avanders' Root Challenge 2014 Part 2

New thread!




2014 ROOTS:

1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt, finished January 26, 2014
2. The Homecoming by Carsten Stroud, finished January 27, 2014
3. Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas, February 19, 2014
4. Night Film by Marisha Pessl (for book group), February 11, 2014
5. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson, February 13, 2014
6. The City & the City by China Mieville, February 17, 2014
7. The Case of the Constant Suicides by John Dickson Carr, February 19, 2014
8. Divergent by Veronica Roth, March 26, 2014
9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, March 31, 2014
10. The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas, April 11, 2014
11. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, April 20, 2014
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, April 26, 2014
13. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, April 30, 2014
14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, May 4, 2014
15. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, May 18, 2014
16. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, May 31, 2014
17. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, June 1, 2014
18. Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin, July 5, 2014
19. Asylum by Madeleine Roux, July 5, 2014
20. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke, July 17, 2014
21. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, July 19, 2014
22. The Void of Mist and Thunder by James Dashner, July 26, 2014
23. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, August 17, 2014
24. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (for book group), August 24, 2014
GOAL!!
25. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, October 6, 2014
26. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier, October 31, 2014
27. Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (also a library book), November 4, 2014
28. The Happiest People in the World: A Novel by Brock Clarke (also an ARC), November 7, 2014
29. Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (also an ARC), November 12, 2014
30. Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey (also an ARC), December 2, 2014
31. The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter (also an ARC), December 29, 2014






Books read in 2014 (whether ROOTS or not)
(but ROOTs will be depicted by underlining in the list below)

1. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker (for book group), January 4, 2014
2. Avalanche Pass: A Jesse Parker Mystery by John A. Flanagan, January 17, 2014
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt, January 26, 2014
4. The Homecoming by Carsten Stroud, January 27, 2014
5. Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas, February 19, 2014
6. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (for book group), February 8, 2014
7. Night Film by Marisha Pessl (for book group, next), February 11, 2014
8. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson, February 13, 2014
9. The City & The City by China Mieville, February 17, 2014
10. The Case of the Constant Suicides by John Dickson Carr, February 19, 2014
11. The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith (ARC), March 1, 2014
12. The Chase by Janet Evanovich (ARC), March 9, 2014
13. Light Shining in the Forest by Paul Torday (ARC), March 12, 2014
14. The Swiss Affair by Emylia Hall (ARC), March 17, 2014
15. Oi Frog by Kes Gray and Jim Field, March 20, 2014
16. Til the Well Runs Dry by Lauren Francis-Sharma (ARC), March 22, 2014
17. Divergent by Veronica Roth, March 26, 2014
18. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, March 31, 2014
19. The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas, April 11, 2014
20. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, April 20, 2014
21. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, April 22, 2014
22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, April 26, 2014
23. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, April 30, 2014
24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, May 4, 2014
25. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, May 18, 2014
26. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos (for book group), May 26, 2014
27. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, May 31, 2014
28. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, June 1, 2014
29. The Hungry Girl Diet by Lisa Lillian, June 9, 2014
30. The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins, received from Mary Ann!, June 15, 2014
31. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (ARC), June 29, 2014
32. Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin, July 5, 2014
33. Asylum by Madeleine Roux, July 5, 2014
34. The Quick by Lauren Owen (ARC), July 7, 2014
35. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke, July 17, 2014
36. The Stone Boy by Sophie Loubiere (ARC), July 19, 2014
GOAL!!
37. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, July 19, 2014
38. People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann (ARC), July 23, 2014
39. About That Night by Norah McClintock (ARC), July 25, 2014
40. The Void of Mist and Thunder by James Dashner, July 26, 2014
41. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell (from library), August 3, 2014
42. Big Brother by Lionel Shriver (ARC), August 13, 2014
43. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, August 17, 2014
44. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger (from library), August 17, 2014
45. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (ARC), August 22, 2014
46. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (for book group), August 24, 2014
47. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (from library), August 27, 2014
48. Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck (from library), August 30, 2014 +
49. Midnight Riot a/k/a Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (library book), September 1, 2014
50. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (library book), September 3, 2014
51. Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (library book), September 5, 2014
52. The Future For Curious People by Gregory Sherl (ARC), September 30, 2014
53. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, October 6, 2014
54. Autumn in the Abyss by John Claude Smith (ARC (members' reviewer)), October 20, 2014
55. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier, October 31, 2014
56. Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (also a library book), November 4, 2014
57. The Happiest People in the World: A Novel by Brock Clarke (also an ARC), November 7, 2014
58. Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (also an ARC), November 12, 2014
59. I Am Sophie Tucker a fictional memoir by Susan Ecker et al., (ARC), November 23, 2014
60. Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey (also an ARC), December 2, 2014
61. The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter (also an ARC), December 29, 2014
62. Adventures of Beekle by (library book), December 31, 2014

From Sept. 1, 2014 through end of year, track books purchased, which should only be either for book group or from library clearance sale:

1. A surprise gift from my dad arrived in the mail today (8/27/14)! The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
2. Won The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke (ER) today (9/30/14) (rec'd 10/20/14)
3. Gift from Husband: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (a lovely old hardcover) (10/4/14)
4. Gift from Husband: The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens (a lovely old hardcover) (10/4/14)
5. Received from Mom: The Mermaid's Twin Sister by Lynn Joseph (10/6/14)
6. Gift from Husband: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (a lovely old paperback) (10/8/14)
7. Received from Mom: Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed (10/13/14)
Also, mom's sending me a bunch of their old hardback childrens' classics from when I was a kid... can't wait to add those to the shelves!
8. Won Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey (FirstReads - Goodreads)! (rec'd 11/8/14)
9. Won from BookReporter early reviewer: The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (rec'd 10/27/14)
10. Won The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter (ER)! (rec'd 11/12)
11. Won Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (FirstReads - Goodreads) (rec'd 11/15)
12. Gift from Husband: Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (a lovely old hardcover) (11/8/14)
13. Won I Am Sophie Tucker from NetGalley (ER)! (rec'd 11/4/14)
14-72. Got 50 books at the Library Clearance sale, and I also received a slew of books from a friend! Some of the library finds were duplicates. See POST 157 Below for the pics of the books I received (and explanation of which were duplicates :))
73. Won The Green Man by Michael Bedard (ER)! (rec'd 12/19/14'ish)
74. ooooooooooooooooooooooooops. I actually completely forgot and bought myself 2 books in the holiday shopping flurry this past weekend. :-o
Yes Please (autographed!) by Amy Poehler
75. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
plus 16 Christmas present-books!

Commenting to mark out your thread!

New thread, yay, and only five books away from your goal. Great progress!

Happy new thread! :)

Thank you all!!

Finished The Ladies of Grace Adieu!
I finally sat down with Clarke's second, the Ladies of Grace Adieu. I'm fairly certain I waited as long as I did because I was afraid I'd be disappointed. Because Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my favorites.

And I kind of was and kind of was not. The short story collection definitely did not blow me away. But it was also really well done, really well written, well imagined. Each of the stories advances the world Clarke's created, or a version of the world. It feels almost like anecdotes that you might have heard told by characters from Jonathan Strange's world... fables, tales, stories.

The writing is, of course, immaculate. The story-telling is good.. great, even. The collection read quickly, and each story felt complete in its own right. I'm not sure what more I wanted, but it seems that I did want something more. When I was done, I felt it was sort of anti-climactic.

So, I would definitely recommend to Clarke fans and people who would be Clarke fans (but who just haven't had the good sense to read her yet ;)), but with the note that it is good, really good, great, but not as satisfying and fulfilling as Strange & Norrell...



Also, reviews for my previously read books (i.e., my "iou's")

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

I really enjoyed reading this book. The pictures weren't always overly realistic (as compared with, e.g., Miss Peregrine's Home...), the story had all kinds of holes, and the characters were weak and flat, but the story was quickly paced and creepily presented, and overall, I was very pleased to have read it. In fact, I immediately put the sequel on my wish list.

So, the story: Dan Crawford is a 16-year-old gifted student on his way to spend several weeks in the New Hampshire College Prep program (located in an old insane asylum). where he expects to finally be surrounded by other overly-smart kids, like himself. In fact, when he arrives, he is confronted with an overly-overly smart roommate, who is odd and off-putting. Dan finds an old photo in his desk with what appears to be a doctor whose eyes had been scribbled out, and Dan's odd roommate tells him there are plenty more in the "off-limits" portion of the college, where the asylum has not been renovated or even made safe for students.

Dan is curious about the photo and, after meeting hew new friends Abby and Jordan, he sets forward on a plan to discover what he can about the asylum, its doctor, and hopefully anything else that will explain the odd visions and experiences Dan begins to have.

Of course Abby is this perfect little quirky beautiful teen who is (of course) drawn to Dan (who kind of loves her), and Jordan is your somewhat standard genius gay kid who's just looking for a break from the oppression that is his parents. Abby, Dan, and Jordan have a fun relationship that is immediately tested and challenged, and they struggle with loyalties and suspicion when a murderer appears to be on the loose in the asylum.

So yeah, you can probably see from that brief description that there are already some holes that are bound to appear in the plot. But for me, I read through them all very quickly and got myself all nice and creeped out. I think if you read this one too carefully or too slowly (or on too bright of a day ;)), you might find it hard to ignore the flaws, but if you allow yourself the indulgence on a stormy night, you might enjoy the book anyway.

As I said, notwithstanding some of the issues, I *really* enjoyed reading this and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. There were definitely some questions left unanswered, which I expect to be addressed in the sequel.

And for it all, I'm intrigued by Roux and will keep an eye on other books she publishes.



And The Quick by Lauren Owen
Review based on ARC

This one was very hard to rate. I fell at 3 1/2 because it purports to be a big novel and in that, it falls flat. In comparison, I confess it is better than Asylum, which I read at the same time. But it receives a slightly lower review because Asylum is, frankly, a kid's book, whereas, as I say, this purports to be more.

This is also a hard book to review because it seems that there are many out there who think it would be a terrible thing to SPOIL the.... well, what I would call the plot. So how are you to discuss it then?

About the plot, I can say these things: It is a book about many. It starts as if it is a book about a brother and sister; it continues as if it is a book about just the brother and the difficulties and crazy insurmountable challenges he will face; it further continues as if it is a book about just the sister and the difficulties and crazy insurmountable challenges she will face; it is throughout a book about love.

So, a little more practically, James Norbury and his sister Charlotte are all-but abandoned by their father in their childhood. Their mother having passed away, they are much left to themselves to grow up and attempt to learn about life. They have their private trials and tribulations, and ultimately, they seem to grow from them. And then fast forward. James is now a young man who has graduated from Oxford and is looking for a life in London. He must room with a young aristocrat who seems James' opposite in many ways. James and his aristocrat roommate make remarkable discoveries together and James finds love. (and this is one of the spoilers.... he finds love in "an unexpected quarter" is how the back puts it...)

Then tragedy strikes and James must continue his learning and life under difficult circumstances. (yes, another spoiler) And this is around where Charlotte revisits us as she attempts to assist James in his difficulties (spoiler, spoiler) and she meets someone who also is going through great difficulties (spoiler of course). They all work toward ... er, spoiler. And then spoiler, spoiler.

So yeah. JUST PURE SPOILERS. But that's ok. Do I recommend the book anyway? I do. See below...

In review, I will say these things: It's a quick read. This 500+ page victorian-esque novel reads quickly, and you must turn the page to see what next! and how! Although I was not actually shocked by any of the so-called spoilers (it wasn't that I expected it; it's that it wasn't shocking to me), I can see why some wouldn't want it "ruined" for them. So I refrain. But Owen has written one of those dark, gritty, victorian-underworld, mystery-fantasy novels that is very satisfying to read.

