The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (#25, Fiction)

The subtly of this book is what makes it great.  It contains such difficult topics: statutory rape, the holocaust, life in prison and death, yet it was a simple and quick read.  It sounds wrong to say that about such a deep book, but it read so easily.

I had no idea about the plot of the novel other than what is says on the back.  I had no idea I was picking up another book about the holocaust.

Somehow in this book you don't get the ick feeling with the relationship between the 15 year old and 36 year old.... maybe because it's a young boy rather than young girl?  But as the novel concludes and you've seen how his life has been extremely affected and molded by his love affair with an older woman you reassess your feelings about what you didn't judge as harshly at the beginning.

4 out of 5.

The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles (#24, Fiction)

I think I am still processing this book.  It was a book club pick, and unfortunately I was extremely delinquent in getting around to reading it and therefore had to fly through it in the few hours before book club. 

The "choose your own adventure" sort of plot was interesting and new to me.  Not that we actually got to choose, but a few times in the novel he goes down one road, and then backtracks and says, nope, nevermind that actually didn't happen that way, but it could have, but this is what actually happened. 

I'm still struggling to understand the motivations of the characters.  Specifically, the "woman."  This book would have been ideal to read in a discussion class because there is just too much to absorb when reading for pleasure.

3.5 out of 5.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (#23, Fiction)

I'm a big fan of book club, so a group of women getting together to chat, knit and drink wine sounds pretty fun to me as well.  Actually, the knitting part really doesn't interest me at all as I have very limited capacity for time consuming, detail oriented, artsy type do it yourself projects.  But, as you can imagine, the book really isn't about knitting, but rather the relationships the women form during their weekly "meetings." 

It was a good attempt at a coming of age, character/relationship development book.  The ending seemed like it was going to end extremely tidy and then it just takes a nose dive.  I did not see it coming.

3 out of 5.

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

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)

                                    

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