Fiction

Maisie Dobbs: Pardonable Lies

2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Fiction, Mystery, Queer, Women /

Book three, Pardonable Lies was not my favorite Maisie Dobbs and not just because the narrator changed between book two and three (we’re doing this series on audio, now.)

Maisie was… not herself, which is probably as it should be but it made for a less fun adventure and a more serious, thoughtful story. I want the fun adventure with only a little bit of serious and thoughtfulness.

I also flipped from #TeamDean to #TeamInspector, Andrew Dean bugged me a lot in this one.

On to book four!

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The Passion of the Purple Plumeria

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria is my favorite of all the Pink Carnation books — that’s saying something.

I can also safely say that I’ve never really liked Jane.

And, I’ve always loved Miss Gwen.

I often find the 21st century pieces a little slow and just want them to get on with it or go away — in this book, I loved the entire storyline. I want that book!

Also, if you read this — don’t miss the interviews in the back of the book (I know I skip those sometimes, so don’t!)

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Afterwards

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Fiction, Mystery /

There were a half dozen books on the library cart with an 8/18 due date. I knew I couldn’t read them all and none could be renewed – so I asked TW to tell me which ones she thought I should read.

Afterwards was one of those books.

Oy. One of those books that makes moms have nightmares. It was good, (good enough for me to stay up past midnight to finish it), even though I had mostly figured it all out long before the author let us in on who did it (or all of the its, since there were several things going on.) That’s probably the only problem I had with the book — too many issues going on with Jenny. Yea, that made it twisty but only a little twisty. The stalker bit just never really worked well for me, I guess.

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Maisie Dobbs

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

I impulse picked Maisie Dobbs from a shelf at the library, not really knowing what I was getting myself into, (or really, TW into — since I picked it up with the assumption that TW would read it and I’d never manage to, because she reads really fast and I’m way behind on my TBR list.) I just liked the cover.

Turns out this is one of those series that slipped by me, unnoticed — that I totally should have noticed.

I love Maisie Dobbs. Love everything about her. Can’t wait to read all of the books in the series.

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The One and Only Ivan

2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction /

I’m not big on animal stories — particularly those that are fiction but based on a true story and extra particularly those written for kids. They’re just … too much.

So I didn’t expect to love The One and Only Ivan. The only thing it had going for it, in my early opinion, was that it was written by Katherina Applegate (who I really like.)

Turns out, I’m a sucker for books about gorillas and elephants and stray dogs and such. I’m awfully sad that I didn’t go to the Atlanta zoo and see Ivan in person before he passed away. That would have been cool. It also would have been cool if Ivan had really done all of those things to get himself and Ruby to the zoo…

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Out of the Big Easy

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

After seeing a lot of glowing reviews for Out of the Easy, I moved this one up higher on my TBR list. TW read it first (of course) and said it was good so I had high hopes, especially since I’m not getting a lot of reading done right now and I needed something to suck me in.

Boy did it. After just a half dozen pages, I was hooked — and I didn’t really put it down until I was finished.

Oddly enough, I was surprised to realize the book was written by the other of Between Shades of Grey (a book we listened to last year, on audio — for the Cybils Challenge.) All too often, YA authors write books that sound just a little too much like the last book (even when the books aren’t sequel) — not this one.

My mother’s a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind.

See, you’re hooked, aren’t you?

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Fang Chronicles: Zenya’s Story

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

I’m playing catch up with a bunch of series I’ve read on my Kindle — most of them written by BlogHer community members. Hmmm, all of them written by BlogHer community members — cool!

The latest is Fang Chronicles: Zenya’s Story — I’m torn by this one. I couldn’t put it down, literally, but I’m not sure I liked Zenya as much as I did in the previous book. Or even early in the story. She got kind of wishy washy there in the middle and it felt not quite right.

But, it all worked out in the end and I’m pretty pleased with how things are progressing. I’m especially excited about the next one. I could not figure out why Honey would do THAT… so the first chapter of the next book cleared things right up. I should have guessed. It’s gonna be a good one!

PS. The edit on this one was outstanding. OUTSTANDING.

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Swine Not?

2013, Books in Bed, Fiction /

TW loves Jimmy Buffet and I kind of make fun of her for it. Because she doesn’t just like him, she LOVES HIM!!! Because I make fun of her for LOVING Jimmy Buffet, she thinks I don’t like him or his books. Not true. I like his music ok and I’ve enjoyed his novels. I have never read A Pirate Looks at Fifty which is the book I’m most likely to make fun of TW about… she calls reading it a “transformative book”. I can’t even type that without cackling.

I know, I haven’t read it — maybe it IS? hahahahahaha

Anyway, she thinks I don’t like his books so when I held Swine Not? back from the back to the library bag, she questioned me (again.)

I like his fiction, damn it.

Swine Not wasn’t the best of the bunch but it was a cute story. I do kind of wish Helen, whose story inspired this book, would have written her own darn book because I’d really like to know about THAT — more than a made up story about the family, the big and the four-start hotel in NYC.

Cute enough.

Not transformative, though.

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