The Death Cure (James Dashner)

I finished reading "The Death Cure" by James Dashner - and almost a month later, I am finally getting to writing about it!

 

The Death Cure is the third (and final) book in the "Maze Runner" trilogy.  (Check out the descriptions of the other two books here and here.)  In the previous two books, a group of kids is basically put through a series of tests and experiments by a group called "Wicked."  We find out that they are trying to find a cure for "The Flare" (which affects the brain and other systems in your body, eventually making you go crazy.)

 

In "The Death Cure," the children are told that it is the final stage of testing by Wicked - that at the end of this, there will be a cure for The Flare.  At an earlier stage of the experimentation, the memories of all of these children were removed.  Now, in this final testing stage, they are being told that they must have their memories restored in order to find the cure.  Thomas has begun to remember bits and pieces of who he thinks he once was and he is convinced that, despite what he may have previously thought, "Wicked" is bad and he must do whatever he can to save himself and the others around him. 

 

Having read this book 10 months after finishing the second book in the series, I found I was still able to follow the plot and understand what was going on...  I liked this ending to the trilogy, and while it didn't tie up everything that you may have hoped for in the trilogy, I think it left things at a point where you could draw your own conclusions about certain story lines.  (Other readers in the world of the Internet, however, disagree with me here - they found that there were too many things left unresolved and that there was so much more Dashner could have done with this final book in the trilogy.  Again, maybe this has something to do with me having removed myself from the characters and plot of the trilogy for long enough to forget the "little things" that were left unresolved.)

 

As far as action is concerned, there are some exciting points in this book, but the first two novels in the trilogy definitely contained more "Oh my goodness!" moments. 

 

I think this was a great Young Adult series - and I know that I have seen these books read by youth in numerous classrooms while supply teaching.  It was different enough from the Hunger Games (which was the series that initially led me to these James Dashner books) and I think it's the type of book that would appeal to youth of both genders. 

 

For those who did read this series and want more of Thomas and his friends - the prequel to "The Maze Runner" series, titled "The Kill Order", was released in August 2012.  Maybe this will help clear up some of the questions that people still have about "Wicked" and their trials... Knowing about why the experimentation started may help people understand why things ended the way they did!

Caper (Lawrence Sanders)

What a great book to start my 2013 bookstack!

This Lawrence Sanders novels is by no means a new release.  Published in 1980, it's another one of those books that you should judge by the cover when you say, "It looks worn out and old - lots of people must have read this!"

"Caper" is a mystery/suspense novel.  Jannie Shean is a mystery writer who is told that her writing is starting to seem unrealistic.  She's given the advice of getting back into touch with reality and reading about real experiences in the news before starting on her next novel.  Jannie figures she's got an even better idea - Why not plan a whole crime and then pull out at the last minute?  Jannie decides that, along with help from her friend Dick Fleming, they are going to learn what it really involved as they plan a robbery.  They must do everything from figure out how to get hold of firearms and who to recruit as extra bodies in the mission to how to cover up their identities so that once all is said and done, none of this can be traced back to who they really are.

From the very first chapters, this book grabs your attention.  As one of the characters says in the book, we are all set in our routines and we live our lives knowing that we probably have a tomorrow and that we most likely have a good idea of what will happen in our 'tomorrow'.  These two characters show you how their lives transform when they start to live outside of their comfort zone.  This unknown territory that they are "adventuring" is a place that many of us have never been (and will likely never be!).

I don't want to ruin anything at all about the book.  But I really liked it.  I loved the characters (even the bad ones that you're not supposed to like) and I loved how it kept you guessing.

If you're a fan of the mystery genre, I would highly recommend this one.  Even if you're not a fan of the mystery genre, I would recommend it.  It's not a scary one, I promise - it's not the type of mystery that keeps you up at night thinking that something bad is going to happen to you.  (You just think to yourself instead, "I'm glad I'm not in their position...")

My Top 2012 Picks

I'm a couple weeks late on this post, but here are some of my favourite reads of 2012.

When I look back at my 2012 list of books, there aren't all that many "Must-Reads" ... It seem that in 2012, I didn't spend my time reading literary masterpieces or classic novels - it was a year I spent reading recommended books, top books on the chart, recent releases or simple stuff to pass the time!  It's not about reading what people think you should read, but reading what you're in the mood for!

Instead of listing my top 5 books of 2012 (like I did for 2011), I've decided to pick a few categories and list my top pick for those categories.




Funniest True (or Mostly True) Books

Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

I read this book early in 2012 and remember reading it so quickly.  It was a hilarious read about nothing in particular.  It had me laughing out loud and telling everyone to read it if they needed a little "pick-me-up" in their day.  It's a book that I will honestly read again someday.  Buy this book here.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

 

A little more, shall we say, "adult" (or "inappropriate") than the other winner in the "Funniest True (or Mostly True) Book" category, this was a top pick for me this year.  Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) is a hilarious blogger who writes about anything and everything that happens to her.  Her stories are exaggerated (or not, you make that call) and funny.  She takes ordinary (and some not-so-ordinary) situations and turns them into awkward and extremely memorable stories.  I read through this book at a crazy speed and really want to listen to the audiobook of "Let's Pretend This Never Happened", for the sole reason of hearing Jenny Lawson's expressions as she tells some of her stories.  Buy this book here.

Favourite Love Story

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

I'm a sucker for love stories and this love story was a beautiful one.  These two individuals went through so much individually before they tried to make it work out with each other.  Nicholas Sparks tells the story in a way that gives you enough information to see what is going on while keeping you guessing about how everything is going to unfold. I didn't want to put the book down once I started it (and I may have watched the movie "The Lucky One" a few times already...).  Buy this book here.


Most Talked About Series

"Fifty Shades of Grey" series by E.L. James

What would a 2012 list be without this series mentioned?  While it wasn't my favourite series, it was very talked about and popular in 2012.  I asked myself numerous times, "Why am I still reading this?"  Yet I continued to read it.  While I don't think it's any literary masterpiece, I remember my dad saying to me once, "You may say that it's not good writing.  But if the author can get you to ignore everything else that you have to do in your life right now and pick up that book instead, then it's got something."  So, E.L. James, although I'm embarrassed to say it, you get a pick on my 2012 list because I made it through the series in 2012 and so did so many other people.  Buy this series here.

Best Young Adult Book

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Dealing with difficult issues such as bullying, hate crimes, depression, and rape, Shine is a must-read for teens.  It was a book that was a bit difficult to read because of the content, but I think it deals with issues that need more awareness.  While I felt that the way some of these issues were dealt with in the book was unrealistic or different than the larger communities that many of us are used to, the issues are important and the content itself is worth a read.  Buy this book here.

Most Magical Book

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I've talked to a few people who just couldn't get into this book, but I loved it.  I thought The Night Circus was well written and told a story in a different, magical way.  If you're up for using your imagination and getting into a book that will make you think, give this one a try.  Buy this book here.

The Twilight Before Christmas (Christine Feehan)

The Twilight Before Christmas was another novel recommended by a friend.  It's the second book in the Drake Sister series by Christine Feehan.  I read the first book, Magic in the Wind, this past summer and didn't mind it, so I thought I would give this one a try as well. (I'm a little late in posting this since I finished it in December 2012, but better late than never!)

For those who don't know, this Drake Sister series is about seven sisters who have special witchcraft powers - one sister may be able to help heal someone who is ill and another can use her abilities to calm someone down.  The Twilight Before Christmas is focused on the love story of Kate Drake and Matt.  He has always had a thing for her and she has always thought that they were two people who were too different to be together.  As they are trying to figure out these differences between them, they unlock a 'cloud' with some evil behind it.  This 'spirit' is out to ruin Christmas for the community and the Drake sisters need to figure out what is going on and how they can use their powers for good and stop it.

It took me a lot longer to get through this book than it did to get through the first one in the series.  I was reading it on my eReader and, again, mostly during lunch breaks.  I wasn't as interested in the relationships being formed between Kate and Matt or in the story behind the "magic" in this book. 

It wasn't necessary to have read the first book in the series to understand what was happening in the second.  The same characters are involved, so the knowledge from book one can help you with the relationships between the characters, but the storyline is independent of the first book.

I remember being told that "The first book is ok.  It gets a lot better the more books you read in the series!"  I may put these back on the shelf for a bit and try the third book eventually, once I have read a few books that are on my "to-read" list! 

Would I recommend it?  Well... I liked the first book better than this one.  If you're looking for a very easy to read love story, try the first novel in the series before reading this one.  The overall writing reminds me of a slightly more adult version of Twilight.  You can make the call once you see her writing style and meet the chracters. 

"My imagination provides a wonderful adventure without the risk or the discomfort." (Christine Feehan, The Twilight Before Christmas)

Where We Belong (Emily Giffin)

I finished reading "Where We Belong" by Emily Giffin last week, but the craziness of the holiday season, two jobs, and a busy social schedule have kept me from writing about it!

"Where We Belong" is the story of Kirby, a girl who is about to turn 18.  She knows that she's adopted, but also knows that once she turns 18, she'll have access to the whereabouts of her biological mother.  At a time when she's trying to figure out her life after high school and is starting to feel like she's really not fitting in, she wonders what it would be like to find out where she comes from.  Meanwhile, Marian Caldwell, who is now 36 years old, has lived a life most could only dream of - she's a writer of a hit TV show and lives in a nice apartment in New York City.  Kirby appears on her doorstep and Kirby's decision to show up will change both of their lives.

Emily Giffin's writing style in "Where We Belong" is similar to that in "Something Borrowed" or "Something Blue."  It was an easy to read, girly book.  It wasn't a challenging (or "deep") read, but I enjoyed the story behind it.  A good lunch time read for me this past month! 

Each chapter moves between the point of view of Kirby (the daughter) and Marian (the biological mother).  You get a glimpse of how each of them are feeling throughout the whole process.  I like when authors do this and are able to show you the turmoil (or excitement!) within each character. 

There are some little twists throughout the book to keep you guessing.  You can make a good guess once you start reading about how the book is going to turn out (another predictable one...), but the ending was enough to let you imagine how their lives will all turn out afterwards.

If you liked other Emily Giffin books (or Sophie Kinsella books), you will probably like this one.

Back on the Bookshelf: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Alan Bradley)

It's rare that I don't finish a book once it's started.  I always figure that once started, I have invested time into reading the beginning of it that I feel bad putting it down.  Am I not wasting those minutes or hours that I have already spent reading the first few chapters?  I also always hope that the book will get better all of a sudden or there will be some twist that will make things more interesting.

However, this time I looked at it a different way.  There are so many books out there that I have been wanting to read that I didn't want to waste time reading a book that I wasn't 100% into.  As much as I feel bad for returning this one to the library unfinished, I am excited to move on to something else.

I made it exactly half way through the book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley when I decided that I wasn't going to invest any more time reading it. 

The book is a mystery about a young girl, Flavia de Luce.  At their home, a bird is left dead on their doorstep with a stamp on its beak.  The next day, Flavia finds the body of a man in their garden.  She is quite the little scientist and tries to take it upon herself to solve the mystery behind the death and clear her father's name since he is currently the prime suspect in this murder investigation. 

Sounds interesting, right?  It came highly recommended from a family member and Goodreads even describes it as a "wickedly brilliant first novel." 

I don't want to say that since I wasn't enjoying it, no one else will.  In what I read in the first half, it was a well written book with lots of description and good character development.  I think I found it very wordy and maybe it was a little bit too much for me right now with the type of reading I am doing - mostly on my lunch breaks, in noisy environments, and for short periods of time.

This book isn't one of my favourites this year, unfortunately...  Here's hoping my next book adventure goes a little better!

Beautiful Disaster (Jamie McGuire)

I received a text message one day from my friend and all it said was, "You need to read Beautiful Disaster ASAP."  It took a couple months for the library to order the book once I requested it, but I have now successfully received and read the book!

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is focused around one main character, Abby (aka Pigeon).  She has moved away to school with her best friend, America.  Through America, Abby is introduced to Travis, a bad boy that she can't quite stay away from.  The book follows their year together as they try to figure out what it is about their relationship or friendship that is so complicated.

I'm not sure what to say about this book - I guess I was expecting a lot since it came highly recommended.  I did find myself glued to the book.  On Sunday, I spent the majority of my afternoon and evening reading since I just couldn't put it down. 

I enjoyed how there was so much detail about every event that occurs in the book.  Their relationship is explored, but it's more than some books - there is more of the conversations they have and the thoughts behind their actions.  Instead of just saying that they went out for dinner, there is lots of description about what happens while they are out.

In terms of writing, I wouldn't say that it's a literary masterpiece.  You could often predict what would happen in the book (or maybe it was just me wishing that what I wanted to happen would actually happen) and there isn't much thinking behind what you're reading. 

I would classify it as an easy to read, young adult fiction book.  It definitely wouldn't be a book for everybody, but this week, when I have had so much going on, I found it was a great distraction and was just what I needed.

If you enjoyed Twilight-type books, you will likely enjoy this one.  (Plus, judge the book by the cover - that's an amazing image, right?)