**** 4 stars
I loved this crazy book! The structure of the stories was somewhat baffling but I enjoyed the ride so much I was wiling to let that go. As a Midwesterner and a Minnesotan by birth, I particularly enjoyed the references to local towns, locations and restaurants. The food descriptions were amazing. Just a fun, delightful read that I finished up like a delicious bite! Highly recommended and I'm so glad I received an ARC from First To Read. Thank you!
Monday, May 25, 2015
Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight
** 2 stars
I found this book to be cluttered and rather hard to follow. Far too many characters who were indistinct and far too much jumping back and forth in an effort to keep the story tricky. I really only finished it because it was the book I had handy during a trip. Rather disappointing.
I found this book to be cluttered and rather hard to follow. Far too many characters who were indistinct and far too much jumping back and forth in an effort to keep the story tricky. I really only finished it because it was the book I had handy during a trip. Rather disappointing.
The Widow's Walk by Robert Barclay
**** 4 stars
Somewhat soapy and outside my usual wheelhouse of reading selections but I liked this gentle romance with a touch of the paranormal. Technically a ghost-story, I suppose, it was very readable and a quick, fun book. The ending might have been a bit hasty and unlikely but it seems with stories like this an author can make his own rules.
Somewhat soapy and outside my usual wheelhouse of reading selections but I liked this gentle romance with a touch of the paranormal. Technically a ghost-story, I suppose, it was very readable and a quick, fun book. The ending might have been a bit hasty and unlikely but it seems with stories like this an author can make his own rules.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks
**** 4 stars
Could there be a more perfect book to take on a vacation trip? I think not, so I was delighted that my reserve copy came in right before I left for a plane ride and a car trip to San Diego! Fun, fun, fun and the perfect read for devotees of the British royal family. Charming, frothy fun!
Could there be a more perfect book to take on a vacation trip? I think not, so I was delighted that my reserve copy came in right before I left for a plane ride and a car trip to San Diego! Fun, fun, fun and the perfect read for devotees of the British royal family. Charming, frothy fun!
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
**** 4 stars
I wasn't sure I'd like this as it initially comes across as rather preachy and the whole experience (of living a year on your own land raising your own food) seems like the kind of luxury only the privileged can really do these days.
However, even though the somewhat lecturing tone persisted to some extent, I found the writing to be so good and the anecdotes to be so interesting, I ended up really enjoying the book. It was also thought-provoking and I find that I may ave some new outlooks on some of the topics. A good read and one I've recommended to others since finishing it.
I wasn't sure I'd like this as it initially comes across as rather preachy and the whole experience (of living a year on your own land raising your own food) seems like the kind of luxury only the privileged can really do these days.
However, even though the somewhat lecturing tone persisted to some extent, I found the writing to be so good and the anecdotes to be so interesting, I ended up really enjoying the book. It was also thought-provoking and I find that I may ave some new outlooks on some of the topics. A good read and one I've recommended to others since finishing it.
A Few Abandoned Books
Noting here a few titles I did not want to finish for one reason or another:
Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon - Got quite a long ways into this one but I didn't really like the characters nor care about them in any way. Moved on...
Housewitch by Katie Schickel - started out really cute but I just lost interest.
Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons - started this one before I went on a trip and I wasn't engaged enough with it to bring it along. It's become stale now and I'm no longer interested.
Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon - Got quite a long ways into this one but I didn't really like the characters nor care about them in any way. Moved on...
Housewitch by Katie Schickel - started out really cute but I just lost interest.
Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons - started this one before I went on a trip and I wasn't engaged enough with it to bring it along. It's become stale now and I'm no longer interested.
Beach Trip by Cathy Holton
** 2 stars
This was a book club selection and it generated pretty good discussion but I didn't particularly like it. I probably liked it least of all the book club members. It was okay but I felt the characters were not especially well-defined and the book was entirely too long for how slight a story it was.
This was a book club selection and it generated pretty good discussion but I didn't particularly like it. I probably liked it least of all the book club members. It was okay but I felt the characters were not especially well-defined and the book was entirely too long for how slight a story it was.
Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway
***** 5 stars
This was a fun and tricky read. It's hard to say much about books like this without spoiling too much. It may have been a little slow to start but I quickly found myself captivated by the story. Recommend!
This was a fun and tricky read. It's hard to say much about books like this without spoiling too much. It may have been a little slow to start but I quickly found myself captivated by the story. Recommend!
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