Monday, May 27, 2019

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marouez

Started: 4/28/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 1967
Pages: 422
Genre: Literature
Grade F
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from Amazon): One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
Opinion: Again, another book that just wasn't holding my interest. I made it a good way and decided that since it wasn't holding my interest, to let it go.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Started: 5/4/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 1905
Pages: 272
Genre: Classic
Grade: F
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "'We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven?-Is he in hell? That demmed elusive Pimpernel'"
Opinion: I just couldn't get into this one. I read the first 6 chapters and decided that since I have so many other books to read, I wasn't going to keep with this one.

Sunday, May 12, 2019

The Triggerman's Dance by T. Jefferson Parker

Started: 5/11/19
Finished: 5/11/19
Year: 1996
Pages: 540
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "There were two men in Rebecca Harris's life: Joshua Weinstein-the tough, dark, passionate, Jewish FBI agent she was engaged to; and John Menden-the blond, WASP, slick newsman who was her lover. both men silently knew of the other's existence in Rebecca's life-and each hoped that when she made her ultimate decision between them, he would be the chosen one.
"Six months after Rebecca Harris was murdered in front of the Orange County Journal offices, Joshua Weinstein discovers the identity of the murderer: Vann Holt, a brilliant military tactician and leader of a right-wing private security organization. Now, all he needs is the proof. And the only person he knows who is as driven about avenging the murder is John Menden. Using the most sophisticated FBI techniques and equipment, this unlikely duo teams up to bring down the man that ruined their lives. But neither expects that the man who is their target will be quite so intelligent and cunning, nor his daughter quite so alluring."
Opinion: Decent read with most of the story focused on John Menden's character which was odd to me.

The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl

Started: 5/3/19
Finished: 5/11/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 358
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: won on Goodreads.com; review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "When Alison's beloved daughter, Amalie,drowns, her world turns impenetrably dark. Alison tries to hold it together throughout the bleak fall, but in the darkest days of the Norwegian winter, she completely comes apart.
"In another family, Amalie's passing is a new beginning. After years of severe health problems, young Kaia receives a new heart on the morning after Amalie drowns. Her mother, Iselin, has struggled to raise Kaia on her own, and now, things are finally looking up. She has even made an affluent new friend who has taken a special interest in her and her daughter.
"Alison knows she shouldn't interfere, but really, she's just trying to help Iselin and Kaia. She can give them the life they never had, and by staying close to them, she can still be with her daughter. Kaia is just like her, and surely, something of Amalie must live on in her. As her grief transforms into a terrifying obsession, Alison will not let anything stop her from getting back what she has lost."
Opinion: This was a decent read but I have a problem with the characterization of Alison. I can understand grief and blame but to become as problematic as she is in this book bothers me. A more complete review will be on MyShelf.com in the near future.

Monday, May 06, 2019

The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 3/8/19
Finished: 5/5/19
Year: 2013
Pages: 477
Genre: Mystery/suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "It was a 'million-dollar bullet,' a sniper shot delivered from over a mile away. Its victim was no ordinary mark: he was a United States citizen, targeted by the United States government, and assassinated in the Bahamas.
"The nation's most renowned investigator and forensics expert, Lincoln Rhyme, is drafted to investigate. While his partner, Amelia Sachs, traces the victim's steps in Manhattan, Rhyme leaves the city to pursue the sniper himself. As details of the case start to emerge, the pair discovers that not all is what it seems.
"When a deadly, knife-wielding assassin begins systematically eliminating all evidence-including the witnesses-Lincoln's investigation turns into a chilling battle of wits against a cold-blooded killer."
Opinion: Like most Deaver books, lots of twists and turns. Also is evident is the amount of research that Deaver does for his novels. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and he always comments about the amount of research he does to make his fiction more realistic.