Title: Lamb

Author: Christopher Moore

Paperback: 444

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; First Perennial edition (February 4, 2003)

Genre: Satire

Audiobook: Read by Fisher Stevens

Synopsis from Amazon

The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John leave a gaping hole in the story of Jesus. They tell of the shepherds, the angel, the virgin, the manger, and the wise men, then jump to Jesus as a thirty-something rabbi. What did Jesus do during his formative years? Christopher Moore has an answer in his latest novel Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Biff is Levi bar Alphaeus, son of a stonemason and childhood friend of Joshua bar Jehovah, son of God. The first section of the novel tells of the adventures of Biff, Joshua, and Maggie in and around Nazareth. The next three sections take Biff and Joshua to visit and learn from each of the three magi. The last section puts a Christopher Moore spin on the story told in the New Testament. We can read the good news according to Biff because the angel Raziel has resurrected Biff [and one other person] to write their versions of the Gospel. Biff's interactions with Raziel are interspersed with the main story, usually at the beginnings of chapters, and [inconsistently] set apart as long block quotes. This is a humorous book from a master of humor.

My thoughts: This book was hilarious. I know it's made up, but it simply fills in a blank space for the Bible. With no way to prove the story is false it just makes everything so much more thrilling. Although it's a complete blasphemy, I liked the part where Joshua and Biff were stuck in China at one of the Magi's palaces. Biff was asking questions that he wasn't supposed to ask, so he got poisoned and temporarily paralyzed. While he was paralyzed, the people at the palace painted Biff blue. Though this book is not well suited for children I enjoyed it and learned some things about the Tora and about the Jewish law back then.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? yes
Who should read this? This book is for adult males. There is some swearing, but if you like satire, you'll enjoy it

Next on the TBR pile: Practical Demonkeeper

Title: Bloody Jack

Author: L.A. Meyers

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Harcourt Paperbacks (June 1, 2004)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Audiobook: narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Synopsis from Amazon:

The Jacky of the title was born Mary Faber, whose life turned upside down when a pestilence in 1797 left her orphaned and homeless. She turned to the streets, surviving for a few years by begging, brawling and occasionally stealing on the dirty streets of London. But she lost her taste for that life when her best mate was "done for" by a vile city grave robber, and with few options remaining she hacked away her hair, changed her name, lied about her age and secured a post as a ship's boy on HMS Dolphin.

My thoughts: this is a very interesting story that takes a lot of unexpected turns. L.A. Meyers is a good writer that likes to lead you one way then pull you into a completely different direction. Jacky knows that if her ship mates find out that she's not a boy, they will leave her at the nearest port, but Meyers is good at putting Jacky at the brink of danger, and then pulling her back. Jacky always seems to get into trouble, even when she tries not to, so that's what makes this book so exciting.

I actually listened to this and what I like about the narrator is that Katherine Kellgren does so many voices that it sounds like more than one person is telling the story.

SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? YES!
Who should read this?: anyone interested in a historical fiction that tells about pirates and life on the sea

Next on TBR list: Lamb by Christopher Moore

Title: Twisted

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Hard cover: 272 pages

Publisher: Viking Juvenile (March 15, 2007)

Genre: Contemporary realism

From Amazon:

Tyler Miller, former nerd, returns for his senior year with a new buff bod, courtesy of the manual community service he was forced to perform for graffitting the school. To his surprise, school Queen Bee Bethany Milsbury starts paying attention to him. This causes conflict with his nemesis, Bethany's twin brother Chip, and is complicated by the fact that Bethany's dad is his father's boss. When he rejects her (drunken) advances at a party, things become complicated when anonymous nude camera photos of Bethany wind up on the Internet. Suddenly, the police are paying attention to the former school defacer and he faces hostility from the other students. Like Melinda in "Speak," he has a dysfunctional family and minimal support from peers and adults. As he begins to implode from the pressure, finding a way to clear his name and stand up to the bullies in his life looks more and more difficult.

My thoughts: This book was an amazing tale spun by Laurie Halse Anderson. The way she writes, I feel like all this could be happening to the author herself, even if it's fiction. Ms. Anderson knows how to create realistic characters. Every detail is included. For example, she goes into detail about the amount of cracks in the wall, or how many lockers are in the school. It creates a picture in my mind and I feel like I'm in the story. I really enjoyed this book, though the language seems a bit mature.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? yes
Who should read this? This book is for high school students. There is some swearing, but if you like contemporary realism, this one's for you.

Next on the TBR pile:

✍ I'm putting the Book Thief on the side, stopping at page 46, and going back to it after. I just had a sudden urge to re-read the book Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I read Hunger Games a while back and read Catching Fire, but I don't think I really understood the book. I had completely forgotten the book right after I read it because I just tried to get to the end, so now I really want to read it again. ✎✏✐

What are books that you've read more than once?

I have now lost the tolerance for really long books ☹ ... 600 plus pages is now overly crazy for me. Right now I've been reading through amazingly short 200 page books and not my normal 400 plus. Next on my TBR list is a book I wished I had read when I was younger and more tolerant of books. So next I am going to read The Book Thief. This is my list of books. ✎✏✐

☑ Water for Elephants

☑ Crossing the wire

☑ Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

☒ East of Eden

☐ The Book Thief

☐ Paper Town

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Harmony, 25th anniversary edition (August 3, 2004)

Genre: Science-fiction

Synopsis from Amazon:

Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. You'll never read funnier science fiction; Adams is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue. The Hitchhiker's Guide is rich in comedic detail and thought-provoking situations and stands up to multiple reads. Required reading for science fiction fans, this book (and its follow-ups) is also sure to please fans of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and British sitcoms.

My thoughts: This book is so technical because it explains different parts of machines, like nerd things. I finally finished this book after about 3 failed attempts to get through it. Even though I kept quitting, I wanted to finish it just because. Once I got through it, I think this book is kind of funny because of the flashbacks that tell about how things occur. Also, at the weirdest moments things just pop up. The story is made up out of story's made out of made up things like Vogons and the heart of gold, but the way he writes makes everything he writes so believable. Adams is a writer that likes to explain all the details.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? YES!
Who should read this? This book is more for adults than YA. Read it if you're interested in adventure and Sci-Fi.

Next on the TBR pile: East of Eden

Title: Crossing the Wire

Author: Will Hobbs

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (April 10, 2007)

Genre: Adventure

Synopsis from Amazon

Ever since his family moved to the tiny village of Los Árboles, Victor has been best friends with Rico. When Rico tells him that he has enough money to pay for a coyote to help him cross into El Norte, Victor is unable to decide if he, too, should go along and look for work or try to feed his family with the pitiful annual corn harvest. The decision is made for him the next day when he discovers that the corn prices have bottomed out and that there is no point in even planting this year. Readers suffer with the 15-year-old as he makes his painful decision to leave his mother and younger siblings and attempts the dangerous border crossing, jumping trains, fleeing thieves and border officials, and suffering from thirst and hunger. His desperation and fear are completely believable as he faces near-death situations and must decide whom to trust. The author deftly weaves information concerning the local geography and customs into the plot. The story is well paced, sustaining readers' attention throughout.

My thoughts: This book was really good because it talks about the lives of people that are trying to immigrate to America. It tells of the cruelty and generosity of people in real life. I liked the way the writer writes uses a lot of similes. I think the author should make a sequel because the book ends in a weird way, and does not really tie up the loose ends.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✩

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? No
Who should read this? This book is a book for a young audience for people looking for an adventure

Next on the TBR pile: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

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...edited by Mrs.Ikeda