Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316099074
Book Description:
From the moment Rachel's family takes in her orphaned cousin Julia, strange things start to happen. Rachel grows suspicious but soon finds herself alienated from her own life. Julia seems to have enchanted everyone to turn against her, leaving Rachel on her own to try and prove that Julia is a witch. One thing about Julia is certain-she is not who she says she is, and Rachel's family is in grave danger.
My thoughts:
I love Lois Duncan's books and pass them on to the young people in my family as soon as I'm finished reviewing them. Summer of Fear stands up nicely along side the author's Stranger With My Face; I Know What You Did Last Summer; and Down A Dark Hall. Filled with suspense and horror, Summer of Fear completely held my attention. A young reader in my family is going to love it. 5 stars***** (Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Stranger With My Face
Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
Book Description:
Laurie Stratton finally has everything a sixteen-year-old could ever want. But just as her perfect summer comes to a close, things start to unravel when her boyfriend insists he saw her out with another guy-when Laurie was really home sick! More mysterious sightings convince Laurie someone very real is out there, watching her. . . .
The truth reveals a long-lost sister who has spent the years growing bitter and dangerous. She has learned how to haunt Laurie, but the visits soon become perilous. She wants something from Laurie-her life!
My thoughts:
I can always count on Lois Duncan to bring her best to any novel she writes. Stranger With My Face is about a young woman who is haunted by someone who appears to be her. How can that be? Who is this mysterious person? And will our main character be harmed? This book is solid all the way through. It begins strong and ends strong. I think teens and adults alike will enjoy anything Lois Duncan writes, especially, Stranger With My Face. 5 stars***** (Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
Book Description:
Laurie Stratton finally has everything a sixteen-year-old could ever want. But just as her perfect summer comes to a close, things start to unravel when her boyfriend insists he saw her out with another guy-when Laurie was really home sick! More mysterious sightings convince Laurie someone very real is out there, watching her. . . .
The truth reveals a long-lost sister who has spent the years growing bitter and dangerous. She has learned how to haunt Laurie, but the visits soon become perilous. She wants something from Laurie-her life!
My thoughts:
I can always count on Lois Duncan to bring her best to any novel she writes. Stranger With My Face is about a young woman who is haunted by someone who appears to be her. How can that be? Who is this mysterious person? And will our main character be harmed? This book is solid all the way through. It begins strong and ends strong. I think teens and adults alike will enjoy anything Lois Duncan writes, especially, Stranger With My Face. 5 stars***** (Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Long Night (William L. Shirer and the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich)
Author: Steve Wick
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0230623182
Book Description:
The story of legendary American journalist William L. Shirer and how his first-hand reporting on the rise of the Nazis and on World War II brought the devastation alive for millions of Americans.
When William L. Shirer started up the Berlin bureau of Edward R. Murrow’s CBS News in the 1930s, he quickly became the most trusted reporter in all of Europe. Shirer hit the streets to talk to both the everyman and the disenfranchised, yet he gained the trust of the Nazi elite and through these contacts obtained a unique perspective of the party’s rise to power.
Unlike some of his esteemed colleagues, he did not fall for Nazi propaganda and warned early of the consequences if the Third Reich was not stopped. When the Germans swept into Austria in 1938 Shirer was the only American reporter in Vienna, and he broadcast an eyewitness account of the annexation. In 1940 he was embedded with the invading German army as it stormed into France and occupied Paris. The Nazis insisted that the armistice be reported through their channels, yet Shirer managed to circumvent the German censors and again provided the only live eyewitness account. His notoriety grew inside the Gestapo, who began to build a charge of espionage against him. His life at risk, Shirer had to escape from Berlin early in the war.
About the author:
Steve Wick is a senior editor at Newsday and the author of Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood and the Cotton Club Murder, among others. He has been a journalist for 30 years and has won dozens of writing and reporting awards, including sharing in two Pulitzer Prizes for local reporting.
My thoughts:
This is definitely a story worth reading; the story of a courageous journalist, William L. Shirer, and his exceptional message to the world. It is very well-written, historical in nature...a page turner. Highly recommended for the history buff.
Thank you to the author for my review copy.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0230623182
Book Description:
The story of legendary American journalist William L. Shirer and how his first-hand reporting on the rise of the Nazis and on World War II brought the devastation alive for millions of Americans.
When William L. Shirer started up the Berlin bureau of Edward R. Murrow’s CBS News in the 1930s, he quickly became the most trusted reporter in all of Europe. Shirer hit the streets to talk to both the everyman and the disenfranchised, yet he gained the trust of the Nazi elite and through these contacts obtained a unique perspective of the party’s rise to power.
