Title: The Rocks
Author: Peter Nichols
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Set against beautiful Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, this book opens with a confrontation and a secret: what was the mysterious and catastrophic event that drove apart newlyweds Lulu and Gerald in 1948 and resulted in them never speaking again, despite living on the same small island for the next sixty years? And how did their history shape the friendship of their unrelated children decades later? The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery then moves backward in time to unravel what really happened so many years ago. (Source: Amazon).
Review: To be fair this book should probably be given four stars but I don't recommend the audiobook format. This book starts in the present time and then continues to move back in time. I kept wanting to re-read the beginning once I became more familiar with the characters. I enjoyed the characters and the story, but the number of peripheral characters made it too hard for me to remember who they were without the luxury of being able to go back and read. Still, I would recommend this as a good beach read for the summer.
Time to write: 5:33
Showing posts with label 3 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 stars. Show all posts
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Book review: That night
Title: That Night
Author: Chevy Stevens
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Summary: Toni Murphy is a typical teenager--she has a boyfriend that she's crazy about, her little sister annoys her and she fights with her parents. Toni's also bullied at school by a group of four girls. These four girls seem bent on ruining Toni's life.
Toni's life changes forever when Toni's sister is killed and Toni and her boyfriend are charged and convicted with her murder. After serving her time, Toni's back in her hometown. She wants to prove her innocence and find her sister's killer.
Review: I finished this book months ago and I'm just getting to writing the review. I initially gave this three stars but I'm going to bump it up to four. I really liked Toni and her toughness, as well as her drive to prove her innocence in a town where she was considered a bad seed. For obvious reasons not a lot of people (including her parents) trusted her when she came back to town. I suppose she really had nothing to lose. A good murder mystery if you're into those!
Time to write: 4:22
Author: Chevy Stevens
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Summary: Toni Murphy is a typical teenager--she has a boyfriend that she's crazy about, her little sister annoys her and she fights with her parents. Toni's also bullied at school by a group of four girls. These four girls seem bent on ruining Toni's life.
Toni's life changes forever when Toni's sister is killed and Toni and her boyfriend are charged and convicted with her murder. After serving her time, Toni's back in her hometown. She wants to prove her innocence and find her sister's killer.
Review: I finished this book months ago and I'm just getting to writing the review. I initially gave this three stars but I'm going to bump it up to four. I really liked Toni and her toughness, as well as her drive to prove her innocence in a town where she was considered a bad seed. For obvious reasons not a lot of people (including her parents) trusted her when she came back to town. I suppose she really had nothing to lose. A good murder mystery if you're into those!
Time to write: 4:22
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Book review: A Fall of Marigolds
Title: A Fall of Marigolds
Author: Susan Meissner
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: This is a tale of two women--Clara and Taryn. Clara is working as a nurse on Ellis Island in 1911. She can't bear to return to Manhattan after witnessing the man she loved fall to his death during the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Taryn's story takes place in Manhattan in 2011. Taryn's husband died on 9/11. Taryn was supposed to meet him in the Tower to tell him she was pregnant but she was running behind and she survived while her husband died. Their stories are blended by a beautiful scarf that provides comfort to both of them in their time of need.
Review: I wanted to like this book more. There was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't great. Maybe I feel like it should have been more heavy. There are some heavy topics here but it didn't get too deep. Everything was pulled together in a pretty bow at the end and sometimes I get disappointed by those.
Time to write: 1:38
Author: Susan Meissner
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: This is a tale of two women--Clara and Taryn. Clara is working as a nurse on Ellis Island in 1911. She can't bear to return to Manhattan after witnessing the man she loved fall to his death during the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Taryn's story takes place in Manhattan in 2011. Taryn's husband died on 9/11. Taryn was supposed to meet him in the Tower to tell him she was pregnant but she was running behind and she survived while her husband died. Their stories are blended by a beautiful scarf that provides comfort to both of them in their time of need.
