When enjoying a book a lot comes down to understanding the characters. I don't even need to like them (in fact sometimes it makes for better reading if I don't) but I have to believe in their actions. Maybe even more so when they're women--because really, who has any idea why men do what they do?! Sadly, two of January's new releases were about women where I didn't believe the ... Read More...
It’s Not You, It’s Me: Mini-Reviews
Hard to believe readers, but we’re nearing the end of October. The graphic is a pretty good representation of the weather here in the Pacific Northwest- cold and drippy. Sometimes this theme is a bit of a stretch because I simply did not like a book, but today I have two mini-reviews of books that, while they did not work for me, were well-written and likely to be good reading ... Read More...
Historical Fiction: Mini-Reviews
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a fan of historical fiction. You might think you can read only so many books about World War II, the Tudors, or almost any European royal family before losing interest but apparently, for me, that’s not true. There's always some aspect of history I knew nothing about and, while I should read non-fiction for accuracy's sake, it puts me to sleep. ... Read More...
Copygirl
Oh dear, oh dear. Beware the comparative blurb. As in “the next Gone Girl” or “it's like Little House on the Prairie meets Twilight”. And I’m not warning writers, I’m warning readers. Do you fall for this? I like to think I don’t but obviously, I do. Today’s example is Copygirl, a novel set in an advertising agency. I saw the Goodreads blurb and was ready to start ... Read More...
Rich White Dudes: Mini-Reviews
I’m back again with two more mini-reviews on a theme. Last time was mysteries that had me going until the end but today is not all that mysterious, it’s rich white dudes. Which, apparently, there are fair amounts of in recent fiction. The Fall of Princes is author Robert Goolrick’s look at the brash and bullish world of Wall Street in the 1980s. An interesting time ... Read More...
Right Up Until the End: Mini-Reviews
Picture this: you’ve started a mystery/thriller/sci-fi/suspense novel—any book that sucks you into a plot that requires full buy-in on the reader's part. And you do. And it’s well written, it’s all working and then BAM!, it’s not. You’re left like Nathan Lane in The Birdcage, a gay man trying to play a straight man discussing the Miami Dolphins. The betrayal, the bewilderment. ... Read More...
