I’ve been doing a bit of reading in this past month. I enjoyed most of the books read but there was one that was just okay and one that I almost stopped reading about 4 times. I usually read books until the end even if I’m not thrilled with them. I’ve never been a person who doesn’t like a book and just stops (usually). I think I have stopped reading a book 3 times in my life. I think I just always hope that it gets better and often they do.
The Latecomer
I listened to this book mostly because it was narrated by my absolute favorite, Julia Whelan. I was in a place where I really wanted to listen to books narrated by her. The narration was fantastic but so was the story. It is the story of a wealthy, socialite family and all of their dysfunction. Parts of it are terribly sad, parts are incredibly funny and some of it is maddening-just like life. Each person’s story is interesting and I found myself listening whenever I could.
I give this book 4 stars.
Beach Read
Just like Book Lovers by this same author which I read in February, this is another Julia Whelan narrated book. This book falls into what I will refer to as “women’s literature” versus “chick-lit.” Though I don’t use the “chick-lit” term in a derogatory manner, I know that books written with female leads that have relationship or love stories tend to be looked down on. One of the things I like about this “women’s literature” is that the women are not necessarily looking for a man, they are not weak, they are usually smart, funny and have opinions that the don’t mind sharing. Now, characters need to at least be interesting so none of these characters are perfect-they generally have lots of flaws and unexamined lives. These books, including this one often tackle difficult subjects getting very serious at times.
I give this book 4 stars.
Most Wanted
After listening to a couple of women’s literature books, I was ready for some mystery/thriller action. And once again, Julia Whelan was the narrator! This book was a bit slow and parts of it were silly. The mystery part of the story was decent and held my attention but the part of the story that dealt with the relationship between the husband and wife was not interesting and in fact, I sometimes questioned if they even liked each other let alone loved one another! I’ve read other books by this author and have generally enjoyed them. Her mysteries are not super dark and heavy so they are an easy read/listen.
I give this book 3.5 stars.
The Violin Conspiracy
I read this book versus listening to it so I can’t say how good or bad the narration is. And, I was so into it that I was late to my weekly chat with my Bookclub Babes! This book is more of a mystery than a thriller and honestly the “who done it part” was pretty easy to figure out. It wraps up at the end but by that time it’s clear who the culprit is. However, what redeems this book completely are the stories dealing with the history of the violin and all of the people and families involved.
I give this book 4 stars.
I Will Find You
Another really good thriller. Lots of twists and turns and characters. I got emotionally invested and wanted very badly for things to work out. There were a few times where I was sure that it wouldn’t. This is the type of thriller I like where you get bits and pieces from different sources and you don’t have to wait until the end to figure it all out and find out the why.
I give this book 4 stars.
The House in the Pines
This is the book that I had a hard time getting through. Part of me wishes that I had listened to it instead of reading. Again, I have no idea if the audio would have been better but a good narrator can really bring life to some material. It is an interesting story and premise but much of the book is poorly executed. She repeats things over and over again. I found myself saying, “I know!! You’ve told me this several times!!” But, I kept at it because I wanted to know the story which as it turns out was “meh.” I had kind of figured out the mystery part and kept reading because I wanted to see if I was right-and I was. Parts of this book were not terrible specifically when the protagonist looks back and is thinking about her relationship with her friend.
I give this book 2.5 stars.
Reading Journey-Goal=70 books
January-5 (65) February-5 (60) March-5 (55) April-6 (49)
I am pleased that I was able to read 1 more book this month. I’ll need to do this for a few months to meet my yearly goal. I will say that I am enjoying reading continuously and finding new reads that aren’t on my saved list.
Please share in the comments any book recommendations!
