Review: Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
My review: 4 stars

I really enjoyed this novel. It was well written and in many ways a very difficult novel to characterize. There are elements of mystery as well as some bits of a thriller type book. Yet, most of all, it's just a really good story with really interesting characters. The novel focuses on identity and it gave me a great deal to think about. This is the kind of book that I finished, sat down and thought WOW - how did he do that so well? I almost wanted to re-read it just to see how he weaved it all ...more I really enjoyed this novel. It was well written and in many ways a very difficult novel to characterize. There are elements of mystery as well as some bits of a thriller type book. Yet, most of all, it's just a really good story with really interesting characters. The novel focuses on identity and it gave me a great deal to think about. This is the kind of book that I finished, sat down and thought WOW - how did he do that so well? I almost wanted to re-read it just to see how he weaved it all together so effortlessly. I'm amazed at the way Chaon was able to pull it together so seamlessly and effectively! Excellent book!

NOTE: This review is short because I make it a policy to never give away significant aspects of the story so in order to do a full review, I'd have to give away stuff that I'm unwilling to do for those of you who have not read the book. It's good enough that I hope you'll just run out and check it out based on my recommendation rather than a true review. It's worth it. I promise!

Review: Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger

Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger
My rating: 4 stars

I really enjoyed this novel. Wow. What a fantastic love story. I love the focus on living simply and the natural aspects of the book. But, the story of the love between these two individuals made it such a beautiful and inspiring story. I love how the author weaves in symbolism into the story - giving the story a layered texture that I really loved. I definitely recommend this book. It's fantastic! I'm not sure that any review that I can write would do this particular novel justice - all I can say is RUN to the store or library to pick it up! You won't be sorry!

Review: Cleopatra's Daugher by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daugher by Michelle Moran
My review: 4 stars


I really enjoyed this book. I knew very little about that time in history or Egypt/Rome. I was sucked into the story almost immediately and loved reading more about that time in history and the people of that time. I really enjoyed the character of Selene - she was a fascinating woman of her time. I really thought Moran did an excellent job with both character development and creating a sense of place with her writing. At times, I felt as if I was there in the middle of everything. I also enjoyed the way Moran made history come alive through her story. It was an excellent example of accessible historical fiction, in my opinion. I really enjoyed this one and plan to seek out more of Michelle Moran's fiction!

Review: The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
My review: 4 stars

I really enjoyed this take on the Romanov family and their demise. Really interesting novel, the writing was good, the mysterious aspects of the plot were very effective. I've always been fascinated by the Romanov family and their last days. I thought that Alexander did an excellent job of giving the reader an insight into that time in history while also telling an excellent story. It was very readable and very interesting! I definitely recommend this one!

Review: Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
My review: 4 stars

Wow! I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up. I'd heard very vague good things but had no sense about the book beyond that. And it was a wild and crazy ride through a book like no other I've read in a longggg time! I really enjoyed every moment of the the book.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator. He made the characters come alive for me and I loved the sound effects throughout the audio presentation. It added that something special, in ...more Wow! I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up. I'd heard very vague good things but had no sense about the book beyond that. And it was a wild and crazy ride through a book like no other I've read in a longggg time! I really enjoyed every moment of the the book.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator. He made the characters come alive for me and I loved the sound effects throughout the audio presentation. It added that something special, in my opinion.

First and foremost, if really bad language, sexual situations or violence bother you, you should definitely avoid this book. It's dark, chaotic and has more 'bad' language than 'good.' But, the voice of the main character is AMAZING! I was swept away with this cocky, entertaining, witty and occasionally obnoxious character. I couldn't wait to see what he was going to say or do next. He was extremely compelling.

The story itself was interesting to me and I really liked how Josh Bazell told the story (in terms of structure). Basically (and I'm not giving anything away because this is all on the book jacket), a doctor is trying to keep a patient (who is a mobster) from telling anyone where he is because he's in witness protection after turning on the mob when he was a mob hitman. As he tells this story, he's dealing with a constant barrage of medical issues/problems. In the middle of all of that, Bazell also inserts flashbacks to how this doctor came to be in witness protection. I still can't quite believe how effectively Bazell pulled it all together in a way that came off (to me) as effortless.

