Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

My Rating: 4.8

Brian's parents are recently divorced and Brian is on his first plane trip when the small prop plane pilot suffers a heart attack. Brian crash lands the plane by a remote Canadian lake and soon realizes, he has no one to rely on for his survival except himself.

As 13 year old Brian learns lessons, many the hard way, you come to respect and grow with him. I can see why this Young Adult book won the Newberry Prize. 

The Trespasser by Tana French

My Rating: 4.8

Detective Antoinette Conway and Detective Stephen Moran are investigating the murder of beautiful Aislinn Murray. They are being pressured to close the case but things aren't as they seem.

I love how French makes us feel we know the Detectives and all the players in the case. As always, phenomenal writing! Can't wait to read Witch's Elm. Tana definitely deserves the title of First Lady of Irish Crime.

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

My Rating: 4.8

Kvothe is at University and takes an involuntary gap year. In his continued pursuit of the Chandrian, he ends up being hired to slaughter bandits and spends an indeterminate amount of time with a fairy. This book is very different than the first in that it meanders and feels like it is laying the foundation for the 3rd and final book. Although it was different, it was no less entertaining.

This is the continuation (second book in this trilogy) of the story of Kvothe. There is definitely a lot more fantasy in this book but the writing is so enjoyable. I can't wait for his third book to come out!

The Secret Place by Tana French

My Rating: 4.5

An unsolved murder of a boy who was found on the grounds of a girls school.  A year later, Holly Mackey arrives in Stephen Moran's office with a photo of the boy with the caption: “I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.” Stephen, along with Detective Antoinette Conway, reopens the case—beneath the watchful eye of Holly’s father, fellow detective Frank Mackey.

This took me a while to get into - perhaps due to the narration switching to a bunch of immature annoying high school girls. I can say that French captures the high school drama well! Once I understood the alternate story-lines, I got in to it and enjoyed it a lot. I love feeling like I know all these Detectives as French does such an amazing job of building their characters. I am sad that I only have a couple more books left in this series.  Tana, you need to write faster!! :-) 

Funny In Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

My Rating: 3.8

In 1972, Firoozeh and her family move from Iran to California. She tells various stories from her life in moving to the United States.

For me, this wasn't near as entertaining as "It Ain't So Awful Falafel". I felt like she retold a LOT of the same stories in a slightly different way. I would recommend "It Ain't So Awful Falafel" and skip this.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

My Rating: 2.0

Keiko has always been considered an odd child. Now, nearing 40 years old, she has worked her whole life at a convenience store. She tries desperately to navigate the pressures from the "normal world" to grow up and have a regular job, relationship, etc. but it just isn't for her. Once Keiko understands she is ok with who she is and accepts herself, she is happy.

I felt like there was potential with this novel but, it really missed the mark for me. Murata could have explored Keiko being autistic - she doesn't know appropriate responses or how to read body language and has to take her queue from her peers, Keiko's comfort with routines and patterns - this could have been a more interesting novel. Instead, it was more of a judgment on conforming and learning to accept oneself which I don't consider to be profound. If you have never been to Japan you may find some of the things about convenience store "interesting" at best but I don't think this book is worth your time.

Broken Harbor by Tana French

My Rating: 4.8

A brutal crime scene with Patrick Spain and his two young children murdered and his wife, Jenny, in intensive care. Mick “Scorcherˮ Kennedy is the star of the Dublin Murder Squad who gets assigned this case.

Very few write a good mystery like Tana French.  Between the fabulous Irish accents on the audio version and feeling like you know all the detectives before they show up on the crime scene, she has me hooked. 

Bookmarks Magazine Nov/Dec 2018

For a change, it felt that I was last on the list to get my Bookmarks magazine.  This is something that I look forward to getting so when you hear all your friends are receiving their copy, it makes you almost want to tackle your Postman and demand to know where your copy is.  Luckily no bail money was required, as my copy arrived today - YEAH!

There were quite a few selections this month that, while they sounded very intriguing, just didn't make my list. Maybe it is my current frame of mind but, that is why I save all the magazines so I can go through past editions again for anything I may have missed that may appeal to me later.

