***** 5 stars
I loved this super-creepy and compelling mystery/thriller and I raced through it in no time at all. Contrast that with books that get put on a reading plan! You had to buy-in on some rather implausibilities but I was okay with that. It was so atmospheric and spooky. I just loved it!
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry
*** 3 stars
This was a book club choice. It started pretty slow for me and I struggled a little bit with it. I had to put myself on a reading plan to get through it; this is never a good sign. I figure out an end date to finish the book (in this case, the book club meeting) and figure out the number of pages I need to read each day. It becomes a bit of a task, I'm afraid. But it did pick up a little and I enjoyed the conversation about the book as others in the group liked it a lot more than I did.
This was a book club choice. It started pretty slow for me and I struggled a little bit with it. I had to put myself on a reading plan to get through it; this is never a good sign. I figure out an end date to finish the book (in this case, the book club meeting) and figure out the number of pages I need to read each day. It becomes a bit of a task, I'm afraid. But it did pick up a little and I enjoyed the conversation about the book as others in the group liked it a lot more than I did.
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
**** 4 stars
Utterly fluffy and formulaic but there was something so charming and comforting about this book. It was just fun to read. It made me want to visit Milwaukee; it painted such a clear and compelling vision of the city. The food all sounded yummy, too. Lots of fun!
Utterly fluffy and formulaic but there was something so charming and comforting about this book. It was just fun to read. It made me want to visit Milwaukee; it painted such a clear and compelling vision of the city. The food all sounded yummy, too. Lots of fun!
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Vanishing Games by Roger Hobbs
*** 3 stars
This was a fun, fast-paced read about a jewel heist gone terribly wrong. I glossed over a lot of the action scenes; they really aren't my thing. But I like the cleverness of the thieves and other low-life types in the story.
This was a fun, fast-paced read about a jewel heist gone terribly wrong. I glossed over a lot of the action scenes; they really aren't my thing. But I like the cleverness of the thieves and other low-life types in the story.
Last Night in the E.R. - A Transplant Surgeon's Odyssey by Bud Shaw
0 stars
A did-not-finish for me. Received a free copy from First to Read but could not struggle through it. I felt dropped into the memoir without context and each chapter was a weird, random scenario. It was not at all what I expected and it was not interesting to me at all. I had no sense of the author, nor the others he tells about. Just rather disappointing.
A did-not-finish for me. Received a free copy from First to Read but could not struggle through it. I felt dropped into the memoir without context and each chapter was a weird, random scenario. It was not at all what I expected and it was not interesting to me at all. I had no sense of the author, nor the others he tells about. Just rather disappointing.
Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly
*** 3 stars
I listened to an audio book version of this. I found it to be quite engaging even if I felt the resolution was a little hard to buy. I think the reader did a particularly good job bringing the characters to life.
I listened to an audio book version of this. I found it to be quite engaging even if I felt the resolution was a little hard to buy. I think the reader did a particularly good job bringing the characters to life.
The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
** 2 stars
This book started out so strong for me and just tickled this long-time Agatha Christie fan. I haven't read (or re-read, really) Christie in a long time but I devoured all her books as a teenager. Anyway, this book initially struck just about all the elements but eventually went a little sideways.
There was some introspection/psychological stuff with Poirot's "helper" that seemed anachronistic. Also, the book got pretty talky and the mystery was complicated in a goofy way, not a twisty/clever way. So, it was just okay as far as I'm concerned.
This book started out so strong for me and just tickled this long-time Agatha Christie fan. I haven't read (or re-read, really) Christie in a long time but I devoured all her books as a teenager. Anyway, this book initially struck just about all the elements but eventually went a little sideways.
There was some introspection/psychological stuff with Poirot's "helper" that seemed anachronistic. Also, the book got pretty talky and the mystery was complicated in a goofy way, not a twisty/clever way. So, it was just okay as far as I'm concerned.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Out by Natsuo Kirino
**** 4 stars
I really debate about whether or not this should be a 5 star book; it was that good. I found it hard to put this book down. It did take a little effort to get into the story with the Japanese names and styling (use of last name and "-san", etc.) but it was so well-written (and/or translated!) that I quickly caught on.
This is a dark, dark book but I really loved it. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and how the pieces (hee hee) would come together. Definitely not for everyone as it is very gruesome! Highly recommended if you have a strong tolerance for gore and very dark humor.
