While I just started this blog recently, I have kept reasonable track of the books I've read in the last year (or so). Obviously, I'm not going to be able to remember heaps of detail, but I'm going to rank them on a five point scale, indicating my overall feeling towards that book. 1=Don't bother; 2=If you have nothing else to read, you can give it a go; 3=Give it a go, but no guarantees; 4=Definitely worth picking up; and 5=You MUST read this book.
Alligator - Lisa Moore: 4 Stars (A very innovative book for those who like their fiction a little off the wall.)
Late Nights on Air - Elizabeth Hay: 5 Stars (A fabulous portrait of Canada's north.)
The Big Why - Michael Winter: 5 Stars (Yet another great example of Newfoundland fiction and laugh out loud funny in parts.)
Girl Who Stopped Swimming - Joshilyn Jackson: 3 Stars (Enjoyed enough at the time, but don't really remember much about it now.)
Come Thou Tortoise - Jessica Grant: 5 Stars (More laugh out loud funny, but also a compelling exploration of how different people grieve.)
Fear the Worst - Linwood Barclay: 3 Stars (A thriller that would work well as a beach read.)
Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway: 4 Stars (Insight into a war I knew very little about.)
People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks: 3 Stars (All around entertaining to read, but doesn't stick with you.)
Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski: 5 Stars (Could not put this down!!!)
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen: 5 Stars (A rousing story in an unusual setting)
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (full series) - Stieg Larsson: 4 Stars (Entertaining and memorable. Compelling characters)
Bishop's Man - Linden MacIntyre: 3 Stars (Found it tough going, likely due to the heavy topic - sexual abuse in the Catholic church.)
13th Tale- Diane Setterfield: 4 Stars (Rousing mystery--really drew me in.)
The Disappeared - Kim Echlin: 3 Stars (Much like the Bishop's Man, very heavy and this made it hard for me to enjoy. Beautifully written though.)
Winter Vault - Anne Michaels: 4 Stars (Very poetic, while still being very readable.)
Enslaved by Ducks - Kiernan: 3 Stars (Poster child for entertaining but forgettable. What a great title though.)
Heart Specialist - Claire Holden Rothman: 5+ Stars (An amazing story that reads incredibly well.)
Sweetness in the Belly - Camilla Gibb: 3 Stars (Didn't grab me the way I expected, though still a solid read.)
Loving Frank - Nancy Horan: 3 Stars (Compelling, but I found it hard to relate with the characters.)
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer: 4 Stars (An entertaining read from start to finish.)
Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon: 3 Stars (Good while it lasted.)
The Great Perhaps - Joe Meno: 2 Stars (Found the characters trying and the plot somewhat lacking.)
Under this Unbroken Sky - Shandi Mitchell: 4 Stars (A stark tale of life on the Canadian prairies that I had trouble putting down.)
Seance - John Harwood: 3 Stars (Great mystery that I enjoyed while I read it, but it hasn't stuck with me.)
The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters: 5 Stars (I really enjoyed being in this world created by Sarah Waters.)
That Old Cape Magic - Richard Russo: 3 Stars (Usually love Russo, but this one didn't grab me quite as much as his others. He does have a great deal to live up to though as Empire Falls is an all time favorite.)
The Factory Voice - Jeanette Lynes: 3 Stars (An interesting world while you're in it.)
Blame - Michelle Huneven: 4 Stars (Unlike anything I'd read before--an interesting exploration of the fall out from drinking.)
Reading by Lightning - Joan Thomas: 4 Stars (A book I appreciated even more after I had finished it. In essence, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.)
Home - Marilynne Robinson: 2 Stars (Expected to love it, but just didn't. Not sure why there was so much hype.)
The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton: 4 Stars (A real page turner that I wouldn't hesitate to pass on to others.)
What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn: 4 Stars (Would have been five, but the first part of the book was just so much stronger than the second. Nonetheless, well worth picking up.)
Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy: 5 Stars (Wow--his writing just is "the south".)
The Other Hand - Chris Cleave: 4 Stars (An interesting and unique story.)
Mistress of Nothing - Kate Pullinger: 4 Stars (An excellent, historical read)
No comments:
Post a Comment