Unwind by Neal Shusterman

I really enjoyed the controversial Young Adult novel, Unwind. I know there are some people that would not be a fan of the concepts in the book at all, but I found it was very interesting. Unwind takes place in the future, after the end of the second civil war which is fought over abortion. Both pro-choice and pro-life can not agree, so they come up with a compromise to end abortion and creates the alternative of "unwinding." Between the ages of 13 and 17, parents or guardians can choose to have their children unwound, or harvested, to be "donated" to other people. Every single body part will be given a new use so they try and say that the person never died. This book follows the life of three kids who have been chosen to be unwound and are on their way to the harvest camps. Fifteen-year-old Connor's parents can no longer control him. Lev, a tithe, was raised by religious parents with 10 children and his whole purpose of being born was to be unwound. Risa, a ward of the state, is a victim of shrinking budgets since she is not a talented enough musician to be kept alive. The Bill of Life also allows for "storking," where if a mother does not want their baby they can drop it off at any doorway and that baby then belongs to the family that lives there. Definitely controversial in regards to abortion, organ donation, and religion, but well worth the read and very intriguing!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Finally finished the first book in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series! Probably one of the longest books I ever read, especially since I listened to most of it on audio book. The bad news is that the next two just get longer and longer than the one before. Overall, I thought it was a good read but probably not as good as all the hype has been. I'm not really one for government and techonology conspiracies and this book is full of them. There's so much with the plotline that I honestly don't know where to start. There's the crumble of the career of Mikael Blomkvist, his new assignment to find Harriet who disappeared years before, Lisbeth the investigator/hacker and girl with the tattoos, finding sadistic murders in the Vanger family, and releasing all the investigations in reports. Just as a warning: usually I am not bothered by much but this book has some sadistic scenes that were almost too much to handle. So bad, that I don't know that I will be able to see the movie... which takes a lot for me! Guess we will see what happens in the next two.

Save Karyn by Karyn Bosnak

This is a light-hearted memoir about a young lady that finds herself in over $20,000 in credit card debt. Yes, somehow she finds humor out of an issue that most of us would find utterly depressing. How did she get into the hole so bad? After moving from the midwest to New York City, Karyn goes on a shopping binge and becomes addicted to the finer things, AKA name brand items. On top of all of it, she loses her job and finds herself desperate. Unable to get it together, she puts together an internet site (savekaryn.com) and asks people to just donate a dollar to get out of debt. Much to her surprise it works! Slowly at first, but then radio shows, newspapers, and eventually TV shows get ahold of her story which draws more people in. Not only does she take donations through PayPal and the mail, she sells her big items on eBay. Although Karyn's storyline has very serious undertones and consequences, it was still an enjoyable read and it was entertaining to hear how she makes fun of herself in a dire situation. I've been pleasantly surprised with both of her books (20 Times and Lady is the other) and look forward to any future writing she does.

Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell

This is the next book in the Kay Scarpetta series. It was kind of hard to get into first but it picked up the pace along the way. The murders in this book are connected by arson and beautiful people like actresses and models. Along the way Carrie, Lucy's ex, escapes from being incarcerated in a psychiatric facility and becomes involved with the murder, who is also connected to her last book. In order to get to Kay and Lucy, Carrie goes after Kay's lover, Benton Wesley, and kills him as well. Although the bodies have been set on fire, they murderers have taken their faces and at the end they find them within the house along with all the other paraphernalia belonging to the murderer. The book ends with a helicopter chase and saying goodbye to Benton.

4th of July by James Patterson

The fourth book in the Women's Murder Club series was another quick read. In this one, Lt. Lindsay Boxer finds herself in legal trouble after a car chase with two teenagers. After being fired upon by the 13 and 15 year olds, she fires her weapon in self-defense killing the girl and paralyzing the boy from the neck down. While dealing with her trial for murder and police brutality, Lindsay is still trying to solve the brutal murders and flogging of couples taking place in Half Moon Bay. There are interesting characters like a grease monkey, former porn star, and woman running a shelter for troubled/orphaned kids. She solves the case with another shocking ending like all the rest. Six more in the series to go!

