Smashed, Squashed, Splattered, Chewed, Chunked and Spewed by Lance Carbuncle

Synopsis:  Best friend and borderline lover of our main character has run away from home, his name Idjit Caloot.  While said narrator is in the process of moving his 35 year old, living at home, jobless self to Florida he ventures off on a quest of epic proportions to find his best friend.  On this quest he meets up with an old friend, fathers a love child from a soul stealing waitress, meets Fat Elvis (who the actual Elvis is trying to impersonate), blows up a sombrero topped water tower, travels with a 102 year old blues man being hunted by hell dogs, encounters the foul smelling, highly hunted Skunk Ape, dies, carries his dead fathers body around in a moving truck, and encounters more Pedro's than thought possible in one hotel.  Will he ever find his dog, will he make it out alive with his soul in tact, will he survive the beating he has received throughout this adventure?  Whether he does or not, with the help of a color cast of characters, it sure makes for a great story.

My review:  I knew going into this book that this was slapstick/crude humor and I just loved it.  Reverend Carbuncle, as the author refers to himself, is a weird dude, beyond weird.  So weird that I cannot wait to read his next books.  This book/humor is not for everyone, I mean it starts out with the narrator recalling a bad ecstasy trip that ends with him waking up being poked and prodded by a male nurse asking him to not tell anyone why his butt hurts.  Some may be offended, some will think it's stupid, and some will just not got it.  It is because of all these reasons I loved it so much.  There are a million and one adventures in this book, a million and one things that could and do go wrong for our narrator, all of them weaving into a story that I could not put down.  I read this on my kindle and carried that little electronic piece of magnificence with me everywhere I went, even if I just got in a few minutes of reading time squeezed in on the john.

This book is not going to win the next Noble Prize but if they make a prize for writing a book that keeps you laughing, sucks you in and provides you with a fantastic little story, then this one would be a solid winner.  Want a break from the norm, a glimpse into the life of an author with a fantastic imagination, then buckle up because this is one crazy ride.

My rating:  7
Pages:  260
Author website:  http://lancecarbuncle.com/lancecarbuncle.com/Home_page.html

Brew by Bill Braddock

Synopsis:  A small college town turns into a murderous den of destruction one night after a massive football game.  We follow a slew of colorful characters from the start of the devastation to the end.  A "green" conservative group of radicals decides to spike the local brewery with a homemade chemical concoction that will turn the drinkers poop green.  What this group does not know is that the chemist is a mad man with a revenge plot against pretty much everyone and modifies the compound to turn everyone into zombies instead.  The next 24 hours turns into a survival story of epic proportions.  Enjoy the ride.

My review:  I loved this book.  Let me preface that this book is disturbing and disgusting and fantastic.  I did not know before getting into this book that it was about zombies, well flesh eating, sex-crazed, pain inflicting, 24 hour temporary zombies to be exact.  Once again a zombie book where the word zombie is not used once.  Great writing throughout.  Great character building.  I also loved that this author was willing to kill off some main characters, well almost all of them to be exact.  Some of the scenes were so well written I can still picture them in my head.  This is the first book written by Bill Braddock, and I hope for more books sooner rather than later.  One thing I will note, as mentioned slightly above, is that this book is not for the faint of heart and  is not for everyone.  I love reading books that push the limits of what we think is acceptable, and this book does not disappoint.  Enjoy if you dare.

My rating: 7
Pages: 273
Author website: http://www.billbraddock.com/p/home.html

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Synopsis:  Louisa is a twenty something girl, recently out of a job and looking for any work she can to help support her family.  While working with a recruiter an opportunity comes up to help look after a young man recently hurt in an automobile accident, Will Traynor, a former thrill seeking enthusiast, sky diving, bungee jumping, CEO quadriplegic who is now confined to a wheel chair and severely depressed.  Will cannot move his body below the neck other than some very slight movement in his fingers and requires 24 hour a day in home medical care.  Louisa, mostly due to the pay decides to accept this care taker position as long as she does not have wipe his bum.  She works with Will continuously with the hope of getting him out of the house and back into the world again, not only to lift his spirits but to try and bring back his previous zealous outlook on life.  She will find that in this short time how difficult this task is and more importantly just how difficult all of this is for Will.

My review:  Wow, a powerful book indeed.  I had no idea how this book was going to turn out.  Not just the ending but the story line itself.  This book was beautifully written and definitely a cutting edge story like I have never seen.  My initial fear with this book was that it would be what I call a "girly book", I was even hesitant to read it because of that fact.  I am not saying that I am opposed to girly books but I didn't want to end up with a sobbing romance novel.  This book was anything but that and still has me sitting here thinking about it.  This is definitely a book club style book, I can very clearly see a bunch of girls sitting around drinking wine talking about this book with tears in their eyes.  Highly recommended!!

My rating:  8
Pages:  369
Author website:  http://www.jojomoyes.com/

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Synopsis:  Tom and Isabel Sherbourne work on a lighthouse off the coast of Australia.  The newly married couple keeps trying to have children but after three miscarriages all hope is lost.  Until one day a small boat washes ashore with a dead man and a crying baby aboard.  The couple decides to keep the baby for themselves and not properly notify the authorities, while burying the dead man on the island.  As the years go by the new family eventually leaves the post for holiday and heads back to the mainland only to realize that this missing baby, Lucy is actually named Grace and her real mother has spent years looking for her lost child and husband.  Once they head back to the lighthouse the guilt of what have they done starts to settle in and eventually begins to consume Tom and may eventually lead to their demise.

My review:  What a fantastic book.  So many emotions brought to life here.  I could actually feel the struggles from both Tom and Isabel and as well as Hannah and Lucy.  This is definitely a "book club" style book.  I highly recommend this to anyone.  Here is a link where you can read the first chapter online.  I was not sure how this book was going to end and given the story line this book could have gone many different directions.  I loved how the author brought this story to an end, I don't want to give anything away but all in all I loved this book.  Highly recommended!

My rating:  9
Pages:  343
Author website:  https://www.facebook.com/lightbetweenoceans

Taken! Mega Box Set - Books 1-24 by Donald Wells

Synopsis:  A series of short stories revolving around a man who has homicidal tendencies only to be leveled out by one of his would be victims.  Jessica, was taken, tied up and about to be murdered when the killer has a change of heart and falls in love with Jessica.  It is though this love, that her now husband has been able to contain his tendencies and together they have become two of the best criminal profilers in the business.

My review:  I previously reviewed just books 1-6.  After reading this book I decided to buy all the remaining available books in one box set, so essentially on this post I am only reviewing books 7-24.  As I was reading the books 1-6 I thought that once you read the first story all other stories could be read independently from each other as individual short stories but as I continued to read I realized that even though these were called books they were really just chapters in a really long book and should definitely be read in order.  The stories, while they each have a beginning, middle and end, they are all very much connected to each other as well.  The author brings back characters from previous stories, entwines them yet again in the ongoing saga that is Dr. Jessica White and her husband's life.  I could not put this book down.  Each of these stories are fantastic.  After book 24 there were three novels written that also follow the same story line chronologically.  My plan is to read these three books before continuing with Taken! 25.  As of now there are also Box Sets 26-31 and 32-37 released in ebook and paperback form.  I am giddy with excitement.  I highly recommend that you read Taken! Box Set books 1-6 as soon as possible, you will not be disappointed.  It is available for free on Amazon or iTunes.

My rating:  9
Pages: 545
Author website: http://www.donaldwells.com/

Pennsylvania 2 by Michael Bunker

Synopsis:  Jed continues his journey on the planet of New Pennsylvania with even more struggles than we read about in book one.  As war rages on around him he is protected by a group of individuals for reasons which we are not yet aware.  We do learn that Jed might be much more in the future than the nine years it was supposed to take him to get this this planet but we are not yet told exactly how far in the future this may be.  We also learn that his family may be somehow associated with his protection.  To find out the answers to these questions we will have to wait, yet again, for the next Pennsylvania book to be released.

My review:  The story picks up exactly where we left off from book one.  I did find the first book more compelling but maybe just because it was the first time I have read any Amish SciFi fiction.  I still cannot wait to see where this story goes, the possibilities are literally endless.  As a Michael Bunker fan I was provided this book for free just for being one.  What a concept, authors giving away books because people love to read them.  A glimpse of the hopeful future my friends.  My one issue with this book is that I have to wait for the ending.  I am not a patient man Mr. Bunker!

My rating:  8
Pages:  62
Author website:  http://journal.michaelbunker.com/

THEORETICAL books 1 - 3 by Nick Reynolds

Synopsis:  So much of this story line depends on reading the book so as not to give anything away all I will say is that each book specifically deals with time travel and a family of scientists/mathematicians who have figured out a way to travel both into the past and into the future.

