Review: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

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16115612I have loved every word Khaled Hoseeini has put to paper. I have waited a long time for this novel. I have held my breath as I opened the very first page of this book and read the first line. I think I might have held that breath the entire first chapter….but as I finished that first chapter, I could only set the book down, breathe deep, sigh contentedly, and smile….yes, the wait had been worth it! As each chapter went on my feelings of pure bliss only grew. I was like the fat cat that had just ate that robin in the garden and was now basking in the sun feeling full, clean, and oh so satisfied. Life could be no better…..I was simply put…in a word…giddy……

Then I hit chapter 5……and my world changed…..

This is hard one to review. This book is broken into 9 chapters. All of them are lengthy…some of them are LONG…..They are told by different characters of the novel. They go back in history and forward in history….I have to say, chapters 1 – 4….they were….pure bliss for me….I loved every single word of them. I think I’ve reread the first two chapters 3 times each already. Chapters three and four have been scanned over multiply times….These chapters had everything I look for in writing. Mystery. Fables. Devotion. Regret. Heartache. Betrayal. Hopelessness. and a beauty that simply made me ache inside….I honestly found it hard to move beyond to the next chapters, it was just THAT beautiful. If this book had stayed on track from those chapters, it would have made it to my all time favorite list.

However, something strange happened at chapter 5 and I am still not sure why Hosseini changed direction. It was still great writing. It was still interesting. But the enchantment for me was gone. It was just good writing. The magic was left out…the interweaving of all the elements of the first part of the novel were laid off to the side. We were introduced to more stories. Yes, the narrators of these stories were all related to the main story, but not a part of it. How do I explain….I almost felt like I was reading something along the lines of 6 degrees of separation. I had no problem following along, I just was left wondering why is Hosseini including these narrators? Why are their stories included? That was it for me…they were not part of the story I feel in love with…they were their own stories. Yes, they were connected…but oh so different. They added nothing to the mystery. The added nothing to the enchantment of the first part of the novel. they were simply fillers….The ones that were important to the story were visited way too late in life to really fill in the part of their history I yearned to know of….Others were never revisited at all….Hosseini wrote a novel in the beginning that demanded I become invested in the characters and then completely ignored my need for more! Confused? I was too. Once you read the book, you will hopefully understand what I mean…..I personally feel like Hosseini had too wide a focus on this book. Perhaps if it were 900 plus pages long (YES! I would love to read a Hosseini book that long!) all of the stories could have been expanded upon and I would have felt that magic throughout the book…as it is, I simply felt like the first part was what the novel should have stayed true to and the rest just felt like an outline/shell of an unrelated story…..again, yes, I know they were all connected and I saw the connection…I just didn’t *feel* that connection….

this book left me so thrilled with its words and it’s story…yet surprisingly empty and let down at the same time…..

~UraniaBuy it now And the Mountains Echoed

Review: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

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wolves

4 stars

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is about two teenage sisters navigating through their grief after their uncle’s death. A portrait he painted of them is both their preparation for his death and their therapy as they mourn.

The author did a wonderful job getting me to believe June’s life. Reading this book put me right there with her, back at 14 years old, watching drama club rehearsals and not knowing how to relate to boys. I felt like June was a girl I knew, someone I went to school with and hung out with on half-days, sketching or writing poetry in a notebook, trying to figure out how to express ourselves in a grown-up world.

I felt June’s confusion and sadness, her frustration with her sister, her search for an identity. The writing was so authentic, the emotional part of the story was very believable.

A few particulars in the story tripped me up. A 13-year old traveling from Westchester to Manhattan alone, or befriending a virtual stranger so quickly, or driving many miles in the middle of the night without a license seems too far-fetched. Maybe it’s because though I grew up in the same decades June did, I didn’t live in Westchester. I don’t know, but some actions just didn’t ring true.

It was those little implausible details that prevented me from being totally immersed in the story. As soon as I was about to lose myself in it, something unrealistic would jolt me out of the magic.

Still… I laughed and I cried – a sure sign of a good book. The sister relationship was written flawlessly. The expressions of sadness and love were perfectly conveyed. The writing flowed, and the dialogue was natural. The ending … just beautiful. I recommend!

-Calliope

Buy It Now Tell the Wolves I’m Home

Review: A Woman Entangled by Cecelia Grant

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imageKate’s father married her mother, an actress. Her grandfather, an earl, disassociated himself from her father. She has written letters to her aunt in effort to re-connect. She hopes that her aunt will help her attain her goal of marrying well and thus improve her and her sisters’ standing in society.

