The Maze Runner by James Dashner

  --> Disclaimer:  Since I initially posted this review, I have had a few people tell me that they started the series and were a little disappointed. While this series is dystopian (like The Hunger Games), it is different.  The main character is a boy and it is quite a bit more gruesome.  Romantic elements are also not as prevalent as some other dystopians that are currently on the market.  That being said, I think this is a very good series, but it may be more appealing to the male gender! :) 

James Dashner's The Maze Runner is the first in his post-apocalyptic trilogy. The main character, Thomas, wakes at the beginning of the novel to find that he has been transported to a world created by a group of scientists.  Those transported (all boys and one girl) have had their memories wiped and their only goals are to survive and escape. Within this world there are two main areas, the glade and the maze.  The glade is where they eat, sleep, and work and is protected by walls that close each night.  The maze is the test they have been given by the scientists and each day runners go out into the maze to try and figure out a way to escape. They regularly encounter Greivers, creatures that are a "horrific mix of animal and machine" and have instrument tipped appendages including saw blades, shears, and rods. As they attempt to survive and find a means of escape, Thomas and his friends contemplate possible reasons for why they have been sent to the glade in the first place. 

Since I read Suzanne Collin's, The Hunger Games, I have become a huge fan of dystopian literature. I am not sure what it is about these types of books that intrigue me so much, but I will say that I love how the authors attempt to paint a picture of what life could be like in the future.  The Maze Runner trilogy is a great dystopian series that attempts to show what life might be like post-apocalypse.   This first installment is basically a huge science experiment conducted using adolescents.  The reasons for this experiment are not fully explained in the first novel, but are expounded upon in the two additional books within the trilogy: The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure.   After reading The Maze Runner, it is almost impossible to not pick up the other two.  So, if you loved The Hunger Games trilogy and are looking for more good books to read, check out The Maze Runner trilogy. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The story begins with sixteen-year-old Jacob enduring a terrible family tragedy. The tragedy then leads him to an island off the coast of Wales where he begins to explore Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. He quickly finds out there is more than meets the eye in the old crumbling house. He enters a world of magic and discovers a family legacy that his grandfather had been trying to prepare him for all his life. 

How do you summarize this book without giving it all away?  That's a tricky thing to do since it seems as though even the author had trouble with not giving it all away too soon. The book begins interestingly enough, but tends to become a little childish by the end. The word "silly" kept coming to mind while I was reading. There were just a few too many magical elements all jumbled together and not enough actual storyline to keep my attention. Then the story peaked about three quarters of the way through and I was ready to be done with it.

With that said, there were a few things that make this book worth taking a look at.  The concept of the book itself was enough to sell me on it.  Incorporating the creepy vintage photographs into the book was a really novel idea. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the photographs were gathered first and then the story was written around them. Sadly, the story doesn't do them justice.  Overall, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children felt like a good idea that just sort of fizzled out.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Logan Thighbolt was not a big believer in luck, until a photograph seemed to bring him all the luck in the world. While serving in Iraq Logan finds a photo of a beautiful woman. He then narrowly survives various close encounters with death. Convinced that the photo is the reason why, his friend encourages him to find the woman in the picture when he returns home.  When he finds her he realizes she may be more than just a lucky charm, she may be his chance at a new life.


