Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose

Nothing to Fear
Karen Rose
2005, Headline, London
9780755373550
593p.

A deaf boy and his interpreter are kidnapped from a holiday house by a woman who is seeking revenge.

The story has a solid premise but is let down by one-dimensional characters and just plain terrible sex scenes.  I did finish it though (and it's a long book), so it wasn't unreadable.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Virulent: The Release by Shelbi Wescott

Virulent: The Release
Shelbi Wescott
2013, kindle ebook, Amazon
352p.

Lucy and her family are due to go on holidays when a terrifying virus tears through her community. She becomes separated from them and must find her way back home while the world falls down around her.

This was an ok epidemic novel for teenagers.  I personally found the writing to be a little immature for me.  I prefer epidemic stories to be more about the virus, but this one was based around human survival. And it's part one of a trilogy.

Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

Zodiac
Robert Graysmith
1986, 2007, Penguin, London
9780425212189
307p.

Non-fiction account of a serial killer from 1960s and 1970s San Fransisco and then taunted the police with letters.

The writing style was dull and hard to wade through, but the story interesting.  It's hard to believe that a criminal like this could get away uncaptured.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

Growing up Amish
Ira Wagler
2011, Tyndale, Kindle Edition
1414339364
unnumbered

Ira is born into the Amish church but does not feel at home in that culture. When he is a teenager he leaves one night under the cover of darkness to make his way in the 'world'. Over the next few years he returns and releaves.

This was thoroughly uninspiring. It wasn't a bad book, but it didn't give a real in depth insight into Amish culture, it's more about the author's life which is fair enough seeing as it's a biography. lol. Also, at the end, it turns into a Christian book which was mildly disappointing, I don't like being unexpectedly evangelised to.

The Murrumbidgee Kid by Peter Yeldham

The Murrimbidgee Kid
Peter Yeldham
2006, Penguin, Camberwell
0670029777
425p.

Teddy is a talented boy living in Gundagai whose mother wants him to be a star. When Teddy lands a role in a film, they move to Sydney to pursue his career.

This was an interesting story, but not very well written. There were a number of historical inaccuracies and I didn't enjoy the writing style. However, I did read to the end because I was interested in the characters.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Star Trek: New Frontier: Missing in Action by Peter David

Star Trek: New Frontier: Missing in Action
Peter David
2006, Pocket Books, New York
978141651080X
341p.

The USS Excalibur encounters a large and powerful ship while attempting to keep peace in the New Thallonian region. They find themselves transported to another universe where two warring races threaten to destroy each other.

I am unfamiliar with most of these characters and backstories; it was explained a little bit in the book but it seemed forced. It had traces of the David humour I'm used to, but none of the sparkle. Overall, I was disappointed.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michalel Chabon

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Michael Chabon
2000, Picador, New York
0312282990
636p.

When Sammy Clay's cousin arrives from Prague during WWII they embark on a comic book writing partnership creating the superhero The Escapist.

I kept expecting something incredible (or indeed amazing) with this book but it never happened. I found it to be a bit bland and lifeless which was very disappointing. I get that it's a big, expansive American novel, yet, at the end of reading it, I don't feel illuminated, or even like I've been on a journey.

Some of the vignettes were beautiful - like the scenes of Joe's relationship with his escape-artist mentor - but they were lost in the quagmire of the rest.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson

Murder on Marble Row
Victoria Thompson
2004, 2005, Berkley Prime Crime, New York
04251988707
310p.

A period mystery set in 18th century New York City. A wealthy businessman is murdered by a bomb and Detective Inspector Malloy suspects anarchists are involved.

Clunky writing style and very predictable until the final twist. I also couldn't stand the character of Malloy - he's not very nice at all. However, it was interesting to read about New York City in that era.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Crossover by Michael Jan Friedman

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Crossover
Michael Jan Friedman
1995, Pocket Books, New York
0671896776
305p.

When Ambassador Spock is captured with a group of Romulan unificationists, Admiral McCoy joins the crew of the Enterprise D to rescue the Ambassador. At the same time, Montgomery Scott decides to attempt a rescue mission of his own using a stolen century-old starship.

This had all the ingredients for an excellent Trek novel. The three great officers from the original Enterprise teaming up with Picard's crew in order to fight Romulans. However, the writing style was dull and the story dreary. I was disappointed in this one.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Fifteen Plus and Sunburnt by Vince Jones

Fifteen Plus and Sunburnt
Vince Jones
1993, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne
058291065X
130p.

David is fifteen when he gets the news he has melanoma, the same disease which has affected his best friend Gary. While in hospital, he finds a statue of a horse and makes a pact to get through this part of his life and to change things in the future.

This is a coming of age novel told from the perspective of a boy who has a rough time getting there. While I wasn't entirely convinced with the 'voice' of the novel, I felt that the experiences and feelings of the characters rang true.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Star Trek: Dark Passions: Book Two by Susan Wright

Star Trek: Dark Passions: Book Two
Susan Wright
2001, Pocket Books, New York
0671787861
200p.

Set in the mirror universe where Terrans are slaves to the Klingon-Bajoran-Cardassian alliance, this story centres around all the female characters from the modern Trek incarnations. Kira Nerys is overseer of the alliance, and Seven tries to depose her using the help of B'Elana, Janeway and Worf.

Holy mixed metaphors Batman - this book is full of them! It sure could have done with a final edit. I'm not sure if I really enjoyed this story or not - it's nice to read from the mirror universe, but the characters seemed a little underdeveloped to me. That said, Kira Nerys is fantastic in this story. And I liked the inclusion of Iconian technology.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Love and War by Paul Cornell

Love and War
Paul Cornell
1992, Doctor Who Books, London
0426203852
235p.

The Doctor and Ace travel to a planet called Heaven where the dead from a number of cultures are sent for burial. Ace falls in love with a Traveller called Jan, but their love appears doomed when the dead begin to rise again.

An enjoyable, if convoluted story, and utterly confusing. The 'war' parts of this book were much better than the 'love' parts ... haha.

Link to journal at bookcrossing