Where it fails? It was scattered and choppy and overly ambitious. It was like reading the Meaning of Night... but not as good. It was like reading The Passage, but not as good. It was like reading The Map of Time (Palma), but not as good. And it was all those "but not as good"'s that just kept adding up. The Quick is fun, it's fast, it's interesting, but it's not great.

There's a lot of promise in Owen's writing, and I will DEFINITELY read something else by her. This being her debut novel, she starts strong and I'm excited for her additions to the world of literature.

Overall, THREE AND A HALF of 5 stars.

Oh, and for those who really want to know? Spoiler 1: In this victorian timed tale, James' "unexpected" love is another man and Spoiler 2: and yeah, we're talking vampires here. But good vampires, like in The Passage, not like in Twilight. ;)

I finished The Stone Boy!

Review based on ARC.

Yes.

I started this book with high hopes for the French thriller that it claimed to be... So, around page 60, I was disappointed. I took time away from reading to explain to my sister what the book was about, what was happening, and what was bound to happen.

And I love that I was all wrong. And all right. And kind of nowhere in between.

I love that Sophie Loubiere was so deep in her plunge into the psyche of a declining intelligent woman. With a questionable past and an even more questionable present.

So, the book is "about" an elderly woman who returns to her childhood home to discover that things have changed. The neighborhood is not quite the same---but that is a trueism, as time has passed. But what concerns Madame Preau is the child in her neighbor's yard who appears to be neglected, abused, and crying out for help. And what concerns Madame Preau more is that no one seems to have any record of the child. Not his siblings' school, not child services, not the police.

And what concerns Madame Preau's doctor-son and psychiatrist, is that this all seems unsettlingly familiar... as Madame Preau has in her past made claims about the abuse of another child. And it is concerning to Madame Preau's son that Madame Preau claims that this neighbor-child---this "stone boy"---resembles her own grandson. Who she has not been permitted to see in over a decade.

So the question is... is the stone boy real? a hallucination? can Madame Preau be trusted? to what degree? What is happening next door? What happened in Madame Preau's past?

Although the pace of this psychological thriller seemed to be slower than I would have expected for a "thriller".... It appears as if it was just right. I really had a hard time putting the book down, even after I thought the whole thing seemed inevitable and unsophisticated (and there, I was wrong). It read quickly and smartly. It answered questions while fluidly raising others.

I admit that I did not adore the ending as much as the rest of the book. It was a little bit of a let down after the expert weaving that had just taken place. It wasn't bad... it just wasn't perfect, in the end. But still, a highly recommended book for anyone looking for an intelligent thriller, a moving examination of an imperfect mind, an easy way to spend an afternoon.


I think this is really 4.25 of 5 stars...

Getting in a lot of reading this weekend! (i've been really sick :P)

Finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil!

Reading this book was a long time coming. I finally picked it up because I was going to Savannah and, well, yes, of course, read "The Book."
So I did.

I enjoyed the first half, but felt like the author's journalist background was coming out more than a cohesive story. It was more like a series of mini-biographies on various interesting people in Savannah. Like those long articles where a magazine writer meets with someone of interest over an extended period of time and talks about their interactions (there was a fascinating one with Fiona Appel in the past couple years...). I.e., it was very interesting and definitely put you in the mood of Savannah, but it wasn't exactly a story. There didn't appear to be a fluid tale coming out. It was more like "oh this person! Oh and that thing! oo, and then there was this one time... And oh yeah, she was interesting too!" And it was. Interesting. But not, as I say, a story. So the first half I'd give about 3 1/2 stars.

Except for the Jim Williams stuff which is the beginning, occasionally throughout, and most of the latter half of the book. And I'd give all that 5 stars. Berendt truly brings to life Jim Williams and his house (Mercer House), his experiences, his trade, his peoples, his parties, his personalities... I loved reading all of that. And Berendt did a fantastic job bringing to life the trialS related to Jim Williams.... without being boring or repetitive or, frankly, overly legalistic. It was just interesting and endearing and wonderful.

And what's it about? It's about Savannah. It's about the people in Savannah and the nature of Savannah and what makes Savannah, Savannah. This is apparently why the people in Savannah simply refer to this as "The Book." Because it did its job well. And it's also about a murder trial. And about big personalities. And about a journalist's discovery of a city, its people, and even himself.

And I recommend it. Just to everyone. It's a pleasure reading and a good one to have read.
FOUR AND A HALF stars.


Note: This book is true... mostly. As Berendt explains, not only have many of the names been changed, but the timeframe has also been changed, and perhaps small other details, to provide a story that's truer in "feel" than perhaps in explicit detail.

Hope you feel better soon! But I am glad that you are not too sick to read. That's the worst!

I have that book, Avander, but I saw the movie, TWICE, and I was still lost. I don't know if I could follow the book any better. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Well - you got me with a BB with The Stone Boy. Into the "recommended by LT" collection I created just to keep track of BBs.

Looks like you're almost to your goal. WooHoo!

Hmm, I've never seen the movie, but I put it on my Netflix queue, and now that I've read the book, I'll finally see it! I can see that it would be a difficult book to make into a movie, so I'm not surprised that someone was lost through it...

Haha, sorry Betty ;) hope you enjoy it!

and >9 rabbitprincess: (I've been really out of it.... otherwise I would have responded to your message sooner!) Thank you! I'm feeling *much* better today... And I was also VERY glad that I wasn't too sick to read; otherwise, it'd have felt like too much of a waste of 4 days!

Finished People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann!
Funny, snarky, but a little draggy at times.. Review to come..

Next up: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver, an ARC from First Reads (goodreads)
after that, About That Night by Norah McClintock, an ARC from ER (LT)

THEN I'll get to Valley of the Dolls, which serves the dual purpose of book group book & ROOT
and then The Goldfinch, which also serves the dual purpose of book group book & ROOT :)

I also just put eight books on hold at the library, so I'm probably going to take a ROOT hiatus again in August (after reading the above 2), but at that point, I'll only be 1 away from my goal! :)

Hope everyone's having a great summer!

Admirable progress towards your goal. Enjoy the summer!

>14 avanders: - Great picture!

Ok I read a little out of order. I'm Not enjoying Big Brother, so I've read 2 other books this weekend in avoidance of that :P

First, About That Night by Norah McClintock

Review based on ARC.

I'd never heard of Norah McClintock, but I should have. She writes YA mysteries and, if this one is any indication, they're fast, fun, and surprising!

About that Night is a book that mostly focuses on the disappearance of a popular teenage boy one cold night after Christmas. However, the same night that Derek disappears, a popular high school teacher Elise also disappears. Is it just an unlucky night, or are the two related? Elise is found relative quickly and her disappearance is explained relatively quickly. But Derek's lingering disappearance becomes the mystery of the story.

Jordie, Derek's girlfriend, and the reader know more than the cops for a majority of the story. There are little details to which we are privy, and yet it's not obvious. While Jordie is trying to solve the mystery and save the lives (or quality of lives) of the potentially innocent, so is the reader.

The pacing of the book is fast and energetic, constantly presenting a new theory, hitch, or clue for the reader to chew on. The characters, while not particularly likable, are relatable and feel like normal people in extraordinary circumstances.

The ultimate resolution.... well, you'll have to read it to find out. But I will say I ended the book and my first thought was "whoa." So I recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery to pass a few hours. (And I note that I didn't think the fact that it's a YA detracted at all from the mystery.)


Second, The Void of Mist and Thunder, the conclusion to the 13th Reality series (4 books), by James Dashner

And so, I finally finished this series. The 13th Reality series started with The Journal of Curious Letters, which... well, I couldn't pass that name up. So I picked it up. And though it is definitely in the younger group of YA (or the older group of kids), it was entertaining with a good plot and some very interesting characters. This series is probably best for kids in the 8-13 age range.

So what's it about? Well, the series is about Atticus "Tick" Higgenbottom (14), who is recruited to become a "realitant," which sort of means, person who knows that there are multiple realities, that there are sometimes issues with and among the realities, and who is tasked with the job of protecting those realities when and how he can, along with the other realitants.

Tick is in Reality Prime, the strongest and most stable of realities, but there are thirteen other known realities that the realitants can travel through and protect. The thirteenth reality is Mistress Jane's domain, and has some weird properties that seem to heighten the "chi'kaarda" levels. So, what are Chi'kaarda levels? Well, it's sort of the juice that allows the realitants to travel between realities, but also much more, allowing people to harness its strength to accomplish great feats. And Tick and Mistress Jane are two such individuals who, for differing reasons, have the ability to harness great amounts of chi'kaarda.

And at the end of book 3, they have done so to such a degree (in a fight against each other) that they have found themselves in the Nonex, along with Reginalt Chu from the 4th Reality, who found himself there by coming into interaction with his "alterant" -- i.e., another version of himself from another reality (in this case, Reality Prime). So, the Nonex is a place where .... well there's just a whole lot of unknown about the Nonex, but what is known is that people don't escape from there. At least, not ever before. So, can Tick, Mistress Jane, and Chu work together to escape the Nonex?

On top of that, resulting from the climactic fight at the end of book 3, there appears to be a rift in the realities, through which the Fourth Dimension seems to be trying to leak in. The Fourth Dimension may or may not have consciousness, may or may not be evil, but is definitely wreaking havoc in the realities and the realitants must work together to try and salvage the worlds.

So the book has a lot going on. And even though it'd been a while since I'd read the 3rd book and had forgotten most of what had happened, this 4th and final book in the series is written in such a way so as to remind me of everything without simply repeating it (which would be rather dull for those who did remember what happened in the prior 3 books). In other words, it all came back to me rather quickly and seamlessly. The book is quickly paced and suspenseful, leaving you constantly wondering how Tick will react and how Jane will react.

And although you suspect that it will somehow work itself out in the end, you don't know how it can do so, and you definitely don't know who will make it to the end (not everyone does).

I thought Dashner was creative in his approach, and I didn't mind the introduction of new major elements in this final installment. I did think it was a little convenient at times, but then I think Dashner took a rather inconvenient sharp turn--to his credit. Keeping the reader guessing and keeping everything up in the air made the final installment read just like a final installment should -- like a final, grand climax, where everything comes to a head.

And it's wrapped up well enough. I like neat little packages and it was good enough for me; for those who like it a little less neat, I think it's also good enough for them. There's still a future on the horizon, but you're okay that you're not going to read about it.

Overall, definitely recommended. Certainly for those who've started the series, but also for those who haven't, it's a younger and sweeter series than HP, but it hits the right notes and is satisfying in the end.



And let's not forget my review for People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Review based on ARC.

I really really enjoyed the first few chapters of Jen Mann's snarky take on the world of suburbia. And I should have read the subtitle more closely to really understand that the whole book was going to be about suburbia, but I didn't realize that. And why is that relevant? Well, after about half the book, it started to just feel like a singularly focused rant, with examples of how horrible her co-moms are. Which, yes, is definitely entertaining! But also gets to be a little draggy at times.

So yes, this is I think what people call humor essays. You know, sort of like what David Sedaris does. But focused on, as I said, suburbia and the horrible people who live there who are raising their horrible children. At least, to hear Mann talk of it. And not that I doubt her, but she seems almost to have a vendetta against these horribly misdirected moms.

But she's funny. Definitely witty and smart and funny... and biting and at times cruel. She's dealing with a segment of the population who seems to just not "get it" when it comes to well-roundedness or alternative approaches to child-rearing or... well, a lot of things.

And you can see by this review that I just sort of had a hard time figuring out how to review it because she's funny. But it gets tiring after a while. And as quickly as I read the first half, I slowed down and dragged a bit on the second half.

So my recommendation? Read the first half for sure. And if you're not tired at that point, keep reading. She'll make you laugh and probably make you question a few things about how you do things. And she may annoy you just a little (for me, her constant referral to "the Hubs" was distracting and kind of lame, but I accept that that's probably what she actually calls him in real life? er.....), but she'll entertain you while she's doing it.