I have to admit that I am not a Nicholas Sparks fan. I find all his books to be predictable and his characters often seem to be the same people with different names. However, sometimes that is exactly the type of book that you need. I recently had a baby and found that life with a newborn is unpredictable enough. I needed something in the form of mind candy, something I could put in my head and suck on without really having to sink my teeth into it. The Lucky One seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.  I enjoyed that the book was written from several different characters' perspectives.  The setting was one of my favorites. I am a sucker for anything that takes place during summer in the south.  While the plot was somewhat predictable I did find myself wondering a bit about how it would turn out, and I actually found the ending to be very satisfying.  If you're going to read Nicholas Sparks, or you're just looking for a light summer read, I would suggest The Lucky One. It doesn't hurt that they made it into a movie and Zac Efron plays Logan Thighbolt. Mind candy plus eye candy, if there was a wink button I would use it.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Renee is the concierge of a building filled with wealthy apartment owners. She appears to be a typical concierge, but only because she desperately tries to cover up her true self: a woman who has a deep love for philosophy, literature, and the arts. Renee muses throughout the novel about the interesting lives of the tenants within the building and their world of wealth. Paloma is a twelve year old girl who lives in one of the apartments where Renee is a concierge. Based on the lives of the wealthy among her, Paloma has decided that life holds no true meaning, and plans to set the building on fire and then end her own life as well. Paloma creates two journals, "A Journal of Profound Thought" and "A Journal of the Movement of the World" where she intellectualizes the reasons for why life may or may not be worth living. Renee and Paloma eventually realize that they have much in common, despite their age differences, and begin to share life together.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is one of the most thought provoking books I have read in a long time. Muriel Barbery has set up the book in such a way that each chapter is a journal entry or type of musing from either Renee or Paloma. Because of this, the reader is able to see into the thoughts of each of the two main characters. Renee's discussions throughout the novel are heavily based on philosophical thought as she is a great lover of philosophy, especially Karl Marx. She made many conclusions about life that caused me to stop and think about her ideas. Paloma's journal entries were thought provoking as well, but in a different way. She is an extremely intelligent twelve year old girl who is trying to convince herself that life is worth living. Frustrated with the way that she sees her wealthy parents and neighbors living fake and frivolous lives, she seeks to find meaning in it all.

Paloma finally becomes friends with Renee when she is trying to find a place to hide far away from her family. Paloma and Renee's encounters in the book are refreshing and reminded me of the importance of having honest relationships.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

When the power goes out in picturesque Black Mountain, North Carolina, John Matherson knows exactly what happened. A history professor and former military officer, John has read the reports of what an EMP attack would look like, he knows immediately that the United States will never be the same. EMP is an electromagnetic pulse that wipes out of all America's power grid. Electricity, phones, and all cars built before the 1980's are rendered completely useless, thereby crippling the country. Left to protect his two daughters and lead the small town to reform itself into a hunter/gatherer society, John must gather all his strength and knowledge to make the hard decisions that will keep his town alive. Food and medicine rationing, martial law, and battle strategies become daily decisions alongside the everyday duties of being a father. One Second After is a cautionary tale of the all too true consequences of not being prepared for this type of attack.

This book is thought provoking and moving. Forstchen tackles the questions you pray you never have to answer, and the ones you would never even imagine. One Second After looks closely at how comfortable America has become and what would happen to us if someone decided to prey directly on our complacency. I found that throughout the book I agreed with the decisions John makes, though at times I wondered if I would have the strength to do the same. One Second After is described as an apocalyptic novel but at the heart of it, this is really a book about what it truly means to be an American, to love your neighbor and your country, to find strength in your faith and family, and ultimately the resilience of the human race.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski hopped a train to run away from a family tragedy, he couldn't have imagined the world in which he would find himself. He soon learns that the train is that of the Benzini Brothers Traveling Circus. An almost graduate of veterinary school, he is put in charge of the welfare of the menagerie. Jacob makes a few friends and quite a few enemies on the fateful journey. At the heart of the book is a love story between Jacob and one of the star performers, who happens to be married to a paranoid schizophrenic animal trainer that can't decide if he wants to kill Jacob or love him like a brother. Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob's time with the circus and all the oddities that life brings. Taking place during the depression era, the story is vivid, beautiful, surprising, and at times sad.



Water for Elephants is one of the best books I have read in quite a while. It is absolutely riveting. Sara Gruen does such an excellent job of engrossing the reader in the story, there were times I was sure I could smell the popcorn and wild animals. I was so glad to hear this book is being made into a movie. The description of the circus and all the colorful characters was so visual it will lend itself perfectly to the big screen.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Elizabeth Holland is the reigning queen of Manahattan's social scene in 1899. Her life appears to be perfect, but her family is hiding a secret. After her father's strange death, they are shocked to learn they are broke. In an attempt to save the family's reputation, Elizabeth is betrothed to Henry Schoonmaker- one of New Yorks's richest and wildest bachelors. The betrothal puts Elizabeth in the middle of a love triangle that could cost them all more than the family money. The Luxe is the first in a series of four books.

