My July reads

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Rainbow Rowell - Landline 3/5
Georgie McCool is a succesfull tv writer. Two weeks before Christmas, just as the is about to leave for Omaha with her much neglected husband and two young daughters, Georgie gets the breakthrough of a lifetime. She lets her family go away without her, but falls apart herself. Especially when an old phone at her mother's house seems to connect her to the past.

A great idea for a story, still, this was the least favourite of the Rowell books I've read so far. The story seemed to drag a bit, maybe because too large a part was spend just describing the long phone conversations of Georgie and her husband Neill. For me that was just a bit too boring.

Julie Klassen - The secret of Pembrooke park 3/5
bigail Foster and her family face financial ruin when a family investment goes wrong. Abigail, always the practical one, takes it upon herself to find a new, affordable home for the family and makes sure her younger sister can still have a Season. Then, a mysterious offer arrives: the family can live in Pembrooke Park, a manor from distant relatives which has been abandoned for 18 years. Abigail, not seeing a better alternative, takes the offer and moves to the village of Easton.

I've said many times how Julie Klassen was one of my favourite authors, but in her latest novels she seems to add more and more mystery. For me, this makes a work of historical fiction less attractive, I like a character-driven story much more.

Charles Dickens - Our mutual friend 4,5/5
A body is found in the river Thames and believed to be John Harmon, the heir to a large fortune who just returned to England. His death and discovery will affect various corners of London society.

An amazing book by the master of complex stories! I loved listening to this one as an audiobook by the very talented reader Mill Nicholson. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to dive into Dickens. Our Mutual Friend is full of interesting characters and has two lovely romances, in my opinions the best romances Dickens wrote.

Kristin Hannah - Homefront 4,5/5
Jolene Zarkades, wife of busy attorney Michael and mother of two daughters is being deployed to Iraq, just when her marriage seems to be falling apart. Now Michael will have to learn to be a parent while Jolene faces the rigors of war.

Kristin Hannah's books are always emotional rollercoasters and this one no less. She takes you deep into the lives and thoughts of her main characters untill you feel they are your close friends. I found this story to be very realistic, but always hopefull.

Elizabeth Gaskell - Cousin Phyllis 3/5
Novella in which young Paul Manning moves away from his family for his first job and befriends his mother's relatives the Holman's and his cousin Phyllis who is just growing into a young woman.

I'm working my way through the remaining Elizabeth Gaskell novels I still have to read. I do understand why this novella is called a 'crowning achievement'. It has masterfull descriptions of the life of middle-class people in mid-Victorian England and well developed growing-up characters as in many of Gaskell's books. But all in all, I found it to be a bit of a boring story and also quite sad and deterministic.

Alice J. Wisler - How sweet it is 3/5
Chef Deena Livingston has inherited a cabin in the woods of North Carolina from her grandfather and decides to live there after a car accident and a nasty break-up. What she doesn't know however, is that her grandfather has stipulated she should teach at the local after-school program.

I was looking for a quick, uncomplicated Christian fiction read and found this book. It was nice and sweet, but not terribly memorable. I did like it that the romance moved a bit slower than in many (both historical and contemporary) fiction that's written nowadays. I like it when characters have more chance to get to know each other.

Dina Sleimann - Dauntless 4/5

'The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest' is a group of outlaws living in the forests of medieval England and living from what they can take from the outlying villages or carriages which pass through their 'home'. No-one knows that they are actually a group of children and teens, led by former baron's daughter Merry Ellison, who became homeless after King John had her family killed. Forced to seek a new place to live after they are almost discovered, the 'Ghosts' camp near Wyndeshire. Here, Timothy Grey serves as an assistant to the local earl and is tasked with finding these outlaws. But everything changes when he finds out his childhood friend Merry is the leader of the band.

What a great setting! I'm so pleased Christian fiction seems to be (re)discovering the Medieval period. I loved the glimpses into everyday life and the descriptions of clothing and feasts. I wasn't too fond of the characters, I found both Merry and Timothy to be very contrary in their behaviors and relationship. But then, they are teenagers and this is a YA novel, so....

Comments

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

I've not read any Dickens, but now you have me interested in Our Mutual Friend. I've heard of it a few times because I think a lot of my friends like the movie.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

It's such a good story and has a little bit of everything: romance, friendship, mystery, social issues, humour etc. And especially as you do audiobooks quite a lot, I think this would be a good starter as the reader was soooo good. But I did see she did multiple works of Dickens. I listened to the audiobook via LibriVox which has free audiobooks of a lot of classics.

[silent-soprano.livejournal.com]

Our Mutual Friend is about the only Charles Dickens novel I haven't read! But now I'm curious! The only Gaskell novel I've read so far is Ruth.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I think Our Mutual Friend scares a lot of people, also because it's not so well known. But I already fell in love with the adaptation and am now in love with the book too!

Oh, I love Ruth, might very well be my favourite Gaskell, such profound themes (though a close tie with North and South)