So yeah, I recommend it. For sure. But know that you might not finish it. But it's okay because it's just essays and when you're done, you can be done. :)

It's a high three-and-a-half stars, so earning 4 on sites w/o halves.

>15 MissWatson: and >16 dudes22: thanks!

I finally made it to your new thread. :) I'm sorry to hear you were feeling sick, and am glad you are feeling better now!

hee hee, thanks! :)

Soooo, I made it to page 103 on Big Brother. I hate it. And I just don't think I can force myself to read any more. But it's an ER and I feel like it's not fair to review it if I haven't finished it... thoughts? similar experiences??

So I did, however, pick up another ROOT in the meantime: Alif the Unseen.. very excited to finally be reading it!
And I rented 6 books from the library yesterday :D (and I still have to read those 2 book group books ;))

And somehow I managed to read 5 ROOTs this month?! Not sure how that happened, but WOOT! Only 2 more to goal!

Yay, so close to your goal!

I don't sign up for ERs, but my $0.02 is that if you can review the part of the book that you were able to finish and perhaps say why you couldn't read any more, that should be enough.

When I've had an ER that was just too awful to finish I've typically at least skimmed the rest before reviewing, but if you couldn't get past 100 that's a review in and of itself!

It's amazing how many edits it took me to finally delete everything I wrote and get to the point which is: I agree with rabbitprincess and mabith.

I think page 103 is good and you should definitely make that a part of your review!

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your input... as fellow "serious readers," it's nice to know that I won't be judged too harshly for my inability to continue... ;) Mabith.. maybe skimming will confirm my current posture and fears and allow me to include that too... thanks for the suggestion!

(and lol Mary Ann... ;))

Read Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores -- based on recommendation from a fellow ROOT'er, though I can't remember which right now!
It was a great, quick read -- a book of quotes of all the crazy things customers say in bookstores, from the amusing to the infuriating and pretty much everything in between. Recommend!

Still reading Alif and enjoying it! But the weekend was pretty busy, and I didn't have the time to read I'd have liked ;)

oh, also, I bought *new* books this weekend :-o
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Paris, 1938. As the shadow of war darkens Europe, democratic forces on the Continent struggle against fascism and communism, while in Spain the war has already begun. Alan Furst, whom Vince Flynn has called “the most talented espionage novelist of our generation,” now gives us a taut, suspenseful, romantic, and richly rendered novel of spies and secret operatives in Paris and New York, in Warsaw and Odessa, on the eve of World War II. "In Furst’s hands, Paris once again comes alive with intrigue. A dark time, yes, but also one that is endlessly compelling."

>27 avanders: That would be me :) I must admit to not only LOLing, but LOLIPing (laughing out loud in public) when I read that!

Your new books look like a great haul!

Jackie, I love LOLIPing! When you say it aloud it seems vaugely onomatopoetic somehow?

Yeah, it did make me giggle again when I thought of it! :D

Loliping, ey? I like it ;)
Yeah Meredith - I'm excited!

Hi Ava, you are still ROOTing happily on, I read!

Loliping is a wonderful word!

>33 connie53: Hi Connie! And yes, doing much better than I anticipated! Of course, I do well w/ goals and rewards ;) (such as, watching that slow little reader snail drag along my ROOTs ticker :)) So close! But with all those library books piling up in my book nook, I may not finish until Sept. :)

>34 Merryann: Agreed! And the action it embodies is also wonderful :)


this made me laugh ;)

Wonderful picture!

My goal tomorrow shall be to lolip.

I think that's a good goal :)
The world needs more loliping!

Received my July ER! Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix.. definitely looking forward to this!

However, still have to finish Alif and Big Brother... yep, decided to suck it up and read to the mid-way point.... then at page 176 it begins to get *marginally* better, so I decided, may as well finish it.. At least this way, when it's all said and done, I can review it as harshly as I think is deserving, knowing I read the whole thing ;)

I finished it!


Through sheer will, I finished Big Brother... Review to come, but rest assured it's getting a big ol' from me.

Now, to finish Alif and then to read Raven Girl.... and THEN I'll hopefully speed through Valley of the Dolls before book group next Wed!

You will speed through Valley of the Dolls. I remember reading that years ago. I liked it, then!

I keep hearing that it's a crazy-fast read... I have actually read it before .. in college, but that was so long ago I remember almost nothing about it, so thought it was apropos to re-read for book group :)

And I remember the movie, too; very good! I remember that Bert Convy played the part of a guy who loses his mind and dies....and in real life, that's what happened to Bert several years later. Eerie!

Totally eerie! weird....

Finished Alif (ROOT #23!)
And Raven Girl! (library book)

(reviews to come)

Now onto Valley of the Dolls... Final ROOT!!

Oh oh, and bought 2 more books ;)
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Excited! :D

Final ROOT! *drumroll* Hope it's a good one! :)

me too! ;) & thanks!

Ok my thoughts on my last 3 books...

Big Brother
Review based on ARC.

Anyone who was around me while I was forcing my way through this book suffered for my having to finish it. Why did I have to finish it? Because it was an advanced readers' copy, and I felt like I needed to finish the whole book in order to fairly review it.

But oh, the pain.
So, the premise. I was interested in this book and definitely wanted to read it because of its premise! (this is no more spoiler than what appears on the back cover) Main character (Pandora) picks up her brother (Edison) from the airport after not having seen him for several years and doesn't even recognize him at first because he's gained so much weight. On top of now being a morbidly obese person, the narrator also takes issue with her brother's other developed-habits, such as breaking furniture, convincing high school kids to drop out of high school, etc. So she has to decide between her husband and her brother, which is essentially what the book is about--that choice and the repercussions thereof.

Ok, yeah, sounds interesting! Good of her to take on a less developed theme in current literature and try to tackle the psychological reactions that people have in these types of tough situations. So I was excited.

Then I got the book and started reading. And this is what it was like: Imagine if I told you that a very interesting special was going to be on tv, but it was only going to air once and you couldn't record it because you don't have a DVR or anything. So you are excited about the special and are eager to get to the story, but as soon as it starts playing, your roommate just gets up and stands in front of the tv and starts waxing poetic about anything and everything---his/her opinions, theories, views on politics, social issues, his/her childhood, etc. Just keeps talking. And then they finally wind down and sit down and you are watching the special again, and just as you start getting into the special, s/he gets back up again and does it all over again. Over and over and over. That's what it was like reading this book. Shriver (or, purportedly, her narrator) just could. not. shut. up. shut up. shut up. It was infuriating attempting to read the story with the narrator constantly streaming her look-how-smart-I-am consciousness. And yeah, she had a few interesting things to say and said a few things in interesting ways, but I just couldn't CARE after she just kept GOING and going and going.

So around page 100, I decided I couldn't do it anymore. The book was literally giving me a headache and I was doing anything to avoid reading. I took a breather.

After ~a week, I decided, no, I can finish this. And so I did. Unfortunately, not only was Shriver's writing style infuriating, but her story was a disaster. This was one of the least convincing attempts at "understanding" fat people that I've ever been confronted with. It felt like Shriver literally knew NO-ONE who had ever really struggled with a lot of weight. And I understand that her real-life brother died from morbid obesity, weighing approximately what she puts her "big brother" at in the book, but it doesn't appear as if she spent any real time with her brother or talked to anyone who's ever spent substantial time around people who struggle with this kind of weight issue.

As someone with actual perspective here, I can assure the unknowing reader that Shriver is way off the mark. And it's offensive. And, frankly, it takes a lot to offend me. Shriver's fat guy is reckless, selfish, unaware, and stupid. Of course, because he's fat, right? It was a childish viewpoint and impossible for me to read without a scowl on my face.

So what's extra unbelievable about this whole thing is that Edison supposedly exhibits his I'm-a-disgusting-slob person while in the house of not only an essential stranger (his brother-in-law), but also while being openly judged and loathed by said-stranger. Fat people don't do that, Ms. Shriver. But yeah, supposedly, this guy will eat powdered sugar straight from the bag, but in the process just gets powdered sugar everywhere because of course he's a slob; takes a first serving at a first meal that is more than half of a casserole so that others are left hungry because of course he's hungry, stupid, and selfish; insists on making the rest of the skinny family inordinate amounts of terribly unhealthy food because he's inconsiderate, pushy, and stupid; etc.

And every single thing that "Pandora" (or, perhaps, really the author?) says about her brother, who she supposedly loves, comments on his fatness. Like, WE GET IT. HE's FAT. He doesn't just have a big jacket, his jacket is so big it is like carrying a sleeping bag. He doesn't just sit on furniture, he breaks it. Oh and of course he doesn't just sh**, he poops so much that there's literally poop chunks floating down the hall. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Not to mention the fact that his gaining just over 200 pounds in 4 years does not actually match up with what he supposedly eats in a day.

And this is all just in the first half of the book, and I haven't even touched on the celebrity childhood or her famous company, which she also insists on talking about ad nauseum. At page 176, I mistakenly believed it was going to get better. Something actually changed. It wasn't just going to be 400 pages of Shriver... er, Pandora judging fat people but pretending to care about them. So narrator has to make a choice... choose her jerk of a husband or her fat disgusting slob of a brother.

What choice does she make? How does it turn out? What're the spoilers that everyone is so carefully avoiding? Here's the non-spoiler answer: who. cares. Take it from someone who suffered through reading the whole thing... it didn't get better. It's not worth knowing. It's worse than pathetic. (if you really want the spoilers? go to bottom and highlight text to reveal)

In sum, I would recommend this book to literally no one. I would not recommend this book to anyone who has struggled or is struggling with weight because it is unaware and offensive. I would not recommend this book to anyone who knows someone who has struggled or is struggling with weight because it is unhelpful, patronizing, and offensive. I would not recommend this book to someone who knows no one who has this kind of weight issue because it will simply give them the wrong idea about how fat people are in the so-called privacy of someone else's home. Just say no. No.

of five stars. A touch of credit can be given because she's poetic with her language.

THE SPOILERS:

1. she chooses her brother. and is annoying and holier-than-thou in her choice. so she moves into a separate apartment with her brother to go on a crazy crash diet with him for a year. And I mean crazy. We're talking 6 months of less than 600 calories a day. And of course no one cheats. And they lose all kinds of weight. And then they have to struggle with reintroducing food. Etc. And than jerk husband wants a divorce. And crazy fat brother is happy. But then after all the weight is lost, husband wants Pandora back and Edison loses it. and eats a chocolate cake. like the slob that he is. smearing chocolate all over his face and clothes, etc. And then gains all the weight back. All of it.

2. But wait, Shriver thought she'd try to be clever. None of that happened. She didn't go live in an apt w/ her brother, she just let him leave. And be fat. and die.

I mean. really? People enjoy this?

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Thank goodness there are books like this! I really enjoyed Alif. Wilson daringly takes on techie-fiction (is that a real thing? I think it is now...), fantasy, religion (muslim), and love all at once. And does she pull it off? I sure think so.

So, Alif is a young (~18) but brilliant computer programmer in "The City" (in the middle east and typical of the middle east, where Arabs believe they are superior to the Indians, where light skin is better than dark, where muslim is always known if not always practiced). He "protects" (i.e., hides identities and locations of people online) anyone who is willing to and able to afford his fees. Lurking in the background is the state program and/or person known as the Hand, which is working its way through the back channels of the internet and making Alif and his friends nervous about being caught and punished as criminals.

Alif is also engaged in an illicit relationship with someone above his class, and he believes himself in love with the beautiful Intisar. But then, Intisar suddenly ends their relationship, claiming that her father is forcing her to marry some royal person worthy of her lineage. And Alif flies into a first class funk. Alif creates this crazy program that, without going into detail and boring you, basically allows a computer to think, and with it, he shuts Intisar out of his life completely.

Then the Hand finds Alif right around the time that he is graced with the secret book of the jinn (genies), and Alif is forced to both go on the run and discover the secrets of the book and its origin/power. So the book races through technology, fantasy based in religion, religion itself, and love, all while being interesting and novel and accessible and pleasurable.