Here are my picks:

      
      


  

As always, please share your picks or any great books you think I should add to my queue!

Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood

My Rating: 2.5

11 year old Sally Horner is kidnapped and raped for two years by Frank LaSalle.

This is very loosely based on the real life kidnapping of Sally Horner, who was the inspiration for Lolita. This horrible sad story was also long and tedious and bordered on boring. I am clearly in the minority in finding that every detail of the 2 years of her kidnapping, dragged out too long not just for Sally but also for the reader..

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

My Rating: 4.9

Zomorod Yousefzadeh (Cindy) and her parents move from Iran to California and she is determined to fit in. Despite the overthrow of the Shah, Iranian hostage takings and other Iranian events that some people feel Cindy must be personally responsible for, this is such a fun book filled with bean bag chairs, puka shells and other things I remember. It captures being a young girl and friendships.

This book kept me up far too late reading and laughing. That newspaper route scene still can make me chuckle! It captured so much including how it would feel to immigrate with your family and, despite being a child, that they look to you to understand the language and culture. The history lesson portions felt objective and well done. I absolutely LOVED this book and will be reading more by this author.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

My Rating: 4.8

After serving 10 years for murder, when Oliver is finally released from jail Detective Colborne meets him wanting to know the truth of what really happened. This flashes back to 10 years prior, when Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at the Classical Conservatory who form a close friendship despite their fierce competition with each other for the various roles in the plays.

This book, that is told in 5 "Acts" will not be for everyone - if you don't like Shakespeare, then you will hate this book (there are literally PAGES of Shakespeare and the students continuously quote him in their daily interactions). I felt that Rio captured the pretentious, self-indulgence of youth who feel they know more than the adults while also showing their insecurities. This is about friendship and rivalry and seeing how far both can go. Well played!

Himself by Jess Kidd

My Rating: 3.5

Orphaned as a child, Mahony returns to Mulderrig on Ireland's West Coast.in search of his mother and to know why he was given up. Despite many of them having answers, no one living or dead will tell Mahony what happened to his teenage mother all those years ago.

This is a quirky novel with beautiful writing, ghosts and magic. It is hard to capture this novel which has everything from uncomfortable violence to a lot of levity with the dead interacting with the living. While I was completely enthralled with Kidd's writing, the story was rather slow at many points throughout the book. I am glad I read it and would definitely read more by Kidd as his writing is magical. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

My Rating: 4.8

Lale and Gita meet in Auschwitz. Lale is given the prestigious job of being the Tattooist of the numbers for all the new prisoners. This position gives him a small amount of freedom that he uses to get extra food and distributes to keep others alive. As Lale falls in love with Gita, he gives her hope to stay alive by picturing life together after they get out.

Knowing that this is a true story makes it all the more amazing. Like Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning, Lale discovers that the key to life and survival is having hope and he spreads that hope throughout Auschwitz. As horrific as this was, it is also the story of overcoming incredible odds, survival and of love.

Love You More by Lisa Gardner #5 D.D. Warren & #1 in Tessa Leoni Series

My Rating: 4.6

Detective Tessa Leoni's 6 year old daughter is missing and her husband is dead on her kitchen floor from her service revolver.  Tessa says she shot him in self-defense and has the bruises to prove it. Detective D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge have to figure out what really happened and that means a twisting turning plot!

I love these easy popcorn thriller reads of Gardner's and will definitely be reading more.  This is Book #5 in the Detective D.D. Warren series but also Book #1 in the Tessa Leoni series (like a spin-off) I loved Tsssa's character so will be reading that series after I finish with the DD Warren series.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My Rating: 4.8

Three best friends, one is murdered, one becomes a policeman and one goes to jail.. Georgina is an fast up and coming executive in a pharmaceutical company when she is suddenly arrested for what happened 14 years ago. Add in the Sweet Bay Strangler, Calvin James and you have an edge of your seat thriller / mystery.

This gripped me from the very beginning and didn't disappoint. This was fabulously twisted and well written. An easy page turner. Loved it!