The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston

The Demon in the Freezer
Richard Preston
2002, Headline, London
075531218X
296p.

Non-fiction about the eradication of small-pox, the anthrax attacks in America just after the World Trade Centre attacks and the future possibility of a terror attack using an engineered version of the small pox virus.

This was a scary read, and sometimes a little gross. One of the earliest scenes is of an autopsy on one of the anthrax victims - let's just say it involves a ladle! It was written in accessible language (or I thought it was accessible, but then I work in a lab). It was very hard to put down.

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

Damned
Chuck Palahniuk
2011, Amazon Kindle e-book
unnumbered

Madison is the overweight and spoilt 13 year old daughter of a movie star and producer, the only thing is, she's dead ... and in hell.

This was another awesome book by Palahniuk! He's so good, and so, so bad. I loved the character development in this, Madison is a fantastic character. They all are fantastic characters, the dialogue is witty and situation hilarious. I think this is my first 10 star review of the year!

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma
Michael Pollan
2006, Kindle Edition
9781594200823
un-numbered

This is the first book I read on my Kindle. Michael Pollan decides to eat three meals from three very different ways of procuring food: the factory farm; the sustainable organic farm; and hunting and gathering.

I read this because it was recommended to me by a vegan so I thought it would be a little more powerful in the anti-meat department, but on the contrary, it gave some very logical reasons why humans should eat meat. He's a very good story teller and I enjoyed the parts of the book where he's discovering how to locate and prepare his own meals from their original sources.

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

Choke
Chuck Palahniuk
2002
ebook
665p.

Victor Mancini is a sexaholic, historical reenactor and ex-medical student who earns extra money to pay his mother's medical bills by 'pretending' to choke in restaurants so people will come to his rescue and feel like heroes.

This is a weird-ass book. The characters are all screwy and the sex scenes are mad! I did enjoy it very much, except I think it was trying to be a little too clever, a little too philosophical.

Rozen Maiden Volume 1 by Peach Pit

Rozen Maiden Volume 1
Peach Pit
2003, 2006, Tokyopop, Los Angeles
1598163124
unnumbered

Jun is a recluse who likes to order junk from the internet and return it before the grace period expires. When he orders a strange doll, he discovers that he cannot return her and is taken on a strange journey.

This is pretty cool manga. I was expecting it to be a bit childish as it's rated T13+, but I thought the style was quite mature and it touches on some not-so-angsty teen issues. Except now I'm going to have to find Volume 2.

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone
Susan Beth Pfeffer
2008, Marion Lloyd, London
9780152063115
308p.

Alex is a Puerto Rican teen living in New York City when as asteroid hits the moon pushing it out of its orbit and closer to the earth which has devastating consequences. After Alex's parents go missing in the initial disaster, he must care for himself and his two sisters to ensure their survival.

I didn't think this was as good as the first book. It seemed a bit contrived - like the first book was such as success so the author tried to duplicate it. It was still a good read, but it lacked the magic (and utter heartbreak) of the first book.

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Life as we Knew it by Susan Pfeffer

Life as we Knew it
Susan Pfeffer
2006, 2007, Marion Lloyd, London
0439944333
337p.

An asteroid hits the moon, pushing it out of orbit and closer to Earth. The following devastation is chronicled by a teenager in her diary.

Totally absorbing read - I often woke up, and in that still half-asleep phase, thought that the events in this book were real and wondering what I should be doing that day from a survival aspect. I was sad that the book ended, but I have the sequel to read now. It did take a while to get into the book - to get used to the voice of the teen (which is extremely well done) - but once it got going, I was hooked.

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Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin

Doctor Who: The Eyeless
Lance Parkin
2008, BBC Books, UK
9781846075628
248p.

The Doctor travels to a planet whose population was destroyed by a terrible weapon from another war. He wants to dismantle the weapon, but when he gets there he finds that there are survivors and other beings who want the weapon for themselves.

Not sure I like The Doctor being alone - he be moody. This is a fairly dark book, but a ripper story. The author obviously has a mathematics obsession!

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Stardust by Robert B. Parker

Stardust
Robert B. Parker
1990, 1991, Berkley, New York
0425127230
268p.

Spenser is a private detective hired to find out who is threatening TV starlet Jill Joyce. The stakes are raised when Jill Joyce's body double is murdered.

I quite liked this when I got into it. I think I was thrown a little by the gaudy cover, this is a classic American detective novel and reminded me of Chandler's Marlowe. Spenser is a brilliantly sassy character, I will try and read more of these books.

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The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe

The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Edgar Allan Poe
1841, 1995, Penguin, London
0146001915
56p.

A woman and her daughter are found murdered in a house in Paris. The daughter throttled and jammed up a chimney, the mother's throat slashed. As Paris reels from these horrific murders, an amateur detective and his friend go through the evidence to solve the crime.

A great little murder mystery from Edgar Allan Poe. I like reading these old mysteries, they give a feel for the time in which they were written. This story is quite clever and the solution unpredictable.

