Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I LOVED seeing some characters come back into the storyline and be developed more, and like always, I love having Roger and Bree in the books. This was the first Outlander series I read on my kindle and I have to admit, it was not nearly as daunting as when I read the hardcovers. Gabaldon delivered yet again and now I'm disappointed I have to wait until whenever the next book comes out for more Highland love in the US.

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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book! Living on the East Coast, I heard little about the Japanese interment camps of WW2 during my schooling. The book goes back and forth between the 1980's and the 1940's and each transition flowed. The book incorporates several emotions. You'll get a story of finding your identity, loyalty, love, and grief. I didn't find it politically overbearing and definitely recommend it!

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Flight Behavior

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narration was wonderful! Kingsolver explores global warming while weaving a story of love and finding one's self. When I picked up this book I didn't know one of the main characters was the monarch butterflies, but since I love anything butterflies, that was an added bonus! I'm a scientist at heart, so learning more about the monarch butterflies definitely appealed to me.

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Elizabeth Street

Elizabeth Street: A Novel Based On True Events by Laurie Fabiano

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book isn't quite 3 stars, but it's definitely not as low as two stars.  I love historical fiction and I love reading about US immigrants in the early 1900s.  So, for those reasons, I enjoyed the story.  However, I did not feel like the book flowed.  The story set in the past worked well and wove a tapestry.  However, I did not feel the trips back to the present were necessary.  One of them foreshadowed a major part of the novel, but it foreshadowed it too early.  I also didn't like the images of the hand-written letters.  I wish I liked this book more.

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Angel

Angel by Mary E. Kingsley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Overall an enjoyable read. I think Kingsley did an excellent job capturing the emotions and thoughts of a thirteen year old and I really fell in love with the main character, Angel. However, I feel like the actual conflict and ending was not as strong as I would have expected based on the beginning. I'm not sure how to make it better, but I felt I reached the end and was like, "well that's it."

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Pandemonium

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not going to lie, for the first several chapters of the book, I had to remember the story from the first and try not to confused it with Matched and Crossed, which are books in another series with very similar plot line.

I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as delirium, but I definitely still enjoyed it. I liked the new characters and watching Lena's character develop even more.

I did not like the ending. I was expecting it, but really, the very, very end? I'm not as anxious to see what the third book brings, but of course I'll read or listen to it when it comes out.

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The Dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers: A Novel by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The story is told from the perspective of 3 women, each in a different stage of their lives. I loved hearing the story form these different perspectives and Hoffman did a wonderful job of giving each woman her own voice and personality. The character development was wonderful and I learned more about a war about which I knew nothing. Even if you do not enjoy historical fiction, but love strong female characters, I'd check this book out.

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Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, the Stephanie Plum books are predictable, but they're also a load of fun to listen to in the car. This installment didn't add anything new, and if you're not tired of the same story, different day, go ahead and pick it up!

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Crossed

Crossed by Ally Condie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes the second book in a trilogy is just a spacer, but I really enjoyed this one. Condie introduced some new characters, which I think added depth to the story. I'm not very verbose, but long story short, I really enjoyed this book too.

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Angelology

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. From the description it's hard to tell if this was going to be overtly religious or not. Well, it wasn't. It was a nice mystery with an unique story line. I really enjoyed the characters and I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

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Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It wasn't captivating enough to make me want to go on long car rides just to find out what happened next. However, it was a great story of survival and the love of two sisters. The book also informed me a lot of how America treated the Chinese and Chinese Americans in the mid 1900's. Overall, a good read, but not a favorite.

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Matched

Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're not tired of dystopian society, this is definitely an enjoyable book. I really enjoyed the characters and I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

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A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I agree with many of the other reviews. The beginning was slow, but once it reached the half way mark, I couldn't wait to find out what happened! I'm looking forward to the next book.

Yes, this is about vampires and witches, but it's done very well. It's not young adult and it really makes you think about those around you. Enjoy!

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Fire

Fire by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the reasons I really enjoyed the first book in the series was having a strong, independent female character. I went into this book expecting a similar character. I liked Fire, the main character, but I didn't love her as much as Katsa in the first book. Overall I enjoyed the book. Although this a book in a series, reading the first book is definitely not essential to understanding and appreciating this book.

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The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the book! The narration was wonderful and I loved the personalities of the characters. I look forward to listening to the next in the series.

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Into the Wilderness

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked this book up because many who like the Outlander series give this book rave reviews as well. I enjoyed the book, but it was long for me. I found myself starting to lose interest by the end. Regardless, the story is refreshing and the characters very strong and vivid.

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Forever

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the narration and enjoyed having Cole as a major character, but I was not a fan of the ending.

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The Book of Love

The Book of Love: Book Two of the Magdalene Line, Narrated By Linda Stephens, 18 Cds [Complete & Unabridged Audio Work] by Kathleen McGowan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. I wonder if the material was too much to listen to and I would have digested it better if I physically read the book. However, I enjoyed the narrator.
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Cutting for Stone

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is more of a 3.5 book, but not good enough for 4 stars, so 3 stars it is. I really enjoyed the story, but I felt the book overall was too long and at times slow moving.
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The Taker

The Taker by Alma Katsu

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the writing, but I didn't love the story, however it was definitely interesting enough to keep reading. I felt like the ending was too abrupt.

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