Web Of Evil

Number: 62
Title: Web Of Evil
Author: J.A. Jance
Started: June 17, 2007
Finished: July 1, 2007
Time: 10h 12min
Genre: mystery

Language: English

Where The Book Came From: Audible.de

First Sentence:

Cover Blurb: [from audible.de] The highway from Los Angeles to the Palm Springs desert is parched, unforgiving, and deadly. In the suffocating stillness of a car trunk, a man, his mouth and hands bound with duct tape, awaits his fate. What possible enemy could be bitter enough to commit such a heinous crime? And when will the monster make another move?
Ali Reynolds is traveling that same blistering, lonesome highway, looking forward to putting her past behind her. But her cheating husband is in a hurry for a divorce, and the television network that wrongfully dismissed her for the sole sin of being over 40 will face her in court as well.

As she passes the site of a horrifying accident, Ali is grateful that it's no longer her job to report the news, until she finds out that the news is her own: the victim is Ali's cheating husband. And soon she'll find herself the prime suspect at the center of a terrifying web of evil.

A twisted and lethal drama of heart-pounding suspense, Web of Evil asks the question: If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just what punishment could that fury unleash?

Reason For Reading: I read it for the RBL SUmmer Mystery Challenge and because I had heard a lot about the author.

Comments: It's been a while since I listened to the book, and I don't remember any problems I had, I only remember the amazing plot. I loved listening to it and wished there was more available.

I was sucked in and had troubles pressing pause because I had to go to class and I was sorry when I came close to the end because I didn't want the plot to stop. In a way, Ali, her family and friends became good friends while reading it. I didn't want to be afraid for them when they were in danger.

The twists in this "novel of suspense" (that's the subtitle, which I didn't add above) were awesome and I believe Miss Jance is an awesome writer whom I'm lucky to have discovered.

I already have another of her books on my list for future acquirements, and it won't take me long, I's say!

Favorite Part: When all of a sudden Ali's entire family appears in L.A. to help Ali. I love families that stick together no matter what!

Rating: A-

Great Novel - BTT

Blogging Through Thurdays

What with yesterday being the Fourth of July and all, I’m feeling a little patriotic, and so have a simple question:

What, in your opinion, is the (mythical) Great American Novel? At least to date. A “classic,” or a current one–either would be fine. Mark Twain? J.D. Salinger? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Stephen King? Laura Ingalls Wilder?

It doesn’t have to be your favorite book, mind you. “Citizen Kane” may be the “best” film, and I concede its merits, but it’s not my favorite. You don’t have to love something to know that it’s good.

Now, I know that not all of you are American–but you can play, too! What I want from you is to know what you consider to the best novel of YOUR country. It might be someone the rest of us haven’t heard of and, frankly, I think we’d all like to get some new authors to read.

In fact, while we’re at it–I’m curious about the geographical make-up of this meme. So, while you’re leaving your link to your post, tell us where in the world you are! (For the record, I’m in New Jersey, USA.)

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Now that I'm back - for some reason I forgot about last Thursday until Monday and decided it was too embarrasing - forgetting a whole day, I mean!

I'd consider To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee a classic. And also John Steinbeck's works.

Otherwise, I'm in Frankfurt, Germany ;)

Discworld quiz

I just found this quiz over at Nymeth's and since I'm reading my very first Discworld novel right now (The Colors Of Magic, AFAIR), when I'm at my parents. I've never been big on fantasy, but this book is really interesting!



Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Rincewind,You are Rincewind! Greatest survivor of all times! But a rather inept wizzard. You seem to be going from bad to worse, without slowing down. Rather miserable with your luck, the luggage that follows you around offers little comfort.

Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

Rincewind		63%
The Librarian		56%
Carrot Ironfounderson		50%
Commander Samuel Vimes		50%
Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax		50%
Gytha (Nanny) Ogg		50%
Lord Havelock Vetinari		44%
Death		38%
Cohen The Barbarian		25%
Greebo		19%

Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

In Her Shoes

Number: 63
Title: In Her Shoes
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Started: June 13, 2007
Finished: July 2,2007
Pages: 421
Genre: chick lit

Where The Book Came From: Tauschticket.de (a German exchange platform)

First Sentence: "Baby," groaned the guy - Ted? Tad? - something like that - and crushed his lips against the side of her neck, shoving her face against the wall of a toilet stall.

Cover Blurb: Rose Feller is thirty; a successful lawyer with high hopes of a relationship with Jim, Mr Not-Quite-Right, a senior partner at her firm. The last thing she needs is her messed-up, only occassionally employed sister Maggie moving in: drinking, smoking, stealing her money - and her shoes - and spoiling her chance of romance. If only Maggie would grow up and settle down with a nice guy and a steady job.

Maggie is drop dead gorgeous and irresistible to men. She's going to make it big as a TV presenter, or a singer, or an actress. All she needs is a lucky break. What she doesn't need is her uptight sister Rose interfering in her life. If only Rose would lighten-up, have some fun - and learn how to use a pair of tweezers.

Rose and Maggie think they have nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, shared DNA and the same size feet, but they are about to find out that they're more alike than they'd ever believe.

Reason For Reading: It's a group read at one of my online book discussion groups and it sounded like a fun read!

Comments: Considering that this is my first by this author, I have to drag out an often used sentence: Why the heck did it take me so long to discover this author? And it is true here. What could have been your average chick lit ended up being a wonderful story about life, what being sisters means (or brothers, or brother and sister), and that sometimes you just need to take a break from what you've been doing to get a whole new look at life and maybe seize opportunities you wouldn't have come across otherwise.

