Kiwiria's December Reads
Wish Upon a Star - Trish Ashley, 5/5, 468 pages
Not really sure why this is labelled a Christmas book? It's even less so than "The Magic of Christmas". But it's so sweet and adorable that I loved it all the same, and was actually disappointed when I turned the last page.
Trisha Ashley writes little-town communities so very well. True, her books do get a bit formulaic, but they're so charming that I don't really mind. I loved Cally, Stella and Jago, and would have liked to read more about them. And it was so refreshing to read about main characters with a spine for a change! Even if Aimee and Adam need need more than subtle clues to finally get the point!
Lovely book, and though total fluff, it still deserves a five star rating for pure enjoyment and a fairly realistic description of subconscious courting :-)
The Magic of Christmas - Trisha Ashley , 4/5, 412 pages
Not really very Christmassy until the last few chapters, but very much a cozy comfort book, so I enjoyed it all the same. I liked reading about life in a small village, and even though I did feel the romance was tied up a bit too quickly, there'd been signs throughout the book, so I only really minded because I thought a certain guy was assuming too much, and didn't really care for that.
There were a few surprises along the way, but I'd guessed the final twist concerning Tom's death at a fairly early stage. Just glad it all got sorted out though.
The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber , 3/5, 512 pages
I really can't figure this book out... it was fascinating and boring at the same time, and I'm not even sure how that works! Also, I have no idea what story the author was trying to tell! (But then I had much the same thoughts after reading "The Crimson Petal and the White", so perhaps that's just his writing-style). I was intrigued by Peter's experiences on Oasis and liked his time at C-2 much better than when he was back at base. I loved the natives and wish we'd seen more of their lives.
But at the same time, I felt there were SO many questions that weren't answered! Mostly about what was happening back on Earth while Peter was away. And worst of all, the book had no real resolution or conclusion... it just ended, as if Michel Faber had written himself into a corner and couldn't figure out where to go from there.
At the end of the day, I think I liked it. And I did appreciate that it didn't poke fun at Christianity or missionaries. But apart from that, it had too many problems for me to really be able to recommend it to anybody else... unless you happen to love vague books with ambiguous endings.
The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena , 4/5, 320 pages
Absolutely thrilling book. I could NOT put it down and read it in just two sittings (would have been one if it hadn't been for work). Told by multiple narrators (and not all reliable ones) it had me guessing till the very end.
It would have been a solid 5 star book... but unfortunately I did NOT care for the last two pages. That was a twist I could happily have done without and which (I felt) was totally unnecessary for the book. So that knocked it down a star, but I'd still consider it one of the best thrillers I've read all year.
Kiss and Spell - Shanna Swendson , 3/5, 284 pages
When I read it, it was the last book in the series (although book 8 came out since then), and with a very nice ending indeed :) The book itself was rather slow-moving however, so I think it's probably just as well Shanna Swendson ended the series here. I just couldn't get as interested in the plot as I would have liked.
I did enjoy the chapters just after Kate woke up in 'not New York' though (and loved how that was handled - for a minute there, I wondered if I'd opened up a wrong book on my Kindle!), and reading about how she slowly caught on to the fact that something odd was happening. I also really liked Florence :-) We saw far too little of her once Kate and Owen started plotting again.
Delicious! - Ruth Reichl , 4.5/5, 384 pages
I really, really wish I could have given this book five stars straight, but it just didn't quite make it. The book is divided up into 3 parts, and the first part was so decidedly my favourite, that I had to subtract half a star because the other 2 parts couldn't quite live up to it.
This is the third book I've read by Ruth Reichl, but her first novel, and it completely lived up to my expectations. It had all the interesting food tidbits I wanted (at least in the first part... this was where the two other parts slacked off) and a large cast of interesting characters. I loved Billie, Sammy and Sal (... his entire family, come to think of it), and while I wish "Mr. Complainer" had been fleshed out more, he did seem decent enough.... even if I did think he was extremely unreasonable in their fight!
I'd guessed the "twist" at a fairly early stage, but that's alright - it made sense.
So all in all very enjoyable book. I just wish the first part had been longer!
Dragon Kin: Sapphire & Lotus - Audrey Faye & Shae Geary , 5/5, 247 pages
Utterly delightful book! Far too short though, as I found myself thinking about it for ages after finishing it, and wishing there was more to the story. Fortunately it's the first book in a series, so I have the rest to look forward to.
I can't quite explain the charm... the plot is very quickly described - the elf, Sapphire, bonds with the dragon, Lotus, and has to teach it how to behave... and most specifically, how to fly! - but the book showcases Audrey Faye's skill with the pen (a skill, it would seem, that her daughter has inherited), and I grew to love all the characters and wanted to know more about them. I smiled my way through it, and immediately sent it off to others for them to read.
Breaking Free - Beth Moore, 2.5/5, 289 pages
I've only ever heard good things about Beth Moore's books, so it was with high expectations that I approached this book. Unfortunately it couldn't live up to my expectations. I found her main points interesting and relevant, but unfortunately her examples and anecdotes were much too vague for me to be able to draw any sorts of parallels to my own life. Her reasoning was not to lock the reader into thinking those were the only situations relevant, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.
At the end of the day, I remember her main focus-point (escape satan's strongholds in your life, by seeing his lies for what they are, and focusing on Christ's truths instead) - which is the important thing, of course, though nothing I didn't already know - but nothing else... and I have no better understanding of how to apply that to my life than I did before reading this book.
So I guess I'd recommend the book to a new Christian - but "experienced" Christians (for want of better word) probably won't get much new out of it.
Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden *, 4/5, 285 pages
The Dead of the Night - John Marsden*, 4/5, 271 pages
Rereading this series now that I finally own it myself. I love it as much as I did the first time around :-)
Book of the Month: Wish Upon a Star - I can't remember ever before almost shedding a tear because I didn't want the book to end.
Biggest Disappointment: Breaking Free - it wasn't bad, I'd just expected so much more.