Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Far better than other books in this genre.

I waited for a while before I started this book because I knew it was Book 2 in a series, and that Book 3 wasn't coming out until the summer.  I was craving a good read.  A book that would catch my imagination and be hard to put down.  This one delivered.

I enjoy this world of witches, daemons, vampires and humans.  I like the world that Harkness creates, and the attention to details.  I was a bit worried I would find Matthew a bit overbearing again, but Diana certainly asserted herself more effectively in this tome.

I like that Diana and Matthew escape through time and land in Elizabethan England.  What a time to have lived in!  This was a great read and I am (im)patiently waiting for Book 3. 

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Escape read.

Likely, I should have posted about this book after I finished it, since I can't say that much remains about this book after I turned the last page.

I enjoy the fast-paced thrill ride that is a Jack Reacher story.  Since I have read the series out of order, I enjoy picking up the backstory as I have been going along, and learning more about what makes Reacher, Reacher.  Reading one of these books for me is liking watching a summer blockbuster movie.  Entertaining, but not entirely intellectually stimulating. 

After the last few reads, this was a nice break from using my brain, and a good choice during a really busy, intense period at work.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Two jettisoned in two months. Blech.

I really wanted to like this book.  I started contemplating if I would finish it about page 75, made it to page 125, and I decided it was time to cut the cord.

The writing isn't terrible, and it hard some great opening lines, but it just didn't do it for me.   In a sense, the writing style reminded me of Dennis Lehane (Mystic River)… whom I also had a hard time getting in to.

I found the story interesting enough, it just didn't move fast enough, and I found I didn't care enough about the lead characters.  You knew the parents in this story were not well matched, would rob a bank, and one would commit suicide in jail. The sister doesn't really appear to have a great outcome in life, and the narrator will eventually lose themselves in education.

So on I have moved.  Between this and a few of the other books I have read lately, I figured I would just make a break for some totally escapist literature and I grabbed a Lee Child novel as predictable, entertaining, light fodder.  It is delivering a fast-paced, not all that intellectually stimulating novel.  In light of the week I just had at work, a perfect choice.

I have a month until I return to my old position at work.  I will admit to having an open mind about going back, and not being very excited, but I really don't know that to expect.  It will be really interesting to watch how things unfold in the coming months.  I was aiming to complete a job today, and it did get done, but it was a bit of a battle.  Time.  Processes taking their time.  Correcting errors and adjusting figures.  Very interesting, very time consuming.  In the end, very worth getting it done.  There is nothing like the satisfaction of completing a hard task.  It is strange this isn't my problem anymore in a month.  I will miss the different demands on me, and learning so much.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

I tried. Short stories just don't rock my world.

This is a book that has intrigued me for a while.  Maybe it was the lead characters name or just the cover… I wanted to read it.

I kind of struggled through this one.  There are some poetic moments, and some really moving passages, but I really struggle with short stories.  This novel is about Olive Kitteridge, and she is the protagonist in a few of these stories, but this novel contains 12 short stories that paint a picture of Olive, and not always from her perspective.

It is compelling, and I did want to finish it.  At times some of the stories were unsatisfying because I wanted more.  I like sweeping epic novels, and this wasn't that.  It does have a bittersweet story to tell, and it is an interesting way to reveal a character through their own words, and the impressions of others.  Yes, it is a decent read.  Am I screaming "read this" from the rooftops, nope.  I would say that Olive may stick with me for a while just as a character, and how we learn about ourselves as we age (not always flattering what we come to realize about ourselves).  It is also important to pay attention to the little moments we take for granted, and our relationships with others.  I was happy to finish this one last night so I could move on to the next book.

Speaking of books, my oldest is taking a further leap in to reading and he is loving Geronimo Stilton right now.  He is reading on his own!  He is also totally into his current book, and I love seeing him that engaged.  As well, at his after school program, the boys are all learning how to make friendship bracelets with their fingers or forks and loving it.  How cool is that?