The Darwin Conspiracy by John Darnton

Using real characters and basic events from history, John Darnton presents a fictionalized account of Darwin's family and how the theory of evolution really came to be. There's just enough made up adventure and intrigue to make this story completely engaging.

Hugh and Beth are present-day detectives trying to solve a mystery begun by Lizzie, Darwin's own daughter. Something has happened on the Beagle to riddle Darwin with so much guilt he's never fully healthy after returning home. Lizzie is quite a successful detective but so much time has passed that our present-day characters have to basically start from scratch. Through their discoveries, journal entries from Lizzie, an assortment of old letters, and an actual recount of the Beagle's excursion itself the mysteries unfold to tell a story that questions the choices Charles Darwin made aboard the ship. The variations in narrative style keep you in the moment no matter whether you're in the past or present. You feel like you're alongside all the characters piecing together the mystery yourself.

In addition to the focus on Darwin, the story also has Hugh solving a personal mystery of his own. Hugh's older brother, who has been put on his own pedestal, died tragically a while back - but was it actually an accident?

The juxtaposition of a historical figure with an average character, both having weaknesses in character revealed makes the entire story more personal. Hugh's brother could be anyone's family member and makes the novel something more than just a fictionalized history lesson.

The story is fast-paced and very entertaining with fully-formed characters to follow through history. You never feel like you're reading a piece of fiction. The plot is so cohesive in all its details that you do feel like you're reading an unknown piece of history and not just a novel. Worth a read for anyone who likes to be taken on an adventure.

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

I started this book with the intent to have an easy read before giving birth. I was usually uncomfortable at night and Dead as a Doornail didn't require a lot of concentration. Olivia came early though, so this book has been filling the small gaps of free time in my sleep-deprived, new-mommy life. Again, it has been a big perk that the story requires minimal brain power to get through. I'm starting to appreciate this series more and more for the mindless fodder it is. If I go into each book without any quality expectations I can enjoy them for the fun, fast reads they are.

Large errors still bother me though, like this one on pages 53-54 where a detective goes to Sookie's house to poke around while Sookie is at work, then heads to Merlotte's to talk to Sookie in person where Sookie gives the detective directions to her house for an interview they set up to take place the next day. The detective tells Sookie she was at her house, she doesn't need directions. DETAILS. Errors like this make the series feel mass produced and I'd like to think the author takes pride in her work no matter what. Mistakes and oversights like this say otherwise.

Dead as a Doornail keeps Sookie very busy once again. There's a serial killer out hunting shape shifters and people think it's Jason. Sookie to the investigative rescue. Meanwhile, someone is trying to kill Sookie and burns 1/2 her house down in a failed attempt to end her life. All the supernatural males in the book want to sleep with Sookie, which is a lot to deal with for a girl just trying to stay alive. Vampires are mad at her for butting into their business and werewolves are using her telepathy for their own purposes which just forces her into yet more uncomfortable and dangerous situations. She gets shot, beaten up, nearly killed twice, and cracks a rib just going about her everyday life.

The stories seem to get more disjointed and convoluted as the series goes on, almost as if Harris is attempting to include all the characters previously introduced as important in each book while adding new ones. It's getting crowded and not adding any substance to the plot line for sure.

Sookie is also becoming a less appealing narrator as the series continues. She's just not smart enough to be our narrator anymore. The events she's witnessing are too intricate for her to process in a way that gives the reader all the information they want. For example, the reader learns more about the intricacies of the Shreveport wolf pack in this book and gets a glimpse of the cutthroat politics the govern the group. Sookie's observations focus more on her aversion to two wolves fighting each other than the subtleties that lead to the election of a new pack leader.

I only have one more book in the series to read before I have to decide if I want to buy more of them. I think Sookie Stackhouse is going to take a back seat for now. I'd rather be reading Dr. Seuss to Olivia.

