The story follows Uhtred Ragnarson a Saxon who was captured by the Danes when he was 10 and raised as a son by Ragnar. Uhtred struggles with his upbringing as a Dane and love for Ragnar and the love of his ancestral home Brabbenburg in Northumbria.Note for those interested in both the TV series and the book - The first season of the TV series extends beyond Book 1.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
I am approx 50 pages into this book (which is about 25% of the book) and am still having a difficult time getting into it. I hope it gets more interesting.
