2123 Followers
106 Following
karen

Karen's books

It's not about reading to impress anyone else.  It's about reading for the sheer enjoyment of it all...

I Know It's a "Classic", But...

The legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving

I found this very disappointing and really struggled to keep going for all 47 pages.  For a short story, it was long-winded and overstuffed with huge descriptiveness but very little actual action.  And not in the least bit scary.  I'm probably the only person in the whole wide world who didn't like this one.  I appreciate that it's a classic, I respect the vocabulary and writing style of Washington Irving...  but I give this one a thumb's down.  Blah. 

Outstanding!

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches - Alan Bradley

How much did I love this story!!  My favorite of the series so far.  The writing is superb, the storyline engaging, and Flavia and household are always fun to spend time with.  When I listen on Audible (on my work commute) Jayne Entwistle brings it all to life perfectly - she is an absolute delight to listen to.   

First Dickens I didn't care for...

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

It's true, and I hate to say that I didn't like it, because I am a Dickens fan through and through.  But this was a tough one for me, probably because I never connected with any of the characters enough to really care about them.  Miss Pross was my favorite -- she actually DID something worth rooting for. Sydney's final act (of love I guess) hit me as rather selfish, his thoughts of never being forgotten for his sacrifice.  He does have a couple of the greatest lines in all of literature, I'll give him that.  Also, the French revolution has never held my interest, so the violence was way too much in my opinion.  The best part of the story is in the last 3 chapters.  

Always Fun Spending Time with Miss Flavia & Co.

Speaking from Among the Bones - Alan Bradley

Another fun read is this book #5 in the Flavia de Luce series.  Don't want to spoil anything, but when you reach the final page...  let's just say I'm glad book #6 was on my shelf ready to open! 

Take The Time to Read This One

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer: A Novella - Fredrik Backman

I have become such a huge fan of this author, ever since his A Man Called Ove. This one is a "novella", and is, I think, 77 pages long.  Quick read.  But it's powerful and will stay with me forever.  

So, So, So, So, SO GOOD!

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry: A Novel - Fredrik Backman

This book is now on my favorites-of-all-time list. Honestly one of the best books I will ever read.  

WOW!

Waltzing With Wildlife: Ten Things NOT to Do in Our National Parks: Vacation Survival Tips - Carolyn Jourdan, Bran Rogers

Get this book, read it, and keep it handy to re-read, especially if you're taking a trip into a National Park or anywhere there's wildlife.  This quick read is packed with invaluable tips -- sounds simple and told with humor, but definitely could save your life if ever in one of these situations.  Also, it's a reminder not to be stupid in the wild.  Great illustrations, too!

Talking to Skeletons: Behind the Scenes with a Radiologist (X-Ray Visions Book 2) - Carolyn Jourdan

This is my author friend Carolyn Jourdan's companion book to her "Radiologists At Work: Saving Lives With the Lights Off".  I want to get it read and give her a review!  Hope to have it finished by tonight. 

Marnie - Winston Graham
This book was a lot of work for me to read. I started on it in November 2016. I liked the premise at the beginning, but then a few chapters in I lost interest and didn't like the change in the main character (she wasn't going in the direction I was hoping for, so it's all on me.) I left the book alone, although I continued to carry it around in my work bag every day as a reminder. Finally I picked it up again and trudged on. At about the halfway point the story got much more interesting and then the ending was a twist I had not anticipated at all. Overall I liked it. Would I recommend it? Maybe.
 
 
 

Author hits a home run with this one!

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

This story kept me riveted the whole way.  And unlike another of Kristin Hannah's books - (I won't name it because I'm sure it's a favorite of many) that I read and liked right until the last chapter because it seemed rushed, forced, and too tidy, - this book had a very satisfactory ending for me.  I learned some things, as well, about WWII that I don't think we tend to remember and that we should never forget.  Wow, I'm rambling...  sorry.  I just finished this so it's all very fresh in my head and heart, and I would recommend it highly as perhaps this author's best book yet. 

Wow. Just. Wow.

The Birds  -  Daphne du Maurier

So... my eldest son tells me he's on the last page of his homework assignment tonight...  he's reading The Birds by Daphne du Maurier!  Since she is the best suspense writer of all time, in my opinion, I tell him to please hand over the book when he's done so I can finally read this tale. And that is exactly how I spent the last hour.  Thank you goes out to his English teacher for exposing these students to what truly great story-writing looks like. 

Enjoyable start to finish!

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows - Alan Bradley

I think I'd have to say this might be my favorite book of the series so far.  And that is saying a lot, because time spent with Miss Flavia de Luce is always fun!  

No Recommendation From Me -- Poorly Written and Repetitive

The Murdered Family - Mystery of the Wolf Family Murders - Vernon Keel
— feeling booklikes

Good Classic Stuff!

Silas Marner - George Eliot

This book was chosen by a member of my local book club because it was recommended to her and one that she had always wanted to read.  I was not even familiar with the title, although I have certainly heard of the author.  For me the story doesn't really pick up steam until about the half-way point, and then I had a hard time putting it down until I finished.  Loved it!  So fun to discover classics like this! 

Thumbs Way Up!

True Grit - Donna Tartt, Charles Portis

Wow!  I highly recommend this book to any age reader.  Masterful storytelling. 

Reading progress update: I've read 137 out of 391 pages.

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley

So good to be back with my old pal, Flavia de Luce!