February Books

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt (library book) - Meh.  Fine, I guess.  It made light of stalking, but I can't really gather enough steam to get to upset about the whole thing.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (library book) - I just felt sad after reading this book.  Just sad.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (library book) - So sad.  Beautifully done, but sad the whole way through.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (library book) - The girl on the cover of this book looks just like I did when I was a kid. I wanted to love this book, but instead I was disappointed.  It's just so SLOW.  Nothing happens in the book until you're more than halfway through.  I'm glad I kept going and finished the book, but I'm not sure I can recommend it, Newbery or not.

A Previous Engagement by Stephanie Haddad (free Kindle download) - This is no longer free and I really think it should be. It's just not memorable in any way except that the main character is delusional about her priorities in life.  If it were still free, I might suggest it as a fluff piece, but it's certainly not worth the $10.00 paperback price (maybe the $0.99 Kindle price, but...)

Dodge the Bullet by Christy Hayes (free Kindle download) - It was free. That may be it's only redeeming characteristic. It was fine, mostly readable (lots of typos, missing words, added words that made sentences confusing).  The main character was kind of clueless about life, but, hey, who isn't?

Diagnosis Death by Richard Mabry (free Kindle download) - I just learned that this is the third book in a series, but it's the only one I read.  Ha ha. I didn't need to read those other books.  This was an okay book, but I don't think it would withstand rereading.  Eh.  I feel like I'm being mean about all these free books I read. It's a medical mystery and maybe just not my genre.

Full Circle by Mona Ingram, South Beach Cinderella by Sharon Pitts, The Boyfriend Bylaws by Susan Hatler, and The Millionaire's Nanny by Carol Grace (free Kindle downloads) - Not bad books, but not great books.  Just ways to pass the time.

Among Others by Jo Walton (library book) - The diary of a young girl who loves to read with a dash of magic and fairies.  What's not to love?  Okay, fine, there are some completely valid criticisms of this book, but I'm going to stick my fingers in my ears and hum "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while you trash it. Sure, nothing happens.  It's true, I can't deny that the biggest failing of the book is a lack of plot.  But people trash my beloved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for the same thing.  As a matter of fact, I think Mor and Francie have a lot in common and while I didn't LOVE this book like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I liked it a lot.  I'm going to add all the novels she said were brill onto my own booklist.  I am going to tell people to read this.  So, um, read this.

Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb (Kindle book) - I really, really, really want the In Death series to be like it used to be.  But it's just not.  I am sad.  Visions in Death was the last excellent book in the series. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be reading any more of this series unless someone tells me that Roarke dies in a violent way and Eve goes back to her asskicking ways with Galahad by her side.  (More Galahad I say! Less - nay NO - Roarke!)

Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia - It's like Dawson's Creek in a book - a melodramatic soap opera where the good guys are nicer than nice and the bad guys are really bad and the world of grays and blues doesn't exist - with an inexplicable beginning and end with true love at first sight.  I'll be the first to admit that my Pacey love runs deep (call me, Joshua Jackson!), but Dawson's Creek was a joke on television, so imagine what it's like as a 400 page, never-ending book.