Christian Reader - Book lists, discussion, writing

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir*, 5/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Such an amazing book! I was hooked from the very start, and listened to it at every chance I got. The audiobook was narrated by Ray Porter who did an amazing job.
It's best not to know too much about the story going into it, so I'll just leave it at that I loved Grace, I loved Rocky and I wish the book had been much, much longer than it was. I couldn't put it down, but didn't want to see it end.
Awesome book!


Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan, 3.5/5, 308 pages
A 3.5 star review. Rounded up on goodreads, because most of the book was awesome, but the ending ... sigh ... the ending caused a huge eyeroll and definitely subtracted from my general enjoyment of the book.

That said, I'm glad that I knew going into the book that every second chapter was written from one Will Grayson's POV and every other second chapter was written from the other Will Grayson's POV, because I'm not gonna lie - that second POV took some getting used to. No caps, weird punctuation, short and jumping sentences. I get why it was written that way though, and it actually served a purpose, so after a few chapters I'd gotten so used to it that it stopped bothering me.

And unlike many other books that jump from viewpoint to viewpoint, I actually didn't prefer one over the other, once I got used to the writing style. The characters seemed realistic, and their issues believable. I'd love to see Tiny's musical!

Just a shame with the ending.


Nightwork - Nora Roberts, 4/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Stereotypical Nora Roberts. You know what you're gonna get going into it, but it's always an enjoyable ride. This isn't the best of her works - mostly because the initial conflict with Miranda annoyed me (trying to stay as spoiler-free as possible), but I do get why it was necessary, and their way of making up again was a LOT more satisfying than I had expected it to be.

Also, I kinda love that the fact that she writes such formulaeric books meant that I knew the final confrontation would go well, and there wouldn't suddenly be yet another wrench thrown into the machine in the 11th hour. I get so impatient with that stuff, and would much rather have a long lead-in to the confrontation, and then have everything work out as planned.


Discount Armageddon - Seanan McGuire*, 3.5/4, 368 pages
Midnight Blue-Light Special - Seanan McGuire, 3.5/5, 338 pages
It took a bit to get going, but once it did, I really enjoyed it. I found the struggles against the covenant a lot more interesting than the hunt for the dragon in the first book, and appreciated Dominic's struggles between his upbringing and his new-found beliefs. I also really enjoyed that we got a few chapters from Sarah's POV :-D She's probably my favourite character next to Verity.

The books are fairly self-contained, so I don't know that I'll run out to get the next one, but I'll definitely read it if I come across it.


Drinking at the Movies - Julia Wertz*, 4/5, 220 pages
Julia's experiences moving from San Francisco to NYC, trying to "make it there" with all the shitty jobs and apartments that comes along with such a move. Obviously dark at times, but Julia manages to write it with humour and charm so that it never comes across as bleak or depressing. I laughed out loud more than once, and definitely want to check out more of her work now.


Sleeping Giants - Sylvain Neuvel*, 5/5, 322 pages
This hits all of my insta-loves. An epistolary sci-fi novel with a semi-unreliable narrator (mostly because you KNOW he's not telling you everything) and a totally fascinating concept.

I spent most of the book in a constant state of "What on earth is going on? And what on earth is going to happen next?" Those questions were only half-way answered, which for once didn't frustrate me, as it fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the book. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to read the sequel.


Nothing Lasts Forever - Sidney Sheldon*, 4/5, 298 pages
Sidney Sheldon writes ridiculously readable books, and I finished this in just a few hours - but I had forgotten how incredibly unrealistic it is in places. You definitely have to make huge allowances for it, or you'll read it with a permanent eye-roll - from the insta-love romances (from nothing to proposal in less than a month), through the doctor sleeping her way to an education to the extremely questionable medical and legal practices.

Fortunately I was prepared for all of these, and I love reading about life at a hospital (realistic or not), so greatly enjoyed the book regardless. Oh, and I love Dr. Barker on the witness stand!


Books Read: 32

Apprentice to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer, 4/5, ~10hrs
Just as good as the first book in the series - and with just as open an ending. I will be waiting impatiently for the third book to come out this August.