Review: I wanted to like this book more. There was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't great. Maybe I feel like it should have been more heavy. There are some heavy topics here but it didn't get too deep. Everything was pulled together in a pretty bow at the end and sometimes I get disappointed by those.
Time to write: 1:38
Book review: Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's post-crash Recruits
Title: Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's post-crash Recruits
Author: Kevin Roose
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Wall Street. It used to be the go-to job of Ivy grads looking to make money and set themselves up for a long boring career that would make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But how has the 2008 crash changed this career path and does it still hold the same appeal to today's generation getting out of college?
Review: I was intrigued by this book and the peek it provided into a world that holds no interest to me yet I'm sort of fascinated by it. What's the point of working 100 hour weeks if you can't enjoy life? I liked that some of these kids didn't buy into the hype. This world will always hold some appeal to some but it's promising to hear that it seems to have lost its luster.
Time to write: 1:56
Author: Kevin Roose
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Wall Street. It used to be the go-to job of Ivy grads looking to make money and set themselves up for a long boring career that would make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But how has the 2008 crash changed this career path and does it still hold the same appeal to today's generation getting out of college?
Review: I was intrigued by this book and the peek it provided into a world that holds no interest to me yet I'm sort of fascinated by it. What's the point of working 100 hour weeks if you can't enjoy life? I liked that some of these kids didn't buy into the hype. This world will always hold some appeal to some but it's promising to hear that it seems to have lost its luster.
Time to write: 1:56
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Book review: The Accident
Title: The Accident
Author: Chris Pavone
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Format: Kindle
Summary: A mysterious yet explosive manuscript has landed on the desk of literary agent Isabel Reed. If she's going to publish it she needs to survive first. Every time another person gets a copy of the manuscript they end up dead.
Review: I have grown to love reading via Kindle but one of the downsides is the inability to quickly go back and re-read segments and this is one of those books that I needed to go back pretty often and try and remember what is happening. Many of the characters were very mysterious and unidentified at times, so it was sometimes difficult (for me) to figure out which character was speaking (the perspective kept shifting amongst different characters). Also, I'm not generally a huge fan of "there's a massive global conspiracy of the top business leaders and government leaders of the world." It's not that I don't think there are conspiracies, I just find it tiresome at times. This is a good suspense novel and I'd recommend it as a beach read (even though summer is over). The door was left open for a sequel, we'll see what happens with that. Despite this seemingly negative (or lukewarm) review, I'd consider reading the sequel.
Time to write: 5:30
Book review: Department of Speculation
Title: Department of Speculation
Author: Jenny Offill
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Just see what it says on Amazon. It is not helpful.
Review: This is one of those books where now that I'm finally getting around to writing the review, I don't have the faintest idea of what it was about. I took a look at Amazon for some clues but that wasn't terribly helpful either. When I finish a book, I generally jot down my rating right away. Since I gave it three stars, I apparently I thought it was alright. Not terrible but not great. Not a terribly informative review but there you go. Did I think it was one of the Top Ten Books of the Year like the NY Times Book Review did? No, but I think we all know that the NYTBR and I generally aren't on the same page anyway.
Time to write: 4:16
Author: Jenny Offill
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Just see what it says on Amazon. It is not helpful.
Review: This is one of those books where now that I'm finally getting around to writing the review, I don't have the faintest idea of what it was about. I took a look at Amazon for some clues but that wasn't terribly helpful either. When I finish a book, I generally jot down my rating right away. Since I gave it three stars, I apparently I thought it was alright. Not terrible but not great. Not a terribly informative review but there you go. Did I think it was one of the Top Ten Books of the Year like the NY Times Book Review did? No, but I think we all know that the NYTBR and I generally aren't on the same page anyway.
Time to write: 4:16
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Book review: Every Fifteen Minutes
Title: Every Fifteen Minutes
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Summary: Dr. Eric Parrish is having a bad month. His relationship with his ex-wife is increasingly estranged and their informal co-parenting arrangement is falling apart. To make matters worse, he was just accused of sexual harassment by a Resident who is mad that Dr. Parrish rebuffed her advances. Oh, and a patient of his may have murdered somebody and because Dr. Parrish won't violate doctor/patient confidentiality, he's considered a suspect as well. Dr. Parrish is having a hard time getting anybody to believe him. Can he clear his name?
Review: Dr. Parrish sure sticks to his guns when it comes to sticking to doctor/patient confidentiality. I would love to know if he was right in not sharing what was discussed in his sessions with his patient Max. I remember when I was listening to this book that I kept thinking, "I think I would sing like a canary." Not that there was any concrete proof that Max did anything, it was all very circumstantial. Of course, I would have also lawyered up quicker than Dr. Parrish did because everybody knows you can't trust detectives to actually listen to you. Poor naive Dr. Parrish. They're there to solve a murder and Dr. Parrish did look kind of guilty himself, although again, for circumstantial reasons. Anyhoo, it all worked out in the end. The twist at the end was kind of fun, but all in all, I think my general dislike of Dr. Parrish led me to give this book three stars over four. I leaned toward four stars, but this was a good book, not a great book.
Time to write: 5:03
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Book review: The Dead Will Tell
Title: The Dead Will Tell
Author: Linda Castillo
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Many years ago a terrible tragedy happened at the Hochstetler farm. The deaths that happened went unsolved for many years. One night years later Police Chief Kate Burkholder is called to an apparent suicide in her small town in Amish country. The suicide turns out to be murder and when more people start dying, Kate has to figure out the link between all of them and go back to that tragedy so many nights ago before somebody else dies.
Review: As you know, I get backlogged on these reviews. When I came upon this one, I couldn't remember what this book was about. At all. I suppose that I could have dropped my rating down to two stars, but it's not that it was bad, it just wasn't memorable. But not all books can be memorable. This is a good beach or vacation read. It was your typical murder mystery story. I liked that the main character was a woman and a Chief of Police at that. She has relationship issues (what Chief of Police doesn't?). Her boyfriend has his own baggage (what boyfriend of a Chief of Police who's also a state agent doesn't?). The story was suspenseful and I didn't quite know where it was going. It certainly painted an interesting image of the Amish.
Time to write: 5:40
Author: Linda Castillo
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Many years ago a terrible tragedy happened at the Hochstetler farm. The deaths that happened went unsolved for many years. One night years later Police Chief Kate Burkholder is called to an apparent suicide in her small town in Amish country. The suicide turns out to be murder and when more people start dying, Kate has to figure out the link between all of them and go back to that tragedy so many nights ago before somebody else dies.
Review: As you know, I get backlogged on these reviews. When I came upon this one, I couldn't remember what this book was about. At all. I suppose that I could have dropped my rating down to two stars, but it's not that it was bad, it just wasn't memorable. But not all books can be memorable. This is a good beach or vacation read. It was your typical murder mystery story. I liked that the main character was a woman and a Chief of Police at that. She has relationship issues (what Chief of Police doesn't?). Her boyfriend has his own baggage (what boyfriend of a Chief of Police who's also a state agent doesn't?). The story was suspenseful and I didn't quite know where it was going. It certainly painted an interesting image of the Amish.
Time to write: 5:40
Monday, July 20, 2015
Book review: Friendship
Title: Friendship
Author: Emily Gould
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Bev and Amy have been best friends for years but as they approach 30, they're approaching a crossroads in their lives. Amy's skated by with her luck, charm and family money. Bev roams from one temp job to another, drowning in student debt. When Bev finds out she's pregnant, their friendship is put to the test.
Review: There's no way I'd ever buy all of these books that I read. I LOVE THE LIBRARY. The downside of the library is I often have to return the book before I actually review it. So I almost always have to look the book up on Amazon to help me in compiling the summary (or characters' names or plot or whatever). When I was looking up this book I noticed it had all sorts of accolades, even from the New York Times(!). And yet I only gave it three stars. Dearest blog readers: if you want NY Times-quality reviews, read the New York Times. The book's fine fine, but I wouldn't say this was the top 10 book I've read this year. Unless you're a 29 YO living in New York, in which case you'll probably like this book more than me.
