Thursday, August 27, 2015

Review: Circling the Sun: A Novel

Circling the Sun: A Novel Circling the Sun: A Novel by Paula McLain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't normally have the self-control to linger over books I'm really enjoying, even if I don't want them to end. This one, I was able to parcel out a bit more than usual. It was very easy to forget that this was based on a real woman, it all seems too extraordinary. I am very interested in reading her autobiography now. As this book seemed better than McLain's last, I'm hoping we can continue to expect great things from her as she perfects her story-telling. Well done!


This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com


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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Review: The Bourbon Kings

The Bourbon Kings The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

J.R. Ward is not a writer of great literature. She does, on occasion, write very fun stories. This is not one of them. It felt like the only redeeming qualities of the "good" characters in this book was that they weren't the ones who were sleeping with everyone, beating women, stealing, or plotting to murder family members. It's hard to really get behind someone who's the good guy by default. I will not be reading any more of this particular series.

This honest review is in exchange for a free ARC received from the publisher.

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Saturday, August 22, 2015

Review: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I enjoy Bryson's writing style. This is the second book of his I've read now. Not only is he informative and educational, he's funny and entertaining as well. I honestly had no idea there was so much uninhabited space just in this stretch of the country. Even though you know there are parks out there, its very easy to forget how big this country is and how open these territories can be. I do think it would be nice if he included photos in his books but I imagine he had enough to carry on the AT without having to worry about lugging a camera around and keeping it dry. I definitely want to see the movie version of this when it's on dvd but I'm imagining they took some liberties with the story. We'll see.

This review is in exchange for a free book from blogginforbooks.org.

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Thursday, August 20, 2015

Review: Hogwarts Library

Hogwarts Library Hogwarts Library by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to re-read the Harry Potter series but my books are buried by my TBR piles. This was a nice little fix to tide me over. The Quiddich book was a bit "Meh" but I really enjoyed the other two books. I'd been curious about the animal book as they are now filming the prequel movie. I also have a different, limited edition of Beedle and Bard but had not read it until now. Enjoyable reads, even the footnotes are fun.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Review: The Windup Girl

The Windup Girl The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I smell a sequel.

I think the scariest thing about this book is how believable it is for a future world scenario.

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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Review: Mirage

Mirage Mirage by Monica Burns
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not a lot of foreplay in the prose. At 5% in, the word "cock" is already mentioned. Rather scandalous for a story taking place at the end of the 1800's. I think I would have liked this better if there had been less explicit sex and been styled more as a historical romance. It was well-written and it has an interesting location and plot but the sex just doesn't mesh with the time period.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com.

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Review: William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace

William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace by Ian Doescher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Okay, this one was fun. I'm really enjoying this series. This one was more remarkable than the others so far in that it was better than the movie it was based on. Doescher even manages to make Jar Jar Binks bearable. Who would have thought such a thing was even possible. I enjoyed the other pop culture references that were tossed in, including song lyrics and references to Liam Niesen's role in Taken.

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Review: Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari'a Law from the Deserts of Ancient Arabia to the Streets of the Modern Muslim World

Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari'a Law from the Deserts of Ancient Arabia to the Streets of the Modern Muslim World Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari'a Law from the Deserts of Ancient Arabia to the Streets of the Modern Muslim World by Sadakat Kadri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a ton of history and information crammed into 300 pages. I felt like I would have benefited greatly from having some sort of name chart or graph to keep all the historical names sorted out. I'm not good with names anyway so it was hard to remember who came from which group. All that aside, this book is very informative and explains things in such a clear matter that I finally feel like a have a grasp on why some things are. It really goes a long way to explaining why some things have happened and why some groups believe the things they do. It might even be a good book to include in some school classes so people don't just believe what the media tells them and actually start understanding a very large group of the population.

This review is thanks to a free book received from GoodReads First Reads.

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Friday, August 7, 2015

Review: The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan

The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan by Jenny Nordberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another book to make me feel grateful for the simple freedoms I take for granted. I'm not sure which group of women this book made me feel sadder about, the women who are oppressed from the moment they are born until they die or the women who are allowed freedom as children by being disguised as boys but have that freedom taken away from them when they marry. It almost seems a cruelty to be given that glimpse of the freedom they should have only to have it snatched away and be basically turned into a slave. It's a fair point that's made, linking the way men treat women and the way they react to the rest of the world. Hopefully some domestic peace and equilibrium can be found and extended for more global progress towards harmony.

This review is in exchange for a free book received from bloggingforbooks.org.

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Saturday, August 1, 2015

Review: A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I should have read this book of Backman's first, I think I would have liked it more. It's really excellent, I just liked his second book so much more. Wonderful story of a somewhat lovable curmudgeon. If you like character-driven stories, Backman is really your guy.


This review is based on a free e-edition from NetGalley.com.

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