Review: And Only to Deceive

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. A bit of a ridiculous book that was ok if you can suspend your disbelief. The main character was somewhat annoying, but the story was entertaining. I have no idea why it was on my to-be-read shelf on my phone for audiobooks, but my randomized system chose this book, so I read it. It was alright, but rather silly. :)

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Review: The Husband's Secret

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another surprise! I've been reading a lot of books that surprise me lately, which has been nice (especially since they've all been pleasant surprises). I found the characters to be very relatable. There were a lot of lines that stood out to me and made me think, "Wow. That's exactly how I would feel if I were in her situation." I was mostly satisfied with the ending, although I did still have a few questions. I just really didn't expect to enjoy Liane Moriarty's books, but I couldn't believe how much I did. I think it has convinced me to read her most popular book, Big Little Lies. Additionally, I heard that this one is going to be made into a movie with Blake Lively, so I hope that they do a good job with it. Anyway, yes, a good book! Definitely recommended for those who enjoy women's stories, mild mysteries, and compelling writing. :)

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Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 if I'm going really specific. I read it for the YSU English Festival and I really enjoyed it. We got to hear Laurie Halse Anderson speak and meet her afterwards. She was awesome! I did have a hard time putting the book down at times and I liked the fact that the chapters were really short. The only thing that brought my rating down a little was that I had to read it so fast because I wanted to finish before the English Festival so I skimmed some parts and couldn't take in the full picture of what was happening. It has much more to do with my personal reading experience than the book itself.

In person, Laurie had a wonderful message and was very funny and honest. I loved her and I'm looking forward to reading more by Laurie Halse Anderson!

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Review: X

X by Ilyasah Shabazz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a YSU English Festival read, and it surprised me. I wasn't really that interested in it because although Malcolm X is fascinating, I wasn't sure that I'd be all that interested in his childhood. However, it was way better than I expected it to be. It was well-written and well-paced. I was interested the entire time and I learned a lot! I'm glad my students got a chance to read it as well. I'm looking forward to meeting Kekla Magoon on Wednesday!

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Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Neil Gaiman! His books are just creepy enough and so engaging. I forgot how much I love his writing. This was a intriguing story that for some reason reminded me slightly of A Wrinkle in Time (except creepier!). I think it was the women in it that made the connection for me. He is a great audiobook narrator as well. He reads his own novels, so audiobooks are a good way to go with him. It's been a long time since I've read anything by Gaiman, and I really need to read more by him. This was a good one!

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Review: A World Without Princes

A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was ok, but I felt like it was, at best, careless, and at worst, anti-feminist. Although I didn't love the first book, I appreciated it for the message it sent. This book took that all away. There are some good reviews that are able to explore the problems in this novel far better than I will be able to. I've linked them here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/972481135?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1/a>

http://readeroffictions.com/2014/04/audiobook-review-world-without-princes-soman-chainani//a>

I don't want to continue the series this point. I'm disappointed.

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Review: A World Without Princes

A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was ok, but I felt like it was, at best, careless, and at worst, anti-feminist. Although I didn't love the first book, I appreciated it for the message it sent. This book took that all away. There are some good reviews that are able to explore the problems in this novel far better than I will be able to. I've linked them here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/972481135?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1/>

http://readeroffictions.com/2014/04/audiobook-review-world-without-princes-soman-chainani//>

I don't want to continue the series this point. I'm disappointed.

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Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is just exactly the kind of fantasy I love. Strong female characters, surprising twists, a hero's journey, etc. . . So great! Maybe not that different from several other similar books, but this is one of my favorite kinds of books, so I don't even care. I'm very much looking forward to reading the second one!

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Review: Fall on Your Knees

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This was a beautifully written book that was just too upsetting in parts to be an enjoyable exprience for me. It was also quite long, so I couldn't finish the audiobook before I had to return it to the library. Instead, I listened as much as I could, read a summary, and then jumped to the end. I probably ultimately read about 70% of it.

I loved the strong female characters and the fact that it was such a character-driven narrative. The setting was interesting and I appreciated all of the symbolism and how it was clearly so carefully written. I was deeply invested in the characters and what would happen to them. However, I just cannot handle books that involve (view spoiler)[ incest or child abuse (hide spoiler)] in any way. The overall melancholy tone was intriguing, but maybe right now was not quite the right time for me to read something so depressing. I just can't handle it right now.

Still, I found myself enjoying parts of it far more than I expected to! Like I said, it was truly beautiful writing. I'm glad I finally got to this one.

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Review: Obsidio

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. A solid finish to an awesome series. Like the first two books in the series, it has an incredibly unique format and was very action-packed. Although this didn't take away much from my enjoyment of the story, there were not as many surprises in this one and I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of all of the characters. Still, I was very exited to read this conclusion and it pretty much met my expectations. I think the first book was my favorite of the series, but I was happy with this one and I plan to read more from both authors. I'd also like to go back and listen to the audiobooks, because I hear they are awesome. I'm just sad the series is over!

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Review: My Not So Perfect Life

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars - rounded up to 4. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'd read another Sophie Kinsella and thought it was just ok, but I decided to try this one anyway. Although the plot was a little silly, it was also a lot of fun. I liked how it focused more on female friendship and work than romance (although there was a little bit of that too). I also really enjoyed the audiobook format and the narrator. Perhaps if I'd listened to the last one by Kinsella, I would have enjoyed it more. I have heard that that is really the way to read her books.

I did think that Katie took her jealousy a bit far and in real life I would be quite concerned about the way she treated certain people. However, I was able to set that aside and just enjoy the story. It was all alright in the end and overall just a fun story. I've heard that Kinsella's books are the way to go when you want something light and fun. After this one, I will definitely be picking up more by her!

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