Time to write: 5:22
Author: Emily Gould
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Bev and Amy have been best friends for years but as they approach 30, they're approaching a crossroads in their lives. Amy's skated by with her luck, charm and family money. Bev roams from one temp job to another, drowning in student debt. When Bev finds out she's pregnant, their friendship is put to the test.
Review: There's no way I'd ever buy all of these books that I read. I LOVE THE LIBRARY. The downside of the library is I often have to return the book before I actually review it. So I almost always have to look the book up on Amazon to help me in compiling the summary (or characters' names or plot or whatever). When I was looking up this book I noticed it had all sorts of accolades, even from the New York Times(!). And yet I only gave it three stars. Dearest blog readers: if you want NY Times-quality reviews, read the New York Times. The book's fine fine, but I wouldn't say this was the top 10 book I've read this year. Unless you're a 29 YO living in New York, in which case you'll probably like this book more than me.
Time to write: 5:22
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Book review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Title: The Last Time We Say Goodbye
Author: Cynthia Hand
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Lex and her family have been a mess since her younger brother Tyler committed suicide. Lex's mom spends a lot of time in bed and/or drinking and Lex has pushed her boyfriend and friends out of her life. Lex is in therapy somewhat against her will and rolls her eyes at her therapist. Lex starts to feel haunted by her brother's ghost, which forces her to face her own guilt and unresolved issues. Heading to college next year, Lex needs to decide if she can leave her mom, who is now truly alone since her parents' divorce.
Review: I am lucky enough that I've never had somebody close to me commit suicide. So I can't imagine the feelings that this would bring up and I hope that I never have to. I read this more through the lens of a parent rather than Lex's point of view. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to deal with losing a child or a sibling to suicide. This was a pretty raw book. I could appreciate Lex's reaction as well as her mom's reaction. Why didn't I give it more stars? Because it wasn't one of those books that I couldn't wait to pick up when I finally found time to read.
Time to write: way too long
Time to write: way too long
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Book review: First Frost
Title: First Frost
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: October is always a strange time of year for the Waverly women. It has to do with their strange apple tree that blooms with the first frost. But this October in particular feels particularly strange. The Waverly women are notorious in their town in North Carolina for possessing special gifts. This October is a particularly difficult one for sisters Sydney and Claire, and Sydney's teenage daughter, Bay, all for different reasons. Will their families survive this year's first frost?
Review: This book was perfectly pleasant. And as I think of the next two reviews that I have to write about books that were much more intense than this, I sort of wish I had this as a palate cleanser between the two. While this book was perfectly pleasant, I wouldn't say it was fantastic, thus the reason for the three stars.
When I finish a book I try to put the shell of the review together and at the very least indicate my initial rating. I'm sticking with the three stars, although I'm tempted to go 3.5 to compromise between the me that first wrote three stars and the present me that's leaning towards four. But I'm going to stick with my three stars. If you're looking for something light, or a palate cleanser, this is a good choice.
Time to write: 4:11
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: October is always a strange time of year for the Waverly women. It has to do with their strange apple tree that blooms with the first frost. But this October in particular feels particularly strange. The Waverly women are notorious in their town in North Carolina for possessing special gifts. This October is a particularly difficult one for sisters Sydney and Claire, and Sydney's teenage daughter, Bay, all for different reasons. Will their families survive this year's first frost?
Review: This book was perfectly pleasant. And as I think of the next two reviews that I have to write about books that were much more intense than this, I sort of wish I had this as a palate cleanser between the two. While this book was perfectly pleasant, I wouldn't say it was fantastic, thus the reason for the three stars.
When I finish a book I try to put the shell of the review together and at the very least indicate my initial rating. I'm sticking with the three stars, although I'm tempted to go 3.5 to compromise between the me that first wrote three stars and the present me that's leaning towards four. But I'm going to stick with my three stars. If you're looking for something light, or a palate cleanser, this is a good choice.
