Summer Book Bingo Update #4: Finis!

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!

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This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. YAY for summer reading and a cover-all – congratulations, Carole! …so what are you going to read now? 🙂

  3. I LOVED Sleeping with Pancho Villa, and you already know what I think of the Billy Collins ;-). Congrats on your cover-all . . . and I think I’ll just PASS on Those Who Save Us!!!
    Happy Reading.

  4. A cover-all with lots of well-chosen books by the beginning of August is a wonderful accomplishment. Then there is the added bonus of your creative and colorful bingo card and reading whatever you want!

  6. I am always amazed to see people get coveralls as it usually means reading books one may not wish to, but it also means you had a wonderful summer of reading! Good work!

  8. I LOVE your book posts… as a voracious reader I’m always looking for the next good book, and so many times there you are with great recommendations.

  11. Well done! Practical Magic is one of my favorites by Alice Hoffman. And Billy Collins usually makes me smile.

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