It was just such a smart and engaging read with likable and unique characters and a plot that flowed with a foreign subject matter that was made readable and accessible by an author who understood the distance. I really enjoyed this and I very much look forward to more fiction from Wilson.

Recommend to those open to fantasy, who are looking for something more.
of five stars.

And finally, Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger
I did not enjoy The Time Traveler's Wife. But I wanted to give Niffenegger another chance because I felt like she had some potential. And I admit up front that Raven Girl is not the "other chance" I intend to give... but I was open to Niffenegger's book because of my intention to give her another chance. And this is a dark modern fairy tale for adults.

It was ok. It was weird in some places, and not that good, creepy weird like Coraline or Creepy Suzie. Just weird-weird like... and I'm sorry I couldn't ignore it... how did the bird and the mailman conceive a child?

But whatever, it's a modern fairy tale so they just did... And thus is born Raven Girl. I enjoyed the story well enough. It didn't make me mad or annoyed or anything. I read it so quickly (half hour?) that I didn't really have time to ponder the holes. It wasn't until after that I started thinking about them. And why they existed. And why Niffenegger did what she did. And since that all came after, I decided that it really was just fine.

So I'd recommend to people who are looking for a quick modern dark fairy tale, who don't mind some holes in the plot or weird decisions. And I'll still give Niffenegger her other chance... I've got Her Fearful Symmetry on the shelves...

of five stars.

>48 avanders:

Big Brother: That is a fantastic, and very funny, review of what sounds like a horrible, horrible book. And, aaargh I'm getting angry at it just reading about it second-hand. I've see depressingly few examples of fiction handling obesity and all its attendant issues sanely, sensitively, and well, but thank god I've also seen few examples quite that awful.

Alif the Unseen: I picked up a copy of this very recently. I'll be looking forward to it.

Raven Girl: I actually really liked The Time Traveler's Wife, but have found myself deeply irritated with everything of Niffeneggar's that I've read since, including (especially including) Her Fearful Symmetry. I'll be interested to see what you think after you've given her her one more chance. Me, I think I'm done, even if a "dark modern fairy tale for adults" sounds like it ought to be up my alley.

>49 bragan: I'm the same re: Niffeneggar. Really liked The Time Traveler's Wife and haven't liked anything since. Her Fearful Symmetry was just... not for me. Likewise, I'm curious to see what you think of one of her other books, Avanders!

>48 avanders: - I give you a lot of credit for working your way through such an unlikeable book. (But great review) I have an ER book that's almost 3 years old that I haven't finished yet. I keep telling myself that if I only read x number of pages each day I could finish it and review it, but I just haven't been able to yet.

>49 bragan: - >50 mabith: - I also liked Time Traveler's Wife and have Her Fearful Symmetry in my TBR but haven't yet read because I've seen so many negative comments on it.

>49 bragan: Glad you enjoyed! And hopefully it puts you off of reading the book forever... :) And I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Alif once you are able to read it! I'll definitely post thoughts re Her Fearful Symmetry -- seems people who liked Time Traveler's hated that one, but people who weren't as enamored with Time Traveler's weren't as hard on Her Fearful Symmetry... wonder where I'll fall :)

>50 mabith: Will update! (see above :))

>51 dudes22: Oh that's rough! 3 years! Maybe it's okay to walk away at this point.... ;) What's the book?

Also, I didn't hate Time Traveler's... although I *did* throw the book across the room at one point.. but that was just because I felt that, with a much better editor, it could have been an amazing book. I think I ended up giving it 3 stars because it had SO much potential but just dragged on oddly in points that didn't make sense (to me).. Given all of your responses re Fearful Symmetry, though, now I'm really curious about how it fares in comparison!

it's Faces of Grief by Sherry Hoppe. i couldn't tell you now why I had so much trouble with it, since it's been so long since I started it, but maybe I'll try and get back to it and read/scan enough to give some kind of review. It's only got a rating of 3, so maybe I wasn't that wrong in my first opinion.

I'd be interested to hear if it ends up being as bad as it seems, but I'm not a proponent of torture ;)
Looks like a painful one to have to force your way through.. but do you think you'd ever be able to really let yourself off the hook?

Like, for me, there are a couple books out there that I haven't finished for various reasons... for all but 2, there's a part of me that still does plan to go back, even for the ones I was not enjoying! Something about those ocd-inclinations....

(the 2: 1 I essentially finished and was told by others who'd finished that the few pages I didn't finish were "more of the same" so I felt ok; 1 I just couldn't force myself to read anymore ... I think I was up to page 300 before I gave up)

I've "Pearl ruled" books before, but because I got this as an ER book, I would feel guilty for not finishing it - that's why it's sat on my night table for the past 3 years. I noticed that although 30 books were given out, only 17 were added and of those only 13 have reviews - so - I'm thinking I'm not the only one who has trouble getting through it. Someday....

I haven't yet dared read anything by Lionel Shriver. I do have "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (bought for a previous book group that I ended up not attending as I hadn't got round to the book in time) but heard a few excerpts of a dramatised version on the radio and really don't dare read it! I would have nightmares for months. I hate giving books away, but I really will need to add it to my next charity shop bag, I think.

I loved "Time Traveller's Wife" (I read it just before I got married, and Henry's letter to Clare at the end had me sobbing), but haven't tried any other Niffenegger books because I'm so sure they won't live up to TTW's brilliance.

>55 dudes22: I definitely know the feeling! Wow, those are some interesting statistics! Especially for a 3-yr-old ER giveaway!

>56 Jackie_K: I read a few reviews on the Kevin book that indicate that it's much better than the Big Brother fiasco.. but if the few excerpts (which are, supposedly, among the best the book has to offer) are that off-putting, I think you're making the right decision!
And yeah, it's definitely a romantic book and perhaps the timing in your life heightened the experience... whereas the timing in my life may have made me particularly rough on it.. I try to be sensitive to that and, in this case, hadn't really thought about it before, but it might actually make sense!

I, er, bought a few more books... I stopped at the library bookstore today while I had some time to kill.. came away w/ these 8, many of which were already on my TBR-wish list!:




The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
The Enchanted by Rene Denefeld
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg

Nice catch. Enjoy!

Thanks Birgit!

You'll have to tell me how you like Broken Monsters. I recently read The Shining Girls and really WANTED to like it based on the premise...but really couldn't. I just didn't think the author managed to pull off her premise or even her stated goal of making a thriller about the victims and reminding society that victims were human beings with dreams and potential and aspirations. A worthy goal, but she falls into the very trap she decries by ignoring her victims to track her (boring) killer.

Anyway, I'm intrigued by the premise of Broken Monsters (and I hear it works better), but I'd love to get your opinion!

>61 Caramellunacy: Will do! I haven't read Shining Girls.. I just thought Broken Monsters sounded interesting :) Thanks for that info & background! .. Hopefully it does work better!

Ok, finished ER Horrorstor!

Review based on ARC.

A fun, fast, lite-horror read. ... A little less "lite" than some of the other "lite" horrors I've read, but it doesn't get underneath your skin and deeply disturb you.

I love the concept and I think Hendrix executed it very well. Imagine a knock-off IKEA called Orsk -- cheaper than IKEA, but the same concept. And imagine that it has a secret, dark history that its employees will discover on a long, hard, dark, disturbing, night in the store. There will be blood, there will be guts, there will be death. But it's so creative (I love Hendrix's names for the various pieces of "furniture" he's created, especially the little details he's employed, like the colors available) and such a quick read that, as I say, it's not deeply disturbing.

It's also not particularly deep in any sense, but that's ok. It was just the thing to pass a few hours on a rainy evening.
Definitely recommend to people who are fans of lite-horror or anyone who's just been horrified by certain aspects of IKEA ;)

I will certainly read more by Hendrix!

Congrats on your new stash! I also have Orphan Train in my TBR pile!

Thanks! Hope it's as good as the hype.... ;)

>63 avanders: I had to pass on your review on Horrorstor to someone I know who used to work for IKEA. I interviewed him and a lot of what we talked about was his time at IKEA as an employee. From your description I think he would enjoy the book.

>66 Familyhistorian: Hope so! I thought it was pretty funny for all the (not)Ikea references ;)

Also, I bought a few more books at another used bookstore this weekend :D
Swamplandia, Old Filth, Splintered, Cloud Atlas, The Lighthouse at the End of the World, and Infinite Jest... also another copy of Master and Margarita to lend..

GOAL!


24th ROOT pulled!
Valley of the Dolls,
I liked the iconic references and the gritty world, but I felt that the "trashy" part was a little too gratuitous for my preferences..

Looking forward to finally reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane (library book) next!

Well done indeed, reaching your goal so early!

Great job!!!

Thank you both!!

WOOT! Won The Future for Curious People as an ER this month!


In short, (from a reviewer): " With the help of envisionists, people are able to look into their future with their partner and see what sort of happy life, or disastrous one awaits them."

Longer blurb: "Meet Evelyn and Godfrey. Evelyn is breaking up with her boyfriend, who's passing out advertisements for his band on a snowy street corner in Baltimore. She's seen their dismal future together at Dr. Chin's office: she and her boyfriend, both many years older, singing Happy Birthday to a Chihuahua and arguing about cheese. She hopes for more. Meanwhile, Godfrey is proposing to his girlfriend, Madge, who's not quite willing to take that leap; she wants to see their future together first--just to be sure they re meant for each other. The Future for Curious People follows Evelyn and Godfrey's soon-to-be-entwined lives, set in motion by the fabulist premise of a world with envisionists like Dr. Chin. As the characters struggle with their pasts and possible futures, they wrestle with sorrow, love, death, and fate. This novel will capture you with its brightness, its hopefulness, its anxious twists and turns; it is a love story that is ultimately a statement about happiness and how to accept our fleeting existence."

Okay, after having spent too much money on books this weekend and after browsing the public library yesterday and remembering how much there is to discover there .... I've got a new goal for the next year (let's say, September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015):

As far as purchasing books, I will only buy books (1) for book group or (2) from the library clearance sale (which is only twice a year, and I'll be out of town for the November one this year!).

The rest of my reading will have to be of books already in my personal library, borrowed from friends, borrowed from the public library, or received as gifts...

Let's see if I can do this!

The Future For Curious People sounds like a lot of fun!

Hopefully your new goal won't be too hard! I can never leave the library empty-handed. I admit it doesn't sound hard to me, but I've never been much for buying books I haven't read yet (I always want my shelves to be full of books I love already and things I want for reference use). There are exceptions (mostly for early 20th century girls' books and WWI books), but most of my ROOTs come from my dad just dumping things with me.

I like that goal. Sensible, yet not too restrictive.

>72 avanders: Another one that I put in for also. I bet this one is a great book. I'm not sad that I didn't win it, because I DID win Fiddler on the Roof and that was my very favorite pick of all. I'm so excited about it that I'm bouncing around singing the songs.

>48 avanders: I'm glad you went ahead and read Big Brother. I am struggling a bit to find something positive to say, and the best I can come up with is this: it's a good book...if only because it's creation generated your very interesting review, which did point out, without being 'in your face' some ways people can be a bit sensitive to those struggling with weight issues. Your review may help people in ways the book clearly cannot.

And congratulations (on your own page) for reaching your goal!!

>73 avanders: - Ava - that was one of my goals this year and it's worked pretty well for me so far. I lowered my ROOT goal and have been using the library and Overdrive to read books that either 1) are next in a series I'm reading but don't have on my TBR or 2) to read things that I've been meaning to but hadn't yet gotten around to buying. I've pretty much only buy books from library sales now which is why the library comes in handy.

Review on

Finishing this short book was almost like having the air squeezed out of my lungs. As if I'd been holding it for ~180 pages.