Until the end. The ending is why I am only giving the book 4 stars and not 5. It felt to me as if the book ended fairly jarringly. One minute we're running full speed ahead and then BAM it's over. It felt like the momentum that kept the entire book flowing until the very end just fell out and it was wrapped up entirely too quickly which wasn't in any way like the rest of the book was written. I wish that Bazell had spent a bit more time on the ending so that it flowed more effectively.

However, in the end, this is a wonderful book. One that I truly enjoyed reading. It isn't an easy one to explain - you kind of have to experience it. It's kind of like taking the Soprano's and throwing in some ER. Crazy but wonderful! If you can handle the language and gritty content, I definitely recommend you give this one a chance!

Review: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
My review: 4 stars

I find Philippa Gregory's novels to be a nice escape from reality and a way to learn a bit about history (although I know that not all that she writes is TRUE, per se). At least it gives me a flavor for the history.

I read this one via audiobook. The narrator was very good and I liked her narration of the story. This book was very interesting because it focuses on a time in English history that I didn't have a lot of context for beyond the whole "War of the Roses" name. I d...more I find Philippa Gregory's novels to be a nice escape from reality and a way to learn a bit about history (although I know that not all that she writes is TRUE, per se). At least it gives me a flavor for the history.

I read this one via audiobook. The narrator was very good and I liked her narration of the story. This book was very interesting because it focuses on a time in English history that I didn't have a lot of context for beyond the whole "War of the Roses" name. I didn't really know the players or the true history behind the name until I read this book. I found it fascinating to read about Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV who I knew so little about before this book. If nothing else, the book did get me to go do some reading up on the War of the Roses as well as the "Princes in the Tower" mystery. Very interesting and cut throat time in history!

I enjoyed this book a great deal but have to say that it is not Gregory's best. I liked the book overall - found the story compelling, the writing was fine, the characters engaging. What bothered me more than anything was the repetition. Sometimes I felt like screaming - OK, I GET IT!!!!! Move it along, please. This didn't happen often but when it did, it was frustrating! The other thing that I found difficult with the novel was the use of magic and the use of the goddess within the plot. Although I certainly buy that the characters may have believed in/practiced magic, it frustrated me that Gregory used it as something very real in the plot of the novel. It was really used as a tactic for plot development and she made the magic a true force of change in the book. Which gave the book less 'realness' than it would have had otherwise. It gave it a bit more of a mystical touch than I would have liked to have seen. I will note that she herself has an author's note at the end of the novel that basically states that there is more fiction in this novel than fact given the time period and the lack of information available for the time period. She discusses the liberties she took with the historical record. I appreciated the note but would, ultimately, have liked to have seen less mysticism in order to feel that the novel was more 'grounded' than it appeared.

That said, the story was engaging overall and Gregory did an excellent job of highlighting the brutality and treachery that was such a huge part of royal life during this time period. I enjoyed learning more about this time in history and look forward to reading more of this particular series (I believe this is the first book in a series). I definitely recommend this one if you like historical fiction or if you have an interest in this time in history!

Review: Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 4 stars


I'm a big fan of Chris Bohjalian. I've enjoyed almost every one of his books that I've read. And this one was no exception.

I had no expectations when I opened the book, in fact, I didn't even know what it was about. I just knew that it was a new Bohjalian book and I'd heard good things overall. Ultimately, the book was about World War 2 and the war's impact on a variety of people. I really enjoyed the story - I felt it was well-rounded and interesting. The characters were well done -...more I'm a big fan of Chris Bohjalian. I've enjoyed almost every one of his books that I've read. And this one was no exception.

