Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Plot

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

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This was a really good book.  I enjoyed it so much.  I'll admit that I went into it with a completely false idea of what it was going to be like and, while it didn't live up to those expectations, it more than made-up for it in being what it actually was.  I was expecting a comical book.  Abraham Lincoln fighting vampires?  How could it not be funny.  What it actually turned out to be was a "true" re-telling of his life as a vampire hunter.  True, it was humorous in a tongue-in-cheek, deadpan sort of way, but it wasn't laugh-out-loud funny like I was expecting.

In recent years, there has been a sudden surge in the "Found Material" genre of movies, i.e. The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, etc.  I'm a huge fan of those types of movies and it was very interesting to read a book that falls into the same genre.  The book is presented as both a novel and a work of fiction, in a way.  You're presented with facts about Lincoln's life with fictional accounts of his time hunting vampires woven in.  I loved that.  Having concrete facts (AND PICTURES!!) within this work of fiction almost made me read this as something one might find in the Biography section of any book store.  Amazing.

Another thing I enjoyed about the book was it's tendency to put a vampiric spin on actual facts.  Real moments in history are attributed to the work of vampires and the explanations we've read in our history books are merely cover-ups to protect us from the truth.  Like I previously stated, this style of storytelling made it so I felt as if I was reading an actual biography more than a fantasy story.  I actually learned things, while reading it.  I spent just as much time Googling fact about Lincoln's life as I did actually reading the book.  Incredible.

Favorite part of the book?  Hands down, the final chapter.  I don't want to give anything away, but I absolutely loved it.  Had I not accidentally dropped the book on my way to bed one night and caught a glimpse of the final page, I would have been even more blown away and not had a sense of what was coming, when I began to read the first page of the chapter.  Even then, I was still surprised.  Well played, Mr. Grahame-Smith.

Bottom line, as if you don't see this coming, a definite read.  Saves the Vampire genre from the massacre it's had to endure thanks to Twilight.  I think everyone would enjoy it.  I honestly can't think of a single reason someone would come away with a negative review...unless they're crazy into Lincoln and view it as an affront to his good name.  In that case, do you really care that much about their opinion?  Didn't think so.

~Missy

Will Storr vs. the Supernatural by Will Storr

Synopsis

Will Storr has done some seriously bizarre and other-wordly things over the course of his career as a journalist.  But even spending an entire day with Ozzy Osbourne wasn't as frightening as when he agreed to follow Philadelphia "demonologist" Lou Gentile on his appointed round.  Will Storr never believed in ghosts--but his healthy skepticism couldn't explain the strange lights and sounds he witnessed, and the weird behavior of the occupants of several allegedly haunted houses.


What resulted is a confirmed cynic's (and proud of it!) dedicated search for answers in a shadowy world of seances, mediums, devil worshippers--even the Vatican's chief exorcist.  So get ready to confront the genuinely creepy along with the hilariously ridiculous in Will Storr vs. the Supernatural!

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After my last three books, I thought it was about time I get back to reading books where I don't already know the ending.  What better way to do that than to read a work of non-fiction?

I was surprised by this book.  I went into it expecting to get a straight-forward progression from complete skeptic to full-on believer.  That did not happen.  The book basically involves a cynic having this beliefs (or lack thereof) tested.  Storr attends countless paranormal research events, meets with renowned investigators, questions a philosopher, interviews a psychiatrist and sits down with an exorcist.

Ultimately, he finishes completely unsure about whether or not the paranormal exists, but that's fine.  The guy did his research.  I'm surprised the guy lasted a year.  I would have slapped every psychic he came in contact with.  His experiences with psychics and mediums were so awkward (not written awkwardly...like the situations themselves were awkward).  I would not have been able to smile and nod the way he did.

One complaint...and it really has nothing to do with the content of the book.  My complaint...WHO THE HELL EDITED THIS BOOK?!  I can understand the occasional spelling error (and I had to have a little leeway for the fact that Storr is British and so you get the expected differences), but there were words that were consistently just flat out spelled wrong.  Spell check is your friend, people.  Look into it.

Bottom line...read it.  No matter who you are, read.  Originally, I was just going to recommend this to people who are believers.  As the book went on though, I changed my mind.  No matter which side of the paranormal fence you fall on, I think this is a book to read.  It makes you consider things maybe you haven't thought of before.  It's not shy about revealing the seedy underbelly of TV ghost hunting programs.  Hell...it makes it painfully obvious just how full of it some psychics and mediums are.  Read it.

~Missy

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Plot

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be.  By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood.  The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate--a life role that she has never challenged...until now.  Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is.  But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister.  So, Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable--a decision that will tear her family apart and possibly have fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

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This book made me cry.  That really says a lot.  In my twenty-six years in this world, only one other book has ever made me truly cry.  I'm not talking about just tearing up a little.  I'm talking about choked up, sad movie crying.

On that subject, let me say...yes.  I had seen the movie, prior to reading the book.  I try to keep that from being the case.  I honestly prefer to read the book, before viewing the movie, but there are those rare occasions where the movie somehow manages to be viewed before I can read the book (I blame HBO and insomnia in this case).  I had a feeling this book was going to make cry, given that the movie had me crying for about 90 of the 100 minutes.

Anyway...the book's a really good read.  The ending was a little...eh.  Without giving too much away (cause it does end far differently than the movie), I kind of didn't see any purpose to what happens in the end.  You go through the events of the book and to have this final event (god...it's hard to review this without giving it away) occur seemed a little...pointless?  I don't know, maybe other people would get the value of it, but it completely eluded me.

