We survived our 50 books in one year challenge. In 2009 we are still reading...

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Black Cat by Martha Grimes (#22, Fiction)

Not exactly my typical mystery series, not quite gruesome or suspenseful enough for my taste. 

Pros of this book:  there were chapters that included cats and dogs talking to each other. Cons of this book: there were chapters that included cats and dogs talking to each other.  Apparently Mungo the dog is something of a sleuth.

After finishing I found out this is book #22 of the Richard Jury mystery series, so I was a bit behind in understand who all the characters were, because they definitely played an integral part in the plot--even if not the central killers/killees.

But really, how can I resist a book titled The Black Cat?

Mystery genre: 2 out of 5

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (#21, Fiction)

This genre really never gets old.  Any version or take on events during World War II will always captivate me.  Jenna Blum is a good writer and I loved where she started and was going with this novel, but somehow the end just didn't do justice to the rest of the story. 

Blum ties together the present day story of Trudy, a professor of German history, along with the story of Anna, her mother, a German woman who lived through the war in Germany.  It tackles the question of "what would you do?"  Much easier answered than done.  I continue to enjoy reading the story of WWII from various perspectives, because nothing is ever completely black or white, right?

3.5 out of 5

Nancy Drew: The Secret in the Attic by Carolyn Keene (#20, Fiction)

My first Nancy Drew book was a success!  If only I had started the series when I was younger, I'm sure I would have happily devoured each and every book!  4 out of 5 (YA)
                                    

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (#19, Fiction)

For someone who doesn't usually check the number of pages in a book, this one felt really, really long.  Eddie commented at least four times, "you're still reading that book?!?"

I liked so much about this book, but somewhere in the middle it stalled and just started dragging.  It picked back up again at the end when everything started coming together, but I think the damage had been done.  A review I saw seemed to suggest a similar sentiment that Verghese loved his characters so much he wanted to tell their whole story in great detail.  But, still I felt some of the main characters lacking, specifically the Genet, Marion, Shiva triangle. Marion's obsession with Genet started off feeling realistic as a young love/crush, which we've all felt, but to have that linger for years into his adult life I could not believe.

3 out of 5