A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were orphaned when their parents were killed in a terrible fire that burned down their family mansion.  Soon after they are shipped from guardian to guardian in hopes of finding a new home.  The evil Count Olaf seeks to steal the Baudelaire fortune left to the children, and no wicked deed is too great for him.  Using many disguises, constantly one step ahead of the orphans, Olaf deceives everyone but the Baudelaire’s.  Count Olaf can be recognized by the one long eye-brow over his gleaming evil eyes to the odd tattoo on his ankle.  Due to him, the children endure terrible plays, man eating leaches, forced hard labor, false elevators, half starved lions, and overly-cheerful volunteers.  Along the way, they discover their parents had belonged to a secret organization that could explain everything from the mysterious fire that had taken their parents, to their connection with their many guardians.  Can Violet, Klaus, and Sunny out-wit their enemies without resorting to villainous acts themselves and finally live in peace?  And how is the author, Lemony Snicket, involved?

There are 13 books total in this series.  Although, it is geared towards young adults, I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys reading other young adult books like: The Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter series, and even the Lewis Carroll books.  Lemony Snicket’s writing style is truly unique, and he has obviously created a world in which every book ties into the next.  There are so many twists and secret plots that I could not even begin to tie them all together, and would have to read the books several times to unlock them.  I must say that is a task that I would not be bored by one bit.  I give this series 10 out of 10.

Eight of Swords by David Skibbins

First thing, I do not believe in using tarot cards.  Mom if you read this review please don’t freak out.  That being said it was a really good mystery.  The mild references to sex did not bother me at all.  I burned through the book in one day.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes murder and intrigue.  Skibbins characters were intriguing and the writing flowed.  I am not sure if I would read anything else by this author.  I give it 7 out of 10.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I was drawn into this book from the very first page.  I may as well have been walking along-side Daniel in Barcelona.  I loved the depth of the characters.  They came to life and made me know them intimately.  The story had a good flow.  Zafon has a gift of illuminating the story in a way that gave my imagination ample description of the scene, without the common mistake of over-illustration that leaves reader with a garbled account of the story.  Sorry, but my biggest pet peeve is a long-winded (or in a books case long-worded) description of a scene that leaves you feeling board and makes you loose your mental momentum.  Its as if the projector in my mind burns through the reel and I can hear the faint flapping of the film as it winds around the drum.  Why would anyone  need their mind jumping from the type of crown molding to the glint of metal from the lamp in the corner, when the author is portraying a scene where the hero meets the heroine for the first time?  Most importantly, even though I did figure out who the “Devil” was in the story before he was reveled, I was always happy to find a new twist in every chapter.  Zafon had  me hooked until the very last page.  When I finished the book I felt the story was fully developed, not at all making me feel there were loose ends left unexplained.   I give this book a 10 out of 10, and I would unquestionably read something else by this author.

My very first Blog!

I wanted to create a blog to review the books I have read.  I hope at some point others may read this and comment on my book choices and suggest books.  There must be someone out there who enjoys the same books I do.  Please keep the comments respectful or they will be deleted.  Otherwise, I look forward to reading with you.

About Me

I love to read.  It is one of the only ways I can escape this life that seems to be stalking me with a vengeance.  I feel older than my age and weary from the fight.  I read mostly fiction.  I like some fantasy, I love suspense, I adore the classic’s, and I despise horror.  My favorite authors include, but are not limited to: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austin, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, The Bronte’s, Lewis Carroll, Daniel Defoe, Carlos Ruiz Zafron, Lemony Snicket, and recently David Skibbins.