What I've Read

Ever since I discovered that the local library offers e-books downloaded directly to my kindle- FOR FREE- I have been spending less time on my computer and more time doing exactly what I did as a kid- curling up with a dog and a book for hours on end.  I have a fairly specific niche- Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and contemporary "young adult" fiction (think The Hunger Games, the Divergent Series).  But while the queues/wait lists for these books can be up in the 70's or even in the triple digits, I started searching by what's currently available and taking a dive.  And that's how I found Sanctus.

I don't write reviews.  Because I am pretty notoriously happy with everything.  I like almost every movie I watch.  Same goes for TV shows.  And books.  Sure, there are those that I love and will rant about for days/months/years.  But I'm not exactly what one would call critical.  I utilize these materials for entertainment, and what can I say- maybe I'm just easily entertained.  

I chose Sanctus (by Simon Toyne) because I was ticked off over the wait line for the next Divergent book and a novel by Joe Hill that I've been dying to read.  It was a week or so before the honeymoon, and I REALLY needed some books for the trip.  I searched on my library's website, narrowed the field by "what's currently available," clicked on- I don't even remember what category- and Sanctus showed up.  The description sounded interesting enough:

One man's sacrifice shocks the world . . .
One woman's courage threatens a conspiracy as old as humankind . . .
And some will do anything--anything--to keep their secrets in the dark.
Sanctus
A man climbs a cliff face in the oldest inhabited place on earth, a mountain known as the Citadel, a Vatican-like city-state that towers above the city of Ruin in modern-day Turkey. But this is no ordinary ascent. It is a dangerous, symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is an event witnessed by the entire world.
Few people understand its consequence. But for foundation worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others, it's evidence that a revolution is at hand. For the Sancti, the cowled and secretive monks who live inside the Citadel, it could mean the end of everything they have built. They will stop at nothing to keep what is theirs, and they will break every law in every country and even kill to hold it fast. For American reporter Liv Adamsen, it spurs the memory of the beloved brother she lost years before, setting her on a journey across the world and into the heart of her own identity.
There, she will make a discovery so shocking that it will change everything. . . .

I started reading it sometime during the honeymoon, and was intrigued!  But then it expired and I kind of forgot about it.  Probably because Divergent finally became available.  Then it was time to fly to Portland and wait in long lines- so I needed another book, STAT.  And there was Sanctus, available.  I downloaded it again, and picked up where I left off.  And I'm really glad I did- because maybe it starts out a little bit slow, but this book has got to have one of the best endings/twists/plot points of anything I've ever read.  Towards the end there, I was reading so fast my finger didn't leave the page, and I actually yelled at Scott to leave me alone because I NEED TO READ MY BOOK.

I love twists and turns.  I live for thrillers.

And I love me a good strong female character.

And did I mention the ending?

Oh... AND it's part one of a trilogy.