Troubled -- Suzanne Leavitt

Troubled by Suzanne Leavitt

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This book had many problems that made it difficult to read. First, there were many technical issues with the writing. This book was filled with random use of italics of words, phrases and sentences. Even a just a few letters of words were italicized. The author used quotation marks for thoughts which is really, really uncommon in modern writing and this was made even more troubling as the author combined thoughts with dialogue so it was difficult to follow what was spoken and what was thought.



The characters were flat and came across as pathetic while almost the entire story was constructed through dialogue making for some strange and unrealistic exchanges. The writing itself was elementary and forced. Almost no attention was paid to detail or setting and the author relied too heavily on the dialogue to note changes in setting. The overall story was predictable and anticlimactic because it became such a cliche.



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Troubled -- Suzanne Leavitt

Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie

I found this protein smoothie recipe in Tony Gonzalez's book The All-Pro Diet. That entire book is great but I particularly love the smoothie and protein shake recipes he included. This one is awesome...

Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie

1 cup 1% milk (or plain hemp, almond, or rice milk)
1 frozen banana, slightly thawed
1 scoop protein powder

Blend in a blender. Drink immediately.

Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie

Songs for the Missing -- Steward O'Nan

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Overall I enjoyed this story--though given the subject "enjoy" doesn't quite seem to be the right word. The author's writing style is a little difficult to follow at times. Specifically, in some places it was tough figuring out who was the focus of that sentence or paragraph. One thing done really well is the great amount of description in this novel. O'Nan also created fully developed characters that you wanted to get to know. One last note: The Killers are from Las Vegas. I appreciate when an author does his or her homework on pop culture references. This story would have benefitted from some fact-checking.



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Songs for the Missing -- Steward O'Nan

Room -- Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I could not put Room down. The characters were well-rounded, particularly Jack. He was such a vibrant character and, after getting used to his voice, it was fun to experience the story through his eyes. There were a few things I did not care for in the story, but to avoid spoilers, I will keep those to myself. I enjoyed the story overall and found it difficult to put the book down.



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Room -- Emma Donoghue

ttyl (Internet Girls, #1) -- Lauren Myracle

ttyl by Lauren Myracle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My daughter rated this four out of five stars. She loved the unique format of the story. She read it very quickly--one afternoon when she was home sick from school. She really enjoyed the story and characters.



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ttyl (Internet Girls, #1) -- Lauren Myracle

The Bone Garden -- Tess Gerritsen

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Past and present collide in The Bone Garden. I loved how fiction and history come together as two people attempt to discover the identity of a skeleton found in a back yard. This story is both charming and gory. It is a little convenient but well-told.

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The Bone Garden -- Tess Gerritsen