City of the Lost by Stephen Blackmoore

TITLE:  City of the Lost
AUTHOR:  Blackmoore, Stephen
GENRE:  Science Fiction
DATES READ:  3/16/2012 - 3/23/2012
MY RATING:  5/5

I decided to go a little more out of my comfort zone in the bookstore, and wandered into the "Science Fiction" section.  The cover immediately caught my attention.  I mean the guy has smoke from his cigarette coming out from his gaping wound!  HELLO?!  How could I not buy it?  Anyway, "Joe Sunday's dead - he just hasn't stopped moving yet."...

...I rarely give a book a full on 5/5, but this book was just such a blast to read!!!  I mean zombies, demons, witches, and hit-men.  How can you beat that?!  It was completely different from anything else I've ever read.

Set in Los Angeles, it was a rip-roaring ride of blood, guts, and guile.  It was interesting to walk in the shoes of undead thug Joe Sunday.  His frank point of view, and fantastic inner dialogue makes this book a worthy choice for anyone.  This is a short read, so make sure you have another book on hand if you read fast (about 200 pages).

Definitely pick this one up from the SciFi section.  Just a warning though... very explicit language at times.  Worth the expletives in my opinion.

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The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

TITLE:  The Lucky One
AUTHOR:  Sparks, Nicholas
GENRE: Fiction
DATES READ:  3/11/2012 - 3/15/2012
MY RATING:  3/5

My boyfriend and I recently went out to see a movie, Act of Valor.  In the beginning, a preview came on for the movie The Lucky One which based upon this novel by Nicholas Sparks.  I immediately liked the story line.  I only wish I had heard about the book before I saw the images (now I won't be able to help thinking about the characters they cast).  Therefore, I will try to picture my own versions of the characters while reading.  Hopefully it's as good as it looks...

...So, I actually finished The Lucky One pretty quickly considering I've only been reading it before work, and during lunch breaks.  This was a very heartwarming story (as to be expected from dear Mr. Sparks).  Nana was my favorite part of the whole book, with her zany sayings and frank point of view.

However, I have to say that - as a whole - all of the characters seem mighty detached and muted.  Not my favorite for a Nicholas Sparks book.  There was also something within The Lucky One that I found extremely different from his other novels.  The line between good guy and bad guy was clearly drawn.  Sparks doesn't even give you a chance to like Beth's ex-husband.  The line between good and evil is definite, which is rarely true in real life.

Anyway, it was an entertaining tale.  DON'T look at the previews or else you WILL picture the actors.  No matter how hard I tried, I just could not make my own mental image (descriptions of Thibault with long hair withstanding).  Definitely pick it up.

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

TITLE:  Outlander
AUTHOR:  Gabaldon, Diana
GENRE:  Fiction/Historical Fantasy
DATES READ:  2/7/2012 - 3/11/2012
MY RATING:  4.5/5

I picked this book up while out with my boyfriend.  The back of the book's description made it seem like a thrilling story.  However, the mixed reviews I have seen make it appear to be either a fabulous historical adventure or a pure romance novel (telling tales of "gripping sex scenes").  Now... I make a point to avoid the romance section.  I don't have anything against them, but I prefer stories with more substance to them than pointless "romping" about...

...I have finally chosen a side with my opinions of this book (even though it took me over a month).  However, throughout this month of reading, I have decided on the pro-Outlander side of things.  I do agree that while there were moments when the sexual encounters seemed to hinder plot progression, they were done tastefully and were nowhere near as extreme as some of the reviews lead me to believe.

I loved the characters of Outlander and the plot was absolutely fabulous.  I can see why these books have become such a hit.  Any fans of historical fiction, adventure, and even a little romance, will devour this book!  I have to admit... that I already purchased the second book Dragonfly in Amber in hopes of continuing this series.  However, I will take a break before pursuing (the first book was 850 pages!) seeing as this series will be quite an endeavor.

***Photo by B. Bumble***