Christian Reader - Book lists, discussion, writing

Last reviews of 2025!

The Baby-Dragon Café - A.T. Qureshi, 2.5/5, 270 pages
This was 100% a book I wanted because of the cover and the title. "The Baby-Dragon Café" just sounded like the perfect cozy fantasy read. I'd also read another of A.T. Qureshi's books earlier this year (written as Aamna Qureshi) and really enjoyed it, so I figured I'd give it a chance despite the lack-luster reviews on goodreads.

Unfortunately, those reviews were mostly well deserved.

Granted, I read this in translation, and regardless of the original writing, the translation was CLUNKY as. Idioms were translated literally instead of trying to find a suitable Danish phrase instead. So since the other book I've read by Ms. Qureshi (A Witch's Guide to Love and Poison) was quite well written, I'm willing to blame the quality of the writing on the translator, rather than on Ms. Qureshi. I did cringe at some of the baby talk used to adress the dragons, but I don't know how much of that was due to poor word-choices by the translator, and how much I would have cringed at the original English as well.

The plot itself was cute, and good enough to keep me reading despite the clunky language. I loved reading about Saphira's café and wish we had gotten to read more about how she actually trained Sparky, rather than just about how much she doted on him and baby-talked to him.

The romance was a bit more tell than show, but ultimately worked for me. I really wish Ms. Qureshi had thought up a different ending though. It seemed like a cop-out to me, and an unnecessary way of bending to society's norms. (Trying to keep it vague to avoid spoilers).

All in all, it ended up being a fairly average read, and I don't think I'll bother with any more of the books in the series ... even if one of them DOES take place in a bookshop!


All Our Hidden Gifts - Caroline O'Donoghue, 2.5/5, 400 pages
This ended up being an "It was good, but ..." read for me.

It was well written - I read the first few pages at the library to figure out if I wanted to bring it home with me, and was instantly intrigued. I definitely enjoyed the writing style and wanted to know more about Maeve, Roe, Lily and Fiona.

Unfortunately it was very, very, VERY heavy on the supernatural / occult aspect of things. I know I should have seen that coming from the back blurb mentioning tarot readings, but I'd somehow assumed that it would be more sub- than main plot. It did stay true to its own universe, so I didn't have to suspend my disbelief too much, but that kind of witchy business is not really something I care to read about, so even though I did get the sequel out of the library as well, I think I will just leave the series here.


The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore, 4/5, 369 pages
Christmas rom-com that's a lot heavier on the romance than the Christmas part. Still a sweet story though, and completely lived up to the expectations set by the previous book. In fact, I think I might like this one a tad more, as I thought the way the relationship evolved seemed more believable.


Magic, Maps and Mischeif: A Cozy Neurodivergent Adventure - David Green, 3.5/5, 389 pages
It took me awhile to get properly into this, but once I did, I ended up really enjoying it. I loved reading about Greton's life in Barrow Hill, his map-making business and his growing friendships with Aria, Petra and the pub owning elf (whose name escapes me right now). This toes the line between cozy fantasy and just plain fantasy, and I definitely enjoyed the "cozy fantasy" sections the most.

I'd guessed both outcomes of the ink-making business ahead of time, and was very pleased to be proven right :-D

As the sub-title states, there's a lot of representation in this novel, both with regards to neurodiversity and sexuality. Greton is autistic, asexual and (I think) aromantic. Aria is (probably) ADHD and (definitely) gay ... I think I'll leave it at that, not to risk spoiling anything.

A cozy read, and I'll definitely check out more of David Green's writing.


A Copenhagen Snowmance - Pernille Hughes, 3/5, 385 pages
Aggressively Danish. As a person living in Copenhagen myself, it was quite funny to read how many references to Danish foods, drinks, traditions and places Pernille Hughes could shove into one book. It seemed slightly over the top at times, but looking at the other reviews on Goodreads, it seems to work for other readers, which made me wonder ... are the books I love that are set in Paris / Edinburgh / Prague / etc. as heavy-handed as this one was, and I just don't notice, because it's not my home town?

That aside, I did quite enjoy the book. It was very predictable, but I expect that in a Christmas romance, and I liked both Anna and Jamie and enjoyed seeing them get to know each other. "Fake dating" and "Forced proximity" are obvious tropes for a Christmas romance, but it still worked, and was a lot less cringe-worthy than it could have been.

Even the third-act breakup worked for once, and wasn't due to a miscommunication, but a conflict that needed to be handled.

So a sweet read, even if highly unrealistic. It stayed true to its own universe, so it worked for me.


Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Guiffre, 4.5/5, 400 pages
Fascinating and harrowing story. It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear all that Virginia went through, and how she was let down and abandoned again and again and again by everybody - including the ones who ought to love her the best and protect her the most.

I really appreciated that so much page time was spent on Virginia's (all too short) life after she got away from Epstein. Reading about all the different court cases were equal parts interesting and depressing. If you ever need evidence that "money talks", the fact that it took SO LONG to bring Epstein to justice - and that some of the people Virginia was trafficked to still walk free - should speak its own plain language.

Very well written and extremely interesting memoir.


Books Read: 92
Pages Read: 17,446
Hours Listened To: 371
Book of the Month: Nobody's Girl - can't wait for the sequel!
Biggest Disappointment: The Baby-Dragon Café - although I am kinda curious how much of the unwieldy language was due to the translation and how much was in the original writing also.

Going Overboard - Portia MacIntosh, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~7hrs
Rounded up on goodreads because THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!

*ahrem*

Really, really sweet novel. Portia MacIntosh is a bit hit-and-miss, depending on whether or not she remembers that communication is key, and how much second-hand embarassment she subjects the reader to, but as neither issue was a problem here, it ended up being the best book I have read by her so far.

Lots of things to love about the book - from one of my favourite settings (a cruise ship!!! That in itself would have been enough to make me pick it up) through the fake dating trope (one of my favourites when done right) to the ride-or-die friendships (people who actually care about each other!).

I do think that Nikki's hostility lacked an explanation - especially as Jessa herself questioned it, but I loved Brody, and it was so refreshing to see a relationship - even a fake one - where people actually TALKED about things!

Predictable as - but really sweet all the same :-)


The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - Adam Silvera, 3/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
First and foremost - heed the trigger warnings! Neither suicide nor self-harm is a trigger to me, but if it is to you - stay away from this book! It's not just a brief sentence here or there, but a HUGE part of the plot!

Unfortunately the weakest of the lot. I liked "They Both Die at the End" and loved "The First to Die at the End", so had high hopes for this one - but it just couldn't deliver.
It's a hard book to review without small spoilers, so fair warning. I'll try to be as vague as possible.
Getting my complaints out of the way first ...

First of all - the book was too long. Not so much that I got bored listening to it, but there was a lot of repetition that could easily have been cut down.

Secondly, the vilification of Paz didn't make sense. The kid was 9 at the time of the shooting - how could people take it as anything other than the desperate acts of a desperate child? The fact that it was still ruining his life 10 years later seemed contrived to me.

Thirdly, there was a tad too much insta-love. I know this was the case in the other two books as well, but there it made SENSE, as they were working on a deadline. That wasn't the case here. Also, the relationship was unhealthy as. The very definition of a codependent relationship.

Finally, the end - a completely cop-out! Extremely annoying foreshadowing that made me subtract a star all by itself.

Right! That aside ...

I really liked the friendship between Paz and Alano. I liked that they spent time getting to know each other, and that they actually managed to communicate and understand each others' blind spots.
Paz' disorder seemed well described as well. Both the way his thoughts would spiral, and how he tried to stop himself, once he became aware of what was happening.

So all in all a book that could have been awesome, but which fell flat because of the end. A shame.


Alchemised - SenLinYu, 4/5, 1030 pages
This is a retelling of a Harry Potter fanfic - turning it into original fiction. I have read the fanfic as well, and while I do think the fanfic is better, SenLinYu did an amazing job of turning it into a piece of original fiction.

Getting the main issue out of the way first - the fanfic is better, because the backstory is more complete. It could hardly be any different, when one is based on a long series with character development and worldbuilding and the other has to stand on its own. In "Alchemised" we have to take the authors word for the friendship between Helena and Luc, and the animosity between Helena and Ferron ... in "Manacled", those things are implicitly understood, because we know Hermino, Harry and Draco. Having read "Manacled" I could extrapolate the relationships - I'm not sure how it would work, coming into it blind.

That said, I still found "Alchemised" incredibly well written, and was impressed by how SenLinYu twisted the magic around to turn it into original fiction. It's very dark fantasy, and any reader would do well to take the trigger warnings seriously.

I couldn't put it down, and read it at any chance I got, finishing 1030 pages in less than two weeks.


Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm & Simone Lindquist, 4.5/5, 398 pages
I've always been a fan of Claus Holm's books, and this is not only one of the best I've read by him, it could easily become one of the best books I read this year!

It's a wonderful mix of "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death", and I could easily have read it in one sitting, if work and sleep hadn't gotten in the way.


