Alicia's Book Review

A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers

2010-01-16T15:25:00.001-08:00

This author is a Christian writer, and this book's main character is a Christian right after the time of Christ's death. Most of the characters are promiscuous, which is disconcerting, but there were never any sordid details. It does have a lot of parallels between modern day ideals and the Roman civilization near its downfall. It is the typical soap-opera style of problem solving (which is basically non-existant), I usually avoid this style of story telling, but I'm sucked in now. I am happy that most of the characters have flaws, including the heroine. I enjoyed this and am reading the follow up in the series, Echo in the Darkness.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

2010-01-16T15:19:00.001-08:00

This book came highly recommended by a friend but it took me forever to get around to reading it. My sister started it before me and called to tell me how great it was. She says she cried through the first 20 pages or so. I didn't have quite the same reaction. It was good, but not enough to make it to my favorites list. The writing style is a bit dreamy and flowing, but maybe a bit too dreamy. It does have sex scenes, but without details, somewhere between PG and PG13. I did keep reading just because I wanted so desperately to see what happened to the bad guy (I was a bit disappointed at how he was handled). There were some very poignant thoughts about grief and healing, if there ever can be after losing a loved-one.

Percy Jackson Series, by Rick Riordan

2010-01-16T15:10:00.001-08:00

These books were great! They were silly, adventurous and totally clean. I will be very excited to read these again with my sons in just a few years. They are perfect for 8+year old boys.
All five were quick reads and entertaining for adults too. My brother-in-law and I had a race of sorts to see who could finish these first, he won.
I'm pretty sure I will buy these to keep and a set for my nephews (which is saying a lot since I do not buy books).

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2009-08-01T14:36:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that this is the first time I've ever read this book? Not even in school! Amazing, I know.

I liked it. I can see why it is a classic. And it's easy to read and understand. I will definitely read this again when my children have to in school.

100% appropriate for everyone over the age of 12!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

2009-08-01T14:31:00.001-07:00

I really liked this book. I would give it 4 1/2 stars for sure! I thought I wouldn't enjoy it since it is written in a series of letters from one character to the next, so I wasn't sure how I would be able to see the whole picture. But it works beautifully.

It's a story of a journalist in London just after WWII, and how she meets up with a book club who lives in the Channel Islands, which had previously been occupied by the Germans. It's funny and romantic, and it has you routing for all the right people.

It does have some mention of one of the supporting characters being homosexual, it was not at all distastefully done, however.

Very, very good. Will probably read it again at some future date.

Enna Burning, by Shannon Hale

2009-05-20T13:33:00.001-07:00

I really like Shannon Hale. I did read this series a bit out of order. It is supposed to go: Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secret. I read River Secret first, but having done that, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of these books.

As is in the style that Hale uses, it's very clean, a little romantic, and has a good deal of adventure. I would certainly let any of my children read it when they are older, and do not hesitate to recommend it to friends.

Persian Pickle Club, by Sandra Dallas

2009-05-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Very good, light book. I think it would be great for book club, a lot of fun things to discusss.

It was a fast read, only took about 2 days of sporadic reading, and I enjoyed it. It had 3 or 4 swear words, and attempted rape, so it would probably rate PG if it were a movie. It explores the relationships of women in small town dust-bowl-era Kansas. They belong to a quilting club and it's fun to see the different personalities of the characters. It's a bit of a who-done-it, and I like those.

4 Stars.

Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale

2009-04-20T19:15:00.001-07:00

This is another good one. I've found that reading from the teen section at the library can be very rewarding as far as finding stories which are appropriate for all ages. I would have no problem letting my teenage children read this, and would not hesitate to recommend this to a friend.

It is very whimsical, a little bit science fictiony, but not overwhelmingly so. It is based on a folk-tale that I have never heard of before, but enjoyed it anyway.

5-stars, for sure!

The Lady Elizabeth, by Alison Weir

2009-04-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in my Henry the VIII review, I love English history, so I really enjoyed this book. Alison Weir is a very gifted author who spins her novel on historic records. It is fascinating. Enjoyable, a fast read.