My review:  Wow is all I can say.  My head is spinning and I mean that is the absolute best way possible.  Time travel stories always see to mess with me a bit but this one has really got me thinking.  Literally I am still sitting here trying to figure out this story.  I actually had to sit and write it down so I could place the people in the correct time frames and correct associations with each other.  After doing that my head is only spinning slightly less.  As far as short stories go, this is one of the best I have ever read.  I read this in pretty much one sitting, each story is no more than 20 or so pages, and each one just gets better and better.  Once I started this I wanted nothing more than to keep the story going, as fantastic as this was I am sad that it's over.  To me that is the definition of a great story.

So often for me when reading a time travel story the lack of cohesiveness and confusion that comes along with anything time travel related seems to take away from the story because so much is it does not make any sense or is so mind bending that its actually hard to think about.  Try reading All You Zombies by Robert Heinlein and call me in the morning.  What I love about Theoretical is that it all makes sense.  It's cohesive and it all comes together beautifully.  I love the ending of this book, I love how well Nick was able keep me captivated through three different interlocking stories and still blow me away with the ending.  Well done sir, well done!

The author Nick Reynolds is a pen name for Donald Wells, a rising author who has managed to grab my attention with his stories like an author has not done for quite some time.  I look forward to reading every word this man puts into print.

My rating: 10 (1st 10 rating on the blog to date!)
Pages: 59
Author website: http://www.donaldwells.com/nick-reynolds.html

Monsters by Peter Cawdron

Synopsis:  A meteor passes by earth leaving behind some kind of dust or debris that overtime changes all the animals into giant monsters.  Dogs the size of horses, ants the size of a human foot, leaving humans no longer at the top of the food chain.  As times goes on the monsters get bigger and there are less and less people.  Bruce and his son James must learn to fight off not only the monsters of the animal kingdom but also those monsters trying to take back claim of a world that no longer belongs to them.

My review:  I felt like this book was a bit slow going in the beginning but now I realize that a picture needed to be painted before I could appreciate the work as a whole.  After about 100 pages I could not put this book down.  I became a big fan of James and his view of the way the world should be.  There is quite a bit of story line going on throughout this book and I don't want to give away too much in the synopsis so I kept it as brief as possible.  One thing I really liked was how Peter, the author was able to describe the monsters, I could truly picture them in my mind.  In the end I just enjoyed the uniqueness of this whole story and while this is the first book I have read of Peter's it will definitely not be the last.

My rating:  7
Pages:  342
Author website:  http://thinkingscifi.wordpress.com/

TAKEN! Box Set - Books 1-6 by Donald Wells

Synopsis:  A series of short stories revolving around a man who has homicidal tendencies only to be leveled out by one of his would be victims.  Jessica, was taken, tied up and about to be murdered when the killer has a change of heart and falls in love with Jessica.  It is though this love, that her now husband has been able to contain his tendencies and together they have become two of the best criminal profilers in the business.

My review:  Each short story is completely independent of the others but is also essentially a continued story as pertaining to the two main characters.  These stories are very Dexteresque.  The main character, his name has not yet been mentioned, is a killer at heart but it is because of the love of his wife that he is able to control these urges and apply them to catching other criminals.  Together this married team runs into all sorts of trouble and each story is absolutely fantastic.  This is just books 1-6 and at this point in time the books already go up to # 25, with more in the works.  I have thoroughly enjoyed each of these books and will continue to read the rest of the books in the entire series.

My rating:  9
Pages:  133
Author website:  http://www.donaldwells.com/

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Synopsis:  The narrator John (or Jonah) sets out to write a book about what happened on the day America dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.  He starts by looking into the life of one of the inventors of the atomic bomb, Dr. Felix Hoenikker.  He begins by writing letters to his family and begins communicating with Hoenikker's youngest son, Newt.  While he is investigating this family he discovers that the doctor also invented a substance he called ice-nine.  Hoenikker's goal was to figure out a way to solidify mud so US Marines would not have to wade through it in battle.  Ice-nine instantly turns all water to ice with a melting temperature of 140 degrees.  Each of Hoenikker's three children are now in possession of a small piece of ice-nine.  He runs into Newt on a plane while traveling to the island of San Lorenzo and is eventually introduced to the eldest son, Frank.  It is though Frank that Jonah assume the roll of President of the island since the current President, "Papa" Monzano, is dying of cancer.  In order to save himself the suffering of dying a slow and painful death "Papa" eats a small amount of the ice-nine, instantly turning himself to ice.  As they are moving his body to a funeral pyre, part of him falls into the water and turns the oceans and all water in the world to ice, essentially destroying the world and almost all life with it.

