Book Review -- We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
My enjoyment rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hangover rating: 5 (I want to re-read it to see what I missed!!)
Source: Library copy
Genre: YA
Objectionable material: multiple uses of the F-bomb

 

 

 

 

Cousins.

Summer vacations.

Private island.

Wealthy family power struggle.

Teen love.

Lives shattered.

Cover-up.

Totally unexpected ending.

Loved every word.

Perfect pool/summer/beach read.

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Book Review -- Lost in Shangri-La

Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff
My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hangover rating: 3
Source:  Library copy
Genre:  Non-fiction; WWII
Objectionable material: None

 

 

 

Add this to one of the MANY survivor tales of WWII. 

I can't get enough of WWII fiction and non-fiction.

 

A harrowing tale of 3 lone plane crash survivors in the jungles of New Guinea and their quest for survival.

The first part and the last part of the book were engrossing...nail biting almost. The middle was a drudgery.

That being said -- another testament to the greatest generation of Americans. Who are now all gone.

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Book Review -- Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars (5 stars for story -- 4 stars for storytelling)
Source:  Personal copy
Genre:  Non-fiction; WWII history
Objectionable material: None.

 

 

 

 

Heros.

All of them.

Men who changed the world.

Now they are all gone.

Their memories of what they did live on forever.

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Book Review -- The Fortune Hunter

The Fortune Hunter: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin
My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hangover rating: 2
Source:  Book club kit (10 copies) provided by Reading Group Guides through a random drawing. I was not compensated in anyway for my review.
Genre:  Historical fiction
Objectionable material:  None

Steeped in the tradition of British and European royalty, entitled British landowners, summer estates and fox hunts, author Daisy Goodwin has created a fictional account of the lives of Sisi (Elizabeth), Empress of Austria, her "pilot" Bay Middleton, and Bay's "fiancée" Charlotte Baird. Generously mixed with other historical characters, like Queen Victoria and her companion, Mr. Brown -- the stage is set for a luscious, historical drama.

Ms Goodwin accurately portrays the historical facts of these individuals and subsequent love triangle -- Sisi is lonely, she's obsessed with her looks, she's an expert horsewoman; Bay is a well known Casanova (already alleged to have fathered an out of wedlock child), an expert horseman and British officers; Charlotte, the woman who would eventually marry Bay.

But the fictional story around these three seemed bogged down by the need to make sure it was historically accurate. The structure kept the story from feeling authentic -- just a repetition of known facts about their fox-hunting summer. The most "real" character was Caspar -- a fictional American character created to be Charlotte's friend and photography colleague. He truly was the most entertaining and fresh character in the book.

I think in the end, both I and my book groupies would have preferred an autobiography of Sisi.

That being said -- the group loved being able to read the book club kit provided by Reading Group Guides in advance of the American release date. Thank you.


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Book Review -- Jesus Feminist

Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women by Sarah Bessey

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating: 5

Source: Personal copy

Genre: Non-fiction; Christian

Objectionable material: None

"The people of God have a unique and beautiful message for the women of the world: You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your Abba (Father) delights in you. You are equal. You are lovely. You are called; you are chosen; you are beloved. You are gifted. You belong. You have worth and value. You matter." ~Sarah Bessey, Jesus Feminist

I'm not an Evangelical Christian and don't really "speak" the evangelical vernacular, since I wasn't raised as an evangelical, so it took me a bit to get the feel of this book. But once I did, I was wrapped up in her stories and faith of the ministry of Christ.

It gave me hope as a woman in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The last chapter was profound and beautiful.   Dare I say, life changing?

 

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Book Review -- The Cracks in the Kingdom

The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating: 4

Source: Library copy

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Objectionable material: None

Elliott is still fighting colors in the Kingdom of Cello; Madeleine is still hanging out in Cambridge, England. They are both still communicating via the crack in the universe that is housed in the parking meter at the end of Madeleine's street, and the search for the Royal Family of Cello continues.

Part II of Jaclyn Moriarty's The Colors of Madeleine series is just as whimsical, quirky, original, unique and fun as the first! This is the ONLY series I've continued since Harry Potter -- that's saying something!

There are some holes (pardon the pun) in the narrative -- links in the story that don't quite fit or work -- but I enjoyed both "worlds" so much and all the characters that I didn't really care.

If you are looking for a delightful and clever series, that doesn't involve dystopian death, depression, bleakness -- this should be next on your list.

Now...as with any series...I have to wait for the final book!!

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Listen to Your Mother

Picture by Kerri Case

I don't know why they picked me.

My essay was old.

My kids were grown (relatively speaking).

I'd seemingly recovered from that intensely bleak period of my life.

But they did. They picked me.

And 14 others like me.

14 others who participated in a nationally recognized public forum called Listen to Your Mother  -- to share our stories -- so fiercely & uniquely ours -- yet so universally shared among this tribe we call motherhood.  A tribe you belong to regardless of your "mother" status, because you simply inhabit Mother Earth and are loved by a Heavenly Mother.

14 others with stories of motherhood -- joyful, personal, emotional, painful, beautiful, hilarious, genuine, true -- a grand chorus of impassioned voices sharing their hearts.

I'm completely tethered to these 14 now -- some of whom I still barely know.

It was a sacred experience.  The stage...consecrated ground.

And I will be blessed by it forever.

Picture by Sarabeth Jones

 

Book Review -- The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hangover rating: 1
Source:  Library copy
Genre: General fiction
Objectionable material: minor language

An homage to books, bookstores, book lovers, book readers, writers of words, seller of books; quaint, cute, charming; choppy narrative, odd-duck characters, abandoned baby, romantic coupling, all centered in a dusty bookstore.

 

Best quote, "You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question: What is your favorite book?”  

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Book Review -- The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

My enjoyment rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Hangover rating:  3

Source: Personal copy

Genre: Literary/general fiction

Objectionable material: mild sexual innuendo

Narrated by Victoria in flashbacks, this novel follows her life as she bounces from one foster situation to the next until she "ages out" from foster care at 18. Her most significant relationship is with Elizabeth, a gardener who grew up on a Northern California vineyard and is now estranged from her family. Elizabeth introduces her to the Victorian-era symbolism of flowers and their secret meanings, and Victoria embraces it as a way to express difficult emotions to the adults in her life. She describes the situations that led her to become an often abrasive young adult, the self-sabotage that left her homeless in a San Francisco park, and the twists of fate that lead to her work with a high-end city florist and her guarded relationship with a Napa Valley farmer who understands her secret language like no one else. Book Page

This was a rich novel full of beautiful prose -- both functional and floral. The author, who is a foster parent as well, seemed to nail the plight of an emancipated foster child and their difficulties assimilating themselves into society. Victoria's insecurity, fear, hunger and homelessness was heartbreaking. I loved how the author turned one of Victoria's few "talents" (her knowledge of the meaning of flowers) into her societal salvation. What a learning experience.

However, I felt Victoria, the character, was unevenly written -- as a 18 year old foster-releasee, she seemed much OLDER on the written page. Also, the latter half of the novel -- once it gravitated towards Victoria's personal life -- was awkward and overly complicated...and I would say more, but it would reveal too much.

That being said -- overall I enjoyed this novel and would read future works by Ms. Diffenbaugh.

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Book Review -- Burial Rites

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

My enjoyment rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hangover rating: 2

Source: Personal copy

Genre: Historical fiction

Objectionable material: Sexual innuendo, some violence.

Agnes Magnúsdóttir (that's the last time I spell out that name!) has been convicted of murdering her employer (and lover) and sentenced to death. Until the ruling monarch in Denmark can set an execution date, Agnes is sent to work and live on an isolated farm in northern Iceland. With rumors about her crime and guilt flourishing among the villagers, Agnes must maintain her privacy, dignity, and hope, all in the face of tremendous uncertainty.

Based on an historical event, author Hannah Kent has written a vivid atmospheric novel about the heartbreak of Anges' life: her pain, sorrow, her fleeting joy, and her ultimate demise.

Burial Rites was very reminiscent of another "Kent" author -- Kathleen Kent's The Heretic's Daughter -- a telling of the Salem witch trials. It had the same sense of place and foreboding, as well as the damnation of a woman accused of murder.

Hannah Kent wrote lyrically about the landscape and harshness of Iceland -- the severe weather, the farmlands, the seas, -- it was stunning and harsh. However, the overall narrative I found uneven. With a mix of characters all telling the story from different points of view, the last 1/3 of the book was told in Agnes' voice, in a long, drawn out account that seemed never-ending.

Overall an interesting, albeit bleak, re-telling of an Icelandic saga.

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