The Six Wives of Henry the VIII, by Alison Weir

2009-04-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I'm a bit of an Anglo-phile, so I was greatly intrigued. The book is a hybrid of textbook and novel. Ms. Weir wrote this book using historical records to piece together the astounding life of arguably the most famous British King. I had no idea that Anne Boleyn was hated, or that he was married to his first wife for more than 20 years.

It really is a fascinating book. (It is long).

The Shell Seekers, by Rosamunde Pilcher

2009-04-20T19:05:00.001-07:00

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't finish it. The story so how sucks you in, but there was too much immorality, so I had to put it down, unfinished. The author writes about how people who would look down on others who have extra-marital affairs, or get pregnant out of wedlock, or live with someone while not being married, are close minded, and just don't truly understand love. I say--fooey!

It's too bad, because I wanted to find out what happened.

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

2009-04-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

I read this one out of order. It's the 3rd in the Goose Girl 'series', so a lot of it, I wasn't sure of the history on. I've since read the Goose Girl, and have Enna Burning on hold (thank you, Phoenix Public Library system, love the holds system!).

It's a very good book, easy to read, but definitely, start with Goose Girl, it will be worth it.

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

2009-04-20T19:02:00.001-07:00

It's good, simple, clean, easy. Just the kind of read that can be hugely refreshing.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

2009-04-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

The copy of this that I read was 1006 pages long. It is a very long book! I have mixed feelings about this one, it was entertaining enough, but by the time I was done, I was really, really done. She does an excellent job of making you hate the bad guy, but the way they get rid of him is a bit anti-climactic. It is also filled with 'footnotes' to reference what she is talking about, these take up about 1/3 of the book. Their purpose is to explain the history of English magic. Without them it would have been a hugely confusing book, but at the same time, they were a bit boring.
I can't say that I would recommend this to anyone, but if you're brave enough, have at it!

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale

2008-12-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

I really like this book. I've decided I'm a fan of Shannon Hale. Just enough adventure and romance, with a keen descriptive of life as a young woman.

I'm hosting a book club on this book and will leave a better review after I get everyone else's input.

Lily's Crossing, by Patricia Reilly Giff

2008-12-01T20:05:00.001-08:00

Cute book.

The story takes place during WWII. Lily is 9 (?) and lives with her grandmother and father (an engineer), they vacation at Rockaway Beach during the summer. Lily meets a new friend who is a refugee from Hungary, his family has been left or lost in Europe. Lily learns about honesty and friendship.

I probably wouldn't read it again, not for lack of enjoying it, but just because once was enough.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

2008-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is the book for Oprah's book club this week. She says she loved this book. I thought it was good. Not at all an upper.

Edgar Sawtelle is a mute. His family runs a dog breeding business. Edgar's estranged uncle returns home after several years away. After his father dies of unknown causes and his uncle seduces his mother Edgar runs away from home. He learns about adulthood while on the run, and decides to return home.

Parts of the book were a little abstract for my liking. An entertaining story. It has over 500 pages and I read it in a little less than a week.

All in all, one and a half thumbs up, the missing half thumb is because I didn't appreciate the ending.

Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner

2008-10-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

I had zero expectations coming in to this book. It was good. I had no idea what it was about, it was recommended to me by someone (I don't remember who). But everyone that I know who has read said it was a good book. Even when I was flying up to my dad's for a girls weekend, the pilot walked past me as I was boarding the plane and said, 'Good book.'

It is about Lyman Ward, the grandson of Susan Ward. He is writing his grandmother's autobiography. So the story is partly about her too. Susan grew up in the Hudson River Valley and marries Oliver Ward who is an engineer for coal mines in the west (circa 1870-1880). It talkes about her marital struggles and their life together. We also learn the story of Lyman and his own personal struggles.

It was not a happy book. But entertaining.

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer

2008-09-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, I may get rotten fruit and vegetables thrown at me for this review.

In all honesty, the best I can say for this one is: it was fine.

