Friday, September 30, 2011

Back to my normal pace...

Before I dive into Book Club I just want to ask, "where did September go?! how is it the end of the month already?" This year is truly flying by...my goodness.

Alright, onto the fun.....


This week I read 3 books:

Psych:Mind-Altering Murder by William Rabkin

(from amazon.com)
When Shawn's partner Gus decides he doesn't want to be a detective anymore and gets a real job, Shawn wonders: Is this the end of Psych? Or is it the end of Gus?
After a fellow executive at Benson Pharmaceuticals turns up dead, Gus realizes he needs Shawn more than ever to solve the murder before he's forced to take an early-and permanent-retirement


If you have never seen (or even heard of) this television show, Psych,which airs on the usa network, it is a funny, quirky mystery/crime show. Sean and Gus are best friends since elementary school and they have a fake psychic detective business. (By the way, a new season of it starts this october 12th)...but back to this book: It had the usual funny antics of Sean and Gus while they try to solve a murder case. They always make me laugh. However, I skimmed through the middle since there are a lot of details with regards to the fake computer game they play in their current job/case;it seemed to be bogged down in the details. A neat twist here and there;just a fun read that had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I give it a B/C.


Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman

(from her website) Grace Graham returns to Shoal Creek, Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work. Her goal: help her father recover from surgery, and spend some quality time with her sister. But Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn. Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself?

I like Kathryn's writing (I have read and enjoyed Leaving Yesterday) and her plots. She creates great characters that you can love and become frustrated with. I was totally not expecting the whole CDC scenario to happen though (the back of the book doesn't mention her son becoming ill with measles), so I was totally caught off guard by the situation but it definitely makes you think about what you would do. I feel it is a pretty plausible and real storyline. I give it a B/A.

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

(from her website) It came, literally, out of the blue. I had no warning at all; not even the slightest hint of danger on the horizon. The waves were small and inconsistent, and I was just kind of rolling along with them, relaxing on my board with my left arm dangling in the cool water. I remember thinking, "I hope the surf picks up soon..."That's all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning fast tugs. Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red. Somehow, I stayed calm. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit, along with a huge crescent-shaped chunk of my red, white and blue surfboard...I remember most clearly what the Kauai paramedic said to me in the ambulance: He spoke softly and held my hand as we were pulling out of the beach parking lot. He whispered in my ear, "God will never leave you or forsake you." He was right.
I saw the movie first and fell in love with Bethany and her story and her love for God. I must say that I loved this book, her autobiography, even more. And it was interesting to note the differences between fact and fiction (there are definitely differences in the movie's replaying of her story). It is astounding at times to read her words because they seem too old for a 13/14 year old girl. She is one tough girl and a fantastic role model for young girls and she makes me want to continue working on my relationship with God. I highly recommend this book, even if you are not the religious type because it is one heck of a survival and surfer story. I give it an A.


Happy Reading and Weekend!

3 comments:

  1. seriously! where did september go!?

    all three of these books sound really interesting! and i'm impressed you read three of them in one week!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so amazed that you can always knock out three books in a week! That is awesome!

    I never knew the tv show Psych was based on a book! That's pretty cool. And the other two books sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OOOh there are Psych books??????? I discovered Psych late late last year when I watched the season 5 finale with my sister-in-law. I watched all the previous seasons - I absolutely adore the show. I sent them to my husband in Afghanistan and he loved it too. I had no clue there were books. This is just trouble! :D

    And I didn't know there was a Soul Surfer book either, the movie was so inspirational!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit and leave a comment! They really do make me smile and I try my best to reply to each one!