I went into Christmas from the Heart expecting a fluffy and cheesy romance, kind of like a Hallmark movie, which I confess I enjoy watching from time to time. So there I was, all settled in with my glass of wine and a warm blanket, cozy as can be. But almost immediately, I could tell this story lacked what a compelling Hallmark movie always has: a likable female lead.

Livi runs a charity, and a large part of her job is getting funding for it. But she's so pushy and obnoxious that it sets my teeth on edge. When Guy tells her that his company cannot contribute to her charity this year due to financial issues, she badgers him relentlessly while bad-mouthing him to everyone she knows. He feels bad, so he sends her a check for a few hundred dollars, to which she responds by writing a belittling thank-you note back. When they meet in person, and she doesn't know who he is but can see that he has money, she immediately latches onto him for funding, all the while bad-mouthing Guy to him, not knowing they're the same person. At some point, Livi even acknowledges that she feels entitled to the money.

Honestly, I'm a bit in shock that this is the characterization of the main female character. The author seems to be trying to say that Livi is the kind and generous charity do-gooder while Guy is the Scrooge, but actually wrote it such that Livi comes across as the gold-digging villain while Guy is the reasonable one. It makes no sense to me that Guy falls for Livi when she essentially acts like an entitled princess who must get her way.

Speaking of unlikable characters, there is a local guy Morris who pines for Livi in the story. He hangs around her like a puppy, running errands for her and basically acting like her slave. He badgers her constantly to get back together with him even though she has told him multiple times that she doesn't want to. But then she strings him along, sucking up to him so that he would do favors for her. The two of them deserve each other, so it's sad that they weren't the pairing that got together in the end.

Every year during this time, I try to fit in a few seasonal books to get in the spirit. But inevitably I get distracted, and the holidays seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. When January arrives, I look at my pile of holiday reads and admit defeat. But not this year. This year, I did it! It's just too bad it was a cold-hearted read instead of the heartwarming one I was hoping for.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

The premise of The Whisper Man is soo good. A serial killer whispers to kids to gain their trust, then abducts them in the dead of the night. The police thought they had caught The Whisper Man, but 20 years later, signs indicate someone using his modus operandi is back. And father and son duo Tom and Jack could be the next target.

The thing my brain can't wrap itself around is this: how can a thriller be so slow? Plodding doesn't even begin to describe the majority of it. The book crawls along, so sluggishly that I resorted to fidgeting and pinching myself just to break up the boredom while reading it. The investigation doesn't even get going until well into the second half of this book, where it takes up only a small part of it.

Instead, this book feels like a thin plot stuffed with a majority of filler. There was so many passages of self-defeating characters mentally beating themselves up, or thinking about how they can't get along with people while doing/saying stupid things to them. My mind wandered constantly. I wanted to give up so many times, and I would have if not for the excellent reviews.

Even the most exciting parts are written so that the climatic scenes happen off-page. I ask: why am I even reading this if I have to imagine all the best parts? The actual investigation is interesting enough, but there are no surprises there. It's written so that you can see everything coming from a mile away.

What I wanted is a thrilling mystery with some creepy vibes and great twists. But what I got instead is an indulgent treatise on how to wallow in self-pity and feel guilty over everything, while not getting along with your parent/child by being purposefully difficult. Nope, that isn't the same at all.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

One Person, No Vote chronicles the insidious practice of voter suppression that has not only shaped shameful parts of our nation's history, but is still in practice today. Hiding behind the fake battle cry of voter fraud, one party leverages strict voter ID requirements, voter roll purging, closing of voting stations, and gerrymandering to systematically diminish the voting power of certain demographics while inflating the influence of its own supporters.

You know, if I were in politics, and I realized my party's base was slowly shrinking over time because the vast majority of people didn't agree with me anymore, my first thought would be to figure out what was wrong with my policies and how I can change them to be more inclusive and attractive to a wider demographic. It would never occur to me to restrict voting IDs to only take valid driver's licenses, which I know a large percentage of the people who are voting against me don't have, then close every DMV in the area where they live, then move all the voting stations so far away from them and public transportation that they can't reach them, and then sit back and congratulate myself on a job well done. I mean, we do still live in a democracy, right? And this isn't some rare thing, happening in the middle of nowhere. Many states are actively attempting or have successfully achieved these measures.

Needless to say, this book was maddening to read. It made me feel so frustrated and angry to hear of all the injustices being perpetrated against these people who are already the most downtrodden of society, being its poor and minorities. This targeted disenfranchisement, if successful, ensures that their needs and their voices will never be heard or advocated for.

And yet, I can't rate this book higher because it was so tedious to read. It was dry, filled with paragraphs and paragraphs of data and statistics. It breaks down every aspect of modern voter suppression in the most technical way. And while it tries to tell the human side of the story, it does so from a macro level, not from an actual first person's perspective, which makes it really hard to get into the narrative and retain everything I read. The book's not that long, only 200 pages, and still it took me six days to get through it.

But even though this is tough to read at times, both due to the frustrating topic and the tedious way it's written, it's still a timely and relevant topic, one which is crucial to understanding the current state of our democracy and why recent politics has been the way it is. For that, I'm glad I picked up this book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I scare pretty easily, so I don't read a lot of spooky books. Growing up, I couldn't enjoy Goosebumps because those were too scary for me. One time I made the mistake of reading a random page and that was enough to keep me from falling asleep that night.

But I've been an adult for many years now (in age, if not in feeling), and I thought it's time I give spooky books another try. After all, they seem so fun. Unfortunately, The Widow of Pale Harbor was a poor choice, mostly because this book isn't scary or fun at all, but a big load of boring.

The first half of this book is mostly insta-love between Mrs. Carver and Gabriel Stone, the two main characters. What do they see in each other? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Whenever they meet, they're struck by how gorgeous the other person is, stare intensely at each other, blush a lot, and get tongue-tied. Then, over the smallest perceived insult, they'll feel terribly hurt and rebuff the other, only to meet again the next day and go through it all again. This happened over and over, for the entire first half of the book. It was so cringey and dull, like some sort of bad YA romance.

Then, past the halfway point, the pace picks up and things finally start to happen. But it quickly becomes evident to me what's going on, who's responsible, and even the reasons why. Except the characters in here are all very clueless and incompetent. They just bungle from place to place, making big messes while putting themselves and others in danger. It was all very tiring and frustrating.

