Money Run {My Thoughts}

Money Run by Jack Heath
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Info Hardcover, 256 pages Expected publication: April 1st 2013 by Scholastic (first published August 1st 2008) ISBN 0545512662 (ISBN13: 9780545512664) edition language English original title Money Run series Ashley Arthur #1 Source:Netgalley EARC Book Buy Links AMAZON B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Take two child geniuses (thieves in their spare time), one obsessed assassin, and the richest man in the world to create a compelling, completely unpredictable young adult thriller. Fifteen-year-olds Ashley and Benjamin have concocted a daring master plan: to steal billionaire Hammond Buckland's most precious belonging, hidden in the depths of his conspicuous corporate building. But Hammond Buckland has a most elaborate plan of his own - and none of them have counted on Peachey, the hit man with a determination to finish the job - at any cost!The beginning of a dazzling new series from Jack Heath, author of The Lab and Remote Control.

My Thoughts

There are books that take you by surprise at just how much fun they are to read, how well thought out, how succinctly tied up at each step and most of all how nicely balanced each of the characters who inhabit it's pages come across to the reader. Money Run is just such a thrill ride in a genre that I do not get a chance to entertain myself with as often as I would like as my first love of paranormal romance seems to always take front and center on most of my reading.

Money Run is not your typical YA fare but a taut suspenseful thriller that takes place within a 24 hour time period and manages to weave together humor, action, mystery and more packed into a few hours of reading time within less than 300 pages! We are forced to remind ourselves time and time again as the story unfolds that the thieves are a 15 year old boy and girl and that the cat and mouse game they end up being forced to play when the heist becomes more than a simple "snatch and grab" is one that could cost Ashley her life if she does not manage to keep outwitting the deadly hit man who has her in his sights after she stops him from killing his target Hammond Buckland.

The elaborate scheme that Ashley and her friend Benjamin concocted to give Ashley a legitimate reason to be in the high rise and have access to Hammond Buckland's office is one that feels authentic and shows just how motivated a couple of very smart teens can be when $200 million dollars is the takeaway prize!

My thoughts while reading kept coming back to the same thing that this story was very "visual" as it read like an action thriller movie with bigger than life stunts and some of the best thought out ways to utilize a human brain versus brawn that has ever been implemented by a character since MacGyver. Even Jason Bourne has nothing on Ashley Arthur when it comes to outsmarting the bad guys and her ability to adapt and overcome obstacles in her path is nothing short of inspiring!

To be sure if I get my hands on anything else by author Jack Heath will consider it as good as read ASAP as love his style and panache with the storyline and his characters are just the kind to keep me wanting to know more!

Totally terrific read and looking forward to more about Ash and Benjamin!

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Places to find author: GR WEBSITE TWITTER

Meal time, chore or pleasure?

It has been a rough week for us in some ways, my Mom had her teeth extracted for dentures early on Wednesday morning so beginning of week I was scrambling to get things out of the way since knew we would not sleep Tuesday night before and then Wednesday would be tough because she would be miserable from the discomfort so needless to say my computer was the last thing on my mind and almost did not set up a blog post for today. 

Meal preparation and eating on the weekends has always been something of a mixed pleasure/chore/obligation for me. I love to cook but when we are able to be outdoors working on projects are just generally enjoying the nice weather that makes meal prep a little trickier, so here are a few simple things we love to eat that are not the bigger time consumers nor are they heavy meals which is a must if you are going to eat then go back outside and work on something.

Favorite meal this time of year, fresh salad

As the year grows older the weather outside has proven to be conducive to experimentation with our meals, both in the planning and execution stages since we are spending more time outdoors than in these past few months. Finding something we all enjoy to eat is always a challenge for me because my tried and true meals have become rather routine over the past few years due to my husband being gone more than home my Mother and myself eat a lot of microwave dinners from the frozen food aisles and sandwiches prepared at the last minute when we decide we are hungry. While I love to cook time is an issue on the weekend because those days are spent working on projects around the house and it is impossible to be in front of the stove and helping my husband at the same time so my slow cookers are a good way to prepare a one dish meal that does not need me to watch over it while it is cooking. That works better when the temps are on the cooler side but lately the outdoors have been balmy and warmer so a "hot meal" is not something that is a good idea and that is where my love of  quick recipes and trying them out has come in handy. Here are several of the results we have enjoyed:

Taco bowls, also can be chili bowls, guacamole bowls or whatever you enjoy with a flour tortilla shell

My all time favorite though is one that can be "customized" in a variety of ways and that is the easy standby "sloppy joe" sandwich. Ours were made using the last minute addition of some fresh chopped onion from our garden and slices of Pepper Jack cheese to add a bit of "tang" to the flavor.

What do you like to fix this time of year when it is not quite summer yet but you spend so much time outside that meals are kind of an "afterthought"?

Wicked Kiss-Nightwatchers #2 {My Thoughts}

Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book Info Paperback, 448 pages Published February 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen ISBN 0373210647 (ISBN13: 9780373210640) edition language English series Nightwatchers #2 Source:Netgalley EARC Book Buy Links AMAZON B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS

My kiss can kill.

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul…or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't…I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop—or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy….

NIGHTWATCHERS: When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising.

My Thoughts

Better than book one but still something about this series just does not resonate for me in a big way, however the book did tie up nicely with no cliff hanger ending and since there is no indication other than there being the duology for the series than I am satisfied with how things played out for everyone in the cast of characters and especially for Samantha and Bishop.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to get closure in this story and feel that there is a vast audience who will totally enjoy reading both book #1 Dark Kiss and book #2 Wicked Kiss as the series does have quite a bit of inventive and interesting plot points to it's credit.

There were a lot of secrets revealed, some solid action scenes, nicely poignant romance and the normal drama one associates with the age group that these characters represents that was portrayed convincingly and realistically throughout the story. While I feel that at times there was a bit too much going on it all came together at the end in a way that left very few questions unanswered and allowed the characters closure as well as the reader.

I hope that the author continues to dabble in YA and that over time if the chance presents itself that I get to read further works that she pens to see if they are more to my taste as I did enjoy Wicked Kiss more than not. I especially enjoyed the final choices that Samantha made as it showed how much her character had matured since we first met her and it also showed that one can make a choice that goes against everything logical and it will still work out for the best.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Places to find author: GR WEBSITE FB TWITTER