“I’ve pinned all of my hopes on making a good marriage.”
“You have stringent ideas of what constitutes a good marriage. Myself, I know of no better union than the one to which you owe your existence.”
“My parents have a happy marriage. That’s not the same thing.”

Nick’s brother, Will, married a courtesan. He had to distance himself from his brother so that he pursue his political ambitions. A baron, a former soldier, hires him to help him be a better speaker in Parliament. His association with the baron can help him repair the damaged reputation caused by his brother’s marriage.

“Will and his wife, after all, probably had a happy marriage. That didn’t make it a good one.”

Three years ago, Nick had hopes of courting Kate, who refused. It was a painful and memorable scene in the book as Nick recounts the event.

This a sumptuous tale of two people trying to overcome bad family connections to have better standing in society. It’s difficult for me to describe this author’s elegant writing. She makes each word a joy to read as we Nick and Kate with what they think they want and what they really want.

This is the third book in the series but it is not necessary to read the the two previous books to understand and enjoy this one. Go read this one to experience what a great historical romance is all about.

Thalia

Buy It Now A Woman Entangled

Review: Own the Wind: A Chaos Novel by Kristen Ashley

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imagePrior to this one, the only Kristen Ashley book that I have read was Motorcycle Man. I was curious about Shy & Tabby, which prompted me to request this book.

What I liked about this book:
1) No rambling sentences that inhibited my ability to understand what was going. Thank you, KA’s editor!
2) The romance between Shy & Tabby after they declared their love for each other. For me, the book really took off at this point. You just knew no matter what happened, they had each other. There was a great combination of sweet & sexy moments.
3) The way Shy & Tabby handled the club’s reaction to them. Also, when Shy had an opportunity to be promoted in Chaos, I liked the choice he made and his decision behind it.

What I didn’t like:
1) The time jumps in the beginning. It hindered my ability to connect w/ Shy & Tabby.
2) I wanted to see more of the development of them being friends.
3) The liberal use of the word “bitch.” It was used 60 times, as an adjective, a verb & a noun.
4) Tyra was also called Ty-Ty & Cherry. Sometimes she was called two of those names in the same paragraph. It became confusing.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it’s helpful that you read Motorcycle Man, but I think there’s enough information given to read this book as a standalone. The paperback is less than $6. The Kindle book is less than $4. It’s worth the risk to venture into this motorcycle club.

Thalia

Buy It Now Own the Wind: A Chaos Novel

Review: Left Drowning, by Jessica Park

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17325147 “Your parents died. Your world fell apart.”
I nod.
He puts his hand on my cheek. “You were left drowning”
I nod again.
“And you’re struggling to breathe”
I am. It’s a constant struggle to stay near the surface I have just enough air to stop me from going totally under, but not enough to thrive.
“So do it. Breathe. Just Breathe.”

WOW!! I am speechless…I can’t even think enough to type this out. I haven’t read such a perfect book in a very long time. Well…perfect for me. This had love, loss, tears and great deal of angst. See?? Perfect. Most definitely belongs in my Top 10 books of all time.

Blythe’s parents died in a fire, four years ago. She has been drowning ever since. She pushes people away, without even trying. She knows she’s depressed, but she doesn’t know the first thing about how to get out of it. She’s just trying get through her last year of college and move one.

What she doesn’t anticipate, is meeting Chris Shepherd.

He is the past, the present, and the future.

Chris is a very sweet guy, with a past that is so hard to read, I had to take breaks. I don’t know how he managed to get through it all without losing his mind. But he had to do it for his siblings.

The Shepherd siblings bring the necessary comedic breaks this really needed. Sabin was the best!! I wish I had a Sabin in my life. He was the “Cakest of all my baby cakes.” You’ll understand that when you read it.

Watching the love bloom between Blythe and Chris was very sweet. There were a few saucy scenes that made me quite happy. 🙂

“Chris may be imperfect, and he makes mistakes, but I can feel his heart and I know that he is mine.”

*swoon* Seriously, major swooning.

“I was born to love you.”

It was all going well, til about 68%, then it all bottomed out and I though I was gonna die of heartache. I seriously wanted to through my Kindle across the room. Devastation that we never saw coming. I wanted to reach in and slap someone.

