Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Religious Symbolist Robert Langdon is back in this DaVinci Code prequel when he is called in by CERN (world's largest physics laboratory) after one of their top scientists, Dr. Vetra, was murdered. Upon his arrival at CERN, Langdon discovers that the killer left behind a clue that shows that the ancient brotherhood of the Illuminati may have resurfaced after being in hiding. At the same time, Vetra's daughter discovers that a container of anti-matter (an experiment she and her father was working on) had been stolen during the murder. Both of these elements lead Langdon to be swept up in to going to the Vatican to help destroy a plot to blow up the entire city.

It just so happens that the a beloved Pope had just died in preceding days and the Cardinals were beginning to start conclave to elect a new Pope. Just as the Cardinals head to conclave, four Cardinals go mysteriously missing and the Illuminant's vow to execute a Cardinal on each hour at the four altars of science. With the threat of the antimatter hidden somewhere in Vatican City/Rome and thousands of people gathered in Vatican Square, Langdon and his team must race against the clock to find the antimatter and discover the hidden clues that lead them to the ancient Illuminati altars of science.

This was a fantastic read and I really wish I had it read it much earlier before now. I finished the book before I headed off to the theater to see the film and I thought that the film was pretty decent. They left out quite a bit of detail surrounding the history of the Illuminati, CERN, and Vatican City in general but there so only so much you can do in a movie. I'd read the book just specifically for those elements. They also changed a bit about some of the ending details but the basic elements were there and I can see why they did what they did. Overall though, I found the book much more exciting. But, isn't that always the case?

Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews

In Andrews' newest book, Gina Foxton stars as the the chef in a regional cooking show called Fresh Start. When she discovers that her producer boyfriend slept with the wife of the show's sponsor and here show is doomed to be canceled, she believes her life is over. A new opportunity soon opens up as she discovers that The Cooking Channel is looking to add a new show and they are interested in her. However, they are also interested in another regional cooking show called Vittles, which is hosted by wildly popular Tate Moody. The tension builds between both Gina and Tate as the network decides to turn their battle for The Cooking Channel spot into a reality show competition. This takes them both to an island off the coast of Georgia where things not only heat up in the kitchen but with each other.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Andrews's series featuring Savannah residents Weezie and BeBe, I was excited to hear that she was penning a new book. I was actually reminded a bit of the Weezie and BeBe characters with Gina and her sister Lisa in this book. I had a hard time putting this one down as I got caught up in the cooking competition between Gina and Tate. I've heard mixed reviews on this book as some just don't like it at all. But, I thought it was quite enjoyable and a good choice for summer reading.

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Patterson co-writes this book with Charbonnet as he returns to writing a new romance novel. In an interview, Patterson described this book as a "fairy-tale for grown-ups." I was somewhat skeptical of the premise, basically a woman falls in love with her imaginary friend, and wondered how in the world he could even write such a book.

The plot begins as young Jane is having dessert with her imaginary friend, Michael in a New York hotel. Jane's mother, a highly successful Broadway producer, is very strict while Jane's father is essentially non-existent. Michael is her very best friend. On Jane's ninth birthday, Michael must leave Jane as that is just what he must do. He tells Jane that she will eventually forget him as all the children he's worked with eventually do but, Jane never does. Next, we find Jane all grown-up, working for her mother, and fresh from having huge success with a stage play based on her childhood relationship with Michael. At the same time, Michael arrives in New York for vacation before he receives his next assignment. By chance, the two find each other again but can they ever really be together?

The entire story is so far-fetched, sappy, and definitely a "fairy-tale" but I actually really enjoyed reading this one. I think it is simply because of the fast pace in which Patterson writes that makes me want to keep turning the pages. I just have to see what happens next. Good read and possibly a good beach read for the summer.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Morgan is a blood splatter analyst for the Miami police department with a secret, he's a serial killer. The twist is that he only kills that bad people that slip through the cracks of the system. With an uncanny sense to anticipate the killer's moves, his job puts him in the perfect position to track them down. In this first book in a series by Lindsay, there is a killer on the loose that Dexter feels strangely connected to as the killings are much like his own. Both intrigued and frightened, the killer lures Dexter into a game he can't refuse.

