Fiction Archives - Page 5 of 5

Daisy Jones & the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5 stars, go add your name to the wait list at the library!

Cliff Notes: Audiobook, narrated by a cast led by Jennifer Beals. I loved the format and the story was heart wrenching.

Full Summary: The heartbreak of unrequited love, addiction and recovery, the strength of women was what made this book so gut wrenching for me. There were several times where I wanted to highlight what I heard to tell you about it, but I listened on audio. And when I say listened – I had a hard time shutting it off.

I also loved the format of unreliable narrators and alternating point of view. The alternating happened immediately, like you would read in a magazine interview or something of that nature instead of alternating chapters or halves of the book like some other novels do.

I think they are making this into a movie, and after listening to it with Jennifer Beals as Daisy, they MUST cast her in that role.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:33:59-05:00May 23rd, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe

Rating: Did Not Rate. This is a book I didn’t finish so I did not rate it.

Cliff Notes: Did not resonate with me.

Full Review: This book was one I just did not connect with. Critics have given this book rave reviews and it has sold a gazillion number of copies through the decades. I read about 15% over a week or so and just could not relate.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:34:11-05:00May 23rd, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Lawn Boy – Jonathan Evison

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: Cute story, love the voice of the narrator. Read on Kindle.

Full Summary: I was definitely cheering him on through the story. If this were a TV show I probably would have shouted at the TV a few times when he was making bad choices. I would recommend this book as a beach book perfect for vacation.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:34:39-05:00May 22nd, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Odd Interlude – Dean Koontz

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: Little too sci-fi for me to be super interested.

Full Summary: I wanted to be friends with Odd Thomas after reading the first book of the series. So when I saw a bunch of books in the Odd Thomas series at the book sale, I snatched them up. This book is number 4.5 in the series – yes, 4.5.

Apparently Odd Interlude was originally a 3-part digital series that did not get published. Some speculate that Dean Koontz had a wee bit of writer’s block so he noodled around with these ideas while writing other books, which is why it is 4.5. The 3-part digital series appears to be published in 2013.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:35:07-05:00May 20th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

On the Come Up – Angie Thomas

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: Audiobook narrated by Bahni Turpin – who IS AMAZING

Full Summary: I really liked The Hate U Give and waited for On the Come Up for a few months through the library. The story is one that is important to hear, specifically how the system seems to work against those who are trying to get out of it. I got bogged down by the YA-ness of it. Maybe Angie Thomas will write the backstory of Aunt Poo.

Side note – As some of you know, when I listen to audiobooks, I listen at double speed. There are several sections of this book where Bri raps. I did crack up a few times listening to rapping double speed. Listener beware and all….

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:35:29-05:00May 19th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Harvesting the Heart – Jodi Picoult

Rating: 5 stars

Cliff Notes: Alternating point of view is a favorite style of mine. I don’t need a huge twist to enjoy this author. The ending was very satisfyingly ambiguous.

Full Review: One thing all reviewers of this book will agree on is that it is not like the other ones. And really, people – if all of her books were similar you would be ranting about a cookie cutter approach. It is OK to think a character is whiny and not want her to get what she wants. It is ok for a character to change her mind and grow within a book – even if it not how you would have grown.

I just enjoy listening to someone else’s story. I don’t need to try to figure it out ahead of time or have the characters do what I would have done. Books are an escape for me and that is why I enjoy reading this.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:35:48-05:00May 14th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

The Sweet By and By – Todd Johnson

Rating – 3 stars (would have done 3.75 if Goodreads allowed partial stars).

Cliff Notes – This was a sweet little book that round house kicks you in the head with its turn of phrase when you are not looking. North Carolina author.

Full Review – I admire when a male author can nail a female point of view so well. Would have rated higher but it just got wordy when it didn’t need to be. Some of the phrases from the characters were just gut punches and I loved them.

“Mother’s grief was a well that dried up so slowly that it eventually became useless to her, meaning that it had run it course and no longer had a purpose.”

“The only exceptions for which we turn our heads, offer no understanding, and willingly excommunicate all offenders are sickness and aging. We can tolerate neither so we do our best to obliterate both. Poverty could also be on that list, although at least money and resources can remedy that. But as Mama always says, ‘I don’t care you who you are, Sick and Old are coming to see you whether you invite em or not.’

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:36:12-05:00May 13th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

The Lost Man – Jane Harper

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: Audiobook read by narrator with Australian accent. Always a treat.

Full Review: I love how Australia is always a character in Jane Harper’s books. I do not love when there is a love story wedged into a family drama – give me a break. Hey Publishers – we don’t always need a love story. If I want a love story, I will sort my TBR to find that genre. I want good old fashioned family dysfunction as my bedtime story, thank you very much.

I also do not love books that magically wrap up in the last little bit of the book. Nathan basically has been frozen out for 10 years then boom – last 5 minutes of the story he reconciles with his mom and brother. Oh and the whole town. This is better than 22-minute sitcom resolution that NBC offers!

I do love a book with a title that could be applicable to more than one person in the story. Is Cameron the Lost Man or is that referring to Nathan in the aftermath of the drama 10 years ago.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:36:43-05:00May 8th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Leaving Time – Jodi Picoult

Rated: 5 stars

Cliff Notes: I loved this book. I love this author. Now I love elephants. Great twist, one of her best.

Full Review: Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. Whenever I see a book of hers come up on my holds list at the library I know I am in for a treat. When I see she has a new release I automatically add it to my To Be Read (TBR) list because, well – she does not disappoint. This book did not disappoint!

You always know you are in for a Twist. Not just a twist, but a Twist. Sometimes a TWIST. My sister-in-law had read one of her books and passed it along to me when we were at the beach one summer vacation. I hit the TWIST and shouted, “NO WAY!!! OH MY GOSH!!” and she just cracked up laughing and announced to the group that I had just hit the part where [blah blah blah]. That is a Jodi Picoult book for me. Some readers do not have that experience and that is because they are more “Sherlock Holmes / Harriet the Spy” than I am. I am more “let the book happen to me” than to try to sleuth out the clues dropped by the author. I don’t want to figure out the TWIST, because then it just becomes a plain old twist.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:37:18-05:00May 8th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

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