Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu

Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I say this every time, but I really like the S.A.S.S. series because they feature better teenage female protagonists than so many other books out there. It's great to feel good about recommending this series to teen girls. :) Having said that, I must confess this wasn't my favorite installment. The program attendees did not have the diversity I've come to expect. Usually, the students come from a variety of backgrounds and I like that. This one, however, dealt with Chinese people almost exclusively. I found that bothersome and a touch unrealistic. Yes, the program was set in China and the main character chose that program partially because of her Chinese heritage. However, I thought it was odd that almost every character was Chinese. In real life, these kind of programs should promote diversity and choose students to represent that, so I was a touch disappointed when the book didn't depict that. Overall, however, I liked CeCe's story and the way it all worked out. At the end of the day, I look forward to reading more of this series in the future as well. :)

Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels.

Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief at times. However, it had nothing to do with the paranormal aspects of the story. I can accept that Pepper is a private investigator for the dead. I had a much harder time with some of the other plot points. For example, I don't believe you could be signed up to do a reality TV series and NOT know about it until the camera crew shows up. Also, it seemed odd to me that the community service people weren't escorted by anyone "official", especially considering Pepper didn't know she was going to be supervising them until they showed up. Additionally, I had a bit of a hard time suspending disbelief for how the ending went down. It just seemed a little fantastical to me. Overall, however, it wasn't a bad story. I just felt like certain parts weren't ringing true for me and it took me out of the book a bit.

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Like so many others, I was drawn to this book because of the packaging. I thought it was cute and the concept sounded like fun. Also, like so many others, I was a bit disappointed in the end. The concept had a lot of promise but the author didn't quite deliver. I feel the author didn't follow the mythology very well. I'm a little confused about the ending. It happened so fast and so abruptly that it didn't really work for me. In fact, the action was very uneven throughout and some of the descriptions were quite boring. All that said, however, it wasn't the worst book I've ever read and I will consider reading another one before giving it up completely.

Dying for Dinner by Miranda Bliss

Dying for Dinner by Miranda Bliss

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even though I figured out who the bad guy was very early on, I didn't know his motive or other very important details until much later. I feel bad for Jacques because that character has been squeezed for more story lines than I would have thought possible. Yet, I still like the series. I really like Annie, Jim, and Eve overall. I was a little disappointed with how Eve was portrayed during one scene at the end, but it wasn't enough to affect my overall impression. If I could talk to the author, however, I would encourage her to be a little more careful with Eve in the future. Otherwise, the stories have all been quite good and I'm loving the progression. Keep it up and I'll keep reading! :)

Possible spoiler! I didn't care for how Eve reacted to the motel clerk. I just don't think a grown woman would really worry that much about a stranger carrying out the wishes of another stranger, even at a no tell motel. Seriously, Eve? He pops out for a ciggie and you're worried about your life? Not so sure I agree with that portrayal. Just saying.

Technical Hitch by Jane Sigaloff

Technical Hitch by Jane Sigaloff

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book was not very well written, but even worse, it was very poorly edited. It was so bad, that I had to check if the book was an ARC or not. (Sadly, it isn't). The conversations were awkward at times, the story lines didn't do much for me, and the errors really took me out of the story. A few examples of errors that made me want to burn this book include:

Page 61: "Absently he absently licked the sweat...."

Page 155: "Maybe he thinks he makes it look him less accessible and therefore more desirable".

Page 178: Emma's name is replaced with Jess's on the same page, even though we're clearly only following Emma at this point in the story.

There were a few other errors, but these were the ones that made me want to throw the book against the wall. If I could give this book an even lower rating, I would. It's books like this that make me question my need to finish nearly every book I start.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Talented Mr Ripley by Phyllis Nagy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Normally, I try to read the novel before seeing the movie. However, it was the movie that encouraged me to read this book. I thought the movie was interesting and it made me want to delve deeper into Tom's story. Particularly, I was curious about some of the relationships between characters and aspects of Tom's personality. Well, the book is actually quite different from the movie. Some parts are dead on and exactly how they read while others weren't even close. So, would I rate the movie or the book higher? I'm not sure. They are more different than I expected and it's hard to compare them. In fact, I don't want to compare them. If you like the book, the movie might confuse you and vice versa. However, this is one time I am glad I watched the movie before reading the book. I think if I'd read it first, I would have been a bit disappointed with the changes.

Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Romance isn't my favorite genre, but this one had knitting and magic to help keep my interest. The knitting references were very good, in particular. I loved the use of specific brands of yarn and things like that. The magic was big Hollywood type magic, so the novel stayed light and just a bit fluffy. Overall, I liked it more than I thought I would based on the romance label.

Up and Out by Ariella Papa

Up & Out by Ariella Papa

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book well enough, but I would have liked it more a few years ago. Just a few years ago, I would have been able to really identify with the main character and her situation. I've been through that time when your friendships can get weird and I know how it feels to think they are all falling apart. But, I wouldn't say I'm still in that place, so the book didn't hit me the same way it would have if I had read it sooner. If you are in that place, that quarter-life crisis time, then this book will probably speak to you more. If you are just shy of the quarter-life crisis, then you will probably like this book a lot too because you'll feel normal if/when it happens to you. If, however, you are over that hump, you might only be reminded of that rocky time and find yourself not enjoying it very much.

In Murder We Trust by Eleanor Hyde

In Murder We Trust by Eleanor Hyde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At first, I was a little confused by the cast of characters. But, eventually, I figured out the people and how they were connected. I thought the ending was well thought out and smart. I couldn't believe the dog's name is Columbo- my parents have a basset hound with the same name! Too funny! Overall, it was a little dry at times, but smart enough to keep me interested.

Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson

Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this might be my new favorite book in the series. I really liked Cat's journey and the maturity she developed by the end. So much of it rang true! When you move away, friendships can change in ways you don't expect. When a friend has a creep for a boyfriend, she won't always believe you. And most importantly, no matter how much you plan on life going in a certain direction, it can always surprise you in ways you never planned. All of these themes help to create a fascinating character on a wonderful journey. Loved it! :) I think Spanish students would particularly enjoy this installment since it takes place in Mexico and has many Spanish words and phrases throughout. Again, these are the kinds of books I feel good about sharing with teen girls. I love the positive messages they bring and diverse characters and settings. So good. :)