Books for July + August
Two months in one, as I was off on vacation as July turned into August and ended up pretty much not opening my computer at all :-P With 21 books read in total, this will be longer than usual, so to be kind to your fpage, I'll hide it under a cut :-)
(I still remember the days where I'd OFTEN read 20 books a month - those days are loooooong gone X-D )
July
The Lost Story - Meg Shaffer, 3/5, 352 pages
To set the stage: I absolutely adored Meg Shaffer's book "The Wishing Game". It was love at first sight, and I went on to recommend it to everybody I knew.
So when I heard that she's written another book AND that it was inspired by C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series I was so excited! I grew up with that series, and have read them too many times to count. It couldn't have been more perfect!
... except that this meant my expectations were way too high, and that the book itself unfortunately couldn't deliver. It was perfectly fine, but since I had expected heart-eyes, "fine" just didn't cut it.
At the end of the day the book had a lot more shades of "Mio, My Son" or "Brothers Lionheart" (both by Astrid Lindgren) than it did of Narnia, and while I could see the charm of the story, I actually preferred the part that took place "here" over the part that took place "there" -- which kinda negated the charm of the book.
All this to say that this is definitely a case of "It's not you, it's me" ... possibly combined with faulty marketing.
The Housemaid - Freida McFadden, 2.5/5, 329 pages
A 2.5 star review. I thought it better than just "ok" (which is goodreads' translation of 2 stars), but definitely wouldn't go so far as to say I liked it. It was very well written, and impossible to put down - but made for a VERY unpleasant read! Kinda like "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris, actually.
I was fascinated during the first half - really couldn't figure out what was going on, and why Nina was blowing hot and cold the way she was. When the twist finally came? I had NOT seen it coming, even though I definitely should have. There were hints enough, if I had been smart enough to catch them.
But unfortunately the second half was deeply unpleasant to read. Still well written, but that doesn't make up for such a frustrating read. So I won't be reading any more in this series, and will probably eventually get rid of my physical copy of this book too.
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides, 3/5, 339 pages
I'm having a really hard time deciding what I thought of this, and it is basically impossible to review it properly without spoiling parts of it. I found it captivating, and the writing style drew me in right away. It seemed awfully disjointed at times, but not in a way that felt jarring, I was just puzzled how it would all fit together.
I only started to suspect the twist a few pages before it was revealed - and it changed everything. I really wonder how the book will read the second time around - if there are any hints earlier on. And my problem is that I can't figure out what I thought of the twist. It seemed half clever, half a cop-out, leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied with the whole thing - despite the clever writing and the way it completely drew me in right up until the last few pages.
Basically - if you enjoy an unreliable narrator, this might be a book for you. If not - give it a miss.
Blackout - Mira Grant*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~14hrs
Definitely one of my favourite series read this year.
After seeing that book two had been a transitional novel, I was a tad worried whether or not this final one would be able to live up to my expectations and provide a fitting closure to the story. Fortunately it managed this very nicely, although it in no way took the form I had expected - there were many curve-balls thrown at the reader along the way. The end was left kind of open, but with this kind of scenario, I can't really see how it could be anything else.
I'm sad to leave the characters behind - they became unusually 'real' to me.
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder*, 5/5, 409 pages
I started listening to this with no particular expectations. I'd never read a review of it, but just kept seeing it all over the place, so I figured it was about time.
I ended up LOVING it!!! One of the best books I've read in a very, very long time. It's a brilliant story that incorporates several of my favourite bookish ideas: Teaching of a craft - check. Latent magical abilities - check. Surprising romance - check. Friends among enemies - check.
Excellent book that's nicely contained. Still, it was so well written that I want to start the sequel right away :)
Alanna - Tamora Pierce*, 5/5, 216 pages
In the Hand of the Goddess - Tamora Pierce*, 5/5, 209
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 216 pages
Lioness Rampant - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 308 pages
The first quartet written by Tamora Pierce, and while "Protector of the Small" has overtaken it as my favourite series, the two first books of this quartet are definitely my favourite books. I love reading about how Alanna fits into life at the palace - her lessons and the friends she makes. I read it for the first time when I was 12'ish and have reread it regularly ever since.
I Need Freedom Ecstasy - Jordan Miland, 226 pages
My nephew's newest book which I was allowed to read :-D Happy auntie!
This was "Inception" meets "Alice in Wonderland" meets Connie Willis' "The Passage" meets... something. I know it reminds me of some other book, but can't put my finger on which one. To be perfectly honest (and Jordan already knows this), I'm not entirely sure what I thought of the plot. It was extremely well thought out, but not really my cup of tea. I don't usually go for surreal - and this was definitely that!