In the end, this book just wasn't what I was expecting. I wanted something spooky and exciting. But what I got instead was a bad domestic thriller with grossly incompetent characters who spent the majority of time making googly eyes at each other. Sigh. My quest for a gently spooky book continues.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

In Maybe This Time, when Mimi visits the charming village of Goosebrook, she not only falls in love with the place, but also the people there, and in particular, kind and lovable Cal. But due to circumstances, it isn't the right time for them, and anyways she needs to get back to her city job and life. As time goes on and life throws in unforeseen complications, their paths are bound to cross again and again. But will it ever be the right time for them?

This book is Jill Mansell in top form. It's a light and fluffy read, but it still has many lovely, heartwarming moments, made all the more so because Mimi genuinely cares for Cal and wants him to be happy, even if it isn't with her. It explores that magic of meeting someone, discovering a special spark there, and then the bittersweet realization that it isn't meant to be. I found it to be a compelling angle for a love story and was thoroughly riveted. There are also a slew of adorable and sassy supporting characters, all contributing to the fun.

Typical for this genre, there were some cheesy parts, but they weren't overly so. I did find the ending to be a little bit abrupt. After everything Mimi had gone through. I wouldn't have minded the ending being a little more drawn-out. Nonetheless, this is such a sweet and uplifting story, and reading it filled me with warm fuzzies, which is just perfect for this time of the year.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I've been looking for a good mystery series to sink my teeth into, and this just might be it.

Set in colonial Singapore, Singapore Sapphire introduces us to the strong and unflinching Harriet Gordon, who is trying to earn some money as a typist at a time when women are discouraged from education and working. When her first client is found murdered, she is drawn into the case, along with the kind and intelligent Inspector Curran. As more bodies show up, they soon realize this case is bigger than anyone initially thought.

I found the mystery to be quite fun. There were plenty of shady characters, and the story, once it got going, unfolded with one interesting event after another. It was also an unusual change of pace from most mysteries to have the police in here be portrayed as competent and kind. In fact, though this series focuses on Harriet and she pokes around as much as she can as a civilian, Inspector Curran plays a vital role in solving the case and saving the day.

I did find the pacing of this book to be a bit uneven, with the first quarter of it being quite slow and plodding. With this being the first book in the series, the characters and the setting understandably have to be introduced, though it felt like that was done a little too leisurely. But I'm really glad I stuck it out, because once I got past that part, the story picked up and became unceasingly entertaining.

Part of the reason this book initially attracted my attention is that I loved my visit to Singapore a few years ago, and it's always fun to read a story set in a place you've been. The author did an amazing job portraying the atmosphere of the place, with the heat, its oppressive humidity that's particularly rough for newcomers, the torrential rain storms, and its interesting mix of people from many different backgrounds. It was also fun to recognize places that we had visited while we were there.

This is the first book in the series, and it's an enjoyable and compelling start. I can't wait for more adventures from Harriet and Curran.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I've been looking forward to reading I Am, I Am, I Am for so long because so many people have loved it. But I think this is a case where my expectations just didn't match what I got. I thought it would be a thrilling collection of essays about near death experiences. What I got was very little of that. Only a few of the experiences were even that interesting or nearing death while the rest were a stretch to fit that mold.

Probably the single thing I most disliked in this book was the author's writing style. It's over-embellished and florid, turning what could have been straightforward accounts into long-winded treatises. Most of the experiences were padded out with tangential ramblings, anecdotes, and various thoughts of her life and her philosophy. I can tell the author was trying to be insightful with her digressions, but it didn't come across that way to me. Instead, I was bored and often didn't see the point of what she was talking about.

I think another reason I didn't connect with this book is that the author and I have really different outlooks on life. She's ruled by emotions, doing whatever she feels like at the moment without accounting for danger. She often takes unnecessary risks with her life (like, how many times does one need to near-drown before being more careful in open water?), and it was frustrating to read this over and over. She also travels to far out, unsafe locations, usually with a young child, and it was exasperating to read about her putting not only her own life in danger, but also her children's.

In the end, this book just isn't for me. While there were a few interesting passages, I found most of it to be boring and irritating, and I'm glad I am done with it.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

The Queen of Nothing starts off where the last book left off, with Jude at a disadvantage and trying to figure out how to take back the power she has lost. There was a little bit of setup at the beginning to get the story going, but once it did and the action starts, it doesn't let up. My heart was in my throat the entire time, hoping Jude will overcome whatever current obstacles are in her way, and then as soon as she does, another crazy obstacle appears. It was a thrilling ride from beginning to end.

This is the book that we really see Jude come into her own. In the past, she was angry and ruthless, but indiscriminately so in her quest for power and respect. In this one, she is faced with decisions that require her to confront her humanity, and it was satisfying to see her character develop into someone more well-rounded.

All the things I loved from the previous books are back. There is so much clever dialogue in here, with everyone verbally cutting down everyone else. What I really need is to remember some of the witty repartee so I can incorporate it into my everyday conversations. And everyone is still scheming and mercilessly trying to advance their own agenda, so there are plenty of entertaining clashes.

This series contains one of the most tautly written romantic pairings I can remember, with so much shared hatred and mistrust, but also passion and hope. Those elements of the relationship are still going strong in this book, but we finally see it soften and become more affectionate as each side learns to trust the other.

This was the stunning conclusion to the trilogy that has taken over my life for the last week. I tried extremely hard to read this book as slowly as I possibly could, savoring every word. But alas, two days and I am done with it (and this world... forever). *sobs* And what an ending it was, the sort befitting such an epic story and journey.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

In The Two Lila Bennetts, Lila has been living a life of ambition and immorality, defending criminals who are probably guilty and stepping all over everyone she cares about in her effort to get to the top. When she makes another bad decision, we see her life take two different directions, one in which she is kidnapped, and one in which she is not.

The two diverging story lines are both individually compelling enough. After all, who hasn't thought about what their lives could be if they had made a different choice back in the day? But the book blurb made it seem as if some sort of sci-fi thing was going on where her life is split in two, which isn't the case. We just follow two separate story lines of Lila's life after she does and doesn't do something. That's all.

One thing that is somewhat annoying is how big of a deal the book makes of Lila's transgressions. Sure, she does immoral things, but some are just part of her job and the rest isn't any worse than what probably half the population have done. And we spend so much time in Lila's mind while she analyzes her life and feelings and thinks about how wrong she is. It's exhausting. I know the overblown self-ruminations are just par for this genre, but it greatly contributes to why I didn't enjoy this more.

I did find the pacing of the two story lines to be quite good, and I was equally invested in both. The twist at the end for one of the stories is interesting, though if you think about it, you can come to the conclusion much earlier. And the twist for the other story wasn't really necessary. In the end, all that overwrought self-recrimination aside, the story lines themselves made for an entertaining and decently fun read.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Diagnosis is a collection of short essays, each one detailing a seemingly baffling medical case that after some sleuthing and tests finally yields the root of the patient's medical issues.

I found this to be quite a snappy read. Each case is only 4 or 5 pages long, so it's easy to tell myself I'll read just one more case and before I knew it, I had read half the book. Each case is written like a mystery, with the clues in the beginning, and then it all comes together in the end with the right diagnosis.

For a book about medical issues, I thought it would be either too gruesome or boringly technical, but it was neither. It was a surprisingly fun, easy to follow, and fascinating read. I recommend it to all except those who get easily paranoid about medical issues.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Art of Theft sees the return of one of my favorite heroines, Charlotte Holmes, who had opened a consulting business under the fake name of Sherlock Holmes, whom she pretends is her brother. In this book, an old friend of Mrs. Watson's is in trouble. She's being blackmailed, and our heroine must steal a priceless artwork in order to safeguard her secrets.

This series just keeps getting better and better. All my favorite characters are back, including Lord Ingram, as proper and stick-in-the-mud as ever while tortuously pining after Charlotte; and Livia, Charlotte's lovable but full of self-doubt sister. And all these characters rally around Charlotte. They must all work together to steal the artwork, which makes for an interesting and unusual dynamic this time around.

Charlotte is as sharp and in command of her acumen as ever. It's just so much fun to follow along as she smartly lays out their plans and deduces what's going on. Her competence and wit is brilliant and entertaining, especially when juxtaposed against the Victorian time period of this story when women are valued more for their looks than their brains.

This book picks up pretty much where the last one left off, and it references things that have happened in the previous books, so this is probably a series best read in order. The mystery in here is fun, though don't expect any Agatha Christie-level "aha" moments or anything like that. Still, I adore this series and am already eagerly waiting for the next book.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I just love me a good fairy tale. And I'm happy to report Uprooted totally fits the bill.

Agnieszka adores her beloved village, though it borders the Wood with its corruption and evil. The wizard known as the Dragon protects her village, but it comes at the price of a young woman handed over every ten years to serve. Growing up, Agnieszka lived in fear of the day the Dragon will pick her best friend Kasia. But when this year's choosing arrives, it seems she feared the wrong thing all along.

Ah, that sounds exactly like the sort of story I could sink my teeth into. It's dark and atmospheric, with brave maidens, a brooding wizard, a worthy villain, and magic everywhere. The only thing it doesn't have is dragons. (Just to be clear, the Dragon refers to the wizard, not an actual dragon, sadly.) It swept me away almost from the very first page.

I will say that this book isn't evenly compelling throughout. Most of it was riveting, but there were chapters where I had trouble getting through them, mostly when Agnieszka arrives at a new location and starts bumbling around. I like my female characters to be strong and clever, and while Agnieszka does get there, she sure spends a lot of time being confused and dense at the start. But it's a pretty minor complaint since those were only small parts of the book.

I absolutely loved Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver, and so I had gone into Uprooted with high expectations. While I didn't love this one quite as much, it delivered aplenty, with a magical tale full of adventure, courage, overcoming great odds, and a little dash of romance as well.

After hitting two for two, Naomi Novik has turned into a must-read author for me. I can't wait to dive into more of her books.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Thirst is another solidly entertaining installment of the Harry Hole series. This time, a serial killer is targeting women on Tinder, killing them by biting and draining them of their blood. Harry is no longer with the police force, but he recognizes from the murders that a killer from his past is back.

This series has been so consistently compelling, and this book is no different. Each of the five books I've read so far (I started with The Snowman - #7) has been gripping and fast-paced. This time, there are a number of shifty characters. I thought I had it all figured it, but I totally didn't and the end completely surprised me. It was all great fun.

Sometimes I think: poor Harry! This guy just can't catch a break. All he wants to do is to live a normal life being a lecturer at the police academy and hanging out with his wife and kid. But murders keep dragging him back, and he always ends up mentally and physically beaten up. But I guess if he had that peaceful life, then we wouldn't have any more stories to read.

I'm definitely going to continue with this series. I only have one more to read before I run out of the new books, and then I'll have to go back to the beginning and read #1-#6 that I've skipped.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I confess I didn't know much about prisons before cracking open American Prison, and I hadn't given much thought to what life is like inside them. But this book opened my eyes and completely shocked me out of my hazy stupor.

In order to gather research, journalist Shane Bauer spent four months posing undercover as a prison guard at a private, for-profit prison in Winnfield, Louisiana. At times, he almost reached the breaking point, and for good reason.

When you think about it, how can private, for-profit prisons be legal? It doesn't make sense. Prisons are a public service, like roads or soup kitchens or libraries, none of which are suitable for for-profit endeavors chasing the bottom line. The prison's primary goal would be to make as much money as possible while spending as little as possible on their prisoners, who are locked up and have no voice to protest. Surely, what results is greed and abuse of power.

The other thing this book highlights is how difficult working in a prison can be, both physically and mentally. This seems especially true at this private prison, where there weren't enough staff or support or adequate training and pay. Often, chaos reigns and prisoners have run of the place. The employees, by simply working there, open themselves up to severe mental issues, depression, and PTSD. Yet, because this is a for-profit corporation with little oversight, it is in the company's best interest to deny these issues and to provide as little medical care as possible.

This book, in alternative chapters, also discusses the history of incarceration in this country. It details how it evolved from slavery into profit, and along the way, stepped on plenty of the poor and minorities, who are the most downtrodden to begin with.

Bauer adapted this from his original article in Mother Jones magazine, and at times the book did feel a little too filled out. I wish he had spent some more time interpreting and analyzing what he saw rather than giving a mostly straight up narrative of his experience. I found myself wanting to know more of why and how it can change for the better, but the book doesn't provide those answers.

Still, it's a compelling and interesting read, and it opened my eyes to a topic I previously knew woefully little about.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Love on Lexington Avenue is a sweet and charming romance about two cynical people who've been jaded by past loves. Recently widowed Claire is trying to move on with her life after finding out her dead husband was a serial philanderer. When she hires surly contractor Scott to renovate her home, sparks fly, but both are too cautious to admit what's in their hearts.

This was a fun, light, fluffy read. I mean, who doesn't like a romance between two reluctant participants hell-bent on remaining single? I sure do. And there were plenty of witty banter between our two main characters as they try to deny their attraction to each other and hide behind their thorny exteriors.

And yet, while I enjoyed this book, I don't find it particularly memorable, just like the first book in the series. In fact, I find both of them fairly superficial in their treatment of love and conflict, with everyone exaggerating their feelings when it comes to minor things and hiding the real nuances away.