Unlike some of his esteemed colleagues, he did not fall for Nazi propaganda and warned early of the consequences if the Third Reich was not stopped. When the Germans swept into Austria in 1938 Shirer was the only American reporter in Vienna, and he broadcast an eyewitness account of the annexation. In 1940 he was embedded with the invading German army as it stormed into France and occupied Paris. The Nazis insisted that the armistice be reported through their channels, yet Shirer managed to circumvent the German censors and again provided the only live eyewitness account. His notoriety grew inside the Gestapo, who began to build a charge of espionage against him. His life at risk, Shirer had to escape from Berlin early in the war.
About the author:
Steve Wick is a senior editor at Newsday and the author of Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood and the Cotton Club Murder, among others. He has been a journalist for 30 years and has won dozens of writing and reporting awards, including sharing in two Pulitzer Prizes for local reporting.
My thoughts:
This is definitely a story worth reading; the story of a courageous journalist, William L. Shirer, and his exceptional message to the world. It is very well-written, historical in nature...a page turner. Highly recommended for the history buff.
Thank you to the author for my review copy.
Down a Dark Hall
Author: Lois Duncan
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316098981
Book Description:
Kit Gordy sees Blackwood Hall towering over black iron gates, and she can't help thinking, This place is evil. The imposing mansion sends a shiver of fear through her. But Kit settles into a routine, trying to ignore the rumors that the highly exclusive boarding school is haunted.
Then her classmates begin to show extraordinary and unknown talents. The strange dreams, the voices, the lost letters to family and friends, all become overshadowed by the magic around them.
When Kit and her friends realize that Blackwood isn't what it claims to be, it might be too late.
My thoughts:
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but it did not take long for me to become totally involved with the characters and the mysterious events within the story. Ms. Duncan has created a book that will appeal to readers who can't resist a hauntingly dark, spooky adventure...which is most of us. Down a Dark Hall churns with chilling suspense and the anticipation of evil lurking around every corner. Once I started reading, I found it to be a quick, exciting read.
(Thank you to Hackette book group for my review copy.)
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Revised edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316098981
Book Description:
Kit Gordy sees Blackwood Hall towering over black iron gates, and she can't help thinking, This place is evil. The imposing mansion sends a shiver of fear through her. But Kit settles into a routine, trying to ignore the rumors that the highly exclusive boarding school is haunted.
Then her classmates begin to show extraordinary and unknown talents. The strange dreams, the voices, the lost letters to family and friends, all become overshadowed by the magic around them.
When Kit and her friends realize that Blackwood isn't what it claims to be, it might be too late.
My thoughts:
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but it did not take long for me to become totally involved with the characters and the mysterious events within the story. Ms. Duncan has created a book that will appeal to readers who can't resist a hauntingly dark, spooky adventure...which is most of us. Down a Dark Hall churns with chilling suspense and the anticipation of evil lurking around every corner. Once I started reading, I found it to be a quick, exciting read.
(Thank you to Hackette book group for my review copy.)
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Bourne Dominion / Review
Author: Eric Van Lustbader
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
(July 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455500100
Book Description:
Jason Bourne is searching for an elusive cadre of terrorists planning to destroy America's most strategic natural resources. He needs the help of his long-time friend, General Boris Karpov, the newly appointed head of Russia's most feared spy agency, FSB-2. Karpov is one of the most determined, honorable, and justice-hungry men that Bourne knows. But Karpov has made a deal with the devil. In order to remain the head of FSB-2, he must hunt down and kill Bourne.
Now, these two trusted friends are on a deadly collision course. From the Colombian highlands to Munich, Cadiz, and Damascus, the clock is counting down to a disaster that will cripple America's economic and military future. Only Bourne and Karpov have a chance to avert the catastrophe-but if they destroy each other first, that chance will be gone forever.
My thoughts:
When I started reading this book, I had not read others of the series, so I was going into it quite cold. It did take several chapters playing catch up, but I finally got into the story-line and characters and enjoyed it. I do think a reader would be happier reading the full series for continuity and context. On the upside, the novel flows nicely and is well-written. Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
(July 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455500100
Book Description:
Jason Bourne is searching for an elusive cadre of terrorists planning to destroy America's most strategic natural resources. He needs the help of his long-time friend, General Boris Karpov, the newly appointed head of Russia's most feared spy agency, FSB-2. Karpov is one of the most determined, honorable, and justice-hungry men that Bourne knows. But Karpov has made a deal with the devil. In order to remain the head of FSB-2, he must hunt down and kill Bourne.
Now, these two trusted friends are on a deadly collision course. From the Colombian highlands to Munich, Cadiz, and Damascus, the clock is counting down to a disaster that will cripple America's economic and military future. Only Bourne and Karpov have a chance to avert the catastrophe-but if they destroy each other first, that chance will be gone forever.
My thoughts:
When I started reading this book, I had not read others of the series, so I was going into it quite cold. It did take several chapters playing catch up, but I finally got into the story-line and characters and enjoyed it. I do think a reader would be happier reading the full series for continuity and context. On the upside, the novel flows nicely and is well-written. Thank you to Hachette Book Group for my review copy.
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