On Friday, friends, I got my Book Bingo Cover All! Woot!

I finished strong with the following:

Square #22: Borrowed: The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
4 stars
Very readable, this book has a lot going on: romance, historical bits, intrigue and mystery. I enjoyed the back and forth between time periods and, while some of the dialogue fell flat and a few of the characters were stereotyped, it was a fun read. Reminiscent of The Historian and The Thirteenth Tale, this is a must read for those who love old books.

Square #11: Already Own: Sleeping with Pancho Villa by Rick Skwiot
5 stars
This book, which is more a series of vignettes than a traditional novel, is brilliant. I love the stories and the characters, and the setting, which is the thing that truly unites them all, is so real I felt like I could feel the dust on my skin and taste the cerveza and tequila they were drinking. Highly recommended.

Square #16: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
I love the way Alice Hoffman sets a scene and creates a mood and I found this book to be lovely and entertaining. Her prose really shines in this one and I love the magical world she creates here.

Square #21: A Collection of Poetry: Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
4 stars
I don’t read a lot of poetry but I enjoyed this collection, particularly the poems dealing with nature.

Square # 13: Any Book: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
3 stars
The story is great and fast-paced, a definite page turner. But – the dialogue is quite awkward at times (and I am annoyed when an author doesn’t use quotation marks) and it gets repetitious, particularly when it comes to sex. (The Nazi officer likes weird sex. I get it already.) I liked the resolution at the end but felt it was a bit contrived and I was frustrated that the author didn’t allow for the characters to mend their relationship. Recommended for those who like Holocaust fiction and want to know more about things from the perspective of German citizens, but honestly, The Book Thief and All the Light We Cannot See did it much better.

Thank you, Mary, for inspiring another great summer of reading! Even though my card was pretty easy this year I’m still looking forward to reading whatever I want for the foreseeable future!