Book Review: Dan Brown's Inferno

The fourth installment in Dan Brown's series with the main character of Robert Langdon definitely did not disappoint.  His newest book Inferno was entertaining, suspenseful, and not terribly inaccurate (although there were some inaccuracies).  The book is set in Italy (Florence and Venice) and one other country that I won't name so that I won't give away any spoilers.  Langdon awakens in a hospital believing he's been shot but no remembering anything else from the recent events of the evening before.  The plot revolves around an altered image of Botticelli's painting depicting Dante's version of Hell from his masterpiece, The Inferno.  Langdon finds a small projector in his coat pocket that contains the image, which has been altered to reveal clues to a mystery--although not necessarily an ancient one.  Langdon, along with the typical cliché female sidekick, goes on a wild goose chase through Florence and Venice in search of the meaning of the painting and the clues left on the back of Dante's death mask, which was stolen by a friend of Langdon's.

The use of Dante's Inferno as the main focus of the novel is done well by Brown as he uses this as an obsession of the villain of the novel.  Overall, the book had a very Angels and Demons feel since it revolves around something ancient yet modern in that Langdon is once again working to save the world from a disaster. Brown also obviously did his research before writing this one as far as literature and art are concerned (there are a few historical inaccuracies, but they do not detract from the enjoyment of the book).  I would also say that this book (up to the end) is much less controversial than some of Brown's other books, and I would say that it is definitely Hollywood worthy.  The suspense and plot definitely will do well as a movie, so I hope to see one eventually just as I hope they come out with an illustrated version depicting some of the art work and literature just as they did with The DaVinci Code and Angel's and Demons.  As far as the writing style, it is typical Brown and not a literary masterpiece, but a good read for the weekend (I finished it in about 2.5 days of slow reading trying to enjoy myself!).  It held my attention to the very end, but I was somewhat left unsatisfied by the ending as, in my opinion, some things were unresolved (sequel, maybe??).  But, overall, it was not a terrible ending, but it wasn't satisfying, and the ending will definitely cause controversy in some who read it.  However, it should not stop you from picking up this summer thriller for a good beach or weekend read.  If you love Dante and/or Italy (as I definitely do!) you will enjoy Dan Brown's latest thriller, Inferno.

Coffee & Literature's rating: B

Review: These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

A book about friendship, love, and New York City.... Does it get any better? I think not! With her third book, Sarah Pekkanen captures the lives of three women--Renee, Cate, & Abby--two of whom work at a fashion/beauty/celebrity magazine called Gloss (think InStyle), and one that has come to New York to escape. Pekkanen truly captures the lives of these women and captivates the audience as she takes us through their lives, both past and present. I was unsure of this tactic as I've read similar novels before and gotten lost as to which character was which, but Pekkanen captures each character beautifully and you become enthralled in their lives as if they were each one of your best friends.

Renee (admittedly, my favorite) can't seem to find her place in NYC or at Gloss. She becomes addicted to diet pills after being slated to get the job as beauty editor. We follow her as she looks at her past and future and tries to decide where she really fits in. Cate, the pretty features editor of the magazine, seems to be the typical NYC magazine writer and fits in perfectly with the exception that she doesn't feel as if she truly does deserve her job or her opportunities because she left college so abruptly to escape. Similarly, Abby, the "new girl", really has come to New York to escape. The sister of the only guy you ever really get to know (Trey), Abby is really an intriguing mystery until almost the end of the novel. I love how Pekkanen gives us her story in so many bits and pieces that you aren't quite sure what to think of her or her past. Great characterization!

I haven't really been a reader of "chick lit" in the past, but this book may have changed my mind. You see friendships grow, love blossom and wilt, and lives intertwined that create a true-to-life novel that will leave you feeling as if you are the fourth "girl" in the book!

I highly recommend this novel for a good anytime read. So sit back with a glass of wine (or coffee, of course) and enjoy These Girls!

Solid by Shelley Workinger

I'm not a big science fiction fan, so when I received an email from author Shelley Workinger requesting a review for her book, Solid, I had my reservations.  But I decided why not try it.  So I emailed back saying I'd be happy to review her latest young adult sci-fi novel that is part of a series.

