One Word Answer (short story)

Title: One Word Answer (part of Bite)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Finished: July 6, 2009
Pages: 24
Published: 2005

One Word Answer is one of the first short stories that Harris wrote to accompany the Southern Vampire Series, about Sookie Stackhouse, included in the short story compliation Bite.

In this particular short story, Sookie finds out the fate of her rarely mentioned cousin Hadley who ran away years ago and who Sookie has had no contact with. I never realized how important these short stories could be until I started book 5 of the series and felt like I had missed a key part to the entire series.

For anyone who has recently started the series, or is interested in doing so, I highly recommend picking up at least this little tidbit before starting book 5 or you may feel at a loss much like I was. While this is the first short I have read, I am going to definitely try and make it a priority in my reading to include these along with the main books.

Eventually I would like to read the entire Bite compilation, but time does not permit me to do so at this time.

*Challenges – Sookie Stackhouse Challenge

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Author: C.S. Lewis
Finished: July 5, 2009
Pages: 256
Published: 1952

This may be one of my favorite stories of the Chronicles of Narnia. On this adventure, the two youngest children, Edmund and Lucy, are spending time with ther cousin, who isn’t the nicest kid (and doesn’t believe in Narnia), only to find themselves taking him on the adventure of his life.

What I enjoyed most about this story is that incorporated old and new characters and scenery to tell the story of the children as they take a trip on the Dawn Treader with Caspian, in search of lost family on mysterious islands.

I’m not sure where the adventures are leading but as the books get better I can only imagine what the final two hold. Hopefully I will be able to complete them by the end of the week and the mystery will be solved.

*Challenges – 100+ Challenge, 999×2 Challenge, Create a Colorful Summer, Christmas in July, Chronicles of Narnia Challenge

Take Your Shirt Off and Cry

Title: Take Your Shirt Off and Cry
Author: Nancy Balbirer
Finished: July 5, 2009
Pages: 231
Published: 2009

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to read and review an early reviewer book, and I was very excited when I was chosen to read this book. I am a huge fan of pop culture and love reading any book that involves the Hollywood lifestyle, a behind the scenes look into a different life from my own.

Take Your Shirt Off and Cry is a memoir by Nancy Balbirer, an aspiring actress who started off in theater classes, small plays and found herself moving to Hollywood when the opportunity to work on Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live presented itself. It was a great comedic performance in book form of Balbirer telling all these little stories about acting, boyfriends, moving, and while I’m sure many names have changed, I can’t help but wondering sometimes who these actor/director friends are, and if they are big names now.

The greatest part of reading this book is finding the humanity and realness to her personality, that isn’t found too much in Hollywood. Nancy shows both sides with the people she works with and encounters over the years, which reflects on her own lifestyle and proves how down to earth she is, how she’s trying to survive and make a living like every other person, but at the same time creates an extremely funny lifestyle that Nancy lived.

This memoir combines both humorous tales and sad, serious stories about this life trying to make it in the Hollywood spotlight and criticism. I highly recommend it to everyone.

*Challenges – 2009 Pub Challenge, 999 Challenge, 100+ Challenge, Countdown Challenge, New Authors Challenge, RYOB Challenge, Non-Fiction Five, Create a Colorful Summer, Christmas in July

Swimsuit

Title: Swimsuit
Author: James Patterson
Finished: July 4, 2009
Pages: 393
Published: 2009

The newest mystery release by James Patterson is a murder mystery that just seems unsolvable. Ben Hawkins is an ex-cop, turned reporter, who is sent to Hawaii to follow the story of a missing swimsuit model, only to find that the killer has larger plans in store, and nothing is predictable.

Everyone once in awhile I find that Patterson’s books become too predicable and it’s not easy to figure the story out. Except this time we never really know who the killer is, and we keep guessing around the corner along with Hawkins and the other characters. It was a very quick read and at times I wished I had even more pages to read because the story was so intriguing.

While I love books that Patterson writes on his own, I enjoyed this one as if he had no partnership with another author to create it. You don’t have to be a Patterson fan to love this one.

*Challenges – 2009 Pub Challenge, 999 Challenge, 100+ Challenge, Countdown Challenge, RYOB Challenge, Create a Colorful Summer, Christmas in July

Prince Caspian

Title: Prince Caspian
Author: C.S. Lewis
Finished: July 2, 2009
Pages: 240
Published: 1951

Book 4 in the Chronicles of Narnia Series, the second to be made into a film. I enjoyed this story much more than the previous, but I was also familiar with it having already watching the film. I liked the introduction of the new character, Prince Caspian, and his association with the kids, along with more about the time lapse only touched on during The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Prince Caspian is the story of the children as they make their first return trip back to Narnia to find that hundreds of years have passed and there is a new king, and new conflicts that Narnia faces. Together with Prince Caspian, the children help restore Narnia to its former self.

*Challenges: 100+ Challenge, Book vs. Movie Challenge, 999×2 Challenge, Create a Colorful Summer, Christmas in July, Chronicles of Narnia Challenge