When Chris reveals his past and what he’s gone through, I thought I was gonna get sick. Unimaginable what someone is capable of.

We find out why they bonded so quickly. When their stories come together, it was amazing. It was fate. Plain and simple, it was fate. They don’t wanna believe in fate, but that’s what it was. They were each other’s savior.

“We’re like…puzzle pieces that fit together.”

There was a happy ending, after much crying and seething. I almost didn’t make it though. Ms. Park sure knows how to cut our hearts up and then glue the pieces back together.

“What are we doing? What are you doing?”

“Loving you,” he says simply. “If you’ll let me.”

“Always. God, Always.”

I may never get over this book.

~Melpomene

Buy it now Left Drowning

Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

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15818107 “I believe in ghosts. They’re the ones who haunt us, the ones who have left us behind. Many times in my life I have felt them around me, observing, witnessing, when no one in the living world knew or cared what happened.”

Orphan Train pulled me in from the very beginning with the prologue and this haunting opening paragraph.

This is a very moving narrative with alternate settings in both the present day and the 1920’s through 1940’s. It starts with 17 year old Molly, who has been bounced around the foster care system for the last 8 years or so and has currently landed in a home that’s not so bad in the grand scheme of things. Molly is used to wearing her goth makeup like a mask.

“As a newcomer Molly had liked the distance her persona created, the wariness and mistrust she saw in the eyes of her peers. But though she’s loath to admit it, lately that persona has begun to feel restrictive.”

When she is caught stealing a book that she would like to have for her own Molly needs to do 50 hours of community service. She ends up doing the time with Vivian, a 91 year old woman, in her attic helping to clean and sort through all of her boxes. This begins her story and the story of the orphan trains in the 20’s.

It took me a while to get into Vivian’s story until she was actually on the orphan train and when that happens this novel really began to shape into a beautiful, woven story for me. Through Vivian’s telling of her history we’re also hearing of Molly’s as well. The unlikely friendship between the two women evolves throughout the book and changes them both.

I really enjoyed both of these stories and felt the author did a beautiful job of weaving the two together to create one full story. We don’t get a complete look at either Molly or Vivian and it seems that at the end it’s because together we get everything. The journey of both is overwhelming and inspiring at turns.

I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages from YA to adults and to anyone who likes historical novels.

4 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Orphan Train: A Novel

Review: Material Girl (The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters) by Julia London

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material girl cover4 stars

Robin Lear is a successful businesswoman at her father’s giant freight corporation. Or so she thinks. Once she meets Jake — the guy renovating her new house — she realizes she’s little more than an arrogant, spoiled child who can’t see outside her fancy bubble. When Robin’s feelings for Jake begin to deepen, she knows she must shed her material girl image and find her real self, the self she can share forevermore with a man like Jake.

This is a fun romance with a happily-ever-after ending. I enjoyed reading about Robin’s material girl lifestyle: her jetsetting weekend trips, designer bags, expensive taste in wine. But I really loved watching her fall out of love with her fancy life and fall in love with Jake and his family. Jake is a little bit sappy, but strong when it counts most: vying against slick corporate Evan who chases Robin like he’s trying to win a carnival prize.

London did a great job endearing me to the main characters. She fleshed out the ancillary characters enough to make me want to read about Robin’s sisters and estranged parents in the next two books of the Lear Sisters trilogy. And best of all, London told a great love story, rife with ups and downs, arguments and make-ups, picnics and unmet expectations, and misunderstandings and kisses.

-Calliope

Buy It Now Material Girl (The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters)

Review: The Biscuit Witch by Deborah Smith

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biscuitI first ran across Deborah Smith by accident. I was new to e-book technology and ran across a free book of hers that was titled “The Crossroad Café”. At that time I had very few book titles on my kindle. I expected a quick fluffy read that would entertain me, but soon leave my mind completely….however, years later I still love that book…it took me completely by surprise and was so much more than I ever expected….I seriously love Deborah Smith. She has a wonderful writing style. Very real. She makes the characters come to life. So when I heard this novella was coming out revisiting the characters I had first met in TCC, I was so excited! I started this book the minute I got my copy.

This short novella was a very nice way for me to go back to Crossroad Cove for a visit. I usually do not care for novellas, but this one was a nice break for me. I’m not sure if it was a formatting issue (I am reviewing a copy from NetGalley) or just how the book was written, but it was confusing at parts when the point of view jumped between the lead characters. It was easy enough to figure it out, but it should have been seamless, and it was not. I understand that this is one part of what will eventually be three novellas to make one book….two sibling stories are to follow….however, I feel that there was plenty of story between the Tal, Doug, and Eve to merit a full novel. I felt this was rushed and I missed the building up of their story. I can easily see where 200 +more pages could have been written about them. There was so much history before they all came together, more time should have been made to hear their full stories. I still love Smith’s writing style, but I feel she cheated us on this one….I wanted more!!!!

*spoiler*
My major complaint (besides the rushing of the story) is the rushing of the characters. I don’t necessarily agree that a small child calls a stranger Daddy two days after meeting him. This really bothered me. If this had been a full-fledged novel, this could have been avoided and would have been a moot point…instead, it’s something that left a bad feeling for me.

Still really enjoyed the book and am now more firmly cemented as knowing Smith is a “need to read” for me….

Review copy provided by NetGalley

~Urania

Buy it now The Biscuit Witch (A Crossroads Café Novella, Book One of the MacBrides)

Review: REAL, by Katy Evans

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17617277

I love Remington Tate!!

OK, now that that’s out of the way, I can continue.

Remy is a fallen boxer who takes to underground fighting, after he was kicked out of the professionals. He is gorgeous, super sexy, and damaged.

Brooke specializes in sports rehab therapy and works hard to prevent injuries. So she isn’t happy to be to be dragged to one of his fights, by a friend. However, she instantly feels connected to him, just after seeing him from across the room. (typical, I know) He chases her down and she thinks it’s for a hook up, but turns out he wants to offer her a job and his personal rehab therapist. She takes the job even though she is utterly attracted to him, and wonders how she’ll be able to be professional.

They continue in this kind of flirting relationship. She likes him, but he won’t take it any further. But yet, he won’t let anyone else have her. The sexual tension is very enjoyable. 🙂

“I don’t want to be yours. I want to be your fucking REAL.”

Eventually you find out that he’s bi-polar and that’s what makes him “speedy”. I’m not crazy with the way he’s handled in some situations. I won’t spoil it, but it doesn’t seem right. So he has a hard time being with or without Brooke.

Eventually they get past the flirting.

“Have you ever been anyone’s?”

“No. And you?”

“I’ve never wanted to.”

“Neither have I. Until I saw this lovely girl in Seattle, with big gold eyes, and pink, full lips… and I wondered if she could understand me…”

About 80% I was dying!! Something very awful happened. I kinda saw it coming, but yet, I didn’t how how exactly it would come out. I was heartbroken for both Remy and Brooke.

I was so very happy with the ending though. It all turned around and we weren’t left with a cliffhanger.

Thank goodness!!

Buy it now Real

Review (Another Look): Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

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ER I know Melpomene reviewed this book earlier in the week but I wanted to offer my take on the book because it’s a bit different from hers since we all have our own opinions!

I wanted to like this book. A lot. I’ve heard good things about the author and her other books but had never gotten around to reading those due to my huge TBR list. But I saw this listed as the New Adult genre and it drew me in as I’m quickly becoming obsessed with all things NA.

Amy is on the run from her past and has help from an unknown benefactor. She gets word she needs to leave her current life that she’d gotten used to over the last 6 years in New York. While on the plane to Denver she meets a handsome man who sweeps her off her feet and happens to live across from her new apartment building. Amy quickly gets caught up in an affair with Liam who is a rich architect. We get glimpses into her past here and there but nothing clear. The book comes to a surprising conclusion.

I just could not get into this book. If Amy was supposed to be on the run why on earth would she fall madly in love with a stranger on a plane? She did a horrible job of keeping things secret. Liam seemed to fit into the oh so popular demanding rich boyfriend trope that I’m getting tired of currently. Amy fit into the helpless I need you but I don’t girl that is so hot right now.

We literally never learn anything in the book about her past so there was a huge cliffhanger. I’m ok with cliffhangers but there was the actual literary cliffhanger and then on top of that the cliffhanger of WTF is up with this girl? Due to that there is no way I’m reading the next book. Why would I when I didn’t find out enough about the main character in this one? Is the author going to wait until the third book to reveal anything? I cannot handle that!!

I also felt that this book didn’t quite fit into the New Adult genre. I’ve read a ton in this genre and this one didn’t seem right to me.
2 stars.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
~ Clio

Buy it Now Escaping Reality (New Adult Romance) (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen)