Airhead  by Meg Cabot

This book was not at all what I thought it was.  I was under the impression that it would be like the rest of Cabot's books, that the protagonist, Emerson Watts would be thrown into an element she wasn't familiar with and we'd read along as she navigated her way in her new world.  Well, technically, that is what this book is about, but not quite.  It's what I said with a sci-fi slant. 

Emerson Watts is a tomboy with a crush on her best friend that she has never been able to come clean with. She winds up accompanying her little sister to the local entertainment mega store to see Frida's favorite pop star.  At the store there is an accident when supermodel Nikki Howard shows up.  One of the big screen tvs hanging from the ceiling falls and Emerson pushes Nikki out of the way, taking the brunt of the damage done.

As it turns out, Nikki was killed, but her body was perfect, while Emerson was mangled but her brain was intact, so the doctors did a transplant and turned the two girls into one, with Emerson's brain and Nikki's body.  After you got past that it becomes the story of Emerson Watts, a regular girl, getting used to life in a world she never imagined she'd be living. 

I liked Emerson and I think Cabot has a way with these stories and characters. She makes interesting heroines and despite the outrageous situations they find themselves in, they handle themselves very believably.  It's easy to see why Cabot is so popular. Her books are sweet little snacks to indulge in.  They have delightful characters who are easy to identify with and they are placed in fantastic situations, that the average girl won't ever become familiar with, like finding out you are a princess or a  supermodel, for starters.  

  Breaking Dawn  by Stephenie Meyer

Bella finally gets her wedding day.  She does have the sense to be afraid of what will happen to her once she is made a vampire and she's rethinking the time table, much to Edward's delight.  They fly to a tiny island and on their wedding night, Bella finally gets what she's been waiting for from Edward, the consummation of their love.  What results is far from normal, as Bella has a most unusual pregnancy and that's just the beginning.

Meyer brings the stories all full circles, she ties up all of her loose ends and everyone gets a satisfying conclusion.  There were so many problems with the way things were going.  Renee and Charlie were going to lose their daughter and Bella was going to have to be forever separated from her parents and everyone she ever knew. Jacob was heartbroken and his future was looking pretty grim, he's pretty much gone wild and rarely returns to his human form.  We finally get to see Rosalie at her best and  we come to understand why she was resistant to Bella.

I know these books won't make literary history, but I think Stephenie Meyer has given readers everywhere a great gift with these books.  I'm hearing about people getting caught up in Bella and Edward's story and reading through the books, it's like Harry Potter all over.  My sister in law is devouring the series and purchasing the books as gifts and passing along her copies to be read by friends and family.  I enjoyed this series and I'm sure I'll be quick to pick up the next book, which I believe will be told from Edward's point of view.  Is is a guilty pleasure when it is shared by so many?  I think that Meyer has done an amazing job with these books. Sure, the dialog can be a little flowery, but the sentiment goes straight to a girl's heart. What teenage girl, and grown women, at that, doesn't want to be told that she is someone's reason for living? Who doesn't want someone to love them that much?  It's a chaste fantasy that still leaves them all panting for more.  A Jane Austen sensibility in a 21st century gothic romance, who would have thought it would work?  But, it does and I, for one, am glad that I had the chance to watch it all unfold.

The critics are right and some of the parody stuff I have seen about this series is so funny.  None of that takes away from my enjoyment of this book and my delight at how many people are reading the books and can't put them down. That's just the way it's supposed to be. Isn't it?

  Hit and Run  by Lawrence Block

I get heartbroken each time I read the newest books by Lawrence Block.  The last Matthew Scudder book read like he was retiring and riding off into the sunset.  Now, Keller is rethinking his career choice.

Keller is the hitman with a heart, of sorts.  He's smart and he's very good at what he does.  He's had some close calls and he figures it's about time to get out of the game. He takes one more assignment and then he plans to move on and never look back.  Of course, they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Although, I would imagine that killing for hire puts you on that road already.  Despite his profession, which I find truly abhorrent, I like Keller. I like his relationship with Dot and I like the way his mind works.

Dot took money from an anonymous source for a hit in the future.  When the call comes in, he feels like he has to go and he winds up in a real mess.  Even though he's done things his way to keep himself clear and has received notification that he's not to kill his target yet, he finds himself the subject of a manhunt, for a man that he not only didn't kill, but wasn't even the target he was told of.  It's worse than Keller could have expected, the dead man is a prominent politician.  When Keller tries to find Dot, he discovers that her house has burned to the ground and she is believed to be dead.

Keller heads south trying to avoid detection. He winds up making a whole life for himself in New Orleans, helping with the rebuilding and falling in love with a really good woman.  All that's left is for him to clear his name and get the guy who set him up.

I was happy for Keller and the way things worked out, but I will miss him and his exploits.  Little by little, Block is retiring his characters and I hate seeing them go.  Although, it's been so long since he brought out a new burglar book, that I almost hope that he is planning a retirement for Bernie Rhodenbarr so that I can enjoy another of his adventures before I have to rely on reading all the old favorites.

  Princess Mia  by Meg Cabot

Poor Mia.  Her boyfriend Michael broke up with her and moved to Japan.  She is beyond distraught, she can't even drag herself out of bed.  She distances herself from her friends, loses her friendship with Lilly and has to deal with an "I hate Princess Mia" website that is written by someone who obviously knows her. 

Mia's mom and Mr. G send her to a psychiatrist because they know she needs to talk to someone and it's never been her strong suit, hence the diaries.  The doctor is a strange man, but he accepts Mia even when she comes in for her first session in her pajamas, wrapped in her comforter, carried by her bodyguard. Gradually she gets some tools to help her heal and she starts to gain her footing again.  She also learns to define herself without Michael for the first time in her adolescence.

Cabot covers teenaged heartbreak honestly and beautifully.  Mia has been interesting to follow through this series. She's sweet and funny and a very believable girl.  I think girls could do worse than learning from Mia's example. Sure, she's kind of a ditz sometimes, but she's got commitment and she believes in things and she's a well-written character.  I will be sorry to see this series end, but I will be reading the next book when it comes out and I hope that Cabot has planned a suitable farewell for the little princess.

  The Tent  by Margaret Atwood

This is a collection of short stories written by a master wordsmith, Margaret Atwood. I don't even know how to begin to clarify or qualify the stories.  They are smart and sharp and take a new look at some old tales. Atwood's acerbic style takes a stab at the ravages of time and the knowledge that comes with age.

This slight book can be read in one sitting, but you'll probably want to savor them, they are definitely worth it.

  Grave Peril  by Jim Butcher

This is the 3rd book in the Dresden Files. Harry Dresden is a Chicago area wizard who deserves better writing in his stories.  This time, amid all the made up and misused words and really clumsy wording, Harry and his friend Michael, a knight, are out and about trying to figure out what is going on between the this world and the spirit world. Someone is getting the ghosts all riled up and sending them out into our world.  The wall between the two worlds is extra thin and the way too much stuff is coming through.

Harry and Michael need to find the source of the disruption without cluing in Harry's godmother, who wants to pull him into the underworld and keep him prisoner there forever. There is some question as to Michael's true identity.  He's definitely a good guy, but it's possible that he be a lot older than he seems and he just may report directly to God.

These books could be pretty good. The stories are interesting and if someone gave Butcher a dictionary and a thesaurus, he'd really be in business. Instead he continues to use this ridiculous syntax that makes it hard to take him or his work seriously. Harry Dresden is a good character, he deserves better.

  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond Dantes is framed by two jealous men, one of his love for his intended, the lovely Mercedes and one his coworker who doesn't want Dantes to wind up the next captain of their trade ship.  Dantes winds up imprisoned at the Chateau d'lf for a crime he never committed and knew nothing about, based on an anonymous letter written after a number of bottles of wine and sent to a man trying to distance himself from his father's reputation as a Napoleon supporter, but still protective enough to try to keep his father out of additional trouble, Dantes is shuffled off to prison and then sent to the dungeon. 

In the dungeon he befriends an abbey thought to be mad, but who winds up not only brilliant,  but resourceful and the rightful owner of a fortune hidden in a cave on the island of Monte Cristo, a fortune which no one believes really exists.  After 15 years, the abbey dies and Dantes escapes in the dead man's shroud.  Once he succeeds in getting free he is on a quest to make his enemies pay.

