Kristy's Great Idea

 

Title: Kristy's Great Idea

Author: Raina Telgemeier & Ann M. Martin

Publisher: Graphix

 
ISBN: 9780545813877

 

Thoughts: Telgemeier's illustrations breath fresh life into Martin's beloved series, and I greatly appreciate that it was not modernized.

Rating: 4/5

The Child Thief

 

Title: The Child Thief

Author: Brom

Publisher: Eos

 
ISBN: 9780061671340

 

Thoughts: The unnecessary gore and violence could be overlooked if the characters were more consistent.

Rating: 2/5

The Jasmine Throne

 

Title: The Jasmine Throne

Author: Tasha Suri

Publisher: Orbit

 
ISBN: 9780759554160

 

Thoughts: Very rich world-building, but the story suffers a little from too many characters.

Rating: 3/5

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

 

Title: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

Author: Helene Tursten

Publisher: Soho Crime

 
ISBN: 9781641290111

 

Thoughts: Very fun and quick stories of an highly likeable elderly anti-hero.

Rating: 4/5

Redwall

 

Title: Redwall

Author: Brian Jacques

Publisher: Firebird

 
ISBN: 9780142302378

 

Thoughts: I knew this was about a mouse war, but I honestly did not expect the entire novel to be about war, which just is not my thing.

Rating: 3/5

Life and Other Love Songs

 

Title: Life and Other Love Songs

Author: Anissa Gray

Publisher: Berkley

 
ISBN: 9781984802460

 

Thoughts: This novel runs the gamut of emotions in a tale of familial relationships.

Rating: 4/5

Pax, Journey Home

 

Title: Pax, Journey Home

Author: Sarah Pennypack

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: I think this sequel may be even more touching than the original.

Rating: 4/5

Hell of a Book

 

Title: Hell of a Book

Author: Jason Mott

Publisher: Penguin Audio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Mott's writing style is very unique and this book keeps the reader unbalanced while broaching a serious topic with humor and heart.

Rating: 4/5

River Sing Me Home

 

Title: River Sing Me Home

Author: Eleanor Shearer

Publisher: Berkley

 
ISBN: 9780593548042

 

Thoughts: Beautiful novel that shows the strength of a mother's love.

Rating: 4/5

The Marriage Portrait

 

Title: The Marriage Portrait

Author: Maggie O'Farrell

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: The opening lines made me think I would love this, but I just could not stay in the story because it all seemed one level and thus was hard to distinguish the timeline jumps, especially while listening.

Rating: 3/5

Go As a River

 

Title: Go As a River

Author: Shelley Read

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau

 
ISBN: 9781954118232

 

Thoughts: Equal parts melancholy and hopeful, this novel feels like a slice of time older than it actually is.

Rating: 4/5

The City of Brass

 

Title: The City of Brass

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Publisher: Harper Voyager

 
ISBN: 9780062678102

 

Thoughts: Chakraborty has constructed a fantasy world that immediately pulls you in, but I did have a hard time telling all of the different djinn apart.

Rating: 4/5

Stacking the Shelves: 4/30-5/6

Bought at Barnes & Noble:

 

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

Lorna Mott Comes Home

 

Title: Lorna Mott Comes Home

Author: Diane Johnson

Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio

 
ISBN: 9780593349199

 

Thoughts: This was too slice-of-life-y for me and just seemed directionless with characters I could give or take.

Rating: 2/5

The Pigeon Tunnel

 

Title: The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life

Author: John Le Carre

Publisher: Penguin Books

 
ISBN: 9780241976876

 

Thoughts: This loose memoir was very uneven for me - some events held my interest, but most did not, which is the opposite of what I expected from an ex-MI5 agent and renowned author.

Rating: 2/5

Kaikeyi

 

Title: Kaikeyi

Author: Vaishnavi Patel

Publisher: Redhook

 
ISBN: 9780759557338

 

Thoughts: I have only a rudimentary knowledge of the Ramayana, so I cannot comment on the retelling, but Kaikeyi is a strong female character that you will not forget.

Rating: 4/5