I really debate about whether or not this should be a 5 star book; it was that good. I found it hard to put this book down. It did take a little effort to get into the story with the Japanese names and styling (use of last name and "-san", etc.) but it was so well-written (and/or translated!) that I quickly caught on.
This is a dark, dark book but I really loved it. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and how the pieces (hee hee) would come together. Definitely not for everyone as it is very gruesome! Highly recommended if you have a strong tolerance for gore and very dark humor.
The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove by Susan Gregg Gilmore
** 2 stars
This didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations. It was okay and readable enough but there wasn't as much substance as I would have thought. The "romance" was not handled particularly well and I never got much sense of Bezellia as a person; she seems to mainly move through the story. It was kind of a strangely unemotional book for a story that seemed so full of emotional moments. I was left pretty cold by it.
This didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations. It was okay and readable enough but there wasn't as much substance as I would have thought. The "romance" was not handled particularly well and I never got much sense of Bezellia as a person; she seems to mainly move through the story. It was kind of a strangely unemotional book for a story that seemed so full of emotional moments. I was left pretty cold by it.
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
**** 4 stars
This book strained credibility and had a sensibility that it was of modern times yet of no time in particular. By that I mean it felt old-fashioned but not necessarily in a bad way. I did struggle, as an adult and as a parent, with some elements of the plot that kept it moving forward, such as the characters our heroine meets along the way; no adult seems concerned enough about her to call the police, for instance, or that she's allowed to rent hotel rooms without much question.
Still, there was something very readable and entertaining about the book and I enjoyed it. It struck a chord with me and had Kehret been writing when I was a child, I'm sure she would have been a favorite author for me. Her youngsters are independent and wily and I would have loved reading about them!
This book strained credibility and had a sensibility that it was of modern times yet of no time in particular. By that I mean it felt old-fashioned but not necessarily in a bad way. I did struggle, as an adult and as a parent, with some elements of the plot that kept it moving forward, such as the characters our heroine meets along the way; no adult seems concerned enough about her to call the police, for instance, or that she's allowed to rent hotel rooms without much question.
Still, there was something very readable and entertaining about the book and I enjoyed it. It struck a chord with me and had Kehret been writing when I was a child, I'm sure she would have been a favorite author for me. Her youngsters are independent and wily and I would have loved reading about them!
Constant Fear by Daniel Palmer
*** 3 stars
I've never read anything by this author but I found this to be a fun and fairly engaging read. I think I did get a little bit lost in the middle; it bogged down a bit and some plot points were a little outlandish but for the most part, this was an enjoyable read.
I've never read anything by this author but I found this to be a fun and fairly engaging read. I think I did get a little bit lost in the middle; it bogged down a bit and some plot points were a little outlandish but for the most part, this was an enjoyable read.
A few "DNF's"
Did not finish:
Carry the One by Carol Anshaw - this had such a promising premise but I found I disliked pretty much everyone involved in the plot and was not in the least interested in them or what happened to them.
Becoming Ellen by Shari Shattuck - I liked but did not love Inivisible Ellen so I wasn't especially excited to read this one anyway. And it was just a bit too "twee" for my taste. A little of that character Temerity (?) goes a long way and I felt I was supposed to just adore her. I did not finish this book; I received an ARC from the First to Read program
The Three by Sarah Lotz - too weird for me and some of the reviews comparing it to World War Z dissuaded me for continuing it. I struggled through WWZ and this seemed to be a similar style.
Carry the One by Carol Anshaw - this had such a promising premise but I found I disliked pretty much everyone involved in the plot and was not in the least interested in them or what happened to them.
Becoming Ellen by Shari Shattuck - I liked but did not love Inivisible Ellen so I wasn't especially excited to read this one anyway. And it was just a bit too "twee" for my taste. A little of that character Temerity (?) goes a long way and I felt I was supposed to just adore her. I did not finish this book; I received an ARC from the First to Read program
The Three by Sarah Lotz - too weird for me and some of the reviews comparing it to World War Z dissuaded me for continuing it. I struggled through WWZ and this seemed to be a similar style.
The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
**** 4 stars
I don't think this was quite a good as the first Calpurnia Tate book but it was another enjoyable read about this feisty young girl. Some of the novelty of the character and the setting has worn off and we are now in a comfortable place with these characters. Very enjoyable.
I don't think this was quite a good as the first Calpurnia Tate book but it was another enjoyable read about this feisty young girl. Some of the novelty of the character and the setting has worn off and we are now in a comfortable place with these characters. Very enjoyable.
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