Well I didn't think I'd ever forgive Ms. George for killing off you-know-who two books ago. I mean, you don't just do that to your readers! So I boycotted What Came Before He Shot Her.

So, my refusing to buy that book clearly taught this author a lesson,  because this one isn't anywhere near as dark. With multiple storylines, relationships, romances, sex, violence, true love and a cliffhanger of an ending, it's got all the best of Elizabeth George: a tragic figure, spooky atmosphere on the moor, and a genuine mystery. Plus there are a couple genuinely charming romances that leave you with a real sense of hope for the poor, confused human race.

Plus — can I just say it? Linley finally healed up enough to dump that awful Isabel! Glad to see her out of the way, at last. Maybe now he can get back to living.

New to the series? Start with A Great Deliverance . That was the first one I read, about 10 years ago, and it pulls you into the awesome series just beautifully. You'll be hooked!

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I cannot stop thinking about this book, three weeks later.  Download it  RIGHT NOW and read it on your laptop if you haven’t yet. I’ll wait . . .

Back yet? Couldn’t put it down, could ya? Reading this book is like falling in love: fascinating, exhillerating, profoundly uncomfortable.

Here are a few scenes I cannot forget:

In the first chapter, we learn that she is grateful she didn’t drown the orange kitten, even though they are all starving, because the cat brings home mice, and sometimes even a rat. Think about it.

Poor unrequited Peetah has a bit of a lousy role — but he seems like a real sweetheart. I hate that he was so horribly wounded in the last battle — we’ll hear more about that in the second book. [sniff]

I love that the big guy, Thresh, doesn’t kill her because she sang little Rue to “sleep.” [sob!]

I do like that Peetah punched out what-his-name on the train ride. Nobody deserved it more.

How about when she received the bread from Rue’s village, even though they were all starving and Rue was gone? “My thanks to the people of Area 12.” [more sobbing]

Plus of course, when the little girl says “please don’t leave me!” and she says “not going anywhere. Staying right here.” [sound of uncontrolled sobbing. Sniff-sniff. throat-clear.]

I wonder what’s really going on in Area 13? I wonder if anyone lives there.

And talk about courage, who can forget her shooting an arrow through the apple in the pigs mouth at the banquet scene! You go girl!

Speaking of girls, it’s nice to see a strong female lead instead of “Dirk the warrier” and She-rah the scantily-clad eyecandy who can’t resist him (eyeroll). Strong men and women in this one, and plenty of bad-gals as well as -guys.

Those genetic mutations in the final fight scene chilled me to the bone. “Are those their real eyes?” oh ugh!!!

Later: Is Hunger Games too intense for kids?

More here

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I’ve been flirting with the idea of buying an e-reader for about two years now, and this year got one for Christmas. I’ll outline some positives, some negatives, my final word, and what to look for when buying.

First: I first got interested after hauling three hardcover novels on a long trans-Atlantic flight two years ago. I’m a real reader and running out of reading material is not a risk I’m willing take. My dad bought a Kindle at about this time and raved about the convenience of a simple, lightweight solution when traveling.

Second big positive: I LOVE new books and the idea of an instant download is truly awesome. Plus, e-books tend to cost less — so feeding my . . . uh . . . habit is getting easier. Even without an e-reader, you can purchase and download from online bookstores (and your local library! be sure to check that out!) for immediate viewing on your computer or laptop. Plus, the Kobo e-reader comes with 100+ free books already downloaded. Quicker, cheaper — what’s not to love?

Well. Turns out the finger-activate pageturn on the mid-range Kobo “touch” model is not that sensitive to my little digits. A few times I’ve had to sit like an idiot stroking the screen again and again to advance to the next page. Bummer.

Also, I’ve got say it, I’m of the generation that prefers things the “old” way (meaning, I’ve over, say, 29(!)). I miss having a real book in my hands! I want to go back 20 pages to this really neat dialogue, then I want to check the name of the author and where they live, then I’m double-checking copyright date to figure out why the characters aren’t using facebook/linkedin to get in touch. I can’t easily do any of that with the Kobo touch ereader.

I also miss the colorful book cover and seeing it sit happily on my coffeetable waiting for me (okay, maybe I should get out a bit more). And I can’t see at a glance how far I’ve read into the book, so I can estimate if this is the final scene coming up or I’m just half-way through. I care about these things!

Between trying to navigate pages, wanting to always run back to the table of contents/author/bio/copyright/previous chapter, I’m at a point where I feel like the e-book is work, not play.

On the plus side, the TV ads are right: readability is super-easy in any light, not at all like a computer screen.  It’s very slim, light and downright pretty (yes, I care about that too), and has some nice share-your-reading social apps that might appeal to people who like to track/display their reading record. Plus there are thousands and thousands of e-books  available for free all over the net, so you’ll never be without something to look at.

I especially like the Kobo because it allows downloads from ANY online bookstore. With the Kindle e-reader, you can’t buy from anyone except Amazon. Unsportsmanlike, don’t you think?

The Kobo ereader was selected as 2012 Editor’s Pick for the best e-reader by Wired magazine. With the Kobo Touch, the mid-price of the three models, you can download from your computer internet, but Kobo Vox e-reader has wireless capability, which allows direct downloads. The Kobo Vox model, which is why I would make that choice if I were buying. Cute, portable, great for traveling.

Bottom line: If you’re in the ereader market, definitely consider the Kobo e-reader, especially the Kobo VOX, which at $199.99 is $60 higher than the black-and-white (and slightly smaller) Kobo touch — definitely worth it in my mind for the effect of a colorful book cover.
>Also, if you travel and read, and you don’t carry a laptop computer, you definitely need to consider the e-reader option: small, light, chic and perfect for carrying.

And check out the sociability factor: they‘ve got lots of neat little reading “awards” and options to track and post your fave reads. If that describes you, it might be a great fit.

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