I fell in love with Ms. Hildebrand when I read her book, Summer People, and was excited to pick up another one by her from my library. Barefoot was a great read, and I give it an A-.
From Amazon:
Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women- two sisters, and one friend- make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inhertied from their aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie. after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was cheating and learned she was pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household acting as babysitter, confidant, and eventually lover.
I thought that Elin Hildebrand is a great author and writes characters that are realistic and makes you feel something. Ms. Hildebrand brought me to the tiny cottage in Nantucket and I began to understand and like each of the characters. This was a perfect summer read, and one authop I hope to check out more of her books soon.
Showing posts with label new favorite authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new favorite authors. Show all posts
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
69. Land of a Hundred Wonders by Leslie Kagen
I've loved the two previous books by Ms. Kagen and was excited to read Land of a Hundred Wonders. While not as great as the other two books I've read, it was still a good read. I give it a B.
From Amazon:
The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and it’s so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.Armed with her trusty blue spiral note-book, Gibby figures that solving the murder might be her best chance to prove to everyone that she can become Quite Right again. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a world of corruption, racism, and family secrets in small town Cray Ridge. Lucky for her, she’s also about to discover that some things are far more important than all the brains in the world, and that miracles occur in the most unexpected moments.
I love the way the story was told through Gibby's mind, since she's NQR. It took me awhile to get used to the definitions of some "bigger" words thrown into the dialogue because that's how Gibby's mind works. It was quite clever of Ms. Kagen though, and made the book stand out. I thought some of the things were a bit far-fetched, however, so my scoring was lowered a bit. I've always been afraid to read books set in the 1950s and 1960s and Ms. Kagen has shown me they can be a ton of fun! I hope she is busy writing right now, because I am now out of books to read by her. I highly recommend you pick up one of her books if you haven't already.
From Amazon:
The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and it’s so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.Armed with her trusty blue spiral note-book, Gibby figures that solving the murder might be her best chance to prove to everyone that she can become Quite Right again. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a world of corruption, racism, and family secrets in small town Cray Ridge. Lucky for her, she’s also about to discover that some things are far more important than all the brains in the world, and that miracles occur in the most unexpected moments.
I love the way the story was told through Gibby's mind, since she's NQR. It took me awhile to get used to the definitions of some "bigger" words thrown into the dialogue because that's how Gibby's mind works. It was quite clever of Ms. Kagen though, and made the book stand out. I thought some of the things were a bit far-fetched, however, so my scoring was lowered a bit. I've always been afraid to read books set in the 1950s and 1960s and Ms. Kagen has shown me they can be a ton of fun! I hope she is busy writing right now, because I am now out of books to read by her. I highly recommend you pick up one of her books if you haven't already.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
61. Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah
I may have found a new favorite author. I love Ms. Hannah's voice and both of the stories I've read by her are extremely touching. I give Distant Shores an A-.
From Amazon:
Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young, raised two daughters, and weathered the storms of youth as they built a future together. But after the children leave home, they quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job offer, Elizabeth puts her needs aside to follow him across the country. Until the sudden death of her father changes everything.Grieving and alone, she retreats to an isolated beach house where she packs away the last remnants of her parents’ lives. There, the pieces of a past she never knew unfold to reveal a tender story of lasting devotion, the kind of steadfast commitment that Elizabeth admits is missing from her own marriage. Faced with her own disillusionment, she makes a terrifying decision, risking everything she has for a second chance at happiness. Enriched by soul-stirring emotion and an appreciation for the simple joy of everyday miracles, Distant Shores is an exquisite reminder of the most precious gifts in life: friends and family, children and lovers, the strength to change, and the courage to forgive–all flawlessly captured by the graceful hands of Kristin Hannah.
Ms. Hannah does an excellent job of making the characters real. While I found faults with both Elizabeth and Jack, I thought that just made them more realistic. Reading this story made me vow to keep working on my marriage each and every day. It's too simple to fall into that comfortable, relaxed, just get through the day mentality. I read this book fairly quickly and have to admit, I have already gone to library and get several more of Ms. Hannah's books. If you haven't read anything by her, I highly recommend you do so and fast!
From Amazon:
Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young, raised two daughters, and weathered the storms of youth as they built a future together. But after the children leave home, they quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job offer, Elizabeth puts her needs aside to follow him across the country. Until the sudden death of her father changes everything.Grieving and alone, she retreats to an isolated beach house where she packs away the last remnants of her parents’ lives. There, the pieces of a past she never knew unfold to reveal a tender story of lasting devotion, the kind of steadfast commitment that Elizabeth admits is missing from her own marriage. Faced with her own disillusionment, she makes a terrifying decision, risking everything she has for a second chance at happiness. Enriched by soul-stirring emotion and an appreciation for the simple joy of everyday miracles, Distant Shores is an exquisite reminder of the most precious gifts in life: friends and family, children and lovers, the strength to change, and the courage to forgive–all flawlessly captured by the graceful hands of Kristin Hannah.
