December reads

Some good ones and some real duds this month!! I read outside of my normal comfort zone, so it was interesting.

So Long at the Fair by Christina Schwarz 4* a finely woven story about a man who is having an affair with his co-worker (who is being stalked by an admirer), the man’s wife and another co-worker also tell their stories. Plus the story of their parents back in 1963. All of it happens over one day. Hated that it ended though, I wanted more!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins YA SF4.5* my husband saw a review on this book that said it was going to be as big as Harry Potter so of course we had to look into it! My teenage son read it first (loved it) and then I read it. Very good book, set in a fictional world where the US is no longer and is now 13 different districts. Each district has to send 1 boy and 1 girl (randomly drawn) to the hunger games. It’s a fight to the end, and only the last person alive wins. Not my type of book normally, but I found it fascinating and can’t wait for the next in the series (at the end it says “end of book one” so I am assuming she’s planning on more!).

Somebody Else’s Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage 3* 2 drug addicts have a baby girl and give her up for adoption. The father (now off drugs) teaches at a school where the girl now goes as a teenager.

Oxygen by Carol Cassella DNF I wanted to like this book, and I wanted to finish but halfway through I still didn’t care, so I gave up. It’s the story of an anesthesiologist who has a patient die while in her care and is subjected to a lawsuit.

What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn 2* barely finished it, just didn’t like the writing. The story of a young girl who disappears, a neighbor boy is accused of the crime.

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins YA 4* didn’t like the way it was written at first (verse) but after a few pages I got into and got used to it. Good teen book, the story of 3 teens who meet at a living facility for suicidal teens after failed attempts.

The Returning by Ann Tatlock 2* ARC as an Atheist I was surprised to find this was Christian lit, so take my review with a grain of salt. I like the concept of the book, a man gets out of prison after 5 years and returns home to his wife and children. Of course there is an adjustment period for all of them. I felt the book could have been so much more than it was. I felt that it was sappy and the ending was unbelievable and trite.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore YA 4* Katsa is “graced” with killing and is being used by her uncle to torture people who disobey him. Her life changes when she meets Po, another graceling.

Phytosphere by Scott Mackay SF 4* aliens put a shield around the earth that blocks the sun, killing off all plant life and leads to total panic and riots due to food hoarding. A scientist on earth and one on the moon work to find a solution before everyone starves. Couldn’t put it down, but found the ending wrapped up way too quickly.

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank 3* the story of survival in a small town in FL after nuclear war in other parts of the country and world

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart 3* the world is devastated by a virus and only a few people are left. Love the premise, but the main character left a lot to be desired (it took him over 24 hours to think of calling around to see if his family was alive).

On the Beach by Nevil Shute 2* the end of the world due to nuclear war. I started skimming about halfway through, felt nothing for the characters and the story was just boring, kept waiting for something to happen….

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock YA 3* Princess Ben discovers a secret magic room in her castle after her parents are assassinated

Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell 4* a couple’s daughter is kidnapped and everyone blames it on the husband’s defense of an accused child killer. The wife is shocked and dismayed when she learns it could have been from something she did.

World War Z by Max Brooks 3.5* it’s basically a report after the zombie war is mostly over. It explains how governments and people reacted during the panic and after. It was pretty interesting and outside of my normal range of books.