I had really high hopes for this one – I was ready for a great read. The fanciful side of this story, however, was not to my liking. It reminded me of Alice Hoffman, who I generally like, but who I have tired of recently. I feel a little guilty saying that since I have not read her latest two. But, I don’t really enjoy magical realism. If I am going to read fantasy, I want it to be fantasy. Otherwise, I prefer realistic fiction. That being said, this was quite a quick read and not unpleasant. It picked up in the middle during the section with Ursula Monkton, but that was about it for me. I really only continued reading to find the resolution and because I had abandoned the last book I started. I would give it two stars.

I gave The First Rule of Swimming a good try – 25% on the Kindle – and just couldn’t get into it. None of the characters were compelling to me and the storyline lagged even in the first quarter. Ah well, life’s too short and there are too many books. I am moving on. I received two great choices for Christmas (thanks, mom!) and will start The Ocean at the End of the Lane later today after wading through the Barbies and Legos. 🙂

This was a quick read and the perfect antidote to my heavier reads of late. The book maintained an overtone of suspicion and kept me reading to discover the resolution. I couldn’t be sure, as I read, where this sinister hint came from, but it certainly worked for the plot. One can tell from the cover that something violent will happen, but I could not have quite predicted the ending. I don’t want to spoil it, but since I really disliked Todd, I was pleased with the conclusion.

I recommend this one. While it has deeper moments, it doesn’t require much in the way of concentration or effort – it would be a good beach read.

There is no question that Jhumpa Lahiri is a talented writer. Her latest, The Lowland, is wonderfully written. However, there is a pallor over this book. It is so intensely sad. And I had such a hard time identifying with a story where a mother abandons her daughter. Intellectually, I understand Gauri, and the sadness she felt and what motivated her to leave, but emotionally, I couldn’t travel with her through this story.

About midway through the story, I wanted to give up. I was so disheartened by the lives of the characters. It picked up by the end, but I was still left with a feeling of gloom. It didn’t help that I read the ending on a rainy day. The whole book felt like a rainy day. Even in the happy ending moments in Ireland, it still felt dreary.

The writing compels me to recommend this one, but I am going to look for something lighter for my next read.

I couldn’t put Orphan Train down. I loved the interplay between the two generations of orphans and how their stories complemented each other. It absolutely made me want to find out more about this part of American history. While one might think the neat wrap-up of the ending is trite, I was pleased that there was a happiness for the characters that they had not really experienced for much of their lives.  It would be great book club read – I can see why it is so popular. All in all, I would give this one five stars.

I read a wonderful blog by a fellow NCS’r called “Everyday I Write the Book” (clever title). Gayle Weiswasser and I have a similar taste in books. She is lucky enough to have relationships with publishers (something I dream of) and often has give-aways on her blog. For one of the only times ever, I entered and won something – The Goldfinch. I was excited about this win because I loved Tartt’s A Secret History.

I did enjoy The Goldfinch, but it was far too long for me. Not only was it far too long, but in book form (rather than on the Kindle), it was downright unwieldy. The book also made a distracting creaking noise when opened, which bothered me after a while.

These minor issues aside, while I would recommend this book, it had some trouble spots for me and was not a slam-dunk, 5-star selection. For starters, I kept wondering through the whole first half why the bombing had happened. I appreciate that the book is told from a kid’s point of view, but it was a stumbling block that he didn’t find out. Second, the Vegas section went on far too long. While I understand why Tartt gave you extensive detail about the drugs and alcohol and wild behavior of the boys, it was just too much for me and became tiresome and unbelievable. Same for when he was in the hotel in Amsterdam near the end. I understand why she did what she did, but for me, it was too much. I was tired of Theo’s behavior and just wished he would get his act together. I did appreciate learning about The Goldfinch as a painting and I liked the way the painting problem was solved. I kept thinking, though, that life would all work itself out for Theo and Pippa as well as it did with the painting.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this as a good read of 2013, but I would not hold it up as high as some others I have read recently. Hopefully I will find something shorter to read next, so my one reader doesn’t think I have fallen off the face…