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christianreader2025-04-02 12:06 pm
kiwiria) wrote in christianreader2025-04-02 12:06 pm
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Kiwiria's March Reads
My total number of books read this month is quite low, but that's in part because I listened to a total of 40 hours worth of audiobooks!!! That's almost as much as in January and February put together!
Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins*, 4/5, Audiobook ~13hrs
Really good - but so sad! Of course I knew this going into it, but there were still so many heartbreaks along the way, that I hadn't expected.
Haymitch starts out as a confident young man who refuses alcohol. He has a loving family and a sweet girlfriend. How does he end up a battered victor, mentally destroyed, a drunk who's all alone? It would have to be a rough ride.
And it was. Suzanne Collins did not pull any punches, which made for a hard read. Of course I knew all the other tributes would have to die, but I still got to care about more of them than I thought I would. I really appreciated the backstory to people we meet in later books - that added a nice nuance I hadn't expected.
I did feel that Suzanne Collins lost me a bit in the last few chapters though. The Edgar Allan Poe poem took up way too much page space there, and kinda hijacked the story. It's a clever writing trick, but should have been used MUCH more sparingly than it did. That brought down the rating a bit - especially as I read this as an audiobook, so couldn't just skim those parts.
The Dragonet Prophecy - Tui T. Sutherland, 3/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
Childrens fantasy, but written well enough that it's an enjoyable read for adults also. I liked it well enough, but it's very clearly the first in a longer series, so nothing was resolved.
I liked the world-building, and was fascinated by the ideas of dragons who didn't come into their powers until subjected to their natural environments - that was a really nice touch! I liked Clay, Tsunami and Glory, but didn't really feel like we got to know the others as well. I would have loved to see more of Peril though, and hope that she turns up again in later books.
Recipe for Love - Katie Fforde, 3.5/5, 400 pages
There was a lot to love in this book.
And there was a lot to roll my eyes at.
I LOVED all the descriptions of the competition. I wish there had been more of that. I'm a wanna-be foodie, and reading about the different challenges, and how the contestants completed them? Yes, please!
For much the same reason, I enjoyed reading about Zoe helping out in the kitchen as well and loved Fen and Rupert.
Cher was cartoon-like in her cattiness. Her narcissistic tendencies seemed realistic at first, but quickly went overboard, and Zoe was far too much of a doormat.
The relationship with Gideon was equal parts sweet and eye-roll worthy. Part of that was due to awkward writing, and part was due to it being shoved down the reader's throat, rather than letting it evolve organically.
At the end of the day, I found more to like than to dislike, and I'd definitely recommend it thanks to the contest ... but with a huge disclaimer.
The Space Between - Lauren Keenan, 3.5/5, 320 pages
I haven't read many books set in New Zealand - and especially not many historical novels set in NZ, so this made for a fascinating read about a period in time I don't know all that much about. It's very well-written, but naturally (given its subject matter) a fairly bleak book. It's ridiculous how horribly indiginous people were treated by colonizers no matter where they arrived. This book may have hit closer to home than most, as I've been to Parihaka Marae, and heard about not just the loss of land, but the loss of this land from people touched by it.
It was a bold move to use so much Te Reo Māori in Matāria's chapters, but I rather liked the fact that everything wasn't translated (even if I would have appreciated a glossary together with the bibliography and historical notes at the end of the book), and most things could be gleaned from context, so I don't feel like I missed out on much.
The Time-Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger*, 4/5, 18hrs
I had forgotten just how sad it is. There are a few chapters near the end that are almost depressing, and the NYE chapter had me sobbing.
There were also a few chapters that seemed almost pointless - I've never enjoyed reading about other people's dreams, and clearly this was no exception. The long descriptions of Claire's work bothered me less, as that seemed to help flesh her out as a character.
I'm nitpicking though. I still really enjoyed the book - even if I did downgrade it from 5 stars to 4.
Books Read: 21
Book of the Month: Probably "Sunshine on the Reaping", but it was a close call.
Biggest Disappointment: None this month.
Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins*, 4/5, Audiobook ~13hrs
Really good - but so sad! Of course I knew this going into it, but there were still so many heartbreaks along the way, that I hadn't expected.
Haymitch starts out as a confident young man who refuses alcohol. He has a loving family and a sweet girlfriend. How does he end up a battered victor, mentally destroyed, a drunk who's all alone? It would have to be a rough ride.
And it was. Suzanne Collins did not pull any punches, which made for a hard read. Of course I knew all the other tributes would have to die, but I still got to care about more of them than I thought I would. I really appreciated the backstory to people we meet in later books - that added a nice nuance I hadn't expected.
I did feel that Suzanne Collins lost me a bit in the last few chapters though. The Edgar Allan Poe poem took up way too much page space there, and kinda hijacked the story. It's a clever writing trick, but should have been used MUCH more sparingly than it did. That brought down the rating a bit - especially as I read this as an audiobook, so couldn't just skim those parts.
The Dragonet Prophecy - Tui T. Sutherland, 3/5, Audiobook ~9hrs
Childrens fantasy, but written well enough that it's an enjoyable read for adults also. I liked it well enough, but it's very clearly the first in a longer series, so nothing was resolved.
I liked the world-building, and was fascinated by the ideas of dragons who didn't come into their powers until subjected to their natural environments - that was a really nice touch! I liked Clay, Tsunami and Glory, but didn't really feel like we got to know the others as well. I would have loved to see more of Peril though, and hope that she turns up again in later books.
Recipe for Love - Katie Fforde, 3.5/5, 400 pages
There was a lot to love in this book.
And there was a lot to roll my eyes at.
I LOVED all the descriptions of the competition. I wish there had been more of that. I'm a wanna-be foodie, and reading about the different challenges, and how the contestants completed them? Yes, please!
For much the same reason, I enjoyed reading about Zoe helping out in the kitchen as well and loved Fen and Rupert.
Cher was cartoon-like in her cattiness. Her narcissistic tendencies seemed realistic at first, but quickly went overboard, and Zoe was far too much of a doormat.
The relationship with Gideon was equal parts sweet and eye-roll worthy. Part of that was due to awkward writing, and part was due to it being shoved down the reader's throat, rather than letting it evolve organically.
At the end of the day, I found more to like than to dislike, and I'd definitely recommend it thanks to the contest ... but with a huge disclaimer.
The Space Between - Lauren Keenan, 3.5/5, 320 pages
I haven't read many books set in New Zealand - and especially not many historical novels set in NZ, so this made for a fascinating read about a period in time I don't know all that much about. It's very well-written, but naturally (given its subject matter) a fairly bleak book. It's ridiculous how horribly indiginous people were treated by colonizers no matter where they arrived. This book may have hit closer to home than most, as I've been to Parihaka Marae, and heard about not just the loss of land, but the loss of this land from people touched by it.
It was a bold move to use so much Te Reo Māori in Matāria's chapters, but I rather liked the fact that everything wasn't translated (even if I would have appreciated a glossary together with the bibliography and historical notes at the end of the book), and most things could be gleaned from context, so I don't feel like I missed out on much.
The Time-Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger*, 4/5, 18hrs
I had forgotten just how sad it is. There are a few chapters near the end that are almost depressing, and the NYE chapter had me sobbing.
There were also a few chapters that seemed almost pointless - I've never enjoyed reading about other people's dreams, and clearly this was no exception. The long descriptions of Claire's work bothered me less, as that seemed to help flesh her out as a character.
I'm nitpicking though. I still really enjoyed the book - even if I did downgrade it from 5 stars to 4.
Books Read: 21
Book of the Month: Probably "Sunshine on the Reaping", but it was a close call.
Biggest Disappointment: None this month.