The Pirate and the Pagan

The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This silly book is one of my "guilty pleasure" books. I love the English history she weaves into the story, the descriptions of court, and the pirates. I'm a sucker for a good pirate story.

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The Eleventh Plague

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was just ok. The plot and characters were underdeveloped and it felt like fleshing out both would have made it a trilogy, and potentially more enjoyable. Not great, not terrible.

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The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story

The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book, although I wanted to love this book. It was almost like gossiping with someone at a party; the stories were short and lacking in detail, but interesting if you love reading about the space race. I only recommend it if you already know a lot about the astronaut corps and the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, otherwise I think it would be hard to keep all of the wives straight.

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Endless Night

Endless Night by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought I owned and had read every Agatha Christie book, but somehow I missed this one. It's quite unlike her other work. The first 3/4 of the book is about the main character's relationship, courtship, and marriage, then boom! Typically Christie plot twist. All of the pieces fell together. She really was the master of mystery.

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Until I Say Goodbye: A Book About Living

Until I Say Goodbye: A Book about Living by Susan Spencer-Wendel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Until I Say Goodbye is a memoir by a journalist dying of ALS. At times it was hard to align with her, as she lived a life of upper middle class and above, but I could relate to her feelings as a wife and mother. I can't imagine how hard it was to stay positive throughout her diagnosis and deterioration, but she did her best to share her journey. Worth a read.

*UPDATE: She passed away on June 4th of this year, making her story even more poignant.

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Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An enjoyable, easy read. Seemed a bit embellished and read like fiction in places. Bill O'Reilly is an ass, but the book is ok. I'll give Killing Kennedy a read too.

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Twilight (Twilight #1)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Oh, this book is silly, but overall I don't hate it. Bella is a complete Mary Sue and I wanted to punch her most of the time, and Edward with his brooding mixed signals made me roll my eyes so hard I nearly broke something. But then I reminded myself that it is written for a 14-year-old, not a grown woman in her forties, and I was ok with it. This book has sparked scores of future lovers of the paranormal, romance or not, and I hope all of them graduate to loving Harry Dresden as much as I do. The romance is clean, fulfills a lot of young girls' budding fantasies, and gets them reading. A win all-around.

P.S. Everyone who reads this should read The Dresden Files series. Seriously. Harry is a million times better than Edward. Or Jacob. Or pretty much anyone.



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Coraline

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Coraline. It's a children's book written for adults. It's an adult book written for children. Somehow it's both, and it's scary, and delightful. Just read it. Gaiman is a pro at creating scary worlds that suck you in until you can't bear to put the book down. Good stuff.

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Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the things I enjoy most about Jodi Picoult's novels is the interesting worlds she explores. Much like Dick Francis, I leave her novels with my interests piqued about whatever topic she covers, and I want to continue learning more after I am done. In this book, she centers her family drama around wolves and wolf behavior. It wouldn't be a Jodi Picoult book without family dynamics, a medical or legal issue, and an interesting topic. I enjoyed this one. 4 stars.

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A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure.

A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure by Marlena DeBlasi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ah, Tuscany! High on my bucket list, and this book just whetted my appetite further. I can imagine living in this old farmhouse in the ancient village, creating traditions and eating good food. Delightful.

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