Back from a very long vacation!

Surprised I have not updated my blog in so long.
I recently had the opportunity to meet Alan Bradley, author of The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag.
A group of book people went to the Earl of Sussex pub for drinks, followed by a book reading!

I have never heard much about Alan Bradley before this, but hearing about his book was interesting.
If you like English murder mysteries-then you will enjoy this book.
Don't want to spoil too much, but the sleuth in this novel is a mini heroine!

A longer review is to follow...

The Judas Strain by James Rollins.

"The Judas Strain is a novel that is fast paced and full of great adventures. The story started thousands of years ago when a deadly virus was discovered on a distant and now deserted island The Sigma Force and their associates have been put in charge with extremely virulent virus that threatens to wipe out all of mankind if it cannot be cured. Along the way the Sigma Force encounters numerous obstacles that they must conquer. In order to save mankind the Sigma Force has to find a series of three sacred carvings that have been hidden away for thousands of years since the reign of Marco Polo. One of the interesting aspects of the novel was how James Rollins manages to seamlessly blend fact and fiction throughout the book. (He) writes about such phenomena as Angelic script, plagues and even dangerous squid that light up. It was very helpful that there was a breakdown of what events and wildlife really exist and which were fictional. I don’t want to give away too much of the story so you will have to read this yourself to find out if mankind is finally saved. This book had me on edge waiting to see what would happen next. I would definitely say that it was very graphic and vividly illustrated and a page-turner."
I also found the novel to be a fast-paced and action filled adventure. You will be left wondering which characters were good and which were out to sabotage the plan to save mankind.

The Grave Digger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates.

I greatly enjoyed reading this novel.The story is that of the Schwarts family that immigrated from Germany to escape the Nazi forces that wanted to extinguish the Jewish (and other) population.The story is told through the voice of Rebecka Schwarts, the youngest daughter- and the only one to be born in America "one of them".The plot had me wondering just who is Rebeca Schwarts and why does she become Rebeca Tignor- and who is Hazel Jones?Those are some of the many unpredictable twists and turns that the novel takes.I did not want to put this book down as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next!
I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait to finish and see what would happen next. There were so many mysterious events that occured in the novel, I never knew what was going to happen next. You could also not be sure of who each character really was-and what their motives were.
I don't want to give any of the plot away though. But I really hope that they make a movie out of this book sometime as it really is that good!

Strike Force by Dale Brown

Strike Force was definitely a good introduction to military science fiction. As someone that is not very familiar with many of the military and technical terms mentioned in the novel, I found it helpful that the author included a glossary Strike Force was definitely a good glossary of the language the characters use to communicate.I also really liked how women were prominently featured in in positions of power throughout the novel. That was definitely a twist that was unexpected.Strike Force would be a good read for people that have an interest in politics and science fiction! I had a bit of a hard time getting started reading this book, as I generally don't read many books on the military. But once I had read a few chapters, it was easier to get into the book. I'm sure someone that is a fan of the military or armed forces would definitely enjoy this book as there are many terms I (was) not familiar with in the novel. I'm glad there was a glossary in the book for the non-military types or else I would have been a bit lost!
If you want to know more about this book or Dale Brown more info can be found at:
http://www.harpercanada.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=006117310X