December Break

A break ALWAYS means a chance to read a few extra books! I feel as though I’ve been reading the last title for a long while. Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra was a tough one for me to get through. This is another random selection from my public library’s new releases section.

This book felt as though it went in circles. It was repetitive and a bit dragged out. I kept waiting for something to come together with the porcelain dolls and the drug epidemic. I thought it would’ve made for a good story if the dolls were being used to smuggle in drugs. Quite a difference from the doll’s actual origin, SPOILER!, a lonely old woman from a well-known family in town kindly giving them to children she is trying to cheer up after losing their friend to a fire. A fire which never really killed him in the first place.

Overall, this book had odd elements that were never resolved for me. The paper plate kids (so odd), the corrupt cops (Frank becoming a complete alcoholic by the end of the book), Will’s presence, and the strange switching between points of view to name a few.

This book led me in circles and left me dizzy.

I have a stack of three more books and only about five days of my December break remaining. Next up is Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin which is added by my daughter’s recommendation.

Twists and Turns

My latest read, Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton, was a great find. I happened to pull this one randomly while browsing the New Releases section of my public library. I love when I choose a book solely on my interest in the book jacket and teaser and it turns out to be a gem!

The story is set in England, beginning with a group enjoying a hot air balloon until they suddenly witness a murder. The killer sees the group and sets off after them. There is one survivor, and the murderer is intent to find her. The story builds background of the woman survivor and how she came to be on the balloon. The murderer has a lot more to cover up than this one incident. Patrick Faa, and his family, are heavily involved with the business of organ donation in a completely illegal way.

This story was so unique that it kept me interested for the whole ride.

Random Choice

After reading a few kid books, I’m ready for some adult time. I had some credit to use with my Amazon Kindle and found a review for KL Slater’s The Mistake. A review of “You won’t be able to put it down” gets me almost every time, along with comparisons to Gone Girl and The Girl on a Train (love both of these).

Overall, this read was a nice break, but nothing I would rave about. The controlling, horrible boyfriend made me absolutely crazy. I hated him and was aggravated with Rose for putting up with him as long as she did. This is a credit to the author’s ability to create a solid character. Rose’s brother Billy’s death and finally finding out “who done it” was somewhat forced for me though. Not a big shocking surprise, but rather a… really?

So it will be back to kid literature for a while. Next up will be more of the Intermediate Nutmegs while keeping my eyes and ears open for the next adult novel.

Two for Two

Why two for two? Well these first two reviews are good reads, but not personal favorites. Next up is Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire. Tough one for me. It was the type of book that I wasn’t really into, but felt compelled to finish since it was recommended by a respected library friend.

I enjoyed Maguire’s Wicked when I first read it quite a while back. This book didn’t match up. It was long, wordy and left me waiting for some excitement. It’s the tale of Drosselmeier’s back story from his childhood as a foundling, through his wanderings into adulthood. The book comes to a close with the story of how the infamous Nutcracker was built, and how it waited through a couple generations before becoming a gift to his goddaughter Klara. Intertwined with this was the strange near-death experience as a child in which Drosselmeier encounters Pan and Pythia. I have to admit my Greek mythology knowledge isn’t too strong. Perhaps I could appreciate this underlying story better if I did my research first.

I think Hiddensee will appeal to those into fairy tale worlds and language. For me, my mind wandered a bit too much through the tale to keep it all straight.