Lately I seem to be finding myself emerged in some fabulous young adult literature. I'm not ashamed of it, but what does it say about today's literary choices if adults keep turning to young adult chic lit for entertainment? I'm tired of heavy books that make me sad. I need a break, and I found it in The Luxe. Anna Godbersen does an excellent job of creating a world of frills, lace, and a few good ol' dirty catfights. This book is Mean Girls in corsettes. I'm considering heading out tonight to buy the next book in the series, Rumors. I recommend this book for a quick, no-brainer read. It's like getting a good dish of gossip without having to feeling guilty about it.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

A 16 year old Nigerian girl, a 4 year old who thinks he's Batman, Sarah, a woman with only 9 fingers, and her husband Andrew are all forced together in this story about survival. Little Bee grew up in the third world country where she changes her name to Little Bee to protect herself. After an encounter on the beach one day with the English couple, Sarah and Andrew, Little Bee stows away on a ship to seek refuge in England. Once there, she is immediately sent to a detention center where she spends over a year in harsh conditions because she has no papers. Once released, she goes to find Sarah and Andrew only to find that their worlds do not go together so well.

If you are looking for a "feel good" book then this is not the book to read. This is a very sad book, but I think that Chris Cleave does a great job of showing the difficulties of life in a third world country, in detention centers, and even in middle to upper class society. Sarah and Little Bee are practically forced together because of circumstances and it is great that Chris Cleave allows the reader to hear both of their points of view by switching from one character's voice to another. Listening to Little Bee you will find a young girl who is constantly afraid that men from Africa will come to find her. Sarah's perspective is even more complex as she cheats on her husband, works a full time job, tries to raise her son, and doesn't know how to manage it all.

While this is an extremely sad book, Little Bee's thought processes at times are very witty and sometimes make you laugh. Not to mention the fact that Sarah's 4 year old believes that he is Batman and can not be convinced otherwise. While I do recommend this book, I have to warn that the ending is somewhat frustrating and left me hanging. Even so, this is a wonderfully written book and well worth reading.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third and final novel (although their have been rumors of a fourth manuscript) in Stiegg Larsson's must-read trilogy. If you have not read the first two books in the trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire, you should head to the book store and get started.

Stiegg Larsson starts off in this novel where he left off in The Girl Who Played with Fire and doesn't stop for air. He picks right up with all of the characters, which can be a little frustrating in the beginning, especially if you had to wait for the third book to come out. The many investigators and police officers are hard to keep straight. Once I realized that I couldn't keep them all straight and just kept reading, I was hooked. When I reached Part 2, I could not put the book down. I have to say that I was concerned as to how Larsson was going to end this series when I picked up the book, but I was very impressed with how he masterfully tied all the loose ends.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

South of Broad by Pat Conroy is the story of a misfit boy and his journey into adulthood accompanied by an interesting group of friends and a truly difficult family. In spite of his mother's detachment and the turbulent backdrop of the 1960's and 1970's, Leo manages to become the kind of man everyone wants to know. The book takes the reader along as Leo navigates life in aristocratic Charleston, SC (otherwise known as south of Broad Street). The story continues with Leo's adult life and the obstacles him and his life-long friends are forced to overcome. The book is a series of twists, turns, and false endings, but somehow Conroy makes it work.

If you have ever been to Charleston, SC or even seen a picture of it for that matter, you will enjoy this book. The historic city is just as much a character in the story as Leo, his devout Catholic mother, or his flamboyant neighbor. You can almost smell Hyman's seafood and the brine in the air. The plot is full of so many seperate climaxes that it could really have been turned into two seperate books, but it flows together well enough that it is easy to overlook. I've heard a few grumbles from other readers about the ending, but I am of the opinion that it couldn't have ended any other way. If you want to decide for yourself, I guess you'll just have to pick up a copy and head south of Broad.