Thursday, July 27, 2017

Review: Conversations with Friends

Conversations with Friends Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really just couldn't get with this book. I pretty much constantly swung back and forth between boredom and annoyance. There was a distinct lack of likable people in this novel and while all characters of every book need not be likable, it is nice to have at least one person to get you through the pages. The protagonist of this novel was the worst! Ok, not the worst, she wasn't planning world domination or anything, she was just a self-absorbed, yet not very interesting portrait of a human. A human who is far more intriguing to herself than anyone else. The sort of person that had she been real I would have thought "yeah, she would write a book about herself." Banal. If I had to sum this book up in a word it would be 'banal.' Again, just not for me, but I'm sure it could work for other people.

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Sunday, July 23, 2017

Review: Spindle Fire

Spindle Fire Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spindle fire is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose fairy tale, which, for whatever reason has always been my favorite. I really enjoyed this book, it's beautifully written with lyrical prose without out being overwhelmingly purple. The story does start out a little slowly and about 50-75% of the way through you realize that this will unquestionably be part of a series because there's no way there's enough pages to resolve everything that's being introduced to the reader. Ok, anyone who took notice of the Goodreads title up there would also realize this was the opening leg on a series, but that group of anyone's did not include me. So anyway, even though this novel initially has a bit of a slow pick up I think it does build up to a very magical and intriguing story that left me wanting to know what will happen and I am definitly planning to get my hands on the next volume which to me is the definition of a good book. So 4 stars from me.

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Friday, July 14, 2017

Review: What to Say Next

What to Say Next What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book it was an easy read. I shouldn't say "easy" because it touches on topics that life situations that are in no way easy, more accurately it is a quick read. I absolutely adored Buxbaum's tell me three things to the point that I actually did my grocery shopping with headphones in because i didn't want to stop listening to my audiobook. What To Say Next is written with the same humor even when touching on topics of grief, neuro-psychological conditions, familial betrayal, and the some of the more disappointing aspects of the DSM-V. All in all What to Say Next is pretty typical of a YA contemporary novel but an enjoyably cute story and I'd recommend it especially if you've enjoyed other novels written by the author.

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Thursday, July 13, 2017

Review: Made for You

Made for You Made for You by Melissa Marr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this was a solidly good YA thriller. Nothing groundbreaking but not poorly written either. After failing to murder the current high school 'IT' girl a serial murderer turns to trying to communicate with her through his killings as he becomes increasingly obsessed with her. There is an unnecessary plot theme regarding small town aristocracy in the small southern town that is the stories setting. This idea of local southern snobbery comes across lukewarm as a plot device that was never quite followed through with but kept getting brought up. Also, the narration switches throughout the novel between the the killer, the 'it' girl and her best friend. The best friends narration was entirely unnecessary and was more distracting than anything. Otherwise this novel was entertaining enough for me to consider reading more of the authors work.

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Review: Once Upon a River

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield My rating: 3 of 5 stars The plot was extremely slow, there were a...