Also for a romance, this series is pretty PG-rated, with no blush-worthy scenes at all. If you're someone who enjoys romances but shies away from sex scenes, this may be the series for you. But I prefer my romances with some steam, because all that buildup should lead somewhere, and it's more realistic when it's included in the book.

Still, I'm having fun reading this series, and I'll definitely continue. There's one more book to come, and I'm already looking forward to it.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

There are stories that may be told aloud, and stories that must be told in whispers, and there are stories that are never told at all.

On the darkest night of the winter solstice, a wounded stranger shows up at an old inn by the river. In his arms he carries a dead child. A few hours later, against all odds, the child stirs and is alive again. What follows is a tale of magic, hope, love, redemption, and so much more.

Once Upon a River reads like a folklore, rich and lyrical. It's a fairy tale for adults who no longer believe in magic but still want magic in their stories. Its lush prose reminds me of childhood tales, just all grown up. It's nostalgic and warm, and I felt instantly transported.

There are many parts to this carefully crafted tale, and they are all expertly woven into one cohesive narrative. I was struck by the fully imagined characters, and in particular, the strong females. Rita is competent and progressive, while Bessie is goodhearted and resilient. I can't help but adore them.

I will say that the pacing of this book, while not exactly slow, is more luxurious. It's definitely not a book to read when you're in a hurry. It's best savored and enjoyed without haste, page by wonderful page. It's a slow burn and a bit on the longer side, so it requires patience from the reader. And for that, I was richly rewarded. It grabbed me from the very first moment and I was swept away. It's not a book you read for its twists and turns, yet every new revelation had me wanting more.

I'm so glad I finally picked this up. It was the perfect antidote for the stresses of real life. This captivating story, with its quiet lushness and its emotive portrayal of love and goodness, feels like a breath of fresh air against all the other tried-and-true genres out there. It was such a unique reading experience, and I can't think of any other quite like it.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Watching You might just be my favorite Lisa Jewell!

We start out with a murder in the picturesque neighborhood of Melville Heights. But who was the victim? And who is the murderer? In this little town, everyone has secrets and snooping on your neighbors is practically the town's official pastime.

I find Lisa Jewell's writing to be riveting. Not everyone can take a story about—let's be honest—mostly unlikable, morally-deficient, creepy characters and turn it into something compelling, but she sure does. It grabbed me right from the start, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

One of the reasons I'm a big fan of Jewell is that she takes character-driven mysteries and brings it to another level. I can really sink my teeth into her characters. They feel fleshed-out and fully-formed, so you get invested and it's satisfying to follow along and see where it all ends up.

This story is told via a few different points of view. While I'm not normally a fan of too many different narrators, it works in this case. We get to see different perspectives from each of the characters, so we're always on our toes trying to figure what the truth really is.

There were a few twists and turns in this book, and some even managed to surprise me. But I don't want to talk that up. What surprises one reader doesn't always work for another. This book is worth it for the journey alone. But if it does manage to catch you off guard with a few of the twists, well that's just the icing on the cake.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Being Mortal tackles the all too uncomfortable subject of mortality, and what it means to live and die well in life's last moments. In our modern world of medicine and technology, hospitals and doctors can always do more, but is more surgery or therapy always the right step at the end of life when positive outcomes are unlikely and severe side effects are guaranteed?

For me, the most eye-opening and useful parts of the book are those comparing the different types of care that someone can receive as they reach end of life, including palliative care, assisted living, nursing home, and hospice. I also appreciate that the book looks at this emotionally-distressing time from the perspective of both the person coming to the end of their life, as well as from that of their loved ones. Often, our impulse is to do everything we can to prolong life, but this book makes a strong case for quality now over quantity later, so that purpose and meaning can be preserved for as long as possible.

The book did feel over-simplified though. For example, the people in here with access to all the choices were either old enough to qualify for Medicare, young with good insurance, or lucky enough to find an affordable plan that provided quality care. But in the real world, that often isn't the case. Another example is that the dying person, as well as their loved ones, were reasonable people who are self-aware and communicated openly. But when dealing with relatives, that often isn't the case.

While this book is a great kicking off point for starting discussions and forming a plan, it certainly doesn't provide any concrete answers or even can act as a guide. Dying is a personal thing, fraught with perilous decisions and messy emotions, just like living is. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. For such a difficult subject, I felt myself swept along in Dr. Gawande's eloquent writing and compassionate storytelling. I go away having learned a lot, but also feeling a little disappointed (unfair, I know) that this book did not provide me with more concrete answers to life's difficult questions.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In A Murder Is Announced, a notice appears in the local papers stating the time and location of a murder. The neighbors, thinking it was all great fun, show up en masse. When a murder actually happens and it becomes clear this is no game, fear quickly takes over. In steps old, fussy, adorable Mrs. Marple, with her astute observations and keen awareness of human nature.

This story is so fun and quintessentially Agatha Christie--a locked room mystery, a handful of suspects, and plenty of red herrings and secrets everywhere. And when it's all explained in the end, it's just so damn satisfying to have everything tie up in a logical manner. I had an inkling of the guilty party this time, though not the underlying motives, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book.

I first started reading Agatha Christie in 8th grade. Over the last few years, I've been embarking on a (slow) reread of her books with the goal of getting through them all. This is one of her personal favorites, so I had high expectations going in. And once again, as always, she doesn't let me down!

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

It's never good when my predominant feeling while reading a book is boredom. The Right Swipe should have been a fun, breezy modern-day romance, but instead it felt like slogging through 400 pages of molasses.

Almost from the first page, that spark of interest and excitement I should feel while reading a new book was missing. I thought if I kept going, it would eventually show up, but it never did. I think a large reason is that I just couldn't relate to the main female character, Rhiannon. She's extremely rigid in her view of relationships and weirdly sensitive to any perceived slights. She's constantly on her guard waiting for the other person to slip up, and when that inevitably happens, she jumps up and down on them and pretty much says "I knew you're no good!" Sorry girl, but if that's your attitude, your relationships are doomed to failure.

The writing also came across as stilted and awkward. The author writes in detail about everything, including every business meeting, every conversation with friends, every thought in the characters heads. It came across as if I, the reader, is quite dumb and must have every interaction spelled out in triplicate detail for me to understand. I don't need a plot point harped upon in so many different ways... I got it. The phrase "leave them wanting more" obviously doesn't apply here.

And for all that quantity, there was no quality. The dialog lacked wit, the main characters had no chemistry, and the plot line was unimaginative and plodding. This reading experience is like being accosted by a rambling relative known for telling long and pointless stories, and you can't escape. Sigh.

