Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although i didn't love this one nearly as much as the first in the series, it was a solid second book in a trilogy. It didn't quite wow me as much as the first but I did enjoy it and I will continue with the 3rd book when it comes out.

I still find the world that Veronica Roth has created to be interesting and compelling. However, I think what this book is missing is the fast moving plotting that was so central to Divergent. This book definitely felt like more of a set up book ... just a gateway to the final book in the trilogy. There was a focus on character development in this one but not much moving forward of the overall plot of the trilogy. I like the characters so I was OK with that but it did make this one a little less compelling than the first.

All in all, I enjoyed this one despite its flaws. I will definitely be reading the last book. I'm interested in seeing where Veronica Roth takes the story next. If you enjoyed the first one, I do recommend this one. It's not quite as good but its definitely worth a read!

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Review: The Expats by Chris Pavone

The Expats: A Novel by Chris Pavone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was hesitant to read this novel initially because although I'd heard good things (Michael from the Books on the Nightstand, specifically) and the description sounded amazing, the reviews on Goodreads were not particularly strong. Given how many books I want to read, I didn't really want to spend a lot of time reading a book that everyone seemed to not like. However, the premise of the story drew me in so I decided to go for it!

And I'm so glad that I did! Although not a perfect book, it's definitely an interesting concept that intrigued me from page one! I'm not telling you much about it because part of what I enjoyed most was seeing the story come together as I was reading. Knowing too much would take away some of the very thing that I liked about the novel.

The first part of the novel was a bit slow but it did pick up and then sped up, racing to the end. I thought the story was compelling - the idea behind the novel unique. The characters weren't outstanding but they were pretty good. I don't think that took away from my enjoyment of the book. For me, this one was about story and mystery. I overlooked a lot because I thought the story and the mystery central to the novel were so well done.

I will say that I felt the story could have used a bit more depth and texture. There were times when it felt a bit stale and bland. Yet, other times it felt fully realized with a lot of depth. I guess it was uneven in that way, for me. But, I easily overlooked that because I loved so much of the novel.

I thought this was a good literary mystery (hard to characterize this one, in my opinion) and I would recommend it to others. But, know that many on Goodreads didn't care for it as much as I did!

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Review: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was such a treat! I loved the fact that the story is based upon a Russian fairytale - it certainly had a magical vibe. I was very taken with the characters, the story, and the setting. The setting was probably one of the things I loved most - Eowyn Ivey made the Alaskan wilderness come alive. It was certainly a character in the book as much as any of the people. This one is fairly slow - it it told quietly, slowly and deliberately. I liked that aspect of the novel but I can see where some might feel like its too slow moving.

The characters were so well drawn and their relationships were characterized very effectively. I really came to care deeply about all of them. This is a very quiet book that focuses on the characters and their relationships. And its fantastic! Mabel and her relationship with her husband is at the heart of the story and I found myself very enchanted by their love for one another.

Eowyn Ivey has a way with words - her prose just comes alive off of the page. She really made me FEEL like I was in Alaska with these people. And I didn't want to leave.

This book is really unlike any that I've read before which is one of the things that is so special about it. It's outstanding and enchanting and wonderful! I can't wait to see what Eowyn Ivey has in store for us in her future novels! I definitely recommend this one!

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Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really struggled with rating this one - it was really more of a 3 and a half for me. On the one hand, I thought the book was good - interesting characters, the setting was fascinating & the story of these characters is really gripping and feels true to the setting. However, there were some flaws for me - primarily, the speed & pacing was horrible in my opinion. Some of the writing was uneven to me - some places it was so beautiful that it was almost poetic yet In others, it was dense and repetitive and in need of serious editing. In my opinion, that took away from the overall impact of the story. But, its a really good book in terms of portraying a very specific time, place and cultural/socioeconomic reality. So, I'm ultimately torn in my assessment of the novel.

The descriptions of the impact of Hurricane Katrina was extremely well done. I really felt as if I was there - experiencing the impact along with the characters. Although the actual Hurricane Katrina pieces didn't happen until late in the book, those are the chapters that I think stand out. They are so well written and descriptive as to give the reader a true sense of how riding out Hurricane Katrina (and the aftermath of the impact) must have been for the impoverished families in that community. It was just a stunning portrayal of Katrina.

