Skylight Confessions - Alice Hoffman

one sentence summary
Follow one family as it shatters and tries to pull itself together.

review:
I really enjoyed this story, I can tell the imagery from it is going to stick with me for a long time. The characters were very well developed, they all had wonderful flaws and were very relatable. Hoffman must have spent longer researching mental illness and drug addiction than she did writing the book because from my perspective it was really well written. I highly recommend anyone interested in drug addictions or anyone who wants to understand how to develop characters without glaring descriptions.

9/10

Triangles - Ellen Hopkins

one sentence summary:
Three women look for love and understanding.

review:
I found this a very interesting read but not particularly well written (it is done in an off putting style IMO) which detracted from the story quite a bit. The three lead characters were all very interesting and realistic and I enjoyed getting into their heads and looking at their worlds through their eyes. Each of them could easily have had an entire book written on their own stories. The connections made and broken between all the characters made me want to have a more adventurous life than my own (but then I thought about it and decided no, I am happy with my mundane, safe life). The highlight of the book for me was how well researched spinal muscle atrophy was.

6/10

Porch Lights - Dorothea Benton Frank

one sentence summary
A woman trying to pull her life back together takes her son moves home to her parents house for the summer.

review: 
not a badly written book, I enjoyed the perspectives that it offered and the detailed descriptions of South Carolina. The romance was a bit forced but the other relationships, mother/daughter, grandmother/grandson, and that of the grandmother/grandfather characters were all very well done. The story starts out from a dark and depressed place and ends with a happy ending. The writing style reminded me of Kristin Hannah / Jodi Picoult.

7/10

The Last Wife Of Henry XIII - Carolly Erickson

one sentence summary:
Catherine Parr is the last wife of Henry VIII

review:
this may not be the most historically accurate novel ever but it is historical fiction so don't go into it expecting too much fact. It is a great story full of intrigue that will draw you in and not let you go, you will walk away from this wanting to know more about Catherine Parr and her family (only to Google her and find out a large portion of the book was totally made up). The romance is steamy and the antagonists easy to hate, all in all it is a well written historical romance.

6/10

Sentry Peak - Harry Turtledove

one sentence summary
An alternate version of the American war between the states, with unicorns and serfs.

review
I am glad that all the reviews I read after I slogged my way through this collaborate that it is the worst work Turtledove has ever written. The dialogue is really good, great in fact, which shows me that Turtledove is a good writer but everything else about this novel was drudgery. I had little sympathy for the characters and found them irritating and the situations they were continually putting themselves in exasperating. I don't really recommend this to anyone.

4/10

Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield

one sentence summary

The world as we know it has ended and the remaining humans struggle to survive.

review
The romance angle of this seems like an afterthought, and, in my opinion the novel would have been a lot better without it. (my theory is that when sending it out to publishers harlequin said "sure, but add some sex" because that is what it feels like, tossed in and not thought through.) The story line is interesting Cass, a recovering alcoholic is searching for her daughter in a world torn apart by mind melted cannibals. The character of Cass is wonderfully flawed and realistic, trying to keep sane and to find her child. It is worth reading if you enjoy end of the world stories.

7/10

Notorious Nineteen - Janet Evanovich

one sentence summary:
Stephanie Plum is up to her old shenanigans, catching bad guys and accidentally getting her cars blown up.

review:
This is beach reading, or plane reading, or what ever reading you do that requires no attention at all. Written to the lowest denominator this is a highly entertaining (but not at all intellectual) read. A good smattering of romance, a great use of dialogue and characters that are unforgettable. I recommend reading this only if you are still reading this series 19 books (plus holiday/novellas) in.

6/10