maanantai 27. kesäkuuta 2011

Karin Slaughter: Fractured

FRACTURED 

Abigail Campano, the mother of teenager Emma. comes home from her tennisclass and finds her daughter killed and the killer still in the house. The killer sees her and comes running towards her with a knife on his hands.  Abigail does what her survival instincs tell her to do: she kicks the killer so that he falls down, she gets on top of him and strangles him to death. 

But in reality he wasn't the killer and the girl lying dead wasn't her daughter. 

Her daughter has been kidnapped and the person she just strangled was probably the only person who could have helped her to find Emma. Instead the police and the agent Will Trent have trouble to realise what this crime is all about. The small secrets start to reveal themselves and the case seems sometimes even more complicated than in the beginning. 

Do they find the real murderer and what were the real reasons behind these several murders that occur in the book?!

Read to find it out, in my opinion this was the best crimenovel i've read in the past couple of years!

Arja Mäkinen: Vanhojapiikoja ja vapaita naisia

Vanhojapiikoja ja vapaita naisia 
(free translation to English could be something like Old spinsters and free women)
This is the book made out of the authors Thesis Oikeesti aikuiset (Real adults). Basically it's the dummies version of the first one. Maybe if i hadn't read the thesis first i wouldn't feel like this, but this is how i view it now. 

It is a really good book describing the situation where you are alone and don't want any children.. And as a little lighter reading than the original thesis this could do the trick. But for me having to read the other one first, i kind of rely on that one more and this is.. just what it is: kind of repetive and doesn't really give anything new to the table.

Alex Rovira and Francesc Miralles: La última respuesta

Lopullinen vastaus 
translated into Finnish: Lopullinen vastaus (free translation to English could be something like Final Answer)
This one is a difficult book to describe. The plot is somewhat similar as in DaVinci-Code (yet again), but this has to do with Albert Einstein and the mysteries he left behind. The main character is Javier who has been offered a lot of money if he finds out what Einsteins secrets were and if he writes a book about them. But things aren't as they seemed (are they ever?) and he ends up travelling across the world with a killer following each of his steps. 

This book is hard to describe because the athmosphere while i tried to read this was kind of off. I never really seemed to have time to read this. It was either five minutes in the bathroom or the same five just before going to sleep. So it didn't ever really kick in, but i didn't want to put it down because i found the plot facinating. Finally i was able to read it with out any pauses, and oh boy was i dissapointed?! The ending? I haven't read this pathetic ending in a long time! It's almost like the authors gave up with the story. It could have mounted up to anything and they chose some cheesy ending to it. I haven't felt this fooled for such a long time..

So, if you are looking for an adventurous novel with awesome turns and twistes in the plot - put the book down and step away from it. And go choose something else instead.

keskiviikko 8. kesäkuuta 2011

Arja Mäkinen: Oikeesti aikuiset

Free translation of the title could be  Real adults. 

Little bit background: I've apparently started to reach that agepoint where most of my friends have already have children, are either pregrnant, dream of having children or are trying to have them. Some how i do kind of feel like left out. Not because i would want to be in their situation, 'cause honestly i don't even want to. But to be that only person who doesn't dream about the same dreams and doesn't really want to live life like that - it's sometimes quite hard in a society where living life without children is kind of a thing where you get judged on easily. 

The book is a thesis of women who live alone and don't have any children/ don't want any children or cannot have any children. There hasn't really been that much of studies on the subject and specially not within Finland, so i was really pleased i found this one (and actually couple others from the same writer). 

Of course when this is a thesis, it's not really any kind of self-help book, but anyways at least for me, it really helped out to see that there are really others like me. Others that kind of maybe would like to be in a relationship but it hasn't really ever happened - but are satisfied in their lives anyhow, but seem to get this judgement from the people and the whole society that gives out the norm that it's almost obligatory to get into a relationship, get married and have kids. 

