Book Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs

 
Virals by Kathy Reichs

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: November 2, 2010

Hardcover, 304 pages

My Review:
Why I read this:  Kathy Reichs, need I say more?  I've been working on catching up on her Tempe Brennan series and then I see she has a new YA novel coming out.  So I jumped on the chance when Book It Forward Tours put it up for tour.

How is the novel driven: Plot, with nice character development for what I hope will be a series.

My thoughts:
Fast moving, full of suspense and great characters as well.  I really enjoyed Ms. Reichs first foray into young adult books.  Take the suspense of her adult books without the gruesomeness that is there at times (I mean Tempe deals with decomposing bodies) and you have a great YA suspense book.

I enjoyed getting to know Tory, Ben, Hi and  Shelton, each one a very different teenager.  The main thing holding them together is the fact that they live on a compound together for other researchers on one of the islands off of the SC coast and they go across the harbor to school in Charleston.  But this is enough of a bond to seal them together as close friends who explore together, get in trouble together and just generally watch each others' backs.

When the four of them find a dead body and other clues that lead to a decades-old murder they band together stronger to try and solve this murder and stay on the run from the bad guys.  I had a slight clue to who was behind it all but didn't really figure it out completely until it was spelled out for me in the book.

While a little out there at times, it is fiction and it is very enjoyable fiction.  The suspense area of young adult is a little smaller than other genres so this is a nice addition.  I look forward to more stories involving these four characters and more from Ms. Reichs in both the adult and young adult market.


Well worth your reading time whether  you are a young adult or an older adult. Virals has suspense, good characters and a plot that will keep you turning pages until the end.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage sci-philes who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their new found physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

About the Author:
Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist, like her character Temperance Brennan, and creator of the Fox television hit Bones, now in its fifth season. Reichs has written twelve books in the Bones series, all New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Virals is her first novel for young readers.

Her Website
Twitter

FTC Information: I received this book through Book It  Forward Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

It's Monday What Are You Reading - August 9

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week 

• Freefall by Mindi Scott (review)
• Matched by Ally Condie (review)
• Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook) 
• Chill of the Night by James Hayman (review) 
• Evermore by Alyson Noel (library)  
• Spells by Aprylynne Pike (library) 
• Catwalk by Melody Carlson (review) 

Reading Now:

• Definitely Dead (audible on my Kindle)
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
• Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner (review)

Next:

• Firelight by Sophie Jordan 
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Reviews completed this week (books read before this week):

• Katy's Debate by Kim Vogel Sawyer
• Final Touch by Brandilynn and Amberly Collins
• Premiere by Melody Carlson 
• The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells 

Other books still need to review:

• Wings by Aprilynne Pike (library) 
• The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (mine)  
• The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
• Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
• Virals by Kathy Reichs (review)
• A Change of Heart by Shari Mauer (review) 
• Monster High by Lisi Harrison (review)
• The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer (review)

Summary -

Busy week reading and enjoyable.  Family life has calmed down and my boys spent a lot of the week with my parents and had a ball.  It was my mom's first week of retirement and she really enjoyed it.

Favorite book of the week:  Matched by Ally Condie - this book is excellent and I can't wait for the next in the series.

Book Blogger Hop - August 6-9

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

I'll be the first to admit, it use to have to be completely quiet when I read.  Now I can read amidst most distractions.  I listen to my mp3 player with just about anything on it while at the gym to tune out conversations.  I don't put music on at home though just to read.  I prefer the quiet.  If I did pick out specific music to read by it would be soft music, preferably with no lyrics to distract.  Music for yoga or nature sounds is what comes to mind.


I'm currently reading Spells by Aprilynne Pike and hope to get through that, Evermore by Alyson Noel and Firelight by Sophie Jordan this weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Book Review: The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

 
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publish Date: June 1, 2010

Paperback, 304 pages

My Review:
Why I read this:  I asked to be put on this tour with Around the World Tour mainly because I was intrigued by the title.  Yes I just admitted that.  Then I read the description and really wanted to read it.

How is the novel driven: Character driven.  Yes there are important events, but this book is about the summer that Mia comes to the Hamptons and learns that not everything really is as it seems and she learns a lot about herself and the others around her.  It's a beautiful coming-of-age story that will resonate with me for quite a while.

My thoughts:
I just have to say wow.  When I finished this book with tears in my eyes, I simply thought back and thought this was a beautiful book.  An amazing book and one that should resonate with teenage girls everywhere.

Mia has recently broken up with her boyfriend and it feels like the end of the world, then her parents decide to return to the old family house on the Hamptons for the summer to vacation like old times with Mia's Aunt, Uncle and cousins.  Mia and her cousin are as close as can be and she can't wait to have fun in the sun, swim and just stay up talking with Corinne.  But when Mia shows up, Corinne is completely different, running with a high-society crowd and acting bored with everything Mia wants to do.  Mia is heartbroke, but continues on.  She swims which brings her great joy and takes refuge in the times that Corinnne is kind to her.  Then she meets Simon, who is much more on her level, but Simon has secrets that come out as the story progresses.  Still there friendship stands and romance develops.  That is what the story is about.  Mia finding romance and friendship in the midst of chaos.  Relationships she has known are not what they seem, she even finds herself not who she thought she was.  It's a beautiful story of a teenager finding her way in the difficult world of being a teenager.

I loved the characters.  Mia was excellent, Corinne makes a good character as well, and Simon, I fell in love with Simon along with Mia.  The characters move the story along very well and I found myself pretty much reading this in one sitting.  There is so  much to this book I don't want to go into because I don't want to give anything away.  But suffice it to say this is one of what I consider the must read books of the summer.

Beautifully written, The Summer of Skinny Dipping will stay with you long after the last page is turned.


My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:

Sometimes I still wake up shivering in the early hours of the morning, drowning in dreams of being out there in the ocean that summer, of looking up at the moon and feeling as invisible and free as a fish. But I'm jumping ahead, and to tell the story right I have to go back to the very beginning. To a place called Indigo Beach. To a boy with pale skin that glowed against the dark waves. To the start of something neither of us could have predicted, and which would mark us forever, making everything that came after and before seem like it belonged to another life.

My name is Mia Gordon: I was sixteen years old, and I remember everything.

About the Author:
AMANDA HOWELLS grew up on a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean and spent summer weekends in the Hamptons while a college student in New York City, where she studied creative writing. She has published many stories for teen and adult readers and now lives in the pacific Northwest.

Her Blog


FTC Information: I received this book through Around the World Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review: The Chill of the Night by James Hayman

 
The Chill of the Night by James Hayman

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: June 22, 2010

Paperback, 352 pages

My Review:
Why I read this:  I received a copy of this from the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotion. I jumped at the chance to review The Chill of the Night because I reviewed The Cutting by James Hayman last year, which was his first novel and I loved it.  You can find the review here.

How is the novel driven: The Chill of the Night is mostly plot-driven but there is more character development of McCabe in this one as well as there was in the first one.  I love getting to know McCabe more and seeing how his mind works.  I'm most fascinated with his eidetic memory.

My thoughts:
After reading several young adult novels in a row, it's nice to get back to an adult thriller book.  And what better way to do that with an author I fell in love with last year with his first book, The Cutting.  And even better than that, In the Chill of the Night continues the story of the main character from The Cutting, Michael McCabe.

The action starts from the beginning.  We are introduced to the first victim and the next thing you know it's two weeks later and that victim is found murdered.  Of course the murder has a twist and that twist takes Detectives McCabe and Savage through the twists and turns of solving this before more victims are found.

Great action and suspense, I was intrigued and kept intrigued through the book.  I loved also that I learn more about McCabe.  He is not just McCabe the detective as some mysteries do, but he is also Father, ex-husband, boyfriend, and friend.  I love all sides of him and the fact that he tries no matter what to do what is best.

I found this one a little more gritty than the first one.  There are more sexual references (due to the crimes), the language seems a little harsher.  I remember this because I gave the first book to my dad to read and I don't give him ones that are too rough, because he prefers to stay away from those.  However I don't feel it was too gratuitous in this book and I still highly recommend it.  It really wasn't meant to titillate, it's more the nature of the crimes.

Overall a wonderful thrill ride.  If you enjoy police procedural type thrillers with great characterization then this is the book for you.  No real need to read the first one, this stands on it's own, but reading the first one does give a stronger understanding of McCabe and his life.

One thing I really loved:  McCabe - he's probably my second favorite character in a suspense book and I look forward to reading more books about him in the future.


My Rating:  4.0/5.0

About the Book:

Fresh off the success of The Cutting, James Hayman brings Detective Michael McCabe back in an even more powerful tale of duplicity, murder, and revenge

Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all—brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night. With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost. With The Chill of Night James Hayman returns to tell a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

About the Author:
JAMES HAYMAN spent more than twenty years as a senior creative director at one of New York’s largest advertising agencies. He and his wife, artist Jeanne O’Toole Hayman, now live in Portland, Maine. This is his second novel.

James Hayman's website
His Blog

For more information see my tour post here.

FTC Information: I received this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotion for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Tour: The Chill of the Night by James Hayman

Join James Hayman, author of the thriller novel, The Chill of Night (Minotaur, St. Martin’s Press), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in July and August ‘10 on his second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About James Hayman

Like McCabe, I’m a native New Yorker. He was born in the Bronx. I was born in Brooklyn. We both grew up in the city. He dropped out of NYU Film School and joined the NYPD, rising through the ranks to become the top homicide cop at the Midtown North Precinct. I graduated from Brown and joined a major New York ad agency, rising through the ranks to become creative director on accounts like the US Army, Procter & Gamble, and Lincoln/Mercury.
We both married beautiful brunettes. McCabe’s wife, Sandy dumped him to marry a rich investment banker who had “no interest in raising other people’s children.” My wife, Jeanne, though often given good reason to leave me in the lurch, has stuck it out through thick and thin and is still my wife. She is also my best friend, my most attentive reader and a perceptive critic.
Both McCabe and I eventually left New York for Portland, Maine. I arrived in August 2001, shortly before the 9/11 attacks, in search of the right place to begin a new career as a fiction writer. He came to town a year later, to escape a dark secret in his past and to find a safe place to raise his teenage daughter, Casey.
There are other similarities between us. We both love good Scotch whiskey, old movie trivia and the New York Giants. And we both live with and love women who are talented artists.
There are also quite a few differences. McCabe’s a lot braver than me. He’s a better shot. He likes boxing. He doesn’t throw up at autopsies. And he’s far more likely to take risks. McCabe’s favorite Portland bar, Tallulah’s, is, sadly, a figment of my imagination. My favorite Portland bars are all very real.
Visit James on the web at www.jameshaymanthrillers.com.

About The Chill of  Night

Some Crimes Can Never Be Forgiven.
Lainie Goff thought she had it all. The ambitious young attorney was brilliant, beautiful, and on a fast-track to a lucrative partnership at one of the top firms in New England. But then, one cold night, a dark and ugly secret comes back from Lainie’s past and she pushes things too far. Soon her body is found, frozen solid in sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier.
A mentally ill woman named Abby Quinn witnesses the brutal crime. But when she tells what she has seen, nobody will believe her. Not until she too mysteriously disappears.
In The Chill of Night, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself finds himself fighting memories from his own past as he races to find the killer before another life is lost.
James Hayman once again tells a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

Read the Excerpt!

Abby looked up and saw a low dark thing moving toward her. A black form, now visible through the whipping snow, now obliterated by it. With each step it grew clearer and bigger. At twenty feet it began to take shape. Animal. Not human. A large dog, gray fur glistening under crystals of snow, cruel icy eyes shining through the night, more wolf than dog. She stopped but the animal kept coming. She could hear its rumbling growl. Low. Menacing. Commanding. Her heart beat against the walls of her chest so hard she was certain it would break through. She knew what the creature wanted. She knelt on her hands and knees. It bared a fang long enough and sharp enough to penetrate the soft flesh at back of her neck. She lowered her head and waited for release. But release didn’t come. Finally, after a minute or two, she looked up and it was gone. She could see nothing in front of her but the snow-covered street and the wind-swept flakes still hurtling down through the night sky. She stayed where she was, kneeling in the snow. She could hear a child crying. She listened. After a bit she realized the sound was coming from her. She got up and started walking again.

The Chill of Night Tour Schedule

 
Tuesday, July 6
Book reviewed at Rundpinne
Wednesday, July 7
Book trailer spotlighted at If Books Could Talk
Thursday, July 8
Guest blogging at Readaholic
Friday, July 9
Book reviewed at Readaholic
Monday, July 12
Guest blogging at Beyond the Books
Tuesday, July 13
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, July 15
Book reviewed at Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
Friday, July 16
Book reviewed at Marta’s Meanderings
Monday, July 19
Book reviewed at Cheryl’s Book Nook
Wednesday, July 21
Book reviewed at Lucky Rosie’s
Thursday, July 22
Guest blogging at Writing Daze
Friday, July 23
Guest blogging at The Book Boost
Monday, July 26
Guest blogging at The Naked Hero
Tuesday, July 27
Book reviewed at Blog O’ the Irish
Wednesday, July 28
Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life
Thursday, July 29
Guest blogging at Blogging Authors
Friday, July 30
Book reviewed at A Room Without Books is Empty
Monday, August 2
Interviewed at Literarily Speaking
Tuesday, August 3
Book spotlighted at Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner
Wednesday, August 4
Book reviewed by Book Reviews by Buuklvr81
Thursday, August 5
Book reviewed at My Reading Room
Friday, August 6
Book reviewed at Chrissy’s World of Books
Monday, August 9
Interviewed at Broowaha
Guest blogging at Thoughts in Progress
Tuesday, August 10
Book reviewed at Books R Us
Wednesday, August 11
Book reviewed at DK’s Book Reviews
Thursday, August 12
OPEN
Friday, August 14
Guest blogging at CMash Loves to Read
Monday, August 16
Interviewed at Examiner
Tuesday, August 17
Book reviewed at Reading at the Beach
Wednesday, August 18
Guest blogging at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Thursday, August 19
Book reviewed at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Friday, August 20
Book reviewed at Teresa’s Reading Corner
Monday, August 23
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Tuesday, August 24
Book reviewed at CMash Loves to Read
Interviewed at Divine Caroline
Wednesday, August 25
OPEN
Thursday, August 26
OPEN
Friday, August 27
Book reviewed at The Book Connection

Book Review: Premiere by Melody Carlson

 
Premiere by Melody Carlson (On The Runway #1)

Publisher: Zondervan

Publish Date: May 7, 2010

Paperback, 310 pages

My Review:
Why I read this:  I received a copy of this from the publisher (Zondervan) through FIRST Wild Card Tours. I have read other Melody Carlson books and really enjoyed them so I wanted to try out this new series.  I love sewing and fashion so I thought this series would be a perfect fit.

How is the novel driven:I think this first book is mainly character-driven.  There is a lot of getting to know Paige and Erin and some of their friends (and frenemies) around them.  There is a great plot as well that helps move the story along but I'll go with the characters being front and center in this one.

My thoughts:
A fun and thoughtful book.  I really enjoyed a look at two ordinary girls who are suddenly thrust into the spotlight.  I also loved that one had the looks and the other had the brains, but eventually the both found they had some of both.  The story is mainly told from Erin's  point of view, but Faith is the sister that seems to make things happen, and Erin has to come to terms with this.  Erin is the only Christian in the family but her mom and sister do have values at heart, her sister just has to learn from her mistakes. Faith loves to be in front of the camera and Erin wants to be behind it, but Erin has a very savvy way of making things work out for both sisters.

I enjoyed the aspects of the girls joining the reality show "Malibu Beach" to up the publicity and interest in their show and I love how Erin reacts to all that is going on around her.  It's a very interesting look at how reality is staged (like we didn't know that) to get viewers and interest.

It's a fun book and it reads quickly.  I am looking forward to starting Catwalk in the next few days and seeing what happens to Erin and Faith next.   There is romance, the chance to meet stars, lessons learned and so much more packed into this book.  I think fans of Melody Carlson will really enjoy it and look forward to learning more about Erin and Faith and their show On the Runway.

One thing I really loved:  The Barbie descriptions of the two sisters in the Prologue - it really did describe them and it was cute and funny.


My Rating:  4.0/5.0

About the Book:
A recipe for success or a design for disaster? Although they're sisters, Paige and Erin Forrester are like oil and water, night and day, denim and silk. Paige is an outgoing fashionista who loves to be the center of attention, while Erin is more comfortable sporting vintage garb and recording the action around her. When a near disaster turns into the opportunity of a lifetime, these two very-different sisters are given the chance to star in their own fashion-TV show. A guest spot on a hot teen-reality series and their first big red-carpet assignment give this unlikely partnership plenty of room for success---and even more for failure.

About the Author:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. 'I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,' she says. Her wide variety of books seems to prove this theory.


Melody's website
Facebook

For more information see my tour post here.

FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher through FIRST Wild Card Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.