Hour Game

He's copying famous serial killers. 
And the HOUR GAME has just begun...

A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal's motives...or who will die next.

Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man's innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.

Wow. So this was my first David Baldacci book even though I own a couple I have now just gotten around to picking one up. I was pulled in on page one! I HATE mystery books that have a slow beginning and take forever to pick up, this one wasn't one of those. I loved the whole plot and how much it twisted and turned the entire time, even when you think the story is going to settle down, bam its off again. It is a rather large book at 500+ pages but it doesn't feel that long as you are reading. I would totally recommend it, i hope to read more books by this great suspenseful author. 

Pigboy

Dan is not sure he'll survive the boring field trip to a remote heritage farm. How could a place with no running water, telephone or electricity be anything but dull? The farmer knows nothing about farming and is angry about having to conduct the tour. And what's with his tattoo? The teacher requests a private word with the farmer and then mysteriously disappears. After a messy attack of allergies, Dan is excused to find a tissue. He sneaks back to the school bus and discovers the driver and teacher have been bound and gagged. The farmer is really an escaped convict with nasty plans. Will Dan be able to find help in time?
Oh my gosh, I was dumb enough to read this at around 10pm and that was a mistake. It was very creepy so i ended up reading the entire thing (all 114 pages of it) before going to bed. It was very suspenseful and showed how even the disliked nerd of a class can do big things too. It was a very good read and I would recommend it, just don't read it at night... 

The Great Wide Sea

Ben, Dylan, and Gerry are still mourning their mother?s death when their dad decides to buy a boat and take them on a year-long sailing trip. Tensions flare between Ben and his father, but they gradually learn to live together in close quarters. Then one morning the boys wake up to discover their father has disappeared?and they are lost. What happened to him? Where are they? And what will they do when a terrible storm looms on the horizon?
So, this book was a little slow at getting started, i thought it was going to have a little about the before and then a little about while they were on the sea, but it was like 3/4 of the book. The last fourth was there time on the island and then their eventual rescue. That was my biggest pet peeve about it. I did like the ending though, there was a nice little plot twist there tucked into the last couple chapters. So that sort of made up for the dragging on of the other parts of the story. But i would say in the end, overall a good read. I would recommend it more towards boys though. 

Hate That Cat

Jack

Room 204—Miss Stretchberry

February 25

Today the fat black cat
up in the tree by the bus stop
dropped a nut on my head
thunk
and when I yelled at it
that fat black cat said
Murr-mee-urrr
in a
nasty
spiteful
way.

I hate that cat.

This is the story of
Jack
words
sounds
silence
teacher
and cat.

This book was good, set more for middle school kids I still enjoyed it. Though I was confused for awhile what it was about. I did finally figure it out toward the middle of the book but it took awhile. I loved that this book was written in verse, those are my top favorite types of book mostly because of the fact they are pretty writing most times and also they don't take wrong to read, ever! Even long ones (which this one was not) only take 2 to 3 hours to read tops. All in all i enjoyed it but not as much as i wanted too and feel like i would have liked it more as a middle grader versus now as a junior in high school. 

The Host

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

Okay I admit, i watched the movie before reading this book. I know the shame right? But I saw it on Netflix and knew the book was 600+ pages and didn't want to waste my time reading something that long if I didn't think I was going to like it. I really loved the movie so decided to give the book a whirl. It didn't disappoint  me! The movie is so spot on with a lot of it, I was so surprised that it was too, most movies anymore aren't that close to the book. Which is really annoying, of course. I really enjoyed it and loved the relationships they shared and the love triangle really was more like a square when you think about it... But I all in all enjoyed it a lot and was totally worth my time to read all of those pages. I don't know how i feel about a sequel though... On goodreads it said there is supose to be a 2nd and 3rd book in the "series". I think its just fine the way it is but that is just me. Totally 5 stars though!

Skeleton Man

Trust your dreams. Both my parents said that. That's our old way, our Mohawk way. The way of our ancestors. Trust the little voice that speaks to you. That is your speaking. But when those feelings, those dreams, those voices are so confusing, what do you do then?
"Help," I whisper. "Help."
I'm not sure who I'm talking to when I
say that, but I hope they're listening.

Ever since Molly woke up one morning and discovered that her parents vanished, she has had to depend on herself to survive 
-- and find the reason for their disappearance.

Social Services has turned her over to the care of a great-uncle, a mysterious man Molly has never met before. Then Molly starts having dreams about the Skeleton Man from a spooky old Mohawk tale her father used to tell her...dreams that are trying to tell her something...dreams that might save her, if only she can understand them.

So i thought this was going to be a bit more creepy then it was, i still wouldn't read it at night though... It is based on an old Indian story and its a suspenseful book, not as suspenseful as i wanted but still good. It is for ages 8-12 but i still enjoyed it. I would recommend it to that age group though. In the end it was a good book and i really enjoyed the short read. 

Secrets Over Sweet Tea

Secrets can be funny things. We think they keep us safe, but more often than not, they spill out when we least expect and make a mess out of everything. It’s a truth Scarlett Jo Newberry knows all too well—a truth Grace Shepherd and Zach Craig are about to learn the hard way. As the lives of this boisterous pastor’s wife, polished news anchor, and beleaguered divorce attorney intersect in the tree-lined streets of Franklin, Tennessee, scandal threatens to topple their carefully constructed worlds. Grasping at survival, they embark on a journey of friendship and courage, desperate to find a way back to laughter, love, and life.

This book was laugh out loud funny and oh so much fun to read. I don't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book before! I really enjoyed the story and how the characters grew through out the book. I would totally have Scarlett as my best friend, just saying. She's so awesome and we would have so much fun together i just wish i could... Anyways I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a light hearted read.  I received this advanced readers copy from Tyndale House Publishers for review.