Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It didn't take me too long to figure out what was going on. I'm not sure if the author meant for the reader to figure it out before her characters or not, I like to think she did. Either way, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Gideon is a talented and engaging story-teller. I look forward to seeing what they do with this for a movie.



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The Future Is The Beginning: The Words and Wisdom of Bob Marley by Bob Marley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was different from what I thought it was going to be when I read the introduction. Still, a good little book with snippets of wisdom. It felt like an appetizer. I want to read a full biography now. I never knew Bob Marley wanted to be a farmer, I like that.

This review is based on an ARC obtained from Goodreads First Reads.



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The Office of Mercy by Ariel Djanikian

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


They're marketing this book to the right crowd by appealing to Hunger Games fans. It's very different but shares some of the same themes. More slow-paced. The ending was predictable and inevitable and disappointing only because it was realistic.

This review is based on an ARC sent from the publisher.



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Summerset Abbey by T.J. Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So far, I've been pretty disappointed with the flurry of books that have come out hoping to capitalize on the popularity of Downton Abbey. This one I really enjoyed. It was well written, the characters were fully formed and the plot was interesting (if a little predictable). I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy.



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Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This doesn't happen too often but I'm really not sure how to describe how I feel about this book. I found it to be depressing, heart-breaking, shocking, hopeful, and a wonder.
Books like these really make you realize how much you take for granted.



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Lost At Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked this better than Men Who Stare at Goats. It's a good format. Not really short stories, more like essays with each chapter being on a new topic. It was all very interesting, sometimes I wasn't sure if I should laugh or feel sad (in this instance, that's a good thing.
I may leave this in the employee library at work. I'm pretty sure a lot of my coworkers would enjoy it.

This review is based on a free advance copy that was sent to me by the publisher.



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Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde: A True Story by Rebecca Dana

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


It's difficult to feel a sympathetic connection to an author who says things like "In a world full of people like me...how do you get anyone to care about anything" and "Do as much good in the world as you can, and make some money doing it" (p. 232). "Most of the sane world will think this is insipid" (p. 197). Pretty much sums it up. This isn't a horrible book, I just can't relate to it and it's not for me. If you love fashion and think Sex & the City is the best show ever made, this book may be for you.

This review is based on a free copy obtained from the publisher.



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Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I admit, I was skeptical about joining the Scarlet and Cinder characters together. I was more interested in seeing where Cinder's story would go and thought a new character/plot would be too much but this was very deftly woven. There was a perfect balance between the two tales. I'm just annoyed I have to wait another year for the next book.



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Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoy Gail Carriger's writing. She's always so much fun. This new series seems to be a prequel to her Parasole Protectorate series. I wasn't sure I'd like it as much since it's YA but I think I liked it even more.



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The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book reminded me of the show Copper. It has a little bit of everything. Some history, some romance, some suspense all in an excellent balance. It feels like it could be the beginning of a series so I'm curious to see if there are any more stories to come.



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The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love it when I find a book that sucks me in so completely that I want to put the rest of my day aside and do nothing but lose myself in the story. I read this book in under 24 hours. So wonderful!! My overactive imagination did have me speculating on some back story right away that turned out to be wrong but I was very okay with that.



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Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


There are an awful lot of characters and narrators for so short a book.
This story might be interesting if it were told about all the same characters but from the point of view of the house, as if it were a living being.
I liked the characters at the beginning and the end but I found the middle stories a bit dragging. There really was just too much crammed in to it and as soon as you got interested in someone's story it ended.
Not great as a Downton Abbey substitute.

I got a free copy of this book from the publisher through twitter.



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