Here are my quick reviews of the books I have been reading lately...
"All is Vanity" -- Christina Schwarz
11/23-11/26
4 stars
(different theme of consumerism and interesting characters -- enjoyed the lavish lifestyle, etc. although I would have changed the plot a little bit)
"Disobedience" -- Jane Hamilton
11/26-11/27
3 stars
(a little bit far fetched as far as characters go I think -- especially the sister and her role in bringing the family back together)
"The Mermaid Chair" -- Sue Monk Kidd
11/27-11/28
5 stars
(suspenseful with a bizarre story line -- enjoyed all of it -- liked the themes of Catholicism running throughout)
"Eden Close" -- Anita Shreve
11/29-11/30
4 stars
(a very disturbing story line that was unfolded slowly during the story - very good)
"Vinegar Hill" -- A. Manette Ansay
11/30
4 stars
(a lot of dysfunction, but well-written and kept my interest)
"Open House" -- Elizabeth Berg
11/30-12/1
3 stars
(very matter-of-factly written and a little too simplistic for me overall)
"The Lovely Bones" --- Alice Sebold
12/1 -- 12/2
4 stars
(had it not been for the last 40 or so pages, I would have given it a 5 star rating -- the "Ghost" movie scene was popping in my head in those last pages and a few things about the ending didn't sit right with me)
"While I Was Gone" --- Sue Miller
12/3
5 stars
(I believed the story could have happened -- loved the moral aspect of it)
"Black & Blue" --- Anna Quindlen
12/4
5 stars
(depressing with the abuse theme, but she did a nice job of really understanding the feelings and lives of abuse victims)
"Drowning Ruth" -- Christina Schwarz
12/4-12/5
2 stars
(I cheated on this one -- I read the first 140 pages and couldn't get into it -- then read the last 30 pages and figured everything out -- what was within those other 140 pages is beyond me since I pieced the whole thing together -- her style of writing is what really prevents the actual story from getting across properly in my opinion)
"Map of the World" -- Jane Hamilton
12/5-12/6
4 stars
(I read this one already knowing the entire story and it was worth the 390 pages -- lots of emotional twists and turns)
"Where the Heart Is" -- Billie Lett
12/6-12/8
5 stars
(I loved this book -- it was depressing, quirky, funny, heartfelt -- great combo of characters and emotions -- this author has quite the imagination, but it worked for me!)
"Midwives" -- Chris Bohjalian
12/8-12/10
4 stars
(It was a good original, thought-provoking story -- I thought that the book was foreshadowing the verdict of the trial the entire time and then it pulled a loop on me -- the fact that the tone of the book didn't totally match the outcome didn't sit well with me -- oh and the fact that there was so much repetition of details -- with the lawyers, during the trial, etc. etc. -- I liked it, but just thought there were a few things that didn't sit right with me after reading the ending)
"House of Sand and Fog" -- Andre Dumus III
12/10-12/11
5 stars
(I loved this book -- if I had the chance, I would have read it from cover to cover straight because the suspense was killing me! The theme really was a good one -- the tragedy of not giving in. Totally recommend this one if you can get through the graphic sexual scenes)
"Midnight Champagne" -- A. Manette Ansay
12/12
3 stars
(Not at all what I expected and I ended the book still wondering about things. I think I was going into it with different expectations than the book was offering. It had me hooked and I read it straight through in one afternoon/evening, but I really felt like I was disappointed in the ending.)
"One True Thing" -- Anna Quindlen
12/13
5 stars
(This was the most amazing book. It is a tear-jerker, but the emotional dilemmas and the relationships between the family members are just beautifully illustrated by the author. I couldn't put it down. This is the second I have read by Anna Quindlen and I know that the other 2 works of fiction by her are also on my list!)
"The Good Mother" -- Sue Miller
12/14 - ??
in process
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