Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Heavy Reading - June 4, 2014

Currently Reading:
  • Goldfinch by Donna Tartt            
  • Like No Other by Una LaMarche (received through the publisher)
  • The Three by Sarah Lotz (received through NetGalley)
  • The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames by Kai Bird (received through Goodreads)

On Deck:
  • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
  • Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
  • The Angry Years: The Rise and Fall of the Angry Young Men by Colin Wilson (received through NetGalley)

Recent Reviews:

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (received through the publisher)
4 stars

This book took so long for me to finish because I had to set parameters for reading it.  I couldn’t read it while eating because there were some very gruesome descriptions, I couldn’t read it right before bed because it was violent and disturbing and I could only read it for short periods before I needed a mental break.  That said, I thought it was extremely well written and the plot complex and fast moving.  Penn Cage is the Mayor of Natchez, Mississippi and when his physician father is arrested for murder he is forced to confront an ugly and complicated past including KKK members and crooked businessmen.  Even though it was hard to take at times due to the subject matter, it was definitely worth reading overall.  I received this novel from the publisher. 
 

Starstruck by Nicole Ciaccchella (received through NetGalley)
3 stars

The heroine of this book has gotten out of a bad marriage that involved intense emotional and verbal abuse.  She is now untrusting, broken and fearful of new relationships.  She also has a three year old son.  Jaron was her best friend until he couldn’t stand to watch her in the unhealthy relationship so he left her behind to pursue a career in Hollywood.  Now he is a famous actor back in his hometown to shoot a movie and he wants to rekindle their friendship and maybe something more.  I liked these two characters and the scenes between them were sweet and positive.  They were good people with baggage but they worked hard to be together even when it wasn’t easy.  The book lost momentum during the long and monotonous inner monologues while each character dissected every thought and feeling excessively.   However, I enjoyed reading about these characters and found myself rooting for them to end up together.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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