I'm not quite sure what I thought of the stardust plotline, but I'm hoping it will all be made clear in the next book.


Family for Beginners - Sarah Morgan, 4.5/5, 350 pages
Finally a chick-lit with no third-act breakup, and where people actually communicated! Such a refreshing change! I loved seeing the characters interact, and how they slowly started to understand each other and make the necessary adjustments. I liked that people were oblivious rather than malicious.

The ending was perhaps a tiny bit too twee. But all in all, I loved it :)


Magical Midlife Madness - K.F. Breene, 3/5, 316 pages
I quite enjoy the "Magical Midlife" genre, but books like "Midlife Magic" and "Magic Uncorked" do it better. This started out strong, but stagnated. Too much explaining - too little plot. It may be that the author is just setting the scene for future novels, but she lost me in the process.

Also, it's MIDLIFE - not old age! K.F. Breene is really making 40 sound completely over the hill - creaking joints at all. I'm 45 and apparently in MUCH better physical shape than the main character here is!

It's the first book in a series, but despite a fairly open ending, I don't really see myself reading any further.


Dystopia - Dennis Jürgensen*, 5/5, 636 pages
Dystopia is one of those amazing fantasy books, that - though I remember I love them - I forget from time to time just HOW good they are. I love the universe that Dennis Jürgensen creates, and the detail he puts into the description of it.

Unfortunately it's never been translated into English. It's well worth learning Danish to read it though! ;)


Briar's Book - Tamora Pierce*, 3.5/5, 221 pages
Tamora Pierce has learned her lesson and stopped trying to write from too many points of view at the same time, which is definitely a good thing. I like the descriptions of Crane's workshop and the explanations of how everybody works to find a cure for the blue pox.


Daja's Book - Tamora Pierce*, 4/5, 194 pages
From the worst in the series, to the best in the series, this one is definitely my favourite. I think this is better written than the others, probably because Tamora Pierce doesn't try to do as much and keep tract of as many different plot lines in this one. I enjoy reading about Daja's interaction with the traders and her work with metals and fire fascinates me.


Alpha - Audrey Faye* 5/5, 322
I needed a light read for the flight home from New Zealand, and this fit the bill perfectly. Still by far my favourite in the series!

Books Read: 16
Book of the Month: "Family for Beginners"
Biggest Disappointment: None this month.

Came SO close to making my goal this year!!

The Spellshop - Sarah Beth Durst, 4.5/5, 374 pages
I picked this up on a whim while in Edinburgh because I simply could not resist the cover! I don't usually go for hardcovers, but I'm glad I did here, because the book is just gorgeous ... and fortunately the contents delivered. Cozy fantasy when it's best, and I ended up almost book hungover after finishing it. I really want to visit Caltrey now - swim with the merhorses, try Bryn's pastries, and of course talk to Caz at the jam shop :-D

I loved how Kiela and Caz figured out how to use their "remedies" and my one complaint about this book would be that we didn't get to see nearly enough of the spells in action. Unfortunately, it's not really a book that lends itself to a sequel (and I almost think it would be a shame if one was written), so I will have to be satisfied with the few that I did see.

Really charming book. I'm glad I saved it for the Christmas vacation.

Beach House Summer - Sarah Morgan, 3/5, 367 pages
I mostly liked it, but it was too sad in the beginning and too twee in the end for me to love it. Sarah Morgan is a bit hit and miss for me - when she's good, she's really, really good, so I keep coming back to her, but some of her books are just too sad to really be considered comfort reads, and this was definitely the case with this one.

I loved seeing Joanna interact with Nessa, Ashley and Rosa, but didn't really buy her relationship with neither Mel nor Nate, which kinda put a spanner in things. She seemed closer to Glen somehow.

I liked seeing Ashley and Eden together :-) That really worked for me, and their teenage angsting and bonding both rang true.

Oh, and Jo's stepmum can go jump in a lake! She seemed needlessly cruel, although I guess it did serve a purpose in explaining why Joanna acted the way she did.