Time to write: 4:11
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Book review: Sisterland
Title: Sisterland
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kate and Violet, twin sisters, have known since they were little that they were different because of their "senses". Kate has ignored her skills and has focused on a suburban life near St. Louis raising her kids with her husband. Violet, the more eccentric of the sisters, has used her skills to make a living. When Violet senses that a major earthquake is coming to St. Louis, the sisters are reunited and Kate is torn between shunning her sister and quietly wondering that Violet may be right.
Review: I read this book a few months ago but I'm behind on my reviews. However, even when I'm behind I start the draft and put my rating in and then come back to it. When I came upon this draft I couldn't remember what the book was about at first. I knew it was about identical twin sisters but I couldn't recall any details beyond that. When I reread the summary online I thought, "huh, only three stars? Because this was considered to be one of the best novels of 2014." However, I am always wary of those raves. What can I say? I'm a skeptic. I thought about upping the rating to four stars but I can't really remember what happens in the end, so clearly it wasn't memorable enough for my terrible memory. I guess this book was good enough? I think I liked it, but the inability to remember why leaves me at three stars.
Time to write:4:11
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kate and Violet, twin sisters, have known since they were little that they were different because of their "senses". Kate has ignored her skills and has focused on a suburban life near St. Louis raising her kids with her husband. Violet, the more eccentric of the sisters, has used her skills to make a living. When Violet senses that a major earthquake is coming to St. Louis, the sisters are reunited and Kate is torn between shunning her sister and quietly wondering that Violet may be right.
Review: I read this book a few months ago but I'm behind on my reviews. However, even when I'm behind I start the draft and put my rating in and then come back to it. When I came upon this draft I couldn't remember what the book was about at first. I knew it was about identical twin sisters but I couldn't recall any details beyond that. When I reread the summary online I thought, "huh, only three stars? Because this was considered to be one of the best novels of 2014." However, I am always wary of those raves. What can I say? I'm a skeptic. I thought about upping the rating to four stars but I can't really remember what happens in the end, so clearly it wasn't memorable enough for my terrible memory. I guess this book was good enough? I think I liked it, but the inability to remember why leaves me at three stars.
Time to write:4:11
Book review: Annihilation
Title: Annihilation
Author: Jeff VanderMeer
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Area X has been unreachable to most for a long time. There have been eleven previous expeditions to Area X and many of them did not end well for one reason or another. This book is about the twelfth expedition, lead by a psychologist. She is accompanied by three other women: a biologist (the narrator), a surveyor and an anthropologist. What secrets are these women hiding? What will these women find?
Review: This book started off really creepy and is the first in a trilogy. Despite the three star rating, I liked this book a lot. However, I had some issues with the story development, which are difficult to share because I don't want to give away too much, so I'll try to be as vague as possible. For one, I was disappointed by the lack of character depth for most of the characters, although you get a lot of the narrator's back story. I like knowing what makes the characters tick. Two, because the story focuses so much on the narrator, some of the creepiness disappeared for me. Yet I'm still intrigued enough to read the next one.
Time to write: 4:38
Author: Jeff VanderMeer
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Area X has been unreachable to most for a long time. There have been eleven previous expeditions to Area X and many of them did not end well for one reason or another. This book is about the twelfth expedition, lead by a psychologist. She is accompanied by three other women: a biologist (the narrator), a surveyor and an anthropologist. What secrets are these women hiding? What will these women find?
Review: This book started off really creepy and is the first in a trilogy. Despite the three star rating, I liked this book a lot. However, I had some issues with the story development, which are difficult to share because I don't want to give away too much, so I'll try to be as vague as possible. For one, I was disappointed by the lack of character depth for most of the characters, although you get a lot of the narrator's back story. I like knowing what makes the characters tick. Two, because the story focuses so much on the narrator, some of the creepiness disappeared for me. Yet I'm still intrigued enough to read the next one.
