Wednesday, May 31, 2023

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

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

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

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

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

Sunday, May 21, 2023

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

Friday, May 19, 2023

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

Monday, May 15, 2023

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

Friday, May 12, 2023

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

Thursday, May 11, 2023

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

Monday, May 8, 2023

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

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Friday, May 5, 2023

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

Thursday, May 4, 2023

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