Showtime is running a show based on Lindsay's novels and I recently finished Season 1. Being a fan of Michael C. Hall (he plays Dexter) since he was on Six Feet Under and hearing about the premise of the show, I knew I had to check it out. It wasn't until later that I discovered that there were "Dexter" books. So how does the book compare to the show? It's similar but the book focuses more on the main killer rather than little side stories of Dexter tracking down a bad person like on the show. The book version helped me see inside Dexter's head a bit more but the show actually lays down more of a storyline about his past. There are also some plot differences but I won't go into them here since some of you might want to read the book or check out the show. In fact, CBS will begin airing Season 1 this Sunday night. I'm rather shocked that they are choosing to do this honestly because it's pretty gruesome. I'd imagine that the network would have to cut quite a bit out.

Julie and Julie: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

When visiting her parents in Texas, Julie, a frustrated temp working in New York City, rediscovers a worn copy of her mother's Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child that she once use to thumb through as a child. Inspiration strikes and she decides that she will work her way through every recipe within a year. Determined to prove that anyone can master the art of French cooking and tracking down all the ingredients, including the obscure, Julie begins to blog about her experience. Things begin pretty well despite a move to Long Island at the beginning of the project. Soon, however, the project eventually takes over her life. With the encouragement of her husband, friends, family, and many readers of her daily blog, Julie pushes through all the triumphs, disasters, and just plain ickiness of some tasks.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and at times laughed at loud at some of her adventures. Although, I must admit that I spent the majority of the times cringing at some of the tasks she had to perform. From trying to get marrow out of a bone, to killing her first lobster, to the state of her kitchen on a daily basis (hint: dishes piled high and sink that backed up quite a bit). I had to stop reading this while I was eating because I nearly threw up my turkey sandwich the day I read about the kitchen pipes backing up. The details were a bit too much for lunch-time eating. In the end, it was great to see her finish her task, visiting Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian, and ultimately getting a book deal so she could quit the government job she hated.

The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth

The Will of Wisteria was released either late summer or early fall last year but I recently picked it up as a Christmas gift for myself and saved it as my first book of 2008. I was completely surprised when I began the book, having just returned from Charleston, to find out that it was set it...yep, Charleston, SC. With my mind fresh with historical and visual details of the city, I just lost myself in the story.

Set in Charleston, SC, the book follows a year long journey of four self-absorbed and somewhat estranged siblings of the Wilcott. The story begins on the eve of the reading of their father's will as they discover that their inheritance is not going to be as easy to come by as they thought. Demanded to quit their jobs and use their talents to perform pro bono work for a year prior to receiving their inheritance has left them shocked, paranoid, and in disbelief. Determined not to let the other win, they each set out on a very special journey.

Hildreth has the most amazing way of grabbing you and her writing is just so darn smooth. She has really started to develop as a wonderful writer and this book really shows off her talent. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to see what else she cooks up in the future.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I've heard buzz about this book for some time and I can't begin to tell you how many times I've picked this one up in the bookstore to gaze at its cover only to put it down. So, when a co-worker brought the book in to me recently proclaiming that I just had to read it, I decided then that I must finally stop and read this one. Disappointed, I was not! Having been craving a wildly exciting book for months, I was delighted when I was immediately captivated after turning the first page.

This story follows Jacob Jankowski as he recounts his days in the circus during the Depression. We are first introduced to Jacob as he is in his nineties and living in a nursing home facility. As word of a circus being set up near the nursing home spreads, the residents begin watching the set-up and Jacob is transported back to the 1930s where he was in college studying veterinary medicine. Through an unfortunate string of events, Jacob joins up with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth where he meets owner Uncle Al, animal trainer August, August's wife Marlena, and many of the circus crew. A page-turner and full of delightful imagery, I simply could not put this book down. I especially enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book where she recounts how she began writing the book along with her detailed research. I highly recommend adding this one to your wish list this holiday.

