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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Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is Stephen King at his best. Although I still think there could have been some editing done that would have picked up the pace in the middle of the book, after reading the book in its entirety, it was worth the pacing issues to get to the end. I am going to be very careful not to give ANYTHING away in this review because the ending is great, especially if you come to it unaware. Unfortunately, another reviewer did not mark their review as a spoiler, so I had some sense of the ending. It was still impactful but I think coming at it blind would have made it amazing! So, the less you read about this one, the better. Just trust me - READ it.

Sometimes even I forget what a great writer King is ... he knows how to spin a story, develop a character and use his imagination to take you into amazing situations. This is unlike any other King novels that I've read - it's not horror, at all. It's so much more that what I think people have come to expect of King - there are supernatural aspects, historical pieces, plus some philosophy & science fiction all packaged alongside a really nice love story. It has it ALL.

King's ability to build excitement and suspense are legendary & this book is no exception. I found myself holding my breath, wondering what was coming, then shocked by something coming out of nowhere and then sighing with relief. It's an emotional roller coaster of the best kind!

I have no doubt that King did a ton of research for this book. I don't know all of the history in any level of detail but I do know that King made the time period and the experiences come alive on the page. It all felt true. It felt real. It felt like I was visiting another time and place.

Although The Stand is still my favorite Stephen King novel, this one is a close second, edging out It and the Shining as my number 2s ( I can't decide between those so I had two of them). I definitely recommend it even if you aren't a fan of his other novels ... this is a special book that I think most readers will enjoy!

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Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a lovely little book! This is a nice, easy to read novel that is light, fun and interesting. I found it refreshing and charming in every way! I didn't want to put it down - in fact, I spent half of my Saturday curled up with it when I really had other things that I needed to do. But, I couldn't wait to find out how the stories of Lincoln, Beth and the rest of the characters would continue. And, then, when it was over, I was so sad - because I'd thoroughly enjoyed my time in the world that Rainbow Rowell created.

The format that Rainbow Rowell uses to frame the story by weaving in emails was genius! It gives the novel such a unique and interesting vibe! The characters in the novel just threw themselves off the page - I wanted to be friends with these people! And the setting/time period, made me want to go back to the late 1990s for a few days!

I don't want to give anything away but wanted to mention that I felt that the author handled the ending of the book very well - I never felt that it went too far. It was just right, for me.

I just loved this book and already emailed several friends to tell them to PICK THIS BOOK UP! I think its a great read & I'm so happy to have found Rainbow Rowell! I can't wait to see what else she has for us in her future novels!

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Review: Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks

Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me say, first and foremost, that this is not a book for everyone. The subject matter is likely to make some people extremely uncomfortable. Although there is no gratuitousness to the novel but the situations and events described can be off putting. This book explores the life of a young sex offender and the people/places that populate his life.

I now understand why I've heard so many wonderful things about Russell Banks ... what he creates in this novel is nothing less than amazing, in my opinion. His storytelling is stellar ... his ability to take his readers through something morally repugnant and help them to see it in all its complexity. Because of his skill at slowly but surely breaking down the social barriers, allowing the reader to begin to have some sense of understanding for the main character, whether you like him or not. I found this to be one of the best things about this novel. The journey that Banks took me on could have gone bad ... and easily. But, he so deftly guided me through the nuances of the characters flaws. This gave me the opportunity to see an additional layer of humanity where I assumed there was none.

I'm not sure that anyone is interested in sexual predators, per se, but I did find this novel's exploration of their lives, their alienation and their complexities to be thought provoking. It offered me a new view of something that I felt fairly decisive about. Russell Banks appears to be able to take his readers into the darkness of humanity and allow them to better understand themselves and the world around them. So I won't say that this was a fun book - its dark and its certainly not fun. It is compelling and thought provoking.

The writing is simply amazing in places ... there were moments that simply took my breath away. This man can write! Banks simply amazed me with his characterizations & how he made the characters come alive for me. They are complex and fascinating. Almost every single character that he writes into the novel captivated me in some way - I found myself resonating with characters that I never believed I could possibly find anything compelling in.

I appreciate the themes that Banks was exploring in this novel - I came away from this novel with so much to think about personally. This novel is tragic and sad. There isn't much happiness or hope here. But, its a strong exploration of homelessness, sex offenders and attitudes about sexuality in general. There are pieces and parts that I didn't think worked in the novel but there were other pieces that blew me away. It wasn't easy to root for anyone in this novel but I think that's a testament to Banks' talent at crafting the story.

I definitely recommend it but know that its not for the faint at heart and there is a great deal of content that relates to sexuality in a number of forms. It's not gratuitous but it could be disturbing to some.

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Review: The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When beginning this novel, I went in with no expectations beyond the fact that several of my friends loved it and several didn't love it. I also thought it was about vampires for some reason - probably the word Fang in the title. The bottom line - this book was nothing like I'd expected it to be.

I was pleasantly surprised. It's perhaps one of the most unusual books I've read in some time. I found it to be a very readable book about a very unusual family. On the surface, it's simply an interesting take on an extremely unusual and dysfunctional family. That alone kept me interested in reading the novel. But, the author really did a fantastic job of using the family & their journey to explore a number of themes around art and family. The book was thoughtful and compelling for me. I was fascinated by the characters even though I didn't like many of them. I thought the story was very clever and kept me intrigued throughout. Words that I would use to describe this one vary - dark, unusual, touching, and (darkly)humorous. The book is really quite a contradiction.

Looking back, I'm not completely sure why I really liked this book but I did. It's one of those books that when I think of all the components, I can't find anything redeemable about them yet when put together by a good writer, it all comes together. All in all, I really enjoyed this one. I'm not sure that its a book for everyone but I do recommend it if the premise sounds interesting to you.

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Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a pleasant surprise this novel was for me! I had absolutely no expectations going in and was so happy to find that it was a delightful, smart and clever series that I cannot wait to dig into further!

The characters just stunned me. They are fantastic - interesting and multifaceted. I loved seeing Alexia and Connall's relationship grow throughout the novel. And all of the more 'background' characters just jumped off of the page for me!

Adventure, romance, fantasy and some science fiction - all rolled into one novel! Just fantastic! I had a ball reading this one! I didn't want to put it down! I loved Gail Carringer's witty writing style. I found it charming and refreshing.

This was a really nice break from some of the more literary novels that I seem to have been reading lately. I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it. I can't wait to read the second in the series!

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