1 star
Gosh, what a weird book. It started out really strong and I was sure I would like it. At some point, it took a sharp left into weirdness and I just felt lost. It became a totally different book and I wasn't sure how we got there! I admit that I cannot always be the most attentive reader but based upon others' comments on GR, it seems I'm not alone. I might have stuck with it, but it's due back at the library and I wasn't really enjoying it.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
*** 3 stars
Okay, so I have to admit, I pretty much love to hate Dean Kootz. I really got into his early stuff but somewhere around Odd Thomas he got too precious for me. His characters are all annoyingly quirky and precocious. There was a lot of that here, too, but for the most part the book kept my interest. There were some genuine surprises but I'm not sure it was entirely successful on the whole.
Okay, so I have to admit, I pretty much love to hate Dean Kootz. I really got into his early stuff but somewhere around Odd Thomas he got too precious for me. His characters are all annoyingly quirky and precocious. There was a lot of that here, too, but for the most part the book kept my interest. There were some genuine surprises but I'm not sure it was entirely successful on the whole.
Tolkein Trivia: A Middle Earth Miscellany by William C. MacKay
*** 3 stars
Someone gave this to my husband for Christmas; it was a fun little book with interesting details about the books and movies.
Someone gave this to my husband for Christmas; it was a fun little book with interesting details about the books and movies.
Deceit by Brandilyn Collins
** 2 stars
I think this was a Kindle freebie that had been kicking around the bottom of my Kindle list for a long time. It was ok; I'm not sure it was particularly well-written, nor surprising but it was entertaining enough.
I think this was a Kindle freebie that had been kicking around the bottom of my Kindle list for a long time. It was ok; I'm not sure it was particularly well-written, nor surprising but it was entertaining enough.
Room by Emma Donoghue
***** 5 stars
Still a 5 star read; I read this also back in 2011 but wanted to revisit it in preparation for seeing the movie next week. Still so powerful and bittersweet and full of surprises. Just a lovely book that is so skillfully crafted.
Still a 5 star read; I read this also back in 2011 but wanted to revisit it in preparation for seeing the movie next week. Still so powerful and bittersweet and full of surprises. Just a lovely book that is so skillfully crafted.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel
***** 5 stars
This was a lovely book club selection. I'll echo the thoughts of many of my book club friends who were surprised by the depth and focus of this book. Not a fluffy chick lit book at all but a lovely family tale with difficult themes. Very interesting topic and I look forward to our conversation about it.
This was a lovely book club selection. I'll echo the thoughts of many of my book club friends who were surprised by the depth and focus of this book. Not a fluffy chick lit book at all but a lovely family tale with difficult themes. Very interesting topic and I look forward to our conversation about it.
A Thousand Naked Strangers by Kevin Hazzard
*** 3 stars
Good and fast read about life as an EMT. Entertaining anecdotes about the training process, day to day work and the cast of characters the author worked with.
Good and fast read about life as an EMT. Entertaining anecdotes about the training process, day to day work and the cast of characters the author worked with.
Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith
*** 3 stars
This was a good read about twin brothers. I both enjoyed the novel's structure around the phonetic alphabet and felt it restricted the book a bit. Some stuff felt shoehorned in to fit the chapter's letter name. Anyway, it was a good read that kept me interested.
This was a good read about twin brothers. I both enjoyed the novel's structure around the phonetic alphabet and felt it restricted the book a bit. Some stuff felt shoehorned in to fit the chapter's letter name. Anyway, it was a good read that kept me interested.
Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quin
*** 3 stars
This was okay; a quick little read. I'm not sure I learned too much new; I'm not the kind of woman who's trapped in the Pintrest, Martha Stewart ideal of perfection. But the author was fairly entertaining.
This was okay; a quick little read. I'm not sure I learned too much new; I'm not the kind of woman who's trapped in the Pintrest, Martha Stewart ideal of perfection. But the author was fairly entertaining.
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
***** 5 stars
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure this is really a 5-star quality book but I got 5-star enjoyment from it. It was a little weird to read this after having just watched Making a Murderer since there were some elements of the murder itself that were very similar to that real-life case.
I thought this was a good mystery with a real puzzle to it. I also enjoyed the setting in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. I'll read the author's other book at some point.
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure this is really a 5-star quality book but I got 5-star enjoyment from it. It was a little weird to read this after having just watched Making a Murderer since there were some elements of the murder itself that were very similar to that real-life case.
I thought this was a good mystery with a real puzzle to it. I also enjoyed the setting in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. I'll read the author's other book at some point.
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