Time to write: 4:38
Book review: The Paying Guests
Title: The Paying Guests
Author: Sarah Waters
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: After the war, times are tough for Mrs. Gray and her 26-year-old daughter Frances. They take in boarders, Mr. and Mrs. Barber. Frances and the Mrs. start up an affair. The Mr. finds out. Hilarity does not ensue from there.
Review: Call me risk-averse, but no good can come from having an affair with your married boarder. I listened to this book on CD and it was really, really long. Sometimes when I'm listening to a book I wonder if my opinion of the book would have changed if I'd read it instead. I think I might have liked this one better if I'd read it.
There was some good anticipation around whether or not they were going to get away with killing Mr. Barber. But then it really started to drag. The trial could have been shortened. Besides being too long, one other thing that I didn't really like was the ending. Without specifically giving it away, I just didn't buy it. I would have enjoyed hearing more about what happened to the two of them post-trial.
Time to write: N/A
Author: Sarah Waters
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: After the war, times are tough for Mrs. Gray and her 26-year-old daughter Frances. They take in boarders, Mr. and Mrs. Barber. Frances and the Mrs. start up an affair. The Mr. finds out. Hilarity does not ensue from there.
Review: Call me risk-averse, but no good can come from having an affair with your married boarder. I listened to this book on CD and it was really, really long. Sometimes when I'm listening to a book I wonder if my opinion of the book would have changed if I'd read it instead. I think I might have liked this one better if I'd read it.
There was some good anticipation around whether or not they were going to get away with killing Mr. Barber. But then it really started to drag. The trial could have been shortened. Besides being too long, one other thing that I didn't really like was the ending. Without specifically giving it away, I just didn't buy it. I would have enjoyed hearing more about what happened to the two of them post-trial.
Time to write: N/A
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Book review: The Circle
Title: The Circle
Author: Dave Eggers
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Big Brother is good when it's positioned correctly. Really, it's all about the marketing. When is a lack of privacy a good thing? Well, it arguably controls people behavior. Imagine how less corrupt our government would be if every conversation our politicians had was recorded. But is a life with no privacy really a society that we want to be in? Think of all the data that it would create! And of course it's a good thing to share your thoughts on everything with the world. Everybody wants to know everything about everybody else! And people who don't agree, well...they're weird.
Review: I've never read any of Eggers' work (at least that I can recall), but the name is prominent enough that I think he writes well-regarded books. This book tackles our increasing lack of privacy as a result of our current data-driven world. The Circle is thinly disguised Google.
1984 is one of my favorite books of all time. This felt like an update of sorts to 1984 but doesn't quite hit the mark. There is that sense of foreboding, and while I appreciate how those that don't agree with this lifestyle are treated, it goes on for too long.
Time to write review: 5 mins+
Author: Dave Eggers
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Big Brother is good when it's positioned correctly. Really, it's all about the marketing. When is a lack of privacy a good thing? Well, it arguably controls people behavior. Imagine how less corrupt our government would be if every conversation our politicians had was recorded. But is a life with no privacy really a society that we want to be in? Think of all the data that it would create! And of course it's a good thing to share your thoughts on everything with the world. Everybody wants to know everything about everybody else! And people who don't agree, well...they're weird.
1984 is one of my favorite books of all time. This felt like an update of sorts to 1984 but doesn't quite hit the mark. There is that sense of foreboding, and while I appreciate how those that don't agree with this lifestyle are treated, it goes on for too long.
Time to write review: 5 mins+
Friday, March 27, 2015
Book Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands
Title: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Emily Shepard is a homeless teen living in Burlington, VT after her parents died in a catastrophic accident at the nuclear power plant where her parents worked and where they lived in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. To make matters worse, there's speculation that Emily's dad caused the accident that caused the town to be abandoned. Once her parents died and Emily fled her hometown Emily had to focus on surviving. She's surviving, but it's a lonely existence.
Review: I started this review over a month ago and still haven't written the summary. So, this is going to be quick and dirty. This book was sad. Emily's in a tough spot--she's orphaned and knows the accident wasn't her dad's fault but can't prove it. She runs away because she's afraid she'll become a pariah. I can't fault her for that. I liked this book and I liked the ending but it was just too sad.
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Emily Shepard is a homeless teen living in Burlington, VT after her parents died in a catastrophic accident at the nuclear power plant where her parents worked and where they lived in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. To make matters worse, there's speculation that Emily's dad caused the accident that caused the town to be abandoned. Once her parents died and Emily fled her hometown Emily had to focus on surviving. She's surviving, but it's a lonely existence.
Review: I started this review over a month ago and still haven't written the summary. So, this is going to be quick and dirty. This book was sad. Emily's in a tough spot--she's orphaned and knows the accident wasn't her dad's fault but can't prove it. She runs away because she's afraid she'll become a pariah. I can't fault her for that. I liked this book and I liked the ending but it was just too sad.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Book Review: I Was Here
Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: When Cody's best friend Meg kills herself, Cody is left to pick up the pieces and try and find answers. Why would a girl that lit up a room kill herself? Could something more sinister be at play? Or will Cody have to deal with the guilt that her best friend killed herself and Cody really never noticed that anything was wrong?
Review: I don't think I was the target audience for this. Cody's an admirable young woman--her mom isn't very hands on, her dad wasn't around growing up and she grew up quite poor. Despite being very smart, she forgoes school and starts cleaning ouses after high school graduation. Anyway, Cody's world is shattered when her best friend Meg kills herself. Without Meg Cody feels lost, but her death opens Cody's eyes to the distance that was growing between the two of them. I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I was 20 years younger. There's some romance, of course, which is one of the reasons that I took away one of the stars. I wasn't convinced that this was going to be a relationship that was going to last.
Time to write review: 6:30 (what can I say, I was distracted).
Author: Gayle Forman
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: When Cody's best friend Meg kills herself, Cody is left to pick up the pieces and try and find answers. Why would a girl that lit up a room kill herself? Could something more sinister be at play? Or will Cody have to deal with the guilt that her best friend killed herself and Cody really never noticed that anything was wrong?
Review: I don't think I was the target audience for this. Cody's an admirable young woman--her mom isn't very hands on, her dad wasn't around growing up and she grew up quite poor. Despite being very smart, she forgoes school and starts cleaning ouses after high school graduation. Anyway, Cody's world is shattered when her best friend Meg kills herself. Without Meg Cody feels lost, but her death opens Cody's eyes to the distance that was growing between the two of them. I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I was 20 years younger. There's some romance, of course, which is one of the reasons that I took away one of the stars. I wasn't convinced that this was going to be a relationship that was going to last.
Time to write review: 6:30 (what can I say, I was distracted).
Monday, March 2, 2015
Book review: Reunion
Title: Reunion
Author: Hannah Pittard
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: While she's on a plane, Kate gets a call that her father has died. Kate's life is in turmoil. For one, she doesn't even like her dad. Another, her marriage is in shambles for various reasons, primarily because her husband has caught her cheating. Also, she has no money because she's extremely in debt. She heads home to Georgia at the urging of her brother and sister to say goodbye and perhaps deal with some demons.
Review: When I first started this book I thought, "I already read this book except it was called This is Where I Leave You. I wanted to like this book but this book is no This is Where I Leave You. And perhaps it's not a fair comparison, but the whole time I read this book that hung over me. It's not quite as funny nor is it as poignant either. Still, I could see Kristin Wiig starring in the film adaptation. Wait for the movie. Or read This is Where I Leave You. Kate's dad didn't sound like a peach--Kate's mom was his first of several wives. I could see why Kate's so angry with her dad. As an only child I'm often fascinated by books that explore sibling dynamics. This one just didn't do it for me. But...it wasn't awful, thus the 3 stars.
Author: Hannah Pittard
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: While she's on a plane, Kate gets a call that her father has died. Kate's life is in turmoil. For one, she doesn't even like her dad. Another, her marriage is in shambles for various reasons, primarily because her husband has caught her cheating. Also, she has no money because she's extremely in debt. She heads home to Georgia at the urging of her brother and sister to say goodbye and perhaps deal with some demons.
Review: When I first started this book I thought, "I already read this book except it was called This is Where I Leave You. I wanted to like this book but this book is no This is Where I Leave You. And perhaps it's not a fair comparison, but the whole time I read this book that hung over me. It's not quite as funny nor is it as poignant either. Still, I could see Kristin Wiig starring in the film adaptation. Wait for the movie. Or read This is Where I Leave You. Kate's dad didn't sound like a peach--Kate's mom was his first of several wives. I could see why Kate's so angry with her dad. As an only child I'm often fascinated by books that explore sibling dynamics. This one just didn't do it for me. But...it wasn't awful, thus the 3 stars.
Monday, February 16, 2015
The Lullaby of Polish Girls
Title: The Lullaby of Polish Girls
Author: Dagmara
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Anna lives in Brooklyn with her Polish parents who emigrated to the States as political refugees when Anna was a little girl. When Anna heads to Poland for the summer to visit her grandmother, she feels like she's discovered a missing piece of herself. That summer she meets Justyna and Kamila and their friendship begins and evolves as the three of them grow up.
Review: This book was short and quick to read, but it just didn't blow me away (especially not after reading The Boston Girl and Big Little Lies). For one, the summary on Amazon calls these girls best friends. I disagree that these girls are best friends. I agree that Anna and Kamila seem to have a connection, but Justyna in particular isn't part of this friendship. She doesn't even seem to really like Anna and Kamila. Point two, the book gets better, but it has a slow start. Three, I just didn't buy that these girls would stay in touch over the years. I'm not saying that friends who drift apart can't come back together. I just wasn't convinced it was going to happen for these three women.
Author: Dagmara
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Anna lives in Brooklyn with her Polish parents who emigrated to the States as political refugees when Anna was a little girl. When Anna heads to Poland for the summer to visit her grandmother, she feels like she's discovered a missing piece of herself. That summer she meets Justyna and Kamila and their friendship begins and evolves as the three of them grow up.
Review: This book was short and quick to read, but it just didn't blow me away (especially not after reading The Boston Girl and Big Little Lies). For one, the summary on Amazon calls these girls best friends. I disagree that these girls are best friends. I agree that Anna and Kamila seem to have a connection, but Justyna in particular isn't part of this friendship. She doesn't even seem to really like Anna and Kamila. Point two, the book gets better, but it has a slow start. Three, I just didn't buy that these girls would stay in touch over the years. I'm not saying that friends who drift apart can't come back together. I just wasn't convinced it was going to happen for these three women.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Book Review: Catching Air
Title: Catching Air
Author: Sarah Pekkanan
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kira Danner is looking for a new start. Frustrated and unhappy with her law career, she happily quits when Rand, her husband Peter's brother, asks if they want to join them in Vermont to start a B&B with Rand and his wife Alyssa. Peter and Rand aren't very close, so the request is surprising, but this might be what the brothers need to start over. The B&B gets busy fast, so they end up hiring Dawn, a mysterious stranger with secrets.
Review: This book is fluff in a good way, but not a great way. At the risk of giving the ending away, what I liked is I wasn't 100% positive that everything was going to work out in the end. I'm disappointed to say that it did. Bor-ing. It is wrapped up in a pretty little bow and that just isn't very interesting.
Author: Sarah Pekkanan
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kira Danner is looking for a new start. Frustrated and unhappy with her law career, she happily quits when Rand, her husband Peter's brother, asks if they want to join them in Vermont to start a B&B with Rand and his wife Alyssa. Peter and Rand aren't very close, so the request is surprising, but this might be what the brothers need to start over. The B&B gets busy fast, so they end up hiring Dawn, a mysterious stranger with secrets.
Review: This book is fluff in a good way, but not a great way. At the risk of giving the ending away, what I liked is I wasn't 100% positive that everything was going to work out in the end. I'm disappointed to say that it did. Bor-ing. It is wrapped up in a pretty little bow and that just isn't very interesting.
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