Maybe I need to take a break from light romances and romcoms. The last few I've read have been disappointing across the board. The conflicts have been surprisingly contrived and the characters were unlikable, one-dimensional extremes of who they should be. Without likable and relatable characters, what's even the point of a romance?

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

In House of Salt and Sorrows, Annaleigh lives with her sisters, her father, and her stepmother in a remote manor by the sea. Once there were twelve sisters, but four have died recently. As Annaleigh becomes suspicious and starts digging around, she realizes that all is not as it seems.

This book starts off so promisingly. The story had me hooked immediately, and the first 50 pages whizzed by. The premise is so fascinating that I was sure it would pay off. But then the forward pace of the story slowed down... to a crawl. Every time I tried to read some more, my mind would wander off, and I'd catch myself daydreaming about something else. It's not that nothing is happening, but rather so much mundane or seemingly irrelevant things are going on that it's hard to figure out where the story was going. And it remained this way for the next 200 pages.

I think this was a case where the author was trying to fit in the fairy tale of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", but it wasn't necessary to the story and added too much fluff in the middle. As a result, this story was more complicated than it needed to be. Thankfully it finally started coming together in the last 150 pages. The ending felt sufficiently good and enjoyable, though not as memorable as I was hoping for.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Every year for the last couple of years, I've gone through the winners and nominees of the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction, and tried to read the ones that interest me, in the hopes that it will expand my horizons and introduce me to viewpoints I've never considered before. I'm so glad I picked up Amity and Prosperity.

It provides an in-depth look at fracking and the small towns that bear this burden so that the rest of us can have the energy we often take for granted. It specifically follows a few families near the poor Appalachian towns of Amity and Prosperity in Pennsylvania, first as fortune seemingly comes knocking in the form of a gas company looking to lease their land for fracking, then the fallout as their water and air become polluted, their animals die, and they cannot puzzle out the cause of their mysterious symptoms and flagging health.

What this book excels at is exposing the human toll of fracking. It juxtaposes the lure of easy money for an extremely poor region with the poisoning of its water and air. It pits neighbor against neighbor as some make it out with money while others must leave their now uninhabitable homes with a slew of health problems. It shows the extent that greedy corporations will go to make profits, even at the expense of real people's lives and livelihood.

This book also details the legal battle that ensued as these families' lawyers tried to fight for their right to clean air and water. It's a long and drawn out battle. And it emphasizes how important a state's laws and its legal/judicial systems are, either in helping the people it swore to protect in their fight for justice, or in helping the corporations that pay its coffers to maintain their right to expand and extract.

This book is timely and relevant. It made me realize that someone has to pay the price for the energy we take for granted. And for those people, being put on the other side of the balancing scale doesn't feel balanced or fair at all.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Dear Wife, local real estate agent Sabine is missing, and her husband Jeffery has secrets to hide. Meanwhile, Beth (not her real name) is on the run from her abusive husband, and it's going to take all her careful planning and wits to stay one step ahead of him. The police have assigned detective Marcus to the case to find Sabine and figure out what really happened to her.

The premise is intriguing enough, though I mainly picked up the book based on the strength of its stellar reviews. And there were parts I really enjoyed about this book. I thought the writing was riveting, the short chapters kept me turning the pages swiftly to find out what happened next, and the "good" characters were likable and interesting.

But I figured out what was going on not long after the halfway point, and then the book lost its thrill. There were many clues all pointing one way, and it was so obvious what was going on (which I don't think I have ever said about any book before). And once it became clear to me, reading the rest of the book became more sluggish and plodding.

Still, I enjoyed the book for the most part, and found at least the earlier half to be snappy and riveting. I just wish its mysteries were better concealed for longer so that I had more time to bask in the thrill of twists and secrets instead of just reading to reach the ultimate conclusion.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

You guys are messing with me, right? Because there is no way The Unhoneymooners is Christina Lauren's most popular book.

Going in, all the gushing reviews would have me believing this is a sure bet, that I was in for a fun time the likes of which only this author duo can deliver. After all, I enjoy a good love/hate relationship as much as the next girl. But coming out, I'm left wondering if I read the same book as everyone else.

The story starts off strong. The initial pages were bubbly and charming as events unfold that lead to Olive and Ethan ending up in Maui together. But not soon after, the awkward train arrives, and my enjoyment of this book completely falls apart.

You guys, I don't understand this coupling at all. There is no chemistry between them. They're cold towards each other one moment, then hot the next. Love/hate relationships are only fun if I can understand the whys of one and the other, but all I got here was whiplash trying to follow along.

As far as I can tell, Olive likes Ethan solely because he's attractive. On every page, Olive mentions his muscles, his abs, his biceps, his beautiful face, his long lashes, his blue eyes... it goes on and on. Yeah okay, I get it, he's a good looking dude! At the same time, she hates him because she thinks he doesn't like her. And the only reason Ethan gives for liking Olive is her boobs. I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were back in the eighth grade again.

What's more, the supposedly flirty banter between them makes me cringe in embarrassment, especially for Olive. She tries so hard in their interactions to be snarky, but it comes across as forced, inappropriate, and awkward. And she reads into everything he says and ends up incorrectly interpreting almost everything. It was exhausting. And Ethan doesn't help, giving signals he's thinking about his ex, then acting like a clueless dumbass when Olive is hurt.

Usually a romance either has a few explicit steamy scenes or the author can chose to let it all happen behind closed doors, and either is fine with me. But this book oddly tries to straddle both. There's no explicit scenes shown, but instead we are told constantly at random, unrelated times that they happened, a lot. Yes, cue even more awkwardness.

And on top of all this, the last 100 pages took a complete left turn into Stupid Town (population: this book), for no reason I could discern. The story was pretty much all wrapped up, and then it kept going right off of a cliff. When someone you care about tells you that they got an unwanted advance and it made them uncomfortable, your response should not be in the vein of, "I don't believe it. Really it's he said/she said. And what does it matter what the truth is anyways?" Come on, you guys, am I really supposed to cheer for these clowns?

As you can see, I'm a little bit baffled. Try as I might, I just can't seem to find the love for this book that everyone else clearly adores. Boring, cringey, and awkward are not words I want to associate with my romcoms, not to mention whatever the last 100 pages was.

This is my second book by this author duo, and at this point, I'm starting to wonder if maybe they aren't for me. In both, silly main characters doing questionable things make it hard for me to see them as viable romantic leads, which ultimately defeats the purpose of a romance anyways.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Sometimes I'm in the mood for something light and fun, and A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder fits the bill perfectly. It combines Victorian decorum with the intrigue of a murder mystery and adds in a dash of romance. What results is something altogether charming and enjoyable.

