Heat Wave: Book 1 of Nikki Heat (Richard Castle)

If you're an avid Castle (the tv series) fan, then the book might be a slight disappointment. It's not a bad read, but it doesn't fully live up to the series. But if you haven't watched an episode of Castle, then you'll enjoy this book. After all, how often do you find humour in between the drama and suspense of catching a killer?

Jameson Rook is a reporter working on an article on America's finest (the police force), and is given the opportunity to shadow detective Nikki Heat. While Nikki finds him slightly annoying, he brings a fun element to an otherwise drab case solving process. Together they are investigating the death of a wealthy real estate agent, Matthew Starr, who was pushed out of his sixth floor apartment.

The story follows the way in which these detectives systematically follow the clues, in order to catch their killer. But being a detective doesn't mean that you can't be harmed, as Nikki finds out when she is attacked in her own home. Despite the fact that Rook is just a reporter, he sometimes provides insight which is otherwise overlooked by the detectives.

Can Nikki and her team succeed in closing this case?

I rate this book a 4/5. While the story is not exactly unpredictable, it is still a really easy read and it is interesting to read the book after following the series. Don't forget to read the dedication and acknowledgments if you are a Castle fan :)
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Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

Coraline is a slightly dark story, but tells the story of one brave little girl. Coraline finds herself in an alternate version of her home and family. In order to get back to her real home with her real parents, she must outsmart her fake mother. But will Coraline be able to save herself and her parents?

I rate this book a 3/5. The book is a quick read, and is entertaining despite the dark elements.
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Forever: Book 3 of The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Maggie Stiefvater)

In the final installment of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series Cole turns into a "mad scientist" in an attempt to find a cure for the wolves. Cole St Clair, ex band member of Narkotika, has come a long way from being a suicidal drug addict to being the guy who tries to save the wolves and help Sam and Grace.

While Grace struggles to come to terms with the fact that Sam has been accused of atrocious things since she went "missing", Sam battles with the image of Beck, his foster father, as he never knew him and the truth behind his becoming a wolf.

Above all, there is a single major concern for Sam, Cole, Grace and Isabel ... Thomas Culpeper, Isabel's dad, has managed to remove the protection surrounding the wolves, and has planned a hunt focused on killing the wolves. Now Sam and Cole must discover a way to move the wolves to a safer place away from Mercy Falls. Will they succeed in moving the wolves before the big hunt?

I rate this book a 4/5. The book is very easy to read and is hard to put down. The story is well written from the perspective of each of the main characters: Sam, Grace, Cole, and Isabel.
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Branded: Book 1 of Fall of Angels (Keary Taylor)

Imagine having to stand trial for other people, to face someone else's judgement, and to take on their sentence. That's what Jessica Bailey has to endure every time she falls asleep, and the sentence she faces is either gaining a place in heaven or being branded and sent to hell.

Jessica has had to live with this curse for as long as she can remember. As a result of this, she hardly ever sleeps, and when she does sleep she wakes up screaming from having a brand seared into her neck and the scar of wings on her back.

Jessica left home when she was very young, when she overheard her mother making arrangements to have her committed. Her mother could never understand her and did not believe in her nightmares being real. She eventually became a caretaker of a house for a couple who did not live there themselves. When the couple die, their grandson, Alex Wright, inherits it and comes back to the house to live in it. Just when Alex moves in, Jessica's nightmares begin changing where they've always stayed constant and she doesn't know what to make of these deviations.

Alex and Jessica form a close relationship very quickly, but then Cole moves in two doors down and threatens to break them up. Cole is perfectly handsome, some would say too perfect. Though Jessica forms a friendship with him, she is wary of the fact that he feels vaguely familiar and often his expressions turn sinister especially when she rejects his attempts to get closer to her.

Jessica also finds a friend in Emily Lewis, her yoga teacher. To her astonishment, Emily confesses that she also had to endure the same nightmares that Jessica herself faces, only Emily's nightmares ended. Emily, however, refuses to divulge how she achieved this feat.

Jessica's health also begins to deteriorate despite the fact that she has never been sick since the nightmares began. Unfortunately, Emily can't shed any light on this particular problem either since she had never faced it herself.

Jessica's life seems to be spiraling out of control very quickly. Will Cole succeed in separating Alex and Jessica? Will Jessica's nightmares stay confined to the few hours of sleep that she gets each week? Will Jessica survive the illness that threatens her life?

I rate this book 4/5. The book was very hard to put down. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to reading the next installments in the series.
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The God Killers (David Simpson)

If you are a staunch believer in God, the storyline may come as a shock at first but don't let that deter you from reading further. The story is actually quite intriguing.

Cipher, Father Hurley, and Han have all died and were brought back from death, giving them the ability to see the third plane on which ghosts and phantoms reside. They also know the truth about God; that he consumes the souls of people who die, and that people have been misled into putting their belief into God.

Their mission is to kill God (hence the name of the book) with the help of Satan (who happens to be a woman - not sure if I should be offended by that :) ). When their first attempt fails, they need to recruit another person, Natalie, to their team who, according to Satan, is the key to killing God.

Their mission is made all the more difficult since they are forced to face the ghosts of their past (literally). Cipher fights with a father who tried to kill him; Han battles a sister who died when she sacrificed herself to save his life; and Natalie has to face a child that she had aborted years ago.

Their second attempt though is an all or nothing situation: they either succeed in killing God or they die trying, taking everyone in the city with them. But is it worth the risk?

I rate this book a 4/5. The unorthodox storyline turns out to be a fascinating adventure.
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How to Train Your Dragon (Cressida Cowell)

We've all watched the movie, right? It was such a cute movie :) So you probably expect that the storyline of the movie followed the book, for the most part at least ...

Well, the book is actually quite different to that of the movie. Now you're probably thinking that in most cases the book is better than the movie, so this must be the case here. But I'm glad to say that this isn't one of those cases. While the movie deviates quite a lot from the book, both are great on its own!

In the book, we join Hiccup & his friend Fishlegs as they attempt to train their respective dragons to earn a place in the tribe. Failure to train your dragon to perform certain feats will lead to exile!

While Hiccup is not very assertive and commanding, he is very smart. But will this be enough to get him through the test and secure him a place on the tribe? For Hiccup, the stakes are higher since he is to succeed his father, Stoick the Vast, as leader of the tribe.

I rate this book a 4/5. It is a great read for all ages and is a quick read as well. It's a feel good book that will have you smiling.
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Paper Dollhouse: A Memoir (Dr Lisa M Masterson)

If you, like me, often tune in to the show The Doctors, you will recognise the author, Dr Lisa Masterson, as the ob/gyn on the show. While the show portrays a bubbly, and fun Dr Lisa; the book lacks the same persona. After seeing her on the show, the book is a bit of a disappointment; however it is still heartwarming in its openness and honesty.

We journey with Dr Lisa as she relives her past, with a slight emphasis on her relationship with her mother (who was a single mum). The book however is very much focussed on Dr Lisa herself, even through her mum's cancer. Dr Lisa is an inspiration given how much she persevered to get to where she is today. Of course a lot of it had to do with her mum's struggle to give her the best education possible, sparing no expense.

I rate this book a 3/5. While the story was inspiring, it didn't engage me emotionally (except on the very rare occasion).
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