Cutting for Stone
I think my biggest problem with this book was the unnecessary details. For example, he starts off with something interesting about how a teacher discovered Shiva's having given up speech...and promptly goes off for several paragraphs about the school and organizations and details that didn't add anything to the story. By the time he got back around to the teacher, I'd forgotten why she was interesting and why I'd cared in the first place. This is the problem I have with literary fiction overall. It tends to get too bogged down in details that we really don't need and the story suffers from it. I distanced myself from the story every time the details came out to smack me in the face and couldn't quite get back to the level of caring that I'd gotten to.Not my cup of tea, but I'm not upset that I finished, and I did quite like Hema and Ghosh.
Attachments
This book made me so HAPPY. I've never been able to finish a Rainbow Rowell book, so I went into this with very low expectations. I'm SO glad that it far exceeded them! I loved it!
Poopendous
Oh man. I want to be all grown up and say that I didn't actually laugh like a young boy, but there you have it. I did. I laughed long and hard and I want to read this to my third graders. If I didn't think I'd have some offended parties, I'd totally do it.HILARIOUS.
Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
Really enjoyed this, even though it was all brain fluff. Sometimes you need that. Plus, Jules was marvelous. There's something about French boys named Jules that just does me in... (looking at you, Jules Marchenoir!)
What a Wicked Earl Wants
Huh. I enjoyed the other series I read by her, but this one fell flat. It was awkward and the dialogue wasn't quite there. The ending really bothered me too. It's like they had this great epiphany, but we weren't privy to any of it. He leaves to get a special license and we think he's doing it only out of duty. We have absolutely NOTHING to let us know that things have changed. He makes his grand declaration when he returns, and I didn't buy a word of it because we saw zero progression. Sure, he acted all nice and stuff, but his words never matched. He went from 'I'll never marry' to 'you're the love of my life' so abruptly that it felt like it didn't belong. I didn't like that about it. I'm debating on whether or not to even bother with the next book.
Mortal Heart
*My sincere thanks to Edelweiss and HMH Books for Young Readers for allowing early access to this book*There are no words good enough to describe this book. It was fantastic. Amazing. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Heart healing. Fantastic.
I've experience the extreme range of emotions while reading this. I've felt rage, laughed, cried, outright sobbed...that moment when mention is made of the young man who sought redemption, I cried great tears of joy. I just KNEW he'd find it and be worthy of it.
If you're going to read just one series this year, PLEASE make it His Fair Assassin. You won't be sorry.
Bedding Lord Ned (Duchess of Love)
Well. I feel like the awkwardly placed cat on the front could have written a better story. Absolutely dreadful. I'll refrain from giving any stars, as I didn't finish the book, but had I finished, I'm confident it would have been a one star read.
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days
I think I might have enjoyed this if the characters weren't both such insufferable asses. We go from her hating him and dying to be free, to waking up with the 'man she loved.' It was so unbelievable and lame. No character growth, no real plot, nothing at all to recommend it.
Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art - America and Her Allies Recovered It
This book was both heartbreaking and stunning at the same time. I am so grateful to the brave men and women who risked everything to save these masterpieces.
The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant
So I realize that I just barely marked this as 'currently reading', but I have been at it for awhile. After the whole dance battle, I just couldn't do it anymore. Out of fairness, I won't give stars on a DNF, but yeesh. I'd give this one half a star if that was a possibility. Anne is probably the most annoying character I've ever come across, and the whole premise of this book is just skeevy. I feel like I need a shower.
