Exit to Eden by Anne Rice
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Exit to Eden was largely disappointing. I really hated the main characters and wished the focus was more on The Club and less on the weird romance that developed between Lisa and Elliot. The Club itself was interesting and it would have been nice to delve into the weird sexual fantasies of the slaves/masters. However, Exit to Eden ended up being a hokey romance with some sex thrown in. I was glad when it ended.
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had a hard time getting through this, it just bored me. Perhaps it is because I have read a few of Kearsley’s books and they have now become predictable or perhaps it was the way in which the story was presented. I usually really enjoy historical fiction, too. Toward the last third it picked up a bit, but that doesn’t make up for the first 2/3 that put me to sleep. Lastly, Kearsley portrays woman as unable to function when a man they love is around – that was annoying. I was happy to see it end.
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Overall, I liked it. I enjoyed Moth’s story. However, I found the doctor’s notes distracting; at least the way in which they were added to the chapters. It would have been nice if they were footnotes, but oftentimes they were inserted in the oddest places (usually in the middle of a paragraph) which really ended up disrupting the flow of the story. Perhaps this is unique to the kindle edition, but I found it very distracting and thus taking away from the story rather than adding to it. In my opinion there was quite a bit of fluff added (random news articles as well as doctor’s notes) that didn’t need to be added. Very odd.
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Overall, I liked it. I enjoyed Moth’s story. However, I found the doctor’s notes distracting; at least the way in which they were added to the chapters. It would have been nice if they were footnotes, but oftentimes they were inserted in the oddest places (usually in the middle of a paragraph) which really ended up disrupting the flow of the story. Perhaps this is unique to the kindle edition, but I found it very distracting and thus taking away from the story rather than adding to it.
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was unexpected. I thought it was funny, quirky and sad. I truly enjoyed reading Alex’s story and even though it seemed random at times, I thought that added to the voice in which it was told. I loved it and was sad when it was over. Not sure where I heard about this book, but I am so glad that I did.
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jodi Picoult is a good story teller. The book itself wasn’t anything mind blowing, but the story she told was, for the most part, riveting. There were parts that dragged, seemed really redundant and underwhelming. However, as a whole, it was a good story and held my interest to the end. No big shockers and quite predictable. I don’t think this will be a really memorable book, but it was a good read.
Hothouse Flower by Lucinda Riley
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I am having a hard time finding words to describe this book. I must preface this review by stating that I usually dislike chick lit unless it is wrapped in some good historical fiction or something else interesting. This had the makings to be an intriguing book until I realized that most of it was going to be filled with a mushy, badly written love story. I didn’t mind the WWII story line. I thought it was alright and a bit intriguing at times. But, the horrid chick lit that was intertwined really ruined it. I hated it. I thought it was poorly written and just stupid. The characters were blah, the story was blah and the ending was predictably blah. Might I reiterate that the entire book was very predictable. Overall, it just lacked focus and relied heavily on a weak, uninteresting storyline that ended up overshadowing the only interesting parts. However, if you really really like badly written chick lit, than this book is for you.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked it well enough. I thought it was interesting but nothing mind blowing. The characters were okay; perhaps a bit underdeveloped. Not much else to say as it was a fast, predictable read. If you are looking for something that doesn’t take too much thought this would be a good one.
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It was okay. By the end, I was tired of the narcissistic families and just wanted it to end. I thought the parts of the book that were based on the facts of the case were really good. However, I found it irritating when Kolker started including his own theories and opinions. Interesting case, nonetheless.
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