July, 2013
July 4th, 2013, 12:36 p.m. - Silly Barnes & Noble, why didn't you have any copies?
31. The Shadow Tracer (Meg Gardiner)
Up next: The Tao of Martha (Jen Lancaster)
July 6th, 2013, 12:15 p.m. - Dana, threatening to kill someone isn't a good idea on a murder-mystery show
Whodunnit? - "Fire Starter": Yay, Adrianna's gone! Now I don't have to figure out how to tell her and Dana apart! I'm no closer to figuring out who the murderer is, but that's okay. Rating: 4 St. Agatha (St. Agnes? St. Augustine?) medals
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 perform again and two go home: America, I can't believe you ditched Brittany. Not that you had any better choices, really, but still. Like I said, the eliminations are going to be hard each week. Rating: 4 library books
July 8th, 2013, 10:44 p.m. - I want a cookie pop so badly
32. The Tao of Martha (Jen Lancaster)
Up next: I Wear the Black Hat (Chuck Klosterman)
July 13th, 2013, 12:27 p.m. - Meat really is murder sometimes
Whodunnit? - "Kaboom": Awww, Don. For an ex-cop in the middle of a mystery, you sure were...embarrassing to your profession. But you were likable, and on a reality show, that's pretty dang important. Also, we're stuck with Dana now, and that's reason enough to be sad to see you go. Rating: 4 golf balls
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 18 perform and two go home: America, you are on probation. One more misstep in voting and I'm moving to Canada. Jean-Marc, can I move in with you and France? Rating: 4 pieces of crime-scene tape
July 14th, 2013, 5:38 p.m. - Short and sweet. Er, maybe "sweet" isn't the right word
33. I Wear the Black Hat (Chuck Klosterman)
Up next: Joyland (Stephen King)
July 20th, 2013, 12:44 p.m. - "Is that the best you can manage? The old ghost-in-the-funhouse story? You'll have to do a little better than that"
34. Joyland (Stephen King)
Up next: Unseen (Karin Slaughter)
July 21st, 2013, 3:51 p.m. - Where do you get a mountain lion online, anyway? eBay?
Whodunnit? - "Mountain Lyin": If we're supposed to be playing along at home, we're going to need some more clues as to who the killer is. Like any clues at all. And better CGI. Rating: 3 clouds of cyanide gas that somehow didn't affect the mountain lion
July 27th, 2013, 2:26 p.m. - Me: "Shut up, Sasha." Me ten minutes later: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! She has to shut up forever"
Whodunnit? - "Bum Ba Dee Da": The annoying people are gone! Yay! I liked that there were some red herrings in this episode, and that it actually took some intelligence to solve the crime. More of that, please. Rating: 4 oleanders
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 16 perform and two go home: I hate you, America. I hate you for not recognizing Mariah's awesomeness. Bad America! No cookie! Rating: 3 ladders
4:57 p.m. - The good, the bad, and the ug, Lena
35. Unseen (Karin Slaughter)
The good: Everything else. I sped through the last two-thirds of the book like it was going to disappear.
Up next: The Last Word (Lisa Lutz)
July 30th, 2013, 6:37 p.m. - The good, the bad, and the ug, Lena
36. The Last Word (Lisa Lutz)
It looks like if the series comes back (it's a little hard to tell), it'll move from Izzy to Rae, which could be really fun. As awesome as Izzy is, Rae is more complex. Plus, it would be interesting to see Izzy from someone else's perspective. Honestly, I don't care who narrates as long as there's another book.
Up next: Life After Life (Kate Atkinson)
Excellent pacing, excellent characters, not enough backstory. I wanted more about the Worthes, who are twisted enough to merit their own book. (Maybe we can get a sequel following Fell?) And I found some of Sarah's knowledge a little farfetched. But still, a great thriller, and perfect for summer.
Before I started reading Jen Lancaster's books, I thought this one sounded dumb. I was wrong. Sorry, Jen!
Klosterman has a way of making me think about things differently. He finds villainy in people you wouldn't think of as villains, and slices of the positive in people who would normal be seen as "evil." This is probably the only book you'll find that has a chapter on the Eagles and a chapter on Hitler. I may go back and reread Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs now – I'm in a Klosterman state of mind.
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY.
The bad: 1. Lena. She's not as annoying as in previous books, but still. Lena.
2. Too much going on – drugs, sex trafficking, conspiracies, dirty cops, kidnappings. Also, too many characters to keep track of.
3. The main plot – Will's undercover on a case Sara gets involved in – wasn't prevalent enough. I wanted more scenes with him having to dodge her.
4. "I'm going to spend ten minutes telling you how we pulled all this off." Thanks, criminal!
Well, I read it in three days, so that tells you whether or not I liked it.