It's certainly been a while since I've done one of these posts, but I finally feel like I've read a few titles worthy of putting words to page. I feel like I've been doing an enormous amount of reading lately, so here are a few that I feel are worth talking about.
I've often found that even Susanna Kearsley's merely average books are better than most others out there at any given time. Such is the case with A Desperate Fortune. As with The Winter Sea, I continue to love the setting and time period focused on the Jacobites and the various uprisings. However, the pace of this book felt somehow off or lacking in that I didn't feel as though there was as much danger for the characters as they travelled through France. Still an enjoyable book with quiet chemistry between the characters, but it doesn't quite live up to the bar set by her previous books. Rating: 3.5/5
This was a quick, enjoyable read. The hook -- discovering she had been shot as a toddler and the bullet was still embedded in her neck -- really pulled me in. Though ultimately I found the plot to be a bit predictable and a tad uneven in its writing, the pace of the story kept me turning the pages. Rating: 3/5
This is a nonfiction that tells a story I had never heard before: the murder of teenaged Freda Ward by her lover, Alice Mitchell in 1892. This was a fascinating read that explored not only the nature of the crime but also 19th century gender politics. I found this book repetitive in places, perhaps largely due to the fact that there really isn't a lot of primary source material for this crime. A significant complaint for me, though, would be the format of the book. I enjoyed the idea of including illustrations throughout the text, but using a handwriting font to indicate the girls' letters to one another was a tad much and, honestly, caused me more than a little eye strain trying to make out what was being written. Next time, just stick to a plain font. Rating: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment