Review: The Next Best Thing

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice light read. I liked the first book in the Gideon's Cover series better. I thought maybe we would see characters from the first book, but this was a stand alone.

Lucy and Ethan were both fun characters and I enjoyed the story. I was a little annoyed with Lucy at times but for the most part I liked the characters and it was a nice light read.

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Review: Royally Endowed

Royally Endowed by Emma Chase
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this story, but it covered a lot more time than the previous novels in the series. I think I would have liked it more if it hadn't had to cover quite as much time. I get that it needed to start at the beginning but I would have preferred a more fluid narration.

I did like the characters and the chemistry between them. This series has been my first from the author but it will not be my last. I've enjoyed every single book and the steamy relationships.

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Review: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a difficult book for me. I decided to listen to it after a few times opening it in the past, reading a few sentences, and saying I wasn't in the mood over the last few years. I decided it was time to give it a real go, so I got the audiobook. I did not care for the the first part of it at all. If I'm honest, I really only liked parts of the book. I did enjoy the second half more than the first half, but I still didn't love any of the characters.
The book opens with Adam Ewing's journal. I found him to be irritating, and I have to agree that his journal doesn't seem like any journal I've every read. Also, for all of his philosophizing and analyzing he was blind to the people around him. If I had not known that the book was going to switch narrators, and soon I might have given up again at this point.
Second, we have Robert Frobisher, a composer, writing letters to his friend Rufus Sixsmith. Robert came across as needy and whiny. I again contemplated putting the book aside and saying it just wasn't a book for me.
Third is Luisa Ray, a journalist. Her story was the first that actually held my attention, and didn't have me wondering when it was going to end and the next narrator begin. I think part of this is that it was told as more of a novel. It flowed and I felt like I got to know the setting and characters a little better.
Fourth is Timothy Cavendish an older man in publishing. Again, I found him needy and whiny, and I started hoping for his narration to end and be over with quickly.
Fifth we have the first future setting with Sonmi-451. She was by far the most interesting of the narrators, and her story was one I would have been happy to listen to for longer.
Last, and the only narrative that is not interrupted is a far future setting with Zachry narrating and Meronym as an outsider staying with his tribe. I didn't for the most part like this section. I wasn't waiting for it to end like I did with the others, but I also didn't really care.
Then of course the book goes backwards through the characters again. I did enjoy them slightly more the second time around, but I still can't say that I really enjoyed majority of the book. As a whole it was ambitious, and I like the idea behind the work. It at times worked, but there were a lot of points when it just didn't work for me. I can say with certainty that if I had been reading the text I would never have made it all the way through the book. I probably would have stopped somewhere shortly after reading the first 100 pages. That being said I didn't dislike it, I even liked parts of it, but over all I wanted something this book was missing, and because of that I wouldn't recommend it.

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Review: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a difficult book for me. I decided to listen to it after a few times opening the book in the past reading a few sentences and saying I wasn't in the mood over the last few years. I decided it was time to give it a real go and so I got the audiobook. I did not care for the the first part of it at all. If I'm honest, I really only liked parts of the book. I did enjoy the second half more than the first half, but I still didn't love any of the characters.
The book opens with Adam Ewing's journal. I found him to be irritating, and I have to agree that his journal doesn't seem like any journal I've every read. Also, for all of his philosophizing and analyzing he was blind to the people around him. If I had not known that the book was going to switch narrators and soon I might have given up again.
Second, we have Robert Frobisher writing letters to his friend Rufus Sixsmith. Robert came across as needy and whiny. I again contemplated putting the book aside and saying it just wasn't a book for me.
Third is Luisa Ray, a journalist. Her story was the first that actually held my attention and didn't have me wondering when it was going to end and we were going to get to the next narrator. I think part of this is that it was told as more of a novel. It flowed and I felt like I got to know the setting and characters a little better.
Fourth is Timothy Cavendish an older man in publishing. Again, I found him needy and whiny, and I started hoping for his narration to end and be over with quickly.
Fifth we have a future setting with Sonmi-451. She was by far the most interesting of the narrators and her story was one I would have been happy to listen to for longer.
Last, and the only narrative that is not interrupted is a far future setting with Zachry narrating and Meronym as an outsider staying with his tribe. I didn't for the most part like this narration. I wasn't waiting for it to end like I did with the others, but I also didn't really care.
Then of course the book goes backwards through the characters again. I did enjoy them slightly more the second time around, but I still can't say that I really enjoyed all of the book. As a whole it was ambitious and I like the idea behind the work. It at times worked, but there were a lot of points when it just didn't work for me. I can say with certainty that if I had been reading the text I would never have made it all the way through the book. I probably would have stopped somewhere shortly after reading the first 100 pages. That being said I didn't dislike, I even liked parts of it, but over all I wanted something this book was missing. Because of that I wouldn't recommend it.

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Review: Selected Poems

Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This Collection of poems was short and for me that was a good thing. I had a hard time accessing the poetry. They sound nice read aloud, but the meaning often took some digging to get to. While that isn't a bad thing it isn't what I look for in a collection of poetry. I want to be able to enjoy the sound and meaning of each poem without having to stop and dissect each line.
I wasn't really familiar with Emily Dickinson's writing prior to reading this collection. I had read one or two poems in high school and college writing classes, but she wasn't an author I sought out. Having read this collection, I think I can say that she is not the poet for me. That doesn't mean she wouldn't be great for someone else. However, out of the whole collection there is only one poem that I really felt a connection to. Normally there are a few in each collection that I connect with. Because of that I'm not recommending this collection. Unless you are looking for a very short introduction to Emily Dickinson I would suggest you choose a different poetry collection.

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Review: All the Birds in the Sky

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting novel in that it melded fantasy and science fiction. Most novels pick one and stay firmly in that genre. I liked that this brought them together. The world is similar to the current world but there is magic. Natural magic that is in the service of nature, and then there is science that is far advance from our own. The planet has been damaged by humans and two forces, science and magic, are looking for a solution to this problem. Their approaches are different though and that leads to conflict between the groups.
Patricia and Laurence start out as rejects at their school. This brings them together until an assassin who saw the future appears and begins pushing them apart. The novel is divided into four books. The books give us time to know the history of the two characters and I think that really made the story engaging. Also, both characters were enjoyable at young and older ages.
I have been reading darker fiction recently and this was a lighter read. It wasn't all light but the negative was limited in scope. When I finished this novel I didn't despair for the human race.
I recommend this book. It was an easy read and the story was enjoyable from start to finish.

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Review: Royal Assassin

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this was the strongest book of the series so far. In the last we see Fitz grow into a young man. In this we see him taking charge of his life even if it goes against what others believe is best. I could see how he was making changes to the world around him in this book. In the previous book we was being acted through.
Even though the Wit is consider Beast magic and unclean, Fitz uses it. He bonds with a wolf, Nighteyes, and uses it to protect himself from the white ship and those who wish to harm. He does his best to hide his use of Wit magic and keep people from discovering he has it.
At the start of this book Fitz is ready to give up on life but he quickly changes his mind when he thinks about his childhood friend Molly and what may have happened to her. Once he thinks of her he has the courage to leave he Mountain Kingdom and return to Buckkeep. He is still recovering from being poisoned when he gets back and having the maintain his appearance is at first hard for him. However, he finds solace in Molly who is now at the castle.
This book covers a lot of ground in a short about of time. I'm looking forward to the next book, and seeing how Fitz grows into himslef. He is an interesting character whom I enjoy spending time with.

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Review: The Governess Game

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*I won a copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway.*
Alexandra Mountbatten shows up to make sure the clocks are on time and comes face to face with the man she has been fantasizing about since she collided with him in the book store. Chase thinks she has showed up as the new governess and hires her after an argument where she puts him in his place. This story was fast paced and the chemistry between our two main characters was believable and I was glad to see that the fantasies were not what brought them together but their interactions in the present. I really liked the children that Chase has inherited with the title as well. The girls were very sweet and the morning ritual of the funeral for the doll was one of my favorite parts of the novel.

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Review: Commonwealth

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This books follows two families that are joined through marriage after an affair. The children from the first marriages are dealing with the repercussions of the events that happened after the second marriage. I found the story to be engaging but it was not a page turner. I liked how we changed perspective as we went through the story and the children each had a chance to tell a little of what happened. I would recommend this book.

