No One Could Have Guessed the Weather by Anne-Marie Casey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I couldn't relate to any of the characters in this book until the very end when she was talking about loving to read and trying to write. Sex & the City kind of wore me out when it comes to story about wealthy New York women.

This review is based on an advanced reader's edition.



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Notes from a Coma by Mike McCormack

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"It was only a matter of time I suppose before wilful mindlessness became the season's Zeitgeist." Awesome. Pretty scathing, but not baseless, assessment of where our world is heading. Gotta admit, the footnotes did my head in on occasion but they were also some of the more interesting writing. It was almost like there were two separate books in one between the story and the footnotes. Very original. I recommend it. Read it. Then read it again.



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The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I thoroughly enjoy the amount of profanity used by the female protagonist, even though it's very improper for her station. Perhaps that's what make it more funny.
It is a bit distracting that the main male character sometimes talks like Yoda. Perhaps it's something evolved from the translation of Welsh to English.



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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I just really love this series. I want to re-read the original books before the movie comes out. I didn't notice this until I was done, but I like that there's a family tree inside the dust cover of this book.



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Mr. Darcy's Daughter by Rebecca Ann Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Not bad for fan fiction. I had not read any of the previous books in this series so was initially overwhelmed by the number of characters. I think there was really enough material in this story for two books that may have been better told more spaced out and moderated with some spaces of calm and ordinary happiness instead of jumping around in the course of two years from one dramatic event to the next. Even it out a bit.



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Evernight by Claudia Gray

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was better than I thought it would be and it grew on me as I read it. I may have to check out some of the sequels.



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Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The first person omniscient narrative takes some getting used to being that it's the point of view of a character that's in the book but not present for all the events.
Some universal themes told through a modern vehicle in a classical structure. Well done. I like that all my plot questions were answered just when I thought they wouldn't be, except for how the narrator's brother ended up with such an odd name.



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The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book just makes a lot of sense to me. If you have an open mind, you will probably benefit from reading it. If you have a closed mind, you will probably benefit even more.



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The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The story and the plot were good but it was unfortunately predictable. It would have been greatly improved with more suspense. I also thought the main character should have been more intelligent and less naive for someone with her education. I did enjoy reading it though and wouldn't rule out recommending it or reading it again.



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The Angel Maker by Stefan Brijs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't love this book but it was very interesting. It was very well written as far as getting inside the character's heads. It takes you on a very strange journey from being sympathetic to a young boy who's neglected and doesn't understand the world due to autism and then becoming shocked and repulsed by the man/monster he turns out to be. It's an interesting Frankensteinian trip.



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Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Accurate description of what it's like to have and love dogs. Pack a tissue.



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I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Not sure what's more disturbing, the contents of the book or that I laughed at so much of it.



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Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This reminded me a bit of Reading Lolita in Tehran. The parallels are pretty obvious. It's a very compelling story and I have so much respect for these women. The only problem I have with books like these, where the author is so emotionally involved, I sometimes question their narrative reliability. She came across as pretty naive at times. That in no way takes away from how brave I feel she is. The book is several years old now, I hope she made it back to Afghanistan.



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