Butter by Erin Jade Lange

  Butter is a big guy.  He's tipping the scale at over 400 pounds.  His father stopped speaking to him a long time ago, and his mother overfeeds him because she doesn't know what else to do.  Given his size it's hard to imagine but at school Butter is invisible.  He sits by himself at lunch and has a special desk in each of his classes to accommodate his size.  After Butter sees a post online voting him "Most Likely to have a Heart Attack", he snaps and creates www.butterslastmeal.com.  He invites all of his fellow students to watch as he eats himself to death on New Year's Eve - he's even taking menu suggestions.  Butter expected a backlash, but instead finds morbid encouragement as people egg him on.  He's even invited to sit at the popular table at lunch.  Now Butter wonders if he can really go through with it and wonders what the consequences might be if he doesn't.

  Butter is a compelling and timely read.  Butter is equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking.  Some strong language is used, and one bullying scene is intense, so this is a book better suited to mature readers.  Witty and insightful Erin Jade Lange has done justice to the inner thoughts and struggles of teens.  While most teens will never bear the burden of such a struggle, most of us have felt invisible or "less than" at one point or another, so Butter feels relatable.  All in all a great read.

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

Seating Arrangements takes its reader into a world of upper class New England socialites where what is unspoken is more important than what is, alcohol is a food group and wearing your tennis whites is done so unironically.  I, for one, love a story that skillfully weaves its tale around characters whose flaws are believably typical and mundane yet NOT redemptive. 

The family of Winn Van Meter on the surface is preppy perfection.  As family and friends convene at the Van Meter Summer Home for the wedding of his eldest daughter, Winn Van Meter confronts infidelity, his daughters' dramas and his own desperate socially climbing with pathetic hilarity.  By the end of the novel, the man seems less like a powerful patriarch and more like a laughable idiot proving that money can not buy you dignity.

Sir John Fielding Mysteries by Bruce Alexander

Allow me to introduce you to Sir John Fielding the "Blind Beak of Bow Street".  While Sir John was a true historical figure, as were his Bow Street Runners, Bruce Alexander weaves fictitious tales on this stage all set in England around 1750.  I adore this series, of which there are 11, and find myself returning to them as if visiting an old friend.  The language used in conversation is true to it's time, as are descriptions of dress, propriety, working conditions etc.  Sir John is a court magistrate of renown, able to identify thousands of people by the sound of their voices and is known far and wide for his impartiality.  His young apprentice, Jeremy Proctor, came to him by way of a series of unfortunate circumstances, but serves as Sir John's eyes at crime scenes.  They have an interesting dynamic and each mystery/book is worthy in and of itself.  A great mystery series if you like historical fiction.

Fifty Shades of Grey

To all you aspiring writers convinced you could never write a book:   read Fifty Shades of Grey.

Having been number 438 on the hold list, I was anxiously anticipating a good read.  Hadn't seen any reviews or listened to any hype because I like to form my own opinion.  I deeply regret that decision.
This is quite possibly the worst book I have ever read and the author is laughing all the way to the bank. The writing is so poor, I started skimming over several pages at a time just to get thru it.  How many times can you tolerate  "he looked so freakin' hot!"?   or revelations about  "my inner goddess" ?  
Spoiler alert:   The 2 main characters are shallow and juvenile & much of the book consists of them writing emails to each other to which the reader is painfully subjected.   It's obviously to take up space in between sex scenes (involving bondage and torture), and to make the book longer because the author can't write her way thru a coherent story.   Did we ever find out about the trauma Grey was subjected to as a boy and how he became the character he is?  What about "Mrs Robinson", now a "good friend and business partner"?   What about the roommate and the brother?  What about Ana's new publishing job?  Huh???????   But in fairness, I may have missed something skimming through all those tediously boring emails.
I'm guessing the end is a cliff-hanger to "force" you to "submit" to enduring the next 2 books?    Reading 50 Shades of Grey was more than enough bondage and torture for me.

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Oceans Greatest Furies, by Susan Casey

 If you are interested in surfing, weather, oceanography or photography, this is the book is for you.  The author follows scientists and surfers all over the globe in search of the elusive 100 foot giant. The surfers study weather patterns around the world, then with their photographers, hop planes to catch giant storm waves.  Scientists in research vessels measure freak 40, 50, 100 foot swells in the North Atlantic and try to predict where and why they occur. Perfect blend of science and sport.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

  I cannot stress enough how tired I am of the "series".  There is something to be said for a book in which there is a definitive ending within the bounds of the front and back cover.  Not knowing anything about a book before reading it, and then realising within the last one hundred pages that there is absolutely no way in which anything can be wrapped up is starting to wear my nerves, but I digress.

  Now that I've gotten that out of my system, Cinder is a futuristic take on the classic Cinderella.  Set in the bustling metropolis of New Beijing, Cinder is a cyborg - a human with some mechanical parts, implanted after an unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of her parents, or at least, that's what she was told.  Within New Beijing there are others like her, treated a second class citizens, and basically looked upon as slaves by their guardians.  There are also regular humans, androids, and illegal immigrants from the moon - Lunars.  Not to mention a plague, the wicked step-family, and political dealings.

  There's a lot going on in this book, but the futuristic take on an old story actually translates quite well.  Meyer does a spectacular job of making Cinder the cyborg feel human and vulnerable.  The prince is quite cheeky, as is Cinder's android, which adds a nice feeling of levity to some of the more depressing passages.  Meyer ends this first installment of her Lunar Chronicles Quartet  on a real cliff hanger.  I'm happy I ran into this book a little late in the game, since the second in the series Scarlet is due out in early 2013.  All in all the book was okay - not something I'll be thinking about for weeks to come, but it was entertaining enough.