This novel is NOT easy to read. Beyond the pacing of the novel, there is a dog fighting component as well as a lot of poverty and other kinds of darkness. The dog fighting was well done, in my opinion. It's never fun to read about that kind of brutality but I think it gave me a new perspective on the practice that I'd never thought about. I'll still never understand it. But, I thought that component really gave the story itself another layer that complimented the overall themes. And I didn't find it too graphic - just graphic enough to show the true brutality of the practice but not graphic enough to make me put the book down. The poverty and situations the characters find themselves in were certainly disturbing as well. This is not an uplifting novel. It's dark, haunting and raw.

I think this one is definitely worth the read, despite its flaws. I understand why so many people are giving raving reviews but this novel ultimately didn't wow me. I am eager to see what Jesmyn Ward has in store for us in the future.

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Review: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book really has it all - it's a legal thriller with more nuances than the typical legal thriller. There is family drama, psychological exploration and more. I can't tell you much about the story as there are twists and turns that would too easily give up the story & the big 'twist' that is critical to the enjoyment of the novel (in my opinion).

The narrative is even and polished. The way that Landay weaves the story together is just fantastic. The story is strong as is the writing. Landay does a fantastic job of pushing the story forward, maintaining interest and momentum. Expert plotting combined with excellent dialogue makes for a fantastic read. In addition, the character development is great - I found the teen characters to be very authentic in comparison to what I have experienced with my teen step daughter and her friends.

All in all, this is a really strong legal thriller that is so much more than a legal thriller. It's a fantastic look at family, friendship, parenthood, and love. I definitely recommend this one! It is very readable yet offers much more than the typical legal thriller novel. And the end of the story was very satisfying to me - which isn't always the case with this sort of novel!


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Review: Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still struggling with my feelings about this book. I think a good description is that I liked it but I didn't love it.

It took awhile for me to find a flow with this book, in part because of how the story was told (the primary character talking directly to her missing sister & intertwining the past and the present) and in part because of the pacing of the book. In the end, I think that it was critical for the book to be written from this perspective and that it really gave the story something special. But, it didn't make reading easy in the early pages of the book.

I thought the mystery itself was solid. It was interesting & engaging. It certainly didn't give away the 'who done it' too early. Although I had my suspicions, I was questioning them throughout the novel. The twist at the end was really unique and definitely made the novel memorable. The interweaving of the twist throughout the book was done very well - it was there but I never fully picked up on it beyond something being there. That was a nice, pleasant surprise!

I think the writing was OK - sometimes really good and sometimes less than good. It had the feel of a first novel in that way. I think Rosamund Lupton has quite a future as a novelist. I'd definitely give her next book(s) a read! If you're a mystery fan, I think you'll really enjoy this one - it's a unique take on the mystery genre.

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Review: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still not quite sure what I thought of this novel. It was frankly nothing like I'd expected and I'm still not entirely sure if I truly liked it.

It is a superbly written book! There were many places where I stopped to write passages down because I found them so beautifully stated or the thought memorable. Unfortunately, the great writing was not able to save this book for me. It did, however, keep it from being a 2 star book for me!

The pacing was one of my primary issues with this book. It took FOREVER for me to get into the book, to care one iota about the book. And because of how short the novel was, I'm not sure that I ever recovered from that ... it permeated the entire experience for me.

And the story itself just didn't ever quite capture my full interest, even the story's 'twist.' It was frankly a bit anti-climactic for me. I get why it resonated with others but it didn't quite do that for me. I never really liked any of the characters or even really understand them or their motivations. Perhaps that was a factor in my disliking the story. I found the ambiguous ending to be interesting and it did give me something to think about. Part of me wants to go back and read it again to put the pieces together again but I can't bring myself to care enough to actually re-read it given how much I didn't love my first read.

I have enjoyed reading the theories about the twist and the ending in some of my Goodreads groups. It's always interesting to get different perspectives and have people point out the things you missed or to help you see something in a new way!

