The Spirit of Cattail County
This book was a pleasant surprise. Very engaging characters and a great story. If you know middle schoolers I recommend this book. I think the author, Victoria Piontek, has a bright future. Her characters are well crafted and the story is well told.
3
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell
I originally ordered this novel because it appeared when I did a search for time travel. Thousand Autumns, sounded like it fit the bill. Was I ever wrong but I got a novel that kept me going for a long time. If I tell you what Thousand Autumns really referred to, I'd have to put a spoiler alert on this., so I'll leave it to you to find out on your own. David Mitchell is a tremendous writer and researcher. His command of Dutch names and habits, as well as japanese, is astounding. I really loved this book and highly recommend it. Caution: It is a period piece (Japan pre-opening to the West) so if you do not like period novels . . .
READING PROGRESS
2
The Last Academy
For the first time I've read a book that I liked but somehow had no idea what was really going on. Until the last chapter. I almost never devour a book like I did this one. Great storytelling - I loved this book and highly recommend it. What's it about? Read it for yourself.
Classics
I recently was cleaning my library shelves and, of course, had to remove the books to do so. Afterwards, as I rearranged and returned the books to their shelves, I thought about the many International Collectors Library volumes and other classics that my late wife and I had purchased many years ago. I don’t recall that either of us ever read one. My minimalist daughter would tell me, “Dad, why do you have these? You never read them.” So, I made a pledge to work one in from time to time in my reading schedule. I invite all of you to do something similar.
Let’s read classic books! Who’s with me? My first will be As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. My reviews of these works will include a little biography gleaned from Wikipedia. I’m sure most of you use Wikipedia to look things up. Donations to them are appreciated.
I invite you to reblog this with your friends as I don’t have many.
2
Firefly Lane
I’ve read through lots of reviews of Kristin Hannah’s, Firefly Lane, and found some truth in all. It’s not usually my kind of book, but I took a chance. I’m glad I did. I don’t review what the book is about, that’s what the back cover does. My review is of the writing.Is it cliché? Yes, but what story isn’t? Whether a book is about romance, friendship, war or peace, its all been done before. It’s all in how you mix the details. As a writer myself, I’ve always been told you’ve got to keep piling the troubles on to keep the reader interested. And, while that is true to keep a story going, I think you have to have triumphs mixed in there too. Get the characters some rewards along the way, but with the whisper of troubles ahead. Ms Hannah does this skillfully. I think that is why some people found this such a great story. Lives have ups and downs, that’s how the tale of them should go.
I didn’t expect the climactic last four chapters or so. Something I myself have lived through. While painful to recall, they were very accurate and sad.
It’s a thick book, but when you’re covering 30 years what do you expect? While I don’t have a small fraction of Ms Hannah’s fans, I can clearly see why they love her writing. This turned out to be a great read and I give it my highest recommendation.
1
Great Soul of Siberia: Passion, Obsession, and One Man's Quest for the World's Most Elusive Tiger
Great story, great writing. Full review late.
SPOILER ALERT!
Not If I Save You First
I don't often comment on books but here I must. Since I am old enough to actually REMEMBER WWII, its not surprising that I no longer find books that I can honestly say 'I couldn't put it down,' or 'I wanted to read it cover to cover in one sitting.' But, Ally Carter's books still do that for me. She is one fabulous writer. And this one, Not If I Save You First, is no exception.A little spoiler alert here.
No, this is not revealing the story, but my only negative is there was a little too much repetition about how dangerous Alaska was. It didn't bother me that Maddie, Cammie, Katarina, and Grace (all of Ally's heroines), were pretty much the same girl, in fact, that's a plus!
The lost continent of Mu,
This was my second reading of the book, probably 50 years apart. As this was originally written in the 1930's you have to take some of his theories with a grain of salt. However, I think that the whole Alaskan Land Bridge that 'science' tries to shove down our throats is pure fantasy. The original Americans, Central, South, and North, came here many, many years ago - from the west and by sea.
School Spirits
I liked this book, but I don't recommend it for younger children. Hawkins is a gifted writer and I'll look to see if she continued this book. While many people summarize the plots in a review, I don't think it's my job, it's the writer's job. The fact that I'm looking for a sequel gives you an idea that I liked the protagonist and the story plot.
City of Endless Night
Wow, I'm only giving 3 stars to a Pendergast novel. Why? It did not strike me as the best work of my favorite authors. There was a little preaching by Pendergast at the conclusion and did we really need that Epilogue regarding Constance? It started off with a bang with all the beheadings, but the ending and the 'killer' were unsatisfying. I've been reading these guys since Relic, and that's when it was released, not afterward. While Relic was made into a movie, changing the museum from New York to Chicago ruined having any of the other books made into movies. It became a good stand alone movie (that I watch every now and then) but there was no continuation. As I'm not a Gideon fan, I hope Douglas & Lincoln go back to Pendergast fresh next time. Maybe tell us about how he got into the FBI. However -PLEASE! No political stories. I'd stay far away from any such novels mixing politics and the FBI.
Posted
Posted was okay but not as good as I had thought when I picked it. Interesting premise that got sidelined somewhere with relationships. Not that its bad, just that it made the whole 'Postes' premise second.
All the Missing Girls: A Novel
Had I known this book was written backwards I would have never read it. It's a gimmick to cover up a story that has no surprises if written in a traditional way. This ploy failed to cover up the transparent ending for me. I thought it a waste of time. Only my self-enforced pledge to finish what I start kept me reading.
Citizen Washington
This book was a great undertaking I'm sure but was well researched and written. Fills holes in on Washington's life. Best book I read all year. Don't know why I waited so long, my copy was getting yellow pages. We can sure use a Washington today!
The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45
HUGE, huge disappointment. I expected a book about the Liberator and it's missions, not a life of George McGovern. Who cares about him? First time I didn't finish a book and I blame it on poor research. I should have read people's reviews. Stephen Ambrose's worst book.
The Keep
Was just as scary the second time as the first, however many years have passed between readings.