I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. These books are charming. I am really looking forward to reading them to my kids in a few years. One thing I enjoy about these books is that there is an underlying mystery that prevails through each book and the reader gets little bits and pieces each time. The reader gets just enough information to start making speculations that are either confirmed or debunked in subsequent books. Read More »
I Read a Lot of Books
I read a lot of books. Sometimes I review them.
The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin
It has been a while since I read something so awful that I debated whether I should finish it or not. Congrats Night Listener, I finished you, but don’t feel better for it. Read More »
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Poor Chechnya. Some countries seem to just have it bad and Chechnya is one of those. I will not delve into political theory or strategy but for those unacquainted with Chechnya’s tragic history, suffice it to say that it is a country surrounded by larger countries with dangerous ambitions, and the Chechen people have paid a hefty price. Read More »
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
The third installment in The Mysterious Benedict Society is every bit as fun, action-packed, and refreshing as the previous books in the series. I feel like I gush when I write about these books, but they are genuinely wonderful. Stewart’s style is both light and captivating. I find myself cheering audibly for our heroes and cringing whenever the villains get a leg up. I assure you, it is quite amusing to watch. Read More »
Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
I truly enjoy reading Flavia de Luce novels. I can’t help it. Bradley manages to capture perfectly inconsistencies that radiate from 11/12 year old girls. He also captures a time that I find fascinating in English history.
L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton
I’m going to ask for you to indulge me while I go off on a bit of a tangent. I saw W is for Wasted in the bookstore as I was doing all my last minute shopping. I am thrilled that I did not start this series back in 1984 when the series first was released. Sure, I was five then, so I am not sure mystery novels would have been appropriate reading material, but I am glad I arrived at the tale end. Read More »
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
This is the second book in Valenti’s Fairyland series. I was looking forward to it for a LONG time, but with a bit of trepidation. How does one improve or add to a story that I personally enjoyed so much? Read More »
The Oxford Book of Modern Women’s Stories edited by Patricia Craig
I was skeptical when I initially got this for my birthday. What constitutes a Modern Women’s Story anyway? Happily, Patricia Craig explains what does it for her, and since she is the editor, thats what made it into the book. Read More »
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
This is my favorite Kinsey Millhone novel thus far. At first, I was a bit thrown off by the narrative. Grafton switches back and forth between Kinsey and a sociopath that she is dealing with, Solana Rojas (alias). I haven’t known Grafton to do that before, but it made the narrative a bit more eerie which I found interesting. Read More »
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
I have a friend, who we’ll call Andrew (that is his name, by the way), who reads a lot of books. I told him that I’d been reading the Alphabet Murder books by Sue Grafton as my ‘bubble gum’ reads. He confessed that he likes to read the Stephanie Plum ‘number books’ for his bubble gum reading. Read More »
A Nasty Piece of Work by Robert Littell
I enjoy a good mystery, so I was excited to receive Littell’s novel for Christmas, my excitement faded when I delved in and discovered that, despite success writing stories about the CIA, A Nasty Piece of Work was rife with cliche. Read More »
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I often re-read books that I love, but I rarely re-read them so quickly in succession. I finished this, and promptly started reading it the next week aloud, to my husband. I appreciated the opportunity for that second read. Read More »
The Dead Fish Museum: Stories by Charles D’Ambrosio
Ah, the world of short stories. The art of a short story is a difficult one. The author needs to create emotional impact and create interest in a location or character in a short amount of time. Story arcs must move more quickly which is a bit of a challenge. Read More »
Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Gag. I feel like Brunt tried to create a modern day To Kill a Mockingbird. Sadly, it just came off as a bit weird. The book starts with June Elbus recounting sitting for a portrait with her sister. Her uncle is a famous painter who happens to be dying of Aids. So a barrel of laughs, right from the beginning. Read More »
J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton
I liked this one. The plot seems a bit more complex than other Grafton novels, so that was nice. Also, I know I should always put the disclaimer in here, that I am not reading these in the order they were written, but rather the order that they come into my possession, and this came via a birthday gift from a used bookstore. Read More »
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Yet another piece of the alphabet murder books puzzle. These are so easy to read and have really taken over most of my bubble gum reading these past months. Read More »
Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
I have finally finished the series! I’ve had the book for a long time, and to be honest, the only reason I decided to read it at this particular moment is that the book takes up quite a bit of space, and I am trying to consolidate that shelf to make room for my anticipated Christmas books! That pretty much sums up my feelings of the entire Fablehaven series. Read More »
We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
I LOVED this book! Loved it. I struggle to find non genre (lit fiction) fiction that is good. Much of it is broody, and depressing, and overly self-conscious. Most are trying to sell a message, and though they try to be subtle, I generally find it distasteful. We, the Drowned was fiction done right. Read More »
Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard
This was the first book of Leonard’s that I have ever read, and most likely the last. I enjoy crime books, but not necessarily criminal books. Do you see the distinction? Read More »
The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
Confession time, my husband likes yard sales. I really don’t like them, but whenever he goes I tell him to pick me up some books. Sometimes he hits, and sometimes he misses, but I appreciate new books no matter where they come from, or how they turn out. The Wednesday Letters was a miss. Read More »
The Mammoth Book of Jacobean Whodunnits edited by Mike Ashley
Full disclosure, historical fiction is high on the list of things I avoid reading. No judgments against those who enjoy it, I just find it a bit silly, trying to force the characters into unlikely scenarios that inevitably are interesting historical events. For this, and many other reasons I’ll enumerate later on, I REALLY disliked The Mammoth Book of Jacobean Whodunnits. Read More »
O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton
Yes, I am aware that these reviews are woefully out of order. But what was I to do when I found O is for Outlaw at our little free library, what could I do? Read More »
R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
Another Kinsey Millhone alphabet mystery. I feel like I enjoy these more the more I read them, but they are very simple literary efforts. I don’t like to read reviews of the books I’ve read before I read them, but somehow I stumbled into some reviews for the later alphabet books by purist fans. They seem to be all up in arms as to the direction Kinsey’s character is going. Read More »
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
I don’t read a lot of fantasy written for adults. I did; however, really enjoy the Mistborn series. I was intrigued by Sanderson’s idea to write a novel where we actually see a fantasy world that has progressed and we see how technology is used within the framework of magic. Read More »
Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton
This has been my favorite of the Kinsey Millhone series. I’m not sure if it was the mystery itself I found more compelling, or if I just enjoyed finding out more about Kinsey’s parents, but I burned through this one and felt very satisfied at the end.
My New American Life by Francine Prose
Meh. My New American Life was okay, but not terribly exciting. I did have a chuckle at the back jacket reviews because they call Prose’s ‘social satire’ brilliant. I’ll be the judge of that, because I rarely find social satire brilliant, unless it is written by Stella Gibbons or Jasper Fforde. Read More »
P is for Peril by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone, lady PI, is back. And yes, I am aware that I have not yet read O is for Outlaw because I don’t own it and I don’t think it is important enough to go hunt it down in a library. Read More »
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood
I’d been looking forward to reading the second installment of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. It didn’t disappoint. Read More »
N Is for Noose by Sue Grafton
Full Disclosure: I’ve never read any other Kinsey Millhone mysteries. My husband’s Grandma was trimming her library and apparently decided to get rid of N on down to V, and since I never turn down a free book… I’ll be reviewing more from this series in the future. Full Disclosure Part Two: I think Tana French’s writing has ruined me for all mystery novels. So my review will be jaded by that high standard. Read More »