Being active on Goodreads since this past August has inspired me to resolve this year to read and review more books. Here's a list of what I've read -- or listened to on Audible -- over the past five months...
Down River by
John Hart
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
Earnest
effort that sometimes devolves into purple prose... "the sun was dying
in the sky, and I wondered what it would take with it" et al. The story
keeps moving along, so I enjoyed it -- but I think I would have liked
the written version better than this audio version. The audio version
includes an interview with the author, where the interviewer keeps
praising his ear for dialog. Yet, in listening to the story instead of
reading it, I found the dialog frustrating. In the book, no one ever
answers a direct question directly -- or characters often say things
that are deliberately cryptic at first. I often found myself in my car
shouting at the narrator, "Just answer the question!"
The Racketeer by
John Grisham
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
There
were few surprises for me in this book -- but it delivered what I
expected... solid entertainment. A good story, with a main character I
rooted for, and excellent narration by J.D. Jackson. As a work of
fiction, or literature, I suppose it rightly should be given three
stars. There's nothing exceptional here. But as a guilty pleasure, I'd
give it five stars... so my final rating splits the difference.
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by
Bill O'Reilly
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
This
is a very entertaining and informative read. I knocked off a star here
because I am rating the audio version of the book, which features Bill
O'Reilly as the narrator. He has a very jarring narration style -- as if
he were TV pundit! -- but, for me, this took away from the listening
experience. "Why is Bill O'Reilly yelling at me?" I kept asking myself.
But it certainly made me want to read more about the Civil War and
American history.
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by
Mark Owen
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
An interesting read that, rightfully so, honors those who serve our country. The story rings true to me.
Hidden by
Kendra Elliot
My rating:
2 of 5 stars
OK,
if the mood is right... I suppose. But it was kind of like an extended
episode of the TV show "Criminal Minds," including one-dimensional male
characters and relationships based on studies in anthropology rather
than real life. Not my best reading choice lately.
American Gods by
Neil Gaiman
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
Since
all my previous reviews are 4 stars or more, I thought I'd just comment
on a recent read that didn't enthrall me. I'm sorry, I just don't get
this one. I know a lot of people love this book (and I can understand
that feeling, since this is a noble effort), but I found it rambling in a
bad way.
The Fault in Our Stars by
John Green
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
John
Green is an astounding writer, associated with "YA" (young adult)
readers. Ha. I wish teenagers were this articulate, profound, poetic and
wise. I'd give this book 5 stars if I could only suspend disbelief long
enough for that extra star. The audible.com version of this book is
especially well-read.
A Painted House by
John Grisham
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This
was a pleasant surprise. Recommended by my friend Mark Marchand, this
book reminded me of "The Glass Castle" -- but that's always been one of
my favorites too. Filled with baseball references, a good deal of
violence and likable, even admirable, characters. I, in turn, recommend
it to you.
Gone Girl by
Gillian Flynn
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Loved
the first 2/3rds of the book, but then it started to fall flat for me.
Still a great all-around read. Makes "The War of the Roses" seem very
tame.
The Age of Miracles by
Karen Thompson Walker
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Well-written, including some extraordinarily lyrical and poetic passages.