Save Me

Look Again is one of my favorite books, and definitely my favorite from this author. I came across this one and decided to give it a try and it wasn't bad. It was a very quick read and I couldn't put it down. It's a great beach read and doesn't have any depth. It's about a mother who is volunteering as a lunch helper and ends up being involved with something fatal. I can't give details, since the surprises in the book are what makes it one worth reading.

The only real complaint I have against the novel is that it's unrealistic. However, by the time I realized the facts weren't believable, I was hooked and didn't care. Not the best writing but one of those books where it doesn't matter.

Rasputin's Daughter

I now know more than I ever cared to know about Rasputin. This dude was crazy sick. This book is really about Maria, his daughter and his life is seen through her eyes, thankfully, as it lessens the blow of evil.

While this was a good book, readable, well written, organized well, good characters, and interesting, it is very dark and sexually explicit.

The character development is very interesting. I started out really liking Maria when she was naive and didn't know what her father's real character was life. But as soon as she saw some things her father did, but failed to speak up or put a stop to it, I rapidly grew to dislike her. But I still respect her for some things, which is why I continued to read it.

If you are interested in reading about the crazy Rasputin this would be an entertaining book to say the least.

Figures in Silk

The setting for this book is just after the War of the Roses. I have recently read several historical fiction books on or near this era and this one was probably the best. That being said, I did grow weary of the silk industry by the end of the book. And Bennett could have done a better job at being more concise in her descriptions.

The story focuses around the two Lambert daughters who get married off after the war. Jane, who becomes Jane Shore is widely written about in other books in this era, as she becomes the mistress to King Edward IV. It was very interesting getting a new glimpse into her life as a sister and the power she had at court. Isabel became Isabel Claver and married into the silk business. This story line is unique to similar books in the genre, which I enjoyed. Isabel is really the main character in the book, as she unknowingly falls into a relationship with the king's brother, Richard after she is widowed young. The book is full of shady dealings and relationships, which is true to the period. If you like 15th century London books, this is a good one to read!

Emma and Me

Character development matters. This book is proof. I have been reading this book for the past few nights and got to page 65 before I put it down. The story sounds interesting. The writing is fine. However, I didn't care about the characters enough to get the through the boring spots. If Flock had set up her characters better, I would have kept reading to see what happens to the girls. So, I wouldn't recommend this book on that factor alone.

While Beauty Slept

This is a great book! It's an extremely creative book and very well written. The characters were believable and complex, even while being archetype.

The story is told by a great grandmother (Elise) once she hears her great granddaughter tell the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. She proceeds to recount the real story behind the fairy tale and it is fantastic.

So many fairy tales or books that give a different account of the fairy tale, they are full of magic and unbelievable details. While Beauty Slept thankfully isn't. It's a creative account of how the fairy tale could have come to pass.

I highly recommend this book to those who like a good story, a well written book, and enjoy surprises and trying to figure things out. Just remember the time period and setting (fictional as it may be). Women are not well taken care of and are treated as objects, so there are some inappropriate relations in the novel.

It's on my list of favorite books and I hope Blackwell writes more novels like this one!

Mrs. Kimble

Mrs. Kimble is about three different women who end up marrying the same man (not at the same time!). While it was a compelling and engaging book, I didn't love it. And wouldn't recommend it. It's a very sad commentary on marriage and divorce and while it's probably pretty realistic, it's not redemptive at all and thus, not worth the read.

For the most part, the women in the novel are portrayed as victims. The infidelity in the book is seen as the good, right, and better choice.

The ending of the book had such potential, but it turns out I don't get it. It ended too abruptly and confusing. And overall, for the topics in the book, it should be been more complex and complicated than it was. 

The writing was just okay. This book gets a 1.5 out of 5. There is really only one character in the book I actually liked and were it not for him, I would have put the book down.

The Goldfinch

It's been a while since my last book post. We just moved. We put our kids in public school for the first time ever. We just added 10 chicks to our family. And did I mention we just moved??

I have read this past month. A lot. Through the unpacking of boxes and hanging of pictures. Through the packing of school lunches and the paperwork that the teacher's send home. Through the homework proofing. Through feeding and watering chicks.

The Goldfinch is almost 800 pages. So while I haven't posted in a while, it's certainly not for lack of reading.

This book gets mostly mixed reviews from me. I'll do this in bullet points:

• Tartt tried too hard to make the book deeper than it needed to be
• The book is pretentious
• There is a good balance of detail to story line
• It's an interesting story
• The first 7/8s of the book needed to be 3/4s shorter
• The ending of the actual story was good - lots of surprises
• However, the ending (well, the book on the whole), was too philosophical for my taste in fiction
• Tartt's philosophical commentary was poor - she rambled and it didn't even make sense 

The book is rough (language and non graphic sexuality), but that makes sense due to the age of the characters and the colorfulness of the lifestyles in the book. It'd make a fine book club book. And as long as you can stand the bits of color in  there and have a month (or longer) to read it, it'd be a fine book to read. However, if you don't read this popular book you're not missing out on much.