249/300

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I thought this was a cute book about starting over and finding yourself. I am a sucker for people who leave everything behind to open an eating establishment, and that is exactly what happened here. When Holly is dumped by her boyfriend, she moves back to a tiny island off of the coast of the Maine where she spent summers with her grandmother. When her grandmother dies a couple of weeks later, Holly decides to take over her grandmothers take-out and restaurant school, despite not knowing how to cook. I thought the story was well done without being too cheesy (despite being stereotypical chick lit) and I found myself wishing there was more to the story after I finished it.



View all my reviews

248/300

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern




I have mixed feelings about Cecelia Ahern. I loved PS I Love You and I hated A Place Called Here. The Book of Tomorrow struck me as more of the latter, although I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it. Tamara comes from a life of luxury and never wanting, until her father commits suicide. This forces her and her mother to sell everything and move to the country with Tamara's aunt and uncle. I didn't find Tamara very likeable, but I really, really despised her aunt. She seemed to be unnecessarily cruel and heartless, while at the same time trying to come across as a martyr. The fact that there was a supernatural element to the book may have also been a part that turned me off, but that is an issue for me, not the book.



View all my reviews

247/300

A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


After loving Lehane's Shutter Island, I am trying to now go back and read his Kenzie and Gennaro series. I read one out of order before realizing it was a series and I am starting now from the beginning. Patrick and Angie are hired to find documents that a cleaning woman supposedly stole. There is much more to the story, though, and their lives are threatened a multitude of times. I thought the story was a little convoluted and it makes the city of Boston seem like the wild wild west, but I will still continue with the rest of the series.



View all my reviews

246/300

Ape House by Sara Gruen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was really hoping I would love this book as much as Water for Elephants and it did not disappoint. I was enthralled from the beginning. Isabelle lives in an ape's world. She does linguistic training with Bonobo apes and it is amazing to see how the apes can communicate. When an explosion at the center leaves the apes homeless and Isabelle injured, she does everything in her power to save the apes and make sure they are not being exploited. The story is touching and exciting and I look forward to more from Gruen.



View all my reviews

245/300

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Maybe it was a mistake to read this instead of Shadows of the Wind. But someone recommended both to me, and I chose to go with this one. From the beginning, I felt like a fool and I didn't want to tell the recommender it bored me because I felt dumb. Like I should be enjoying the lengthy descriptions and references to God. But I just didn't. In fact, I found the first 300 pages or so dreadfully boring. After that, I did become interested in how the story picked up and I wanted to find out what happened. The problem with that is that even though I finished the book a few hours ago, I'm still not really sure. Maybe it is because I was spacing out during some of the boring parts, or maybe I just don't have a mind for this depth. But overall, I am left unfullfilled.

I found Martin to be semi-likeable, despite the picture of him being portrayed as someone everyone is out to get. I really like Isabella and Senior Sempere but everyone else I could do without. There was so much death in this book, and it seemed like after each one, Martin simply picked up his coat and went on his way. I don't think I will be attempting any more Zafon.



View all my reviews

245/300

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was good. Everyone loves it. From my prior reviews, it is no surprise that I am not huge into YA. But this was cute and entertaining and wholesome. I think everyone can relate to Anna. Even if your parents never shipped you off to a foreign country to basically make themselves look better, everyone has had that time in their lives where they don't fit in. I hope more teen girls are reading books like this.



View all my reviews

243/300

Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Unfortunately, I read this book without knowing it was the fifth in the series. Luckily, I don't think that mattered too much as the stories seem like they can stand alone. Patrick Kenzie is a private eye who examines a case for a wholesome young woman. When the woman commits suicide, Kenzie decides to investigate what led to her death. This kept me interested the entire time, and I will definitely check out the rest of the series, starting at the beginning this time.



View all my reviews