Title: A Circle of Wives
Author: Alice LaPlante
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Dr. John Taylor, a successful plastic surgeon, is discovered dead in a hotel room. The autopsy reveals his death wasn't accidental. His funeral brings together his three wives. Not his two exes and a current wife--his three current wives. It turns out that he was a bigamist. Stranger still, his first wife knew about and encouraged the two additional marriages. Needless to say, several people have motives for why they'd be angry enough to kill Dr. Taylor.
Rating: This book was intended to be sort of a palate cleanser for me. It seems like my last few reads have been on the intense and/or serious side, and I wanted a break from that. This was seemingly a good choice for that, but it was like I was expecting a mango sorbet but got lemon sorbet instead. It's fine, it's just not what I really, really wanted. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters. I had a hard time keeping the wives straight, too. Also, the detective was the usual cliche--are detectives ever happy people? I'd like to see a book about a happy go lucky detective with a happy home life. Is that too much to ask?
Friday, October 17, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Book review: We are all completely fine
Book review: We Are All Completely Fine
Author: Daryl Gregory
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Summary: Harrison, Stan, Barbara, Greta and Martin are all damaged in their own way and are brought together for some group therapy. Monsters are involved.
Review: This book was recommended to me by my husband, Aaron. Aaron's and my taste in books don't always intersect but Aaron thought I'd like it. I read the description and it seemed promising, and the book was more of a novella than a novel, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. What I missed in the description was the reference to monsters was literal. I thought the monsters were symbolic.
I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi, vampires, alternate worlds, that sort of thing. Interestingly enough, I seem to be okay with ghosts, because I'm reading a book about ghosts and magic and so far so good on that one. But I digress--that review will be written later. Anyway, I gave this two stars because I was turned off by the real monsters. A bond did develop with the group and that was right up my alley and there was certainly growth among the characters, but I just couldn't get past the monsters. However, if you like monsters, you might want to check it out.
Author: Daryl Gregory
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Summary: Harrison, Stan, Barbara, Greta and Martin are all damaged in their own way and are brought together for some group therapy. Monsters are involved.
Review: This book was recommended to me by my husband, Aaron. Aaron's and my taste in books don't always intersect but Aaron thought I'd like it. I read the description and it seemed promising, and the book was more of a novella than a novel, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. What I missed in the description was the reference to monsters was literal. I thought the monsters were symbolic.
I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi, vampires, alternate worlds, that sort of thing. Interestingly enough, I seem to be okay with ghosts, because I'm reading a book about ghosts and magic and so far so good on that one. But I digress--that review will be written later. Anyway, I gave this two stars because I was turned off by the real monsters. A bond did develop with the group and that was right up my alley and there was certainly growth among the characters, but I just couldn't get past the monsters. However, if you like monsters, you might want to check it out.
Book review: The Book of Jonah
Title: The Book of Jonah
Author: Joshua Max Feldman
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Jonah's a lawyer at a Manhattan white shoe firm on the partner track. He has a girlfriend that he's pretty sure he's going to end up marrying one day. In the meantime he's also still seeing another girl on the side. He's on top of the world. Then Jonah goes to a party one night and has a disturbing vision. These visions continue and end up turning his life as he knew it upside down. He crosses paths with Judith Bulbrook, an intense woman with struggles of her own
Review: I loved the first part of this book and the end. The main reason I didn't give it five stars is there was a small part of the middle that seemed a little vague and meandering. Perhaps that was the point but it didn't really resonate with me. This book was different from anything I've read in a long time. Jonah's self-destruction is fascinating and Judith is an interesting character in her own right as well. Judith is set to conquer the world when tragedy changes her world forever. I love living vicariously through characters whose life takes a path that I didn't get a chance to explore.
Author: Joshua Max Feldman
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Jonah's a lawyer at a Manhattan white shoe firm on the partner track. He has a girlfriend that he's pretty sure he's going to end up marrying one day. In the meantime he's also still seeing another girl on the side. He's on top of the world. Then Jonah goes to a party one night and has a disturbing vision. These visions continue and end up turning his life as he knew it upside down. He crosses paths with Judith Bulbrook, an intense woman with struggles of her own
Review: I loved the first part of this book and the end. The main reason I didn't give it five stars is there was a small part of the middle that seemed a little vague and meandering. Perhaps that was the point but it didn't really resonate with me. This book was different from anything I've read in a long time. Jonah's self-destruction is fascinating and Judith is an interesting character in her own right as well. Judith is set to conquer the world when tragedy changes her world forever. I love living vicariously through characters whose life takes a path that I didn't get a chance to explore.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Book review: Clever Girl (DNF)
Title: Clever Girl
Author: Tessa Hadley
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Summary: This story follows Stella's life from her childhood with her mom into...adulthood? I'm not sure how far the book goes into Stella's life. I gave up on the book about a third of the way in.
Review: This book wasn't unreadable, it just wasn't very interesting. Thus the Did Not Finish (DNF) status. I read about a hundred pages and just...lost interest. It could be my mood. Maybe I'll revisit it one day...