I'm a huge fan of the series, but this one felt slow, and the ending wasn't as climactic as I would have liked to to have been. And there were times when I thought things were really just beaten into the ground. Yes, I get it, you are so amazingly attracted to Edward that it's hard to function sometimes. Yes, I get it, things don't look good. Yes, I get it, Jacob is so in love with Bella and it's just so unfair that she doesn't feel the same....

I could go on. Maybe it's just because I'm more of a Jacob fan than and Edward fan, this just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.

I almost gave up half way through, but I wanted to see if it would shape up any better in the end.

So for me, this wasn't the best in the series.

* Please keep the booing and hissing to a minimum.

Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech

2008-08-16T13:30:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed this book!

It is found in the juvenile section at my local library, and it was clean enough for any juvenile in my home to read.

I relate a lot to the lead character, and I cried by the end. I won't give away the ending.

Basically: Sal's mother leaves her and her dad for a trip to Idaho to refind herself. Sal finds out that her mother is not coming back and can't cope with that reality. Her dad moves her to a new town and she makes a new friend: Phoebe, whose family appears 'perfect' but then her mother leaves also, so Sal and her friend set out to determine what happened to her.

The story is told as Sal is driving from Ohio to Idaho with her grandparents so she can visit her mother. Again, I won't give away the ending, but I just about sobbed. One sentence in the last chapter had be crying out loud.

I really enjoy the way the book is written. When a book is written with words that make me feel what the narrator is saying, I feel that is a very good story teller. I will probably rent another work by this author.

***** (that's 5 stars if you can't tell).

The Winter Garden Mystery, by Carola Dunn

2008-08-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

Good book, very fast read. I enjoy the main character, and a good mystery.

Light read.

Drawbacks: Two of the characters are gay, and the person that gets killed is not married and pregnant, the dad is not really determined.

Death at Wentwater Court, by Carola Dunn

2008-08-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Good book.
I'm a mystery fan, and this was enjoyable. The only unsavory part was an attempted rape, but not much detail is given about it, so it was still PG.
I enjoy the setting (in England) in the 1920's.
It has a little bit of romance, but not over the top.
The first in the Daisy Dalrymple Mystery series, I will definitely be going back for the next one. Here is what the book summary says:
'No stranger to sprawling country estates, wealthy Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground at this particular mano house, having scandalously traded silver spoon for pen and camera to cover a story for Town and Country magazine. But her planned interviews with the inhabitants or Wentwater Court give way to interrogation when suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a dire fate on the tranquil skating pond. Armed with evidence that his fate was anything but accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard to examine an esteemed collection of suspects -- and see that the unlikely culprit doesn't slip through their fingers just as the unfortunate Astick slipped through the ice...'

Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith

2008-08-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Good, Light, Funny, Clean.

I enjoyed this very much. Fun to look in to another culture, and feel like you're there.

It was also amazing to me that this was written by a man, some of the thoughts were all woman! I read it in 2 1/2 days, so that says how fast of a read it is. And I only read during nap times or when my kids are in bed at night.

Not much in the way of suspense if that's what you're looking for, but I was thoroughly entertained nonetheless.

Up A Road Slowly, by Irene Hunt

2008-08-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

This was a good, fast read. The narrative wasn't exactly in the style that I prefer, I felt a little detached from the character, Julie. But it was a happy coming of age story, and had lots of little tidbits about girlhood that I could relate too.
It's found in the children's section at our local library. Definitely clean enough for a daughter of mine to read. A good one if you're in a pinch.

The Book of Lost Things, John Connolly

2008-08-06T13:08:00.001-07:00

This book was recommended to me by my sister Emily. In her words is was so freakin cool.

My sentiments don't exactly match hers.

It was an interesting read, and I enjoyed it. But it was on the darker side of the works I would normally read.

David's mother dies, his dad remarries. The only solace he finds are in his books. But then a series of events sucks him in to a world of fairy tales. They are all familiar fairy tales, but told in the way they 'really' happened. In other words, not at all how we know them to have turned out.

There were not swear words, which is huge to me. A slight hint of the possibilty of one of the character being gay, which was not okay to me, but nothing in your face.

All-in-all: it was fine, a quick read, but dark.