Wednesday, October 8, 2014

What I Read Wednesday

The Bone Clocks: A Novel
This book. I don't know where to begin. Well, let me start with this: Amazon had mostly positive reviews so take me with a grain of salt. I loved the first 200-300 pages. Loved them. I was connected to the characters. I loved the storyline. And then...it was miserable. I finished it because I had already read the half the book, but seemingly, the characters I became connected to didn't matter that much in the grand scheme of evil forces trying to take over the world. Then why did I need all that backstory?! Why? What was the point? I was so thankful to finish this one that I had a tough time picking up another book because it was such an awful, frustrating read. A week later, I can't even really tell you what it was about, except that some people hear other people, whether living or dead, and some people when they die, they don't really die, they inhabit another body and their soul lives on but it's not really like reincarnation totally because sometimes they can kill someone to take their body or they find a person who is dying already and that's all I remember. DONE. If you read this book and liked it, please tell me why.

The Paying Guests
This was a lengthy book, which made me nervous because the last one was, too. However, this did not disappoint. Part period piece, part thriller, this tells the story of Frances and her mom, forced to take it lodgers ("paying guests") after the death of Frances' dad. At first, France's is reserved and vows to keep a difference, then she allows her guard to lower and finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of love and anger. I stayed up late to finish this one. Although it starts slow, the pace picks up about halfway through and grabs you.

Stone Mattress: Nine Tales
I love Margaret Atwood but don't love short stories. However, this book did not disappoint. The first half featured short stories with interconnected characters, which I love. The second half was fantastic, as well. Some chilling, some realistic. The title piece focused on a woman who was wronged, horribly, by a high school "boyfriend." Decades later, she tracks him down on a cruise, intent to kill. My favorite was probably "Torching the Dusties," told from the point-of-view of a mostly blind woman in a retirement home, living in a world where people have uprisen against the elderly. It was unsettling, to say the least.

The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch)
Shane started reading this series, so I thought I would check it out. Very enjoyable! In this world, a Spook is the man who guards towns from evil spirits, witches, boggarts and others. Although the Spook is necessary, no one likes to be near him, so Thomas(The seventh son of a seventh son and 30th in the line of boys who have tried to be the Spook's Apprentice) is naturally cautious about his new job as the Spook's Apprentice. This book details his early adventures of learning and sometimes failing. It was a quick, easy read and I'm interested in the next.

What are you reading?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I am reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I am enjoying it now that I am far enough along to keep all the characters straight and understand how they relate to one another.

Barb Ruess said...

I read Maze Runner this week and didn't really like it that much. I kept waiting to like it and wanting to like it more... it just never clicked for me.