Long overdue book update.
Made with overdue library books. Because I suck.
This is not going to be quite as detailed as it usually is, I don't seem to have the energy to do the big reviews at the moment. So, more of a list, with perhaps a few brief thoughts.
Book # 36: The Observations by Jane Harris.
Think Jane Eyre's madwoman in the attic, meets other gothic works, with a good dash of Moll Flanders. A period piece about the crazies, a ghost, and women who have too much time on their hands told from the perspective of a young Irish prostitute. Three stars out of five.
Book # 37: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich.
If you have not read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, you are missing out on a great diversion. They are well written, slightly formulaic, but they make up for it with a cast of witty characters, unlikely situations, and always, everything works out in the end. Most enjoyable. I LOLed. Four out of five stars.
Book # 38: Exit Ghost by Philip Roth.
I read a little Philip Roth in college, and, though his novels are not what I would call page turners, they are interesting glimpses into the mind of an aging Jewish man. There is always something insane and improbable going on in the lives of his characters, and this is no different. There is, always, a lot of the text centering around the penis, what it is doing, or in this case, what it is not doing, and will never do again.
A tortured old writer who has disappeared from the Manhattan scene to a small nowhere town in New England, comes back to New York and embarks on one last gasp of life adventure. There is a young woman to have provocative conversations with, a long dead mentor and his aging mistress, and a penis that won't ever work again.
Did I mention, penis. Not working. Very sad.
But Philip, all his penis obsession aside, doesn't dumb it down, and reading a work of credible fiction was a breath of fresh air amid the last 2 years of trashy romance. I may not agree with many of the ideas, but at least he tries to make you think. Four out of Five stars.
Book # 39: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells.
This is a book full of Mommy Issues (which are much more novel, and much more difficult and complex than Daddy issues). A story about how everyone is fucked up by their parents, some more than others, but everyone is. It is the quest for Siddalee Walker to finally be able to love herself and accept love from others. It is as heart wrenching book, one that brought me to tears on a couple of occasions.
Siddalee eventually is able to love herself, and accept the love of her fantastic finacee, Conner, and I see so much of the fictional character in myself. Perhaps one day, I too will get to put my demons to rest and be able to accept things.
Five out of Five stars, I highly recommend it.
Book # 40: Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux.
After the emotional trauma of the Ya-ya's, it was time for a nice, feel good romance. And, as I have stated before, Jude Deveraux is the best for that sort of thing. This one is no exception.
Book # 41: Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.
The follow up novel from the women who wrote The Nanny Diaries.
The rest of this is going to be done in a simple list, because I lack the inclination and the time to keep writing reviews, and it has been much too long since I updated.
42. The Office of Desire by Martha Moody.
43. The Devil's Labyrinth by John Saul
44. New Moon by Stephanie Meyers
45. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyers
46. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers
P.S. I <3 Edward Cullen
47. Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle
48. Because Your Vampire Said So by Michelle Bardsley.
49. Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman.
There might be a couple more in there... but it has been so long since I've updated, I might have lost track.
I do want to say that I was completely absorbed in the Twilight series. I ate it up. There were certainly points were it was glaringly YA, and other points when it was overwhelmingly whiny. But in these post-Harry Potter days, and with so much bad shit going on in life and the world in general, I guess we all need something new to obsess over.
Anyway.... that is the latest edition of "I can read!", some 15 books in the last couple of months.
This is not going to be quite as detailed as it usually is, I don't seem to have the energy to do the big reviews at the moment. So, more of a list, with perhaps a few brief thoughts.
Book # 36: The Observations by Jane Harris.
Think Jane Eyre's madwoman in the attic, meets other gothic works, with a good dash of Moll Flanders. A period piece about the crazies, a ghost, and women who have too much time on their hands told from the perspective of a young Irish prostitute. Three stars out of five.
Book # 37: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich.
If you have not read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, you are missing out on a great diversion. They are well written, slightly formulaic, but they make up for it with a cast of witty characters, unlikely situations, and always, everything works out in the end. Most enjoyable. I LOLed. Four out of five stars.
Book # 38: Exit Ghost by Philip Roth.
I read a little Philip Roth in college, and, though his novels are not what I would call page turners, they are interesting glimpses into the mind of an aging Jewish man. There is always something insane and improbable going on in the lives of his characters, and this is no different. There is, always, a lot of the text centering around the penis, what it is doing, or in this case, what it is not doing, and will never do again.
A tortured old writer who has disappeared from the Manhattan scene to a small nowhere town in New England, comes back to New York and embarks on one last gasp of life adventure. There is a young woman to have provocative conversations with, a long dead mentor and his aging mistress, and a penis that won't ever work again.
Did I mention, penis. Not working. Very sad.
But Philip, all his penis obsession aside, doesn't dumb it down, and reading a work of credible fiction was a breath of fresh air amid the last 2 years of trashy romance. I may not agree with many of the ideas, but at least he tries to make you think. Four out of Five stars.
Book # 39: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells.
This is a book full of Mommy Issues (which are much more novel, and much more difficult and complex than Daddy issues). A story about how everyone is fucked up by their parents, some more than others, but everyone is. It is the quest for Siddalee Walker to finally be able to love herself and accept love from others. It is as heart wrenching book, one that brought me to tears on a couple of occasions.
Siddalee eventually is able to love herself, and accept the love of her fantastic finacee, Conner, and I see so much of the fictional character in myself. Perhaps one day, I too will get to put my demons to rest and be able to accept things.
Five out of Five stars, I highly recommend it.
Book # 40: Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux.
After the emotional trauma of the Ya-ya's, it was time for a nice, feel good romance. And, as I have stated before, Jude Deveraux is the best for that sort of thing. This one is no exception.
Book # 41: Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.
The follow up novel from the women who wrote The Nanny Diaries.
The rest of this is going to be done in a simple list, because I lack the inclination and the time to keep writing reviews, and it has been much too long since I updated.
42. The Office of Desire by Martha Moody.
43. The Devil's Labyrinth by John Saul
44. New Moon by Stephanie Meyers
45. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyers
46. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers
P.S. I <3 Edward Cullen
47. Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle
48. Because Your Vampire Said So by Michelle Bardsley.
49. Mirrormask by Neil Gaiman.
There might be a couple more in there... but it has been so long since I've updated, I might have lost track.
I do want to say that I was completely absorbed in the Twilight series. I ate it up. There were certainly points were it was glaringly YA, and other points when it was overwhelmingly whiny. But in these post-Harry Potter days, and with so much bad shit going on in life and the world in general, I guess we all need something new to obsess over.
Anyway.... that is the latest edition of "I can read!", some 15 books in the last couple of months.