Eight Cousins - L.M. Alcott*, 4/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
Rose In Bloom - L.M. Alcott*, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
The Rose series still makes for an adorable story. It doesn't suffer from the same moral anecdotes as "Jack and Jill" and deserves to be quite as well known as "Little Women" because IMHO it's just as charming. It clearly describes the love and friendship between Rose, her seven cousins and her many aunts and uncles. One of those wonderfully old-fashioned "feel good" novels.


Books Read: 84

Due to my summer vacation, I never got around to posting my books for August, so instead you get two months for the price of one!!

Plus an additional read from July, as I couldn't post the review back then ;-) I had the pleasure of being offered the chance to do an alpha read of a book written by a friend of mine, and absolutely LOVED it! It was published last month, so I can finally write about it!!!


A Home in Percival - Paula K. Berman, 4/5, 285 pages
A really sweet and charming story about finding friends and getting settled in a new place :) I love love love descriptions of setting a house to rights and making it your own, so this was right up my aisle.

This is cozy fantasy at its best. No real conflicts, no real crises - just people being people. It is definitely character-driven rather than plot-driven, but as long as I like the characters, that's never bothered me :-D

And at the end of the day I picked up the book at every opportunity I got, and feel almost book hungover now that I've finished. I will definitely need a physical copy of it at some point.


( 6 Books for August )

( 4 Books for September )

Books Read: 64
Book of the Month: The Enchanted Greenhouse - such a delightful read!

Only 43 books for the year! I'm going to have a hard time making my Goodreads goal! But I've been listening to a LOT of audiobooks, and they take lots longer than reading myself.


Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
I'd read a couple of lukewarm reviews about this book, so wasn't really sure what to expect, but honestly? It was really, really cute! Had all the hallmarks of a great romcom and very few of my pet peeves.

Friends in unlikely places? Check.
A cute / precocious kid? Check.
An antagonist who turned out to be more three-dimensional than the main character gave them credit for? Check.

And while I loved seeing the romance develop, what really made me squee was seeing Delilah actually make friends! I loved her chemistry with Iris and Ruby.

Best of all, while the book did have a third-act conflict (because of course it did), I wouldn't actually go so far as to call it a third-act breakup. It wasn't a contrived plot-twist, and was actually resolved in a believable manner.


Hidden Nature - Nora Roberts, 4/5, Audiobook ~15hrs
You always know what you're gonna get with Nora Roberts' books. She really excells at describing "little town coziness", and I always enjoy reading her "romantic suspense" novels - even if they are incredibly formulaeric :-P

This one perhaps less so than most, as it covers a much shorter period of time (less than a year, rather than the 10-20 years most of her books cover), but it still has the lovely descriptions of family - both found and real - in a really cozy setting.

The ending was somewhat less satisfying than usual - which is why I've rated this 4 stars rather than 5 - and a lot more sudden as well. It neither had the same build-up, nor the same aftermath.

Worth reading - but not her best work.


Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty, 2.5/5, Audiobook ~16hrs
Very, VERY slow-moving. Not enough to make me consider giving up on it, but far more so than I had expected.
As many other reviews stated - one's enjoyment of this book is 100% dependent on whether or not you care for Cherry. I didn't dislike her - as some did - but I by far preferred the chapters that didn't revolve around her. Which is a shame, as she was ultimately the main character, and I turned out to just not care either way.

I wasn't disappointed by the ending - it couldn't really have gone any other way - but I'm not sure the book as a whole worked for me. And it definitely didn't need to be as long as it was! (SIXTEEN HOURS!!!)

(I still want to know what happened with Ethan though! Did feel like we were left hanging there!)


Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card*, 5/5, 324 pages
Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card*, 4/5, 469 pages
"Ender's Game" is one of my all-time favourite books, but I never really cared for the later books in the Ender saga. I did really enjoy "Ender's Shadow" though - basically a companion novel, telling the events of Ender's Game from Bean's POV

And now I once again want to read more about this universe and am contemplating whether I should continue with Bean and the Shadow series.

Without a Light - Jordan Miland, 4/5, 431 pages
Stating my bias right away - Jordan's my nephew :-P That said, while I was reading I kept forgetting that he was the author, and disappeared into the book like I would any other. "Without a Light" reads like Mira Grant writing for the Alien-universe (in a completely different way than she did in "Alien: Echo"), and as I absolutely adore Mira Grant's way of writing this was right up my aisle as well.

I'm a huge fan of epistolary novels, and loved how part of the story was told through chat records, interview sessions and articles.

Definitely Jordan's best book so far!


Books Read: 43
Book of the Month: "Delilah Green Doesn't Care"
Biggest Disappointment: "Here One Moment".

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