bookshelves: currently-reading
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bookshelves: non-fiction
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"Loved it! "
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What a sweet, warm-hearted story for this time of the year. This is the first book I have read by Donna Van Lier and quite different from the books I usually read.The Christmas Secret was a pleasant surprise.
It is the story of Christine, a single mother struggling to keep her head above water enough to give her kids a nice Christmas. Things just don't seen to be going her way until an unexpected emergency changes everything. And it is also about Jason, who has decided to work at his grandfather's store over the holidays to make some much needed money since being laid of from his accounting job. He feels the job is beneath him but with the influence of his grandfather's goodness and the people he meets he finds something better than making lots of money.
The way the lives of these two characters and the others intertwine was believable and completely engaging. This was a hard book to put down. It was a quick, light read that made for perfect weekend reading.
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: fiction, historial-fiction
I have not read all of Barbara Kingsolver's books but the ones I have read have all been amazing. The Lacuna is no exception. I enjoyed picking it up every night for my daily reading before bed these past couple weeks and it has been the perfect read for me here in Lajitas, TX down near Big Bend National Park. This was a book I enjoyed reading slowly, being sure to take it all in and not miss anything by trying to get it finished quickly.
The Lacuna is a novel written as journal entries by Harrison Shepherd from the time he was a young teenager into adulthood. They recount his adventures through Mexico in the 30's and 40's and into his adult life in America. I felt like I was there experiencing his encounter with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and the life he led working for them in Mexico City. Harrison and everyone he meets throughout the book are so fleshed out and real that I kept forgetting that this was a novel and not a memoir.
Beautiful prose, epic storytelling, and intriguing characters. I couldn't ask for anything more. Loved it.
It has become a new favorite.
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bookshelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult
Claire is finally acting a bit more grown up. She is finally using her intelligence, or rather it is being used for the greater good of the vampires. I actually really like this part of the story. Claire graduating from high school early and being sent to a JC instead of Harvard never really made sense to me. So, her smarts being used to help the vamps made up for it. I enjoyed the story, the characters and the pace of Feast of Fools. One little thing I didn't understand... why the need to move Claire's parents to Morganville? Seemed an unneeded addition to the plot. Perhaps it will make more sense in the next book.
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