Book Reviews on 1st Three Completed SRT Books

I have finished three books from the Spring Reading Thing! I am having so much fun reading non stop, and I can clearly see I will have to add A LOT more books to my list which will not be a problem after reading all those lists! I have done reviews on the ones I have finished.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon This one had me hooked from the first paragraph which made me laugh out loud. See below:

"It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead. There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog. The points of the fork must have gone all the way through the dog and into the ground because the fork had not fallen over. I decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like cancer for example, or a road accident. But I could not be certain about this."

The main character of this book is a 15 year old autistic boy named Christopher who decides to investigate the murder of his neighbor's dog. As he maps out his reason and logic, you are able to glimpse into his very practically thinking mind. Sometimes he explains how he doesn't understand gestures, facial expressions and generally can not relate to other people's emotions, instead he trusts facts. As Christopher uncovers clues, he also discovers some truths about the demise of his parents marriage. The reader watches him put all the pieces of his life together and ascertain what they mean to him. Mark Haddon has given us a truly unique narrator and it is funny, sad and touching to hear Christopher's thoughts. I really enjoyed it.

The Rapture of Caanan by Sheri Reynolds This is the story of Ninah Huff who is the granddaughter of the founder of the "Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's almighty Baptizing Wind." Her grandfather doesn't give an inch for any infractions on his compound which consists of his extended family. Worse, he makes the rules and sets humiliating and terrible punishments for those found guilty of breaking them. Ninah is a wonderful character who has the sense to question some of the practices and beliefs of her family and the church. However, when she gets pregnant by her prayer partner, she is in new territory and her secret, when found out rocks the community and brings members of the church to a close self-examination. The characters are flawed but likable. I really liked the Grandmother's character and her relationship with Ninah. This was a quick read, just a couple of days, and I enjoyed it, but was a little disappointed with the ending. You know those books where there isn't really closure and you are left to imagine the end? It's one of those.

Marley and Me by John Grogan

You know those books you can't put down? I finished this book in one day! It was a wonderfully light read and had me laughing so much in the first few chapters my husband finally said, "WHAT is so funny?" Dog lovers will love all of Marley's antics, my favorite being his episodes at Obedience Class. It is also a sweet chronicle of a couple just beginning a family. A wonderful novel about a capricious pet and the family who loves him. Definitely recommended! More about the book can be found at www.marleyandme.com.