Book Reviews: March 2015
Here's to more books! I've never really been on an extended work hiatus before so I've stuck my head into a bunch of books. Usually taking recommendations from "Best of" lists and what friends recommend so here are a few of the fun ones I've read so far:
Yes, Please! - Amy Poehler's collection of thoughts about life as a mom, working her way up in comedy and her work on SNL. I admire women in the entertainment industry so I enjoyed her insights into the hardships and fun times she had getting to where she is today. Go Amy (even if she went to BC)
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson has a talent for taking history and writing in a way that sounds like fiction. That's a good thing! I have a hard time reading straight history, however this story has so much built in intrigue that it begged to be written about.
The Art Forger - A real life mystery at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum sets off this fictional account of the discovery of one of the missing art pieces and a bit of an unbelievable twist to finding the perpetrator. Quick read with an interesting take on a jumping timeline which helped flesh out the main character, however that doesn't mean I have to like her.
The Fever Series - I read 5 of these books over a weekend. It's a fantasy series that is pretty much True Bloods' Sookie (a blond innocent) and Alcide (an animal-like strong man) and they fight Faeries that have broken through the walls between worlds. Took 5 books to completely understand the history and reasons for the downfall which kills off billions of humans. If you like a strong female protagonist and an Alpha male, that rescues her from a couple tight spots, this is a good one.
The Girl on the Train - The main character is an alcoholic and watching her screw her life up is a train wreck you can't look away from. I was a rubbernecker though, watching her make mistakes, try to make things right and make things worse. I felt as bad as she did after a night of gin & tonics. The story kept me guessing and the reveal is shocking, however the villain monologue is just TOO over the top. Just stop.
Wreckage - The first chapter sucked me in. It's told from the POV of two airline crash survivors that ended up stranded on a deserted island in the tropics. Beginning from the end, it's slowly pieced together what happened to them over the two years they were castaways. Unfortunately, the dialogue was horrible and the lies told only created unnecessary drama which I couldn't get past.
Next up, I'm reading the Maze Runner trilogy, Wild, and The Book Thief.
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson has a talent for taking history and writing in a way that sounds like fiction. That's a good thing! I have a hard time reading straight history, however this story has so much built in intrigue that it begged to be written about.
The Art Forger - A real life mystery at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum sets off this fictional account of the discovery of one of the missing art pieces and a bit of an unbelievable twist to finding the perpetrator. Quick read with an interesting take on a jumping timeline which helped flesh out the main character, however that doesn't mean I have to like her.
The Fever Series - I read 5 of these books over a weekend. It's a fantasy series that is pretty much True Bloods' Sookie (a blond innocent) and Alcide (an animal-like strong man) and they fight Faeries that have broken through the walls between worlds. Took 5 books to completely understand the history and reasons for the downfall which kills off billions of humans. If you like a strong female protagonist and an Alpha male, that rescues her from a couple tight spots, this is a good one.
The Girl on the Train - The main character is an alcoholic and watching her screw her life up is a train wreck you can't look away from. I was a rubbernecker though, watching her make mistakes, try to make things right and make things worse. I felt as bad as she did after a night of gin & tonics. The story kept me guessing and the reveal is shocking, however the villain monologue is just TOO over the top. Just stop.
Wreckage - The first chapter sucked me in. It's told from the POV of two airline crash survivors that ended up stranded on a deserted island in the tropics. Beginning from the end, it's slowly pieced together what happened to them over the two years they were castaways. Unfortunately, the dialogue was horrible and the lies told only created unnecessary drama which I couldn't get past.
Next up, I'm reading the Maze Runner trilogy, Wild, and The Book Thief.