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Review: Three Sisters

Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my second Susan Mallery book and it was as good if not better than the first novel. Andi, Denna, and Boston are neighbors all dealing with pain and loose in different ways. I liked that the novel didn't say there was one way to grieve, deal with past trauma, or move on. The characters were not what you would think of as a normal group of friends, but they were able to find something in friendship that gave them courage to move forward. Yes, there was romance, but the romance was not center stage. This is really a book about friends, and it was a very good one. I'd recommend it.

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Review: Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I waited for the moments of grace, but all I found were moments of anger and self-pity.

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Review: Sing, Unburied, Sing

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had a really hard time with this novel. I didn't find anything to connect with, sympathize with, or connect to in the characters. The characters should have been ones I cared about, but the author didn't write them in a way I felt anything for the. Then we have the vomit. So much of it. I really would rather not read about it. I should note here that I have a phobia of vomit and this book should have come with a warning. Then there were the ghosts. The story started out going one way and then the ghosts came and took over. I spent most of the time I was reading the book hoping the pace would pick up and it would end . I strongly disliked the novel, and then the ending came and I thought okay finally I connected with a character. The ending is the only reason this got a two stars rating instead of one. I wish I could say this novel was good, I wish I could recommend it, but I really can't. It just didn't work for me, and I thought it was missing something.

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Review: The Cherry Cola Book Club

The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't feel like this book was very deep, and I kept getting distracted by the dialogue. I just didn't think it was a realistic. I didn't completely dislike the book but I didn't feel like the writing was as interesting as it could have been. I wanted to really like this novel, but it felt like it was very surface and there wasn't anything further. I also felt like there was a lot of summary as a result I just didn't get a feeling for the characters. At the end of the novel I found that while the issues the book touch are important to me this book didn't make me care about them.

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Review: Treasure of Green Knowe

Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a nice very light children's adventure story. Not much happens as far as action goes, but Tolly is visiting his grandmother on holiday and learns about Green Knowe, the house he is staying at, through stories and exploring. I enjoyed listening to this lots.

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Review: How to Train Your Dragon: How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the this book. It was silly in a way that I didn't find the last book. I particularly liked "the vegetable that cannot be named." At this point the story isn't anything new, but it is still fun. I liked the addition of One-Eye in this story. He added an interesting counter to Toothless on the dragon side of the story. I was glad to have Kamikaze in this book again. She is a fun character. While the story wasn't very different from the rest of the series I still enjoyed it.

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Review: The Halloween Tree

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was an interesting book and not at all what I expected from Ray Bradbury after reading Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. While I found it easy to listen to I don't think I would have finished this if I had been reading it. It was not exciting. I found the history of Halloween to be a bit dull. I was surprised to find I felt that way but I just wasn't taken by the story.

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Review: How to Be a Pirate

How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the first one. Hiccup and Toothless are more developed and I liked seeing Hiccup grow. I don't find the story haha funny, but I do enjoy the fun adventure aspect of the story. I love the narration, especially for Toothless. I'm going to continue listening to this series it is light and enjoyable.

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Review: The Ones Who Got Away

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liv and Fin were great characters and they had chemistry. I enjoyed the story. I wondered when we would start seeing stories about survivors of school shootings. This one didn't let the shooting overpower the rest of the story and for that I was grateful. I liked seeing the survivors 12 years after and how they still struggled when the aftermath of what happened. That aspect of the story felt real to me. I also really liked the story of the friends that was a side story to the romance. This is a book I will recommend.

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Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book or find it useful. However, I'm glad I listened to it. I did find myself wanting to make notes while I was driving so I will probably go back now that I've finished and make some notes. The book probably could have been shorter but there was good information in here and I think the advice is something I will try implementing.

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Review: How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was very different from the movie. I enjoyed both for different reasons. I listened to the audiobook of this as it was read by David Tennant, and I couldn't help myself. I really enjoyed it. I'm glade I decided to listen. I'll be looking for the next book in the series to see what Hiccup and Toothless get up to next.

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Review: Rosemary and Rue

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is an interesting book for me. I don't read a lot of urban fantasy, because I don't care for it. I didn't care for this book for 75% of the book. I did like the ending. October was not a likable character, and for most of the book she pushed everyone away. I also didn't feel like I got a good feeling for the other characters in the story. By the end I had a handle on a lot of the characters, but they still didn't feel as developed as I would have liked. This is a series and I think this was just an introduction to it. I'm not sure if I want to continue or not. The ending almost has me convinced that it might be worth reading more. Also, I have read the Wayward Children series and loved it. I'm not sure why but I feel like I just read a book by a completely different author in Rosemary and Rue. I would have liked to see more of the lyrical fluid writing from the Wayward Children books. I know this was a different type of novel, but it was missing something.

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Review: The Fate of the Tearling

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was the strongest book in the series, but like others I don't know that I like the ending. I loved the rest of the book though and it would have been a five star rating if the ending hadn't struck me as slightly off. Also, I had a few questions that weren't answered. I know in life we don't have all the answers so maybe in fiction we don't have all the answers either.

The relationships in this book were amazing. The Red Queen and Kelsea have had an adversarial relationship and in past books she was the main antagonist. Here we see her in a different light. I didn't think the character went through a big change it was just the way we see her. I liked many of the characters were more developed and we saw them in a new light in this book. Kelsea also seemed to have more dept of emotion in this book.

In the last book we saw Lily before the crossing. In this book we see Katie who is born after the crossing. The adults have not shared what the world was like before the crossing with the children. This is the beginning of the darkness that Kelsea sees in her time. I liked that we got more of the history of the Tearling in this novel. This novel is by far the strongest in the series, and I will recommend the series, but the ending was not as strong as the rest of the book.

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Review: Around the World In 80 Days

Around the World In 80 Days by Jules Verne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I listened to the audiobook and it was well done. I've read Jules Verne in the past, but not this book. I'm surprise that I didn't read it and I'm happy to find that the author holds up to my opinion of his works. I have found that coming back to an author I liked years ago can be disappointing. I was not disappointed by Jules Verne.

Around the World in 80 Days follows Phileas Fogg as he travels around the world on a bet in 80 days. He takes his newly acquired valet Passepartout and from there they jump from one method of travel to the next. Along the way the have adventures. I really liked the ending and was glad to have read the book. I think I will be reading more the Extraordinary Voyages books.

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Review: The Power

The Power by Naomi Alderman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a hard book for me to rate. I found the ideas engaging. I thought about them when I wasn't reading the book. But I didn't connect with the characters or the story. I found myself at times bored when I was reading. However, I did think about the book when I wasn't reading. This isn't to say I always disliked all the characters, sometimes I liked some of them, but there was no time during the story when I liked all of the main characters. There were times I disliked all of them. So did I like the book, not really. Was it effective at getting me to think about the power structure in a new way, yes it was. I am glad I read the book but I'm not going to recommend it.

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Review: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a powerful book. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit because he was poor and black in Alabama. I listened to the audiobook and it was an emotional listen. It was very good though and I didn't want to turn it off. The narrator did an amazing job. I really enjoyed the discussion of the relationships the author built while he was on death row. I would recommend this book and I hope that maybe there is starting to be a change in our legal system to fix problems like this. Anthony Ray Hinton's story is not an anomaly. His story is the story of many who are wrongly accused. I would recommend you listen to this audiobook, we need to make a change to our legal system and the first step is understanding the problems.

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Review: Wicked and the Wallflower

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed this book, it didn't work as well for me as other books from the author. Devil and Felicity had chemistry, but the rest of the story, particularly the backstory, was at times a little confusing. My biggest problem with the book though was the way Devil acts towards Felicity. I liked Devil for most of the novel but he ended up annoying me.

I'll be reading the next in the series as I've really enjoyed many of MacLean's novels, this one just didn't meet the standard I expected based on her past writing.

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Review: A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire. I've listened to the audiobooks for the series and found them to be excellent. Before I started this book I read summaries for each chapter of the previous book. Starting this I was still a little lost. Then this is such a huge world that even between chapters I sometimes get confused about who is who. I've had been putting off reading this book in the hopes that maybe The Winds of Winter would be published soon. However, I realized that waiting was not going to work because it could be years. I'm glad I decided not to wait. I like the world and Martin creates and the characters are fascinating. This novel doesn't include all of the characters, but I was alright with that. I was surprised to have characters that I disliked in past novels be characters I enjoyed in this novel. I still don't like Cersei. She makes it so easy to dislike her.

I know that this novel is really half of a novel, but the ending did not feel at all like an ending to me. I'm glad that I have A Dance with Dragons that I can read otherwise I would be very unsatisfied. Some of the characters had what felt a little like an ending but the actual ending felt like a beginning.

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Review: Just Like Heaven

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read enough of Julia Quinn's novels to be familiar with the abysmal Smythe-Smith performances. Getting to see the performances from the inside added a lot to why they happen and why people attend.

Honoria and Marcus were a nice pair there was a good amount of sexual tension built up in the story. There were a few things that didn't work for me though. I could see that Honoria and Marcus loved each other but I think I wanted something a little more from the relationship. The story itself was a nice light read.

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Review: The Skylighter

The Skylighter by Becky Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is hard to find a series that is only two books these days.

The Keepers' Chronicles was well contained and the characters were easy to connect with. Rafi and Johanna were fun characters to cheer for. I liked how we got to see more of Rafi's brother Dom in this novel. He was more than just the Dukes second son who was easy going and liked to fool around. I like when I get to know a character and it isn't just me as the reader who didn't see their depth but also those know seemed to know them best.

There are some things that could have been better developed, such as why the wall was necessary between the Keepers and Santarem. The creation of the wall is touched on but I didn't really understand the conflict between the two kingdoms. However, for me this was the story of Santarem and the conflicts happening there. It was also about the relationships between the characters. I think the book got the characters right and I would recommend this series. The world of storyspinners, performers, and magic was one that I found intriguing.

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Review: Barefoot Season

Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had a really hard time picking between a 3 star rating and a 4 star rating. I dropped it done from 4 stars to 3 because after some thought the ending just didn't work for me and felt forced.

I really liked the book up until the ending. Michelle and Carly are brought together after 10 years apart. Their friendship was ruined before Michelle went into the army and neither have forgiven the other for the betrayal. I liked the idea of the Blackberry Island and how in the summer the blackberries and beautiful setting bring in tourists, but it is really just a small town and you can't escape your past in a small town. This for me is a story of friendship. However, it also tried to be a romance and I personally felt like it was just to much and the romance side of novel wasn't developed enough to be satisfying. I did enjoy the book a lot. It just didn't end in a way that was believable based on what I know of the characters.

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Review: Beneath the Sugar Sky

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book in the Wayward Children series. It takes us back to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. A new student, Cora, who was a mermaid narrates the majority of the story. She was a likable character and I found I enjoyed spending time with her.

This book was different from the previous ones in a few significant ways. One is that it take some of our favorite characters from Every Heart a Doorway and takes them on an adventure to help Sumi's daughter. As a result of the adventure we learn about the worlds. I didn't feel like I really understood the lay out of the worlds and this book really helped me to see that.

I would highly recommend this novella. It is by far my favorite in the series to this point.

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Review: Catch of the Day

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute novel. It was also funny. The opening was one of the best I have read in a while. It also did a really good job demonstrating what a small town can be like. Gossip moves quickly. The premise of a priest setting up blind dates for one of his parishioners was funny. Maggie takes things in stride even when things go hilariously wrong. There weren't a lot of surprises in this novel however it was a very enjoyable read and I liked Maggie and her leading man...not the priest.

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Review: The Lemon Orchard

The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was very good. It was also a bit of an emotional read. Roberto and Julia have both experienced the loss of a daughter. However, Roberto an undocumented immigrant doesn't know if is daughter survived. Their connection over a shared grief is strong.

I listened to the audiobook an it was very well done. I didn't want to stop listening. I would recommend this novel. I think it shows a side of immigration that we often hear about but don't have a human side for. If you are uncertain about this novel I would suggest you give it a try.

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Review: Hello Stranger

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Garrett and Ethan have both appeared in other Ravenel novels. I was excited that we would have a novel featuring Garrett, because she is such a head strong inspirational character as a female doctor. I wasn't sure about her being paired with Ethan Ransom though. It worked very well though.

Ethan was a bit dramatic at times. His character had me rolling my eyes and laughing multiple times. I really enjoyed that the male character was the one with a flair for the dramatic. Garrett was of course steady and doctorly. Well she was emotional when it was reasonable however she didn't loose her cool the way many women would.

Lisa Klaypas wrote another book in the Ravenel series that made me love the characters and care about them. Also, female power to Pandora and Garrett. They are great strong women in a world dominated by men.

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Review: Men Without Women

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed these stories. However, they were often startling in how strange and unexpected they were. That is a good thing though.

