The Long Walk by Stephen King

This was an odd book in that the story was relatively boring (one hundred kids walked until they dropped and they would be killed), and there was not too much character development, but somehow at the end of the book I thought to myself, "that was not too bad." I am not sure when it happened, when I was about halfway through I almost put it down because the story kept repeating itself, but I stuck with it, and nothing really changed, but it became better. I can not fully endorse other people reading this book, because I can see why many people would not want to or why they would not enjoy it, but I liked it, although I can not fully explain why.

The Gingerbread Girl by Stephen King

A short and intense story by the master Stephen King.  It was almost like a mix between Misery and Duma Key, with the description of scenery and torment.  Very few characters, and the ones that were there you did not really get a chance to connect with, but at the same time you were still hoping for the best scenario.

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

An interesting and entertaining take on a murder mystery. Who doesn't love crime solving sheep; I think that is all you need to know in order to give this book a try.

Candide by Voltaire

A philosophical journey of cause and effect, with a somewhat demented love story thrown in for good measure. The story was fast paced and jumped around all over the place, but it was entertaining and amusing nonetheless.

I, Michael Bennett by James Patterson

Michael Bennett may be one of my favorite of Patterson's characters; his sarcastic wit gets me every time.  This book picks up where the others leave off as far as the progressing story and love struggle between cop and nanny, but for me the story moved very quickly and lacked some of the action of the rest of the series.  Having the main villain working from the sidelines was an interesting twist, and I was somewhat let down up until the very end, when I was in shock.  Now I can't wait for the next book, and I applaud James Patterson for always keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Zadig by Voltaire

At least to me, it seems like this story was crafted more to insert the social commentary aspect, and clever riddles at the expense of a comprehensive plot. Nothing of substance really happens to Zadig other than him offer his opinion on everything.

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Before I have read any Dan Brown books I have only heard good things about his writting. I decided to see what all the hub-bub was about, but I figured I should not start with the Robert Langdon series because I may be biased due to how much I enjoyed the movie adaptations (you can do no wrong with Tom Hanks). So my Dan Brown choices for a first read were limited and Deception Point was the winner, and after I read it, I think I became the winner; the book was amazing. The amount of research/scientific knowledge/detail that went into the well thought out plot are awe inspiring. Dan Brown crafts a suspenseful story that literally can not be put down without wanting to pick it back up moments later. The characters in the book are fantastic and so diverse, from the sleazy politician, to the masculine yet vulnerable explorer, to the intelligent and independent female lead, to the comic relief of the quirky scientist; this book has it all.

The book was about a group of scientists/researchers who are being hunted down after they think they have uncovered a fatal flaw in the most historic find to all of mankind. THe great part about the book is that the mystery stays alive for the duration of the book. Although there were some aspects of the plot that you could figure out before they happened, this just lulled you into a false sense of security when you were hit with something out of the blue turning everything you thought you knew upside down. I must say I was impressed with Dan Brown, his writting, and his ability to tell a thrilling story. I was made a fan and I will definitley continue reading whatever he puts out.