It's really releaving that eventhough majority of the people don't understand this kind of way of living and probably assume it's either being some crazy manhunter or gay, there are other people out there who has to fight against these same assumptions and has to justify their way of living. In the perfect world you wouldn't have to justify it, but in rhe real world i don't see that happening in anytime soon..

Jennifer Lee Carrell: Interred with their bones

Interred with Their Bones 

Kate Stanley is directing Hamlet in London where her old colleague wants to meet her and let her in to a secret that she is carrying. The secret is about William Shakespear but before Kate is let on into it her  colleague Roz gets killed and the theathre where Hamlet was supposed to be playd gets burned. 

From there starts the adventure that takes Kate to question was Shakespear really someone a lot of us assume he was, or was he a conspiracy that others made up. Whatever he/it is, it takes Kate to a place that is extremely dangerous and it'll make her doubt who she can trust. 

The book studies a lot of the written word that Shakespear has written - i found it at times a bit annoying because i've never been interested in the plays he has written. But overall the writer managed to include somewhat similar storyline of DaVinci Code into the book so that the story carried through and you really wanted to know what is really going on.

Ann Brashares: The second summer of the sisterhood

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood 

Like the title already tells us, this is a sequel of the book "Sisterhood of the traveling pants". I haven't read the first book, but i've seen the movie where Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Blake Lively starred in. Eventhough already in 2005 i wasn't probably the main audience agewise, i really liked the movie and when "the opporturnity came" to read this book, i took it.

So basically to describe what this book is about, you should know about the first one. Obviously this continues with the four girls lives where the last book/movie left off. But to not to give anything away the main idea is, that these four girls who have been friends since their childhood find a pair of pants that fits all of them even when they are sizewise different. In the first book they decide that they'll share the pants and each can have them for a spesific time until they have to ship them for the next person and include a letter that tells what happened while they were wearing the pants. 

And stuff do happen while they have the pants. Even events that changes their lives. This second book continues with the path that was shown in the first book. It was a good read, the story was consistent and it was easy to read. I really enjoyed it and can recommend it to anyone who like these kind of somewhat light books.

lauantai 21. toukokuuta 2011

Anne B. Radge: Satunnaista seuraa (casual company)

Satunnaista seuraa 
 If you want to read this yourself after it gets translated into your own language - stop reading now.
If not, follow me ;) The book is about 38 year old Ingunn who has never really been in a real relationship/ doesn't really seem to even like to be in one. That being said, it bugs the hell out of me why the author couldn't pull that storyline through to the end. It bugs 'cause you don't see those happily childfree/relationshipfree people in literature at all and this had a good start but it didn't carry through. Everything is sugarconed into sunshine and puppies. Eventhough this one starts with random sex with anything that can walk it ends with sunshine and puppies and it makes me somehow very dissapointed. 

The title and.. everything just hinted that for once there could be a book without the "this is how it's supposed to be"-storyline and it got me so excited. But from this point of view the story fell short. From some "yay this is the only way to go"-point of view this book is probably a success.

tiistai 17. toukokuuta 2011

Natascha Kampusch: 3,096 Days


3,096 Days
In the beginning the storyline portraits young Natascha struggling between her mother and father and their broken marriage. She is portrated as a sheltered child who doesn't really care of other childrens company. 

For the first time she is let to walk to school all by herself. She is ten years old and is somehow aware of some national sexual abuse cases that other children of her age has encountered with. Little does she know that she is about to get kidnapped during her walk to the school. 

The kidnapper was a disturbed and extremely violent 35-year old man who, during these eight years that she was captived by him, made sure to her that no-one cared about her and her family were actually releaved that they have gotten rid of her. 

She had to spend almost all of her time in a tiny room with no window or other source of natural lighting.  Instead of those there was a "god" who controlled the time and her daily routines. It is almost unbeliavable that she truly got away and is able to live a normal life afterwards.

I'm very interested in these missing children-cases. I just wish all of the Amy Fitzpatricks and suchs would somehow, sometime have the same opporturnity to escape if they are put in these kind of similar situations.

