Brida by Paulo Coelho

"But how will I know who my Soulmate is?"

"By taking risks," Wicca said to Brida. "By risking failure, disappointment, disillusion, but never ceasing in your search for Love. As long as you keep looking you will triumph in the end."

Brida by Paulo Coelho is a novel of a young girl's search for knowledge and love. Her journey leads her on a deep spiritual path and introduces her to fascinating people full of wisdom and whimsy. She learns about an entirely new world, new experiences, and new perspectives. Along her search Brida begins to fulfill her destiny of becoming a witch.

Paulo Coelho is the New York Times bestselling author of The Alchemist. Brida "incorporates themes that fans of Paulo Coelho will recognize and treasure - it is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller".

I have never before read a book by Coelho and his books are not the genre I would typically read. But somehow this book intrigued me and I had to give it a chance. Unfortunately, you are taking a risk with every book you pick up. Will it be the most inspiring novel you've ever read? Or a horribly amateurish story that leaves you feeling as if you've wasted your time?  The appreciation of a book (or lack of) depends on the reader's personality, perspectives, interests, and background. I did not connect with this book on a level that you might expect when you hear words like "love", "wisdom", and "spirituality". I did not relate to the characters, themes, or even the plot. While it was nicely written, I have to give this book a Thumbs Down as it wasn't something I personally enjoyed.

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Need by Carrie Jones

After witnessing her father die suddenly, Zara is stricken with grief. Struggling with a crushing depression she is sent to live with her grandmother. If coping with the loss of her father isn't enough she must now face living in a new place, going to a new school and meeting new people. But that's not all, Zara's life may be in danger. A mysterious man has been stalking her leaving a trail of gold dust. When a boy from school goes missing Zara learns that the quiet Maine town is not as it appears.

Need by Carrie Jones is a young adult novel. The main character is relatable to today's young readers. Zara has an obsession with phobias and frequently tells the reader names and meanings such as didaskaleinophobia the fear of going to school. At the beginning of the book she appears to be dark and moody. But soon we find that she is an anti-war activist who is involved with Amnesty International and is greatly concerned for the well-being of others.

This was the first teen book I have read since Twilight so I guess my expectations were too high. The plot was simple, the characters were two-dimensional, the love interest was lame, and Zara was obnoxious and pretentious. This book is better left to the teens, it doesn't translate well for adults as Twilight had. I give this book a Thumbs Down.

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Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is based on the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger. In the 1960's young Harriet vanished without a trace from her family's island during a horrible fire that blocked the only bridge to the mainland. Harriet's disappearance still haunts her now elderly uncle, Henrik Vanger. Over the last 40 years, Henrik has used all of his power and wealth to try to find any clue of what happened that tragic day.  If Henrik is certain of one thing, it is that Harriet was murdered. As one last attempt to solve the case, Henrik has hired Blomkvist, a journalist whom is under investigation himself, to end the case once and for all. Blomkvist reluctantly sets out to unravel the mystery with the help of Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric computer specialist. But they quickly find that there is more to the case then meets the eye. Blomkvist and Salander find themselves venturing further and further into the Vanger family history and discover the risks involved.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is currently one of the most wildly acclaimed and popular novels of the year. In more than 800 pages, Steig has created a compelling and complex mystery with multi-dimensional characters. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a striking novel. Just when I was thinking there wasn't anything new on the horizon, along comes Stieg Larsson with this wonderfully unique story. I was completely absorbed." -Michael Connelly  

I agree that this novel was written with intelligence, that the characters were wonderfully developed, and the scope of the mystery was mind-boggling. However, I give this book a Thumbs Down for one important reason: it did not keep my attention. The first 150 pages were completely boring and unnecessary. A novel like this should begin with a bang not an essay about the Swedish economy. I felt like I was reading a business textbook. Then the book started picking up speed. But even then I found a lot of redundancies such as overdrawn descriptions and side stories of no real importance. I was disappointed by this book. I like authors to get to the point and to constantly peak my interest. I think this book would have deserved a Thumbs Up of it was half its length.

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Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker

"Burn this book. Go on. Quickly, while there's still time. Burn it. Don't look at another word. Did you hear me? No. One. More. Word."

This is how Clive Barker's novel, Mister B. Gone, begins. Jakabok Botch pleads with the reader to burn the book and warns of terrible consequences if they keep reading. Jakabok is a demon trapped in the book. He was born in the 9th circle of Hell. He has scaly skin, two tails, and a burned, oozing face. He was caught by humans and pulled up through the circles of Hell. Once above he escaped and lived for many years in disguise. Jakabok and his friend, Quitoon, brought terror to all. He chronicles his life leading up to his entrapment in the book and ends with a battle between Heaven and Hell.

