Review: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, that was interesting. Not overly fun, but a decent read. Someone who loves Laura? Check. Someone who has read the books a hundred times? Check. Someone who wants to uncover the history behind the books? Check. Sounds like me. She even churns butter.

I would be interested in taking the same trip, but now I don't necessarily feel I need to. Thanks, Wendy! If you love the Little House books, you will probably find this a decent read. 3 stars.



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Review: Mission to Murder

Mission to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jill, Jill, Jill. You are silly. But I found you less annoying in this book, slightly. Your boyfriend Greg is amazing and is very much like my husband. You need to lock that down, stat.

Jill finds herself smack in the middle of a murder, and is once again the prime suspect. Seriously? I think there are 400 people in this town, and Jill is always stepping in it. Add the Scooby Doo-style wrap up with the villains at the end and I had to deduct a half star.

However, I am a sucker for a quick mystery, so I will of course read book 3. Feel free to judge me! 2 1/2 stars, rounding up to 3 because I love Greg and her dog Emma.

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Guidebook to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery #1)

Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First of all, you can rarely go wrong with books about books. And while I was hoping there would be more book shop in this one, I still enjoyed this cute cozy mystery.

Jill owns a book shop in small town California. Her friend dies and she inherits her house, but it turns out to be MURDER. Because it has to be murder to get into a cozy groove. Like you would expect, Jill does her best to solve the crime with the help of a sexy cop and a few sidekicks. It's cute. The mystery is a little jumbled up, but it all makes (some) sense by the end and the characters are fun. I will read book 2.



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Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It's official; I love Rainbow Rowell. This is the third book I have read by her and I can safely say now that I love her work. She writes realistic, flawed characters and I always feel like I can relate. Her relationships have rung true for me in all three books. And while I don't write fan fiction, I can completely understand Cath's social anxiety and just plain being an introvert. When you find yourself nodding your head to scenes as you read, you know you have found the right author for you. Loved it. 4 stars.



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Shakespeare Saved My Life

Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"People just put themselves into so many prisons."

I found this book through Overdrive's Big Library Read, a global eBook club through your local library. If you haven't participated, you should. It will introduce you to some books you might not have found on your own.

Laura Bates must be crazy, or a saint. She dedicated a large chunk of her time to teaching Shakespeare to convicts in solitary. Along the way she meets an interesting enigma of a man In Larry Newton.

As a memoir, it's a bit dry. I never really felt her passion for teaching Shakespeare in prison. I still don't feel like I know Laura Bates at all--it was very surface. However, I found Larry Newton to be a fascinating mixture of bad decisions and interesting self development. It makes me wonder how many others could find something to help them grow with the right topics and teachers.

Overall a three-star read. Not life-changing but still interesting.



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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Just like Juliet, I have fallen in love with Guernsey. I want to pack my bags and live there and join their literary society. I am enchanted.

Journey back in time through a series of correspondence between author Juliet Ashby and the people of Guernsey Island following the occupation of World War II. But beware--you might find you leave a piece of your heart behind. Funny, sweet, dramatic, and curious, I was so absorbed. I just loved this book. I loved everyone in the literary society, especially Dawsey. And I loved the ending, and felt it was the perfect ending to a beautiful book.



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Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I love books about books, and I love books about grief. This book covers both.

Nina Sankovitch's sister was diagnosed with cancer and died four months later. In an attempt to work through her grief and terrible loss, she sets a goal to read and review a book a day for an entire year. She and her sister shared a love of books right up until the end, and she felt it would be a fitting tribute to their relationship while helping her heal.

First of all, I'm jealous. I know I shouldn't be since it took the death of her sister to help her reach this goal, but I am. I would love to have the ability to read a book a day. Fortunately the author was a stay-at-home mom during this time and had 6-8 hours of time per day to knock out her books. She has a remarkably patient husband. He sounds great and she is lucky to have him. Secondly, I found so many books to add to my TBR shelf that I may never work through them all. Conveniently the author lists all 365 books at the end so you too can load up your TBR shelf with hidden gems. But mostly I enjoyed reading how she tied the books she read into working through her grief while still being a mother of 4 and a wife of 1. Definitely a book for book lovers!



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The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It took me a while to get into the story, but in the end I enjoyed it.

You might find yourself bogged down with Eco's need to show you how much he knows about monks, religious rites, and history. Descriptions are everywhere--you practically drown in them. But wade through it all and you will find Brother William, a Medieval-era Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Adso. William notices details that others overlook. He comes to the monastery as they have just discovered a suicide. Several deaths follow as William and Adso work together to figure out what is happening. The monks are quite naughty, and the mystery is solid.

It wasn't a quick read due to the tremendous amount of details Eco adds, but it is a good book. Now off to watch the movie!



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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I adore books about books! Once a bookseller, always a bookseller.

I'm not even sure what to say about this book because I don't want to give away too much of the plot. A.J. Fikry is a widowed bookstore owner on Alice Island, living a lonely existence above his shop and drinking too much in the evenings, until something happens in his shop that changes his life. Peppered with literary references, smart dialogue, and interesting characters, the community of Alice Island, Massachusetts comes alive (and yes, it's a real place, and yes, I would like to visit it, but only in the summer).

I will admit, I got a little teary-eyed at the end. Don't tell anyone, but I'm sometimes sappy about love, life, and books. And this novel has all three.



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