For a synopsis, I think reading the publisher's blurb does just fine. For my thoughts on the book? sigh. Here are just a couple of favorites:

"Why didn't adults want to read about Narnia, about secret islands and smugglers and dangerous fairies?" p. 53

"Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside. You don't. I don't. People are much more complicated than that. It's true of everybody." p. 112

"This book is the book you have just read. It's done. Now we're in the acknowledgments. This is not really part of the book. You do not have to read it. It's mostly just names." p. 179 (yes, that is really the first paragraph of the acknowledgments... you just wanted to keep reading whatever it was he had to say next...)

Everything about this is lovely. And even though it's kind of fantasy kind of dark, it's mostly just a expose on love. And that makes it sound gushy, and it's just not. In other words, it's kind of impossible to describe, but I'll highly recommend it. Yes, even to you, whomever you are...

>74 mabith: I agree... hopefully it won't be too hard! I'm glad you haven't had to struggle with NBS (new-book-syndrome)! They're just so pretty and shiny and.... Of course those used/old books are just as lovely... so that's OBS? Old-Book-Syndrome? I suffer from that too... ;)

>75 Merryann: I'll let you know and if you decide you want it next.... :)
But Congrats on winning Fiddler! Bouncing around and singing songs is a very strong reaction indeed ;)

And thanks for your thoughts on Big Brother... Perhaps there's something there after all :)

>76 dudes22: yes, I think next year I'll be keeping my ROOT goal the same (rather than increasing it) and see how I fare... hopefully this year I'll read some more ROOTs and help with the group goal! And I agree wholeheartedly... the library is very handy!

.... so yeah, I really want this book.


And it's 40% off at B&N right now. Plus an extra 10% for members. Plus I just got an extra 20% off coupon... which would put the book at ~$11.21 +tax! But now I can't buy it bc of my new goal...


... well, I suppose if I wait a year it'll be even cheaper ;)

Aw! Wait a year and it will be on the $5 table.

>79 avanders: Good luck with your goal. Maybe you should stay out of bookstores or talk your book group into reading this one.

>80 mabith: true 'nuff :)

>81 Familyhistorian: thanks! I think that those are both *great* ideas!

So these are the books I've currently got checked out from the library (including 2 that are "in transit" but on their way to my local library) ... and my intended reading order :)) (this will hopefully keep me motivated to buy no books!)

1. Invisible Ellen (reading now... really good!)
2. Midnight Riot (read the 3rd in the series and thought it was high-time I went back and read the first)
3. Hollow City (better read that one before my time runs since there're so many holds on it!)
4. Last Policeman
5. The irresistible blueberry bakeshop & café: a novel
6. Air 1 : letters from lost countries (graphic novel by lady who wrote Alif the Unseen)
7. Days of Blood and Starlight (yeah, I guess I'll read #2... ;))
8. Clockwork Scarab
9. Marina
10. Alias Hook (peter pan from Hook's perspective!)
11. Mystery of Edwin Drood (I had to check this one out because it was leather-bound and old)
12. Booked to Die (heh heh, themed mysteries are fun :))
13. The Snow Queen (again, leather bound and old...)

So that'll keep me busy for... a couple months! (based on my current reading speed.. 5-7 books/month)

I love the John Dunning series (#12) and learned a lot about the book trade while I was reading them. I wish he'd write another one. Or I guess I could go back and read them all over again.

Oh that's so good to hear! That was a browse-discovery, and you never really know... ;)

Hi, I wish I could 'two star' some threads! I completely lost track of yours! Shame on me. But now I've found it (and you) again!

I liked Omhulde stad a lot! It should be no punishment to read that one! Enjoy.

>86 connie53: lol! I know the feeling.. & I'm glad you found your way back!

And yes, it seems the overall feeling about Hollow City is better than Miss Peregrine's Home... eager to be part of that crowd!

Finished Invisible Ellen


Here's my review!
I don't know how Shari Shattuck got her perspective, but she succeeded where Shriver (Big Brother) failed. After having finished Big Brother, in fact, if I had remembered why Invisible Ellen was on my list, I might have passed.

I'm glad I didn't.

This is a book about a woman who has spent the first couple decades of her life perfecting the art of being invisible to other people. Between the way she walks, her posture, the way she smooths hair over her face, stays in corners, etc., she has essentially become "invisible" in society. The reason for this is several-fold, but essentially, her life was hard enough to make her uninterested in participating it. So she's happy with her chosen invisible life. She has no friends, no family, works the graveyard shift at Costco, etc. And yeah, she takes her comfort in comfort foods.. the worst of it. Anything bad for you is high on Ellen's list of to-eats.

Then one day, on her way to work, a blind woman stumbles into her on the bus, and treats her like everyone else. Which Ellen is not used to. This blind woman is charismatic, friendly, and full of life and intrigues Ellen. So when the blind woman gets off the spot, Ellen, who is very early for work and only couple spots away, decides to follow her a little. Lucky she did because two men decide they want to mug the blind woman and as they're running away, Ellen suddenly decides to do what she never does... get involved. Ellen recovers Temerity's purse and Temerity insists on thanking her with a meal.

Thus begins the unlikely and unusual friendship of Ellen and Temerity, which is really what this book is about. As the book proceeds, the reader is let into more and more of Ellen's past and why it was so horrible and why, among her weight and her half-burned face, she hates many common environments and peoples.

It is an encouraging, hopeful, and honest book. A lot of bad things surround Ellen and Temerity brings her light. But Ellen is also able to substantially give back to the relationship in ways that Ellen cannot understand are worthwhile. Due in part to Ellen's ability to blend in with the background, she is privy to a lot of private information in the world, which she and Temerity decide to interfere in, just a little.

The book is funny, light, heavy, and moving. It's not perfect---Temerity's over-the-top laughing at herself wears a little thin and their involvement in some of the stories around them is a little-less-than convincing---but it's really very good.

And it does a really great job of providing a little insight into how someone like Ellen lives, why, and where it all leads, or can lead. I really enjoyed this and I'm thoroughly glad I read it.

And I'd definitely recommend the book. Especially to people who are seeking more understanding into the inner psyche of someone who has placed themselves on the fringes of society. Obviously everyone is different and has a different story, but here's one that makes sense and was presented in a respectful and, as I say, honest way. FOUR+ stars!
+

Now on to Midnight Riot (a/k/a Rivers of London) by Ben Aaronovitch...

>88 avanders: That sounds intriguing. Onto the list it goes.

Oo i hope you like it! And I'll be happy to hear your thoughts :)

Finished Midnight Riot last night
It's a good book and I'm sure I'll read the others in the series (having started with #3, I may end up re-reading it when I get to that point in the series :)). I am happy to hear that they're thinking of making a tv series of the books in London though! No official review to report... it's magic and wizards meets crime fiction -- like Dresden Files but ... a little dryer and a little slower. But nice discussion on London :)

Now reading Hollow City -- about halfway done!

Finished Hollow City yesterday..
Wasn't blown away... thought it was a disappointing sequel, but still good.

What I didn't like:
I was disappointed in the pace and the plot.. it felt artificially manufactured to create tension, as opposed to those stories where the tension feels real... And I think that might have been in part because of how I felt about the pictures this round... it felt that at many points, the author was creating words to fit a picture he wanted to add--when it didn't really add to the plot or the characters or the pacing or really anything.

I was also annoyed by the romantic aspect, but disregard that if you like that kind of thing ;) To me, it's always annoying when it's over-the-top cheesy, and I had a hard time finding it realistic in the atmosphere -- ya know, life or death.

I thought that the characters spent WAY too much time NOT using the peculiarities they've spent a LONG time having when they were confronted with danger... I know, in some cases it made sense, but in others it was like this weird inexplicable delay. And I felt that the development of Jacob's peculiarity, while the rest of us could see it coming 100 miles away, took WAY too long to FINALLY show its face.

And I'll say, I just did not like the near-ending. But what and why are spoilers :)

What I did like:
It's still just an interesting concept and I like the idea of having a story with realistic (ish) pictures accompanying it. I really liked some of the development of characters (Bronwyn and Olive in particular), and I liked the addition of some of the new characters (Peter-and-Joel and Joel-and-Peter). I also thought that Riggs had good ideas and some of his plot development was really interesting. Although I felt the pace was off and forced at times, there were other times when it flowed quite nicely -- particularly when they meet.... Althea (I'll say no more).

If you just loved the first, it's likely worth it to read the 2nd. If you can ignore some of the deficiencies, my guess is you'll probably even really enjoy the second! (a lot of people sure have :)) Otherwise, the above notes may give you just the amount of "managed expectations" needed to enjoy the book anyway :)

Now reading Marina... very excited... Love Zafon!

Also posted on the main page:
Just sharing a fun quiz thing... Sadly, I only got 36... but many more are on my shelves waiting to be read!
http://www.listchallenges.com/kaunismina-bbc-6-books-challenge?ref=share

Invisible Ellen sounds really good, but it is not translated into Dutch unfortunately.

Oh :(. Maybe it will be soon :).

Finished & loved Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
Sometimes, you just want to read a book with your guard down. You want to open the pages and see some promise and allow yourself to believe that this time, you're not going to be let down. You want to find that dark and stormy night and wander through it, feeling satisfied when you turn the last page. Marina gave me that present.

Marina has the ambiance of a good gothic novel (though for various reasons, is not true gothic literature). It is technically a young adult novel, but it was Zafon's last (4th of 4) YA novel and definitely feels like a transitional piece. It "stars" a 15-year-old protagonist, but the themes are dark and intense.

Jacob is often bored at his school and wanders the neighborhood in search of something interesting. Occasionally he is with his best friend JF, but more often, he's just alone. One day, he wanders down a particularly desolate part of town to an abandoned old house. For shaky reasons, Jacob decides to enter onto the property, hearing a sort of haunting melody emitting from within the old house. He enters the house, drawing nearer the music when he is surprised by the apparition of an elderly person with long white hair, and Jacob high-tails it out of the house, accidentally taking with him the old watch he had picked up right before the apparition.

The watch is engraved with a loving quote to a "German." Jacob's guilt at having accidentally stolen the memento drives him to return to the house to return the watch, and there he meets Marina. She approaches him from outside the property, referring to him as the watch thief. Marina, intrigued by Jacob's interest in the dark and mysterious, invites him to accompany her the following morning on a mini-adventure. Jacob, entranced by Marina's beauty and personality, agrees. Thus begins the adventure of Marina and Jacob as they wend themselves deeper and deeper into the dark, deathly, and dangerous past and insert themselves into a web of lies, half-truths, cover-ups, and sinister obsession.

The book is eerie, misty, mysterious, dark, and satisfying. It's got flavors of Shadows of the Wind (and, in my opinion, is much butter than Angels Game or Midnight Garden!) and is perfect for a rainy day/night!


Now reading Winter's Tale - a ROOT! :)

>97 avanders: Bookbullet!!!

lol I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Very curious about Marina! I always see the best quotes from Zafon when I'm looking for book-related lines to put on my bookstore's Facebook and Tumblr.

Marina is going on my wishlist now, too! Although I still have to get to The Prisoner of Heaven.

>100 mabith: I love what Zafon is capable of... :)
>101 bragan: I know, me too!! My husband keeps telling me that I have to read it.. he loved it. Now he's going to read Marina, and we'll see how he likes it.. he normally doesn't read YA, but since this one was less YA than your typical YA, I think he'll like it for it's Zafon'ness ;)

I just found a translated E-version of the book. So I will start reading soon.

Oh! Fun! Hope you like it :)

My reading has slowed to a snail's pace....
I'm still reading Winter's Tale and it is beautiful, but I'm only on page ~150/750!
Life's been crazy busy and I've been too tired to do much reading at night -- just been knitting while watching Harry Potter movies ;)
Plugging along though.....

Knitting! Yay! What are you making?

Most recently, hats (with puffs of course :))! With fall and winter coming, felt appropriate.. :)
Mostly for gifts ..

Fun! Also very generous of you to knit gifts! I am mostly a selfish knitter ;)

Haha, well, maybe when I'm a more advanced knitter and knitting sweaters ... which will take me a lot of time... then I'll be more selfish. As it is now, there are only so many scarves and hats I can wear... ;)

Very talented! I can't barely sew a button on!

I've been knitting a lot of socks... or at the very least buying lots of sock yarn and adding lots of sock patterns to my Ravelry queue!

>110 Tess_W: haha well, me too when it comes to sewing :)

>111 rabbitprincess: lol I definitely can relate! And Oooh I can't wait to learn heels....

>112 avanders: Don't let people scare you off socks! I kept hearing "oh heels are so hard," and it took forever for me to try them. Then it was completely easy. Sigh! I also hear a lot of people raving about the toe-up patterns.

>113 mabith: That's good to hear! I thought I might make some tube socks in the meantime ;)
Ooh, toe-up patterns sounds fun.... :)

Toe-up is great because you can just knit up the leg until you run out of yarn (and you always have enough for the foot). I have mixed results with the cast-ons, though; if you're working with only eight stitches to start, it can be fiddly. On my last pair of toe-up socks, I got so frustrated with the cast-on that I gave up and cast on 16 stitches in the round, proceeded to make the rest of the sock, then went back and grafted the toe together at the very end. The rest of the pattern was really easy though: it was Patons Upside-Down Socks, in a booklet called "Sweet to Your Feet".

Sounds intense! Being such the beginner that I am ... ;). Though I see a tbr in the making ;). One thing I am, is good with instructions.. For me it's more a matter of finding the time :p

>103 connie53: and >104 avanders: First: Jacob in your book is Oscar in mine! I prefer Jacob!
I liked the book and gave it 3,5 stars out of five.

Happy Knitting!

Interesting that they changed the name! I wonder why... :)

And thanks! I'll be quite busy w it over these next few months ...

Now Reading The Future For Curious People by Gregory Sherl, an arc, because it finally came in the mail! Also am still reading Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin..., on page 580/750!

Next up will be another hefty read, The Goldfinch (for book group and also a root :))

And I'm happy I won ER The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke :)

Ok I finished The Future For Curious People... will review in due time ;)

I'm getting excited for our "big trip" coming up! It's not anywhere exotic... but we're going "home" and "home" and "also home"... I.e., where I grew up, where I lived for much of my adult life (the rest of it is where I live now), and a place that I consider home, even though I've never lived there..

All in the midwest with the lovely colors of Fall!
Yay! (also, if I get some reading done, that's a bonus!)

Hope you have a wonderful holiday - it sounds wonderful. I hope you've packed some good reads.

Have a nice vacation, reading or not!

Enjoy your stay at all of your homes, ava!

>121 Jackie_K: thanks! It was SO beautiful!! Got a little reading done, but a LOT of seeing friends & family!
>122 Tess_W: and >123 connie53: thanks!! It was lovely :)

And update:
I finished Winter's Tale.. just a lovely piece. Will review hopefully soon. But

Currently reading both Goldfinch (a ROOT and our next book group book) and Autumn in the Abyss (a "member's reviewer" book)..
Then will read Sanctum by Madeleine Roux, a library book that's been sitting there waiting for me since before vacation!

and YAY to FALL!!


(that is literally how it looked in Wisconsin/Michigan this past week)

>124 avanders: Oh. My. Goodness. That looks AMAZING! I'm on my way (in my dreams...).

>125 Jackie_K: I know, it was CRAZY.. like, I felt it physically hit me in the chest...

Wow! Fantastic colours! I love the first one especially!

Thanks! Me too! We walked through a forest like that ... at Bond Falls... so pretty ...

Also, while I was on vacation, I received a few more books.... none that I purchased!
Gifts from Husband: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (a lovely old hardcover), The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens (a lovely old hardcover), and Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (a lovely old paperback)
and Received from Mom: The Mermaid's Twin Sister by Lynn Joseph and Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed
Also, mom's sending me a bunch of their old hardback childrens' classics from when I was a kid... can't wait to add those to the shelves!

That will surely be a wonderful trip down memory lane?

Oh yes.. it includes the book from which my dad read to my little sister's and my elementary school classes... he'd come in for story time... and he used voices and it was wonderful! His specialty story was The Tinder Box...


This is one of the sets (though its Books 1 and 3 are in much better condition ;))


I'll also be getting a copy of his favorite book from when he was a kid -- The Man in the Iron Mask.. which I've not yet read! Now I will.....

How lovely to get those books! In my first move away from home I took all the children's books with me. Don't go through them when you have to be somewhere later! If you're like me you'll have to read/skim quite a few as you go...

Oh, that sounds wonderful! I know what you mean... it would be hard to just glance at so many memories!

Would be lovely to have a day completely free to just go through those memories. A big thermos of tea and a nice snack beside you (and preferably someone willing to indulge you by fetching lunch and refilling the thermos!). Actually, I think I need a day like that, just to go through special favorites from childhood, even though I've had the books with me for seven years.

Those appear to be lovely books--even lovelier the memories. My mother just found an old (50 years at least) Shirley Temple's Fairtale book that she read to me quite often when I was little. I will cherish it forever!

How nice to get all those books and with them some of your childhood memories. It must be amazing to hold them and relive those times.

>134 mabith: I agree! Maybe one of these days I'll find that day..... :)
>135 Tess_W: Ooh, what a great find!
>136 connie53: Yes, I agree! :)

Here it is... review for Future for Curious People:

Review based on ARC.

I've struggled with how to review this book. After finishing the book, I learned that there is one woman and potentially several others who have made accusations against the author for abuse of various kinds. These accusations do not appear to be substantiated--at least, not as of yet. Do you support an author who engages in abuse? Is it relevant to the review? So, I'll simply say this: I absolutely do not condone abuse of any kind against anyone. I also absolutely do not condone false accusations of assault. Since the truth of the matter is not known at this time, I believe it makes the most sense to review the book solely on its merits.

THE MERITS:
When I finished this book, I was completely satisfied with the story. Although it's not perfect, it is complete.

So, the premise. I LOVE the premise. In this not too distant future, people can look at a moment (several moments) of their relationships to see how they fare in the future. You can look at your current relationship or a hopeful relationship or a past relationship (assuming you get back together) to see how it all works out and if your'e satisfied with where you are at that time.

And so our protagonists do. Evelyn, quirky librarian and volunteer book-reader, looks into her future to see how things work out with her musician boyfriend. And Godfrey, cell-phone recoverer, is bullied into doing the same with his to-be fiancee. And neither is altogether pleased with the peek they see. So they go peeking a little more, hoping they'll stumble onto a future that satisfies them more.

With classic elements of a romantic-comedy, a "what-if" tale about how our desires to know the future to our detriment unfolds. I read it quickly, in a sort of blur of needing to know how it all unfolds! It is funny and at times sad and at times poignant and thoughtful and, best of all, interesting and unique! I love the concept of getting a quick peek into your future -- but only as it pertains to romance. I love the limited quality of this futuristic technology.

And Sherl did a great job with his characters. Of course Evelyn and Godfrey are well developed, but the peripheral characters are all relatively three-dimensional and interesting. I definitely want to know more about Dr. Chin's back story, and I'm curious about the lost significant others along the way...

Overall, a great story, a great read, a great hypothetical exercise. Although it's true the science could have been more fully developed, the characters a little more robust, you hardly notice these things as you speed through Sherl's world and pal up next to his characters.

Definitely recommended!
FOUR of five stars.

And for Winter's Tale


I'll not say too much about this.. It's epic. It is the perfect book to cozy up with during the cold, snowy winter nights. It's a love story and a story about love. It's a story about potential and about hope. It's a story about faith and perseverance.

The movie makes this into a story just about Peter Lake, and I'll grant that he really is one of the the "main character," insofar as that's relevant. And I can completely understand why the movie needed to limit the scope. Because the book is beyond a simple movie.

It is a story about winter itself. About the magic of winter and the pain of winter. About the cold and the warmth. About families, about couples, about self. It's a large book with a large story to tell. It is slow reading because there is just so much to take in. The descriptions of winter cover pages, but it's a story of winter, so it is right.

I definitely recommend. But have patience, it is worth the effort.
FOUR AND A HALF of five stars.

I'm going to take a BB on this one and maybe read it next year for one of the SFFF Cat months. I see it has a tag of "magical realism".

Sfff science fiction fantasy .... ??
Yes, magical realism is probably the most apt category.... :)

Finished Autumn in the Abyss (a members' reviewer win)...

Ok, my initial thoughts (from before): this book definitely needs some trigger warnings (rape victims). And it is probably the darkest book I've ever read (and I'm quite glad to have it done). Nevertheless, it is well written. More later...

And my review:
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

It's dark. For the majority of readers out there who don't think it gets *much* darker than Stephen King, I think it's important to stress that. It's darker than Stephen King. I haven't yet put my finger yet on what the difference is... I think it's like.. reading Stephen King is like reading a magazine, it's glossy. And reading this book was like reading a horrendous transcript of real life events, it's gritty.

Terrible people do terrible things to other people. BUT there's a sort-of moral response in each. In each? yes, it's a series (short series) of short stories.

Overall, the writing was really good, some of the ideas were great (the title story) and unique (though you don't know why until it's over), and some of the stories were deeply disturbing. The pacing was ok -- better in some place than in others. A little slow from time-to-time. But the short of it is this: if you are into reading books about the horrible, violent things that some people do to others, regardless of whether there are any repercussions, then this is probably the book for you. It is well done, in that. Conversely, if that doesn't appeal to you? This one won't sit well with you. Also, as mentioned, TRIGGER WARNINGS should be apparent on this one. If you are triggered by discussions of/scenes of/insinuations of rape, particularly the violent kind, best to stay far away.

I also note that, although many seem to think only the 3 shorter stories are linked... to me, they are all quite linked (though not all feature Mr. Liu). Importantly, there is a common theme that runs through each of the stories, which becomes apparent when you finish and take a step back to consider.

All in all, FOUR of five stars because it is well written and, for those who don't mind the DARK stuff, it is probably quite good. For me, it was hard to read and I was glad to be done, but I can recognize the talent therein.

Individually:
Autumn in the Abyss is the best of the stories. It also does not have any trigger issues. To describe it, I think would spoil it. Just the most basic, then: The narrator is a several decade shut-in agoraphobe who has spent the past several decades eating, researching the poet Coronado, eating, not cleaning himself often, not cleaning his digs often, and eating. He is obsessed with the poet Coronado and how/why he disappeared, decades ago. Coronado was a poet in the time of the beat poets (Keroac), but with a dark style, completely his own. One day, his car is discovered on the side of the road, the driver's door open, and Coronado is never seen again. As the narrator delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, he starts to receive warnings and hear disturbing "creature" noises from on his roof. To say more would be to spoil it, but I will say that this was interesting, unique, well done. Definitely the highlight piece.

Broken Teacup, La mia immortalita, and Where the Light Won't Find You are all clearly related, shorter pieces. In each, a Mr. Liu appears, rendering the experiences of the otherwise-protagonist(s) more unique. In Broken Teacup, it is two porn-movie makers who begin to make more and more disturbing and horrific films, when Mr. Liu appears. In La mia immortalita, it is an artist seeking immortality, who is historically cruel and indifferent to his lovers. And in Where the Light Won't Find You, it is your average, everyday Joe, just out for a movie on a free afternoon. Of the 3, I think La mia immortalita might be trigger-free (though I would not guarantee that), and Where the Light Won't Find you is pretty light, relatively speaking. However, Broken Teacup does describe in some detail some of the darker projects, and I would recommend staying away to anyone w/ trigger issues.