I do think that there were some really nice pieces around memory and how we reflect on what we've done in the past.

I can see the value of this book and what some have called the author's brilliance at bringing it all together. I completely see that despite the fact that I didn't feel that way about it. Unfortunate, I cannot recommend this one. I think its a love it or hate it kind of book and I just didn't love it. Which doesn't mean that it doesn't have value, it just means that I'm hesitant to recommend it it others at this point!

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Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After watching the HBO series, I decided that I had to read the series myself because I found the show so compelling. This isn't the type of book that I'd normally pick up. Fantasy is typically not something that I reach for but I loved the series on HBO and was interested in seeing if the books were even better!

I have had this one sitting on my Nook for months but I was a bit hesitant to begin (despite many friends encouraging me) because I wasn't entirely sure that it would actually be readable for me. It's a long book and a big commitment.

Imagine my surprise when I began reading and found it to be incredibly readable! It pulled me right in and was captivating me in every way. But, I have to wonder if having seen the first book come alive on screen helped me in the reading of the book. If it helped bridge the gap for me ...

Let me just say that I am ASTOUNDED at how well HBO was able to bring this book to life. They did an amazing job with every aspect - characters, costumes, setting, etc. It's all wonderful! They made the book come alive and I thought it was a very well done adaption!

There was a nice mix of world building, character development and action in the novel. That mix really kept the pacing and flow of the novel from moving into boredom. The story is truly epic and really sweeping. I was concerned that the history, geography and politics could become too much in the novel (given the content of the HBO series) but it really was well written and compelling.

I've already added the rest of the series to my Nook and I plan to keep reading thorough over the coming months. My primary advice about this book is that if you're having trouble getting into it, consider doing what I usually never recommend - watch the HBO series first, then come back to the book. Otherwise, I recommend it wholeheartedly! It's a fantastic book!

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Review: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Going into this book, I really knew nothing more about Steve Jobs other than his being all things Apple and his dying last fall. I'd heard he was odd but I didn't really know what that meant. Until now. This book really helped me to better understand Steve Jobs as a man, as an entrepreneur and as a business leader. I found it to be a compelling read, with good pacing.

Steve Jobs was obviously a genius. And a marketing whiz. He brought amazing things to our culture with Apple. He changed the way that we do things in a truly significant way.

But, he was also incredibly selfish, difficult and unusual man. One whose choices in his personal life astounded me. In almost every way, he was simply an ass. I found him utterly fascinating while also being incredibly grateful that i never had to work with him or even know him. The dichotomy between his incredible creativity and vision with his many flaws is just fascinating. I didn't quite understand before reading this book what a character Steve Jobs really was ...

I think Walter Isaacson did a great job of portraying all sides of Steve Jobs - the good, the bad, and the REALLY ugly. I appreciated how well he blended the multiple facets of his personality into the book, making it come alive for me. And I like that he gave many different perspectives from a variety of people that had encountered Steve Jobs during his life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this biography of Jobs. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Steve Jobs, Apple, or is interested in particularly influential people. It's a very readable book that kept my attention throughout. And, ultimately, it helped me to better understand this very complex man who literally changed the world with his vision and entrepreneurial spirit!

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Review: The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was so intrigued by the premise of this novel (and that cover - it's so compelling - even if it doesn't match the story at ALL in terms of the characters & their ages) that I couldn't wait to read it. It sounded like something right up my alley. I seem to be drawn to books that have some level of sadness and what not. Given its focus on grief, this one seemed to have all of the components that I like in a literary novel.

Let's start with the good - this is a beautifully written book. Leah Hager Cohen is obviously a fantastic writer. I was incredibly moved by some of the writing, particularly at the start of the novel. The opening scene in the hospital was so beautifully written that I read it over and over, amazed at the picture the words were painting. However beautiful the language, I felt that it didn't take the story anywhere. It didn't make the characters come alive. It didn't do what beautiful writing is supposed to do - make the novel brilliant and readable. Instead, it seemed to get bogged down in the beauty of the words but somehow neglected moving the story anywhere interesting for the reader. It was like the novel was all prettied up with this beautiful language and imagery but it never actually came into itself. It was stagnated and just sat there.