However, I was BLOWN AWAY by the writing. The POV changes along the way, but most of it is from that of a mentally ill person, and was just brilliantly done. The way his thoughts jumped, the memory loss, the half-formed sentences, just everything. Jordan writes WELL beyond his years, and I can't wait to see where he takes this.
So 3 stars for the plot - 5 stars for the writing.
The Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren, 4.5/5, 101 pages
A cute short-story that can easily be read in one sitting ... or during a night where I can't sleep :-P The plot is basically a simplified version of "You've Got Mail" and just as sweet :-)
August
Mind Games - Nora Roberts, 5/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
Impossible to put down and left me utterly book-hungover once I finished it.
This is one of Nora Roberts' best books. I loved the characters, I loved the relationships, I loved the setting, and the foreshadowing didn't bother me too much, as it happened so early in the book.
I loved seeing Thea grow up and come into her powers - loved her relationship with her grandmother, her brother and her friends. I adored Bunk and Bray - he reminded me a lot of Boots from Suzanne Collins' "Gregor the Overlander" in his excitements over any and all animals.
The conflict between Ty and Thea was understandable but annoying because it would have been so easily fixed with communication. Fortunately it wasn't allowed to linger, and was resolved quicker than I had feared. And I really appreciated the way Ray was handled -- perhaps not the final outcome (which didn't altogether make sense to me), but the fact that he wasn't as all-powerful as Nora Roberts' villains sometimes appear to be.
Absolutely loved it!
Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone - Diana Gabaldon, 3/5, 902 pages
This book suffers from having a too-famous author and therefore not a critical enough editor. I actually really liked it, and had the rating been tighter, I could easily have given it four stars. But long book is LONG and it didn't need to be. There were SO many plotlines that could have been left out, and it shows.
I think one of the main issues is that Gabaldon writes from too many POVs. The earlier books didn't have that problem, and were a lot tighter for it. I don't care enough for neither Ian, Bree/Roger nor William to read chapter upon chapter about their ongoings. It made sense in "Drums of Autumn" when we had the "then and now" timelines, but not really any longer. I didn't mind the chapters from Jamie's POV as much - probably because those still took place at Frasier's Ridge, and that is what I was interested in reading about!
All in all, I liked the first half the best. Despite everything, the first half read as a comfort book, and I loved reading about the going-ons at Fraiser's Ridge. I loved reading about the every-day life there - the cooking, the farming, the doctoring, the family life - everything! But of course it wouldn't be an Outlander novel without some sort of trouble, so trouble we had -- although FORTUNATELY not to the extend of some of the earlier novels. Diana Gabaldon has learned her lesson and isn't being quite as hard on her darlings as we've seen previously. For which I'm grateful! That did get old rather fast.
As per usual, there were still threads left hanging, so once again I will finish my review off by saying - I hope the next book is the last one. Not because I don't still enjoy the series, but because it deserves a fitting end, rather than to be drawn out ad nauseum.
Brothers Lionheart - Astrid Lindgren*, 1.5/5, 228 pages
I really, really don't get how this is marketed as a children's book. It should come with a ton of trigger warnings - for violence, death, murder, suicide.
As a rule, I love Astrid Lindgren's books, but this is the exception that proves the rule. I read it as a teen, and remember not liking it much, but didn't remember much of the book at all, so when I recently finished another book that reminded me of it, I figured I'd give it another shot, and see if it really was as terrible as I seemed to remember.
Reader - it was worse.
Just an all-around unpleasant book, and I really have NO idea what kind of point Astrid Lindgren was trying to make. And the worst thing is - it would have been SO easy to improve. Change a few details in the last chapter, and voila! You'd have a very sweet fantasy novel instead.
But no - she had to go the murder-suicide route. I don't get it at all.
Blackout & All Clear - Connie Willis*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~43hrs
An absolutely amazing series, but I am very glad I knew from the set out that "All Clear" was one book split out in two volumes, rather than two individual books. I would have been furious with the cliffhanger at the end of "Blackout" if I hadn't known this in advance. For the same reason I am going to review the two books as one.
In a word - I loved it, and it brought back everything I had loved about Connie Willis' writing in "The Doomsday Book". I liked the way the different plotlines intertwined and was chuffed to spot some of the links before they were made obvious. But as usual, trying to figure out the theory behind time travel gave me a headache ;)
I had serious problems putting the books down, and finished the last one over the weekend. I do recommend reading the fanfic "Nothing Lost" by Drayton as well though, as it provides a very likely explanation for some of the questions I still had after finishing it.
Nothing Lost - Drayton*, 4/5, 228 pages
Like I said - it answers a lot of my question, and is just brilliantly written to boot! :-D
Books Read: 75 (+ 2 not on goodreads).
Pages Read: 11.166
Hours Listened to: 339
Book of the Months: Mind Games
Biggest Disappointment: Brothers Lionheart - I know I don't usually count rereads here, but it's been 20-30 years since I read it last, so it almost counts :-P
(I still remember the days where I'd OFTEN read 20 books a month - those days are loooooong gone X-D )
July
The Lost Story - Meg Shaffer, 3/5, 352 pages
To set the stage: I absolutely adored Meg Shaffer's book "The Wishing Game". It was love at first sight, and I went on to recommend it to everybody I knew.
So when I heard that she's written another book AND that it was inspired by C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series I was so excited! I grew up with that series, and have read them too many times to count. It couldn't have been more perfect!
... except that this meant my expectations were way too high, and that the book itself unfortunately couldn't deliver. It was perfectly fine, but since I had expected heart-eyes, "fine" just didn't cut it.
At the end of the day the book had a lot more shades of "Mio, My Son" or "Brothers Lionheart" (both by Astrid Lindgren) than it did of Narnia, and while I could see the charm of the story, I actually preferred the part that took place "here" over the part that took place "there" -- which kinda negated the charm of the book.
All this to say that this is definitely a case of "It's not you, it's me" ... possibly combined with faulty marketing.
The Housemaid - Freida McFadden, 2.5/5, 329 pages
A 2.5 star review. I thought it better than just "ok" (which is goodreads' translation of 2 stars), but definitely wouldn't go so far as to say I liked it. It was very well written, and impossible to put down - but made for a VERY unpleasant read! Kinda like "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris, actually.
I was fascinated during the first half - really couldn't figure out what was going on, and why Nina was blowing hot and cold the way she was. When the twist finally came? I had NOT seen it coming, even though I definitely should have. There were hints enough, if I had been smart enough to catch them.
But unfortunately the second half was deeply unpleasant to read. Still well written, but that doesn't make up for such a frustrating read. So I won't be reading any more in this series, and will probably eventually get rid of my physical copy of this book too.
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides, 3/5, 339 pages
I'm having a really hard time deciding what I thought of this, and it is basically impossible to review it properly without spoiling parts of it. I found it captivating, and the writing style drew me in right away. It seemed awfully disjointed at times, but not in a way that felt jarring, I was just puzzled how it would all fit together.
I only started to suspect the twist a few pages before it was revealed - and it changed everything. I really wonder how the book will read the second time around - if there are any hints earlier on. And my problem is that I can't figure out what I thought of the twist. It seemed half clever, half a cop-out, leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied with the whole thing - despite the clever writing and the way it completely drew me in right up until the last few pages.
Basically - if you enjoy an unreliable narrator, this might be a book for you. If not - give it a miss.
Blackout - Mira Grant*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~14hrs
Definitely one of my favourite series read this year.
After seeing that book two had been a transitional novel, I was a tad worried whether or not this final one would be able to live up to my expectations and provide a fitting closure to the story. Fortunately it managed this very nicely, although it in no way took the form I had expected - there were many curve-balls thrown at the reader along the way. The end was left kind of open, but with this kind of scenario, I can't really see how it could be anything else.
I'm sad to leave the characters behind - they became unusually 'real' to me.
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder*, 5/5, 409 pages
I started listening to this with no particular expectations. I'd never read a review of it, but just kept seeing it all over the place, so I figured it was about time.
I ended up LOVING it!!! One of the best books I've read in a very, very long time. It's a brilliant story that incorporates several of my favourite bookish ideas: Teaching of a craft - check. Latent magical abilities - check. Surprising romance - check. Friends among enemies - check.
Excellent book that's nicely contained. Still, it was so well written that I want to start the sequel right away :)
Alanna - Tamora Pierce*, 5/5, 216 pages
In the Hand of the Goddess - Tamora Pierce*, 5/5, 209
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 216 pages
Lioness Rampant - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 308 pages
The first quartet written by Tamora Pierce, and while "Protector of the Small" has overtaken it as my favourite series, the two first books of this quartet are definitely my favourite books. I love reading about how Alanna fits into life at the palace - her lessons and the friends she makes. I read it for the first time when I was 12'ish and have reread it regularly ever since.
I Need Freedom Ecstasy - Jordan Miland, 226 pages
My nephew's newest book which I was allowed to read :-D Happy auntie!
This was "Inception" meets "Alice in Wonderland" meets Connie Willis' "The Passage" meets... something. I know it reminds me of some other book, but can't put my finger on which one. To be perfectly honest (and Jordan already knows this), I'm not entirely sure what I thought of the plot. It was extremely well thought out, but not really my cup of tea. I don't usually go for surreal - and this was definitely that!
However, I was BLOWN AWAY by the writing. The POV changes along the way, but most of it is from that of a mentally ill person, and was just brilliantly done. The way his thoughts jumped, the memory loss, the half-formed sentences, just everything. Jordan writes WELL beyond his years, and I can't wait to see where he takes this.
So 3 stars for the plot - 5 stars for the writing.
The Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren, 4.5/5, 101 pages
A cute short-story that can easily be read in one sitting ... or during a night where I can't sleep :-P The plot is basically a simplified version of "You've Got Mail" and just as sweet :-)
August
Mind Games - Nora Roberts, 5/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
Impossible to put down and left me utterly book-hungover once I finished it.
This is one of Nora Roberts' best books. I loved the characters, I loved the relationships, I loved the setting, and the foreshadowing didn't bother me too much, as it happened so early in the book.
I loved seeing Thea grow up and come into her powers - loved her relationship with her grandmother, her brother and her friends. I adored Bunk and Bray - he reminded me a lot of Boots from Suzanne Collins' "Gregor the Overlander" in his excitements over any and all animals.
The conflict between Ty and Thea was understandable but annoying because it would have been so easily fixed with communication. Fortunately it wasn't allowed to linger, and was resolved quicker than I had feared. And I really appreciated the way Ray was handled -- perhaps not the final outcome (which didn't altogether make sense to me), but the fact that he wasn't as all-powerful as Nora Roberts' villains sometimes appear to be.
Absolutely loved it!
Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone - Diana Gabaldon, 3/5, 902 pages
This book suffers from having a too-famous author and therefore not a critical enough editor. I actually really liked it, and had the rating been tighter, I could easily have given it four stars. But long book is LONG and it didn't need to be. There were SO many plotlines that could have been left out, and it shows.
I think one of the main issues is that Gabaldon writes from too many POVs. The earlier books didn't have that problem, and were a lot tighter for it. I don't care enough for neither Ian, Bree/Roger nor William to read chapter upon chapter about their ongoings. It made sense in "Drums of Autumn" when we had the "then and now" timelines, but not really any longer. I didn't mind the chapters from Jamie's POV as much - probably because those still took place at Frasier's Ridge, and that is what I was interested in reading about!
All in all, I liked the first half the best. Despite everything, the first half read as a comfort book, and I loved reading about the going-ons at Fraiser's Ridge. I loved reading about the every-day life there - the cooking, the farming, the doctoring, the family life - everything! But of course it wouldn't be an Outlander novel without some sort of trouble, so trouble we had -- although FORTUNATELY not to the extend of some of the earlier novels. Diana Gabaldon has learned her lesson and isn't being quite as hard on her darlings as we've seen previously. For which I'm grateful! That did get old rather fast.
As per usual, there were still threads left hanging, so once again I will finish my review off by saying - I hope the next book is the last one. Not because I don't still enjoy the series, but because it deserves a fitting end, rather than to be drawn out ad nauseum.
Brothers Lionheart - Astrid Lindgren*, 1.5/5, 228 pages
I really, really don't get how this is marketed as a children's book. It should come with a ton of trigger warnings - for violence, death, murder, suicide.
As a rule, I love Astrid Lindgren's books, but this is the exception that proves the rule. I read it as a teen, and remember not liking it much, but didn't remember much of the book at all, so when I recently finished another book that reminded me of it, I figured I'd give it another shot, and see if it really was as terrible as I seemed to remember.
Reader - it was worse.
Just an all-around unpleasant book, and I really have NO idea what kind of point Astrid Lindgren was trying to make. And the worst thing is - it would have been SO easy to improve. Change a few details in the last chapter, and voila! You'd have a very sweet fantasy novel instead.
But no - she had to go the murder-suicide route. I don't get it at all.
Blackout & All Clear - Connie Willis*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~43hrs
An absolutely amazing series, but I am very glad I knew from the set out that "All Clear" was one book split out in two volumes, rather than two individual books. I would have been furious with the cliffhanger at the end of "Blackout" if I hadn't known this in advance. For the same reason I am going to review the two books as one.
In a word - I loved it, and it brought back everything I had loved about Connie Willis' writing in "The Doomsday Book". I liked the way the different plotlines intertwined and was chuffed to spot some of the links before they were made obvious. But as usual, trying to figure out the theory behind time travel gave me a headache ;)
I had serious problems putting the books down, and finished the last one over the weekend. I do recommend reading the fanfic "Nothing Lost" by Drayton as well though, as it provides a very likely explanation for some of the questions I still had after finishing it.
Nothing Lost - Drayton*, 4/5, 228 pages
Like I said - it answers a lot of my question, and is just brilliantly written to boot! :-D
Books Read: 75 (+ 2 not on goodreads).
Pages Read: 11.166
Hours Listened to: 339
Book of the Months: Mind Games
Biggest Disappointment: Brothers Lionheart - I know I don't usually count rereads here, but it's been 20-30 years since I read it last, so it almost counts :-P