Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

 









A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This novel is a mixed bag for me ... in some ways it was more of a 2 but in others it was more of a 4. So, I split the difference and am giving it a 3!


All in all, I found this to be a very readable novel. I was never bored. I never struggled with any aspect of reading it. I found the creative use of format throughout the novel to be interesting and kept me reading, curious to see what might come my way next. I really enjoyed the unorthodox-ness of the entire book - the format, the characters, the movement of the narrative, and even the prose itself! All of that deserves a strong 4!

Now for what I didn't find quite so interesting ... I found the unusual format of narrative to be confusing and sometimes difficult to follow. I worked it out but it wasn't always easy! And sometimes I felt that the work to keep it straight wasn't ultimately worth it. The characters were not compelling to me. It was difficult for me to care much about quite a few of them. I don't usually mind unlikeable characters but given the difficulty following the narrative, the character payoff just wasn't great for me.


All in all, an interesting read! I'm glad I read it but I'm not sure that I agree with all the raves that I'm seeing in reviews. I found that it was interesting enough to keep me reading but it fell flat in the end. It just wasn't as successful as it could have been.


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Review: The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and the Giants of the Ocean

 









The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Yet another non-fiction surprise! I've been on a non-fiction roll! I really enjoyed this book all about waves and the ocean. When I heard Ann Kingman raving about this one on the Books on the Nightstand podcast, I couldn't resist giving it a read despite my complete and utter lack of interest in the ocean, surfing or waves. She made it sound fantastic! And she was right! It really was a great read overall.


I truly enjoyed the surfing components of the book. The other more commercial and scientific aspects were much less interesting. But, combined together, they offer a really interesting look at the ocean and its mysteries.


Given how much we DO know scientifically, this book really captures the fact that we know very little about the ocean. And it reminded me just how small we humans are in the big picture.


I really enjoyed this journey into all things ocean. I found Casey's writing compelling and interesting. I learned so much about surfing that I didn't know. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys a great non-fiction read!


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Review: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

 










Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've had this on my TBR for ages but never got to it but I'm so glad that I finally did! First - I should note that I have absolutely NO INTEREST in horses or horse racing. In fact, I would say that the idea of a book about horses and horse racing makes me want to roll my eyes out of boredom. And then came along Laura Hillenbrand!!!


It is her writing that really makes this book special - That makes it about more than a horse or a race or a sport. She makes the people and places come alive on each page. She made me CARE about what I was certain that I would never care about! She kept me turning the page late into the night when I really should have gone to sleep.


I definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys good, solid writing and wants to be swept away by a fantastic story!


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Review: The Invisible Bridge: A Novel by Julie Orringer

 









The Invisible Bridge: A Novel by Julie Orringer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was a bit worried about this book despite the rave reviews I'd read from a few other bookish friends ... the size of the book was intimidating and I'm not sure I was up for another Holocaust book. But, wow, was I surprised! This book was nothing like I'd imagined. It was a wonderful read that I didn't want to put down for a moment. The novel was the perfect combo of great writing, storytelling and historical information! The book is a commitment due to its size but I felt the time was well spent!


I cannot believe that this is Julie Orringer's first novel. She is quite a talented writer and I cannot wait to see what she has for us as she grows as a writer. She has a way with words ... she kept a very long novel compelling to me in part because I wanted to keep reading her prose. Her writing is simply fantastic! Her ability to spin a tale is excellent. Orringer's ability to balance the optimism of the book with the inherent despair and darkness surrounding the characters without resorting to melodrama really makes this novel something special. It has all the elements of a good melodrama but none of the overdone emotion.


The novel is romantic, epic, painful, dark, difficult while also being informative. The characters were one of the things that made this novel just 'sing.' The dimension that each character (major and minor) have just jumps off the page! Yes, it is a Holocaust novel but it is also so much more. And, I would venture to say that its a Holocaust novel that is not like most other Holocaust novels that I've read. There is something special about this one! I had never fully understood Hungary's role in World War II so the historical aspects of the novel were quite new and interesting to me.


Although I certainly loved the book, there were flaws ... the book was not perfect. I think it could have been edited a bit and some of the novel could have been condensed without taking away from the overall novel. Although I didn't find the relationship in the novel to be sappy, I can see why some have described it that way. Sometimes the language did venture into the excessive - but I was not bothered by that because I really loved her writing overall. I enjoyed the level of detail. However, I can see why someone might be put off by that aspect of the novel, particularly given its size.


