A Year of Reading: July 2011
1. The Vinyl Cafe Notebooks by Stuart McLean
Essay collection from Stuart McLean. I gave up on this, it wasn't holding my attention. I might try again some day, nothing was really holding my attention in the midst of wedding-planning madness.
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan
This is a book about Teddy Roosevelt and the rise of conservationism (establishing national parks, etc.) in America. It was interesting in some ways but I got almost 100 pages in and the fire had only shown up in the prologue, and I gave up.
3. The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society #1) by Trenton Lee Stewart
3 stars on Goodreads
This reminded me of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events books, but not nearly as bleak and depressing. I enjoyed this, there was some fun wordplay and the puzzles were interesting - I can see kids really enjoying this book. (It went on a bit long, though, with nothing really happening - I think it could have been tightened up a bit.)
4. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
2 stars on Goodreads
The premise was interesting but this book was WAY too long and rambled through unimportant and uninteresting events (the brother's documentary about drunk club girls, the vacation to Spain, etc.) and changed POV for no reason from time to time. There was no reason this book had to be 500 pages long. URG. (But I finished it in a day or so you can imagine how much I skimmed.)
5. Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
3 stars on Goodreads
I gave it three stars, but really it was more like three and a half. This is dragons-in-a-Regency-romance plot, and it was very well done - until the end where it totally deus ex machina-ed itself... just like a Regency romance! :)
Recommended.
6. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (reread)
4 stars on Goodreads
7. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
3 stars on Goodreads
Interesting premise, but I really had no interest in reading any more in the series. (And I called two major points quite early on.)
8. Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis
1 star on Goodreads
Interesting premise but not all that thrilling. I hated all of the characters and couldn't tell the difference between the 50s, 60s, and 70s even though the publisher's blurb says this book "sweep[s] across decades, moving from New York to Vermont to California and back again". Carole was way too naive, especially about Naomi and Eddie's relationship. I kept skim-reading as I had nothing else to read, but I cannot recommend this.
9. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
1 stars on Goodreads
I'm not liking this at all!! But so many people loved it! Sigh. I gave up before I hit 100 pages.
10. A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin
3 stars on Goodreads
Spoilery, so see my review here. Or see this much more awesome review instead.
Up Next:
-The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz
-Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
-Cool Water by Dianne Warren
What are you reading lately? What do you recommend? Are you on GoodReads? If so, please feel free to add me there!