One of my favorite things about this story is that Frances, Countess of Harleigh, is strong, independent, and audacious at a time when women are expected to be meek and dependent on a man. She has just become widowed, and is now forced to live on her own and seek her place in the world. She does so with good humor, even as her circumstances become less fortunate.

The mystery in here is its one weak point. Instead of having lots of clues so the reader can join in and figure out whodunnit, we more or less follow along as Frances pokes around, discovers things, and eventually is led to the guilty party. It's all very straightforward without any cleverness or eureka moments involved.

Even with that one weakness, I still greatly enjoyed this story. The characters in here are all extremely endearing and adorably witty, and Frances is the perfect focal point. I'll read pretty much any story with a strong female lead, so this has me hooked. Good thing it's the start of a series, and I can't wait to read more.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongfully convicted of murder and then imprisoned for almost 30 years in solitary confinement, waiting to be put to death for a crime he didn't commit. The horrific injustice that was perpetrated upon Mr. Hinton is beyond belief. Yet through it all, Mr. Hinton remained unwavering in his hope and his kindness. The Sun Does Shine is his story told in his own words.

Reading this book, almost every page made me sick to my stomach. Everyone working for the state of Alabama in this case—including the prosecutor, the judge, the ballistics experts, witnesses, and even Mr. Hinton's court appointed lawyer—willfully lied and maliciously conspired to put a man in prison for a crime they know he didn't commit. One person even went so far as to tell him that they didn't care if he was guilty, and that as a black person he should take one for the team.

Thirty years is a lifetime, and it was taken from Mr. Hinton in the blink of an eye. Yet, his words of faith and hope, and his positive attitude and kindness to fellow inmates and guards were moving to read. He took what was one of the worst situations anyone could find themselves in, and made a life out of it in a room that's 5 ft by 7 ft.

One of the things that struck me was how Mr. Hinton tried to remove the hate from his heart towards everyone who essentially conspired to kill him. He looked upon them with forgiveness and kindness, and I just don't know how he could do it. I feel hatred in my heart towards all those people after reading this book, and it didn't even happen to me. But I'm glad he was able to, and that it brought him some measure of peace.

Mr. Hinton's courage and kindness fills me with awe. He is a hero and so is his team of dedicated lawyers led by Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative who worked for two decades to exonerate and set Mr. Hinton free. This book is tough to read, but it feels essential to understanding all that is wrong with our criminal justice system, including its excessive, racially-motivated punishment of poor black people.

In the end, Mr. Hinton's steadfast fight to see the good in everyone and to keep hope alive in his heart reminds me of the humanity in all of us. With grace, kindness, and love, he passed through hell and survived to tell his tale. Now he is working to bring visibility to all the injustices he has suffered and witnessed, and the world needs people like him. He is truly an inspiration to us all.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Police is another solidly gripping installment of the Harry Hole series. This time, someone is brutally murdering police officers at the site of old, unsolved homicides where they have investigated and the trail has gone cold. As the body count starts ratcheting up, and it hits closer and closer to home, the police realize they have no leads, and their best investigator is not available to help out.

I feel this series is at its most entertaining and spine-chilling when dealing with serial killers, and I'm happy that this book went back to that theme. There were so many clues and red herrings in here, and for a while sinister vibes were coming off of everyone. It was great fun, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. About two-thirds of the way through, I started to get an inkling of what might've been going on and was pleasantly surprised when I turned out to be right, for once!

As a random aside, I'm someone who's quite squeamish and the crimes in this book are gruesome (a Jo Nesbø hallmark), but for some reason that doesn't bother me in this series. I've been trying to figure out why for the last four books, and I still can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's so outlandishly horrifying that it comes across as quite hammed up and therefore I find it to be great fun? Although if that's the explanation, I'm not sure what it says about me.

I noticed with this and the last book that even though each is a standalone and the main crime is solved, there are a few loose ends that doesn't get wrapped up and are carried over into the next book. I personally prefer my books to be wholly self-contained due to poor memory issues, but this just means I can't wait too long until I read the next one.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, our quirky heroine Nina is perfectly happy with her life exactly the way it is: she works in a bookstore, plays trivia, has a small group of friends and a cat, and often prefers the company of her books to that of people. She's organized to a fault, doesn't like surprises, and finds her home to be her favorite place in the world. Then life throws her for a loop when she finds herself attracted to a fellow trivia player and family she doesn't even know existed intrudes into her life.

This is an adorable story, made all the more so because I can see parts of myself in Nina. I found the first half of this story to be especially enjoyable, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments in the witty banter and popular references as we get to know Nina. For me, the second half wasn't as interesting, especially around all the interactions with the new family members. A lot of the fun of the first half petered out, and it became more wacky than quirky.

Still, it was a lovely and charming read for the most part. I'm glad I picked it up, largely because it was so entertaining to see a lot of my own introverted tendencies in Nina Hill. She's definitely a character I can understand and cheer for.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Ooh, misbehaving children and technology! Are ya scared yet? No? Me neither.

Rowan comes across an ad looking for a live-in nanny at a remote country estate. When she applies and nabs the job, she is thrilled. But it seems the opportunity is too good to be true, and there are malevolent forces at work inside the idyllic house. The story is told with the reveal first, as a child is dead and Rowan is sitting in prison writing to her lawyer pleading that she did not kill the child. She then proceeds to tell him the story of what really happened.

And here is my first issue with this story: Rowan spends a good amount of time in the initial chapters telling her lawyer (and us readers) how important it is that he hears the whole story, every little detail, in order to understand her side. But the truth isn't that complicated and can be summed up in a few sentences. Yet she goes on and on about how he can't possibly understand if she left anything out. Honestly, this style of foreshadowing drives me crazy. If the only way to achieve suspense is to tell your readers repeatedly that the good part is coming, maybe your story isn't that suspenseful?

It doesn't help that Rowan isn't particularly likable or relatable. She exercises poor judgement over and over. Who would jump into a job that four people had previously vacated in just one year? To a regular person, this would raise red flags and they would proceed with caution, but she didn't even ask any questions. And then as odd things start to happen, she didn't reach out to the parents or another adult. She comes across as very melodramatic and silly, and it's hard to feel for her as she works herself into bad situations.

The majority of this story is Rowan trying to get the nanny job (100 pages), and then watching misbehaving children while smart technology around the house also misbehaves (another 170 pages). It wasn't until the last 60 pages that the book got somewhere. I just don't find reading page after page of bratty children acting out to be that interesting nor malfunctioning smart technology to be that scary. When we finally get to the unraveling of the mystery, the twists are pretty unimaginative and straightforward. And the ending was rushed and incomplete, and it left a whole bunch of things unexplained.