Ms. Hannah does an excellent job of making the characters real. While I found faults with both Elizabeth and Jack, I thought that just made them more realistic. Reading this story made me vow to keep working on my marriage each and every day. It's too simple to fall into that comfortable, relaxed, just get through the day mentality. I read this book fairly quickly and have to admit, I have already gone to library and get several more of Ms. Hannah's books. If you haven't read anything by her, I highly recommend you do so and fast!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Acts of Love by Emily Listfield
I think I have found a new author to love and I feel like I may have to run out the library right away and glom Ms. Listfield's backlist. Acts of Love was a beautifully written story, one that I immediately thought about when I woke up, anxious to get back to it. I give Acts of Love an A-.
Inside cover:
In a suburb near Albany, New York, Ted and Ann Waring are waiting for their divorce papers. They are also flirting with reconciliation- especially Ted- until, back from a hunting trip with their two adolescent daughters, he loses his temper one last time.
Was Ann's death an accident, or was it murder? Thirteen-year-old Julia- already in trouble before her mother's death- testifies against her father, setting in motion a struggle that pits family, friends, and townspeople against one another and exposes the interlocking compulsions of husband and wife, parent and child, sister and sister. As the many layers of truth about the killing unfold in the courtroom and in the characters' lives, Emily Listfield's lean and potent prose reveals the ways in which the emotions and evasions of the past reverberate uncontrallably in the present. Here is a chilling drama of suspense and passion from an astute and elegant writer.
I love the way that Ms. Listfield tells Acts of Loves, starting with the present, and then alternating back and forth from the past, going as far back as when Ann and Sandy were still children. We learn a lot of secrets about everyone throughout the story, and though at times I was thinking "what does this have to do with the story?" it all soon came together. None of the characters are exactly likeable, but it just goes to show how real they seem to be and really come to life on the pages. I could really relate to a lot of the things Ms. Listfield writes about in marriage, and one particluar point sticks in my mind. When talking with her sister, she says she can't stand the noise her husband makes while eating a grapefruit and how sometimes she dreams of slamming the grapefruit in her husbands face. As my husband has been working less, and we have been spending more time together, little things like that do grate on my nerves, especially when he eats cereal. It just made me chuckle and shows how well Ms. Listfield writes about real life. I highly recommend her books to you if you haven't tried one of them before.
Up next is my last library book, Relentless by Dean Koontz. I have heard a lot of good things about it, so I hope it proves to be a good one as it will be my first Koontz book. I am looking forward to reading some of my own books, but now I really want to read some more by Ms. Listfield. Maybe I will read a few of my own, and then one of Ms. Listfield. I really want to read Waiting to Surface, which is loosly based on something that happened in the author's own life. Well, I am off... I would love to sneak in a few chapters of Relentless before bed! Happy Reading!
Inside cover:
In a suburb near Albany, New York, Ted and Ann Waring are waiting for their divorce papers. They are also flirting with reconciliation- especially Ted- until, back from a hunting trip with their two adolescent daughters, he loses his temper one last time.
Was Ann's death an accident, or was it murder? Thirteen-year-old Julia- already in trouble before her mother's death- testifies against her father, setting in motion a struggle that pits family, friends, and townspeople against one another and exposes the interlocking compulsions of husband and wife, parent and child, sister and sister. As the many layers of truth about the killing unfold in the courtroom and in the characters' lives, Emily Listfield's lean and potent prose reveals the ways in which the emotions and evasions of the past reverberate uncontrallably in the present. Here is a chilling drama of suspense and passion from an astute and elegant writer.
I love the way that Ms. Listfield tells Acts of Loves, starting with the present, and then alternating back and forth from the past, going as far back as when Ann and Sandy were still children. We learn a lot of secrets about everyone throughout the story, and though at times I was thinking "what does this have to do with the story?" it all soon came together. None of the characters are exactly likeable, but it just goes to show how real they seem to be and really come to life on the pages. I could really relate to a lot of the things Ms. Listfield writes about in marriage, and one particluar point sticks in my mind. When talking with her sister, she says she can't stand the noise her husband makes while eating a grapefruit and how sometimes she dreams of slamming the grapefruit in her husbands face. As my husband has been working less, and we have been spending more time together, little things like that do grate on my nerves, especially when he eats cereal. It just made me chuckle and shows how well Ms. Listfield writes about real life. I highly recommend her books to you if you haven't tried one of them before.
Up next is my last library book, Relentless by Dean Koontz. I have heard a lot of good things about it, so I hope it proves to be a good one as it will be my first Koontz book. I am looking forward to reading some of my own books, but now I really want to read some more by Ms. Listfield. Maybe I will read a few of my own, and then one of Ms. Listfield. I really want to read Waiting to Surface, which is loosly based on something that happened in the author's own life. Well, I am off... I would love to sneak in a few chapters of Relentless before bed! Happy Reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