I love the idea of this novel - an exploration of a family and how that family handles the ups and downs of life. However, the family in this novel felt very unreal to me - I never connected with them or really even felt that they were in any way connected to each other despite being told over and over that they are connected. Perhaps that disconnection was intentional given the themes but it didn't do much to make the novel actually interesting.

I'm really conflicted about this one. It had such potential but ultimately fell flat for me. Perhaps I wanted to love it so much that it led to disappointment. I'm not sure. But, I ultimately liked this one but didn't love it. It was better than OK but not great - it was a solid 'good' book. I'm not sure that I recommend it ... I think its worth a read, particularly if you like beautiful writing. But, it won't blow your socks off and I worry that it may leave you feeling ambivalent in some way.

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Review: Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

All in all, I don't think this one lived up to its potential. It's a unabashedly southern novel. The story was compelling, the writing was fine, and I liked the wacky characters. But, there was something missing and I'm just not able to put my finger on it. Although I liked the story and the characters, the novel just always felt separate and out there. It never felt real. It never came alive for me. I found the novel to have some extremely slow areas and other areas were raced through entirely too fast. There were things I wish had been explored less and other things that I wish had been explored more. In the end, it left me feeling unsatisfied in some way. Sad almost that it didn't go to the places that I'd hoped it would go. This is my second Joshilyn Jackson novel and I felt this exact same ambivalence about that one. I'm wondering if perhaps Joshilyn Jackson's writing just isn't for me. I'm going to read one more before I decide to definitively give up on her. However, I really can't strongly recommend this one. It's okay. I think that there are so many other novels that do southern fiction so much better ... perhaps pick one of those up instead of this one!

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Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this first book in a new YA dystopian series! It grabbed me right away and didn't let go until the end. Although there were flaws, I gave this one 5 stars for keeping me engaged & not wanting to put it down for a moment. It's a great read with excellent pacing.

I was impressed with how well-written and engaging this novel was ... the characters are fantastic, very interesting and believable. The plot moved fast and the story itself was quite good. I was also impressed that Roth created a romance here that I thought was fairly good for a YA novel - most YA novel romances are cheesy and annoying. Not this one. I actually really liked this couple and how their relationship played out. It felt fairly honest and real to me.

I really like the world that Roth created in this novel - the factions & the political implications of the world were interesting and thought provoking. I would have liked even more details on the world of the novel - how it came to where it was, etc. I do think the book ended fairly abruptly ... which was disappointing but I am able to overlook that, given that I knew its part of a trilogy.

But, all in all, I think its a fantastic read - fast paced and wonderful! A book that you won't want to put down and will be sad when it ends! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't want to put it down and ultimately spent most of the day, curled up, reading it. It's a fantastic, compelling read.

I think that I ultimately liked this book a tiny bit more than the first although they felt quite different to me so its difficult to compare. Well, they are different and they aren't different. Let's face it, Kristin Cashore has used basically the same plot for each book, just changing up the characters and the details. Her formula apparently works because I really enjoyed BOTH of the books. But, the primary reason that I didn't give this one a 4 is that its pretty much identical in scope to the first book, with different details.

I really liked the character of Fire. Even more than Katsa from the first book. I found Fire to be very interesting and complex - Cashore has a way with writing strong yet vulnerable women characters. I enjoyed watching her develop her relationship with Brigan and seeing her journey throughout the novel. I was happy that the Fire/Brigan relationship developed slowly and that each of them had to find themselves & their own journey's before coming together as a couple. It was nice that Cashore didn't fall back on the whole 'love will make it all OK' storyline. I liked that they had their own journeys to take and their own things to work out before they were ready to come together.

I was surprised that this book, although technically part of a series, was not tightly connected to the first book. Since its more of a prequel, I was disappointed that I didn't get to revisit any of the characters that I liked so much in Graceling. There are certainly connections to Graceling but they were not tied in the way that I expected. Perhaps that wouldn't have been disappointing, had I realized before reading it that it would be a prequel.