My review:  I read this book because one of my favorite authors, Michael Bunker, is releasing a fan fiction book based in this "world".  This book to me was just okay, better than some of the Kurt Vonnegut I have read but I can see why someone would decide to write a fan fiction story based off this book.  The possibilities are endless.  Only the last few pages actually touch on the world in a post-apocalyptic state after the world has frozen over and all plant and wildlife has been killed off.  There are an infinite number of stories that can spread from this point on.  I wonder if Kurt wrote a sequel to this story, I would be interested to see his idea of the world after the book ends and his expansion or ideas of the end of the world from this point on.  While I have not been a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut's work, I do feel better that I have experienced his stories for myself and not just from the spoken or written word of others.

My rating:  6
Pages: 287
Author website: http://www.vonnegut.com/

Futurity by Michael Bunker

Synopsis:  Malcolm is investigating/interviewing two different doctors that both have theories on time travel.  As he learns more and more about one of the doctor's in particular, Dr. Paulsen, he learns that not only has he been trying to find out information about the doctor and his work, but the doctor has selected him out of many others to be the one person who meets all the requirements for time travel.  As the technology progresses he finds out the he can travel to anywhere he wants at any time in the future, only the future though, time travel to the past is impossible.  As he travels into the future we see the world in many different states of being and what Malcolm does or does not do with that knowledge of the future weighs on him heavily.  It is one of these particular time stamps of the world that weighs on him the most, possibly thousands of year in the future.  You will have to travel with him to see how it all turns out.

My review:  I find that time travel books are often very confusing and difficult to read with all the back and forth, with the changes that traveling to the past can do to the future.  I often spend most of the time reading the book, actually thinking to myself "what the hell is going on now".  Well that was not this case with this book.  All the time travel is into the future, so there is no buttery effect to deal with, and there is no change the time line because of some changed event.  Michael does a great job of keeping the reader involved in the story, and keeps things in the realm of understanding.  I very much felt that everything he wrote about was possible at some point in time, and it all made sense to me.  I think Michael Bunker just kind of amazes me, I am fascinated by him.  He is an off grid farmer, living an almost Amish lifestyle, and its just strange for me to picture him sitting at his desk writing a book about futuristic time travel or zombies or pre-apocalyptic EMP attacks.  But he just does it so well, all of his books are amazing.  I will read anything this man puts in print.  Thank you very much Michael.

My rating:  7
Pages:  240
Author website:  http://journal.michaelbunker.com/

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Synopsis:  Two terminally ill cancer patients fall in love.  Both young and intelligent and both fighting to find balance in a world that is anything but balanced.  Hazel knows she is going to die and does not want to put the pain of her death on her new friend, Augustus.  Augustus has already had one girlfriend die of cancer and she does not want to be the second.  As they work through these issues, they find a connection that will help them both through the impossibly tough times ahead.

My review:  This book was fantastic.  I love how John Green writes, each of the characters in the book are so different, its almost like I hear each person's words differently in my head.  He does a great job of giving each character his/her own personality and emotions.  Happy, sad, funny, he writes each of these emotions perfectly.  Even though this book is written for Young Adults, there is meaning here for all of us.  I just finished reading this today but I think I will like the book even more as time goes on, as I have more time to think about how this story ended, as I am able to talk about it with others.  This feels like one of the stories that gets even better with time.  One line that has stuck with me and will continue with me forever is "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."  I mean that is just perfect writing.

My rating: 8
Pages: 313
Author website: http://johngreenbooks.com/

The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

Synopsis:  Daniel Fletcher, Christopher Thorne, Steven Edwards, all identities forged by a master contortionist, a contortionist of identities.  Real name, John Dolan Vincent.  Johnny suffers from chronic headaches, godsplitters as he calls them.  So much pain that all he can think of is stopping the pain with any means necessary, even if that relief could kill him.  Because of these headaches and the pain involved with such, he has mastered forging documents, scouting cemeteries and local junkies to acquire an identity which he can use in the future.  Birth certificates, school ID's, driver licenses, in 55 minutes, just like that perfect replicas.  All used so each time he overdoses while trying to stop a godsplitter he can change identities and stay off the radar of the medical doctors, the police and related public authorities.  During questioning after one of his OD's we learn all about his childhood, his parents and how he came to be who he is today, while also seeing how he has mastered the art of trickery, slight of hand so to speak.  Who will he be next or will the authorities finally catch on to his deceiving ways?

