Excavation by James Rollins

Synopsis: The South American Jungle Guards Many Secrets and a remarkable site nestled between two towering Andean peaks, hidden from human eyes for thousands years. Dig Deeper through layers of rock and mystery, through centuries of dark, forgotten legends. Into Ancient Catacombs where ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting; where earth shattering discoveries and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. Something is Waiting here where the perilous journey ends, in the cold, shrouded heart of a breathtaking necropolis; something created by Man, yet not humanly possible. Something wondrous. Something terrifying.

Specs: Adult fiction, action-adventure/thiller/science fiction, published in 2000, 416 pages.

I actually tried to get through this book two times before, but even though I got to the part with the exploding brain and "alive" corpse, I wasn't old enough to understand the science-fiction part of Excavation, so I stopped reading.

Now that I've finally finished it, I can say that I'm glad I did. I love the fast-paced, gun-toting, heart-thumping, bombs exploding, could-this-really-happen? style that Rollins' books have. But the thing that I don't like about Excavation is the excessive swearing, a gay character, and several evolution references. A lot of his books have these three things included in the writing, but I have to overlook those flaws because his books are too good not to read!

But my favorite so far is still Amazonia. WOW, that book is amazing! I definitely recommend that one to be the first Rollins' you read.

Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

Synopsis: Holden Harris is an autistic eighteen-year-old who is bullied at school. Laura Reynolds is the head cheerleader who befriends Holden but has problems of her own at home. In her trademark way, Kingsbury tackles real-life issues of high school bullying, autism, adultery, and ultimately ... acceptance.

Specs: Adult fiction, Christian inspirational/autism, published October 2010, 304 pages.

Unlocked is a story about a teenage boy who developed autism when he was a toddler. Before that, he was a perfectly normal boy. Holden pretty much never communicated with anyone except with his cards with words and pictures on them. But since he met and befriended his childhood playmate Laura, he improved greatly, catapulted by listening to (and eventually singing in) the high school's rendition of Beauty and the Beast.

This newest Kingsbury novel is a harrowing and very true example of how kids with autism (and other disabilities) are treated in schools. Some teenagers don't know how to act around people who are different than they are, so they tease them and sometimes physically abuse them. This is what happened to Holden Harris.

Unlocked starts out depressing because Holden's mother is reminiscing about the days when Holden was normal, and autism hadn't nearly destroyed their family. But later in the book, Holden actually improves greatly through the medium of music. It's an inspirational and hopeful look into the disorder. And although that definitely doesn't happen with all kids with autism, it's important to have hope and to always keep trying to reach into their trapped minds.

I'm reluctant to rate Unlocked because it's about a heartbreaking (and incurable) disorder. But since that's what this blog is about, I'm rating this one on the author's storytelling abilities about autism, not on the subject matter alone.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis: Sookie is trying to put past failed relationships behind her and has a new man in her life: the handsome and mysterious shapeshifter Quinn. But in the wake of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, and with the entire Louisiana supernatural community still reeling, Sookie is summoned by Sophie-Anne Leclerq (the Queen of Louisiana) to accompany her to a historic regional vampire summit. However, the conference -- where entire power bases could be gained or lost -- is filled with friction and ill will; and when delegates are found brutally murdered, Sookie finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy-ridden power play where the unlikeliest of suspects could be a cold-blooded killer.

Specs: Adult fiction, fantasy/mystery, published in 2006, 336 pages, Sookie Stackhouse #7.

I can't get over how much this series has changed for me. Reading it is less fun and more of a process to get to the end. I'm less fascinated by the characters, and most even seem boring to me. It might be that the standards of the books I read are very high, or it might be that Harris is losing her touch book to book.