I read about The Prince of Los Cocuyos on Oprah’s recommended book list. I love a good memoir and this was a nice, quiet read. Nothing monumental happened – it was really a series of short stories about Richard Blanco’s life. I enjoyed it, it was interesting, and it was certainly well-written, but it wasn’t amazing. If you like memoirs, you will like this one, and it’s a quick read.

I received an advance readers copy of One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis by entering a Facebook contest on William Morrow’s page. I always enter and never win, so this was a nice treat. One Step Too Far was a quick read. Not only was I sucked in immediately to the strange story of Emily/Cat, but I was dying to know what had happened to make her abandon her life, husband, son, and family. There was no way to have predicted the ending of this one, and while I kept thinking I had figured it out (twin switch, anyone?), I hadn’t. It left some things hanging and required some suspension of disbelief, but, all in all, it was a good read and one I would recommend. It reminded me of Gone Girl, but it wasn’t as good.

I adore Ian McEwan. I was so excited about his newest book, The Children Act, that I bought it in hardback. This is unheard of for me, as my few blog readers already know. I couldn’t wait for it to come from the library and it was so spare and had such a luxurious cover, that I had to have it. However, after a friend’s so-so review of the book, I put it aside for a while. I was excited to have a snow day to get through it today. Unfortunately, after spending the day reading, I am completely disappointed. It was such an utterly boring story with characters I cared nothing for that I feel like my reading time was wasted. It’s so sad to have felt this way after having read an author I usually like so much.

I have heard nothing but good reviews of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs and was really excited to read it. It certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a fascinating and, indeed, tragic story. While I hate to say it, there were some flaws in the writing and it slogged a bit midway through and toward the end. But I was compelled to find out what had happened to Rob Peace. Why had his life, with so much potential, derailed so tragically? I am not sure that, even having read it, I can completely understand his story. And, I thought that perhaps the author (Peace’s college roommate at Yale) was too close to the story. However, there is no doubt that Hobbs cared very much for his roommate and did exhaustive research to understand Peace better. At the end of the day, though, I think the story could have been more effectively told in fewer words. I am glad I read the book, though, and so sad for this truth both for the environment in Newark and also for Rob’s family and friends.

It was hard to pick up a new book after reading The Girl on the Train (for a good review, read Gayle Weisswaser’s most recent post on her wonderful blog, Everyday I Write the Book). That’s what always happens when I love a book. However, Station Eleven was another one that drew you right in from the first scene. I am not entirely sure what to make of Station Eleven, however. It was a great read and I had trouble putting it down each night, but at the same time, it was disconcerting. I enjoyed the ins and outs of the characters and how they tied together. I liked the moving back in forth both in time and place. But, the open-ended quality and missing details frustrated me. It was almost too devoid of detail in many instances. Part of that lack of depth was effective and contributed to the disquiet you should have felt as you read it. But another part was like a niggling itch that you can’t quite get to. Overall, though, this was an interesting glimpse into a post-apocalyptic America and a book that I very much enjoyed reading.