Murder House by James Patterson
Genre: Murder Mystery
Premise: The story follows Jenna Murphy, a detective recently relocated from New York City, who is working for her uncle’s police force. During Jenna’s initial months in the Hamptons, a young man is accused of murdering a couple at No. 7 Ocean Drive, nicknamed “The Murder House”. His arrest is followed by a series of similar deaths, including the chief of police himself. Jenna becomes personally invested in the case, the accused, and the desire to avenge her deceased uncle.
Review: While the title is as silly as they come, this was actually quite an enjoyable read. It’s one of those murder mysteries that sucks you in so that you can’t leave the couch until you’ve finished the last page. Tense and exhilarating, it’s a mystery with many layers that spans generations of fictitious mysteries in the course of one story.
Rating: 7/10
The Summer Tree: The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay
Genre: Fantasy
Premise: Five University of Toronto students are invited for a private get-together by a keynote speaker at their school… who turns out to be a mage, accompanied by his sired dwarf companion. They are soon whisked away from our world to Fionavar. There, they meet the arrogant Prince Diarmuid, the power-hungry red priestess Jaelle, the beloved King, and the rest of the court’s characters engaged in the Kingdom’s politics. As Kim, Kevin, Jennifer, Dave and Paul explore Fionavar as honored guests, they soon discover an impending danger and an evil captive on the verge of escape.
Review: If Game of Thrones and Narnia were mixed into a melting pot, you would have The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. It’s certainly catered to adults, with it’s sophisticated writing style and surprisingly deep plotlines. I could not put this book down. While it is a genre I don’t usually delve into, I’m so glad I read this book.
Rating: 9/10
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Genre: Creative Non-Fiction
Premise: In 1992, the decomposing body of Chris McCandless, who also went by Alex Supertramp, was discovered in the Alaska Wilderness. In this book, the author tells McCandless’ story from when he left home after his graduation in pursuit of a life of adventure, to his death. The book explores McCandless’ privileged childhood as an upper-middle class family from Virgina, his literary inspiration for seeking a life in the wild, and the many obstacles he faced on his route to Alaska.
Review: This book was a tearjerker. While many journalists cast McCandless as an arrogant kid with no respect for the land, who was ill prepared for his emarkment, Krakauer comes to McCandless’ defense, even highlighting his parallel life story with McCandless. Overall, a great read and an excellent piece of Creative Non-Fiction.
Rating: 8/10