The House Sitter - Mira V. Shah, 3/5, 276 pages
I almost gave up on this within the first 30 pages, because I couldn't get used to the writing style, but promised myself to give it until page 50 ... and on page 47 I had not only gotten used to it, but the book took a turn that made me drop any ideas of giving up on it!

The book is split up into three acts, and the first one is definitely just to set the scene - the book gets a lot more interesting in the second two, with the last one almost reminding me of "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Knives Out" in the way it goes through all the suspects, all the possibilities, and all the new secrets that are revealed on almost every page. By that time it had definitely turned into a page turner, and I had to know what happened next.

In the end, it mostly delivered. Most of the ends were tired up, and most of my questions were answered (with one glaring omission, where I'm wondering if I just accidentally skip past it), and the motive kinda made sense.

So a good book, but not a great one.

... but seriously - can anybody tell me who actually invited Aahnaya to house sit, and why she looked so much like Marina???

Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea - Cressida McLaughlin, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
Despite apparently being the 5th book in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel - I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out on anything, so I think it's more a case of them being companion novels than an actual series.

It ended up being a very enjoyable Christmas romance - and for once pretty 50/50 on the "Christmas" and the "romance" part. The romance was believable, and the conflict not as much of a nuisance as it could have been. Meredith and Finn actually communicated most of the time, which made for a refreshing change!


How to Lose a Guy Before Christmas - A.J. Pine, 3/5, Audiobook ~5hrs
Pros:
* Cute couple.
* Loved Tinsel!
* Realistic resolution of the 3rd act breakup.

Cons:
* Not enough Christmas by a long shot!
* Tinsel was completely unrealistic! (Yes, I know I loved it - those two facts aren't mutually exclusive).
* Heartbreaking 3rd act breakup.


Booked for the Holidays - Liz Maverick, 4/5, Audiobook ~5hrs
A Hanukkah novel for once. Surprisingly sweet, kinda bookish and without a third act breakup / conflict!! That made for a VERY refreshing change. I greatly enjoyed it, and could easily see myself returning to it on a fairly regular basis.


The Best Worst Christmas - Kate Foster, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
Parts of it were kinda depressing, but there was no 3rd act breakup, and I loved the way they actually got things resolved.

As usual - heavier on the romance than the Christmas, but I liked the twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Of course I could see the ending a mile away, but that's normal for Christmas stories :D

Books Read: 119
Book of the Month: "The Spellshop" - cozy fantasy at its best.

HOW is it November already???

The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune*, 4/5, Audiobook ~13hrs
A reread as the sequel's just come out.
So very, very different from TJ Klune's other books. It never fails to surprise me how easily he navigates between different styles and genres. This is unlike any of the other books I've read by him (although he still loves the word 'dashing' ;) ), but just as charming as any of them.

I grew very fond of all the children at Marsyas Orphanage and found it surprisingly difficult to leave them all behind when the story ended. It's not really a book that lends itself to sequels, but I do hope that TJ Klune will explore this universe further, and perhaps let us see how the children fare in the future, as visitors in other books.


Somewhere Beyond the Sea - T.J. Klune, 3/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Unfortunately I didn't like this as much as I had expected to.

When I finished the first book I wrote in my review: "It's not really a book that lends itself to a sequel". That is still my opinion, and also reflects in the rating I ended up giving here. This sequel lacked most of the charm I found in the first book in the series.

I still enjoyed Linus' and Arthur's interactions, I loved the kids (especially Sal), and I really enjoyed seeing the kids relate to the townspeople. But where the main mood of the first book was hopeful and optimistic, the mood in this one just felt flat. Both Rowder and Miss Marblemaw seemed cartoon-like in their evilness, and were without any kind of depth. I could have excused that in Rowder, as she only paid a small part, but Miss Marblemaw just ended up annoying me. She was the kind of villain you hate to hate - a bit like Umbridge in HP5.

Also, I didn't feel that Arthur's angst about his anger rang true. I know that THitCS is written from Linus' point of view, and we therefore don't get to see much beneath the surface of Arthur, but I still thought there was a significant change of his character between these two books. And at the same time, the "voices" of the two books were so similar that I kept forgetting that we were hearing Arthur's thoughts rather than Linus'.

