Health Scare by Rene Moret focused on the main reasons why the U.S health care system is in the trouble it’s in today. The first thing I have to say about this book is that it’s very easy to read and understand.  It’s not filled with complicated analogies, the points are broken down into simple terms that even a layperson can understand.

The problem is that physicians are scared to practice medicine because a lawyer waits around every corner ready and available to sue.  So as Mr. Moret mentioned, physicians practice defensive medicine in case they have to defend themselves in a lawsuit.  The basis of the U.S. healthcare system as it stands today is the promotion of “sick care” vs promoting “wellcare”. Continue reading »

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
ISBN: 978-0-5451-7093-2
Story Length: 304 pages
Genre: Young Adult Drama

Three Quick Points About Stolen

• Point 1: Slow. No, that’s not right. In fact, a new word needs to be coined because “slow” (and all its various synonyms) is inadequate.
• Point 2: The camel won. It was the only character that felt genuine. Ty came close, but meh. Let’s not start on Gemma.
• Point 3: A twisted love story. Still, it was an interesting take on the evolution of Stockholm syndrome. Continue reading »

Title: Broken
Author: Karin Fossum
ISBN: 978-0-1510-1366-1
Story Length: 272 pages
Genre: Adult Literary Fiction

Back Cover of Broken

A woman wakes up in the middle of the night. A strange man is in her bedroom. She lies there in silence, paralyzed with fear.The woman is an author and the man one of her characters, one in a long line that waits in her driveway for the time when she’ll tell their stories. He is so desperate that he has resorted to breaking into her house and demanding that she begin.

He, the author decides, is named Alvar Eide, forty-two years old, single,works in a gallery. He lives a quiet, orderly life and likes it that way—no demands, no unpleasantness. Until one icy winter day when a young drug addict, skinny and fragile, walks into the gallery. Alvar gives her a cup of coffee to warm her up. And then one day she appears on his doorstep.

Three Quick Points About Broken

• Point 1: Where’s the mystery? A quarter of the way through, I realized this wasn’t a traditional whodunit mystery—it wasn’t a traditional mystery in any sense.
• Point 2: It’s about characters under a microscope. Flawed but hauntingly natural characters crafted with aplomb.
• Point 3: Smooth prose and pacing, for a translation. Lost in translation isn’t a cliché for nothing, but if anything was lost in this translation, I didn’t miss it. Continue reading »

Title: Still Missing
Author: Chevy Stevens
ISBN: 978-0-3125-9567-8
Story Length: 352
Genre: Adult/Thriller

Back Cover of Still Missing

Eh hem…well…I’m rather embarrassed.

Normally this is where I’d type out what’s written on the back cover of the book, but I can’t because this book is currently on loan to a few people and heaven only knows when I’ll see it again—if ever. (You’ll understand why I say that when you read my thoughts.)

Three Quick Points About Still Missing

• Point 1: Morbidly captivating. This book deals with some strong subject matter, but it’s so captivating you can’t pull your eyes away from it.
• Point 2: An easy writing style. Annie’s words flowed in such a conversational manner that reading from one page to the next was perfectly natural.
• Point 3: Some minor contrivances. There were a few inconsistencies in the story, but in the grand scheme of the novel they were minor. Continue reading »

Title: The Clearing
Author: Heather Davis
ISBN: 978-0-5472-6367-0
Story Length: 228 pages
Genre: Young Adult Light Paranormal Romance

Back Cover of The Clearing

Every single night that summer I lay awake wishing my life were different. And then one day it was…but not in the way you probably think.

"Different" for Amy was moving from the city to her aunt’s trailer in the country–starting her senior year at a new high school, putting the pain of a broken relationship behind her, starting fresh.

"Different" was Henry, a teenage boy Amy meets in the clearing behind Aunt Mae’s. Henry dresses differently, talks differently, and treats her better than any guy she’s ever known. And she’s starting to fall for him.

But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of clearing, it’s 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy’s crossing over to Henry’s side brings him more happiness than he’s ever known–but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence.

In this touching tale about falling in love, finding strength, and having the courage to make your own destiny, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever…and learn that true love can be truly magical

Three Quick Points About The Clearing

• Point 1: Ultra-sweet. This is a book for true romantics at heart.
• Point 2: Melding two generations. Through beautiful prose, Davis paints a lovely portrait of the idyllic life of a bygone generation.
• Point 3: A few tiny holes. Some inconsistencies (and stupidities) pricked tiny holes in an otherwise beautiful story and made me wince. Continue reading »