Mister B. Gone is a short novel written like a diary. Jakabok carries the reader through the novel by begging the reader to burn the book and then giving in and revealing some more of his story. The book continues like this until he has confessed his entire life. His pleading becomes increasingly more aggressive until he is graphically threatening the reader. The events of his long life are vile and disturbing including a bath of babies' blood. Uchh!

I found this book to be enjoyable at first. I liked how the demon was talking directly to me and thought his threats were entertaining.  However, it seemed half of the book was threats. It actually got a little old. I felt like skipping these repetitive parts. The plot was overly simple. There were few characters and you did not get to know them with any depth. I was glad when the book was finished. I actually felt like burning this book, but for different reasons.

If you are a horror fanatic you should give this book a try. Otherwise, be considered warned.  It left me feeling queasy and was disappointing in the end. I, unfortunately, have to give this book a Thumbs Down.

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Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster

In Travels in the Scriptorium an old man, referred to only as Mr. Blank, awakens in a white room with no memory of who he is or how he arrived there. There are only a few items in the room: a bed, a telephone, a desk, and chair. On the desk is a manuscript about another imprisoned man in a world unlike his own. Slowly, with the help of a stack of photographs and a few visitors, Mr. Blank begins to unravel the truth about his dark past.

I picked up this book because it was a great bargain and I thought it seemed very interesting. I really like books that are strange, eerie, and much different than the bestsellers. The beginning of this book definitely had my attention. It is very similar to the beginning of Butler's Fledgling. The main characters in these novels are disoriented and have no idea who they are. So you learn about them and their surroundings along with them. The book started to lose my understanding/interest when Mr. Blank starts to read the manuscript. I was confused the whole way through and I didn't even understand the ending that ties everything together.

It took me so long to read the book because I lost interest. So I give this book a Thumbs Down.

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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

In The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, Susie Salmon is murdered. However, the reader is able to see Susie's perspective of the afterlife. Susie describes the mysterious place she finds herself living in and watches over her family. Her father attempts to solve the murder case with little support from others. And everyone tries to heal and cope with the grief.
 There was nothing "lovely" about The Lovely Bones. I thought it was boring and very depressing. It was supposed to be an amazing story about a girl helping her father solve her murder case from beyond the grave. It was supposed to be uplifting and thought-provoking. But I just thought it was a big downer. I just didn't understand it and it wasn't what I expected. Thousands of people love the book but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I took me forever to get through this book and I had to push myself just to get to the end. I give The Lovely Bones a big Thumbs Down.

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Being Dead by Jim Crace

In Being Dead, Joseph and Celice visit Baritone Bay, their special place, to rekindle a lost flame. While enjoying a picnic they are brutally murdered. Crace traces back their history from the day they met as college students up until their tragic deaths.

Throughout the story, Crace vividly describes what happens to their decomposing bodies, from bugs to the effects of the weather. Then flashes back to when Joseph and Celice were alive and works up to how they died. It sounds confusing with the time changes but it was easy to follow.

I had wanted to read this book years ago when I was into horror novels and the somewhat grotesque. When I couldn't find it in store I reluctantly settled for Crace's The Pesthouse. I just recently ordered Being Dead and was so excited because I had waited so long.

Unfortunately I waited too long to get this book. My taste in books has drastically changed and broadened since then. I found that the writing was good but the description of their decomposing bodies made me very squeamish. And the story of their life was equally depressing. They had a fairly mundane, passionless life and were not given the chance to redeem themselves.

I found this book to be boring, disgusting, depressing, and not nearly as imaginative and engrossing as The Pesthouse. I think I was so disappointed because I had waited so long to read it and I was so hyped. I give this book a sad Thumbs Down.

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Inge and Mira by Marianne Fredriksson

Inge and Mira was written by Swedish author Marianne Fredriksson. It was translated by Anna Paterson whom I believe is from the UK. Inge is from Sweden and Mira is a refugee from Chile during a time of military unrest. When they meet they instantly become friends and share their passion for plants. However, Mira's painful past is brought to the surface. This is a book about a strong bond between two women from two different worlds.

I was misled from the summary on the back of the book. I thought it was about two divorced women that fall in love but it turned out that they were just friends. I can't say that I understood their relationship though. I didn't understand the book. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. I only clued into a few bits but overall I completely missed the message/plot. I think a lot was lost in translation and it was nothing like I expected. It was hard for my to visualize what was happening, the characters were confusing, the plot was unstructured, and the overall writing style lacked fluidity.

I give this book a Thumbs Down.

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