And finally the ending just didn't work for me. Too perfect, too deus ex machina. But with T.J. Klune making Rowder as evil as he did, I'm hard pressed to see how else it could have ended.

So why still 3 stars instead of 2? At the end of the day, T.J. Klune writes incredibly charming books, so even at "not his best", is books are still better than most. I loved getting to read more about the kids, and giggled at all the references to his other books - especially the Verania series :D


Indigo - Audrey Faye*, 3.5/5, 167 pages
I loved the characters and I loved the story. I'm a sucker for small towns where everybody gets into everybody's business, and Indigo certainly didn't disappoint in that regard. I loved the quirkiness of a mothering ghost and an artist on skateboard.

What detracted a few stars for me was the huge role astrology played in the characterization of Indigo. It seemed overdone, and turned her into somebody who would probably be more than a little "too much" in real life - actually regardless of whether or not you put any stock into it yourself. Fortunately, she redeemed herself near the end, and I loved her and Drew together.

And hopefully the focus will change in the later books, where Indigo's no longer the main character.


Blue - Audrey Faye*, 4/5, 158 pages
A lot better than the first one. I loved seeing Blue and Grim together, and read most of it with a huge smile on my face. Just goes to show that I'd much rather read about carpentry and clay throwing than chart reading any day of the week ;-) And the characters are charming as always. Can't wait for the last book in the series now!


Gone-Away Lake - Elizabeth Enright*, 5/5, 172 pages
This was one of my favourite books as a child, and I'm happy to say that it completely passed the test of time. It's just as charming as I remembered it, and Elizabeth Enright really made me feel like I knew the characters and I got to care for them.

Usually I can take or leave illustrations in a book, but the illustrations in my copy of the book (or rather, my mother's copy) - done by Beth and Joe Krush - are gorgeous, and really add to the story.


Return to Gone-Away - Elizabeth Enright*, 4.5/5, 145 pages
Not quite as good as the first book in the series, but then it is hard to improve on perfection ;) And it's still really excellent, and a wonderful comfort read, even if the plot isn't as interesting and a tad more repetitive.

Also, there was far too little Min and Pin in this one! I missed them!


The Year of Plenty - Rebecca Brammer*, 5/5, 175 pages
Written in the style of American classics like the Little House series we get to follow the life of a family - we hear about their holiday traditions, their joy and sorrows, their schooling, their friendships and relationships, and - my favourite parts - the running of the farm. I've always been utterly fascinated by all the every-day chores that came with running a farm 100 years ago, and the work necessary for setting away food to last through the winter.

The Year of Plenty is one of those books you sink down into, and it's almost torture to have to come back out again. I came to care about all the members of the family, and wanted to hear more about what happened to them. Rebecca Brammer shows an incredible gift for in-depth characterizations and creating an atmosphere with her words. Her writing seems effort-less and the plot tight. I hope to meet the Fraley family again in future books.


His Perfect Faithfulness - Eric & Leslie Ludy*, 4/5, 62 pages
I first read this book back in 1999, and was blown away by the beauty of it. I'd read it a few times since then, but not since 2007, so when I picked it up this time it was with a touch of cynicism and trepidation, whether it would be able to live up to my memory of it.

Fortunately, it mostly could. Sure, it's still hopelessly idealistic, but Leslie and Eric remained true to their own convictions and weren't pressured into anything. They walked with God every step of the way, and while their form of courtship wouldn't work for everybody, it so clearly worked for them.

The story is quickly read - just 62 pages if you skip the "Guy talk" and "Girl talk" at the end of the book (which I always do) - and it remains a sweet read. There was less focus on "this is the only way to have a holy courtship" than I had feared, and more focus on "follow God's will for your life" -- which I'm obviously totally in favour of!


Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer*, 5/5, Audiobook ~20hrs
While the other books were great in their own right, it really felt as if they were just setting the scene for this one. Not that that makes Breaking Dawn better than any of the others, it just made it feel more complete. I loved that Bella became a vampire so early in this book, that we got to see how she reacted to that as well, and how she adjusted to her new life. Which also means that I actually preferred the first half to the last half.

