#17: The Sleep Room

I just finished The Sleep Room by F.R. Tallis.  I had never heard of this book, but it could my eye twice on the "new arrivals" shelf at the library.  It is the story of a house turned into a hospital specializing in sleep therapy, sedatives, etc.  There is also some paranormal activity and other weird occurances.  It is classified as horror, but I didn't think it was horror at all.  Maybe a little unusual suspence.

At first I was really intrigued by this book.  I like learning about psychology/psychiatrists and the way things were done in the past.  A little while in I started getting bored and didn't understand why a "ghost" was introduced.  Then I started liking the story again.  There was a little suspence, but when Dr. Richardson said something like "I should have paid more attention to that at the time", the problem was never really answered.  At the end there was a twist, which made me feel really confused. 

If you are looking for something different to read, I would recommend this book.  It was an unusual story and very interesting at times.

#16: The Professor and the Madman

The Professor and the Madman is a very interesting story.  It is the true story of how the Oxford English Dictionary was made.  It covers the history of the OED, but the main character in this story is the "madman" Dr. W C Minor.

The story opens with Minor committing a crime and after being arrested, being taken to an insane asylum.  It then goes on the tell the story of Minor's life.  We learn that he had a lot of problems in his childhood and during his time in the war.  The story continues on with the making of the OED and the continually "crazy" behaviors of Minor.

At times the book was really boring, but the story of Minor's life and his friendship with Murray the professor, was so intriguing that I had to keep really.  A really unique story behind the making of a dictionary.

Up Next:  The Sleep Room by F. R. Tallis

#15: A Long Walk to Water

I read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.  This book is based on a true story.  It covers 2 stories in Sudan, one in 1985 and one in 2008.  This is a very short book and I read it in under 2 hours.  I really loved the way the 2 stories tied together.  I also love historical fiction, so it was interesting to learn about the Sudan war, even though it was just a tiny bit.

I bought this book for Mason at his book fair.  It intrigued me when I saw it.  I think he will really like it.  He really enjoyed her other book, A Single Shard.

Up Next:  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

#14: Nineteen Minutes

Okay, it's been awhile since I decided to tackle another Picoult novel.  My previous book club decided to make a list of books they thought their friends should read and this was one listed.  I hadn't read it yet, but some of her previous novels held my attention, so I thought I'd give this one a try.

At first I thought it had good potential to be a "real page turner".  The main storyline was of a bullied boy, Peter, going on a shooting rampage of his high school because he is constantly bullied.  The dilema in this book was whether we should feel sorry for Peter the victim or to side with the victims in the shooting.  Usually I really feel torn and want to seek justice, but this book just really didn't end up being that exciting.  I thought there were ways that we could have had more of a struggle between sides, but Picoult didn't use them in this case.

There is always some major twist in Picoult's stories as well.  Nineteen Minutes had the twist, but sadly I was able to guess it from the start.  I was also really disappointed that the twist in this story happened before the verdict was read instead of after.  Usually we get the twist later and then question whether that would have changed the outcome.  I just don't think this was "Classic Picoult".  Not sure if she is trying to change her writing style or not.

Anyway, I give this book 2.5-3 stars.  It will be awhile before I decide to pick up one of her books again.

Up Next:  Not sure- going to raid the book shelf right now.