Finally, Becoming Human... This one is the most important one to note w/ a TRIGGER warning. It is a dark piece, from the perspective of a detective who has become obsessed in his life with finding and punishing this truly horrific serial murderer/ETC.'er and, as relevant to this story, his copycat. This one takes a very interesting turn and has a satisfying ending, but, again, to say more is to spoil. IF you like the darkest, sickest, most disturbing, this will be fine for you and perhaps even enjoyable -- esp. in consideration of the potential consequences for actions.... Otherwise, despite the good that is in this story, the detail renders is the most problematic, as far as triggers are concerned.

(updated post, above, to include full review of Autumn in the Abyss)

Sadly, very far behind the rest of book group re Goldfinch, but am nevertheless looking forward to reading it and finishing it soon!

I won two ER's recently... Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey (from Firstreads (Goodreads)) and The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (from BookReporter sneak preview).. the latter was a surprise! It came in the mail yesterday :)
The October batch of LT ERs has also just closed.... excited to see if I win something from that batch!

I also received a slew of books from a friend -- will enter in 1st post when I have time :)

Yes! Won a LT ER!
The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter :)

ERs are too much fun! Though I'm glad my last one and the one I won for October are art books, as I'm still struggling with the clunker from August.

I know!! I have a hard time limiting myself ;)
Totally know what you mean... sometimes it's good to get an art book or a graphic novel or a kid's book.... you still get the shiny new (free), but w/o really slowing down your other reading :)

And often with less risk that the book won't be any good!

Also true!

Update: will finish Trick or Treat Murder tonight, so that makes 2 ROOTs for October. I'll update my personal ticker for Chèli's benefit :)

Ok, finished Trick or Treat Murder... it was OK.
Ultimately, it was an OK murder mystery with some OK twists and turns and conclusions...
but there were some MAJOR flaws... and if those flaws had been, er, done away with... well, what I'm really trying to say is that I think the author actually has potential. Though I don't know if she'd ever realize it, since this formula makes her successful enough...

Major Flaw #1: it's a book called Trick or Treat Murder, yet the murder does NOT happen on Halloween or surrounding any Halloween-related activity. in any way. whatsoever. Rather, the murder happens in the days leading up to Halloween, so ya know, it's being investigated around Halloween time. Which I don't think is enough. But maybe even that could have been if there was more Halloween in this Halloween book. Instead, it's like, they're getting ready for this big Halloween party, and that's supposed to be enough? Where're all the descriptions of all the Halloween decorations all over the neighborhood, the candy being purchased, the costume-planning, the Halloween activities, buying pumpkins, carving them, etc. etc. etc. So, I thought that was a MAJOR let down.

Major Flaw #2: This is the first Leslie Meier book I've read, so maybe this is just what these books are about, but it's NOT about a detective lady, even an amateur detective lady, solving mysteries. It's about a housewife with a bunch of kids, too much time on her hands, and a busy-body attitude. She likes to "investigate" things with not only NO authority to do so, but while being told NOT to do so by the authorities AND while receiving threats. While she has kids. I mean, that's incredibly careless, dangerous, and frankly stupid. Plus, she's not terribly bright. She comes to weird sudden conclusions ... surely crafted to lead the reader astray, but they're not even convincing. Oh! He was having an affair? It MUST BE HIM. I mean, with no other evidence, it's such a WEAK conclusion to draw. All of the various theories are so weakly manufactured, that the reader is, instead of trying to solve a mystery, just waiting for the *right* clues to be "conveniently" dropped on her lap. This, while the main character runs around in circles like a chicken with her head cut off, making grand accusations and essentially ignoring death threats to her and her family. AND THEN? Yeah, this book is more about the trials and tribulations of a housewife with 4 kids, one of which is a brand new baby, than it is about solving a mystery. In particular, it's about nursing, working out, and making 12 dozen cupcakes. Which I can assure the author does NOT take an entire week. Not to mention that the cupcakes that were made earlier in the week would be nice and stale by the time they were eaten.

Major Flaw #3: You've GOT to be kidding me on the husband. He's ridiculously 2-dimensional, which would be fine if he wasn't such a major character with such a major role. From where I'm sitting, he seems like a bit of an arrogant, distant a$$, but for some reason, Lucy Stone ("detective") worships him. And there's quite a bit of hero-worship going on here, which was eye-rolling for me, but might be nice for some people who want to fantasize about... this kind of guy? I don't know. I feel like, he must have been written this way because some people find that attractive....

So yeah. Some major problems. BUT it was enjoyable enough and read quickly enough, once you got past page 125 or so... It was nice to read a "Halloween themed" mystery at Halloween, even if it wasn't Halloween'y enough. I'd recommend for people who don't mind the off-topic murder mystery and who don't find reading about a new mom's "milk falling" off-putting...

Now I'm reading Sanctum by Madeleine Roux, which is a library book, but I've had so long (with multiple renewals) that it's become a solid ROOT.... So far, it's reading quickly! :)

Finished Sanctum! (review to come later)
Now reading ARC/ROOT The Happiest People in the World: A Novel! Once I finish this and Magician's Lie (another ARC/ROOT), I'll get back to Goldfinch....

Finished The Happiest People in the World (review to come later)

Now reading Magician's Lie, which is great so far!! (then I'll try to get back to Goldfinch!)

Also, I Won Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz from FirstReads (Goodreads)!
And my husband bought me a book from the library (non-clearance) sale on Sat: Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (a lovely old hardcover) (11/8/14)

Finally.... I "bought" 50 books at the Library Clearance sale (for $10!!!)!
But some were duplicates, so I'll enter the non-duplicates here when I have time... :)

50 + 1 + 1 = 52 books

>153 connie53: Indeed! :)

Reviews.... First, Sanctum by Madeleine Roux


Sanctum is a fine sequel to Asylum. Not amazing. Not terrible. Like Asylum, Sanctum is a very quick read; like Asylum, Sanctum has many holes. But, if you read it quickly enough, you almost don't notice the holes and you almost don't mind the lack.

So, what's it about: Dan continues to have weird nightmares and day-mares relating back to the history of Brookline and its warden. His contact with Jordan and Abby has started to fade, and Dan is eager to resolve the issues he's having with both his friendships and his obsession with Brookline. The three decide to return to New Hampshire College, pretending to be prospies, interested in actually going to college there.

So that's weird. Like, return to the place where you almost died? Sure, yeah, believable. And since it's not, the whole premise is weak. BUT, as I say, it's a quick read. We *quickly* run through all kinds of creepy experiences, hallucinations, and dreams. We meet a handful of new, suspicious characters. We are introduced to a whole new society of people. And although it's all rather surface, it's enjoyable to read. I read it in just a few hours, and I will definitely pick up the next one (yep, there's a next one).

I enjoy these. They're not amazing, but they're enjoyable quick reads.

Recommended to someone looking for a creepy escape on a dreary day...


Second, The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke


Review based on ARC.

I have been meaning to read anything by Brock Clarke for years! I'm so glad I won this ARC and was "forced" to read it now (sooner, rather than later). He IS funny and smart and dry and witty and thoughtful and enjoyable to read!

This book.... how to describe it. Jens is a newspaper-political cartoonist in Denmark. When an assignment goes horribly awry, an assassin tries to kill him, and the CIA must step in. He heads to the American northeast, to a small town in New York and poses as a high school guidance counselor. And.... that tells you kind of nothing about the book, but serves as a skeleton. And it's not worth anything because what is great about this story has nothing to do with its plot. Rather, it's the characterization and descriptions and humor and observations of an outsider looking in... and of insiders looking at an outsider that make this book so wonderful to read.

It's a quick read, it's funny, it's though-provoking... It presents political and social commentary without being preachy, and it's a story about chances and second chances. One of my favorite things about the book.... I couldn't possibly tell you because it's a spoiler. But I will say (and I really don't think you should read this unless you've already read the book), I finished the book, laid my head down to sleep, then had a Eureka! moment, where I had to re-read the first chapter. Love what he did there.

Highly recommend for people who are looking for a funny, dark, thoughtful commentary, or just an amusing tale about a Dane in New York....

Finished Magician's Lie (BookReporter ARC)
(Review to come...)

Now back to Goldfinch... hopefully my focus has been returned and I can finish it quickly!
ARC's waiting to be read:
- I Am Sophie Tucker (NetGalley)
- The World Before Us (LT - just received last night!)
- Shark Skin Suite (GR)

Also waiting on Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (GR ARC)

Ok -- I took pics of the piles of new books. These are all the books that I got at the Library clearance sale (pics 1-4) PLUS a handful of others not previously entered (pic 5) PLUS the ones that a friend gave me (pic 6)...



The duplicates (oops!) are: Morality for Beautiful Girls, Freddy & Fredericka, In the Woods, City of Light, Ragtime, Shining, Man in the Iron Mask, and Fencing Master. :)

I also am getting rid of a bunch of books.... Some are the duplicates and some are just ones I won't read.... First offering to friend who gave me books (6th pic), then to book group, then I'll bring the leftovers to the library!

The Happiest People in the World sounds like a lot of fun. Definitely going on my endless to-read list.

That's quite a haul. I see lots that are in my TBR pile too!

Holy smokes! That is quite a haul. Enjoy plowing through it! :D

>158 mabith: I hope you enjoy it!
>159 dudes22: Yeah! We ripped only a couple of bags.... ;)
>160 rabbitprincess: I know, so exciting! Thanks! :)

Also, here's my review for The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

Review based on ARC.

It really wasn't what I was expecting. The Amazing Arden is the most famous illusionist... illusionist. Right. I get that. But then that word "magic" kept appearing everywhere (reviews, descriptions). And it's not really that kind of book. Not that there isn't a magic, per se, but this is no fantasy.

So what is it? It's a murder-mystery, a love story, a story about a woman learning about her strengths, and her weaknesses (and of both, she has many). It's a tale, and you (or, rather, Virgil Holt, small-town officer) must decide where there is truth, and where there is illusion.

It starts with murder. It begins with a spectacular show, where the Amazing Arden uses an Ax to cut a man in half. And then voila! He's whole again. It commences with a couple of police-friends enjoying the Amazing Arden's show and then some drinks afterwards.. something to help ease the pain.

And then, once the show is over, one officer is called to investigate the murder of the Amazing Arden's husband. And the other, tiny-town officer Virgil Hold, heads off toward home.

Stopping for a brief bite, Holt suddenly finds himself with the Amazing Arden in his hands---the prime suspect for the murder his pal was called to investigate. And she appears to be fleeing. So Holt takes her in to his office. It is now up to Holt to decide whether and to what extent Arden is innocent, and so the tale begins.

Arden insists on not skipping to the end. She insists on telling of her origin, her loves, her losses, her lessons. And as her tale unfolds, Holt must decide---is she telling the truth? How far does her illusion extend? What can she do for him? What must he do for her?

To say more is to give away too much. It reads quickly enough--dragging only a little toward the middle. Macallister has created at least one great character (Ray), a couple of pretty darn good characters (Miss Bates and Holt), and several additional characters to fill the pages and move the story along. While I didn't particularly like Clyde (though I imagine some will love him!), and I thought a few of the characters were rather two-dimensional, I don't think I *needed* to like Clyde or those other characters. They simply aren't the point.

And the magic? Well, perhaps there's magic. Or perhaps it's an illusion of magic. Or perhaps we'll never know...

>157 avanders: Since I couldn't make it to the book sale, I am now enjoying your purchases vicariously. And there's some darned good stuff in those piles, too!

>162 bragan: glad I could be of help! ;) Yeah, there was a pretty decent selection.... plus, $10!!!!

I'm jealous!

>164 Tess_W: ;) though, I've completely run out of space to put it all.....

I loved The Hollow Hills when I read them in my younger years. And Janet Evanovich is hilarious.

I've heard lots of good things about Mary Stewart's books, and I'd never even heard of them until this year!
Can't wait to read them :)

And I agree re Evanovich!