Like with the other books in the series, I just couldn't put it down and ended up listening to all 20 hours in about a week.


Books Read: 94
Pages Read: 13.771
Hours Listened to: 451
Book of the Month: None - I've reread a lot, and the new reads weren't amazing.
Biggest Disappointment: Same.

Two months in one, as I was off on vacation as July turned into August and ended up pretty much not opening my computer at all :-P With 21 books read in total, this will be longer than usual, so to be kind to your fpage, I'll hide it under a cut :-)

(I still remember the days where I'd OFTEN read 20 books a month - those days are loooooong gone X-D )

( Books for July and August )

Books Read: 77
Book of the Months: Mind Games
Biggest Disappointment: Brothers Lionheart - I know I don't usually count rereads here, but it's been 20-30 years since I read it last, so it almost counts :-P

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing - Matthew Perry, 4/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
I had a hard time rating this book. It wasn't well-written - but it was captivating. It wasn't what I'd consider "a good book" - but it was riveting, fascinating and heartbreaking. I loved hearing about being part of "FRIENDS" and (especially) the shooting of "The Whole Nine Yards" (one of my all-time favourite movies), but had no idea just HOW tough Matthew's life had been.

I'd thought that Matthew Perry was one of the numerous famous guys who couldn't handle being famous, and turned to drinking and drugs because of it. This was very much NOT the case, and in fact, I think being famous (and being on "FRIENDS" especially) actually may have saved his life more than once. Yes, it meant that he had the money to get the drugs he craved, but it also meant that he had money for the rehab, and that his drug habit didn't mean he ended up on the streets. Addiction is a horrible, horrible thing, and my heart broke for Matthew more than once while reading his memoir. It ended up on an optimistic note - which was all the more heartbreaking because of what we now know would happen just one year later :-(

The book hits very differently being read after his death. The very first sentence is, “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.” - and all I could think was, "And you are! ;-( ;-( ;-("

At the end of the day, I'm glad I've read it - and I'm VERY glad that I chose the audiobook version of it. Hearing it in Matthew Perry's own voice definitely added something to it, and he did an excellent job of narrating it.


Maybe This Time - Cara Bastone, 4/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
Really sweet book, with an unusual use of time-travel that I found very fascinating. I loved reading how Mikey and June got to know each other - in two time-lines even! - and seeing their friendship grow.

I'm not entirely sure what I thought of the ending, but on the other hand, I have a very hard time figuring out how else it could have ended - so I'll take it.


Feed - Mira Grant*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~14hrs
This was amazing! Pretty near impossible to put down. I "read" it as an audiobook, and found myself making excuses to bike detours just to read a bit more. To label it merely a zombie-book or a dystopian novel would be doing it a disservice, because it is so much more than that. The true strength of this book is the worldbuilding, and Mira Grant's descriptions of a world post-zombie outbreak. A world where George Romero is considered a national hero, and where bloggers are the true journalists.


Deadline - Mira Grant*, 4/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
Very obviously the middle book of a trilogy and therefore really cannot stand on its own. It had me totally hooked from the very beginning, and was as action-packed as I could have wished, but the story was definitely action-driven and character-driven rather than plot-driven... some major twists were thrown at us, but nothing resolved.


Page - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 231 pages
This book covers 3 years, and while it mostly handles that well, it does occasionally seem a tad rushed... 8 months passing by in a single chapter. I don't mind books covering a lot of time as long as it's done consistently, instead of covering one week in three chapters and then 8 months in one. Still, it's a minor complaint. Mostly I love this book as I find it fascinating to read of the training pages have to go through in order to become squires.


