Maria's June Reads (x-posted to my journal)

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey*, 4/5, Audiobook ~3hrs
My favourite in the trilogy. I'm fascinated by the lives lead on Killashandra and the ways crystal affect the people there. Every time I read this I'm surprised at how short it is! I remembered it much longer.

The Yada-Yada Prayer Group - Neta Jackson*, 5/5, 385 pages
One of the few books I'd have rated 6 out of 5 if I could - even on my second read-through I just couldn't put it down. It's a very, very powerful book about the blessings of friendships, the importance of prayer, and the joy of trusting God in all things. It made me laugh, it made me cry, but most of all it made me want to turn my life around and get closer to God - not just in words but in actions too - to rediscover the power of prayer.

Knock on the Door, Emmy - Florence Crannell Means*, 3.5/5, 147 pages
This was one of my favourite books when I was younger... A position I'm afraid it can no longer hold. It was very obvious in this read-through that I enjoyed it for nostalgia's sake only, and would probably have found it somewhat boring without those rosy glasses.

Apart from Emmy, the characters all seem rather 2-dimensional, and even Emmy could be accused of having Mary Sue-like qualities. The plot is sweet and simple, but somewhat rushed and unrealistic in places.

It's always such a shame when childhood favourites don't pass the test of time

Zero at the Bone - Jane Seville*, 4.5/5, 293 pages
Not the type of book I usually pick up, but I knew the author and therefore trusted that the book would be well worth reading. And she didn't let me down - it was difficult to put the book down, as I kept wanting to know what happened next!

The plot is fast-moving and captivating - I was very intrigued about reading the ins and outs of the life of a hitman and a person heading towards witsec. Still the real strength of the novel lies in the characterizations and the dynamics between Jack and D. I loved seeing how Jack slowly but surely was allowed to see through D's facade and got under his skin enough to see him without his mask. Though there are several sex scenes, I wouldn't call them gratuitous at all, as they were necessary to explain D's "drawing out" and further the relationship between Jack and D.

The layout of the cover fits the book perfectly, but I do wish that the men had been drawn to look a bit older. To me they (and especially Jack) look like they're in their early twenties rather than their late thirties, making it hard to associate them with the characters in the book.

Definitely a page-turner, but if you don't like explicit sex-scenes, you should probably give it a pass. I could have wished them to "fade to black" a bit earlier myself, but that's based on my own comfort-levels more than anything else, and the intensity of the plot more than made up for it.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down - Neta Jackson*, 5/5, 400 pages
"The YYPG Gets Down" is a fitting continuation of the first book, and it raises an interesting question of forgiveness. Do we forgive even if the other person doesn't repent? Can we repent for the sins of others? (Like the Germans asking the Jews for forgiveness for the Holocaust) How can we accept God's forgiveness and learn to live with what we've done? And how do we cope if somebody we've wronged won't forgive us.

A powerful book, and a breath of fresh air. I need to remember to turn to these books when I feel like my spiritual life needs a 'pick me up'.

But why does Ruth have to speak like Yoda? Talks like this she does. Takes some getting used to.

Pitching My Tent - Anita Diamant, 3/5, 219 pages
I wasn't terribly impressed by "The Red Tent" by Diamant, but had heard many good things about this essay collection, so I thought I'd give her another try. I'm glad I did, because it was a very enjoyable read. Being neither a mother nor a Jew, there were many essays I couldn't relate all that much to, but being a wife and religious (even if it is Christianity rather than Judaism) there were many others that I could. Not a book that "rocked my world", but a pleasant pass-time.

I did enjoy this quote from it though: "Friends [...] are as essential as bread; as crucial as chocolate." Too true!

The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman, 3.5/5, 260 pages
A quick and enjoyable read, but it didn't get really good until the last 50 or so pages... and that's too late in a 260p book. The beginning was good as well, but much of the middle part seemed too much like the only Asimov book I've ever read (can't remember the title, but involved time travel via an elevator-like contraption) - too much travelling and too little experiencing what life was actually like at the different times.

What redeemed the book was the final 50 pages (as mentioned) as well as the fact that I really grew to like Matt and Martha. I wish the final 50 pages had stretched out farther though.

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love - Beth Pattillo, 5/5, 354 pages
In style as well as genre Beth Pattillo's novel most of all reminded me of the Mitford series by Jan Karon with a touch of a Jane Austen thrown in (okay... sometimes more than "a touch"... it was occasionally glaringly obvious, but I love P&P, so I'll let that slide ;) - a small tranquil town, a pastor and his wife, and the coming and goings of the people around them. The atmosphere of Sweetgum appealed to me, and I enjoyed reading about the friendships that grew between the ladies of the Knit Lit society.

Definitely one of the cosiest reads I've had so far this year. I couldn't put it down, and ended up going to bed much too late in order to finish it.

Bright of the Sky - Kay Kenyon, 3/5, 450 pages
It took me almost 2 weeks to read this book!! Very unusual for me. It wasn't that it was bad, it was just much too easy to put down. I wasn't intrigued by the story, and with so many other books I also wanted to read, I kept procrastinating. But this week I finally told myself to shape up and finish it... if for no other reason, then for my own 'job satisfaction' ;-)

The plot was actually quite well thought out, but Kay Kenyon totally failed to make me care for Titus Quinn, and therefore I wasn't really interested in knowing what happened to him, which made it difficult to stay motivated. Also Bright of the Sky practised my number one pet peeve in series - it spent the entire book setting up the universe and introducing the characters, so there was no time at all to resolve the plot.

I loved Sydney though, and wish we could have heard more about her. Her life among the Inyx was fascinating, and she seemed like a much more interesting character than Titus did.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real - Neta Jackson*, 5/5, 422 pages
Just as powerful as the first book in the series, this one really spoke to my heart and thus blew me away. The all-encompassing subject here is God is gracious, but that sometimes we need a swift kick in the behind to realize we need His grace. A powerful message, yet Neta Jackson manages to get it across without preaching at her readers. I'd challenge anybody to read it and walk away unmoved.

Reunion - Fred Uhlman, 2/5, 100 pages
I sometimes get the feeling that books about World War II ought to be highly rated simply because they're about WW2, and therefore I feel guilty when I can't in good conscience do that. I don't know why that is.

Anyway, this is one of those books where I can't rate it much higher than I did. I don't know what I expected of the book, but this wasn't it. At only 100 pages it's more of a novella than a novel, and because of the Danish translation of the title (Iron Gate) I had assumed that it took place in a concentration camp, rather than - as the case is - in a fairly upper-class school in Stuttgart, Germany. I know that's my fault and I can't blame the book for my misconceptions, but it still affected the way I viewed it.

That aside, the book was reasonably interesting, but neither emotionally nor intellectually engaging, with the exception of the very final paragraph. The end was thrilling, and for once I didn't mind the climax being left unexplained - it seemed to fit the rest of the novella. Still, it seemed more like it ought to be a couple of chapters in a much longer book, than a book in its own right.

Dronningeofret - Hanne-Vibeke Holst, 5/5, 661 pages
(The Queen's Sacrifice)
This third and so far final book in the series completely lived up the the expectations set by the two first books. I have no idea how accurate it is, but I still found it fascinating to read about the ins and outs of Danish politics as described from an insiders point of view.

After having read so many books set in the US, it was interesting for once to read a book set in Denmark, where I knew the places described, and could mentally "walk along" with the characters. All the references to actual current events did get a bit distracting though. It's very obvious that the framework of the book is Denmark in 2007-2008, so I'd be reading along, following a fictional account of the political race, and suddenly an event I remembered from the news would be introduced, or well-known political persona would be depicted with the same characteristica as their real-life counterparts - but just with different names.

Other than that, the book was excellent. There was a large cast if characters, but as most were repeats from the earlier books, that didn't confuse me, and skipping from having one person in focus to having another, meant that no one plotline ever had time to get boring before it moved on to the next.

It's a quickly read book. Despite being over 600 pages I finished it in one day.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough - Neta Jackson*, 5/5, 366 pages
I liked how this book had everybody involved - not just the Yadas, but their families as well. Josh is growing up to be an amazing guy, and I look forward to reading more about him in the next books. I'm looking foward to seeing more of Becky's growth as well.

Libri di Luca - Mikkel Birkegaard, 4/5, 447 pages
It's always frustrating to read a really good book in Danish, because I know the chances of it getting translated into English are very slim, and I want to recommend it to others and discuss it with them! (Edit: I stand corrected - it actually has been translated and was published as "The Library on Shadows" on June 9th, 2009)

And the first half of this book was "really good". The set-up was interesting, the writing captivating, I got really fond of both Jon and Katherina, and I was completely fascinated by the concept of influencing/manipulating others through reading.

Unfortunately, about half way through the book, a blatant plot-device was used to move the story along. I'd seen it coming a mile off, so it annoyed me that Jon and Katherina hadn't too, and that they were trusting and unsuspecting enough not to see it. The same effect could easily have been achieved in a different way.

The last 100 pages seemed rushed, and not as well thought-out as the rest of the book, leaving me not quite as blown away as I'd expected to be, and with a number of questions left unanswered.

The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling, 1.5/5, Audibook ~5hrs
I don't rightly get how this became to be a classic. I found it extremely boring and don't think it was purely because I was too old for it... besides, a true classic should be worth reading at any age, right?

I hadn't realized that The Jungle Book was basically a collection of short stories. I'd expected a novel, and therefore assumed the story of Mowgli would have been a lot longer than it was. Not that I minded terribly that that wasn't the case, because unlike Disney's Mowgli, I never really 'took' to this one. My favourite stories were by far Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal. The others were okay at best, mind-numbingly boring at worst.

I ended up mostly just skimming the last two stories. By then I felt I'd given the book enough of a chance to entertain me, so when I wasn't hooked after the first couple of pages of each, I moved on.

A shame, because I did want to like the book - but couldn't.

Deadly Angel - Fred Rosen, 1.5/5, 223 pages
I'm a big fan of true crime and court dramas both, so I thought Deadly Angel would be right up my aisle. Unfortunately the writing of the book did not live up to the premise of it. Fred Rosen did not manage to captivate me by the story, and numerous continuity mistakes and randomly inserted factoids made for very awkward reading (he obviously doesn't like Sarah Palin, if all the negative accusations about her are to be believed). The book would have benefited greatly from a thorough editor, who could weed out the unnecessary, take apart the story and put it together in a more concise manner.

The trial itself didn't actually start until the last third of the book, at which case I had already lost interest in the people involved and had guessed the outcome anyway.

There are a number of really excellent true crime stories out there - do yourself a favour, and give this one a miss.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught - Neta Jackson*, 4.5/5, 401 pages
I think "Gets Caught" is the weakest of the 5 I've read so far, but that just means it's a little less fantastic than the others. I still loved it, and know I'll be spending the next several days 'trapped' in the atmosphere and wanting to get hold of the last two books.

Neta Jackson makes me feel like I know these people, and that I'm right there next to them. Can't wait to see what happens with Edesa and Josh, and I hope the lessons Jodie learns will stick with me too.

The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle, 3/5, 165 pages
I just about dropped the book when I came to page 15 and read, "Your name is a golden bell, hung in my heart. I would break my body to pieces to call you once by your name". A good friend from New Zealand used to quote this to me all the time, and I never knew where she had it from. For that reason alone, I was inclined to love this book. Vanessa Jans, here's to you, wherever you are!

Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't really live up to my expectations. The writing was stilted, the sentences didn't always make sense and I hadn't come far before I realised that I actually didn't really care what happened to the unicorn! Not conductive to enjoying a book.

However, it's a short book, so I pushed through, and I was gratified to see that the ending wasn't as "happily ever after" as I'd feared along the way. The ending and the nostalgic touch of the quote brings the book up to 3 stars, where the writing, plot and characters would have left it at 2.

Book of the month: The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love. A very sweet and cozy book. It's closely followed by Dronningeofret though.
Biggest disappointment: Deadly Angel. I had expected so much more of it, but had to force myself to finish.

Comments

[sonneta.livejournal.com]

I hadn't come far before I realised that I actually didn't really care what happened to the unicorn!

That's part of the reason why I ended up giving up on that book- I didn't care what would happen to the unicorn. Plus I was maybe half way through or so, and just could not get into the story for the life of me. Decided I had wasted enough time on it, and stopped reading.