The Pearl That Broke It's Shell by Nadia Hashimi

My rating: 4.0

The story of a young Afghanistan girl Rahima and flashbacks to her great grandmother Shekiba’s story.  These alternating two stories come together to paint the typical deplorable life of Afghani women.  While this book started off well in telling a story that needs to be told, it needed some editing for the last third.

The Tortilla Curtain by T,C, Boyle

My rating: 4.8

Two couples – Delayne & Kyra, a writer and real estate broker, and their son live in Topanga Canyon trying to live the American dream and Mexican Illegals Candido and America cling to making their vision of the American dream come true.  

Yes, both sides are very polarized and Candido has more bad luck than befalls most people in 10 lifetimes but, what was amazing to me is how real the author makes all of these characters when three of them are very unlikeable and I only felt compassion for America.  This could be a very controversial novel for a bookclub discussion and yet I think it would be so good.

Book Assessment Sites

In regards to my complaining about being in
book limbo, I ran across a couple of assessment sites and took the quizzes.  The first one recommended a book that was high in my queue and the second one recommended a book by an author I have read and enjoyed before. These are short quizzes and I thought you might enjoy playing around with them:

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/national/11841/Quiz-What-book-should-you-read-next.htm

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarrylee/fall-in-love-with-a-new-book?&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Books%20108&utm_content=Books%20108+CID_6af2b4f33499a129dab120347d89969f&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Which%20one%20should%20you%20be%20reading#4du3nxf

The Accident by Chris Pavone

My Rating; 4.6

Three worlds collide over an anonymous manuscript:
1. Literary agent Isabel Reed in New York, 
2. CIA operative Hayden Grey in Copenhagen, and 
3. The author of the manuscript in Zurich

This thriller espionage novel was quite entertaining.  I enjoy Pavone's writing and found this as entertaining as his previous book The Expats. 

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

My rating: 4.1

Ellen is a hypnotherapist who helps her client's overcome addictions and phobias.  Through online dating, she meets and falls in love with Patrick. When Patrick confesses that his ex-girlfriend is stalking him, Ellen finds this more intriguing than frightening.

This quirky fun chick-lit was thoroughly enjoyable even if it was a bit syrupy sweet with a neatly packed ending.

Book Limbo

I call ‘book limbo’ anytime I finish a book (usually a really good book) and I just can’t find another book that grabs me.  I read a couple of chapters of one before starting another book and it can take 3 or 4 books before something grabs me.  I realized that I waste a lot of time in book limbo.  

Do you suffer from book limbo?  Do you have any suggestions for me of how to minimize the time I spend in book limbo? 

Flight of the Sparrow

My Rating: 3.8

Set in Massachusetts in the late 1600's, Mary and her children are kidnapped by Indians.  When they are ransomed three months later, she suspects that she has changed too much to ever fit back in to English Society.

While this was a very enjoyable read, sometimes some of the characters were a little too polarized (her husband) 

If you are looking for a meatier book that gives you some amazing history, I highly recommend the non-fiction book Empire of the SummerMoon 

Love In The Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde

My rating: 4.6

If you haven’t noticed, I have been on a bit of a Catherine Ryan Hyde binge the last few months and, with good reason.  She is an easy to read author without being too fluffy or light.  Here books doesn’t put me off with being syrupy or too predictable.  She is so easy to turn back to after a hard day of work and it makes me feel good.  This novel was no exception.

There were a few parts in the beginning that were very uncomfortable/raw but, so real and essential in the character building.  Yes, some of it was a bit sweet but, it was deliciously so.  The story….

Pearl is only 18 years old and yet she has a 5 year old son, Leonard.  Life has given her every reason to mistrust people but circumstances force her to trust her neighbor Mitch.  As with all of Hyde’s books, this is beautifully written and has wonderful character development.  I absolutely loved the relationship between Leonard and Mitch.  This book has so many facets and layers and was absolutely delicious and will stay with me for a while.