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection by Gordon Ramsay

As a huge fan of Hell's Kitchen (and most any cooking competitive show), I was anxious to read this one. Some people see Ramsay as extremely mean and perhaps a bit "showy" with his antics on TV. Who's really to say what's the real truth but after reading his book, I feel as if I can see where he might be coming from now. Sure, he is a perfectionist yet, I believe he is hard on his young chefs because he wants to see them succeed and be proud. As the book begins, Gordon tells of his extremely humble beginnings, damaged relationship with his father, love for football (soccer), working his way through the food industry, his family, and finally, his rise to media fame. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. Overall, great revealing read.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda

I spotted this book several weeks ago at the used bookstore and it immediately caught my eye. I liked M*A*S*H and I love memoirs so I added it to my cart. In this book, Alda talks about his childhood and traveling with his parents who were in a burlesque troupe and latter, vaudeville acts as he watched his father perform from the stage wings and how significant of an impact this made on him. Alda, while fascinated with anything science, eventually decides to become and actor himself and the book follows his tough career of finding stage roles, scraping by with his family, and generally finding his voice. After filming a prison movie in Utah, he gets a call about doing a pilot in L.A. about a bunch of doctors in Korea. Alda actually considered turning the part down because he would be separated from his wife and kids but his wife encouraged him to go for it. While reading the section about his M*A*S*H experience, you get the sense that Alda finally found his voice. He was able to write and direct many episodes and finally felt as if he "fit in" as the cast was a huge family to him.
Overall, I thought that parts of the book were really great. However, Alda would go off on these tangents of talking way too much about acting methodology, etc. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a few times and generally wanting to skip portions of the book in order to get to the story. I was let down when reading this book because I think I had a different impression in my head of what it was going to be. It's not that I thought it was all going to be about M*A*S*H, it's just that I wish it flowed better and I didn't have to read about every single thought regarding acting methodology that passed through his mind, which I felt I was doing. It drove me crazy and I thankful when I finally read the ending.

Crazy Ladies by Michael Lee West

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one up but I was pleasantly surprised. While I was being distracted quite a bit while reading this one, I was always anxious to get back to where I left off and find out what else one of these women did next.

Set in the South, this book is about three generations of "crazy" women spanning from 1932 to 1972. The story begins with Miss Gussie as a murder is committed and she works hard to conceal the truth. As the story continues, we hear from Miss Gussie's maid, Queenie, her daughters and eventually her daughter's daughters. Their lives intertwine lots of craziness ensues with tons of highs and lows, and the story wraps up with a conclusion to the murder concealment at the beginning of the book.

Since each chapter is told from a different woman's view, I wondered how well the author would be able to set each tone apart. Surprisingly, I thought the author did a remarkable job. While reading her biography online, I discovered that she hold a nursing a degree from my alma mater. Apparently, according to the alumni website, her parents didn't think English was an acceptable major. Therefore, she practiced nursing and wrote on her stories on the side. This was the first book I've read by this author and I will certainly check out some of her other books.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I somehow got sucked into Meyer's Twilight series this past Spring. I blame the captivating cover for drawing me to the book on the shelf and then with the words "I found out he was a vampire" on the back cover sealed my fate. I flew through Twilight and quickly purchased New Moon to discover that the third book, Eclipse, would be released in August. Without giving too much of the series away, the story is set in northwest Washington State where it centers on Bella Swan and her relationship with the Cullen family (vampires), friends at her high school, Jacob Black, and Jacob's tribe on the nearby reservation. Anxious to revisit these characters, I could not wait to get this third book in my hands. Unfortunately, I simply thought that this book in the series was just mediocre. While Meyer does pace her stories slowly, the build up to the climax point in the book fell flat for me as there was not enough action and too much focus on back stories in my opinion. However, Meyer did a good job at both ending Eclipse and opening a doorway for the next book in the series. In the end, despite the slower pace of this book and those complaints, I enjoyed reading this one if only just to "catch up" with the goings-on with Bella in Forks, Washington.

Flies on the Butter by Denise Hildreth

Having loved the Savannah series, I recently picked up this new offering by Hildreth. This book starts off running as we follow the main character, Rose, as she travels back to her home South Carolina. As a lobbyist in Washington D.C, Rose is well-put together and a woman of strong opinions. While this story takes place over the entire car ride to South Carolina and a series of flashbacks, we find Rose transported back to where she came from as memories from her childhood are dredged up as well as issues concerning her marriage. As the story continues, Rose embarks not only on a journey home but a journey to rediscover herself again. Hildreth writes at the end of the book that she hoped that the reader's own memories would surface while reading. Boy, did they ever. I could picture clearly my grandmother's house, smell her cooking, and visit with my grandfather on the front porch ..if only in my mind. It was with a sigh and a few tears that I finished the last few pages. While I did shed a few tears, they were not sad ones but ones of thankfulness that I was able to be transported back to my memories so easily.