My reviews this week are for three very
strange…yet entertaining novels. I am
also going to attempt to read Donna Tartt’s Goldfinch,
but only because it won the Pulitzer. I’ve
heard mixed reviews so I am curious to see if it lives up to the hype.
Currently Reading:
-
The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers who Reinvented American Literature by Ben Tarnoff
- Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
- Never Tempt a Duke by Virginia Brown (received through NetGalley)
- Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- Troika by Adam Pelzman (received through LibraryThing)
On Deck:
-
We Were Liars by e. lockhart (received through the publisher)
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
- From Souk to Souk: Travels through the Middle East by Robin Ratchford (received through NetGalley)
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
- The Harm in Asking: My Clumsy Encounters with the Human Race by Sara Barron (received through Goodreads)
Recent Reviews:
The
First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
by Claire North (received through NetGalley)
4 stars
I am not 100% sure that I completely
understand all aspects of this novel but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Each time that Harry August dies, he is
reborn in the same life at the same time under the same circumstances with the
memories of his past lives. There are
others such as Harry and they comprise of the Cronus Club, a club created in
order to help others who have lived multiple lives and to keep them in check. The plot is fast paced and the idea of
re-living the same life over and over in different ways is fascinating (if
confusing at times). The characters
sometimes had very philosophical conversations about the change a person could
inflict when knowing the future and these slowed down the book at times. Overall, though, this is a well-written and
very interesting novel and I am still pondering some of the ideas that it
raised. I received this book through
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The
Temptations of Anna Jacobs
by Robyn DeHart (received through NetGalley)
4 stars
Drew Foster, the hero of this historical
romance, is the bastard son of a duke, a former alcoholic and has spent time in
prison accused of being a serial killer.
As far as flaws go, these are pretty intense, yet he was still very
likable. Anna, a medical student at a
time when women were not encouraged in the profession, has joined forces with
Drew in order to find the real Jack the Ripper.
Their interactions are charming and the chemistry between the two jumps
off the page. I was not a fan of the
chapters written by the point of view of Jack the Ripper, which I didn’t think was
necessary, but I really enjoyed this book.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sketchy:
The Bea Chronicles Book 1
by Olivia Samms (received through Goodreads)
4 stars
Bea Washington has just finished up a
stint in rehab and started a new high school when she realizes that she has the
power to draw what others are thinking about.
As she struggles daily with her past addictions and her poor reputation,
she realizes that she may be the only person that can solve a string of rapes
and murders. While Bea is only
seventeen, much of this material is pretty dark and gives a scary look at
teenage drug use. The characters in this
novel are realistic and multi-faceted and I felt myself rooting for Bea even as
she made some very stupid mistakes. I
look forward to reading further into this series because it can definitely go
in some interesting directions. I won
this book in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