My review:  Definitely a page turner.  I wanted to see where this story was going from the first words.  A probable genius, drug addicted, master forger constantly changing identities, how can you not be drawn in?  The author really knows his medical terms when it comes to pain, substance and personality disorders and he does a fantastic job describing how Johnny learns and masters forging all different types of documents.  My only issue with this book is how it ends.  While I can see how the ending is supposed to leave you in thought and wondering exactly what the next move may be, I just don't think it flowed the way is could have.  It was kind of abrupt, without a great deal of explanation.  Might be a good story to discuss with a bunch of buddies sitting around drinking one night but for me it just didn't end as well as it could have.  I would give the first 95% of this book an A and the last 5% a C-.

My rating: 6
Pages: 199
Author website: http://www.craigclevenger.com/#1c5/flickr

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (Ashes Trilogy Book # 1)

Synopsis:  After what we assume is an EMP attack of some kind, Alex while out camping in the woods needs to try and figure out what the hell happened and how to get back to safety.  After the EMP it seems that most people have dropped dead and the younger ones seem to have "Changed" into some kind of strange flesh eating creatures.  She meets up with Tom while trying to take care of eight year old Ellie, both of whom she has run into in the woods.  She must protect them while finding protection from Tom, an army Vet on home on leave from Afghanistan.  Alex, recently diagnosed with a brain tumor seems to be okay along with some others after the EMP, she has not turned yet.  She is separated from both Tom and Ellie but taken in by a group of survivors in a town called Rule.  While she is not quite sure of who to trust she is also battling with feelings for Tom and now for one of the survivors in camp named Chris.  She is not sure why she has been Spared and others have been Changed but the story continues into book two and we shall see where the story takes us from there.

My review: This book is hard to rate at this point because it is only one third of the story.  By the end of the trilogy I might raise the rating simply because I know the full story.  The word zombie is not used in the book at all but these Changed people are clearly some kind of zombie.  I am very interested to see why some people have changed and others not.  Because this book is YA, it a very quick and easy read even if it is close to 500 pages.  This book was recommended to me by a coworker and I am glad she did.  This was great read, I mean who doesn't like a post apocalyptic, woodland survival story with friggin zombies.  I will absolutely be reading the other two books in the trilogy as well.

My rating: 7
Pages: 496
Author website: http://www.ilsajbick.com/

Replay by Ken Grimwood

Synopsis:  Imagine you die at age 43 only to awake in your college dorm room at 18 years old and getting to live your entire life over again.  Change any mistakes you may have made, right any wrongs, maybe bet on a horse race where you already know the winner.  Take your knowledge of the winning sports teams, profitable stocks, successful upcoming companies to increase your income into the hundreds of millions.  Become one of the most successful businessmen of all time only to die again of a heart attack at age 43.  Replay life, yet again.  This is exactly how Jeff Winston has lived his life, except it doesn't end there, his keeps replaying his life over and over and over again and always dying at age 43.  In each of his lives he meets previous girlfriends, wives and even another replayer.  In one life he shares his secret with the world only to have the world turn on him, thinking he is a psychic and not believing the fact that he actually already lived through these events.  The government demanding to know the future and not willing to help him figure out why this is happening to him.  Throughout each of his lives he struggles to find balance between the woman he loves and the woman he may be with when we wakes up.  How will all these lives end?  What will happen when his replays run out?  Is it really aliens altering the space time continuum for their own entertainment?  One day will the replays stop?  Will he be able to live his life in peace with Linda, Judy, Pamela?  Or will he keep replaying again and again and again...

