1. Moondust: In Search Of The Men Who Fell To Earth by Andrew Smith (reread)
3 stars on GoodReads
3 stars in 2008, 3 stars now. Interesting stuff, but I'm not sure I got the overarcing mystical experience the author is getting.
2. The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight by Martha Ackmann
3 stars on GoodReads
A book about the personalities of the women who tried to be a part of the space program in the 1950s and 1960s, and the obstacles put in their way by the times and the people/social norms and expectations of the times. Really interesting, and really infuriating. (Especially things like "ladies can't go into space, they have WACKY BODIES THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND AND ANYWAY SPACE SUITS ARE MADE FOR MENS' BODIES!!!")
3. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
2 stars on GoodReads
I'm hanging in there with Kinsey Milhone until the bitter end, but it's been a while (maybe since J-K-L) since I really enjoyed a book in this series. Honestly I can't even remember what this one was about! All I remember is that there were lots of non-Kinsey POVs, which I found strange and frustrating.
4. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
4 stars on GoodReads
I liked this, but I don't know that I would recommend it to people. Is that weird? Anyway, it reminded me a bit of 'A Prayer for Owen Meany' which I love, and 'Empire Falls' by Richard Russo - I had the same feeling while reading it. Sort of a feeling of looking into a mystical version of our world except that the book has no elements of mysticism/magic to it at all. It all felt very surreal and almost entirely unbelievable, except that I wanted so much for it to be real.
5. Broken Elements (Elements, #1) by Mia Marshall
4 stars on GoodReads
Note: I know the author. Note: I liked the book.
I liked it a lot, in fact. A good mystery (which I did not at all figure out for myself, despite thinking that I had - more than once!!) and great characters, with snappy fun dialogue along the way. More, please!
6. The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler
3 stars on GoodReads
Post WWII, a young immigrant woman arrives in Montreal. But she is not who she claims to be. This novel attempts to tell her story, and mostly tells the story of the child she has in Montreal. Interesting and I loved the premise but I have to admit that I skimmed the last third of this.
7. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
3 stars on GoodReads
A little girl survives the killing of her family - and testified that her brother was the killer. But was he? What happened back in the mid-1980s on that farm in Kansas? A quick and creepy read. I didn't actually enjoy it, it was a bit too creepy/dark for me, and I didn't like the narrator at all - but I'm not sure I was supposed to? But I was compelled to see What Happened, both in the past and present story-lines, and would read more by this author.
(Confession: I wanted to put this book in the freezer.)
8. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
3 stars on GoodReads
I picked this up due to the beautiful cover, the setting (1890s New York and England), and the premise (American heiress goes to England to find a titled husband) and it was pretty entertaining but a lot less Serious Literature and a lot more Victoria Holt-ish than I expected!
I didn't really like any of the characters - the heirss in question, Cora Cash (REALLY, that's your name?) is richer than the Vanderbilts and I found her frustrating and annoying. The supporting cast (her mother, her English lord, his asshole friends) were all a bit one-tone.
Not bad, just ... soapy.
9. It's So Easy (and Other Lies) by Duff McKagen
4 stars on GoodReads
This was GREAT. It jumped around a bit near the beginning, and I honestly couldn't tell where we were in the timeline, but once it settled down into a more linear story it worked better for me. My other complaint is that Duff is just Too Nice. Everyone he meets is a Good Guy With Problems. He doesn't really get into the down and dirty issues of the band or anything like that. But this memoir is interesting, and a good story, well-told. I love how he talks so honestly about his addictions, sobering-up, re-launch of his life, relapse, and more. He was always my favourite member of GnR, and it's so nice to see him doing well and being such a positive person in the world. Really inspiring.
Reading Now or Up Next:
-At Home by Bill Bryson (still rereading)
-The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane by Matthew Hutson
-The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
What are you reading lately? What do you recommend? Are you on GoodReads? If so, please feel free to
add me there!