The flu has wiped out my memory of books read before Christmas and drained me of the energy to try to remember them long enough to write a review.
Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds...by April Lurie. You'll just have to take my word for it that it is fabulous. Set in 1978, it is the story of one girl--her friends, her family, her neighborhood. It all works. It's just a good, good, thoroughly enjoyable book.
Circle the Truth by Pat Schmatz. Bordering between reality and fantasy, this one explore's one young boy's faith crisis. Does he or doesn't he believe? If only I could remember more of my impressions...but alas....it is gone.
Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. Read this one the first week of December. Thought it okay. But a bit unbelievable in bits too. But not a bad read by any means. Again, if I could remember the details, I'd remember why I liked it as opposed to loving it. But I don't.
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy by Ally Carter. I liked this one. I do remember that much. I didn't love it as much as the first book. But I enjoyed it. Fans of the first, will most likely enjoying this one.
Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby. I have a personal bias. And it's not what you might think. Yes, it's about a teen boy who's getting ready to come out of the closet to his family, but that's not my bias. My bias? It's about horses. Personally, I'm not a horse person. I'm allergic to westerns even. Never went through the Black Beauty phase. Never went through the I-want-a-pony phase. Nothing. And the truth of the matter is, that this book is about a boy and a girl both coming from very different places who find comfort and friendship with horses and one another in some ways. Technically, it's not really about cowboys. It's about riding dressage. But a horse is a horse...still I admit that the parts narrated by Alex were enjoyable enough in most places. But the girl narrator, she just annoyed me. So I didn't really go for this one. But I think it is 90% me at least. I have no doubt the book will find readers who enjoy it thoroughly.
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger. Liked the main character. Didn't care much for bits of the story. It's got a whole Christmas theme where the dad is all over-the-top and Martha Stewart-y. He *insists* on going above and beyond the call of duty as far as decorations go about three or four dozen times. To the point where his family has to wear nineteenth century clothes so their neighbors can look in on them being all cozy. Add to the mix, a new friend of the MC, Grady, who
wants to be Tiny Tim and ride around on the dad's shoulder...and well...you've got my "huh???????" as a result. But this book is a good mix of dark and light. And I don't mean to make light of it at all. What it does with Grady is very well done. And I would have appreciated it more without the trying-too-hard-in-my-opinion festivities. But it's a good book. And I would imagine most readers wouldn't be as irritated by the family as I am. From others I've talked to, it seems I'm alone on this one annoying me in that aspect.
Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds...by April Lurie. You'll just have to take my word for it that it is fabulous. Set in 1978, it is the story of one girl--her friends, her family, her neighborhood. It all works. It's just a good, good, thoroughly enjoyable book.
Circle the Truth by Pat Schmatz. Bordering between reality and fantasy, this one explore's one young boy's faith crisis. Does he or doesn't he believe? If only I could remember more of my impressions...but alas....it is gone.
Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. Read this one the first week of December. Thought it okay. But a bit unbelievable in bits too. But not a bad read by any means. Again, if I could remember the details, I'd remember why I liked it as opposed to loving it. But I don't.
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy by Ally Carter. I liked this one. I do remember that much. I didn't love it as much as the first book. But I enjoyed it. Fans of the first, will most likely enjoying this one.
Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby. I have a personal bias. And it's not what you might think. Yes, it's about a teen boy who's getting ready to come out of the closet to his family, but that's not my bias. My bias? It's about horses. Personally, I'm not a horse person. I'm allergic to westerns even. Never went through the Black Beauty phase. Never went through the I-want-a-pony phase. Nothing. And the truth of the matter is, that this book is about a boy and a girl both coming from very different places who find comfort and friendship with horses and one another in some ways. Technically, it's not really about cowboys. It's about riding dressage. But a horse is a horse...still I admit that the parts narrated by Alex were enjoyable enough in most places. But the girl narrator, she just annoyed me. So I didn't really go for this one. But I think it is 90% me at least. I have no doubt the book will find readers who enjoy it thoroughly.
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger. Liked the main character. Didn't care much for bits of the story. It's got a whole Christmas theme where the dad is all over-the-top and Martha Stewart-y. He *insists* on going above and beyond the call of duty as far as decorations go about three or four dozen times. To the point where his family has to wear nineteenth century clothes so their neighbors can look in on them being all cozy. Add to the mix, a new friend of the MC, Grady, who wants to be Tiny Tim and ride around on the dad's shoulder...and well...you've got my "huh???????" as a result. But this book is a good mix of dark and light. And I don't mean to make light of it at all. What it does with Grady is very well done. And I would have appreciated it more without the trying-too-hard-in-my-opinion festivities. But it's a good book. And I would imagine most readers wouldn't be as irritated by the family as I am. From others I've talked to, it seems I'm alone on this one annoying me in that aspect.
1 comment:
Glad you're feeling better... and if it makes a difference, I never went through the pony thing either. I only got around to reading Black Beauty in the last year or so. Westerns aren't that great. Though I did kind of like Lonesome Dove by Louis L'Amor.
Anyway. Glad you're back.
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