My review:  I have never read another book quite like this in my life.  It was fantastic.  Such an amazing concept, such a unique story.  Seeing Jeff struggle to make sense of this life and the next life and the previous life, always longing to see where the story is going to take him next, it's pure entertainment.  Wow, is all I can say, what a page turner.  I literally shut myself off in the basement so I would have time to myself to make sure I could read this book without anyone bothering me.  The story is quite similar to the movie Groundhog Day, except Jeff can alter so much more with his knowledge over years and years then Bill Murray's character can do in a day.  Each one of his lives are so different and so amazing that I was drawn into this book from the very first sentence.  The author has already passed away so there will be no sequel written but I will definitely being checking out some of his other books.  Until then you need to read this book today.

My rating:  9
Pages:  312
Author website (unofficial):  http://www.kengrimwoodlibrary.com/

Wick by Michael Bunker

Amazon synopsis:  
In WICK 1... a man walked out of New York City after Hurricane Sandy and fell off the edge of the earth...
In WICK 2: Charm School... a mysterious town explodes in violence and America is dealt a deadly blow...
In WICK 3: Exodus... the world is without power. You are on foot and have no home. Any stranger you meet may kill you... and normal is never coming back...
In WICK 4: One Word of Truth... Weeks after the world has been crippled by massive EMP attacks, nuclear weapons are used on major cities, and survivors grapple with a changed world that will never be the same again.

My review:  I have been sitting here for more then an hour and written four different synopsis's about this book and have finally decided to copy the synopsis from Amazon, just so we are clear the words written above are not my own.  This book is huge close to 600 pages with very small font type.  There is so much going on in each of these books that I literally cannot find a way to describe this book in one small paragraph.  I liked this book, I have loved every Michael Bunker book I have read so far and this one does not disappoint.  I did struggle through book two but read books three and four in just a few days.  Book one was phenomenal and the kindle version is free right here on Amazon.  If you want to get a taste read this first and the decide if you want to read the entire book.  It all started because I wanted to read Michael's book The Last Pilgrims which is the sequel to Wick even though Wick was written afterwards.  So I decided to start chronologically instead of in the order the books were written, which I never do.  But I felt in this scenario I needed to know pre-story beforehand.  I don't think I can convince my wife and her book club to read this book but if you want a great story about the end of the world, buckle in and prepare yourself for a story that will take to the end of the world (literally) and back.  I tip my hat to you Michael, well done and thank you.

My rating: 7
Pages: 572
Author website: http://journal.michaelbunker.com/

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Synopsis:  Clay Jensen arrives home one day to find a box at his front door.  Inside the box are several tapes that were recorded by Hannah Baker, a girl and previous crush interest from his class who committed suicide a few weeks earlier.  He learns that he is somehow connected to why Hannah killed herself.  In order to find out how he must listen to all the tapes.  Along with the tapes is a map he found in his school locker.  As he listens to the tapes and follows the map he begins his quest of understanding how something terrible like this could happen and how he could possibly be involved.  Each tape is the story of someone who directly or indirectly was involved with Hannah's decision to kill herself.  Thirteen tapes and thirteen reason why...

My review:  I read this book in honor of banned books week.  Personally I do not think that any book should be banned, ever.  But is some cases I understand why the book was banned, at least to a select audience.  According to Amazon the age range of this book is 12 and up.  I do not agree with this.  While this book is considered to be YA, young adult, I feel 12 is a bit young for someone to read this book.  First of all it's about suicide and the events that lead to a suicide.  In this book there are several situations that have pushed this book into the banned books list for 2013, peeping toms, bullying, rape and of course suicide.  With all that said I think everyone should read this book, eventually.  I loved the way the book was written with Hannah speaking over the tapes and Clay's thoughts and actions mixed right in.  I really felt both Clay's and Hannah's emotions reading this book.  I also loved how the ending of the book brought the story all together.  Book clubs, reading groups, High School Juniors and Seniors, and all ages above should read this book.  There are lessons here about how a simple act of teasing or joking may be just enough to push someone over the edge and actually consider doing something like taking his or her own life.  I think we can all learn something from this book, I know I did.

My rating:  9
Pages:  336
Author website:  http://jayasher.blogspot.com/

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Synopsis:  Max is a special boy, he may be Autistic or someone just with special needs but he has only one friend, Budo, his imaginary friend.  One day Max goes missing and no one knows how or why.  Has he been taken by someone, has he wandered off in the woods near school?  Budo, as Max's best and only friend makes it his goal, his mission to find Max at any and all cost.

My review:  I decided to read this book at this time due to some recent events in my life and wanted something light and easy to read.  Little did I know about this story.  While this book is about a boy and his imaginary friend it is also very much about death.  Budo is constantly wondering if one day he will die if Max stops believing in him.  Once I got into this book, more than 50 pages or so I could not put it down.  It was fantastic.  Not what expected from a book about an imaginary friend.  Few books have ever made me tear up but the very ending of this book was moving for me.  I felt the same emotion Budo felt when trying to save Max.  The author does an excellent job of putting you inside the head of both Max and Budo.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend this to anyone in a book club.  I think you will love it as well.

My rating:  9
Pages:  311
Author website:  http://matthewdicks.com/

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

Synopsis: There is a poem that if read aloud or even thought about in full will kill whoever hears it or whoever is thought about while thinking about the poem.  Carl Streater learns about this poem while investigating a string of sudden deaths.  As a reporter he is focusing specifically on sudden infant death syndrome and soon determines that these deaths are related to this poem from a book called Poems and Rhymes from Around the World.  He also learns that he is not the only one that knows about this poem and it's abilities.  Once he meets Helen Hoover Boyle, they set out to destroy all copies of this ancient book so it does not end up in the wrong hands but end up leaving behind a slew of deaths behind them.  Once Carl learns the poem he has a hard time controlling the power that comes with this knowledge.  Someone bumps him in the street, someone annoys him on the radio, someone looks at him with the slightest bit of unpleasantness ends up dead.  He and Helen both must learn to control their thoughts or they may end up dead themselves.  

My review: I am not sure why I have been on a dark and dreary reading kick here recently but this is definitely the icing on the cake.  Chuck Palahniuk is probably one of the weirdest people out there, his books are beyond strange and I have loved them all.  If you have never read a Palahniuk book, they are different, they are not prose on a page they are more like the thoughts and ramblings of a madman.  Reading his books is like listening to his thoughts in your mind, and he is an expert at his craft.  While the stories are dark and disturbing his ability to transport you into the minds of his characters is unparalleled.  Try reading Choke or Fight Club, if you don't believe me.  These books are as crazy as the author.  Great job Chuck, I look forward to more!!

My rating: 7

Pages: 260

Author website: http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Synopsis: Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time.  He randomly travels through time into different periods of his life from the bombing in Dresden to his time with the aliens on Planet Tralfamdore.  He is constantly running into random characters on his adventures, some of which appear in other Vonnegut books, even Vonnegut himself.  Because he can time travel he has already seen all the events in his life before they actually happen, the bombing of Dresden, his children, the death of his wife, even his own death.  So it goes.  All of these events converge together randomly throughout paragraphs of writing to form a story...

My review: I am having the hardest time putting the synopsis of this book into words.  Maybe I just don't get it but I am at a loss.  I did not find a point to this book at all.  Yes it's kind of cool about the time travel but more than anything I had a hard time following it cohesively.  One paragraph Billy is at war in 1945 and the next he is at his daughter's wedding, being abducted by aliens.  I can appreciate a "weird" book as much as the next guy but I don't see what all the hype is about with this book.  I wanted to, I really wanted to like it, but I didn't.  I have heard nothing but good things about this book for years.  I am glad that I have read it so I know for myself what it's all about but I will not be recommending this book to anyone in the future, either here on on Tralfamdore.

My rating: 3
Pages: 215
Author website: http://www.vonnegut.com/

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Synopsis:  Miriam Black knows when you will die.  Well she does once she touches you, this knowledge requires skin on skin contact.  Her life has been a roller coaster ride since she found out about this "gift" eight years ago.  She has been living on the streets to motel rooms to local bars all using this knowledge for her personal gain.  She uses these individuals for money, cars, sex, whatever it is she needs until they die.  She only takes what she needs though, that's a rule.  On one of her adventures she gets a ride from Louis, one man who is actually nice to her and Miriam gets very upset after shaking hands with him and learning how he will die.  She knows that she cannot change fate and she is troubled with the knowledge of his death.  She is hunted by some drug dealers after getting involved with a con artist named Ashley, yes his name is Ashley.  She may be falling for Louis and will do whatever she can to save him but can she actually change what she has already seen in a vision or will she die trying?

My review:  I read this book in about in four days.  A quick easy ready but thoroughly enjoyable.  This book is not for the faint of heart.  It's dark, disturbing, and disgusting at times.  There is sex, drugs, death obviously but all of these ideas come together quite well.  I heard about this book on a suggestion from Amazon.  I actually find a lot of my book suggestions from there and this one did not disappoint.  There is already a second book in this series called Mockingbirds also all about Miriam and some more of her story.  I will definitely be continuing my journey with her.  I look forward to see what she has in store.

My rating: 7
Pages: 358
Author website: http://terribleminds.com/

The Hurricane by Hugh Howey

Synopsis:  Daniel Stillman is a loaner, one friend, no life and a massive Hurricane is coming that will change everything.  The book starts out with Daniel going to a party, one in which he was invited by someone who was invited by someone else.  He does not want to go but is eventually pressured into it by his one friend.  Due to the digital age we live in no one has been watching the news or staying up on current events, apparently with this info so constantly accessible no one actually pays any attention to it.  So while this party is in full effect, the cops show up but not to breakup the party they are there for Daniel.  He is informed that the cops are friends of his stepfather and that he has sent for Daniel because there is a massive storm coming.  When finally home the family endures the storm together, less the eldest brother who is spending the night at his girlfriends house.  Once the storm passes they realize the full extent of the damage, not only to their house but to the rest of the neighborhood as well.  While out surveying the scene a girl asks Daniel for help hooking up a charging station for the rest of the neighbors to use once cell service is finally restored.  Her name is Anna, oddly enough the same name as the Hurricane that just came though.  Together with the rest of the family they seek out the lost older brother, try to restore some sort of order to the house and deal, as best the can with a life altering storm.

My Review:  First of let me say that I pretty much love all things Hugh Howey so maybe I am a bit biased but I absolutely loved this book.  With only being 200 some pages it was a quick read and an absolute page turner.  And since the main character is a high schooler I may even consider this to be a young adult book.  Such a fantastic story of love and life.  I was rooting for Daniel from the first few pages.  I loved how Hugh incorporated Anna (the girl not the storm) into the story, I truly felt a connection between her and Daniel.  Well done Hugh, you have managed to blow me again yet again.  My only issue with this book is that now I have one less Hugh Howey book to read for the first time.


My Rating: 8
Pages: 218
Author website: http://www.hughhowey.com/

Bait by J. Kent Messum

Synopsis: Six people awake on a beach with no memory of how or why they are there.  We learn quickly that all six of these individuals are highly addicted to heroin, not only addicts but all living in the slums and considered to be the lowest of all human life.  As the first signs of withdraw start to kick in they are told that there is a substantial amount of premium grade heroin on another island about a mile away.  To get there they must swim through shark infested waters but there is enough there for any and all who make it.  The story flashes back to the lives of each of the six characters giving a background story on each.  As we learn more about each character we see alliances and hatred emerge among them on the island.  They must attempt the swim or there will be consequences as there is a yacht moored off the island with three individuals watching the outcome unfold.

My review: This book is extremely intense.  Another book not for the faint of heart.  My first thought is that there is something terribly wrong with this author to come up with a story that is this perverse, and I like it.  I read this book in less than 24 hours.  I never wanted to put it down, for that one day it went with me everywhere.  It had been awhile since something captivated me right from the start quite like Bait did.  This was J. Kent Messum's first book and I will definitely be reading the next books he has coming out, hopefully sooner rather than later.

My rating: 8
Pages: 288
Author website: http://jkentmessum.com/

Pennsylvania by Michael Bunker

Synopsis: An Amish man wants to start a life in Pennsylvania, New Pennsylvania actually which is on a planet many light years away.  He wants to start a family and grow crops in a new Amish community.  He will be frozen and awoken once he gets to the new planet.  One stipulation is that he can never come home.  He has family planning to join him once he is established but things do not go quite as planned.  He arrives in New Pennsylvania but nothing is as it should be.  Right from the start of his arrival he is running for his life.

My review:  This is not a book yet, at this point it is a short story.  The ending is abrupt and is definitely meant to have additional parts added to it.  Michael Bunker is currently working on Pennsylvania 2 and as far as I am concerned he cannot write it fast enough.  I have never read a book quite like this, Amish SciFi, what a concept.  I loved all the characters so far and cannot wait to see how the story continues.  I have a feeling he will release all these Pennsylvania stories as one book eventually which even at this early stage I feel its how it should be read.  With only this part of the book we barely have a story, what we have is the start of a story, but a great story so far.

My rating: 9
Pages: 68
Author website: http://journal.michaelbunker.com/