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Review: Flashes of War

Flashes of War by Katey Schultz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me start by say that I know the author. I don't think that effects my opinion of the book, but I want to be upfront about that.

This is a collection of stories, and they range from very short to about 10 pages. This is shorter than most short stories I've read it the past. I wasn't sure if this would be something I would like, but it turned out that it works for the subject. What I liked most about these stories is how they feel so everyday. My Son Wanted a Notebook is likely my favorite story in the collection, and it feels so simple and everyday. While nothing that happens in the stories is my everyday for the characters it feels like it is the normal. Most stories and novels I've read make it seem abnormal. I really liked how this collection as a whole delt with being a soldier, Afghani, former soldier, and partner of a soldier. I think these stories show a human side of something that we see in news reports. I liked having the thoughts and feelings on the page.

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Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was good, but not as good as the first book. I enjoyed parts of it but the style of narration added a disconnect from the characters. In Every Heart a Doorway I cared about what happened to the characters. I didn't care about Jack and Jill in this story. I every felt like I got close enough to them to really connect with anything they felt.

The story is beautifully written, and I really liked getting to know the story of Jack and Jill, I didn't end up loving the book.

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Review: Lilac Girls

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had a very slow start for me. It was divided into three parts and it wasn't until part II that the story really started to hold my attention. I admit that at first I thought this would be a book I just didn't care for. However, it really was very good. The ending really made the story for me. If you choose to pick this up I would really recommend the audiobook. The narrators do an excellent job.

We have three main characters who cross paths at different points during the story. Caroline, in New York, who is privileged in many ways. She was a difficult character for me. She came across as a bit haughty in the story, but she was also very caring. Then we have Kasia, a Polish teenager. She was the most likable character, and also had the most development through out the story. Last is Herta a doctor in Germany. Set during WWII one knows that these women are going to struggle to survive. They each do so in a different way. I liked seeing the different perspectives on the war. This novel shows a different side of WWII than most of the novels I've read in the past. I would say it is one worth reading if you enjoy historical fiction.

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Review: When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know the outcome of this book before you even start it. That being said. I thought this was a powerful book, and the struggle to define one's life is something anyone can relate to. Most of us are not forced to come to terms with our mortality at a young age, but it is something we all think about. What is most important to us? What makes us who we are? What are we willing to sacrifice to get to our goal? Paul Kalanithi looks at all these things as he deals with having Stage IV lung cancer. This is a book about dying but it is also a book about living.

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Review: Every Heart a Doorway

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been seeing this book around for a while now. It never seemed like the type of book I wanted to read. I am so glad I did pick it up and read it. I think from the series name, Wayward Children, I had thought this might be a young adult novel. It is not. Therefore, very early on in the story I was a little surprised by Sumi who is our narrator, Nancy's roommate. (view spoiler)[She mentions masturbation after Nancy mentions being asexual. Both very casually. I was so happy that this didn't become a plot point. (hide spoiler)]

This story is darker than I would have expected. While it is short I never felt like it was rushed. At 30 or 40% into the book I was still getting used to the characters and the ideas of travel to a world that is unique to you. Logic and Nonsence and Virtue and Wickedness as compass points were an interesting idea. I'm not sure I fully understand the different worlds, but I didn't need to.

There is so much in this novella (less than 200 pages) that I'm amazed it was so short. It was fantasy, mystery, and so so much more. I highly recommend this novel. (view spoiler)[The ending really surprised me. Also, I realized the title has more meaning than I had originally thought. I liked that it was there for us to puzzle out the entire time but the author never hits us over the head with it. (hide spoiler)]This is a dark gem just waiting to be discovered. I can't wait to read more in this world and by the author.

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Review: Still Me

Still Me by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed Louisa Clark's story. This novel did not progress exactly how I thought it would, but I liked that I didn't predict everything that happened in the story. Also, let me just say that the audiobook was amazing. Anna Action did a great job with all the different voices.

I don't want to give anything away that happened in the first books. However, I think this is the novel where Louisa really begins to learn who she is and what she wants. This story was more hers that the other novels. The first was Will's novel, the second was Lilly's novel and Sam's to a lesser extent. These characters were the ones that pushed Lou in a direction. This novel has characters who affected Lou, but the changes in her were changes that made Lou more Lou not something or someone else. While this isn't my favorite of the novels, it was an ending I am very happy with. I liked the resolution for Lou. This is a series I will recommend for others.

