Title: The Christmas Train

Author: David Baldacci

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book read from November 8th, 2013 to January 28th, 2014,  from an e-copy received from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.) 

Summary:

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to take the train across the country because of a slight "misunderstanding" at airport security, he begins a journey of self-discovery and rude awakenings, mysterious goings-on and thrilling adventures, screwball escapades and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, as he rediscovers people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. 

Equal parts hilarious, poignant, suspenseful, and thrilling, David Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischiefand shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.  

   

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My Thoughts on the Book:

The Christmas Train was simply a delight to read. After the slow beginning (which was the reason why after starting it in November, I put it aside until now), I was sucked in & had the time of my life. Despite the holidays being over, reading this book made me feel like it's the holiday season all over again, and the snow that started falling here today only contributed to that feeling, so it was the perfect day for me to return to this book, and once I did, I couldn't stop reading it until I finished it.

You know those lovely Christmas or holiday-themed movies that bring you a smile to your face every time you watch them, and you'll never get bored with them, well, The Christmas Train was like that. It was fun, with some colorful & interesting & lovable characters, it was humorous, sweet, and it had a mystery, some romance, delightful dialogues, an unexpected twist at the end, and even some danger. It might not have been the most perfect book, but it was the perfect holiday-themed book, and I'm glad I read it.

I highly recommend this book to every lover of Christmas-themed, or just holiday-themed stories!

 

 

 

Title: Nowhere to Run

 

Author: Jude Watson

   

Series: The 39 Clues: Unstoppable, #1

 

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

  

Publication date: October 1st, 2013

 

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5

 

 

(Book read from December 23rd, 2013 to January 10th, 2014,  from an eARC received from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.)  

 

Summary:

 

    

The Cahill family has a secret. For five hundred years, they have guarded the 39 Clues – thirty-nine ingredients in a serum that transforms whomever takes it into the most powerful person on earth. If the serum got into the wrong hands, the disaster would rock the world. So certain Cahills have always made it their mission to keep the serum safe, buried, locked away. Until now.
 
Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, are the latest guardians of the Clues. They think they’ve done everything right, but a tiny mistake leads to catastrophe. The serum is missing and Dan and Amy have to get it back and stop who stole it . . . before it’s game over. For everyone.

  

 

 

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

 

 

I think that everyone has heard about The 39 Clues. I know I have. It's just that they sound like great adventure books (and I love adventure books), and they're written by different authors, so of course I wanted to try them, but until now, I still hadn't. And since then & the original 39 Clues series, there had been 4 spin-off series, with Unstoppable being the 4th spin-off, or maybe I should say, Unstoppable is the 5th 39 Clues series.

In Nowhere to Run, once again we follow Amy & Dan Cahill, the main characters in all the previous 39 Clues series. As I said, because I hadn't read the previous books, I needed a little time to warm up to all the characters, but in the end I did, and since we get a little info through the book about what has happened in their past & in all the previous series, I felt like I still got to know them, and I wasn't feeling at all lost.

All the characters are likable, and smart, and really fun. The story was quite interesting & entertaining, and it had plenty of run-for-your-life moments, more then I expected, and I loved it.

If you enjoy action-filled adventure books, sprinkled with a dose of danger, mystery & humor, then this is the book for you, and I recommend it! This book entertained me quite a lot, it was definitely a great read, that got me hooked on the series (I jumped right into the 2nd book when I finished this one), and I know that when I was younger, I would've loved it even more, and it's definitely a book I'd buy for my children, and now I'm definitely looking forward to reading the previous adventures of the Cahills.