The Shrew Rediscovered - February 28, 2016

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
Publication Date - June 2016
4 stars



The Hogarth Shakespeare Project, run by Hogarth Press, involves well-known authors rewriting Shakespeare's plays into modern tales.  I surprisingly enjoyed the first (a take on The Winter's Tale written by Jeanette Winterson) very much.  The Taming of the Shrew is probably my favorite Shakespeare play so I had high expectations for this retelling.  These expectations were mostly met.  Kate Battista, approaching the age of thirty, lives with her brilliant scientist father and self-involved younger sister.  She holds a job at a preschool that she really doesn't enjoy and is constantly in trouble for being a little too honest with the kids and parents.  Kate is about as prickly as they come and definitely hard to like.  Enter Pyotr, another brilliant scientist from an unnamed country who serves as her father's assistant.  Pyotr's visa is about to expire and her father is desperate to not lose his assistant so he proposes that Kate should marry Pyotr.  This plot should not work (and does at times veer into the absurd) but I found myself pulled into the story of the shrew who finds her match.  It is also nice to be reminded of a classic work that I enjoyed so much in the past.  I'm having fun with this series so far and look forward to seeing how the other author's retell these classic plays.  I received an ARC of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Perfect Friday Reads - February 26, 2016

Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington
4.5 stars



Spencerville, Virginia was a fairly protected place in the late 1970's, where Rocky's big brother, Paul, is the local troublemaking teenager.  Rocky is enamored with his big brother and is dealt a blow when Paul decides to kidnap him and almost leaves him alone in the middle of the forest.  After Paul disappears, Rocky is forced to grow up without him.  I enjoyed this book from start to finish.  The characters were well developed and complex.  This book was so well-written, but not in a way that slowed down the reading of it.  Instead it flowed seamlessly through the years of this family and town and kept me reading late into the night.  I received an digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange or an honest review. 


Sutherland's Secret by Sharron Cullen
4.5 stars



Brice Sutherland, Earl of Dornach, is patrolling the Scottish countryside when he discovers an unconscious, beaten, starved, ragged Englishwoman on the side of the road.  Not knowing what to do with her, and suspecting her imminent death, he takes her with him so that she won't have to die alone.  Eleanor surprises him though and lives to return to his castle.  These characters are just the best.  Eleanor has been through torture and still bounces back to make the best of her situation.  Brice is loyal and protective and strives to the best thing for his people, regardless of his own feelings.  The side characters were all interesting and I now want to see books based on a few of those.  I will definitely be waiting for the next books in this series.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Reviews - February 25, 2016

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
4 stars



In the early 1960's, Alaska had just become a state and the livelihood of many families depended on fishing.  This book follows four teenagers as they deal with family and friends during those early years of statehood.  Dora comes from a tough family situation and has taken refuge with her best friend's family.  Ruth lives with her sister and disapproving grandmother and must deal with the consequences of her actions.  Hank and his brothers are running away from a cruel stepfather and Alyce must spend a summer on her father's fishing boat when all she wants to do is dance.  These four lives intersect in surprising ways and I enjoyed reading about their trials, heartache and the growth they experience during this one summer.  The ending is a bit too tidy but as I came to connect to these characters, I felt it was well deserved.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


Sailor and Fiddler:  Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author by Herman Work
3 stars



When an author turns 100, there has to be a lot of history to cover in an autobiography, but this isn't quite that.  Herman Wouk, author of Time and Remembrance, Marjorie Morningstar,  and The Caine Mutiny uses this book to write short reflections of different episodes and inspirations in his life.  I enjoyed many of these short interludes but also felt a little a little disconnected. Many times I didn't recognize the names of people he discussed and I am not especially familiar with all of his works.  However, there was still much to enjoy here and it is always interesting to hear from someone who has lived so long.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Summer Youth - February 23, 2016

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy
Publication Date - March 1, 2016
4 stars



This book reminds me of movies that I used to watch, mainly from the nineties, that followed a group of friends over a short period of time (normally a drama fueled summer after graduation) as they fought, made-up, fell in love and discovered who they were.  Jaycee's brother Jake died in a tragic accident in front of his sister and many of their friends on the day of his graduation.  Four years later, Jaycee has just graduated and is losing herself as she tries to hold on to the memories of her older brother.  She falls into a group including her former best friend, Natalie, Natalie's boyfriend, a new friend recovering from a devastating break-up and her brother's old best friend who is a selective mute and may just want to be more than friends.  The book alternates between characters and includes some interesting ways of telling the story (if the author writes or has written a graphic novel, I am there).  This was incredibly angst-ridden at times but I felt a great amount of nostalgia while reading this book and I have to say I enjoyed every minute.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Reviews - February 22, 2016

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haag
3 stars



This is a post apocalyptical novel in which nuclear warfare once wiped out most of civilization and genetic defects have caused each birth to comprise of two twins, one perfectly formed alpha and one omega who is born with some sort of disability.  The twins are fatally linked and when one dies, the other immediately succumbs as well.  Omegas are (inexplicably, really) sent away to special villages to live as outcasts while the alphas are the ruling class.  Cass and Zach are kept together longer than most because Cass's defect, as a seer, is hidden longer.  This causes an interesting dynamic to their relationship which drives much of the conflict in this book as Zach grows up to be a council member with cruel attitudes towards the Omegas.  My final analysis of this book is that it definitely has potential as a science fiction series and I will read the second book.  There were some weird inconsistencies to this world (that are covered in many reader reviews) and the dialogue is sometimes repetitive, however, I found the premise intriguing and the twins' relationship interesting enough to keep reading.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  