This is my third Ruth Ware book, and they've all been fairly disappointing. The premise always seems intriguing, and the mysteries themselves have a lot of potential. But the way they are written, and in particular how stupid and self-defeating the female characters are, make the stories real downers. I keep hanging on, hoping the author would mature and work out some of these story-telling tics, but it hasn't happened yet.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Crisis in the Red Zone tells of the horrific 2013-2014 Ebola epidemic that engulfed Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, and eventually infected almost 30,000 people. While the virus stretched the financial and medical infrastructure of these three countries, the book focuses geographically on the Makona Triangle, where the virus first grabbed hold and exploded, and on Kenema Government Hospital as it quickly became overwhelmed beyond its limits as the only hospital in Sierra Leone with a functional infectious disease unit that could handle Ebola.

What is so riveting about this book is that the virus's effects on humans and its vicious propagation are more horrifying than any fiction epidemic book I've ever read. During the initial outbreak, the international community was not taking this very seriously, and so very little aid arrived from outside. These three countries are relatively poor and have fragile medical infrastructures, which quickly became swamped by the deluge of sick people.

The author takes something happening on a large scale, and brings humanity to it by telling the story through the eyes of the people on the ground: the doctors, nurses, and scientists fighting on the front lines. Their courage is awe-inspiring and their terror is visceral as they battle against this virus that is spreading faster than they can contain and could possibly kill them in the process.

The book delves into the epidemiological roots of the virus, its current mutations, and where it can go from here if we are not careful. It also explores the ethical implications around who to treat if there are limited resources available or if the only potential medicine is unproven and untested against humans.

I found this book to be captivating and informative. It is as gripping as a thriller, but more real and horrifying because it isn't fiction. Whenever I hear of something bad happening in another part of the world, it's easy to feel a sense of distance, as if that could never touch me. The author was masterful in drawing the reader into the minds and emotions of the medical professionals battling Ebola, and making their fight come alive. Those people are the real heroes, and I'm glad their story is being told.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Even among Agatha Christie's amazing murder mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd stands out as one of the most extraordinary.

I first read this more than 20 years ago in high school, and was so stunned by the ending that I remembered it through all these years. Recently, I wanted to reread it and see if I still love it just as much, even though I already know the ending going in. And sure enough, it's just as brilliant as I remembered.

This story has all the characteristics that make an Agatha Christie whodunnit remarkable—a confounding murder, a small but seemingly unlikely list of suspects, an abundance of clues and red herrings everywhere, and an ending that will leave you amazed. It was really fun to revisit this story that has stood out in my memory for so long.

In many ways, Agatha Christie was a pioneer in her genre, and this story is one example where you can see her influence in the books that have come since then. For me, she remains the undisputed queen of mystery. I only wish I can scrub my memory so I can enjoy this story over and over again.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

In The Last Anniversary, Sophie inherits a house on Scribbly Gum Island, the site of a mystery, when her ex-boyfriend's aunt passes away. She moves there and is soon swept along in the drama of everyone who lives on the island. There promises to be intrigue everywhere, as it seems each person is hiding something.

Honestly, the secrets were over-hyped. There wasn't much to them even though the book seems to make a big deal out of them. This is definitely more of a family drama, and I found the first half of the book to be a bit dull. It took quite a while for Sophie to even move into the house, and then once there, the same part of the plot is told repeatedly from different people's perspectives, making it feel repetitive and slow. I also had trouble keeping track of the relations between family members, and had to draw myself a family tree to keep it all straight.

Thankfully, the second half of the book picks up, and the last 100 pages positively flew by. The ending was fun and wrapped everything up with satisfaction, even adding in a little twist I didn't see coming.

While the first half of this book was a little boring, the second half made up for it, turning this into a fun and enjoyable read overall. And I continue to appreciate Moriarty's writing style. She sprinkles her typical wit and sharp observations throughout, which never fails to get a few good chuckles out of me.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Wow, this book made me uncomfortable on so many levels. I'm going to try to unpack it all here, and put my thoughts into words.

The Friend Zone starts off likable enough. Kristen is your all-around cool girl with a medical condition that will make it hard for her to have children. She meets Josh in the midst of planning her best friend's wedding, and they hit it off instantly. But the problem is that Josh wants at least five biological children, but really nine is the ideal number (yep, you read that correctly).

First of all... nine?! I double-checked, just to be sure I wasn't reading a book from the 1800s written by a sexist dude. Josh's attitude seems to be that the only thing he values in a mate is how many children she will give him. But he's not the only one. Multiple characters in here put extreme value on having biological children over any other alternatives, and look down on females who either can't or won't have them.

But Kristen isn't blameless either. In fact, the main issue of the book is that Kristen keeps her medical condition from Josh. Instead of just telling him and having a conversation about it like adults, she jerks him around while using him for sex. Ah yes, the age-old trick of deceiving someone into falling for you by pretending to be someone you're not. Obviously, these two idiots deserve each other.

I think the book is trying to be feminist by saying that you can be a strong female and love yourself even if you struggle with infertility or don't have children. But it somehow came across as completely the opposite. And the ending (which I won't spoil) completely undoes everything the book is trying to accomplish anyways.

In addition to the unlikable characters with questionable views, there were a lot of little oddities that gave me weird vibes. Like at one point, Josh goes on a rant about how people who live in cities call 911 for anything, whereas in the small town he comes from, people know to only use 911 for legit emergencies because "small-town people had pride."

Also, the way Josh compliments Kristen is extremely off-putting. He praises her for being a cool girl who drinks beer (not wine) with the guys, doesn't need to wear makeup to be beautiful, and just wants to eat burgers and pizza, while putting down other women who aren't like that as "nuts." How this book managed to insult like 100% of the female population in one fell swoop is a headscratcher, for sure.

In the end, there were so many things in this book that were, quite frankly, offensive. It seems like the author is trying to say one thing, but everything in the book ends up saying the exact opposite. Just... no.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

Phantom is my third exposure to Harry Hole (after The Snowman and The Leopard), and it continues to impress. This time, the crime hits close to home because someone Harry cares about is being accused of murder, and Harry is their last chance at freedom.

Harry is as flawed a detective as ever, trying to stay sober and escape the ghosts of his past, while being as sharp and clever as he's ever been. There are so many twists and turns in this book, and it's fun to follow Harry as he comes to his conclusions and susses out the truth. It's also entertaining to follow Harry as he sustains one injury after another, which would slow down a normal person, but not someone as badass as him.

