The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fford is the first novel in a series of novels about detective Thursday Next. Set in Britain in the 80's, Fford has created a world where the barrier between literature and reality is bendable and it is possible to steal characters out of novels and poems, or even enter into them yourself.
You must completely suspend your disbelief to enjoy this story. Sometimes it worked for me and sometimes it didn't, but it's hard not to like the heroine of the story, Thursday Next, a SpecOps Literatech tracking down an evil villain hidden deep in the pages of Jane Eyre.
A fun and clever read, if you're up for a truly fantastic journey.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate is the second book in the Isabel Dalhousie Series by Alexander McCall Smith. These books have a weightier quality to them than the more lighthearted Ladies No.1 Detective Agency Series. Set in Edinburgh, Isabel Dalhousie is another wonderful, strong, intelligent, female lead character. She is a philosopher and a bit of an investigator herself.
In this book, she meets a man who has recently had a heart transplant, and now is having strange dreams, almost like memories. She decides to investigate and we wander through Edinburgh with her, getting acquainted with the neighborhood, as well as listening to all the philosophical musings going on in her mind.
McCall Smith is always clever, charming and original. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
In this book, she meets a man who has recently had a heart transplant, and now is having strange dreams, almost like memories. She decides to investigate and we wander through Edinburgh with her, getting acquainted with the neighborhood, as well as listening to all the philosophical musings going on in her mind.
McCall Smith is always clever, charming and original. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Good Things
Good Things is the debut novel by Mia King. After five years of her own TV show in Seattle called 'Live Simple,' Deidre's show is cancelled. She also looses her apartment the same week and is conveniently offered the use of a country home by a gorgeous, rich stanger she happens to meet.
Its all a little too good to be true for my taste, which seems to be a theme in the books I've been reading lately. What are supposed to be struggles and hardships for Deidre in the following months, seem like more abundance heaped onto her supposedly challenging life.
I never really bought into any of it, or cared about the characters. King has some promise as a writer if she digs a little deeper next time.
Its all a little too good to be true for my taste, which seems to be a theme in the books I've been reading lately. What are supposed to be struggles and hardships for Deidre in the following months, seem like more abundance heaped onto her supposedly challenging life.
I never really bought into any of it, or cared about the characters. King has some promise as a writer if she digs a little deeper next time.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Goodnight June
Goodnight June by Sarah Jio is a novel that imagines how the classic children's book Goodnight Moon came to be. June is a successful banker in NYC when her Aunt Ruby, who raised her, dies and leaves June her Seattle bookstore, Bluebird Books.
While going through her late Aunt's papers, June finds a series of letters between her Aunt Ruby, and Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon. This discovery alters the course of June's life in more ways than one.
A very fun read for fans of Goodnight Moon. The story is a little too good to be true, but everyone enjoys a happy ending, especially when the fate of a beloved children's bookstore hangs in the balance.
While going through her late Aunt's papers, June finds a series of letters between her Aunt Ruby, and Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon. This discovery alters the course of June's life in more ways than one.
A very fun read for fans of Goodnight Moon. The story is a little too good to be true, but everyone enjoys a happy ending, especially when the fate of a beloved children's bookstore hangs in the balance.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Silver Star
The Silver Star is the new novel by Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle. I wasn't sure how Walls' novel would compare to her memoirs, and although it doesn't pack the emotional punch of her earlier books, it doesn't disappoint.
It is the story of 12 year old Bean, her 15 year old sister Liz and their flaky musician Mom, in 1970's California. When their Mom takes off and leaves the girls, they make their way alone across country to their Uncle's house in Virginia where they find family and they find out why their Mom left town so long ago.
Walls is a wonderful writer, she captures the voice of these adolescent girls beautifully. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it is a worthwhile read nonetheless.
It is the story of 12 year old Bean, her 15 year old sister Liz and their flaky musician Mom, in 1970's California. When their Mom takes off and leaves the girls, they make their way alone across country to their Uncle's house in Virginia where they find family and they find out why their Mom left town so long ago.
Walls is a wonderful writer, she captures the voice of these adolescent girls beautifully. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it is a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Fools
Fools is a collection of short stories by Joan Silber. I'm not generally a fan of short stories, as they always leave me wanting more and I find it is the rare writer who is accomplished at writing in this format. Silber is one of them.
This is a great collection of seemingly simple stories about ordinary people going about their lives. There is the daughter of missionaries who grows up to be an anarchist, and in later stories we meet her daughters. I loved how the characters overlapped and Silber was able to weave the tales seamlessly, with great emotional depth.
One of the better collections of short stories that I have read.
This is a great collection of seemingly simple stories about ordinary people going about their lives. There is the daughter of missionaries who grows up to be an anarchist, and in later stories we meet her daughters. I loved how the characters overlapped and Silber was able to weave the tales seamlessly, with great emotional depth.
One of the better collections of short stories that I have read.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The House of Impossible Loves
The House of Impossible Loves by Cristina Lopez Barrio is a saga about the Laguna family. A family of women cursed to have only girl children and to be unlucky in love. When Santiago is born, it seems the curse has been lifted, but not entirely.
Lopez Barrio is a good storyteller, and although it is reminiscent of Isabelle Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she is not really in their league. Although it was well written, it was hard to care about most of the characters in the story, so I found myself waiting for it to be over.
Lopez Barrio is a good storyteller, and although it is reminiscent of Isabelle Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she is not really in their league. Although it was well written, it was hard to care about most of the characters in the story, so I found myself waiting for it to be over.
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