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I finally got the chance to get started on Jodi Picoult's book from last year the night before I met her in person! Like always, this book delivers her controversial issues intertwined with amazing story weaving. The book starts out with Zoe, a music therapist, struggling to have a baby after many years. After what they think is a successful round of IVF, at 28 weeks the baby dies and Zoe must deliver him. This was just so heart-breaking, and brought me to tears. Just can't imagine going through that. Her husband, Max, decides that he can't go on in their marriage because Zoe cares more having a baby than her husband. After divorce, Zoe finds herself a new best friend in Vanessa and Max finds Jesus. Zoe figures out that Vanessa is more than a friend, they fall in love and get married. Vanessa and Zoe want to take the unused embryos from Zoe's previous marriage to have their own baby. Max does not want his kids raised in the "unpure, sinful household" provided by a lesbian relationship. He would like the embryos to go to his brother, Reid, and his wife, Libby, who have their own fertility issues. Then comes the court case and Max's struggle when he acts on his feelings towards Libby.This book also has an accompanying CD that flows with the plot. At the book signing it was exciting that Ellen Degeneres has bought the rights for this movie. Can't wait to see what happens with that!   

High Voltage Tattoo by Kat Von D

I really enjoyed this book from Kat Von D. It is set up like her tattoo journals that you would see her writing in on her show LA Ink, which I'm a big fan of. It was interesting to hear more about her background, inspiration, and love for her profession. Not only does she share the story about her tattoos, she goes into detail about some of her bigger pieces and other tattoo artists she admires. To some tattoos are still taboo, but society seems to accept them more and to me it is an intriguing art that few can do. She also had some good advice about how to prepare for your own tattoo, finding your tattoo artist, and how to take care of a new tattoo... which I will keep in mind in case I decide to go through with my tattoo idea if I lose the weight.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Well, I'm finally finished with the Hunger Games trilogy! They were all really good, but the first one way surpassed the other two. I enjoyed the last one, Mockingjay, but I wish it were more like the first two, with the Arena. The storyline focuses on rebelling against the Capitol and trying to assassinate President Snow. Katniss becomes the "mockingjay" and is the face for propaganda against the Capitol. Many of the key players in the series are hurt or killed off in this book, and yes, there are some violent parts that are a bit more disturbing this time around. I did enjoy the very ending though that shows Katniss and the guy she chooses (Gale or Peeta) in the life they decide to lead with the Capitol overthrown. Counting down for the Hunger Games movie!

Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

This is the new book in the Kay Scarpetta series and I did enjoy it better than the last. I have always been fascinated with viruses and the stories behind exposures, much like the book Hot Zone. It begins the book with Kay in a foreign country trying to solve the international case of a murder who decapitates all limbs, and just leaves the trunk of a body to be found. In a landfill in Virginia the trunk of an old woman is found, but there are inconsistencies that make the detectives think that her murderer was just making it look like the previous murders. Even more shocking, the body is infected with some sort of smallpox. Then comes the web of events that people are becoming exposed to the deadly epidemic that the FBI must help to control. With the help of her niece Lucy, they try to track down the killer that has been corresponding with Kay via chat room and e-mail under the screen name "deadoc." Kay also deals with the emotions of Benton Wesley wanted to marry her, and still being hung up on her dead lover Mark, who she finds out devastating information about at the end of the book. Can't wait to see what happens next!

The Ten Best Days of My Life by Adena Halpern

I have enjoyed all of Adena Halpern's books and this is her first novel. This was another quick and enjoyable read. At first the main character was so superficial that it was annoying but throughout the course of events she grows into a more likable character. In the book 29-year-old Alex and her dog, Peaches, are ran over by a MINI Cooper and wind up at the gates of heaven. All your dreams literally do come true, at least if you are in Seventh Heaven, the top plane of heaven. And to top everything of she is reunited with her grandparents and uncle and even meets a dreamy guy. Then comes the problem: In order to stay in the seventh plane of Heaven she must pass an essay exam about the 10 best days of her life. If she fails she will be demoted to the fourth level where she would have to live in a condo, have old clothes, lose her dog and her new love interest. With the essay she has to prove she led a worthwhile, purposeful, and fulfilling life. It was a very cutesy chick-lit read and looks like there may be a movie in the works, we shall see.