At first, I held back quite a bit while reading this book. I had long before set it down under "chick lit" in my mind, and I was not up for that then. And then I watched the movie, enjoyed it - but it was a chick flick. So when the book started out the way the movie started out, I didn't really get into it.

In the end, the book was definitely different from the movie, much better to be honest (I kept seeing the Maggie in the book as a Cameron Diaz look-a-like, depite the fact that she has brown hair in the book)! The characters were far more developed. You could see how Maggie developed from a woman who relied on her looks to a person who discovered that she could use her brains, that her teacher might have been right about her being intelligent, just not in the regular way. Rose, on the other hand starts out as a woman totally fixed on her career to someone who realizes that there is more to life. Once the sisters have accomplished this, they appear to find good men - in one case in a place she certainly wouldn't have expected it!

This means two things for me:
1) I won't watch the movie again before reading the book.
2) I will try my best not to put books into a certain category before reading it.

Favorite Part:

Miscellaneous: In a way, it reminds me a bit in my room mate and me - and my brother and me... Does that make sense?!?

Rating: A-

on a much lighter note...

I found out a bit ago that I - that is me, Kathrin, also known as oisec, the book addict, the nerd, the person who never, ever wins anything - will get a book because I actually *gasp* WON a book at Katrina's Books Galore #10. I've been thinking about how to express my joy and the excitement best, for all those days since I found out, but I can't. I don't have the right words to express this all. I think the last time I won something I was maybe 8 - I got a watch where you didn't see the hours, but it had an index for the seconds that had an elephant - and it's a similar feeling, IIRC.

The book is: Donita Paul: DragonKnight

Katrina's summary:

Trapped in an evil spell--can the knights of Paladin be rescued?

Before vowing his allegiance to Wulder as a knight, Bardon heads to the mountains for solitude. His life is suddenly complicated by a woman and her granddaughter, N'Rae, on a mission to rescue the woman's son trapped in a chamber of sleep. Bardon learns that more of Paladin's knights are imprisoned--and suspects one of them is Dragon Keeper Kale's missing father.

The secret is in their hands--and hearts.

The band travels north, uncertain of their destination and encountering numerous perils. When they unlock the chamber, they discover a dozen knights--who cannot be awakened. The journal holding the secret to rousing them is in an unknown language. How can they find the help they need, and overcome even graver obstacles, to rescue the knights?

Return to the land of dragons and magic you discovered in DragonSpell and DragonQuest, in this finely crafted and memorable work of fantasy fiction with a core of eternal truth.

Thank you so much, Katrina and Ms. Paul, for making this possible! I'm really excited and can't wait to read the book :)

this is me trying to understand

Okay, I keep twisting the fact that the people responsible for last week's attacks in London and Glasgow are doctors. I can't figure it out. They are doctors, their job is to save people and then they plan those attacks in which they could have killed hundreds?!? How does that go along with the Hippocratic Oath?!? I don't get it! I just don't get it. This is paradox at best.

If someone out there can explain this to me so that it makes sense, go ahead, I'm willing to listen... (unless it is propaganda, that is ;) )

upcoming reading

I have one book coming up to be read that I'm really excited about... It is John Twelve Hawks' The Dark River, Book Two in the Fourth Realm Trilogy and sounds awesome and intriguing. I have this book high up on my TBR stack and I intend to start it this weekend, if I can finish two of my currents till then (for some reason my current reads got out of hand and I'm trying to sort out 5 books at the moment). If I don't get to this book at the weekend I know I'll get to it within the next week.





I borrowed a short summary from the publisher's site:

A frantic race to save a long-lost Traveler.
An epic battle for freedom.
Two brothers whose power puts them on a collision course . . .with each other.

In The Traveler, John Twelve Hawks introduced readers to a dangerous world inspired by the modern technology that monitors our lives. Under constant surveillance of the ‘Vast Machine,’ a sophisticated computer network run by a ruthless group, society is mostly unaware of its own imprisonment. Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, brothers who were raised “off the grid,” have recently learned they are Travelers like their long-lost father— part of a centuries-old line of prophets able to journey to different realms of consciousness and enlighten the world to resist being controlled. But power affects the brothers differently. As The Traveler ends, Gabriel hesitates under the weight of responsibility. Michael seizes the opportunity—and joins the enemy.

THE DARK RIVER opens in New York City with a stunning piece of news. Gabriel’s father, who has been missing for nearly twenty years, may still be alive and trapped somewhere in Europe. Gabriel and his Harlequin protector, Maya, immediately mobilize to escape New York and find the long-lost Traveler. Simultaneously, Michael orders the Brethren—the ruthless group that has been hunting Gabriel—into a full-scale search. Gabriel yearns to find his father to protect him; Michael aims to destroy the man whose existence threatens his newfound power. The race moves from the underground tunnels of New York and London to ruins hidden beneath Rome and Berlin, to a remote region of Africa that is rumored to harbor one of history’s greatest treasures. And as the story moves toward its chilling conclusion, Maya must decide if she will trade everything to rescue Gabriel.

A mesmerizing return to the places and people so richly portrayed in The Traveler, THE DARK RIVER is propelled by edge-of-the-seat suspense and haunted by a vision of a world where both hope and freedom are about to disappear.

You can also check out the site for the series here: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/johntwelvehawks/

Oh I'm so excited about this! I can't wait to start it, so I should probably get back to finishing up my currents ;)