The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson - Book 125

I sometimes wonder if James Patterson writes any of his books any more, since he has a long series of coathors and is more prolific than Barbara Cartland. That said, I enjoyed The Christmas Wedding. Here's the description on Amazon:

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

I really loved Gaby and her kids and their stories are told simply and effectively till they intertwine on Christmas Day. It's lightweight and somewhat implausible but somehow leaves you feeling happy.

A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah - Book 124

You might think that A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier would be a depressing read, but considering its subject matter it was surprisingly upbeat. Author Ishmael Beah tells of his life in Sierra Leone when he was conscripted into the army to fight the rebel forces. It helps that we know from the start - really from the blurb - that he made it out alive.

For those of us safely removed from daily violence, what he had to endure seems unimaginable, yet he is matter of fact about his actions and feelings through the horrors of war and the actions he is forced to take, then comes to accept as normal. The story of his rehabilitation is also moving. I thought this was an excellent read. Highly recommended. 

A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi - Book 123

A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi - Words We Pinched from Other Languages is a word nerds delight. I breezed through the book in a couple of hours, revisiting the origins of foreign phrases commonly in use in English. For each entry, there's a literal translation, an explanation and an example of it in use. Most of the examples are funny, making the book even better. If you love words and are fascinated by their origin, you will love this book as much as I did. Highly recommended.

I Before E - Book 122

I before E except after C (Old School Ways to Remember Stuff) gives exactly what it promises. If you're looking for word and number mnemonics that will help you to remember important rules, formulas and even historical facts (though these are UK based) then this book is for you. It's like taking a step back into your school days and is an easy read. Recommended.

Going the Half Hog - Spike Wyatt - Book 121

Just finished this excellent primer on freelancing. I'll be reviewing it in detail on my writing blog and will post the link here when it's done. Update: Here's the link to my Going the Half Hog review.

Short stories - Books 119 and 120

For a change, I decided to read a couple of books of short stories. The first, Dark Doses by Todd Thorne, contains several pieces of short science fiction, of which the first and last stories are by far the best but still not that exciting. I won't be going out of my way to read more by this author. Not recommended.

In contrast,Take Five by Renee Pawlish contains five excellent mystery stories, a few of them featuring the same main characters. I found it a great introduction to her work and will definitely be on the lookout for more from her, especially the Sarah Spillman stories. Highly recommended.

Mrs Jones - B A Morton - Book 118

Mrs Jones by B A Morton has a great story - Lizzie, a woman over from the UK on her first trip to the US, sees a hit-and-run and gets embroiled in a turf war among the police, the bad guys and the Feds, helped by cop Tommy Connell. There's lots of double and triple crossing - and it turns out that the mystery of her parentage is key to the case. The book has a full cast of likeable good guys and reprehensible bad guys, as well as a few who skate between the two and is a gripping read. There is just one jarring note - though set in the US and with mainly American characters, the language is very British and the disconnect between the two sometimes jars. It's still worth a read and I'll be looking out for the next book from this author. Recommended.