"The Host" by Stephanie Meyer

"The Host" comes out right on the heels of the hugely successful "Twilight Series", but don't pick this up if you're looking for a sequel. This is a completely different work written in a more sophisticated style, and the storyline is much more complex and engaging.

The story revolves around alien parasites who have quietly taken over The Earth. Fantastic, I know - not usually my cup of tea either. The main characters are a woman who has been taken over by one of these aliens, and the alien that has taken her over. It's very bizarre dynamic, but really kind of cool if you think about it.

The "host" personality draws the alien into her memories, thoughts and feelings, and also makes her opinions well known to her captor. Obviously, she's less than happy with her situation. More insistent however are her thoughts and feelings about the love of her life that she was forced to leave behind. Between the two of them, they try and find their way back.

The characters we so well developed, I found myself painfully attached to them throughout the entire book. I cried my eyes out with sympathy, horror and anger through the whole thing. I loved the writing, the plot was great, and it's a storyline that I thought was completely unique. This is one of those books that really makes you think.

If it doesn't sound like something you'd like or normally read, try it anyway. My husband forced this book on my and I am so glad he did. Loved it!

idol results - what a shocker.

Well, not really. Jason said goodbye last night after the train wreck of a performance on Tuesday. At least he wasn’t sobbing on stage. I won’t mention any names, but her name starts with a “B” (I’m so sneaky, aren’t I?).

So this leaves us with Syesha, David T. and David C., who I predict will go home in that order. Syesha has really surprised me – I thought she’d be gone long before now. She’s definitely a good singer, but personally I think she skated a bit.

So now we have David and David, who couldn’t be more different. David’s a rocker, with an amazing talent to take a song and completely change it up – always with awesome results. I’ve heard it said that David A is a more talented singer, but I beg to differ. If you listen to his performance of “The Music of the Night”, there is no doubt the boy can blow. He has the maturity, soul and talent that I think will not only win him this competition, but turn him into another Chris Daughtry.

David A. no doubt has mad skills. I just don’t think he has the maturity, soul and ingenuity yet that will give him a win, or at the very least success after the show is over. To me, he’s a bit sappy, and way too vanilla. Obviously, the two styles that will be represented are completely relative.

The biggest factor will be the fan base – cool people for David Cook, and pre-pubescent girls for David Archuleta. Here’s to hoping they all get grounded from there cell phones for stealing mom’s credit card…

"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

Quite possibly my new favorite book. The storyline and characters are extremely well-developed, with heartbreaking lows and the highest of highs. He also does an excellent job of bringing you into life in the 12th century, a very brutal time in Europe. Follett has woven in murder, mysteries, and humanity at its best and worst. You also see in sharp contrast the relationships between common people, nobility and the all-powerful church.

I loved the complexity of this book, and all of its intertwining storylines. But you always know who is who, their individual histories and relationships with other characters. It’s not like reading Tolkien, which forces you to go back over and over again to find out who the hell he’s talking about. It is also part of Oprah's Book Club, but please don't hold that against it.

Here’s a synopsis plagiarized from Powells.com:

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect — a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive, Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follet's historical masterpiece.