Squire - Tamora Pierce*, 4.5/5, 339 pages
While I did miss reading about Kel's life at the palace, there was so much to love in this book - Kel getting Raoul as her Knight-Master, the tilting, the Yamani, Cleon - and of course, Kel finally meeting Alanna. I don't think I'd claim it my favourite any longer, because the two first ones are excellent as well, but it certainly is very, very good :-)


Books Read: 54
Pages Read: 6.117
Hours Listened to: 267

I still have another 300 pages left of my current book, so am unlikely to finish any more books this month. I have done a LOT of rereading in April!

Wavewalker - Suzanne Heywood, 4/5, Audiobook ~13hrs
Captivating read. I know Suzanne only presents one point of view of what happened, and I'd love to read her parents' take on things, because as presented here (and with a whole lot of armchair diagnosing) her parents come across as having borderline narcissistic tendencies. I am impressed by Suzanne's self-discipline, and her determination to study and get an education despite all the obstacles her parents threw in her way.


On the Island - Tracey Garvis Graves*, 4.5/5, 328 pages
It's been a long time since I dove into a book and got so thoroughly hooked that I finished it in a day! But though I can see its flaws, this book just worked for me, and I couldn't put it down.

The writing style took a bit of getting used to. It seemed almost diary-like in style, and occasionally glossed over things, without going into depth with them. But to be fair, that was necessary for this kind of book! The plot took place over the course of 4-5 YEARS, and it would have been way, way too long (not to mention tedious) to be detailed about everything. Some parts were somewhat unbelievable, but they worked within the scope of the book, so I'll allow it ;)

The relationship really worked for me. I know some people will have reservations about the age difference going into the book, but trust me - it works. It's tastefully done, and faced head on.

I tend to love Robinson Crusoe-type stories, and this was no exception. That it also had shades of two of my other favourite books (a Danish one, and one that is still unpublished) only improved my reading experience.


A Dip in the Ocean - Sarah Outen*, 5/5, 310 pages
Absolutely fascinating memoir! Very well written, and so interesting! Parts had me crying and parts had me cheering. I seriously cannot even imagine setting out on such a huge adventure / challenge alone though! I'd be completely terrified. But I love living vicariously through others, and this book was right up there with "Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World" by Nancy Sathre-Vogel in how much it captivated me.

Highly recommendable for people who like to be adventurous through others.


Witches In Flight - Debora Geary*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
A Modern Witch - Debora Geary*, 5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
A Reckless Witch - Debora Geary* 5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
I was in the mood for a reread. These remain some of my all-time favourite books :-)


The Children of Captain Grant - Jules Verne*, 3/5, 200 pages (abridged)
I grew up with this abridged version, and actually enjoy it a lot more than the unabridged version. Sure, Jules Verne took a lot of liberties with both the geography and the history of the places he wrote about (not to mention that his descriptions of both the Aboriginal and the Maori people were more than just a little bit racist), but he was a product of his times and wrote accordingly.


Coraline - Neil Gaiman, 3/5, 189 pages
I think this one falls into the "and now I've read that" category. It wasn't bad, it was just meh, and as such I have no desire to read it again.

Guess I'm just not that into Neil Gaiman. He's a lot more miss than hit for me - though his books come highly recommended, so I keep trying.


Grace Notes - Philip Yancey*, 3.5/5, 380 pages
As always with such devotionals, some were good, and some were just meh. I did appreciate that these "essays" were taken from his books rather than written specifically for the devotional, as I think that meant the general quality was higher.

Books Read: 37

I'm a bit late this month - Easter confused me :-P ;-)

Passenger 23 - Sebastian Fitzek, 3/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
I listened to an audible origins production of this, and am not entirely sure that that was the best way to "read" it. The chosen music didn't really fit the atmosphere, and it came across as overly dramatic in places.

As for the story itself, it was pretty run-of-the-mill. I liked it well enough, but they didn't make nearly as much use of the fact that it took place on a cruise ship as I had expected them too. But I guess at the end of the day they just needed it for the "locked room" setting. It did baffle me though that at 2 hours before the end of the book, I still felt like I was waiting for the action to start. I wasn't bored or anything - it kept me nicely entertained - but everything until then just seemed to happen by coincidence or through pure luck (or lack of same). Also, parts of it seemed very exaggerated / unrealistic.

Not a bad book, but not one I'm likely to reread either.


