The Night Circus
@sassymonkey went to BEA and all I got was a really awesome, amazing, unforgettable book (an advanced copy.) WIN for me! (OK I got some other books but this is the first one I’ve read…)
The Night Circus was… Magical. Fabulous. Creepy. Beautiful. Fascinating. Frightening. Overwhelming. Awe-inspiring. A-Freaking-Mazing.
I’m talking about both the book and the Le Cirque des Reves.
This is the kind of book that I want to devour in one sitting. But it’s also the kind of book that I wanted to put down and think about – to really dig into the imagery. I wanted to know how it all ended but I was sorry to see it end. (And it ended so very well, I think.)
This one… might be the best book I read all year.
You should pre-order now. I’m actually wondering whether I’d like it just as well on audio and am considering buying it on audio. That my friends is how much I like this story.
Creep
Last week TW was mumbling about a book creeping her out. I was surprised because not many books creep her out. I’m the one with corn field issues and stuff. Then, we were in the car and a Radiohead song came on. She said, “I’m glad they aren’t playing Creep” which confused me because I like Creep. I could not imagine any circumstance where I would be unhappy to hear Creep on the radio. I shrugged it off and just chalked it up to being a weird TW thing that could not ever really be explained – or understood.
And then I started reading Creep.
I guess I understand why it creeped her out. Though oddly enough, it didn’t really creep me out. No cornfields, I guess. It wasn’t til the end when I figured out why Creep, the song, was on TW’s creeped out list. That… was pretty creepy. Well maybe not creepy, just ugly.
The book was good in a bad things happen to good people (and to sex addicts, as well) kind of way. Nice little twist at the end – we should all remember that homeless people are not STUPID and when they tell you someone is BAD, maybe you should consider the possibility. I’m not creeped out by listening to Creep (I tried it earlier today just to be safe) and I wouldn’t mind reading the sequel because it sure seems like there’s going to be a sequel.
Ink Flamingos
I downloaded Ink Flamingos to my Kindle app, which annoyed TW since she does not like e-books but she does like the Tattoo Shop Mysteries. I couldn’t help it, I really wanted to read it and I think it would be a good book to read in airports and on planes, which it sort of was – I read about half of it during the trip to/from BlogHer 11 (and that’s pretty much the only thing I read for an entire week!)
I really like The Tattoo Shop Mysteries and I mostly like Brett but sometimes I just want to kick her. She’s so awesome and then she does something really stupid – like drink absinthe with a guy she doesn’t even like. What would lead her to make such a stupid mistake? She’s not a stupid woman. Whatever. I got passed that and appreciated the role the flamingo tattoo played in the mystery.
Hmm. Maybe that’s the tattoo I should get… a flamingo, just like Dee’s.
Madame Tussaud
It took me WEEKS to finish Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution and it really shouldn’t have. Not with all of the discussions we’ve had this year about this particular era. Or maybe that was part of the problem? I kept hearing Elly talking about Marat and Charlotte Corday and “Let them eat cake” and all of that nonsense, so I was too distracted to read Moran’s version of the events? Nah, that’s not it. That should have made it more fun. I think it was just timing. Timing can be everything with a book like this and I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I cannot read just prior, during, or immediately following a BlogHer conference. I’m going to just stop trying.
So – Madame Tussaud, kind of loved it. I think I’d like a sequel. Or I think I’d have liked to have had the book stop with the hanging of Robespierre and begin the sequel there. That would have been excellent. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and after the reign of terror, we’re just kind of dumped into the ending. Marie survives reign of terror. Marries asshole. Has three children. Leaves asshole. Goes to England. Does stuff. The end. All in one quick ending.
Poof. After all of that… I wanted more story and less wrapping up. (Oh. I just looked at some reviews of Moran’s books and this is her pattern – and some people who aren’t me also find this troubling. Good, I thought it was just me.)
Otherwise – pretty darn good book, particularly if you have an interest in the Reign of Terror or Madame Tussauds.
The Memory of Water
After reading The Beach Trees for the BlogHer Book Club, I decided I needed to read some more books by Karen White – The Memory of Water was the only one I had a chance to read before TW took the others back and it was excellent.
I’m normally a little skittish about books set in Charleston or even around Charleston but this one, set in McClellenville was just right. It made me homesick, as any book about the Lowcountry should. The ending made me a little sad but I think it was the right ending for such a traumatic story.
The Memory of Water Read More »