It took a while for me to actually have the time to pick it up and read it, but I began it yesterday and actually finished it today (a few minutes ago, actually).  A surprise to myself, I got into the book, wanting to know what happens and what kinds of twists were going to be at the end.  I can honestly say I did thoroughly enjoy reading it.  I'm a big fan of young adult novels; I suppose because there is always that little part of us that enjoys the less stressful and more fun times of those years.  And anyone, whether  a young adult or a "young at heart" adult, who enjoys reading these types of books, will enjoy Solid.  We begin with a group of similarly aged teens who, at no fault of their own, were the result of secret experiments done by a crazy military doctor after the Gulf war.  They had gone about their normal lives, not realizing that they had super-abilities, when suddenly they were asked to spend the summer at a military research facility because they had been accidental experiments and there was a need to discover just what was going on with them.  Among these students are some with super-athletic abilities, abilities to be "stars," abilities to go unnoticed, and those who can avoid people if needed or wanted.  What I found was interesting was that none of the kids actually realized that they had special abilities.  By using this literary tactic, Workinger made you want to keep reading so you could see what would happen when they did find out what was going on with each one.  This was definitely a book that I read wanting to finish so that I could find out the whole story, if you will.  Workinger didn't disappoint.  She masterfully created a novel that is appealing in its mystery, science, and general plot.  The characters are very real and you can easily relate to them, whether you are a teenager yourself or you remember what it was like being one.  The only thing that caught me as not the best part of the novel was that some things are referenced that young adults won't "get."  A few television shows or tech items that were referenced might not strike home with some teenage readers, but I don't think it is enough to stop them from reading this book or reading the rest of the series since Workinger uses several references that are a bit more up to date with today's youth.  Overall, I can say I really did enjoy this book, and I can't wait to see what else Workinger creates.

The final grade?  I give Solid a B.  Well-written book with a great and different plot line with only a few minor changes to references and maybe adding a bit more to make it a bigger book so we can see more character development.  Looking forward to reading more from this great author!

Review: Being Light by Helen Smith

I've been promising a review on this book since October, and I've finally gotten around to finishing it!  I was asked to review this book by the author, Helen Smith, quite a while ago.  Thankfully, Helen was very patient with me as I dealt with many different things throughout the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 that kept me from doing a timely review of her book.  So, without any further delay, here is my review of Being Light by Helen Smith.

This book is definitely a different comedy novel than I've read before.  We begin with our "main character" Roy, who happens to be suddenly swept away by a strong gust of wind while trying to install one of those bouncy castles (You know, the ones you can't keep the kids off of at the fair, flea market, etc.).  So, Roy is swept away to former circus performer/trainer Sylvia's farm.  Roy actually believes that he has made it to heaven.  Smith's description of Roy's views of the farm really make you see how dumbfounded Roy is at his circumstance, making for a wonderfully funny story.  Our absent Roy has also left behind a loving wife--Shelia.  Shelia, not wanting to believe Roy is really gone forever, goes on a hunt to find him, ultimately believing that he has been kidnapped by aliens, so she enlists Mrs. Fitzgerald (and her missing persons bureau) to help find him.   We also meet many other characters such as Alison, Jeremy, and others, who all end up somehow being a part of this crazy chase to find long-lost Roy.  It is almost a comedy of errors as Smith takes us through different scenes in each character's life, and it becomes almost a six-degrees-of-separation type of story that keeps you reading until the end to discover how everything will be brought together and whether or not we will ever see Roy reunited with Shelia again.  I really did enjoy Smith's story telling ability with this book.  The only thing that could have been improved was the connection of the characters.  This could have been only my taking so long to read it due to different circumstances, but I thought some more information on each set of characters would have been nice so we could enjoy the reaction of the ending scene a bit more.  I suppose I would have liked to have seen them be a bit more relevant to some of the story than it seemed some were. Overall, however, Being Light was a great read and very entertaining.  I will most likely revisit this book in the future in the hopes to be able to read it straight through with no distractions.

Coffee & Literature gives Being Light a B.  Great work, Helen!  I look forward to reading much more from you!