Inspector Lynley Series by Elizabeth George

I love a good mystery novel. A good one. And I love a good mystery series even better. And I really got into this series. I picked up my first Inspector Lynley novel several years ago at my Mom's urging. And I have to confess, although I thoroughly enjoyed the books from the start, the writing has improved as Elizabeth George has continued her story of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sargent Barbara Havers. You may have seen this series televised (butchered, in my not so humble opinion) on PBS Mystery over the last few years. Some of the things I love best about these: they take me all over England, and I like the way she writes her mysteries. Much less contrived than some. The overarching storyline is as intriguing as each mystery. The last one, This Body Of Death, in my opinion is her best so far. It reminded me of Prime Suspect (I think maybe she based a character on Jane Tennyson). Anyway if you want some books to keep you hooked these are they. Not perfect, but enjoyable.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I've been trying to write a decent review on this book for the last few days and I just can't seem to come up with anything that does it justice, so I'll just post what it says on the author's web site (sorry, it is a bit long).

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.
"The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.
"The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.
I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.
My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.
But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant "to know."
I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of Kvothe—from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But The Name of the Wind is so much more—for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend.

This book is fabulous! It was long and involved and it took me a little while to get through it but it was worth it. But now I have to wait until the next book comes out, which according to Rothfuss won't be for a while.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary lives in a small village where life has very strict boundaries and rules. Surrounding the village is a fence, beyond the fence is the forest, within the forest are the Unconsecrated- humans who have been infected by a disease causing them to Return to a zombie like existence. The existence of the community depends on the limits imposed by the Sisterhood. Despite all that Mary has been told about the world she lives in she questions that there might be more to life, more outside her small enclosure. When the time comes she must determine what she is prepared to give up and how far she will go to learn the answer to her questions.

This book reminded me a lot of the movies The Village and I Am Legend although it certainly has it's own unique twists and turns. I can't say that I loved this book, because I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but I can say that I was hooked. I finished it in just over 24 hours (24 hours that included sleep and work and normal life stuff) and when I wasn't reading I was wanting to be.

Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Before I get going on my recommendation I have to let you know that I have a very hard time with memoirs. I always feel that I am getting a very slanted story. I simply have a hard time trusting the authors. I guess I am a pretty big skeptic. It seems the main characters are always the total victim or the total hero and I have a hard time buying their stories. But, with that said, this is a memoir I highly recommend. Imaculee's story, even if embellished, is one everyone should read. It will make you completely rethink your relationship with God, your faith, and most of all it will teach you how incredibly powerful the act of forgiveness can be. Immaculee is a woman who knows what it means to pray and to have perfect faith. She is a woman who truly has a personal relationship with God. I was afraid to read this book because it is about the Rwandan Genocide, but it was uplifting, not depressing and disturbing. Imaculee tells a powerful story and I think this is one of those books that leaves its mark. It is a must read.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

"Lights shine in the city of Ember—but at the city limits the light ends, and darkness takes over. Out there in the Unknown Regions, the darkness goes on forever in all directions. Ember—so its people believe—is the only light in the dark world. And now the lights of the city are beginning to fail. Is there a way to save the people of Ember? No one knows. But Lina Mayfleet has found a puzzling document, and Doon Harrow has made discoveries down in the Pipeworks. With these clues, they start their search."

I enjoyed this book. It is a quick read and a fun read. I did find the darkness clausterphobic and it made me anxious,and made me crave the imagry of a tree and blue sky. But that is because the writing is well done. This is the first in a series of four. I am looking forward to the other three books.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

After my mom, my husband and my 11 year old daughter read this book - I finally got my turn! It was fantastic. Exciting, interesting and a quick read. Keep in mind this is meant for a young adult audience. (And I think it is being made into a movie!) Here is a summery I found on a Hunger Games website:

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death - televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

And the cool thing is that it is part of a trilogy! The second book is already out and the third book is due out this fall.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

This is, in my opinion, a fascinating must-read. It is incredibly interesting. It talks about why people succeed: how they become outliers. Genius, apparently doesn't have a huge role to play in success. Opportunity, chance, and culture seem to be the key players in success. Mozart had to put in about 10,000 hours of time before he became a master of composition. Bill Gates was fortunate enough to go to a high school that happened to have a computer (in the sixties this was extremely unusual) and so he was able to put in about 10,000 hours of programming time, setting the stage for him to come into Silicon valley at just the perfect time. NHL players in Canada tend to have birthdays in the first three months of January. Why? What is it about being born early in the year that makes someone a better Hockey player? What is the significance of being born in a three year range in the early 1800's that enabled Rockerfeller and Carnegie to reach the pinnacles of success whereas those that came before or after by only a few years, didn't have the same advantages? Why did Korean Airlines have more airplane crashes than most airlines? Were their pilots inferior, or was there something else happening? Read it and find out. You will love this book. (This review makes me feel like I'm on Reading Rainbow...."but don't take my word for it" :-).

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs entered domestic service in 1910 at thirteen, working for Lady Rowan Compton. When her remarkable intelligence is discovered by her employer, Maisie becomes the pupil of Maurice Blanche, a learned friend of the Comptons. In 1929, following an apprenticeship with Blanche, Maisie hangs out her shingle: M. DOBBS, TRADE AND PERSONAL INVESTIGATIONS. She soon becomes enmeshed in a mystery surrounding The Retreat, a reclusive community of wounded WWI veterans. At first, Maisie only suspects foul play, but she must act quickly when Lady Rowan's son decides to sign away his fortune and take refuge there. Maisie hurriedly investigates, uncovering a disturbing mystery, which, in an astonishing denouement, gives Maisie the courage to confront a ghost that has haunted her for years.

I loved this book. I thought it was a fun and interesting read. It did however break my heart to think of all those poor men who fought in WWI. If they came home, none of them came home the same!