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

I'm a fan of Zombie Mythology. I'll pretty much watch anything zombie-related that comes on late-night cable. But I'm picky when it comes to Zombie stories. I HATE cheesy zombie stories. Some of my favorites include; the original Night of the Living Dead, The Walking Dead(comic series) and 28 Days Later. Max Brook's book is now on my list of some of the best Zombie Mythology out there. This book doesn't just add to the mythology, it actually creates a full history of the mythology, tracing it back to the beginning of humans, and even establishes the cause of Zombies...

Before reading this book you have to take a logical leap. This book is not about our world, this book is about a world, just like ours, except Zombies exist and have existed as long as mankind has. If you can willingly take that leap, which not everyone can, this book is a joy to read for any fan of the walking dead.

The book is split into two parts. The survival guide, and a chronological listing of every traceable historical zombie attack. I really like the way Brooks approaches the concept of Zombies. He attributes zombieism to a virus called Solanum which is spread through body-fluid contact. Once it enters the body, it travels to the brain where it begins to multiply, eventually killing it's host and turning the brain into an entirely new Solanum-controlled organ which hijacks the human body and uses it as a tool to spread itself to other humans by giving the body an uncontrollable urge to bite other humans.

After setting up what causes zombies, Brooks launches into a categorical breakdown of all the methods of eliminating them, going into great detail as to what weapons are best and which are worst, how to defend yourself and your home against a zombie attack, how to move from place to place, how to eliminate zombies from your environment, and how to plan for survival in a world where Zombies outnumber humans as the dominant life form on earth.

What really worked for me about this book was how seriously the author treated his content. It's very easy to look at a book about Zombies and laugh it off as cheesy horror fiction, but Brooks keeps a straight face the entire time. Even to the point of supplying multiple lists of equipment to keep on hand, descriptions of which weapons would be best used to eliminate zombies in different enviroments, and how to survive when on on the run from Zombies from the hordes of undead ghouls.

The second part of the book is a little less practical, a little less of a guide and a little more like a history lesson. Brooks takes the reader on a journey from the very first zombie outbreaks near the dawn of man all the way up through the modern attempts by nations to weaponize zombies and use them against other countries. These accounts of zombies throughout history are really fun to read and play out like a history book devoted to Zombies.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is into Zombies. For those who aren't into zombie mythology, this book will be a complete drag.

The Lace Reader by Bruonia Barry

The initial draw of this book, for me, was that it takes place in locations I'm personally familiar with - San Diego, CA and Boston/Salem, MA. It's always nice to already have a sense of location when reading a novel; it allows you to focus on the characters. And, focusing on the characters of The Lace Reader is key because it gets confusing since they're all pretty complex.

Lace reading is an old family ability performed in Eva Whitney's tearoom right up until her mysterious death. The future is seen and interpreted through the patterns in individual pieces of lace. All the women in the family have the skill, but only Eva actively reads. The rest of the women struggle with their own demons, internally and externally, too violently to focus on reading the lace for others.

About halfway into the story of the troubled Whitney family dealing with the sudden death of their matriarch, you get the feeling that this novel is going to end with some psychological twist. This inkling greatly diminishes the shock value I'm sure the author meant to have at the book's climax. You don't know what's coming, but you see something unexpected on the horizon. I also cared more about the characters mid-story than at the novel's conclusion. I liked the unsolved pieces to their personalities and would have rather been left guessing than had everything wrapped up for me by the author.

The narrative voice also shifts periodically between Towner Whitney - the most troubled female of the family - and the detective working Eva's case. The purpose of this narrative switch eludes me. All the key information for the plot is really revealed through Towner's own voice. All you get access to through Rafferty, the detective, is old police files that involve members of the Whitney family. Even those don't give you a full explanation as to why the family is so troubled.

Simply put, I liked the book. The plot was interesting enough although I do feel like so much was packed in to the story that prime events and details lost their luster. I also feel like use of the big psychological twist in a story has been overdone by now and done better elsewhere. Go watch Fight Club or read My Sweet Audrina by VC Andrews if you want your characters truly dirty and royally messed up.