Sunday Shorts

Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz
published 2013
297 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Nestled on a lonely stretch along the Pacific coast, quaint roadside outpost Harmony Corner offers everything a weary traveler needs—a cozy diner, a handy service station, a cluster of cottages . . . and the Harmony family homestead presiding over it all. But when Odd Thomas and company stop to spend the night, they discover that there’s more to this secluded haven than meets the eye—and that between life and death, there is something more frightening than either.

My thoughts -

I think this series gets better and better with each novel. This story was a much shorter installment - it was apparently originally a web series - and for me it packed an emotional punch. This was also the first time in an Odd Thomas story that Koontz gives us something from another character's point of view, and it was extremely powerful. I devoured this book nearly in one sitting.

Finished - 8/4/13
Source - south side library
MPAA rating - R
My rating - 8/10

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
published 6/2012
368 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

The woman astride the ghostly mount reaches out desperately, the latest spirit to enlist the aid of Odd Thomas, the unassuming young fry cook whose gift—or curse—it is to see the shades of the restless dead, and to help them when he can. This mission of mercy will lead Odd through realms of darkness he has never before encountered, as he probes the long-held secrets of a sinister estate and those who inhabit it.


My thoughts -

I think this is the first installment in the series that has genuinely creeped me out - Koontz uses some actual science to craft this particular story, and it had enough of a ring of truth that it actually affected me. Honestly, though, I read these books for the relationships Koontz develops between Odd Thomas and the other characters that populate his world, and this book was full of them. I think Odd is one of the most original characters in current literary fiction, and I can't wait to read the next book.

Finished - 8/4/13
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - R
My rating - 8/10

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by LJ Smith
published in print 1991
audiobook - narrated by Rebecca Mozo

Synopsis from publisher -

Torn between two vampire brothers
Damon: determined to make Elena his, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.

Stefan: desperate for the power to destroy Damon, and protect Elena, he gives in to his thirst for human blood.

Elena: the girl who can have anyone finds herself in the middle of a love triangle . . . one that might turn deadly.

My thoughts -

I thought this book was a bit slower than the first in the series - it seemed like we spent a LOT of time not doing much of anything. It did, however, have a great climactic scene, and I will read the next in the series to see if I'm right about what the author has done.

Finished - 8/24/13
Source - audiobook from South side library
MPAA rating - PG-13 for romancy and violent moments
My rating - 6/10

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
published 2003
373 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

With a bit of last summer's sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood that wears them embark on their 16th summer.

Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting to both confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once.

Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visit even more painful.

Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over a man. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she's certain of it.

Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman's, she takes a film course only to find it's what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.

My thoughts -

First - I don't feel like this book has a complete title. I think it had a real title, and then this was the subtitle - like, "(whatever, whatever, whatever): The Second Summer of the Sisterhood", and then somehow that first part got left out.

I am just charmed by this series. I feel for each of the girls in their struggles to grow up, and enjoy each one's stories equally. Delightful young adult fiction.

Finished - 9/2/13
Source - South side library
MPAA Rating - PG-13
My rating - 7/10