A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean
by Tori Murden McClure
I wanted to like it... (4/20/2009)
... but it just wasn't happening. While the book is an easy read it certainly didn't inspire me. I felt the author continuously reminded the reader of her education, degrees and good deeds. The book was obviously written as a way for the author to purge her soul of demons but I really wasn't interested.
Blacklight Blue: The Third Enzo Files
by Peter May
Good thriller, but.... (9/2/2008)
The ending left me cold. I'm not going to put any spoilers here, but the ending definitely brings to light that this is number 3 in a series. The main detractor in this novel was the fact that it was written in flashback style, which is much more effective on film than it is in print. It had a disjointed feeling at points. This is definitely NOT a mystery, but is indeed a thriller. As someone who has not read any previous Enzo File novels, it left me wishing for more mystery and less "Grisham".
The Good Thief: A Novel
by Hannah Tinti
Formulaic and Predictable Ending (7/31/2008)
Hannah Tinti has a wonderfully descriptive writing style. She gets her point across without excess and gives you a feel for her main character's thought processes. However, I felt that near the end the storyline simply was too predictable with a pat ending. I definitely enjoyed the book for the most part because her characters were interesting, but I was disappointed because the author seemed to run out of options for her storyline and simply chose the easy and predictable way out. This was a book that at points I didn't want to put down, but at others I could have simply walked away from it because I could tell what was coming.
The White Mary: A Novel
by Kira Salak
Depressing (7/31/2008)
The author may be an accomplished writer, but the affectations used as writing style nearly prevented me from completing this book. The subject as a whole is quite depressing and the author pushes through her condescending attitude that we "lambs" know or care about nothing that lies greater than 2 feet from our nose. I suppose the author has done her job by getting me riled and thinking about the topic at hand, but I hesitate to say I enjoyed the process.
Into The Wild
by Jon Krakauer
Well written.... (5/7/2008)
The author does a good job of piecing together the travels of the main character, but I could definitely tell the author was much enamored of this "child". For that is exactly what he was.... a spoiled rich child. I felt no sorrow or sympathy for his outcome.