The latest book I finished was “Velocity” by Dean Koontz. It’s a fast-paced suspense thriller and it was hard to put down. Good thing I’m so busy or I might have read it in one sitting! The tag line is “fear never slows down….”

It was the first book I had read by this author, though he is quite prolific. Velocity isn’t especially deep or philospohical, it’s just a good read that will keep you wanting to read more. The characters were described well, particularly the main character (Billy). Now, I’m no book reviewer, so here’s what Publisher’s Weekly had to say:

[after the jump]

The book is My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult and I recently finished it. It was a very enjoyable read. Thanks to my friend Robin who loaned it to me. A while back I read a different book by this same author, which I blogged about here. I liked that one so I was anxious to try another. And I liked this one too, how about that?! Once again the author tackles a deep subject and creates characters that are very interesting and really drew me in. I got to know the whole family and the side characters as well and could see both sides of the moral uncertainty that the author likes to write about.

Ms. Picoult likes to tackle ethical questions and make you wonder who is really right and wrong, but at the same time she tells a story and gives insight into each character, whether likable or not. I would certainly recommend this book. I have already bought another one by her and will get to it one of these days. You know how that goes, though!

The book is Clown Girl by Monica Drake. I saw Monica do a reading of a chapter a few years back at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle and was immediately taken by her clever and quirky prose. And after finally reading the whole book, I will say it was a very pleasant experience. This is a fast-paced, wild ride through the world of Baloneytown, with a suprising insightful clown as the main character.

Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, says “Clown Girl is more than a great book, Clown Girl is its own reality”. Would I go that far? Maybe so. I know this much: I liked the book. And it was indeed an outrageous world with unique characters in unique situations. But through it all you wanted to know what was going to happen next the Sniffles, the female protagonist.

It’s Nineteen Minutes by best-selling author Jodi Picoult. Apparently this is her 14th novel, but it’s the first one I have read by her. It won’t be the last. This was a really interesting look at a tragic event (a school mass-shooting), but more importantly about how it affected the lives of the people involved, from the shooter, his friends (if any), his parents, the parents of the deceased, and all the other peripheral players.

We see these events on the news all too often nowadays, but this novel explores the human side and also delves into the horrifying effects of bullying. Every character is a person with feelings, the shooter and the rest of the town. I would highly recommend this book.

Here’s a blurb from amazon.com (after the jump):