Ashley Bell

The hype behind this was too good to be true, I mean it was a little, but... not enough for me. I hadn't picked up a Dean Koontz book since middle school so I was excited to try this one out when I heard all the advance praise this book was getting. While it was good it failed to live up to my expectations and wasn't anything that I had expected. The story follows young author, Bibi Blair from her diagnosis of terminal cancer to her miraculous recovery and subsequent descent into the occult and dark dark magic. After her recovery her parents send over a masseuse/scrabblemancy medium, the "parlor trick" turns dark fast and Bibi finds herself on the run from dark and mysterious forces. All she knows  is what the medium told her, she was saved from cancer to save Ashley Bell, but that won't stop the bad guys from trying to kill her. With twist after twist, this thriller will keep readers guessing. Can memories from the past help her with her dark new quest, why does it feel that something was hidden in the recesses of her mind?! For fans of paranormal thrillers.

Very Good Lives

Ahhh, one of my most anticipated books for the year. I have to devour anything that JK Rowling writes and this slim little book was no exception. It's her only anticipated book release for 2015 and it does not disappoint. "Very Good Lives" is an illustrated commencement speech that Rowling gave to Harvard University in 2008. It's a fantastic and inspiring peice about the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. In it she discusses the failure of her marriage and her parents hopes for her prosperity (although she was able to turn that one around) and how her failure become her foundation for success, "... rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." Then she describes how having a good imagination allows one to empathize with others. Something she learned to do well when she was working for Amnesty International. Overall it is an inspiring and uplifting little book that will be sure to put a smile on everyone's faces, especially the Potterheads :)