I had no expectations when I opened the book, in fact, I didn't even know what it was about. I just knew that it was a new Bohjalian book and I'd heard good things overall. Ultimately, the book was about World War 2 and the war's impact on a variety of people. I really enjoyed the story - I felt it was well-rounded and interesting. The characters were well done - drawn out throughout the story and each had compelling stories. I also enjoyed how well Bohjalian weaved in history and the personal stories of the characters. It gave the history a great deal of context and made it come alive for me. Bohjalian is a good writer and I enjoy his writing style and that held with this novel.

It is a fairly dark book, given its subject matter. He describes the brutality of war in extremely keen detail. There are no horrid details spared, in many cases. I think this gave the novel texture but I can see how some might be put off by it.

My only complaint about the book is that it had SO many things going on all at once - a romance, a war story, a coming of age story, a Jewish resistance story, etc. Lots going on in this book. So, at times it felt like it was a bit too much at once. Ultimately, I enjoyed the reading of the book and would recommend it. I think it could have been an excellent novel if it had a bit more focus. In the end, it's a good, solid novel with a few flaws.

Reviews - A Compilation

I've been a bit lax about updating the blog because we've had so much going on here. So, here are a few of the books I've read recently and what I thought about them ...

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

My rating: 3 stars

I liked this book but I didn't love it. I suspect my lack of love for it had something to do with the subject matter - grief. This book explores how a family is impacted when a family member passes away unexpectedly. The entire book was sad and I felt almost like I'd gone through the grief process myself by the time I finished the book. In that regard, I believe Prose was able to bring the grief of this family and this girl alive to the point that I almost took it on myself. And felt exhausted after reading it.

Francine Prose has written a beautiful book. Her writing is just fantastic and kept the book afloat for me. I was disappointed in the extremely slow plot development. Unfortunately, the plot development (or lack thereof) kept me from loving this book. It was slow. Sometimes painfully slow. It was only the beautiful writing that kept me reading, quite frankly. I think its entirely possible that the lack of plot development was a technique that Prose used specifically to demonstrate the flow of grief. Which I can 'get' intellectually but it wasn't effective in the overall flow of the book, for me.

The story is a bit sad with occasional moments of dry humor which were nice little reprieves from the overall sadness of the novel. I liked that the story was told from the perspective of Nico who was a fascinating character. The book focuses on Nico - her perspective, her growth, her questions and her fears. It's not a light read. It's heavy and makes you think. Nico was a captivating character for me. I really felt her pain and the impact of that pain at her age - a time when she was really trying to figure out who she was and what she wants.

The entire Aaron situation was indeed creepy and sad - but I think it was critical for Nico's development and her journey through the grief she was struggling with throughout the book. I didn't find it nearly as disturbing as I think was intended. I just felt he was sad and pathetic. And, in the end, I viewed him more as a plot device than a real character with that something that makes a character ultimately stand out to me.

Overall, I'm glad I read this book but it had a number of flaws that ultimately took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. It is an excellent exploration of grief but the plot development issues kept me from loving it in the way I'd hoped.

A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 stars


I am really enjoying this cozy mystery series by Charlaine Harris. Although not wow'd by it yet, I did enjoy the first and now the second book in the series. I look forward to reading more in the future. It was a nice, light read in the midst of a number of heavier books. It was the perfect in between book! I think the series has promise but its not quite living up to its potential yet. I'm eager to keep reading to see if Harris is able to find a fun rhythm with this one! 

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
My rating: 2 stars

I should start by saying that I am not typically a fan of magical realism. It's just not my thing. And, that is primarily why I'm rating this book as I am. I was distracted by the magical realism - I didn't enjoy those portions of the book and found them to be 'too much' for me. I found the story overall to be a bit too much for me, quite frankly. Overly dramatic ... and just ehhh. I'm not a fan of this one but I can understand why some might like it. If magical realism is up your alley, this wo...more I should start by saying that I am not typically a fan of magical realism. It's just not my thing. And, that is primarily why I'm rating this book as I am. I was distracted by the magical realism - I didn't enjoy those portions of the book and found them to be 'too much' for me. I found the story overall to be a bit too much for me, quite frankly. Overly dramatic ... and just ehhh. I'm not a fan of this one but I can understand why some might like it. If magical realism is up your alley, this would probably be of interest to you.