Dantes, now going by the name of The Count of Monte Cristo manages to insinuate himself into the lives of all the assorted characters from his past and their poor children.  He discovers who is responsible for his imprisonment, who was on his side and who stood by his father when he disappeared all those years ago. 

Despite the warnings of the Abbey, Dantes uses his education and fortune to seek out his revenge on his enemies.  Sure, Dantes has a legitimate bone to pick and he does dig up plenty of dirt on his enemies, but what kind of a life is that? He already lost a huge chunk of his life and then he spends years on revenge.  He systematically puts himself in the midst of these people and then he picks them off, one by one. 

I know this is considered a great work of literature, but it's seems like an awful waste of a life. I can't imagine anyone who would want to live that way. He had a promising future which was cut short by being wrongfully imprisoned in a dungeon for 15 years. He had a reason to be pissed off, certainly.  But he spent the rest of his life plotting and then getting revenge.  He had his freedom and all the money in the world and instead of living a good life, he wasted so much.  I would understand if he did some digging and made things tricky for the people who caused his woes, but he had to destroy everyone, including families. He was a complete mad man.

I guess I just didn't get it.  I think life's way too short to spend it plotting and scheming. Not only does it hurt others, but it certainly doesn't make you look very good.  I found Edmond Dantes and his tale inscrutable. 

  Jumper  by Steven Gould

David Rice has been abandoned by his mother and is basically held prisoner by his abusive drunk of a dad.  One night when he is scared and stressed out, he finds that he has jumped away from home and has wound up in the local library.  Pretty soon he discovers that he can control this talent and that he is capable of jumping anywhere he's been whenever he wants, as long as he can picture the place in his mind. 

He jumps from his home in the Midwest to New York City where he can disappear in the crowds.  He manages to find a place to live and he robs a bank of enough money to keep him going.  Davie is smart enough to be careful and he knows that he doesn't want a life of crime.  He makes a couple of rash moves when he gets himself in emotional situations, until he meets a college student and falls in love.

The other turning point in Davie's life has to do with his mother.  He finally finds her and they have a wonderful reunion.  Then, she is killed while on vacation in a terrorist attack. Davie sets out to hunt down the man responsible for her death. He gets involved in stopping many terrorist attacks and putting a lot of terrorists out of action. 

This book was interesting, I guess.  The "what if?" factor you get by reading it is worth it alone.  But, I can't say that the story went where I thought it would, or even that I liked the direction it took.  David Rice was an interesting and likable character.  The terrorist angle really came out of nowhere and wasn't in keeping with the rest of the story. I found it jarring and it messed up the narrative for me.

  The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul  by Douglas Adams

Holistic detective, Dirk Gently is back to solve another case. An airline ticketing counter at Heathrow Airport blows up and is considered to be an act of God.  Gently wants to find out just which god is responsible.  Of course, as happens in Gently's life and as his philosophy works, everything is connected and Dirk looks into the connections, because somehow he manages to be connected to everything in the universe, too.

He discovers gods, his missing, and very surly, ex-secretary and Valhalla in the course of his investigation. How many people have that in them?

Douglas Adams wrote some of the wildest stuff I've ever read. He managed to be thought provoking and smart and ridiculous and hysterically funny all at the same time.  His death was a great loss to the literary community and the world at large. Who knows what else he had to share with us? 

  The Marvelous Land of Oz  by L. Frank Baum

Book two of the Oz series didn't win me over and may have been the last nail in the Oz coffin for me.  I was a little pleased by the idea of the girl power plot line, but the girls were so horrible that you couldn't help but hope that they would break down and their rule would fall apart.  It's also the story of a child who isn't what he seems and is in line to rule Oz. 

Apparently the Tin Man and the Scarecrow were far more than they appeared to be when we first met them.  The Scarecrow has been elevated to genius, and took over in the Wizard of Oz's place until he was run out by the crazy little girls who took over the Emerald City. The Tin Man went off and lived in peace being a really lovable guy.   The two are reunited when the Scarecrow goes to seek out his old friend and meets a new friend, Tip and the three set out to bring peace back to the Emerald City. 

The book just didn't work for me. I could not manage to get involved in the story and I never connected with any of the characters.  I think this made up my mind that I have no interest in seeing what the rest of the series has to share with the reader.