I was a little taken aback by the ending, which didn't wrap everything up as usual, but left a few strings dangling. I assume the next book will pick up right where this one left off. I prefer my crime fiction to be self contained because my long-term memory for book details isn't great. But I suppose this just means I'll have to pick up the next book in this series sooner rather than later.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In The Truth About Animals, Cooke takes us on a tour of the animal kingdom and peels back the layers of mystery surrounding all of these animals. She explores the history of our understanding (or misunderstanding) of each animal, along with the latest science on how they really are. Thirteen animals are covered in here, and every one gets its own chapter, so each is fairly short and snappy. My favorite chapters are the ones on hyena, hippo, and panda, but I enjoyed almost every one.

This reads a lot like the Planet Earth documentaries, but with more focus on the historical misconceptions of the animals and how those myths were propagated. It's a fun book filled with lots of interesting tidbits. If you ever wondered about why sloths are so slow, how pandas became sex-shy, and whether bats really drink blood (and so many other questions!), this would be a good book to check out.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

As part of my reading challenge this year, I wanted to read at least one or two classics, and Anna Karenina was high on my list. It's considered by many to be one of the best novels ever written, and I've never read any Tolstoy. So even though it's a monster at more than 800 pages, I decided it's time I conquered it.

The story starts out so strong, with what seems to be an insightful treatise into the family and romantic life of several characters, including title character Anna. The domestic strife, misunderstandings, affairs, and life in general of the Russian elite, when boiled down to its essentials, are not so different from what occupy people's attentions today. I found the initial chapters to be interesting, and was drawn towards the circle of people who would make up the main cast of the book.

Then as the story progressed, things started to reach their natural conclusions, until about halfway through the book. At that point, I wish Tolstoy would have stopped because I found the second half to be more or less unnecessary. Everything had been resolved by then. But Tolstoy continued, and for me, the story just fell apart after that.

The main characters, in particular Anna, having gotten what they wished for, started acting loony, for lack of a better word. The more their wishes came true, the unhappier they became. A good portion of the second half was devoted to Anna lamenting how her partner does not love her. Every time he goes somewhere, she would pounce on him as soon as he comes home, saying crazy things about how he must be thinking of other women and no longer of her. He would reassure her constantly of his love and unending devotion. She wouldn't listen, so when he inevitably would get frustrated, she took that as confirmation that he doesn't love her. She would leave messages for him not to bother her, and when he doesn't, she would take that as a sign that she is right. This went on for like 200 pages. I wanted to stab myself every time Anna showed up in a scene. It's hard to tolerate a book when you dislike the main character that much.

I'm also a little uncomfortable that Tolstoy seems to portray women in his story as weak and mentally unstable, while the men are portrayed as high-thinking orators. The women would fly into tears and rages at the drop of a hat, stirring up domestic trouble while their men are out doing their jobs or hanging out with their buddies. The women also blushed uncontrollably when talking to any man who isn't their husband. Maybe this is just the way it was during Tolstoy's time and this book would have been seen as progressive, but as a modern woman reading it now, it makes me cringe so hard.

Tolstoy also seems to have treated this book as a vehicle to get out whatever he wanted to say on a variety of topics, including farming techniques, local governments and elections, the meaning of life, religion, snipe shooting, duty and rights of citizens, etc. This book is full of philosophical musings on these topics and more. I don't mind when authors want to present interesting and tangential thoughts, but Tolstoy did it constantly and without filter. His ramblings would go on for many chapters, and were so unedited that it's essentially a stream of consciousness. I'm sure there are some good points in there, but it's so buried under pages of unreadable and irrelevant prattle that I couldn't find them. While these technical and philosophical ruminations are all throughout the book, they were much worse in the second half, taking up a significant portion of it.

Reading this 800+ page tome has been an odyssey. I didn't find any of the characters to be particularly likable or charming. They were all rather silly, unstable, or full of themselves. To me, this is far from one of the best books I've ever read, though it's possible that back then, when there wasn't much to read or do for fun, this would have fulfilled that role. Now I can say I have read Anna Karenina, but that's about as much as I got out of it.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

There’s a lot going on in Summer of '69. The three sisters in the Foley/Levin family are each embroiled in their own worries. The eldest sister is pregnant while her husband is emotionally unavailable and potentially unfaithful, the middle sister is striking out on her own but running into trouble, and the youngest is stuck in Nantucket with her unyieldingly conservative grandmother and her increasingly tipsy mother. Their brother is overseas fighting the war in Vietnam, and their mother is increasingly distraught over this, driving herself to oblivion with alcohol to ease the pain.

But all these issues are treated rather superficially in the book. They feel somewhat contrived (and a tad boring, if I’m honest), and their resolutions are all standard stuff. One of the hooks for this book is that people are keeping secrets, but I didn’t feel any surprise or shock when those are revealed. They all feel rather pedestrian. For a book about females during the feminist revolution, I had hoped that there would be strong female characters for me to cheer for, but that was disappointing too. All the women in here mostly just took what life and men handed to them. Sure, that probably is true to the times of the 1960s, but it didn’t make for a very compelling read (at least to me).

One of Elin Hilderbrand’s strength is her writing, and in that respect, she remains in top form. This story is easy to get into and I found myself flipping the pages even though the story itself wasn’t as riveting. I went into Summer of ‘69 thinking it would be the perfect beachy blend of family drama and secrets, summertime in Nantucket, and growing up during the awakening of the feminist movement. But coming out of the book, I feel only lukewarm about it. While it wasn’t a bad story, it just wasn’t as exciting or as insightful as I wanted it to be.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

In Fix Her Up, Georgie is the youngest of her siblings, and has been treated like a kid her entire life by her family and the whole town. It doesn't help that for her job, she works as a clown to brighten kids' days. Travis is the town's prodigal baseball star, returning after an injury ended his career early. When Georgie proposes that they pretend to date each other to help her reputation and his chance of landing a new job, sparks start to fly.

Georgie is the real highlight of this book. She's spirited and witty, refusing to back down when difficulty strikes. She's also loyal to Travis, being there for him when he's going through tough times. I'm a complete sucker for romances with feisty female leads, so it's no surprised that I adored Georgie and totally connected with her.

I also adore this type of story: guy views girl as his friend's little sister and is gobsmacked when he realizes she's all grown up. There's something really cute in rediscovering that the love you've been searching for all your life has been right there in front you, if only you can stop and take notice.

This book was such a charming surprise for me, and I'm so glad I came across it. The characters are lovable, the dialog is sharp, and the development of the relationship is heartwarming. Romances are really personal, so it's hard to say if this will appeal to everyone, but I found so much to love in here. It looks like this is the first in a series, so I look forward to reading more.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars