The Virgin Suicides

By: Jeffrey Eugenides
Genre: Fiction
Stars: 4 out of 5
During the 1970s in a suburb of Michigan, one by one the five beautiful Lisbon sisters commit suicide. Told from the perspective of the neighborhood boys, an investigation into why these young teenage girls take their own life begins - and ends - with no reason. Cecilia - the youngest at thirteen - is the first one to go. After the second and final attempt, Cecilia turns the world of her household and the neighborhood upside down. The four remaining sisters - Lux, Bonnie, Mary and Therese - are put on household arrest by their strict and Christian mother, while the boys gaze at the deteriorating house from the exterior only wondering how the world of the Lisbon sisters are deteriorating from the interior; until they reach their breaking point.
This book was adapted into a film by the famous director Sofia Coppola in 1999, one of my all time favorite movies. Considering I had never read the book I decided to see if I would enjoy the novel as much as I do the movie. And I must admit I did. The movie follows almost exactly as the book - omitting small details here and there - and uses the same perspective to explain these girls' story. My mother always asks me why I enjoy a film (and now book) about five teenage girls who kill themselves. And I could not really explain exactly why. I know I like the outside look and heartbreaking story of these five girls who know that their only escape in life is actually death. I like how no matter how hard these boys analyze everything they know about that year concerning the Lisbon sisters, they will never know the true reason into why these girls did it. Jeffrey Eugenides explores this subject that many people dare not touch and it fascinates me. Even though I truly cannot explain why my feelings toward this book and film are pleasurable, I highly recommend you read it and see how your feelings on this subject matter are.

Catching Fire

By: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Teen Fiction
Stars: 5 out of 5
In the second installment of The Hunger Games, Katniss thinks that life is going to become simpler. The Hunger Games are over and both Katniss and Peeta are victors for District 12. All they have to do is finish the victor’s tour and go back to their lives, essentially. However, what Katniss did with the berries in the Hunger Games has caused there to be rumors of uprisings against the Capital. With a threat on the man that she loves life from the President, Katniss is ready to run away – until the Quarter Quell’s reaping requirements are called. All tributes are to be picked from the victor’s that are still alive in each district. That means Katniss and Peeta must enter into the Hunger Games one more time. With the districts causing unrest these Hunger Games are going to be a challenge, especially since Katniss’ goal is to keep Peeta alive. Will Katniss succeed and will the Capital start to crumble?
The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy is certainly another page turner. Chapter after chapter you just have to keep going to find out what is going to happen next. I didn’t think I would read the second book in one sitting like I did for the first, boy was I wrong. Collins just knows exactly how to keep you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what is going to happen to these characters next. And I know this is going to sound girly but I love the side love triangle as well. At the end of the novel, it just ends with a cliffhanger so unpredictable that I cannot wait until the final book comes out! So make August come faster so then you and I can read Mockingjay!

City of Thieves

By: David Benioff
Genre: Fiction
Stars: 4 out of 5
A looter named Lev Benioff and a deserter named Kolya are sent on a mission by the colonel instead of killing them: acquire a dozen eggs for his daughter’s wedding cake. In the midst of the Nazi siege of Leningrad, there are no eggs because the city is cut off from all supplies. The pair has until Thursday to fight off cannibals, Nazis and the cold. Will they be able to find the eggs and make it back in time to save their lives?
One of my coworkers was right, and this is certainly an entertaining read. The story line, the situations and the characters are quite fun to read. Kolya’s character especially is amusing because he is always bringing up how long it has been since he last went number two. So Lev and Kolya will be walking along and Kolya will exclaim, “You know it has been eight days since I last took a shit!” Benioff has produced a pleasurable read that is thrilling and sad at the same time. I would highly recommend this novel.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

