Jacob Portman grew up believing every word of his beloved grandfather’s fantastic stories–the levitating girl, the invisible boy, the strong children. Grandpa Portman claimed to have grown up with them all in a special orphanage in Wales. As Jake grows older though, he realizes that the stories can’t possibly be true. After Grandpa’s shocking death, […]
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Well, I apparently decided to take a little summer break from my blog. I haven’t been reviewing, but I have been reading! Here’s what’s been going on in the month since the last time I participated in this meme. Posted: The Resurrectionist: […]
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink: Book Review
When Michael Berg is 15, he has an affair with Hanna Schmitz, who is over twice his age. The affair does eventually come to an end, but their lives are intertwined afterwards. This book should have been passionate, challenging, and emotionally wrenching. But I just felt too distanced from everything. I’m trying to decide if […]
The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly: Book Review
It’s been two years since the events of The Lincoln Lawyer and Mickey Haller is not on his game. His…medical problems… at the end of the first book have left him addicted to painkillers. He’s done a stint in rehab, he’s taken time off work to get himself together, and he’s starting to think about […]
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister: Book Review
One Monday night a month, a group of students gather in a quiet restaurant kitchen to attend The School of Essential Ingredients. Owner Lillian tells them from the beginning that she does not have a list of these “essential ingredients,” nor does she offer them recipes. “All I can say is that you will learn […]
The Resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth: Book Review
Dr. Spencer Black was a brilliant doctor whose career was derailed by an obsession with mythological creatures. He believed that anatomical deformities were not so much mutations as throwbacks to earlier days in the evolutionary timeline. He believed he could prove this by recreating creatures from fable and myth. If he could make them viable, […]
Weekly Update for May 27, 2013
Welcome to my weekly update for May 27, 2013! It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. In a little personal update, I’m excited to announce that I bought a new-to-me car on Friday! A Subaru Impreza. I was driving a 1997 Subaru Legacy and it was faithful and loyal but starting to show its age in […]
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd: Book Review
The Princes of Ireland follows the story of several Irish families, from the year 430 to 1538. Their stories are set against the larger backdrop of important battles and events in the history of Ireland. This really felt like three novels in one. The transitions between generations were very abrupt. I liked the first story, […]
Die, Snow White! Die, Damn You! by Yuri Rasovsky: Book Review
Synopsis from GoodReads: With the premiere of two new film versions of the Snow White tale, Blackstone enters the fray with its own adult, edgy, and not altogether serious full-cast exposé of fairy-taledom. At last it can be told! Was Snow White really as pure as the driven snow? Did her allegedly wicked stepmother get […]
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck: Book Review
John Steinbeck and his poodle Charley take off in a modified RV for a trip around the country. Will the real Jennifer G please stand up? I seem to have lost myself somewhere along the way. When did I become a fan of Steinbeck? Because I now have to admit that I am. I held […]
The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley: Book Review
3.5 Stars. This didn’t quite have the charm and originality of the first book, but it was still good. I think this one felt a bit too dark for me. I typically steer clear of books that involve children’s deaths. I know it happens, but I prefer to read in a world where it doesn’t. I guess I like to keep my head in the sand. The […]