Love & Other Scams - P.J. Ellis, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
I love heist movies, so I was eager to see if a heist book could live up to my expectations. In the end (and as the rating reflects), I'd say it came close, but couldn't quite deliver. It's a chick-lit that just happens to include a heist, rather than a heist novel that just happened to include a fake romance, meaning that more page time was spent on the fake romance than on the heist.

Fortunately I liked the fake romance, and thought they had great chemistry, and I quite liked reading all about the wedding preparations as well - even if I WISH just for ONCE the "poor friend" would have enough backbone to just come out and say, "Sorry, I can't afford that" - but I guess there wouldn't have been much of a plotline if she had :-P Anyways, I loved Harper and was thrilled to see just one person who didn't give 2 *cough* cents about all the posh nonsense.

I got very tired of the third-act breakup and wish authors would just stop thinking such a thing was necessary! The plot didn't need it, and could easily have worked without it. I guess it did help Cat grow up a bit, but I'm sure that could have been handled in other ways as well. So that brought it down from 4 stars to 3.5.


An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth - Chris Hadfield, 4.5/5, 296 pages
Absolutely fascinating account of how Chris Hadfield got to be an astronaut with CSA at a time where such a feat was practically unheard of. It tells of his initial career as a jet pilot, his acceptance into CSA, his work with NASA, his initial tours into space to help build MIR and ISS, and finally his 6 months on ISS as part of the 34/35 expedition.

Accounts of space fascinate me to no end, and this was every bit as readable as Andy Weir's "The Martian" and "Project Hail Mary" and had the added bonus of actually being true! So while Chris Hadfield's writing did come across as slightly pretentious at times, I figure he's earned it, and just loved getting all the details of life on ISS - and actually especially everyday life. Those moments that end up becoming natural to an astronaut, but that are completely fantastic and exotic to anybody else.

Very readable - not dry at all! - and highly recommendable!


The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School - Sonora Reyes, 4/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
Very sweet and poignant book. I found myself literally "awww!!"'ing on multiple occasions - mostly due to Bo's parents!

The characters were believably YA - including making stupid decisions and failing to communicate for far too long. But it was an understandable lack of communication, and therefore didn't bother me as much as it usually does in such books. There were one or two instances where I found myself cringing with second-hand embarrassment, but fortunately they were quickly resolved, rather than dwelled on.

I loved pretty much all the characters. They felt real to me, and I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow. I wanted to cheer when Yamilet's mother turned out to be more of an ally than anybody would have guessed. THAT is how you support your children regardless of everything!

The audiobook was narrated by Karla Serrato who did a brilliant job. She either speaks Spanish herself, or did a really good job of convincing this non-Spanish-speaker that she does. The Spanish interjections flowed naturally.

The book (or the audiobook version at least) comes with a CW. Heed this, if bigotry/the consequences of bigotry is a trigger for you.


Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe - Debbie Johnson, 4/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
So... I had totally mixed up Debbie Johnson with Debbie Macomber :-P But I get why - they both write cozy chick-lit with substance that doesn't shy away from tackling heavier issues. So it wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized that they weren't the same person.

But happy accident, as that just meant I was biased in the book's favour, and I did end up really enjoying it. It was sweet and sad and poignant and funny and a really cozy comfort read. It can easily stand on its own, but I am looking forward to reading more about the Comfort Food Cafe.


The Martian - Andy Weir*, 5/5, 384 pages
I was in a reading slump and wanted something guaranteed to bring me out of it. This delivered nicely, and even at this 4th read, it still moved me to tears at the end. Amazing writing all around!

Witches on Parole - Debora Geary*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
Witches Under Way - Debora Geary*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
In the mood for a comfort read, and as Audible recently offered this entire trilogy for FREE! I figured it was the perfect choice.

Books Read: 25
Pages Read: 3119
Hours Listened to: 129 (I listened to a whopping 53 hours in March alone!)
Book of the Month: Probably An Astronaut's Guide... - found it really interesting.
Biggest Disappointment: Passenger 23 for the reasons stated above.