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Review: The Time Machine

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting book, however, I think it probably was much more interesting and engaging in the time period it was written. It felt a little flat to me. I didn't dislike it but I also did not love the story. I found the fact that the story takes place all through characters dialog to be interesting. I liked that aspect of the story. I can see how this story influenced so may time travel stories, however I don't know that it is the best I've read.

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Review: Mine Till Midnight

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the Cam and Amelia's story. This book was not set in London and it lacked some of the more common part and ball sense. I liked that about the book.

It was a quick read and just what I was looking for to relax on the weekend.

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Review: 'Til Death Do Us Part

'Til Death Do Us Part by Kate White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have not listened to or read the first two books in this series. I listened to the abridged version of this book. Normally I wouldn't do that but in my previous experience the abridging of mysteries actually works for me.

Bailey Weggins was in this book a little curious and she didn't let things go. I found the story engaging and I enjoyed wonder which character did it. I don't know that this will get me to listen to or read more books similar to this but I will certainly come back to this author if I'm looking for a light audiobook.

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Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't find Mindy Kaling's voice enjoyable to listen to which is odd because I've really enjoyed her on TV when I actually took the time to watch her shows.

The book felt random to me and I would have liked it to have more of a story arch. I was warned these were going to be random thoughts when I started the audiobook, I just expected that they would be random thoughts that would be interesting to me. Sometimes it was but most of the time it just made me realize that I do not have any desire to live in the celebrity world and boy is it a different world from my world.

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Review: Dark Matter

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook. While the female voices didn't work as well for me at times I was completely taken by the story. I kept being surprised by the story. Every time I thought I figured out what was happening there was a new twist.

After reading this novel, I'm not sure I'll be able to think about the choices we make in the same way again. I highly recommend this novel. It kept me up at night thinking about the world we live in, the choices Jason might make as the novel progressed. This story captivated, devastated, and challenged me. This is not my typical read, but I'm so glad I picked it up.

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Review: The Orphan Queen

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book or not. However, it ended up being very enjoyable. Wilhelmina was an interesting character and her back story while somewhat under developed was what made her interesting. I also liked Tobiah and James. Many of the other characters felt a little underdeveloped. I know that was because this is a first person narrative and we only see what Wilhelmina does.

What I liked about the story was the plot and the opposites of magic and wrath. I'm interested to see what the author does with this. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

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Review: My Dog Tulip

My Dog Tulip by J.R. Ackerley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was good. However, it seemed rather old fashioned in its views. I know that is because this book was written in the 50s and ideas have changed significantly since then. The beginning of the book was really quite good, however; when he starts telling about her heats and the trouble of finding her a "husband," it began to loose my interested. It was an interesting examination of a dogs life, but it wasn't anything spectacular.

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Review: The Lady Meets Her Match

The Lady Meets Her Match by Gina Conkle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, but it was nothing special. Claire and Cyrus were fun characters. I wasn't quite as drawn into this story as some of the stories I've read. It was good, but the non sexual tension didn't work for me. There was too much foreshadowing of events for my liking. That said I did enjoy the sexual attraction between our main characters find the build up there to be very engaging.

The book cover was a disappointment as at no point did I think the characters were wearing the clothes on the cover. The dress was a different color. Also, Cyrus has long hair, and Claire's hair is much blonder than the image. That might be the most disappointing part of this book, that the cover which was already not one of my favorites failed to match with the book.

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Review: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was amazing. Yes, it seems a little odd to say about a book about mental health. I would normally say I do not suffer from any mental health issues, but that wouldn't be true as I have a phobia that while isn't often present when it manifests itself is debilitating. As a result, I connected with many things in this book.

Besides a good laugh, a few tears, and amazing narration this book offers something to those that don't suffer from mental illness, a glimpse into the life of someone who does, and that is what I found most compelling. Also, the spoon theory really spoke to me. I have struggled with gastrointestinal issues and some days I just can't do the things I want to do, and now I'm just going to tell people "I'm sorry I can't do that because I'm out of spoons." I'm looking forward to their confused expressions.

You should really listen to this audiobook, it is one of the best I've heard in a long time.

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