Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie
Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie (4/9/2013)
This is one of those books that I think of as brain candy. It doesn't require much effort and is very entertaining. Yes, you do have to suspend your disbelief, but if you can do that, you're in for an enjoyable read as the plot twists and turns and each character seems potentially shadier than the one before. I expect to see this one made into a movie--either on Lifetime or in the theater. Could go either way.
Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (4/25/2011)
This book was an emotionally difficult read for me. Alice LaPlante does such a good job of taking you through the inevitable mental decline of Dr. Jennifer White that it's at once fascinating and devastating to watch. If you require a feel-good ending to your fiction, you'll want to pass this one by, because LaPlante unflinchingly depicts the progression of her Dr. White's disease.
I would definitely not classify this as a mystery though. The murder is really incidental.
The Paris Wife: A Novel
by Paula McLain
The Paris Wife (11/29/2010)
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. Something was missing. The facts were there, but I never quite connected with the main character, Hadley. I did, however, enjoy reading about "The Lost Generation"--American Expats in 1920s Paris. That alone was worth the read.
Daughters of the Witching Hill: A Novel
by Mary Sharratt
Daughters of the Witching Hill (2/27/2010)
Told from the point of view of two of the most notorious of the “Pendle Hill Witches", Mother Demdike and her granddaughter, Alizon, this is a compelling, well written story of magic, superstition and the danger of being a woman of power in the time of King James. Every time I picked this book up I was immediately transported to Pendle Forest and completely absorbed in the story of these women.
Serena: A Novel
by Ron Rash
Serena by Ron Rash (8/31/2009)
The quality of the writing is the only thing that saved this book for me. This story in a less capable writer’s hands would have been wholly unreadable for me. The main characters were cartoonish in their villainy and invincibility. Normally I am more than willing to suspend my disbelief when reading, especially for a writer of this caliber, but it helps if the characters are at least remotely sympathetic. Serena is loathsome in her complete lack of humanity and her husband is not much better.
If the body count hadn’t been so high and come so easily, if Mr. Rash had delved a little deeper into what makes Serena tick or if he hadn’t succumbed to such convenient plot devices as the one-dimensional, slavishly devoted hit man and his clairvoyant mother, I could have better enjoyed the beautifully written scenic descriptions and the unflinching documentation of the history of the logging industry and the devastation it wrought on the land and the people who worked it.
Night Navigation
by Ginnah Howard
Night Navigation by Ginnah Howard (3/10/2009)
This book as a memoir was unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of drug addiction and how it affects everyone connected to the addict. The seemingly never ending cycle of hope, anxiety, disappointment, guilt, fear, despair and back to hope when the relapsed addict eventually runs out of other options and once again reaches out for help. For those who’ve been there, it’s all too real.
Unfortunately, it’s as wearying to read about as it sounds. Which is why, as a novel, I think it fails. No one is transformed, no one grows, nothing is learned. We end up at the same place we started in except maybe we’re a little more ground down from the struggle. I’m not saying that I have to have a happy ending or even a nicely packaged resolution. I really don’t. However, from a novel that addresses something as serious as this subject, I expect a little more. I want some insight, some transformation, some growth, something for my effort. I just don’t think this delivered the deeper qualities that a novel should.
Cutting For Stone
by Abraham Verghese
Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese (1/9/2009)
I really enjoyed this book, although there were parts that I thought might have benefited from tighter editing to even out the pacing. But, the language is rich and lovely and the characters alive and wonderfully complex. I’m sure that this book will be among the rare few that stay with me long after I’ve moved on to the next . . . and the next . . . and the next . . .
The Good Thief: A Novel
by Hannah Tinti
The Good Thief (7/31/2008)
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with larger than life characters and plenty of whimsical adventure. The ending is a bit predictable, but Ren and his band of misfits were so engaging, I really didn't mind.
The Quiet Girl
by Peter Hoeg
Worth the Effort (10/8/2007)
Peter Høeg’s The Quiet Girl is not an easy read. The shifts between present and past are sometimes difficult to follow and the plot is, in my opinion, over complicated. But then, Høeg is not known for simplistic writing or “dumbing down” for broader audience appeal. He has high expectations for his readers and expects to be met half-way and then some. So, there is some work necessary; one must pay attention while reading and trust in the journey. The reader must be willing to follow where the author leads. Fortunately, the main character, Kasper Krone, is so charming, his mystical abilities so fascinating, and the writing itself so lyrical, that the journey changes from perilous to pleasurable fairly quickly.
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