the booklog

ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS - D.C. Richardson

toryssa — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:09:20 +0000

This is a strange book. Mostly, it was hard reading and boring. But then, the authors note at the end mentioned Amelia Earhart’s famous flight, and the rumor that it was actually a recognizance mission for the government.

This, after the book ends with the main character about to go off to Germany, in the late 1930’s, after being in contact with FDR’s people to have a “look around at cocktail parties and let us know what you hear.”

What? Really?

Was she saying that her character, on an errant mission from the government, never returned home?

THE CHOICE - Nicholas Sparks

toryssa — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:04:07 +0000

** spoilers **

The phrase on the back was something like “How far would you go to hold on to the hope of love?” and that, in itself, I kind of fancied. People pull a lot of crazy for the hope of love.

But, in the end, the entire query was about a perfect marriage, with perfect kids and a perfect house… and a fucking coma. And then? The comatose person woke up and the perfect life continued.

I’ll be damned. No…more
I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this certainly wasn’t it.

The phrase on the back was something like “How far would you go to hold on to the hope of love?” and that, in itself, I kind of fancied. People pull a lot of crazy for the hope of love. All kinds of denial and self disillusion. But he says he loves me! And he’ll never do it again! All to carry on with the HOPE of love.

But, in the end, the entire query was about a perfect marriage, with perfect kids and a perfect house… and a fucking coma. And then? The comatose person woke up and the perfect life continued.

I’ll be damned. Not at all what I was expecting.

NO TIME FOR GOODBYE - Linwood Barclay

toryssa — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:02:34 +0000

I thought the premise of the book was very good. A 14 year old girl wakes up one morning and her entire family is gone. The investigation turns up nothing and the story takes place twenty-five years later.

I also thought the narrative style was quite good. Even though the story was essentially about the woman who’s family vanished, it was narrated by her husband. I thought that was quite good, and showed a different aspect of a story than the run of the mill thrillers out there.

I liked it.

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE - Rebecca Miller

toryssa — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:01:39 +0000

This was a strange book for me… although I liked the intimacy of the writing style, and the feeling of getting to know the character… I never came to like, nor care about, said character.

It was well written, however.

LAYING THE GHOST - Judy Astley

toryssa — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:00:15 +0000

Meh.

I didn’t connect with the characters… and the blurb on the back was wildly misleading.

REMEMBER ME? - Sophie Kinsella

toryssa — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:59:04 +0000

Read in one night, this is chick-lit that doesn’t appall me as much at others. I’d read the Undomestic Goddess by her, and still remember one scene that cracked me up, even though I don’t remember the plot.

But this one? Not quite as funny. There were some clever bits, and some characters that amused me… but it wasn’t laugh out loud funny, nor was it brilliant.

It was, however, a perfect way to spend a night on the Isle of Nightmares and Glee.

GARDEN SPELLS - Sarah Addison Allen

toryssa — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:57:57 +0000

This book, in which an apple tree was a character, had a lot of potential to be wonderderful and whimsical.

It didn’t really pan out to be anything more than a happily ever after silly love story though. I was completely charmed in the beginning, but it never really lived up to what I wanted it to be.

That said, it was fine.

NOTES FROM AN EXHIBITION - Patrick Gale

toryssa — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:56:41 +0000

This was really a very good book.

The story of the family of a famous artist that spent her life amidst the blurred line between genius and madness. Each chapter began with a critical review of one of her works and how it correlated with the time in her life in which it was done. Then the chapter goes on to tell the story of the art, and the story of the family that went with it.

The author a picture of mental illness and creativity without condescending to silly cliches and emotional …more This was really a very good book.

The author a picture of mental illness and creativity without condescending to silly cliches and emotional drivel. His style did a good job of humanizing mistakes, making them forgivable, without lessening the effects of them.

IRIS & RUBY - Rosie Thomas

toryssa — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:55:19 +0000

I very much liked the concept of the book but I never got fully attached to the characters… which I think hindered me from loving the book as a whole.

The narration style was very unemotional, which created a barrier between the reader and the characters. I’m not sure if that’s right… but there was something that held me back even though I could see the potential.

I’d never read a book set in Cairo…

SUMMER ISLAND - Kristin Hannah

toryssa — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:53:49 +0000

If only everybodies abandonment and mommy issues worked out so well in the end.