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Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide by Lynette Porter and David Lavery

Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide
Lynette Porter, David Lavery
2006, Sourcebooks, Naperville
1402207263
252p.

This book was written half-way through season two of the TV show Lost and takes an in-depth look at the show, its characters, hidden meanings, and fandom.

I thought this was a good guide to the show, even if it's now terribly out of date. But it was good to read about some of the stuff I'd forgotten especially now that we're currently looking at the history of the island in greater detail.

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A Child Called 'It' by Dave Pelzer

A Child Called 'It'
David Pelzer
1995, 2001, Orion, London
0752837508
169p.

This is the story of David Pelzer who was a victim of brutal child abuse and neglect.

It is a shocking book to read, but it's not too intense which I think is a good thing as this is an important book that most people should read.

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The Day of the Storm by Rosamunde Pilcher

The Day of the Storm
Rosamunde Pilcher
1975, 1991, Coronet, London
0340521198
218p.

When Rebecca Bayliss' mother dies of leukaemia, Rebecca goes in search of her extended family whom she never knew. Whilst staying at her grandfather's large Cornwall mansion, dark family secrets are revealed.

This is a seemingly simple story with shades of complexity. The prose is very descriptive. I enjoyed the English seaside village setting, however, the main character of Rebecca is such an idiot. And then there's that whole cousin thing ...

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A Thousand Bones by PJ Parrish

A Thousand Bones
PJ Parrish
2007, Pocket Books, New York
1416525874
470p.

Joe Frye is a female deputy for the Leelanau Sheriff's Department in the 1970s when a small number of bone fragments are discovered. The ensuing investigation uncovers a series of brutal murders, and Frye is set to become the killer's next victim.

This is a well crafted mystery with no fancy tricks - it's just a solid thriller. It was interesting to read the growth of the characters throughout the story, because that is one thing the mystery genre is not known for. The murders were interesting, and I enjoyed the mix of Indian folklore.

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Rising Son by SD Perry

Rising Son
SD Perry
2003, Pocket Books, New York
0743448384
308p.

Jake Sisko comes across a prophecy which states that the son of the Emissary will travel through the Bajoran wormhole and return with one of the Chosen. He assumes this means his father, who has been taken by the Prophets. When Jake goes through the wormhole, he is thrown deep into the Gamma Quadrant by a storm and picked up by a ship of adventurers.

This is one of 'tenth anniversary' books, so it is set after the TV series left off, which gives the author a lot of license to go nuts with the plot. While I enjoyed the new Gamma Quadrant aliens such as Pif and Brad, I thought there was far too much new plot introduced into the story. This book actually reminded me a bit of an episode of Dr. Who, especially the Wa.

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When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

When the Wind Blows
James Patterson
1998, 1999, Headline, London
0747257892
468p.

Frannie O'Neill is a veterinarian living in Colorado who makes an amazing discovery in the woods near her home. This novel is about genetic engineering and the pursuit of scientific breakthrough.

Another 'feel good' thriller from James Patterson. I found this one particularly badly written, but that doesn't necessarily get in the road of the story. The constant brand-name dropping gets on my nerves, as does the author's need to describe how the characters are feeling. If you took out a certain scene, and one swear word, I would say this book was written for 14 year old girls.

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The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson

The Big Bad Wolf
James Patterson
2003, Headline, London
075530022X
314p.

Alex Cross joins the FBI and is immediately entangled in a case involving white slavery, kidnapping and the ruthless man behind it all known as The Wolf.

This was another so-so 'thriller' from James Patterson. The short chapters make it feel like a fast-paced ride, but it constantly loses tension, especially in the parts about Alex Cross' personal life.

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Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Marisha Pessl
2006, Viking, London
0670916110
514p.

Blue van Meer is a bright girl who has spent most of her life travelling around America with her university professor father. When they settle in a town for her final year of high school, unusual events begin to take place.

This was a fantastic book! It was gloriously pretentious - woven together beautifully and with such ease. Sure it was a little bit slow in places, but it was one hell of a ride.

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Objective: Bajor by John Peel

Objective: Bajor
John Peel
1996, Pocket Books, New York
0671568116
278p.

The Deep Space Nine crew encounter The Hive - a large ship which came from another galaxy and destroyed one of the Bajoran colony worlds and is on it's way to destroy Bajor itself.

This was another interesting Trek book. It's refreshing to read one where the 'bad guys' are not bad at all. The Hive inhabitants are great aliens with inventive technology. And the tie-in with the Cardassians and Bajorans was well established.

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Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Fight Club
Chuck Palahniuk
1995, Henry Holt, New York.
0805062971
208p.

A young man who works for the recall department of an automobile company gets involved with underground boxing and general mayhem.

This is a great book - with so many twists, that I didn't see coming. I love the anarchy of the whole thing.

Will have to go see the movie now - I was imagining scenes with Brad Pitt through the whole book.

It's a very clever novel, without being pretentious at all and still being a really great story. And I won't look at soap in the same way again!

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