Ok... Finished I am Sophie Tucker, a fictional memoir....
I'm seeing that a lot of people gave it high ratings.... I thought it was really mediocre. But more on that later ;)

Now i'm in Shark Skin Suite, another ER. THEN I have another 2 ERs. THEN I'll finish Goldfinch! I'm more than halfway done now and eager to get back to it!

Won The Green Man by Michael Bedard from LT ER! :)
Got a little behind w/ Dorsey -- so much preparation for Thanksgiving... speaking of which,
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Ok my review on I am Sophie Tucker, a fictional memoir....

Review based on ARC.

Sophie Tucker was undoubtably a fascinating person. She seemed to know anyone who was anyone... from Al Pacino to Arthur Conan Doyle to ... well, herself! And this fictional memoir seemed intriguing. I didn't know much about Tucker going into it -- more a recognition of the name than anything else. But I thought it sounded intriguing... a murder mystery, an insider's look at early Hollywood (or, at least, earlier...), the world of Vaudeville.... ok, sign me up!

And... it delivered. to some degree. So, fictional memoir. What was I expecting? I don't know, something more akin to Devil in the White City, I guess... a sort of novelization of real events. An adding of thoughts and emotions -- a researcher's best guess -- and maybe that's what this was. But it seemed a lot more fictional than that. It *felt* like someone was creating a whole persona for a real person. Which just felt weird. It felt like someone had decided THIS must be Sophie Tucker's *real* personality -- her behind-the-scenes personality. And.... it was unsettling to me.

It felt surface. It felt false. It felt over-simplified. Like, rather two-dimensional. And, I understand the authors did an inordinate amount of research, and had scrapbooks and many items of Sophie's own words to pull from... so perhaps Sophie was really just a two-dimensional person? Seems far-fetched. Much more far-fetched than the so-called "life and times of Sophie Tucker."

And that was my other complaint. Eyebrow-raising, inward gasping, behind-the-scenes reveals? meh. I get that this was a long time ago, and our standards are different now... but it still felt like this fictional character was going from "hey hey, listen to this CRaaaaay-zee story about me!" to yet another and another... nothing felt organic or ... well, real.

Buuut.... It was Interesting. It was somewhat satisfying to read about that time from a so-called insider's perspective. It was ok. I didn't love Sophie; I didn't hate her. I didn't really feel that particularly strongly about anyone except for her first husband.

As for the others... were they husbands? It felt like a lot was left out. How did she meet her 3rd husband? What happened? How did they break? What about the 2nd .... how did that become, er, formal? (did I just miss that altogether?) So yeah, it was the organization. The organization needed work. And as a result, the story suffered.

But it was ok. And if you're really interested in Sophie Tucker's life, from an arguably inside perspective... check it out. The memoir is pretty consistent from beginning to end, so if you don't like the first few chapters, then you won't like it. If you do, you will.

Overall, three of five stars.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooops. I actually completely forgot and bought myself 2 books in the holiday shopping flurry this past weekend. :-o
Yes Please (autographed!) by Amy Poehler and The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton... each w/ a fabulous coupon ;)

Anyway, finished Shark Skin Suite last night.... , review to come. I count ARC's as ROOTs only if I finish them in the month after I receive them.... so in this case, another ROOT was counted :)

Reading The World Before Us, which will also count as a ROOT. THEN onto Moriarty (Anthony Horowitz) (also a ROOT), which is getting a lot of press right now!

And then I have to read The Interestings for book group and finish The Goldfinch... trying to keep myself motivated & on track!
I'm also going to work very hard to limit my ARC sign-ups in the foreseeable future.... I'm trying to get back to my bookshelves!

ALSOOOOO, REALLY SUPER DUPER excited for SantaThing!
Happy December y'all!!!

Happy SantaThing, Ava! I heard about it from some of my friends on my book club who are also LT members. They were busy getting books sorted out for their Santathingmember. It sounds exciting.

Thanks Connie! I *really* enjoy it. I was one of those kids who used to LOVE getting grab bags... ya know, pay a set amount and then get a bag of stuff and you have no idea what you get! Sometimes it was amazing, sometimes it was duds, but it was always fun & exciting! This is like that to me... I've gotten a couple duds (ya know, you say "don't get this," but they do anyway ;)), but usually it's awesome and it's fun to get the new recommendations and suggestions and see what people think :)

I definitely recommend it for next year if you're not too particular about what new books you get.... it's fun and frivolous. :)

I would love to see some of you choosing books for me in the Dutch language! That could be hilarious.

We have our own Santa Thing on the FF-leesclub, so I'm perfectly happy there.

Yeah, that could have very hilarious results ;)

Oh good! I think secret santas are so much fun... :)

They are! Which reminds me I have to go and do some research on my santathing person!

Btw, what is "FF-leesclub"?

Here's my review for Shark Skin Suite
Review based on ARC.

This is my first Dorsey and, of course, my first Serge Storms. Serge Storms .... appears to be some kind of serial killer homicidal psychotic maniac ... but, ya know, over the course of 18 books, may have become "loveable" and "your favorite." While I don't adamantly disagree with that, I also don't agree. And I suspect that has something to do with the fact that I'm coming at this 18 books in. Although the actual plot in this book can stand alone, all the inside jokes and characteristics and personalities must have taken 17 books to develop, so I think I missed out there. SO my recommendation based on that is: Don't start this "series" with #18!

So, while my rating is based on my experience with this book (and *not* decreased because I felt like I was missing out), it is possible that it would have been *increased* if I happened to know more about the background of these characters and, e.g., what the point, exactly, was with some of them (Serge's best friend Coleman).

But the story. So Serge is this... vigilante, really. He's one of those bad guys w/ a heart of gold who seeks to "even the score." And in this book, he meets this young, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed girl and maybe that, combined with a late-night legal movie spree sets him on this mission to... well, become involved in the legal field. Not legally, of course. But aggressively. He insinuates himself in all manner of ways -- he becomes a "fixer" (as a lawyer, I must confess I've never heard of this...) -- someone who "fixes problems" behind-the-scenes (think Nancy Kerrigan and much much worse). In his true psychotic style. And working for the little good guys, he slowly works his way through each of the problems to the final climax of the book.

Think: if Grisham met Evanovich and they co-wrote a sort of Grisham parody really quickly. That's this book. It's fast, there are moments of humor, it doesn't take itself too seriously, it handles some legal issues not terribly accurately, it creates problems for its solutions, and it throws in some love and some scorn and vengeance in there.

If that sounds like your thing? This will not disappoint.

Hi avanders,

Finally caught up on this thread and just wanted to say hello and also tell you I really enjoy the conversational style of your reviews. Looking forward to seeing more. Happy Holidays!

Oh, and Parnassus on Wheels is one of my favorite books of all time ever. Its sequel, The Haunted Bookshop is equally wonderful and *perfect* winter read.

Hi Shutzie and thank you!!
Very nice to know about Parnassus and its sequel! Looking forward to much more reading time again post-holidays :)

And Happy Holidays to you too!

>177 avanders:

My online book club in The Netherlands. FF - Fantasy Fan(s)
We know each other for about 15 years, some people I know for 20 years or so. We met at the website of a publishing house and some of my friends made a website with a forum. We have lots of meet ups through the year and are real good friends. You might know some of them, Ennas and zjakkelien from LT they are active in other groups here.

I want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ahh, that makes sense.. FF :)
Sounds like a great group! I do recognize both those names!

Thank you and to you, the same!

I've been struggling with finding time to read lately! I'm still hoping to finish a couple books before the end of the year, but we'll see how it plays out! I will finish at *least* 1 more... :)

Also, to all (especially those whose pages I haven't been able to visit!):

We started the year with the same goal number and we've both exceeded it by exactly the same amount (so far)! Now I'll definitely have to finish another ROOT just so we keep matching.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas!

lol! Well congrats to you!! I feel pretty good about myself... ;)

Ha, safe to say we both did an absolutely excellent job with our ROOTs!

Thank you for your Christmas wishes and the same to you. And many wishes for good Roots next year.

>184 avanders: Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you!

Merry Christmas, avanders!

Thank you Christina!

Phew! Merry Christmas to all again! It's the end of a long day, and I have the best of LT news to report.... more books! ;)

I received more new ones than expected....
The Court of the Air and The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
City of Golden Shadow
Ex-Heroes
and The Magic Toyshop were the newest, unexpected additions!
Those plus 6 books from mother-in-law, 2 books from self (heh heh), and 4 books from SantaThing santa!

A merry Christmas, indeed... :)

Ooh, nice to get so many books! No one ever gets me books anymore, which always seems odd. Thankfully there's SantaThing at least.

Books from self! Yay! ;)

>193 mabith: that is odd! Book lovers *love* books!! ;) glad you still have santathing :)

>194 rabbitprincess: I know! So exciting and hardly permissible ;)

books from self--when I do that, I feel so indulgent!

I know! I slipped up when Christmas shopping though... ;)

I finally finished The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter... Here is my review.


Review based on ARC.

This book has been quite the disappointment for me. It's not that it's a terrible story and the writing is certainly poetic at times, but it took me weeks to slog through this... during the winter holidays, when I hoped to have accomplished much more reading!

The plot? Sounds so interesting... Jane is 15 and half-babysitting a little girl (the father is with them, but doing other things and Jane is charged with watching Lily) when the girl goes missing in the woods. Unable to move forward in her life whatsoever for the next 19 years, Jane obsesses over her failure and her devastation at the loss of Lily and the apparent loss of respect of Lily's father William, also Jane's first crush. So she spends her career focused on the same types of things that William (a scholar) also studies, and there is no surprise that their paths must once again cross. Where Lily was lost also happens to be the rough location of a lot of happenings surrounding (and the home of) certain historical figures (the Chesters, the Farringtons) about whom William and Jane study/research/write about/work in a museum about. This location also happens to be the rough location of the Whitmore convelascent hospital, from which yet another young lady, N--, had gone missing over a hundred years ago.

So right. You've got the two girls going missing, just sort of disappearing out of thin air, from the same location, and Jane who is able to research both. So various ghosts converge on Jane to follow her around her life, hoping that someday she might stumble upon the answer of who they are, why they are there, and what happened with the missing girls.

This all sounds very intriguing to me. But that's not really what the book is about. That's almost more just like the backdrop for what feels like an excuse for the author to philosophize and wax poetic, redundantly, repetitively, meanderingly, aimlessly, and frustratingly (for the reader).

Sure, Hunter seems to have an ability to put together pretty sentences, and she seems to have a desire to drop little "a-ha" sentences along the way that are supposed to make the reader ooo and aaa.. But, unfortunately, those moments were more eye-rolling moments for me. I was frustrated that the *story* never seemed to move forward. Between Jane's inability to progress and her ghosts' obsession with the past or the moment (but never the future), it just stagnated. That's how the story felt to me.... stagnant. And, frankly, a little obvious. It was clear to me rather early on who the ghosts were and what they were doing there. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how it took them 19 years to figure out some of the things it took them 19 years to figure out.

And personally... I thought the love interest was a cheap throw-in. It seemed to be an unnecessary sub-plot point created for no purpose other than to add some ... I don't know, steamy interactions? Wasteful to me.

So what was good? Well, as I said, Hunter is able to put together pretty sentences. And there was a great idea and a certain amount of intrigue. And although I felt she spent too much time on the nitty gritty details of the Farringtons or the Chesters that were wholly irrelevant to the rest of what was going on, there were interesting stories there. Certain characters were interesting (George and Norvill), and some of the dialog moved. So it wasn't terrible. It was just terribly disappointing.

This is one of those books that just takes one step at a time... there's no real point, there's no real climax, there's not even really a resolution... But Hunter has presented arguably thought-provoking points made by the characters, an interesting way to look at the world and people, and arguably relatable characters simply attempting to make it through their lives... if that appeals to you, you will likely enjoy this book!

Overall, 2 and a half of 5 stars (round to 3 on sites w/o half-stars). A middle-of-the-road rating.