The Geographers Library - Jon Fasman

An entirely forgettable read, not terrible, but far from great. The story has two kind of story lines that work in tandem, one following the most ridiculous and unrealistic reporter I have ever read about and the history of some mythical items drawn into the history of the real world. The writing was ok but the story line and characters a bit scattered. Could have used a better editor I think, solid ideas but weak execution. Still I do not regret the time spent reading it but I imagine there are millions of books my time would have been better spent with.

The Rossetti Letter - Christi Phillips

An easy read that is reminiscent of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, an adventure in the modern day solving a historical mystery. The writing is pretty good, and both story lines (Past and Present) work well together, no part to long no part to short. I would recommend this to anyone who liked the Da Vinci Code and is looking for a light read.

Shade's Children - Garth Nix

I enjoyed this very much, read it in two days. The story is fast and makes you think at least a little bit. The characters are very easy to sympathize with and the whole plot of the novel made me really grateful to life where I live with all that I have. Basically a perfect YA book, concepts that make you think, questions left unanswered and a great story. I would recommend this to those hesitant teenage readers who like science fiction and video games.

Lost - Gregory McGuire

I enjoyed this book, it was a good light read that moved along fast enough to keep it interesting with a few twists and turns along the way. It is not like his other works, a lot less traditional fantasy and whimsy but still a good read. The ending isn't a "real" ending and I am ok with that but can see how some readers would feel incredibly let down. All in all a good read but not one I am going to hang onto or remember reading in a year.

Abundance - Sena Jeter Naslund

This novel was interesting but not particularly well written, it was very repetitive and overly descriptive (of the same things over and over). However it was very well researched (I assume), full of historical details and stories. The editor could probably have cut out about a quarter of the text. It was an entertaining read but not one I would recommend to anyone not overly obsessed with  Marie Antoinette.

Corduroy Mansions - Alexander McCall Smith

This was a lovely story but the writing did tend to drag on from time to time.  The characters are all very memorable but the descriptions get long winded and boring. all in all I don't regret the time I spent reading the book but will not be continuing with the series unless someone strongly advises it.

The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches - Alan Bradley

This was a wonderful addition to the story of Flavia de Luce. The child detective and chemist is growing up and this is the perfect book to transition her (and the series) to the next stage of her life. It concluded a lot of open ended questions from the first 5 books in the series and opened up Flavia's world to all sorts of new adventures. As always the writing is fantastic and the story a page turner that I couldn't bear to put down. A fantastic addition to any library.   (See here for my review of the first part of the series)

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

This novel is a fantastic look at history if you like that sort of thing. It has great depictions of historical figures, whom I have heard about but never thoroughly researched, giving them personalities that are very memorable. I also enjoyed the descriptions of art and architecture and all that went into acquiring the raw materials that made these beautiful paintings and buildings which we can still see today. Much research went into the writing of this novel; that said it can get a bit bogged down in details and a bit repetitive, it is a long read but I do not regret my time spent with it.

Jab Jab Jab Right Hook - Gary Vaynerchuk

A fantastic book, feels like a fun text book, the kind a super cool teacher would assign a high-school class! It was full of great ideas and successful examples of how to make social media work for you and your business. It broke everything down into understandable bites without the normal jargon you find in a lot of business books. The Author did such a fantastic job I lent my copy to my 66 year old mom and 59 year old dad to help them understand "what us young people do with our fancy phones and Internets" we are bringing our family business into its 50th year and this will be a great help in crossing the generation gap when it comes down to how to promote successfully.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End Of The World - Haruki Murakami

I loved this book, both of the stories are fantastic. I must admit I had a preference for the Hard-Boiled Wonderland story but The End Of The World kept me turning the pages as well! It is one of those books that makes you feel smarter for having read it and makes you (well me at least) feel a bit pretentious for having read it. That this book has that intellectual feeling for me and is also a fantastic page turner is amazing! I recommend this to everyone who wants to read a bit of a surreal story that is digestible but the average reader without making us feel dumb or out of the joke.

Keeping for my library.

The Honey Queen - Cathy Kelly

one sentence summary:
The town of Redstone has an eclectic cast of characters who interact with each other as only small town people can.

review:
This was a heartwarming read, full of people struggling with life that in the end find happiness. The writing is quick and the descriptions of setting are fantastic. The characters are all connected in unexpected ways and there is a personality for everyone to relate to included in the story. I enjoyed the read, it made me smile to myself a lot. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, happy read.

8/10

One Hundred Names - Cecelia Ahern

one sentence summary:
Kitty is a disgraced reporter and her mentor has just died leaving her the task of finishing one last story.

review:
This is a beautiful story, it is uplifting and enthusiastic about people. It strives to show that every person has good within them and everyone has a story worth listening to too! I found myself smiling with every turn of the page. The characters are all fantastic. I recommend everyone read this, it is good for your soul.

9/10

The Watchers - Jon Steel

one sentence summary
An unlikely group team up to fight against evil...

review
I really wanted to like this book, I loved the style of the writing, I loved the descriptors of the setting but I HATED all of the characters. I know I was supposed to feel sympathetic and relate to them but I didn't. I tried to, but they were such crap I couldn't get over it. The plot was interesting but Steele let the details get in the way, the story could have been better told at half the length (much like my opinion on LotR). The pacing we terrible, 100 pages of descriptors followed by 5 pages of moving the plot forward, rinse repeat. It was so frustrating because I wanted to enjoy it but just couldn't

4/10

Sex, Lies and Online Dating - Rachel Gibson

one sentence summary
A romance author doing research for her upcoming novel sets up an internet date with an undercover cop looking for a serial killer... sparks fly

review
This was a cute read, the main characters were all likeable (if not totally believable) and the story kept a good pace so was easy to jump back into for short bouts (I read it on my lunch breaks). Apparently this is book 1 in  a series and it was well written enough that I will pick up the other books in the series and give them a go at some point. I recommend this for people looking for a romantic pick me up.

7/10

Ladies Night - Mary Kay Andrews

one sentence summary:
ordered to "Divorce Camp" by a corrupt judge unlikely friendships are struck.

review:
This was a great read, full of humour and intrigue. Andrews always writes with wit and keeps her story moving forward with just enough detail and great character development. The main character developed so much more than I expected in the story. The story was well worth reading, I hope that Andrews returns to these characters in forthcoming books. I recommend it to anyone looking for a happy story.

7/10

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making - Catherynne M Valente

one sentence summary:
September is 12 and she is tired of her boring old life so goes on a grand adventure.

review:
This is a brilliant story, it reminds me of a cross between Phantom Toll-Booth and Caroline. It is so well written that even though it is a children's book I am going to have to recommend everyone take the time and read it. The characters are all unique, there are no stereotypes or tropes to be found on the pages of this thrilling little story. The writing it self is beautiful, with poetry like prose on every page. With each new character comes a new adventure. Do yourself a favour and read this (also a great gift if you don't know what to get a 7-10 year old or for a baby shower... every kid should have this on their book shelve).


10/10

Baby Drive South Trilogy - Stephanie Bond

one sentence summary
The Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their home town, along the way they are distracted by love.

review
Very typical of this genre, quick and easy romance stories to feel good about (a half step above harlequin as far as writing quality). Characters that are based strongly on  stereotypes falling in love and then refusing to admit it etc.  A great read all around. I recommend them to anyone who enjoys a bit of romance in their life.

6/10

A Simple Winter - Rosalind Lauer

one sentence summary
an outsider falls in love with an Amish man and his family.

review
Really well written, with a setting that makes you want to give up all the modern day conveniences, characters you want to befriend and a story line that, though predictable, draws you in and takes you on a journey. Every single character, no mater how short their time in the story, became a distinct and drawn out person (I have no idea how Lauer pulled it off). The romance really bites into you and you can't pull yourself back out of it, you just have to ride with it until the final choices are made. It is a great book, perfect for a snowy afternoon.

8/10

Wit's End - Karen Joy Fowler

one sentence summary:
everything has gone wrong in Rima's life and she has moved into her eccentric godmother's house.

review
the writing was good but the story was fragmented, there were entire side stories that could have (and probably should have) been removed by the editor. The characters all felt only half developed but they all had much potential, I guess it felt rushed, like if only Fowler had taken a bit more time with it it could have been fantastic. The plot was great and the ideas were all really well plotted out.To me it feels like she had an idea playing in her head for years and then her publisher put her on a way to short time line to finish it. Still good enough I don't regret reading it

5/10

Blood Red - Heather Graham

one sentence summary
In New Orleans for a bridal shower get away three normal women find themselves wrapped up in the world of vampires.

review
Writing typical of Graham, with reliance on cliches and tropes but with enough character development to draw you in.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes trashy vampire romance, good reading for a distracted day.

7/10

First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

one sentence summary:
Charley is a sexy keep no prisoner grim reaper who in addition to helping the dead cross over helps her uncle, a police officer, solve crimes.

review:
This had a great premise but the writing was not so good. It relied on tropes and cliches to the point of a prime time television show. It would be ok for a day at the beach but there are thousands of better authors out there, some who even write for Harlequin. I will not be continuing to read this series, which is disappointing because of how intriguing the premise was. It did have its moments of great humour though, perhaps Jones should consider a career in stand up or television writing.

5/10

Day by Day Armageddon Origin to Exile - J. L. Bourne

one sentence summary:
Zombies have taken over, only the smart survive.

Review:
I would call this a well written zombie survivor diary. The story in my opinion is realistic with chaos and lots of shifting attitudes of the main characters. The highlight of the story is a dog and how many sacrifices the people make to keep the dog around, to maintain their humanity is amazing (and realistic to my way of thinking). I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys zombie apocalypse stories where people actually survive in realistic ways.

7/10

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

One Sentence Summary:

A young boy goes on a journey and realizes that he can follow any path he chooses. 

review:

A very philosophical read, one of few books I re-read with some regularity. When I first read it I recommended it to everyone because I thought it changed my life... really it just made it easier for me to justify my life and the choices I had made. That said every time I read it I take something else out of it and reflect on my life for a while. A well written parable, it basically tells you to follow your dreams and overcome anything in your way, let nothing prevent you from living the life you want to live the way you want to live it. I think everyone should read it at least once. 

10/10

10/10

memorable quotes:
"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting."

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

"The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times."
If you enjoyed this read:

Life of Pie - Yann Martel
The Death of Ivan Ilych -  Leo Tolstoy
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor - Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga

one sentence summary:
Where did the Governor come from and how did he come to rule Woodbury with such streangth

review:
This tells the back story to the Governor (the main villan for a good portion of the graphic novel series). It is well written and brings a lot to the Walking Dead universe. I don't want to give anything away so all I will say is, if you are a fan of the series READ THIS BOOK.

6/10