Denise Mina: Garnethill

Garnethill 

One of the persons who suggested me to read Ian Rankin, suggested also this book. After having these disastorous moments with Ian, i did have some trouble to really grab this one. But i'm glad i did.
Story of the book is about Maureen who gets involved in a murder after she wakes up in her aparment and finds her boyfriend dead. The night before she was so drunk that she can't really remember what happened. The thing she remembers is that she didn't kill him but of course the police suspects her. 

As the story goes, you'll learn a lot more about Maureen, her family and their past. At some points it was kind of hard to follow all the different characters but in the end you kind of learned to know the important characters a lot better that way. 

This was the first crimenovel in a long time where i didn't guess the murderer right away, so a huge plus for that.

Juhani Mykkänen: Matkaoppaat

Matkaoppaat by Juhani Mykkänen
The book is based on a hit realityshow of mainly Finnish travelguides working in Alanya, Turkey. The book interviews the guides and gives behind the scenes look to the show. A fine book, but nothing really that special as books about tv-shows never really are.

John Verdon: Think of a number

Think of a Number
Dave Gurneys old friend asks him to help him in an odd case. The friend, Mark Mellery, had received some letters and the first one suggests him to think of a certain number and the closed envelope tells him the exact number he was thinking of. There starts a story that definitely has similarities with the likes of Agatha Christie.

I really enjoyed this book, it's one of those detectivenovels that you can't really put down before you've read it all. Unfortunately i've read so many crimenovels in the past that i kind of knew pretty early who the suspect was. It didn't really spoil the end though, so four stars because of it!

Elbie Lötter: It's me, Anna

Dis Ek, Anna by Elbie Lotter
I think it's really hard to write a book review of this one because the story is so tragic and i kind of feel like i'm not allowed to say really anything about it. Overall the book is a true story about Anna, a young girl who gets both physically and sexually abused by her stepfather Danie while her mother just looks away and doesn't really believe in her. Maybe that part is the most grossing ever when a mother doesn't believe her own daughter and is willing to risk the life of their younger daughter as well.

I would have given 5 stars if the story wasn't coloured with a different ending.

Lucy Dillon: Lost dogs and lonely hearts

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts
The story is mostly about Rachel who inherits her aunts dogcarecenter. She has kind of troubled relationship and the move to her aunts place kind of helps her to really think it over.

Book is also about the dogs and different people who all get to know these dogs. One of the biggest topic although is kids. One couple can't have them, one gets them almost "too easily". I didn't really think at the beginning that this one has so much to do with kids, if i had known, i'm not sure if i'd borrowed this book. It's not the books fault though, it's written well and the story is consisted. Just everywhere i look, hear or read, there's stuff about children and i'm just pretty over it atm. So for me, it just might have been the wrong time in life to read this sort of a book.

Anja Lampela: Pyry

Pyry by Anja Lampela
If anything could go wrong, it definitely goes in this one.

Pinja is living in a relationship and she is pregnant. She is thinking that her relationship is happy and in the excact place where every working relationship should be, but she is quite wrong.

It's really hard to describe the book without giving too much away. Overall this book contains every single thing why i hate reading Finnish literature...

Roslund & Hellström: Tyttö katujen alta (girl under the streets)

Tyttö katujen alta
The book is about people living in the Stockholm tunnelsystem that is situated under the city. The people who live in there are either runaways, homeless, drunks or just other people who have a good reason to hide from the rest of the world.

The tunnelsystem connects basically every building, such as police stations, hospitals etc. but the ways are usually blocked. Or are they?

The Stockholm policeapartment gets a case that is based of the underground. They find a body from the hospitals basement and find traces that people have come from the tunnels. So they start to look for the murderer.

The story was overall an ok read. The ending was quite surprising but i almost remember seeing similar storyline already in the Beck- or Wallander-series (forgot..). But for someone who doesn't know that there is this large tunnelsystem underground, this book might be really interesting. For me, not really.

Deborah Rodriguez: the Kabul beauty school

Kabul Beauty School
At one point i really enjoyed reading all these sort of true story books where people live in countries i couldn't even ever imagine to live in. I'm not sure though i "enjoyed" reading this one.

It's about a beauty school the writer helps to build in Kabul, Afganistan and about the students. It's really nice to hear the stories of the students as well, but because it's titled "The Kabul Beauty School" i kind of wished it would have told lot more stories about the actual beauty school-part and the customers, the everyday life overall within the school.

I do realise the world is so different over there and maybe the writer believed that she has to tell every awful story behind every woman, but i don't know, would have been nice to read little more about the fun stuff that happens around the school, within the school walls. Maybe this is just result of reading too many awful stories about women in these sort of countries, that for once i just wished for to have a little different view on the subject - when for the fact the title really allures you to think so.

Sophie Kinsella: Mini-shopaholic

Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Classic Kinsella and very enjoyable story of Rebecca and Luke. Unfortunately at least i believe that the title of the book is little off. Yes, they already have a kid and yes she has a minor role in the book. But overall the story is about everything else than the kid, so little dissapointing there...

Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay

Mockingjay
This is the last book of the Hunger Game-trilogy.

The game from the second book ended a little differently as before and Katniss finds herself staying at the sector 13, the one that she didn't believe existed.

All the other sectors have started to rebel and she, wanted it or not, is the leading figure of the fighting against the Capitol. Because of that a little different "Hunger Game" begins and she will fight along Gale, Peeta and others against the cruel President Snow and his ruling over the 12 sectors.

Overall the book was good, but in my opinion weakest of the three. But what i really did like about it that the story wasn't stretched into even more books. Trilogy is definitely enough for this story eventhough i do think i'll miss Katniss and would kind of like to know what their future holds..

Suzanne Collins: Catching fire

Catching Fire
This is the second book of the Hunger Games-trilogy and it continues around the same subject.

Although this time around Katniss has survived from the Hunger Games and believes she would be coaching the next gamers for the game just as Haymitch did for her and Peeta.

Unfortunately it doesn't happen so. She and some other old survivers are put back into the game and for the second time they all have to fight for to come back alive from the game... Read yourself what happens..

Suzanne Collins: The hunger games

The Hunger Games
Northern America is divided into 12 sectors and the Capitol rules over every sector. Some of the sectors are richer than others and some - poorer.

Katniss lives in the sector 12. She is the older daugher of two from a family where the father has died in a miningexplosing. Her mother has been quite devastated because of that and that has made Katniss the "head of the family".

Sector 12 is very poor and Capitol doesn't really believe in feeding them, so they have to provide food to themselves. Katniss, for example, is quite good hunter and therefore her family survives little better than maybe some of the other families.

For the Capitols entertainment (and to let everyone from the sectors know their place in the world) the Capitol organizes the Hunger Game in every year. It means that from every sector a girl and a boy gets to chosen to take a part in a competition. Winning of the competition means that the Capitol will provide food for the whole section and they'll have the chance to live in luxury for a while. The downside is that in order to win the competition all the other competitors must be killed.

Katniss's little sister gets to be one of the chosen ones but Katniss offers herself instead and then the game begins...

Michael White: The medici secret

The Medici Secret by Michael White
This was the second Michael White book i read and unfortunately i didn't like this one as much as i did the Equinox.

Yes, it's about secret societies and yes it travels in various times in history, yes the story is well-consisted but yet it just wasn't as interesting as the other one.

Gwen Cooper: Homer's Odyssey

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper
When I was younger I used to read a lot of James Herriot-stories about cats and I seriously was in love and in awe although lot of the stories were sad in the beginning.

This story about Gwen and adopted blind cat Homer brought back all those memories and stories and makes me want to find all those other cat books as soon as possible again.

So anyone who looks for a good story about living with cats in general and living with disabled cat should most definitely read this one!

Candace Bushnell: The Carrie diaries

The Carrie Diaries
The Carrie Diaries shows us the part of Carrie Bradshaw that Sex and the City never had before. Carrie is quite opposite as a teenager than what she really is when all grown up. She seems well spoken young woman, but you kind of sence that she is a little more shy and she is quite innocent.

In the beginning of the book it was quite hard to get used to this side of Carrie. You kind of didn't recognize her although after you got pass that point, the book was really semi-good teenage literature. Of course in the back of your head you kind of understand that this is most definitely a way to cash up even more from inventing Carrie Bradshaw and keeping her alive eventhough the series on TV is over and it's unsure if there'll be anymore movies. But yet again, when you get past that point as well, you kind of like to hang around Carrie and live through the boy-drama with her.

Michelle Harrison: 13 treasures

The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison
I saw an advertisement of this book couple of months ago and immediately i got the urge that i want to read the book eventhough it's directed towards children. Unfortunately it's written for children in that way that no adult (well, at least me) will have no chance to read more than couple of pages. And it's really pity. The story seems interesting but it feels so childish, eventhough the main character is 13 years old, it feels even more childish.

Maybe kids in their pre-teen years finds this book alright. I in my late twenties didn't.

Meg Gardiner: The dirty secrets club

The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner
Some rich and famous people are part of the Dirty Secrets Club. People gets killed and something. Honestly, i read the whole book with a thought but can't remember any details. One star.

Melissa Hill: Please forgive me

Please Forgive Me
The book is about Leonie, a young Irish woman, who moves to San Fransisco after some dramatic situation with her boyfriend. The story with the boyfriend reveals slowly with each chapter you go through.

At her new apartment she finds letters which are written in very apologetic way and she gets obsessed with those and wants to find the right receiver, a woman called Helena Abbot who has once lived in the same apartment.

Book follows the stories of Leonie and her ex Adam, Leonies neighbour Alex and her (ex)husband Seth and current boyfriend Jon, as well as Helena and Nathan who has written all those letters.

The first couple hundred pages were very intriguing and story had a sence of mystery in it, but the closer the books ending came, the story kind of fell apart and was more chaotic than well put together.

Overall, nice romantic story but for me it really missed the extra wow-factor i was kind of hoping the book would reach.

Michael White: Equinox

Equinox
The story travels in nowadays Oxford, England as well as in the late 1600s. The historic part tells you the story of Isaac Newton who tries to achieve the alchemistpowers that a secret society holds. The story in nowadays is of course related.

A crime scene photographer Philip Bainbridge, his ex-wife Laura and their daughter Jo starts to investigate some ritualistic murders that has shaken the town. Somehow they found themselves chasing the same secret society Newton wanted to be a part of.

It is easy to follow the story but maybe the easyness doesn't really give any surprises in the end. You can (or at least i could) guess the main evil character pretty soon and the ending isn't really surprising either. A good one, but not great.

Iris Johansen: Body of lies

Body of Lies
I loaned this book because i knew it had some sort of a secret society in it. The secret society was called Kabal and the members were all somehow involved in the political life of the USA. The secret society didn't seem as secret as it did in evil and disgusting. The story didn't really circle around the society that much, just around couple of people.In that way this was a little let down.

Also the number of peoples names got really overwhelming after just few pages. Somehow it was just really hard to follow the overall story when you really didn't have a clue who a person was because at one point he was mentioned by his first name, next by the lastname. Overall, the story of Eve and Bonnie saved it a little bit, so therefore 2 stars.

Lorna Byrne: Angels in my hair

Angels in My Hair
I know this story isn't meant to be scary, but honestly i couldn't even read the first chapter without imagining the "Grudge"-like little boys crawling into my apartment. I know that isn't how the writer has intended this book to be, but i can't help myself that i just find this scary.

Tom Knox: The Genesis secret

The Genesis Secret
Rob Luttrell is a journalist who travels around the world to dangerous places when chasing a story for the Times-magazine. His editor wants him to go Kurdistan because some German archeologist has found a buried temple Göbekli Tepe and thinks there is a story behind it. There really is a story and it will bring whole Robs life, including her dotter in London, into danger.

At the same time when all this is happening to Rob, Scotland Yard is battling with mysterious murders that in the end might have something to do with the temple and a cult that's believed it's satanistic.

After you finish each chapter you just feel to urge to keep it going. The murders are disgusting and vile but overall the story is very interesting that you kind of look over the evil things and just keep reading.

Henrik Ibsen: A doll's house

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Since about ten years ago i've always wanted to read this book. Now, looking back, what a waste. First of all, i hate reading plays, second the story wasn't even close what i thought it was and third the story was quite a yawn. Not really much more to say.

Mervi Koski: Hirviökäsikirja

Hirviökäsikirja
This is a Finnish guidebook to monsters and other creatures. The monsters are divided into spesific groups such as snakes, horses, birds etc. Each of the creatures are presented with information about their livinghabits, appearance, size and other details.

The book also lists dangerous levels on each creature and how to possible to survive their attack. For example dangerous level for zombies is high but you might escape from them if you feed them something salty. Running also helps. The information is quite funny usually but it makes me wonder why they had to write into the introduction that monsters doesn't really exist. If they don't exist, why would you need to know ways to escape from them?!

Overall the book is very good and the illustrations are amazing. The reason why i'm not giving it the full five stars is my little doubts on if i can really trust this one. The book says that for example the Basilisk has a head of a rooster and body of a snake. In Harry Potter the basilisk most definitely not had a head of a rooster! So which one to trust?! Also another creature from Astrid Lindgrens books doesn't seem really that correct. It totally can be that these other books are wrong, but they are the versions i'm and a lot of people are used to, so it's really hard to think otherwise and therefore i cannot support this book with the five stars.

Sophie Kinsella: Remember me?

Remember Me?
Lexi Smart wakes up in the hospital after a carcrash and thinks that it's the year 2004. In reality it's 2007 and she has no idea or memory of the past three years and has a hard time to figure out how she has built a fabulous and rich life together with her husband Eric (she doesn't even remember she got married). Soon she figures out that her best friends from the year 2004 hates her and she is known as a Cobra - a mean boss who is definitely not polite to anyone. The image scares her and she tries to change her life back to what it was.

I had a really hard time to pick this book up because the story seemed so unrealistic and bad. I'm glad though that i read it anyways. The book is light but the story holds perfectly and you truly live through the moments with Lexi while she tries to figure out who she was and who she is.

Sophie Kinsella: The undomestic goddess

The Undomestic Goddess
The book tells a story of Samantha, a lawyer who is ruled by the busy worklife. She messes up one contract and ends from a getaway-trip to a family who seeks for a new housekeeper. She doesn't correct them that she is definitely not a housekeeper but stays there and starts to take care of their house eventhough she doesn't have ANY cookingskills or she really doesn't even know how to wash laundry.

Book was easy to read and the story was funny. I recommend it to anyone who has a soft spot for Kinsellas books.

Annika Sjögren: Ei liikahda lehtikään

Ei liikahda lehtikään by Annika Sjögren
The book tells a story about 12 year old Sandra who went missing after selling cookies door-to-door. I kind of have a thing for missing persons and i am very intrigued of every story that has a missing person in it.. Eventhough i've read probably hundreds of crimenovels, rarely a book makes me sick. But this one definitely did.

The story is somewhat fine but in a way it was so disgusting and disturbing that i find it hard to give more than a one star..

Minna Kiistala: Minä en sitten muutu

Minä en sitten muutu
The book is telling a true story of a woman who becomes pregnant and finds it hard to adjust to the "most precious time you can ever have". The book is filled with witty comments about mothers and their children and how people kind of get lost in the family after having a child (ie. forgetting everything else). The book questions the motherly love and passion as well as supports it while her pregnancy goes further.

I really enjoyed the writers attitude, i'm not sure though that would a person with kids appreciate it as much as me - a person who doesn't have kids. The only minus (and withdrawal of one star) is that the last chapter kind of sums up all the feelings - and you are kind of left to wonder that is she really going to be one of those onlineforum-mothers whose only purpos in life is to live through her own child and put down upon people who don't believe in that. I hope she doesn't turn into that and i'll hope she'll have a good head on her shoulder even after her child is born. Maybe she should write a sequel?! ;)

Cecelia Ahern: The book of tomorrow

The Book of Tomorrow
Tamara Goodwins dad commits suicide and therefore she and her mother has to move from Dublin to stay with relatives in Kilsaney. Her mother is devastated and seems tired all the time. Her relatives does everything to keep her and her mother apart, so she starts to wonder if there is something most definitely wrong.

After meeting Marcus, the person who drives librarybus she gets her hands on a book that is locked. After getting the book opened, she realises that the pages are empty until suddenly it's filled with her own writing. Writing tells the story of tomorrow and now she has the chance to follow the leads her "diary" tells her to do, or follow her own path forgetting the diarys advices.

The first hundred or so pages wasn't that addicting to me but as the story got deeper, the more hooked i was. I'm glad that she found the empty book, i'm not sure how her and her mothers life would have ended without it.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón: The shadow of the wind

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I guess i just have to realise that anytime someone recommends me a book - i should just ignore it. Never they are as good as the reader has told it was, and neither was this one. I'm not really sure what was the main problem with this book, i just didn't find it appealing at all. And it's really weird, because it has all the elements in it that i really enjoy in other books! Maybe the time was wrong or something...

Sophie Kinsella: Can you keep a secret?

Can You Keep a Secret?
I've been really enjoying the Shopaholic-series but all the other books i've read so far from Kinsella hasn't been that good. Until now. So for anyone who likes the Shopaholic, this is definitely written with the same kind of attitude and style and therefore it surprised me totally.

The story is funny and hilarious. Sometimes you'll be embarrased behalf of the character but you'll also share her joy, laughter and tears.

Mikkel Birkegaard: Libri di luca

The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard
This book contains such mystery that i was very interested for the whole book and i read it in one night. The only thing i had problem with was the (kind of) forced lovestory. Without it i would have given 5 stars for the book.

Ian Rankin: Knots and crosses

Knots and Crosses
A group of friends of mine recommended this book to me because they thought the bookseries is similar to all the great Swedish crimenovelists (Anne Holt, Henning Mankell etc.) but this one didn't really do much for me.

Considering that this is the first book of the John Rebus-story, i would have assumed that you'd learn much more about the maincharacter, but you really didn't.(if you don't consider his past to be enough) And to me that was pretty much the reason why i couldn't really crasp the book.. I really didn't feel any kind of connection to John and the whole story fell kind of short. I don't think i'm going to read the other books at all...

Sophie Kinsella: Shopaholic and baby

Shopaholic and baby
This was probably the best shopaholic book i've read (so far). Becky is still the same overspending person but the situation is a little different and therefore after reading a lot of quite similar books, this is a nice change.

As you might assume from the title, Becky is having a baby. She hears that there's a maternity clinic who has (almost) only famous customers and she is determend to have her baby over there. What she doesn't realise is that the doctor is actually Luke's ex who wants Luke back and maybe in the end she isn't that happy she wanted to be among the famous.

Joe Hill: Heart-shaped box

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The first time i started to read this book i had to drop it because i thought it was too scary. I remember reading this one in bed and seriously i was too scared to turn the lights off... So at that time i didn't finish it. But because i work in a library and we have this book, it kind of mocked me from the shelves.. So finally i thought i had enough courage to pick it up again. And there i was, in the broad daylight ( ;) ) and - i read it. After you got passed about the dead people with black "holes" in their eyes, it actually wasn't as scary as i first thought it was.

One of the other reasons i dropped this book earlier was because the main character was kind of an awful person. Very rude and kind of disgusting and for a really long time i was quite happy that a person like that got a ghost to mess up his life.. But as the story goes it's not all that easy anymore and there was the actual surprisement of this book... I don't want to give too much away.. so.. i'd just say that if you have any similar doubts as i had in the beginning, overlook them and still read it!

Lauren Conrad: Sugar and spice

Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel by Lauren Conrad
I believe that most of the people who read these books of Conrads are intrigued with them because of her personal past. This third book of hers was the first book for me where i didn't all the time think about her past. This was maybe the first book out of the seriers where i just enjoyed the book and it's writing - of course the storyline but not with thinking every second that did that really happen to her in real life. Very good indeed.

Lauren Conrad: Sweet little lies

Sweet Little Lies: An L.A. Candy Novel by Lauren Conrad
I'd say this book was a little bit better than the first one. You already had an idea of what the book is about and because of that you kind of didn't wonder "who is who in real-life" all the time - ie. you got to enjoy the book a lot more.

I also liked the fact that this book had an ending. Yes, i know that there's a third book coming, but in a way you could stop your reading into this one. I really am not a fan of continuing stories. Most of them are just to make the story longer and "make money out of it". Of course all things didn't get closed with this book, so there's some mysteries waiting still ahead...

Lauren Conrad: LA Candy

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
Those of you who are not aware of the reality tv-life, the author is a star of couple of them (Laguna Beach and The Hills). The book is as well situated into a reality tv-world and therefore the only problem i had with it was the constant speculation happening in my head that "did this really happen?", "was all that made up in the show as well", "who is who in this book", "Jane doesn't really seem like Lauren, but neither does Scarlett", "what is real?!".

Other than that i kind of believe that the second and the third book will get my mindset in more relaxing mood. To read them just as novels is something that i hope i could do...

Joanne Harris: Blueeyedboy

Blueeyedboy
This book saddens me a lot. Once i really looked up to Joanne Harris, she had the amazing ability to write in a way that no-one did. But this one (as well some of her other recent books) fall short. The story is odd, you somehow get hooked on it on page 200, but you struggle to get there. Soon, you'll just wish you'd reach up the end already. Definitely this wasn't a pleasurable readingsesson. I haven't been this disapointed for a long time...

Frances Mayes: Under the Tuscan sun

Under the Tuscan Sun
I'm really enthusiastic about storylines similar to this book. The describing of the Italian surroundings are beautiful and if i'd like cooking i would definitely try out the recipes. The reason i'm only giving 3 stars is the disapointment i had reading this - i had seen the movie first and the movie had the best storyline. It was heartwarming and happy and you really got to know other people as well than just Francis.. The book is nothing like it and i know it's not the books fault because it was written first.. But.. if the book would have the same story as the movie, i'd give it 5 stars.

Agatha Christie: Five little pigs

Five Little Pigs
Classic Agatha.

I'd like to say she never fails, but i've read one book where she in my opinion fails, so i can't really say that anyways. But this book didn't fail. Yet again it was hard to think of who could be the murderer because the way obvious suspects never end up being them.. Don't really know what else to say.

If you like Agathas books and Poirot, you'll like this one as well... Maybe this was different from the others in that sence that a lot of the parts consisted of letters sent to Poirot by the 5 people who were suspects of in a old murdercase.. So this one had less of the thinking of Poirot and his old gray cells, but to me it didn't bother.

Sofi Oksanen: Puhdistus

Puhdistus
For a really long time i stayed away from this book. A lot of people recommended it for me and everyone had something to say about it. I believe it was some sort of a pierpressure that drove me into reading it. And i'm glad it did happen.

The story opens up the history in Estonia and follows the tragic memories of Aliide Truu and other women whose lifes in the country hasn't been easy. The story itself is rough and you'll probably get grossed about it. Still it's a strong statement of a piece of history that i didn't even know it really existed.

Audrey Niffenegger: Her fearful symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry
I think the book is a very good combination of sisterhood and loneliness. These two twins are very adorable and the story behind their mother and her twinsister is very surprising. Magical story that makes you mad.