All in all, the world that Cashore has created is rich and detailed. I really think her character development is stellar. I really thought the ideas around monsters created in this world (particularly the specifics such as the vibrancy of color and intensity of appetite) was unique and compelling. These things literally jumped off of the page for me, conveying a complex and interesting world.

Although technically Young Adult, I'm not sure that its easily categorized as YA. It's much more than YA. It's just good fiction - with fantastic world and character building! I definitely recommend this one!

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Review: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by this book after so many of my bookish friends were raving about it. I am also a bit fascinated by Hemingway and was interested in learning more about him. I have read a couple of Hemingway's books (and A Farewell to Arms is one of my all time favorite novels) but I didn't really know a lot about him beyond how he died, the names of his novels & that he'd won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

What a nice surprise this book was - it is a really well told story about a fascinating time and some really interesting people. More than anything, this book really gave me incentive to do some research about Hemingway, his life, his novels, his colleagues and well, his wives. Fascinating! I kept finding myself switching over to the web on my Nook Tablet as I was reading to research some detail or person mentioned in the novel. If nothing else, the reading experience was very informative to me. But, its also just a good story. I don't think its a 5 star book ... there was a slowness in the book that was annoying to me at times which brought it down to a 4. But, it's a strong 4 and definitely worth reading!

This novel brought Paris of the 1920's come alive and I felt like I was sitting right there, observing the goings on of the Hemingway's and their friends. In many ways, this was a heartbreaking novel because it tells the story of how a relationship changes over time and how experiences and other people can come into your life & change everything in ways that you could never have imagined. There were times that I was very frustrated with Hadley & the decisions that she made and didn't make but, in the end, I could understand her motivations and, although I didn't agree with them, could see why she struggled with certain things.

I found this novel to portray a very balanced view of marriage and love. It showed the nuances of relationships in a multifaceted way that really spoke to me. There was a balance that McLain found in telling the story of these two people falling in love and what happens to them during their marriage. I think that balance gave the entire story its depth and made it feel very raw and real.

The only negative thing that I have to say about this novel is its pacing. There were entire passages and sections of the novel that felt very stiff and tedious - as if the author were so focused on getting the 'history' right that the storytelling was lost for a moment. McLain always got back to the storytelling but those small sections of flatness made the overall novel flow much less impactful than it could have been. Despite these forays into less than great storytelling, McLain does a fantastic job of making this time and these people come alive.

It can definitely be disconcerting to read about a marriage falling apart but I think that McLain's examination of the Hemingway marriage is one of the most nuanced and textured portrayals of marriage that I've read in awhile. It's really one of the things that I liked most about the book - the way that it made me think about marriage, love, friendship and the journey that we all take in our lives.

I definitely recommend this book - its a good read, very educational and compelling!

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Review: The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've resisted the desire to read this novel since it was published ... primarily because I had such a horrible, ugly reaction to her novel The Dogs of Babel. A throw the book across the room, refuse to continue reading kind of reaction. So, as you can imagine, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to read this one. However, I heard Ann from Books on the Nightstand say that she'd read it and that it was really good. Since I trust Ann's taste in all things bookish, I decided to go ahead and give it a read. And I'm so glad that I did.

This novel is, far and away, much better than the other Parkhurst novels that I've read. I thought that Parkhurst's device of using one of the characters changing the endings of her published novels as a way to support the narrative was really quite inventive. I thought the character development was good - it's critical to the story so having that not work would have made the whole thing not work. I thought that there was a complexity to the characters that made the plot & themes work. The unfolding of the characters relationships to one another was done expertly and really added to the movement of the book.

I did figure out the mystery/twist pretty early on which was disappointing ... I kept hoping that Parkhurst was going to surprise me with the ending. It really didn't. However, the journey to the ending was interesting enough that I can forgive that.

I enjoyed exploring the themes of the book quite a bit - grief, redemption, parental love, etc. That is what really made this book shine for me ... how it explored some uncomfortable concepts and themes without being depressing or negative.

All in all, I really enjoyed this novel - much to my own surprise! I highly recommend this one if you're interested in giving Parkhurst a read ... in my opinion, this is a considerably better book than The Dogs of Babel.

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