Author: Tessa Hadley
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Summary: This story follows Stella's life from her childhood with her mom into...adulthood? I'm not sure how far the book goes into Stella's life. I gave up on the book about a third of the way in.
Review: This book wasn't unreadable, it just wasn't very interesting. Thus the Did Not Finish (DNF) status. I read about a hundred pages and just...lost interest. It could be my mood. Maybe I'll revisit it one day...
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Book review: The Headmaster's Wife
Title: The Headmaster's Wife
Author: Thomas Christopher Greene
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Arthur Winthrop is the headmaster at the prestigious Lancaster School in Vermont. His dad and grandfather were also headmasters at Lancaster. This book opens with Arthur being arrested for wandering naked in Central Park. The story unfolds to review the events that led Arthur to his arrest.
Review: This book was good but as more time passes between my finishing it and writing this review, it isn't really staying with me. Thus the reason for three vs. four stars. It starts off with Arthur having an affair with a student. This first part of the book is probably the best part as one realizes that what's happening might not be all that appears, which further adds to the intrigue. The book progresses to provide more insight and provides a point of view from his wife. It's a fast read and it was good, but it wasn't one of those books that I looked forward to reading at the end of the night. Nor was it a book that I would stay up late to keep reading.
Author: Thomas Christopher Greene
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Arthur Winthrop is the headmaster at the prestigious Lancaster School in Vermont. His dad and grandfather were also headmasters at Lancaster. This book opens with Arthur being arrested for wandering naked in Central Park. The story unfolds to review the events that led Arthur to his arrest.
Review: This book was good but as more time passes between my finishing it and writing this review, it isn't really staying with me. Thus the reason for three vs. four stars. It starts off with Arthur having an affair with a student. This first part of the book is probably the best part as one realizes that what's happening might not be all that appears, which further adds to the intrigue. The book progresses to provide more insight and provides a point of view from his wife. It's a fast read and it was good, but it wasn't one of those books that I looked forward to reading at the end of the night. Nor was it a book that I would stay up late to keep reading.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Book review: This is Where I Leave You
Title: This is Where I Leave You
Author: Jonathan Tropper
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary: Judd's father just died. He also recently found his wife cheating on him with his boss. Judd's not having a great time with life right now. When he gets back home for his dad's funeral, his mom tells Judd and his three siblings (Wendy, Paul, and Phillip) that their (previously unreligious) dad's dying wish was for them to sit Shiva. Judd can't remember the last time the entire family was together for an entire week. Some hilarity ensues.
Review: This book has been made into a movie and stars Jason Bateman, Tina Fey and Jane Fonda, just to name a few. I read this book just after having surgery and it was a terrible book to read because I was laughing so hard and it really, really hurt to laugh. There are a lot of sad aspects to the book (each kid is dealing with his or her own issues), but it feels real and that's what makes it good. Plus I love books about family drama. This book made me want to check out Tropper's other work.
Author: Jonathan Tropper
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary: Judd's father just died. He also recently found his wife cheating on him with his boss. Judd's not having a great time with life right now. When he gets back home for his dad's funeral, his mom tells Judd and his three siblings (Wendy, Paul, and Phillip) that their (previously unreligious) dad's dying wish was for them to sit Shiva. Judd can't remember the last time the entire family was together for an entire week. Some hilarity ensues.
Review: This book has been made into a movie and stars Jason Bateman, Tina Fey and Jane Fonda, just to name a few. I read this book just after having surgery and it was a terrible book to read because I was laughing so hard and it really, really hurt to laugh. There are a lot of sad aspects to the book (each kid is dealing with his or her own issues), but it feels real and that's what makes it good. Plus I love books about family drama. This book made me want to check out Tropper's other work.
Book review: The Race Underground
Title: The Race Underground
Author: Doug Most
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary:This book details the development of the Boston and New York Subway systems.
Review: This is a non-fiction book. I don't read many non-fiction books these days. In my mind these require more brain power. Perhaps this is true, perhaps it isn't. In this case, there were so many different characters involved, it was hard to keep track of at times. Anyway, this was a really interesting book. There were times I almost gave up--after the Boston subway was completed and New York still hadn't started their own I couldn't help but think, "so where is this going?". But in many ways the development of the New York subway was even more interesting than the Boston part. I think anybody that lives in either Boston or New York will enjoy reading about what the cities looked like back at the turn of the century.
Author: Doug Most
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary:This book details the development of the Boston and New York Subway systems.
Review: This is a non-fiction book. I don't read many non-fiction books these days. In my mind these require more brain power. Perhaps this is true, perhaps it isn't. In this case, there were so many different characters involved, it was hard to keep track of at times. Anyway, this was a really interesting book. There were times I almost gave up--after the Boston subway was completed and New York still hadn't started their own I couldn't help but think, "so where is this going?". But in many ways the development of the New York subway was even more interesting than the Boston part. I think anybody that lives in either Boston or New York will enjoy reading about what the cities looked like back at the turn of the century.
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