The Kari AnnAlysis

Release: May 2004

Henry DeTamble isn’t your normal man. One minute you’ll see him, the next you won’t. That’s right, he’s a time traveler. He meets Clare when she is 6. He is 36. He leaves her with a list of dates so she knows when to come back, bringing him clothes and food. This continues until she is 18. Then, they are on a 2 year hiatus. In that time, it is up to Clare to catch up with Henry in the present and explain to him why she knows so much about him, but he hasn’t met her yet. He won’t time travel to back her a few more years. Clare and Henry end up married, like they both knew they would and try their hardest to live with Henry’s time travel, try to solve it’s mystery and have a child.

This is one of the hardest descriptions I’ve ever had to write. There’s so much that goes on and for a while in the book, you’re not sure where you’re going to go next, so you’re not sure where to book mark as an important part. There were some parts that came up again that I had to go back and reference when they were brought up the first time, remembering vaguely that I had heard this before.

Audrey Niffenegger is a genius. This is an unbelievable book. And it puts her up on the list with JK Rowling as someone I’d like to have coffee with and pick their brains. She’s one of those people who make you sit and wonder “how did they think of that?”.

This book was very well written and very well thought out. When Clare was little, the writing sounded like a 6 year old. When she was in college, the writing changed to match her intelligence. When we were with little Clare, I could imagine her reading her story to me herself.

I normally like a book that is a little lighter. Yes, this is a love story, but it does not have a happy ending. It ended up being a terribly sad story of a girl who falls in love at the age of 6 and spends her whole life waiting for Henry. I felt sad for Clare so many times as she was wondering where her love was, wondering if he’d come back safe, wondering how much longer she’d had with him and if they’d ever found a cure. I admired Clare for her commitment to Henry. Many women would not have waited around for him or even believed he was a time traveler in the first place. And most probably wouldn’t have been able to put up with the stress. That’s a love to admire.

I look forward to seeing the movie that coincides with the book, but I am going to have to wait a while. I am not sure if I can go through the heart break so soon.

I give The Time Traveler’s Wife 4 bookmarks. While I enjoyed it and I felt it, it is not something I think I’ll read again. At times I wondered if I was ever going to get through it, it was over 500 pages long.

Release: May 2006

This is the 6th installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series and finally, Sookie gets to use her ability to help humans and it’s the ones who have doubted her are asking for her help. But that’s not the big picture in this book. Her cousin Hadley, who was turned to a vampire, has died and Sookie has been named her heir. Sookie has to go to New Orleans to clean out her place, but this also means she has to meet up with the Queen. Hadley had a special relationship with the Queen that ultimately led to her death. As if this isn’t enough of Sookie’s plate, some weres are also after her.

Sookie now has to solve 3 problems. I somewhat solved one, but the others got past me.

I liked this book because it always kept me questioning what was around the next corner. I never knew if it was a vamp, a witch, a were, a tiger or a demon. Yes, demons are introduced in this book.

One part of the plot that I hated was a little secret comes out about Bill. I am not going to spill it, because I hate reading and writing spoilers, but it definitely changes my opinion for him. Until now, everything he has done to hurt Sookie, I’ve been able to rationalize with, as Sookie had … somewhat.

Oh, and must I mention there’s a new hottie in Sookie’s life? Let’s just say he’s extremely cat like

I give Definitely Dead 4 bookmarks.

Other Sookie Stackhouse Books:
1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
5. Dead as a Doornail

Happy Valentine’s Day. Here’s a look at what’s new to my bookshelf this week.

Won from Librarything.com:

Borrowed from friends:

What’d you get this week?

I work about 44 miles away from where I live. So when the weather is bad, I can’t always make it home. This was the case last week. Monday morning before work, I packed my bag with 3 days of clothes. Luckily, that was all I needed.

Monday night I got a hotel room, the other two, I stayed with a coworker.

Knowing me, clothes and toiletries weren’t all I packed. Of course, I packed books. 5 to be exact. I was almost finished with one when I left for work on Monday and I wanted to be prepared.

Here’s my stash:

I actually didn’t get as much reading done as I thought I would. Monday I finished one and started another, but all week, I was battling a runny nose and scratchy throat. If I could’ve spent as much time reading as I did blowing my nose, I probably would’ve finished two or three.

Progress: I finished One Amazing Thing and started Definitely Dead which I plan on finishing today.

We’re supposed to get another round of snow starting tonight, so I’ll have to pack my bags again. I got The Time Traveler’s Wife this week, so I’ll probably start it and take all the ones pictured above… just in case!

Release: February 2, 2010

In One Amazing Thing, we get stuck in a visa office with 9 other customers after an earthquake rattles a city. These people are all very different but soon realize they need each other to live. After the quake hits, the group must help one another with injuries, falling debris and failing spirits. As the temperature drops and the sun sets to push through, the group all tells a small story, one amazing thing that has happened in their lives.

Some of these stories showed life struggle, another helped explain to their loved one why they never wanted a pet and one even told about a long lost love that one granddaughter never knew her grandmother experienced.

As with most stories that have a lot of characters, I found myself flipping back through the pages to make sure I knew exactly who was talking.  I have a tendancy to get confused easily

I liked this book because I learned about a nationality that I have never really been around. I also felt like I really got to know these people on a personal level. They told their own stories – one that meant very much to them that most had never shared before. They let me in on their life.

This is the kind of book that really makes you think. If there was a possibility you wouldn’t make it until morning, what story would you share? I finished this book on Monday and my review has been delayed because it’s Thursday and the first time I’ve been home since Monday morning due to bad weather. This has given me a lot of time to think about my story. The only story that I feel strong enough about is the evolution of my relationship with my husband. From the night he came to me with his stunna’ shades and asked for my number, to our first date, to the emotional day I left for college, to the night we said I do. This is definitely my amazing story.

Other than confusion through parts of the book, the only thing I didn’t really like about it was the ending. I am not going to give it away, but it wasn’t what I expected.

The book kept me reading and I loved getting to know the characters. I give One Amazing Thing, 4 bookmarks.