Reading Musings

Reading These Days

I just wanted to mention that there may not be a ton of reviews coming for the rest of 2014 as I'm pretty much on a Michael Connelly kick and I rarely do thorough reviews of those here on the blog ... I've already read (in the last week or two) - Trunk Music, The Poet, Blood Work and I'm currently reading Angel's Flight. And I'm obsessed. It's all I want to read so I'm going with it. If you haven't read Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, I can't recommend it more highly. It's fantastic and Harry is an amazing character. I love that Connelly has such an immense back list so I can tear through them!

Advanced Reader Copies Coming Up

I have a few ARC readings/reviews coming up soon (probably in early 2015). One is the new novel by Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale, which looks really good. Another is The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward which also looks fantastic and right up my alley. Two more on my list are Rage Against The Dying by Becky Masterman and The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer. You're likely to see reviews for those books coming soon ...

My Best of 2014

I wanted to share with you the books that I loved most in 2014 but please note that I'm not including those 2015 books that I read as ARCs in this list although at least a few of those were some of my favorites of the year. Anything BEFORE 2015 is fair game for this list. This year was difficult to categorize for me. There was no ONE book that blew all others away as often is the case. This year I had a great reading year but no one book came out as a favorite per se. 

Here are the books that I'd characterize as my favorites of 2014 - 

The Secret Place by Tana French

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxanne Gay

The Poet by Michael Connelly

Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Revival by Stephen King

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

All fantastic books that I highly recommend. I'm linking to the reviews here on the blog, as I can,  in case you missed any of them!

2015 Books You Should Add to Your TBR List

There are two 2015 books that I have read that I would feel remiss if I didn't call out so you can be sure to get your hands on them ASAP in the New Year -

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Above Us Only Sky by Michelle Young-Stone

These are two of the books that I would say were of my favorites read in 2014. And I highly, highly recommend them both! They are fantastic!

Okay - that's it for now. I probably will have limited reviews for the rest of 2014 but I'm sure I'll be back with lots to share in 2015!

Review: First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will say up front that I may be biased in my feelings for this bookas I love Sarah Addision Allen's work and the Waverley's in particular are one of my favorite literary families (the family featured in this novel as well as her previous novel Garden Spells). I could not WAIT to get my hands on this novel as it is a follow up to Garden Spells and allowed me to visit with the Waverley's again. And I really enjoyed this novel - although not quite as good as Garden Spells, it's very close! Since I was a bit disappointed in her last novel, I was really frightened that this one wouldn't work for me. But, I am pleased to say that I loved it and highly recommend it!

In a way, this novel felt a bit like coming home and revisiting close friends. This was a very enjoyable and quick read. I didn't want to put it down because I couldn't wait to see what was to come for the characters! It had just the right amount of magical realism to balance the light family drama. If you enjoyed Garden Spells, then you will definitely enjoy this one. If you haven't read Sarah Addison Allen before, I highly recommend that you start with Garden Spells and follow up with this one. And I also recommend The Sugar Queen which is one of my all time favorite of her novels!

NOTE: This novel will be published on January 20, 2015 so mark your calendars so you don't miss it! The publisher provided me with a digital galley of this novel for an honest review!

Review: The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a novel that covers a lot of bases - legal thriller, mystery, family drama and more! I found it compelling and well written. Although the overall plot felt a bit familiar to me, I found that what Eskens did with it was interesting and a bit outside of the box. Given that this is a debut novel, I can't wait to see what Eskens has in store for us.

The characters were well drawn and interesting, the writing was great, the plot was strong and the pacing was fantastic. Giving just enough to keep the reader engaged while holding back enough to keep you reading is a skill that Allen Eskens employed well in this novel. Although in many ways this novel is more a mystery thriller than anything, I also think it read very much like literary fiction. I was engaged from start to finish.

I definitely recommend this one - it's a great story with lots of interesting twists and turns! Very worth the read!

Review: Revival by Stephen King

Revival by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing better than a new Stephen King novel - you know you'll be getting something amazing, page-turning, and compelling! And this novel is no exception!

I enjoyed every moment of Revival - it had everything I look for in a good book! The story was strong, the characters compelling and fully realized, the pacing was great and the themes were thoughtful. The book is totally engrossing and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout!

In the end, this novel is what I'd describe as unsettling. It's not traditionally scary or anything - it just gets under your skin! King's imagining of some things we all wonder about from time to time is creative and unique. And creepy. But, I wouldn't characterize it as scary.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT - stop reading here if you have not yet read the book.

King is such a great writer - there were scenes in this book that literally caused shivers down my back just because of the way he brought people and things to life with words.  One scene that I'd say does that is the scene immediately after the car accident when Charles Jacob's wife is walking with the little one and they are wounded. I felt like I was there - watching the scene unfold because of the descriptive powers of King.[the scene immediately after the car accident when Charles Jacob's wife is walking with the little one and they are wounded. I felt like I was there - watching the scene unfold because of the descriptive powers of King. (hide spoiler)]

The ending really worked for me - it was imaginative and unique. It's not something we've heard a thousand times. And, honestly, it made me THINK about my own way of imagining life after death. I loved the ending (although I will say that some have not) and think it was a perfect conclusion to the book.

I highly recommend this, especially to King fans. Another high quality novel from one of the best storytellers writing today!

Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those fantastic non-fiction pieces that reads like really good fiction! The story is told in a compelling manner and it did a great job of putting all of the events together in a manageable way. He brought the women - the Lost Girls - to life in this one. They were a group of women with very interesting and complex lives. I really appreciated the respect that Robert Kolker gave to them in this book.

I'm not usually a fan of the whole true crime genre but I think this is an outstanding example of true crime done well! The entire case is such a tragedy and I hope that the perpetrators of these crimes is eventually caught.

I highly recommend this particular book to those who enjoy very readable non-fiction and true crime stories!

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Review: The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor by Gina Homolka

The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor by Gina Homolka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic cookbook! If you're looking for a cookbook with great food that are more healthy and low in calories, this may well be your best bet! Although I've heard of Gina's website, I haven't been spending a lot of time there regularly but I've decided to change that based on what I'm seeing in this cookbook!

The book itself is beautiful - well constructed, with great photography and lots of good tips! The content is well done and includes the following areas: Skinny Basics, Sunny Mornings, Skinny-Licious Soups and Chilis, Sandwiches on the Lighter Side, Skinny Bites, Fabulous Main-Dish Salads, Perfect Poultry, Lean Meat Dishes, Fabulous Fish, Meatless Mains, Veggie-Licious Sides, Skinny Sweet Tooth.

There is something for everyone in this cookbook! Although most of the recipes have a photo associated with it, some of them don't which frustrates me since I'd prefer to have a photo for ALL of the recipes. But, I do appreciate that most of them have a photo.

Some of the recipes that I'm planning to try soon include - Winter Potato, Kale and Sausage Frittta, Rustic Italian Gnocchi Soup, Summer Lobster Rolls, Guiltless Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms, Tuscan Panzanella Salad with Grilled Garlic Bread, Chicken Marsala, Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Carnitas, Cilantro-Lime Shrimp, Black Bean Burrito Bowls, Silky Chocolate Cream Pie, and Baked Bananas Foster a la Mode. Yum! I can't wait to dig in and make some of these dishes!

I highly recommend this cookbook for pretty much anyone! Definitely a great one to pick up!

NOTE: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this book - the premise sounded unique and interesting. Unfortunately, the execution just didn't work for me. The characters felt like cardboard cut outs and I just didn't enjoy the reading of the book. It felt trite and never came together for me.

The story was promising but it just came off as flat to me. It just didn't ever come together. It was one of those books that I kept almost putting down but then didn't in hopes that it would improve. Luckily, it wasn't a super long book.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one. It just didn't capture the imagination for me.

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Review: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Amy Poehler and was so excited about this book! I've been waiting forever for it to be released! I find Amy to be hilarious and to have an interesting perspective. I enjoyed this book but it wasn't quite what I thought it might be. I found it to be funny but it wasn't as fantastic as I'd expected. I was a bit disappointed. Although I loved getting into her head a bit and found some bits really quite interesting, I just didn't feel like it met my expectations.

There were funny bits but it just didn't come together for me as an entire book. But, I still recommend it as pretty good Amy Poehler is better than most people's best. The book is funny and definitely worth a read if you like Amy or if you enjoy funny books.