Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Oh, Sookie... I love the True Blood series, but the last two books have been disappointing. I started reading this early this week, but put it down to start and finish Why We Broke Up. The book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't great. I read it, but there was reluctance in picking it up. I felt almost like I did when I read Steven King novels in high school, not because I liked him, but because my friends read the books and I wanted to be able to talk to them about those things we could share.

Harris seems to include a lot of action lately, but it makes it hard for me to remember was is going on. Who does Sookie love? Is it Eric? Bill? Quinn? Sam? Who? I never can keep up. I tire of hearing how attractive Sookie is and I am also tired of the stupid Fae. Alcide is changing and I don't like that. What happened to the sexy lumberjack (okay, that's what is in my head) who drives a pick-up truck and washes dishes? *sigh* Harris, I am not your biggest fan these days. Maybe I will just watch the HBO series and skip your next novels. I doubt I'd be missing much.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Why We Broke Up is a long and rambling letter to Ed from Min, explaining why she is returning all these wonderfully sentimental items to him and finally getting to why they broke up. Before I go on, I just have to say that immediately upon finishing this book, I texted my best friend, J, to tell her she had to read this book. I revealed that it hurt me to go to sleep and to church this morning because I wasn't able to finish this in one sitting. Truth be told, I actually sat in the church parking lot until the last possible minute so I could read more of this book before the service started.

I want to be as witty as Min and I want to have a love affair like the one described in the pages of this novel. Obviously, the relationship did not end well, but it burned bright, super nova style until it exploded. This book will transport you back into high school. Almost immediately, I was feeling everything Min did, excitement, hope, anxiety, sadness, fear, everything. I was there, was digging through a box, holding things and talking about things and cringing at moments when Min was cringing.

I LOVE this book, love love love. I like the style in which it is written, long and rambling, urgent, sad, underpunctuated. It is not just for young adults. I think it is appropriate for anyone who is 16 or older, perhaps younger. I have trouble believing that the man who wrote the Lemony Snickett books wrote this. It is beautiful.

I found the book at Barnes and Noble and flipped through it, but was hooked when I saw the beautifully sparse drawings. The art is beautiful, but the story... It is such a beautiful book, so carefully woven together, that it happens without your knowledge or permission, the story unfolding with ease. I was falling in love, but I had that nagging feeling in the back of my mind, that was verified at the end of several sections, that this would not be good.

The characters are complex and surprise you, just when you think you know them. The roles that are set forth here do not play out like you would expect, but that adds to the majesty of this book. I can't say enough wonderful things. I just really love it. I love the book. Please read it and share it.

Mortified

I bought this book because of the goofy picture on the cover. I am SO glad I judged this book by the cover. I laughed, cried, and cringed along with the authors of terrible journal entries and letters contained in this book. At one point, I really thought someone had stolen my own journal and used it as theirs. Oh, yes, there were many moments like this.

I finished half the book in the parking lot of Target. I sat there and started reading and did not want to stop. When it really hit home, I had to put it aside, but not before I decided that my best friend, co-author of some amazingly embarrassing correspondence had to read the book. I took it with me everywhere, reading tiny snippets while waiting to go into the doctor or in the parking lot when I was early for lunch with a friend or even while I was waiting for my small group to start in the church parking lot.

If you journaled at all, you need to read this book. It is so amazingly funny and current and wonderful. It is okay to shudder a little about the stupid things you remember and relate to. It will make you feel 12, 14, 16, or however old again. That is a really great thing. Even if it does make you feel a little sick for a moment to remember how obsessed you were with that all-consuming crush, it is nice to remember that feeling of love and desire and even hurt that is not so easy to experience as an adult.

Please read this book and share it if you can.

Is the B*tch Dead or What?

I didn't want to read this book. A casual acquaintance loaned it to me because she thought I enjoyed the first one, mostly because I actually read the first one. We are having lunch today, so I wanted to finish it up. It was a good as the first in this series, and by that, I mean it was terrible. I struggled to get through it. The only redeeming character in the book is Tracee, the best friend, who is discovering Jesus.

There are so many characters in this book, it is difficult to keep up. Each chapter (which are generally 2-3 pages long) is from another point of view. There are such gems of writing as this:

"The nurses were on their toes, but Ritz would rather have Tracee help her to the bathroom, help her eat, and other personal stuff like that."

I would not accept a sentence like than in a freshman comp class. Really?!? Please, Wendy Williams, stop writing. It would help the world.