Review: Infomocracy

Infomocracy by Malka Ann Older
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really like the idea behind this story. It's scary how probable it is. Unfortunately, it was way too much work to follow the plot and the characters and I gave up before I finished.

This review is in exchange for a free review copy from Netgalley.com.

View all my reviews

Review: Sabriel

Sabriel by Garth Nix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and they are all justified. Wonderful new world. I do want to hold off on passing final judgement until I finish the series.

View all my reviews

Review: All the Missing Girls

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I almost never like mysteries and , at first, I wasn't a fan of the way this story was told, going into the past and then forward from there. It ended up working though and was an interesting and compelling story. Pleasant surprise.

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

View all my reviews

Review: And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only complaint I have about this story is that, being a novella, it was way too short. Backman continues to delight with his magical storytelling ability. Not only is it a great perspective on the world from a child's point of view but it feels like a good description of what it might be like to succumb to dementia. Looking forward to May and his new novel.

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

View all my reviews

Review: Born to Run

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow, that was a long read. It's hard to believe Mr. Springsteen is so old with so many stories under his belt. He's always seemed young to me and it feels like he hasn't aged, he's kind of timeless even though he keeps up with the times. This was an interesting read. Even though he admits he's not telling you the whole story (who has time for that?!) he is brutally honest about his ambitions and flaws. It's quite refreshing. It feels agenda-less. Although I consider myself a pretty casual Springsteen fan, I think anyone who likes his music will get a lot out of reading this book.

View all my reviews

Review: Happy People Read and Drink Coffee

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnès Martin-Lugand
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Kind of a cross between Pride & Prejudice and Under the Tuscan Sun. Going off the title and being that it takes place in Ireland, I thought there would be more humor but there really isn't anything funny in this book. It's quite dark and depressing. Maybe the sequel will be better.

View all my reviews

Review: Illuminae

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, that was different. Never would have guessed that a book comprised of a lot of notes in the form of memos would be worth reading. The plot, for some reason, reminded me at times of Battlestar Gallictica, even though it really wasn't similar. So you have your sci fi, some zombie type action, and rage against the machine all tossed together. Interesting combination that really worked.

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

View all my reviews

Review: Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training

Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not at all what I thought it would be. Spends very little time actually talking about dogs specifically, more about people and dolphins than dogs. The training tips that are provided are those that you will find in almost any other positive reinforcement on the market.

View all my reviews

Review: Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones

Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very useful and comprehensive. Didn't really cover any issues I'm currently dealing with but am happy to have this as a go-to resource if I need it.

View all my reviews

Review: A Torch Against the Night

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good for a second book. In my opinion, book two is usually the weakest link in the chain, but this one holds up quite well. There was also a decent amount of recap of book one, for those of us that read so much we have trouble remembering it all.

View all my reviews

Review: The Vegetarian

I try to read award winning books, I figure they win them for good reason, but I've had a long stretch of not liking any of them. Streak broken! This book was really interesting. I kind of wish the first section, told from the Vegetarian's point of view, had been longer but I decided it was more significant that you didn't understand her as well since no one else did. This book just had a lot going on. It was about domestic abuse, PTSD, impulse control, patriarchies, women's rights, mental health, and society's standards. Like I said, lot going on. You really can't take away any of these topics either or it would all fall apart. It's remarkable so much is crammed in to such a short story without leaving the reader clutching their aching brain. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

This review is in exchange for a free copy received from bloggingforbooks.com.

Review: Stiletto

Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Doesn't raise the bar level set by the first book but easily matches it. No easy feat for any sequel. Looking forward to #3.

View all my reviews

Review: The Nest

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't know what this book was about when I requested it from the library. I only knew it was selling well and a lot of people seemed to be interested in it. Sometimes, that's enough to pique my interest.
Anyway, good story and well-developed characters. I really loved how it was all woven together. Not sure it was worth so much hype though.

View all my reviews

Review: Goodnight Darth Vader

Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aawwww

View all my reviews