And so ... in the end, I recommend this book with a note that it is a commitment to read this book. It's not a quick, easy read. But, if you put in the effort, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!


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Mini Reviews ...

I thought I would do another set of mini reviews on some of the books that I read during my hiatus (I think I'm beginning to come out of that now lolol) ...

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

My rating: 3 and a half stars!

I am actually quite a fan of Emily Giffin's books. Although not great literary fiction, they are nice, escapist books that seem to always entertain me! This particular novel is not one of my all time favorites of her novels but I did enjoy it. I found it to be fairly predictable and it just wasn't as solid as her previous novels. However, I did enjoy it. It kept me interested throughout. I thought the story was nice, nothing earth shattering but a good solid story. There were a number of flaws i ...more I am actually quite a fan of Emily Giffin's books. Although not great literary fiction, they are nice, escapist books that seem to always entertain me! This particular novel is not one of my all time favorites of her novels but I did enjoy it. I found it to be fairly predictable and it just wasn't as solid as her previous novels. However, I did enjoy it. It kept me interested throughout. I thought the story was nice, nothing earth shattering but a good solid story. There were a number of flaws in the plot but nothing that made the book terrible. I didn't find the characters in this novel nearly as compelling as some of her previous work which may account for the fact that I didn't love this one as much as I'd hoped. I really struggled with rating this one and decided on 4 although its really more like 3 and a half. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 3 stars!


I didn't write a big review on this one ... mostly because I found it so disappointing especially since the first 2 in the trilogy were so fantastic. This one was just EHHH for me. Very sad, in my opinion.

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner


My rating: 4 stars!


Nice, solid beach read type of book. Interesting story that kept me reading. Definitely liked this one better than Weiner's last novel which I was a bit disappointed in. All in all, a good, worthwhile novel. Light, entertaining but not particularly complex. 

Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross

My rating: 2 stars!

I liked the idea of this novel much more than the reality of it. It had such promise but it just failed to engage me. Adam Ross is a good writer ... the story had a great deal of potential. The twist was really interesting but didn't have enough impact to save the novel as a whole for me.

  
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

My rating: 5 stars!

Very haunting novel with a big twist SO I'm not telling you much about it but its a fantastic read - compelling characters, a storyline that is realistic and frightening. Brilliant novel!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner


My rating: 3 stars!


I was SO hoping for this one to be a 4 or 5 star read for me. Especially since the first in the series was a 3 star. Most of my issues with the first novel were NOT resolved in the second one. And the story itself (the Scorch Trials) was not quite as compelling as the one in the Maze Runner. That was disappointing. I will say that James Dashner does do a good job of making the reader want to keep reading, even with the material itself isn't particularly compelling. I still want to know what happens so I'll read the next one. But, I was a bit frustrated at the lack of growth between the first book and this one. It just didn't meet my expectations. I felt a bit let down. This book had potential and it just didn't make it ...

 
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford


My rating: 4 stars!


This is a really solid book. I've been hearing good things for a long time and it was definitely worth the wait! 

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

My rating:  4 stars!

Really fantastic book that I definitely recommend! This is a very accessible but very smart mystery with a strong sense of place. The characters are complex and captivating! Really great read ... very satisfying and compelling! I'm a big fan of southern fiction and this one is a standout of its genre! Although the mystery aspect of the novel is expertly done, it is the characterizations of the two primary characters that really make this book stand out for me. I was expecting something a bit more 'dumbed down' for some reason and WOW was I surprised - this is smart mystery writing in all the best ways! Don't miss out on this one!  

The Tiger by John Vailiant

My rating: 4 stars!

Had someone told me that I'd read a book about tigers and LOVE it, I would have thought that they were batty! However, this was a wonderful book - very engaging, well written, and interesting! I definitely recommend this even if you have no interest in tigers or animals. I was constantly surprised, based on the material, how John Vaillant kept me turning the pages so rapidly. I feel like I learned a lot while reading this book but I never felt as if I was learning! Great non-fiction book that even those who typically don't enjoy non-fiction (ME!!) will devour!



Thanks so much for sticking it out with me during my hiatus ... I feel like I'm getting back on a reading roll so look for more reviews and other bookish things to come! I love to hear what you think about the books that I'm reviewing so definitely post your thoughts in the comments!!