Today I’m updating you and sharing the books I’ve read since October 22. It’s slightly less than usual, I think partly because I’ve been knitting more. And also maybe because I was hitting Sims Mobile pretty hard in November. But I’ve been back on track with my reading the last couple of weeks and it’s time to catch you up.

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A very good story of a Jewish family living in Poland during WWII. I liked that it was based on the author’s family and found the different story lines to be interesting (and horrifying) but it was sometimes confusing keeping track of the characters.

 

 

Transcription by Kate Atkinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with Atkinson’s latest, particularly since I adored Life After Life. This had all the elements to make it great: the backdrop of WW2, quirky British characters, and an intriguing plot. And yet it never really took off for me. I didn’t connect with Juliet and found the timeline to be very choppy and disjointed. Nevertheless, I love Atkinson’s style and her portrayal of the lasting damage of the war on England and her people is brilliant.

 

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book had great potential and an interesting plot but it was just too long with too many characters. I had some issues keeping track of who was who and the jumping around was disjointed, I’d find myself having a hard time remembering where a certain plot point left off when Morton finally got back to the present. After all the details and all the build up the ending felt rushed and I’m particularly annoyed at some of the ambiguity and unanswered questions. This would have been better if it had been about 150 pages shorter, I think. Recommended with reservations for Morton fans.

 

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It’s always hard to give a negative review to a memoir so I’ll preface this by saying that the author writes very well about her childhood experiences and about the murder of a young boy by a child molester. What I have issues with is the connection between the two – I feel that’s forced and used as a means to get the author’s story out there. I’d have had more appreciation, I think, for the author’s story alone.

 

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Do not read this book for plot. Read it for imagery and prose, for character and setting. Interpret the things left ambiguous and just immerse yourself in the hazy memories of childhood, loss, intrigue, and love.

 

 

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Light and easy, a great palate cleanser after a lot of heavy books lately. Recommended for those who enjoyed Practical Magic.

 

Vox by Christina Dalcher
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise is fascinating and terrifying and this should have been a terrific book. But. There is little depth to the characters and the big pay off at the end feels rushed and confused. Read The Handmaid’s Tale instead, it’s a much better book.

 

Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is good but I feel like it could have been great if McBride had focused less on the politics and more on the personal.

 

What are you reading right now? I always want to know!

It’s become customary to share the list of books I’ve read around the middle of each month. And so, here are the books I’ve read since mid-September.

Rosie Colored Glasses by Brianna Wolfson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The story is captivating and I wanted to love this book about divorce and addiction and mental illness and the impacts it can have on a family but the writing is just simplistic and childish and, honestly, not very good. The author repeats words over and over (and over) and the incomplete sentences and one sentence paragraphs annoyed me a lot. For instance, “Because everywhere where Rosie was, was special. And Rosie left pieces of herself everywhere she ever was. Rosie left pieces of Rosie in everyone she ever loved.” I’ll leave it at that.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book in question is the Sarajevo Haggadah and Brooks follows the book itself back and forth through time, using vignettes of the people who handled the book as the plot. I enjoyed it a lot and appreciated that Brooks didn’t tie up the individual stories but instead left us to decide on our own what happened. The ending felt a little forced but overall I found it to be well written and a great read.

 

Then and Always by Dani Atkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wish I could review the plot and the writing separately. For the story I’d give this 4 stars – it was interesting and intriguing and I didn’t “figure it out” until the very end. For the writing, though, I’d give this 2 stars. The prose is unnecessarily flowery and just not very good. I wasn’t expecting literary fiction, but I was hoping for something more than another chic lit romance. Still, it was a fast and easy read and I’d recommend it for those times when you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re reading.

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to love this book but it felt a bit forced and read much more like a memoir than a novel. The writing is good and I think Clemmons has potential but this one just never took off.

 

 

To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fabulous story of the Alaskan wilderness, survival, hope, superstition and more. I loved the characters and different points of view, the setting was vivid and beautiful, and the story heartbreaking and lovely and captivating. Highly recommended!

 

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

Our justice system is not just, particularly for someone poor and black and the death penalty as it is currently administered is cruel. I admire Anthony Ray Hinton for his strength of character, vivid imagination, and unwavering hope. An important read.

 

Paris in the Present Tense by Mark Helprin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Helprin’s writing is just beautiful and, while it took a while for this novel to grab me, once it did I fell completely in love with it. Jules, the main character, is marvelous and has seen and done incredible things in his lifetime. This is one that should not be missed.

 

View all my reviews

I found a way to copy my reviews from Good Reads that I like much better than the way I have been doing it – hope you have found it better, too.

What are you reading these days?

 

I haven’t posted about books I’ve read since I got my Bingo cover all back in early August. Time to catch up on the ones I’ve finished lately!

There There by Tommy Orange
4 stars
Devastating and brilliant, this debut is a must read for it’s unique story. I had issues with some of this – too many characters that were had to keep track of and an ending that, while beautifully written seemed to leave out some important details. Still, I’m looking forward to reading more from Tommy Orange, I think he will be a very important new voice for Native American literature.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
5 stars
This is a beautiful book. The prose is gorgeous, it deserves to be read slowly, with plenty of time to reread certain passages and ponder the meaning of grace, mortality, and community.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
4 stars
It’s been over 60 years since this book was published and yet the message still resonates – particularly among women – today. The concept of a woman spending time alone, of seeking peace and being mindful, was new then but luckily it has become accepted. As the author writes, “Women need solitude in order to find again the true essence of themselves.” That couldn’t be more true for me and spending some of that solitude reading this book has been not only lovely but also enlightening.

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
3 stars
An interesting study on the effects of mental illness on an individual and their family and friends. I thought it dragged on a bit too long but still enjoyed the story and the writing.

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern
3 stars
Odds are that I’m going to like a book set in a library and this one is no exception. I found it dragged on at times and then the ending felt a little quick and forced but overall it’s an enjoyable story with interesting characters and a great setting.

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
4 stars
I read this in practically one sitting, which says a lot about the pace of the story. Overall, I enjoyed it immensely, the characters and community, the subtle humor and the satisfying ending. I think the transition from part one to part two is a little abrupt and I had a hard time connecting aging Willa with Willa from part one but still, Anne Tyler is a terrific storyteller.

Varina by Charles Frazier
2 stars
I had to force myself to finish this one and I’ll admit that I skimmed quite a bit. It too often felt like nonfiction, and dull nonfiction at that. It had great potential but it just never took off for me.

Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof
4 stars
An easy read, a delightful cast of characters, somewhat predictable but utterly satisfying; life really is about recognizing the small blessings that come our way.

Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years
3 stars
Entertaining and nostalgic, it made me long for the days when Obama was in the White House.

And there you have it – a bunch of pretty good books!

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!