Thirteen Ways of Looking by Colum McCann
4 stars



This book comprises of one novella and several short stories.  The novella follows a retired judge on the final day of his life.  In his mid-eighties, this story is mostly a musing on his life, career and family however there is also an interesting mystery involved that adds another element.  I really enjoyed this piece of writing and found it to be the perfect length in order to tell this story.  The other stories were really strong as well and I found the entire book to be well-written throughout.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


Dear Emma by Katie Heaney
Pub. Date - March 1, 2016
3.5 stars



Harriet writes an advice column, Dear Emma, for her college newspaper.  She is a junior English major who begins to worry that she doesn't have enough experience to actually answer the questions that she receives until a boy from her class breaks her heart and causes a bitter edge to Emma's advice.  I actually found the relationship drama to be a fairly accurate portrayal of college life (though admittedly its been a while).  There are also some really funny moments of dialogue that I really enjoyed.  The whining, self pity of the narrator did get a little old... but once again is probably accurate.  Overall, I enjoyed reading this light novel and will probably keep an eye out for this author's future work.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Reviews - February 17, 2016

Wolf By Wolf  by Ryan Graudin
3.5 stars



An alternate historical reality in which the Nazi's won the war and rule an empire across several continents, this book follows one character, Yael, as she attempts to win a motorcycle race in order to assassinate Hitler.  I enjoyed this young adult novel because it was interesting and extremely well written.  The alternate history has been done in adult books but I have yet to see that perspective from a younger perspective and I think that it was well done in this book.  I did find the idea of Yael being a skinshifter (able to take the form of any other person) a bit distracting and I found myself wishing that this story was done without that element.  However, I did still enjoy the story and the characters and will most likely pick up the next in the series.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


The Bigness of the World by Lori Ostlund
3 stars



Lori Ostlund writes short stories about people from the Midwest dealing with relationships, especially the end of relationships.  These stories were beautifully written and I enjoyed reading them, however, they really didn't stick with me afterwards and I am not sure I would be able to distinguish them now since they are so similar.  I still struggle with short story collections and I think this quiet, everyday life type of short story may not be my favorite.  That said, these are incredibly well written and are worth trying out.  I received an electronic copy of this book through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.


Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon
Pub. Date - February 23, 2016
4 stars



Fifteen years ago (from the books current day 2010), fifteen year old Amy disappeared and was found days later unconscious and badly beaten.  Now stuck in a state of unconsciousness, her family has died or moved on and she has been mostly forgotten until freelance journalist and alcoholic, Alex, stumbles upon Amy and her story.  There is definitely a mystery here, but what I find most fascinating about this novel is the portrayal of an alcoholic trying to get her life under control.  She is by far the most interesting character and while I've read The Girl on the Train, I found the alcoholic character in this book more realistic and ultimately more likable.  The actual mystery is just so/so and I figured it out fairly early but I still really liked this novel and feel as if this could be expanded into a series following the character of Alex.  I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Reviews - February 9, 2016

And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East by Richard Engel
4.5 stars



Richard Engel has spent decades reporting from the Middle East and provides a clear, concise portrait of major events in the region since 9/11.  As he moves from country to country, war seems to follow him and even a much needed respite in Beirut happens as the attacks between Isreal and Lebanon break out.  He completed daring reporting assignments during times when most of the other major reporters had already left and seemed to almost be addicted to the danger of living in these areas.  I have read several books that try to explain the turbulence in the Middle East but this is probably the most current and most accessible that I have read.  I finished this book with a clearer picture of how ISIS came to be and the mistakes that the U.S. and other foreign powers have made along the way.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


The Arrangement by Ashley Warlick
3 stars



MFK Fisher became a successful food writer who bucked her traditional marriage by having an affair with her husband's best friend.  This book imagines the relationship between all three and how it affected Fisher's life and writing.  I found this to be a compelling story and I almost always like these fictionalized accounts of famous writers, however, I found the structure of this to be strange.  It jumped between characters randomly and even jumped ahead to MFK Fisher's old age which would have worked had it happened consistently.  Instead there were just scenes thrown in that didn't really add much to the story and disrupted my enjoyment of the narrative.  Overall, though, I liked this book and thought it an interesting story to tell.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Importance of Good Reading - February 2, 2016

Lit Up: One Reporter.  Three Schools.  Twenty-Four Books That Can Change Lives by David Denby
Pub. Date - February 2, 2016
4.5 stars



A big proponent of reading the classics, David Denby wrote the appropriately titled Great Books which examines college level curricula. For this books, he decided to sit in on a tenth grade English class in order to observe how the classics were taught and how teachers motivated students distracted by all forms of technology.  It mostly follows one class in a good New York magnet school but also examines two other schools of differing perspectives and socioeconomic status.  For a lifelong book-lover, this was a glorious examination of kid's lives today and how hard it is to encourage a love of literature.  At times, Denby's intolerant view of what constitutes real literature annoyed me for I mostly believe in the method taught at one of the high schools which introduces easier, more enjoyable reading with the hope that it lead to classics of the higher brow.  However, I think this is an important book for educators that offers hope that literature still belongs as an important part of the high school curriculum.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.