Two stars = eh, it was okay
Three stars = liked it
Four stars = really, really liked it
Five stars = absolutely loved it
1-Star (0)
2-Star (0)
3-Star (5)
***Gift From the Sea (Non-Fiction, Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
Reflections on life and being a wife and a mother by the wife of Charles Lindbergh. I think mothers would appreciate this more than I did.
***Life As We Knew It (Fiction, Susan Beth Pfeffer)
An asteroid hits the moon and knocks it WAY too close to the earth. Chaos ensues…dormant volcanos erupt, tsunamis hit, earthquakes are abundant. And in a small town in Pennsylvania, a teenager tries to survive with her family. I felt it was a bit too long, but the story still held my interest. This is the first of a 4-book YA series. I doubt I will read the other books. From what I read, they just tell the same story, but from another person from another town’s perspective. No thank you.
***A Monster Calls (Fiction, Patrick Ness)
This is a ‘young reader’ book although I think it should be labeled more as YA. And I TOTALLY understand why it’s won numerous awards and why it has such a high Goodreads rating. And while I did enjoy it, I found myself skimming a lot. It just wasn’t for me. However, I think it would be the perfect book for a young person to read if they are experiencing any kind of grief.
***By the Shores of Silver Lake (Fiction, (?) L. Ingalls-Wilder)
The last one in the series. I’ve now re-read the whole beloved series from my childhood.
***The Five Love Languages (Non-Fiction, G. Chapman)
Hmm. I just couldn’t get into this one. A lot of it felt self-explanatory and the writer just seemed to be tooting his own horn for the whole book.
4-Star (5)
****Along Came a Spider (Fiction, James Patterson, Alex Cross #1)
Oh, James Patterson. I’ve read a random book of his here or there (he has SO MANY), but this one is the first one of the Alex Cross series, the one that ‘started it all’ according to the book cover. It is dark (VERY dark), twisty, and suspenseful. I had a hard time putting it down and read it quickly. There are currently 26 books in this series, and the 27th is coming out later on this year I believe. I have a lot of reading to do!
****Kiss the Girls (Fiction, James Patterson, Alex Cross #2)
Okay so if I thought the first Alex Cross book one was dark, I was in no way prepared for this one. Probably the most disturbing book I’ve ever read. But…again, I couldn’t put it down. And honestly I would not recommend it to anyone. It is not for the faint of heart. I actually had to take a break from it for like a week (and I NEVER do that with books) just because it was so intense/horrifying. I plan to read it again lol.
****On the Banks of Plum Creek (Fiction (?) L. Ingalls-Wilder)
Quite the difference from the James Patterson books lol. And I never know if these books should be considered fiction or non-fiction. I think of them more as fiction. But technically…they’re autobiographical. So I don’t know.
****Fodor’s Kauai (Non-Fiction)
Technically I read it, so it counts, right? Lol. We’re *possibly* going to Kauai next year for our 10th anniversary. Possibly. Everything is so stinking expensive! Anyways, I thought I would read up a bit. The internet always overwhelms me when trip planning. I ALWAYS get a book. This one is cool because it’s written by locals.
****The Dearly Beloved (Fiction, Cara Wall)
Two couples. The men both get ‘called’ to preach at a Presbyterian church in New York City. The wives do not get along, which is unfortunate because they both go through some REALLY hard things basically alone. I’ve heard this book compared a lot to Crossing to Safety, but I don’t agree with that. Crossing to Safety is a complete masterpiece, and the only similarities with this book is that the central characters are the 2 couples. However, I really enjoyed it. The writing is great. The first half of the book is mostly character development (which is important, especially for Lily, one of the wives) and it’s a bit slow. The second half really picks up in pace and dialogue. This is a good one, especially because I think it’s her debut novel!
5-Star (1)
*****The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Non-Fiction)
This one was way better than Fodor’s. It was like “at the right side of the large palm tree next to the busted up yellow van, you’ll find the best shave-ice stand on the island”. Lol.
Total Books Read: 11 (7 fiction, 4 non-fiction)
DNF (Did Not Finish) :
The Huntress (Fiction, K. Quinn) – I just couldn’t connect with this one and it was soooooo long.
Matterhorn (Fiction) – too much swearing