I found the characters to be annoying, difficult to enjoy and excruciating to watch at times (for me). I didn't like the writing overall either. I felt it was oversimplified and didn't seem to flow well for me. I kept waiting for something, anything, to pull me in and engage me. Unfortunately, that never came.

At first, I loved the food but eventually even that became 'too much' for me. It almost felt like it became an unnecessary interruption for me. In the end, I was very disappointed in the book and wish that I liked it as much as others have. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one.

  
Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble
My rating: 3 stars

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't amazing or anything but it was a nice solid read. Very chick-lit oriented. It was a nice, fairly quick read. The story was interesting, the characters were fine. As always, with this type of book, it was all tied up in a nice bow. Nice chick-lit story but if you want something with some depth, this isn't the book to choose. If you want a nice, quick, easy read, this is the book for you! 

The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
My rating: 3 stars


I really struggled with rating this one - it was really more of a 3 1/2 star book to me but not quite a 4. But, don't let that keep you from checking it out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I liked the way that the author interweaves history with the stories of these women. I enjoyed the idea of their writing group and how it grew into lifetime friendships. I've had a lot of individual friends who I felt like this with but rarely have I had a group of friends like described in this book. So, it was an interesting view into that type of friendship for me.

The reason that I ultimately rated it a bit lower is that something about the characters was less 'real' than I usually like. At times, they felt very real to me but most of the time they felt very two dimensional to me. I didn't truly care for them yet I didn't dislike them. They were likable but didn't jump off the page for me. The stories and the themes should have had me laughing and crying but I wasn't. I kept reading, interested in where it was going, but I didn't actually FEEL anything. Which was surprising and fairly disappointing. Maybe it was something about Meg Waite Clayton's writing style that just didn't quite work for me. I'm really not sure. It had all the ingredients that I love but it just didn't come together for me.

On the positive side, I love the weaving in of history with the individual stories. It gave each story more texture and I really enjoyed seeing history through the character's eyes.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but I didn't love it. It had potential but it ultimately missed the mark for me.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 3 stars


I've been wanting to read this book for some time, it's been in my to be read list almost since it was first published. And, ultimately, I'm glad that I read it but I'm not sure that it lives up to the hype I've heard about the book.

I'm not going to give much of a review because I think, for those who have not read the book, reading too much about the details can take away from the reading of the book. This is one of those books.

I found the book very easy to read - the writing was good, very simple and conversational. The themes were compelling but the execution was less definitive than I would have liked. I guess I wanted a bit more exploration of the events/issues behind the themes and, for the most part, Ishiguro left a lot open to reader interpretation. This tactic isn't necessarily bad but I ultimately wished more had been delved into and less left up to me. I felt that this lack of exploration took away from the 'experience' of the novel and made it less impactful than it could have been.

Although I'm glad that I read this one, I was surprised at how little it did for me. I felt a bit frustrated at the end - there was so much potential there and it never seemed to go anywhere.

Candy Girl by Diablo Cody
My rating: 2 stars


I really wanted to like this book. I'm a fairly big Diablo Cody fan - I think she's refreshing and interesting. I loved Juno. I think it was a fantastic movie! And the premise of this memoir was interesting - a year in the life of a stripper. But, it just failed to be interesting to me. I wasn't shocked by the content of the book but I just didn't find it to be particularly engaging. Yes, the content is, as you'd expect, highly sexual. But, that didn't bother me. I just found it to be self-indulgent and I'm still not quite sure why she titled her book what she did ... what is unlikely about what she describes as her journey into and out of stripping? I'm not sure about that and I kept wondering as I read why I was bothering. That's never a good feeling. I do like Cody's 'voice' - she's clever and refreshing in her tone and her style. But, the content, left a lot to be desired for me. I'm glad I gave it a try but I cannot recommend it.