My only complaint (aside from the "event") was some of the characters.  Not so much the way they were written.  They were written perfectly.  The characters as people bugged me.  Their behavior, more specifically, annoyed me.  Between Sara's inability to understand Anna's reasons for filing the lawsuit and Jesse constantly lashing out, I found it hard to really tolerate them at times.  I'm sure it's all in the eyes of the reader, though.  Maybe other can better accept the way they act, but I found it a little grating.

Bottom line...definitely read it.  It's a really touching book and raises a few important questions...like is it alright to just let someone die?  So...read it and form your own opinions.

~Missy

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Plot

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."


So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her — her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling.

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First and foremost, I loved this book. I completely understand both its popularity among readers and the decision to make it into a full-length film (although I realize that doesn't say much considering Hollywood's never ending desire to turn everything into a movie). It makes you think. Granted...I'm not talking about some deep soul searching, where you come out changed for the better, when it's all over, but it's not mindless drivel either.

To avoid going into too much detail and potentially ruining the book for you, I'll just touch on a few of the things I liked about the book. First of all, I enjoyed the idea of missed opportunities and "what ifs". Susie narrates the entire book, while she watches from heaven as her family continues on without her. She has to watch her younger siblings go through things that she will never have the chance to experience. It makes you realize that tomorrow is not a guarantee. You can't always count on being able to "do it tomorrow", because you don't know what's just around the corner for you. You could drop dead right now and be stuck in eternity thinking "I should have done it."

I really enjoyed Sebold's writing. There was just something about the way she wrote the book that made me truly feel for the characters. I felt sorry for Jack Salmon, Susie's father. I wanted so badly for him to get his wish and catch Susie's killer. I loathed George Harvey and, at every turn, wanted him to be caught and punished for what he did to Susie. I hated, hated, hated Abigail Salmon, Susie's mother, for seemingly turning her back on the pain and suffering of her own children and husband for her own needs. It's rare that I find a book where I honestly empathize with characters. Normally, I just know what they're going through, but don't feel any real emotion about their ultimate fates. With The Lovely Bones, I wanted to climb into the book and just make everything better.

Finally, there was heaven. I liked that it wasn't overtly religious. In fact, it was, to me at least, completely void of religion. No obligatory angels. No floating on clouds. I appreciated (and actually agreed with) the idea that heaven is whatever you want it to be. It all comes down to what makes you happy.

Now, on to what I didn't like so much. To begin with, Abigail Salmon. More specifically, her portrayal. Now, I realize I was just commending Sebold on her ability to make you feel what she wants you to feel, but I didn't like how she made me feel about Abigail. I just didn't get why Susie's mother had to be so selfish. What was gained by Abigail's complete lack of caring about how her actions affected not only her husband, but her own children? She just seemed to be all about herself and I couldn't understand why. I'm sure someone can explain, but I'm at a loss.

Next, there's the characters. More specifically, some of the secondary characters. I realize not everything has to mean something, but there were a couple cases where it seemed like there was a big deal being made about a character that didn't seem to really bring anything significant to the story. One example would be Ruth Cooper. To me, it felt like the only reason she was in the story at all was for the one scene toward the end with Ray Singh (again...trying not to ruin things, so sorry for the vague reference). Hal Heckler kinda seemed pointless too. I kept expecting this big revelation about him that would explain his importance to the overall story, but it never came and it left me wondering why he needed to be there.

So...bottom line is that I would definitely recommend this book. Personally, I'd read it before seeing the movie, but that's just how I am, so don't feel obligated to follow my word on that part :), but do read the book. You won't regret it.

~Missy

P.S.
ONLY READ THE FOLLOWING IF: 1) YOU DON'T MIND HAVING PART OF THE ENDING RUINED OR 2) YOU'VE ALREADY READ THE BOOK.















Do you think Susie had a hand in knocking down the icicle that led to Mr. Harvey's demise?

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Plot

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away.

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I loved this book. Or, I should say, I loved reading it. The story itself was a little odd, but I say that for one reason and one reason only. It remind so very much of The Simpsons Movie. I tried so hard to keep that out of my head, while I was reading, but I could not keep it out entirely. More on that.

For anyone that has seen The Simpsons Movie, I think you can see where my mind was getting stuck on the movie, just by looking at the book's title...Under the Dome. I remember reading, before the book came out, that King had heard about the comparisons to the Simpsons movie. He commented that the comparisons ended at the town being placed under a mysterious dome. Nope. The comparisons go beyond that. Don't get me wrong, though. It didn't take away from the book. The similar plot points, while being very obvious, were much darker in the book. As they should be, given that this is Stephen King. And, it's not as if The Simpsons were constantly at the back of my mind, while I read. It was just occasionally that the little voice in my head would scream out "SIMPSONS!!"

The book's full of characters you love to love and characters you love to hate. On second thought, to be totally honest, I don't think it's a love to hate. It's just straight up hate. There are characters throughout the book that I found myself wishing would just die, because there was just absolutely nothing redeeming about them. I found this to be both a strong point and a weakness to the book. You hate them so much that you keep reading, just so you can get to the part where they die a horrible death. At the same time, you hate them so much that their inevitable death just does not come fast enough and, in one case, was not horrible enough.

Bottom line, this is a book to read. Maybe not if you're a Bible-Thumping Republican. Let's be honest, if you're a Bible lovin' conservative and read this book, you're probably going to want to burn it, when you're done. And, I don't mean the "Oh this book was horrible" sort of book burning. I mean in the "Fahrenheit 451/Books lead to knowledge/Harry Potter promotes the occult" sort of book burning...if you catch my drift.

~Missy