Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Summer Reads 2017

I've enjoyed reading a few good books this summer, and thought I'd post a mid-year review!

First up: The Mysteries

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair – by Joel Dicker

In the first mystery novel I read this summer, a young writer investigates a murder that took place 30 years ago. The victim was a 15 year old girl and the suspect is the writer's friend, a successful professor and writer himself, who apparently had an affair with the girl 30 years earlier. In the small town of Somerset, it seems like everyone has some secrets to hide, and there are many surprises as the author digs up what happened all those years ago. 

This was a page turner, and I liked the book until the end, when there's one big plot twist that's a little too far-fetched. You also have to suspend some disbelief at Harry and Nola's relationship - a 32 year old and a 15 year old falling in love over the course of three months that summer? But it did keep me guessing and I didn't figure out who murdered Nola ahead of time. Rating: 3/5

A Study in Charlotte - by Brittany Cavallaro

This was a young adult novel, and a fast easy read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The two main characters are Charlotte Holmes, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, and Jamie Watson, a descendant of John Watson. The two teenagers meet at a prep school and become involved in a murder investigation when they become suspects in the case. There are elements of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories that I loved, but Brittany also manages to create two unique characters that are fun to get to know! 
Rating: 3/5

Everything I Never Told You - by Celeste Ng

"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." So begins this sad story. I thought it would be more of a mystery, but it was mostly about the struggles of a Chinese American family living in small town Ohio. Lydia was the daughter of a white mother who was always trying to stand out, and a Chinese father, who was always trying to fit in. As the favorite child, Lydia experienced undue pressure from both of her parents, and living up to the impossible standards led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in her death.

I found some parts to be an insightful look into racial issues, the struggles of fitting in, standing out, pleasing family, and living up to expectations... but ultimately it just seemed so melancholy and depressing. I couldn't figure out why the the parents couldn't communicate better- with their children and each other- and how they could make so many assumptions about each other, without spending the time to get to know one another's true feelings. In the end, it was a bit frustrating. Rating: 2/5

Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger

This is a coming-of-age story along with a mystery. Frank Drum recounts his experiences in the summer of 1961 in New Bremen, Minnesota, when he was 13 years old. That summer, death visited Frank's small town in many forms: Accident, Suicide, Murder. Frank has to grapple with the aftermath of these tragedies, and in the process learns about faith, grief, hope, and responsibility. This isn't a thriller. It's a story about family, brotherhood, wisdom, and the grace of God. There are some beautiful moments, especially between the brothers, Jake and Frank. Rating: 4/5

The Life We Bury - by Allen Eskens

This was probably the most fast-paced out of all the mysteries, but the most straight-forward crime. However, unlike a lot of other thrillers which have some implausible twists, this mystery made sense. Even though I suspected the culprit long before I found out who it was for sure, I still enjoyed reading the book. Joe Talbert, the main character, interviews Carl Iverson, a convicted murderer, and cannot reconcile Carl's heroism in Vietnam with the despicable acts he supposedly committed. I wish Joe and Carl had more interactions in the book, but I really enjoyed seeing Joe and Lila's relationship develop. This book was fun, intense, and I couldn't put it down! 
Rating: 3.5/5

The Silence of the Sea - by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

This book is a top-selling Icelandic crime novel, but I think it may have lost something in translation. The story tends to drag a bit in places, and the dialogue's a little stilted. It's a creepy mystery that vaguely reminded me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, as the characters begin to disappear off the yacht. The ending could have been better. Rating: 2.5/5

Next: all the other books I've read so far this year

The Little Paris Bookshop - by Nina George

This book looked so cute, but it ended up being sappy and overly dramatic. There were some great quotes about reading, but the book itself lacked personality. I almost didn't finish it. As one reviewer on Goodreads said, "This novel just did not work for me. I thought it was disgustingly sweet, poorly plotted, filled with cliches and bad dialogue, and I could not finish it fast enough." Rating: 2/5

The Nightingale - by Kristin Hannah

The first half of the book was kind of boring and lacked character development. I felt like I didn't really know Isabelle or Vianne at all. About 150 pages in, the sisters get more involved in the war effort, and then the book started getting better. The ending was really sweet and touching. Rating: 2.5/5

The Book Thief - by Markus Zusak

This book, like The Nightingale, takes place during World War II, but rather than focusing on occupied France, the Book Thief is set in Germany and follows the story of a young girl, Liesel, who is growing up under Nazi dominance. I loved Liesel and her friend Rudy and all of their adventures together. I could have done without the parts that were narrated by "Death"; and the way the author separated out some of the text into little blurbs with a heading was just unnecessary. I liked that it was more a coming-of-age story than simply another historical fiction novel about WWII. Rating: 3/5

A Man Called Ove - by Fredrik Backman

This was such a sweet story about a grumpy old man. Ove lives in Sweden, has a short fuse, and is rather set in his ways; but there's so much more once you get to know him. I don't want to give anything else away, but this is a must-read! I loved it. Rating: 5/5



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