By: Stieg Larrson
Genre: Crime Fiction
Stars: 5 out of 5
A year after the Wennerstrom affair we find Lisbeth Salander in the Caribbean; after a year of traveling she returns to find that people are after her. Mikael Blomkvist is working on a special issue of Millennium about Sweden’s sex trafficking and he has hired a man and his partner to write pieces for it. A few weeks before the issue and the book is supposed to be published the couple are found dead in their apartment. And they find Lisbeth’s fingerprints on the murder weapon. Now Mikael must pursue his own investigation of the murders and the sex trafficking to not only find out the killer but clear Lisbeth’s name. All the while Lisbeth is being hunted down for the murders. Therefore, she must undergo her own investigation and finish something she started when she was twelve.
The second installment of the Millennium Trilogy is certainly a page turner. You have three investigations and therefore many perspectives of the same story being pursued at the same time and a lot of dirty secrets being exposed. We learn a lot more about Larrson’s protagonist Lisbeth Salander and her past that she has tried to avoid all of her life. Instead of explaining a lot of Swedish financial things in the first hundred pages, Larrson jumps right into his story; from the end of the prologue I was hooked. And he keeps you hooked throughout the rest of the novel, until the cliffhanger at the end. I really recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Someone on the bus saw me reading this book and I strongly recommended it to him! I am usually a skeptic when it comes to mainstream fiction but Stieg Larrson is a terrific writer and has an intriguing story line. Seriously readers of this blog, if you haven’t already read these books, read them!

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

By: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Teen Fiction
Stars: 4 out of 5
Bree Tanner – a newborn vampire – makes a brief appearance in the third Twilight Saga book Eclipse. We are introduced to her momentarily after the battle between Victoria’s newborn vampire army and the Cullen’s where she surrenders and meets her inevitable fate. Now this is her short story about the events taking place up to the point where she is murdered. We learn that Bree is not a normal newborn vampire, she is smart and cunning. She figures out the lies the vampire named Riley tells the twenty-two of them to fight and she meets and begins to fall for Diego – an older (older for newborns) vampire who takes her under his wing. Unfortunately, all this knowledge comes too late when she realizes that going into this battle is truly not how she wants to live this new life and all she wants to do is runaway. But the need for blood and the hunt for Bella overpower her true wishes and unfortunate Bree Tanner comes to an awful end.
Being a literary fan of the Twilight Saga, I was curious to read this book. I really did not remember who Bree Tanner was but I was intrigued to find out what her story. Although written well, I wanted more about Bree’s first three months of life. This novel only takes place within the last week of Bree’s life and I wanted more. Plus you know those movies and books such as Romeo and Juliet or The Other Boleyn Girl where you know the characters are going to die but you want them to live despite the information you already know? That’s exactly how this book ended. You have learned about Bree and realize she is different and you want her to live so badly, but sadly Bree Tanner does not fit into the ending we want for her. All in all even if you are the slightest closet fan of Twilight, this was a fun read.

The Search

By: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romance
Stars: 2 out of 5
Eight years after being a victim of the Red Scarf Killer – and the only survivor – Fiona Bristow has made a new life for herself. Running her own dog training school and volunteering as a canine search-and-rescue, Fiona has no time for relationships – or the danger that is about to find her. A new wood artist has moved into town with a terrible puppy, who seeks Fiona out to train. Simon definitely intrigues Fiona and the two become fast lovers until a red scarf shows up at her house. Although the killer is behind bars, someone is still killing women and is now after Fiona! Will she survive a second time and manage to keep the man she loves alive?
Okay I must admit that once every few months, Nora Roberts is a guilty pleasure of mine. Yes it is all cheesy romance but what girl usually doesn’t like to read about a love story every now and then? Although, I must admit I was a little disappointed with this story; it wasn’t one of Roberts’ usual love stories where the couple fight then make love then fight again. She put a lot of emphasis on the murdering man aspect, switching back and forth from his mind into Fiona’s story. I don’t know maybe it’s just me but when I pick up a romance novel I want good raw romance; so this story was a little disappointing to me, as well as long for a romance novel and rushed at the end.