Review: The Bridge

The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Publisher: Howard Books

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 258

Publication Date: October, 2012

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

            Charlie and Donna Barton have been running the town’s bookstore for thirty years. They have impacted the lives of many in their town by providing a meeting place for friends, books for those in need, and friendly faces to talk to. In May, the hundred-year flood hit Franklin, Tennessee and destroyed the store and almost all of its contents. In the midst of trying to scrape up enough money to save the store, tragedy strikes and puts Charlie and Donna’s future in jeopardy. 

            When news spreads of the tragedy, two former workers come back to town to help save the store. Molly Allen, who has lived alone after walking away from the guy she fell in love with five years ago, Ryan Kelly. Ryan has been living in Nashville after the band that he toured with broke up. They must work together to save the store, and their relationship.

Pros:

·       The whole story centered around saving a bookstore; which is great because who doesn’t love reading about books?

·       I loved that the focus is mainly on helping Charlie and Donna; the romance between Molly and Ryan seems to be a secondary plot.

Cons:

·       I would have liked a bit more information about Molly and Ryan. I think liked them so much because I accidentally saw the movie first which focused more on them.

Final Thoughts:

            This is a delightful Christmas book that you can read in one sitting. I definitely recommend this if you have some extra time to fill and want a holiday book!

           

Review: Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

Publisher: Ink Blot Communications

Genre: Romance

Pages: 136

Publication Date: November, 2011

Rating: 4/5

Summary:

            Christmas just serves as a brutal reminder to Andi Williams of everything she doesn’t have, and recently lost, in life. She decides to spend Christmas in a remote mountain lodge that her company received a free invitation to. Due to a mess-up in communication between her and the lodge, she finds herself sharing a villa with a stranger, Colin Hartford. He is determined to enjoy Christmas, which he has been working and missed celebrating for the past 5 years. He creates a plan to get Andi to enjoy the holidays once he meets her, but will it work?

Pros:

·       This is a quick-moving and short holiday romance novel that you can read in one day.

·       Aitken did a great job of creating a winter wonderland. It made me want to go visit the mountain lodge!

Cons:

·       Some parts were pretty unbelievable; perhaps more explanation of the situation would have fixed this problem.

Final Thoughts:

            This book is great if you want a quick holiday romance. It definitely puts you in the Christmas spirit!

           

Review: Let It Snow

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Publisher: Speak

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 352

Publication Date: October, 2008

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

            This book contains three different holiday romances that are all set in the same town during a major snowstorm. First, Maureen Johnson’s story details what happens to Jubilee, whose parents just landed in jail due to a shopping incident involving a Christmas village. She has to take a train down to Florida to spend Christmas with her grandparents. On her trip down the train stops for a couple of days due to the snow. The first story follows her journey as she decides to get off and make friends at the local Waffle House.

            The second story is written by John Green. It shows JP, Tobin, and Duke’s trek to the Waffle House to hang out with some stranded cheerleaders. In addition to the bad weather, they encounter some twins and frat boys who are trying to beat them there!

            The third story shows the fallout after Addie messes up her relationship with Jeb. Her friends Dorrie and Tegan, along with a Christmas angel, help her realize how to fix it by not being so self-absorbed. All three of these stories are woven together throughout the book.

Pros:

·       It is a cute, quick holiday read that will leave you feeling filled with joy and hope.

·       The ending was satisfying as it tied up all the loose ends nicely.

·       The first story was delightful. It was a simple, yet interesting romance.

Cons:

·       I just could not get into the second and third stories in the book.

·        In the second story, I was too distracted by the dangerous decisions that the main characters were making to really enjoy it.

·       The third story’s main character was just really unlikable to me.

Final Thoughts:

            I would recommend this if you want a quick and fluffy holiday read. Although I couldn’t get into some of the plots, I’m sure most people can. I just have a hard time with suspension of disbelief! Not bad for a book I bought from a thrift store for $1.

Review: The Stars, Like Dust

The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov

Publisher: Spectra

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 180

Publication Date: January, 1951

Rating: 3/5

Summary:

Biron Farrell is a young student studying at the University of Earth when someone planted a radiation bomb in his dorm room. Shortly after the bomb, he discovers that his father, the highly respected Rancher of Widemos, has been killed. He embarks on a quest to find out why his father was murdered, who planted the bomb, and how he fits into the puzzle. He travels across space and struggles against the Tyranni while he solves these mysteries.

Pros:

·       Asimov does a great job crafting an interesting universe.

·       The plot moved along at a good pace for the most part.

·       The technology included in the novel is brilliant considering it was published in 1951.

·       The story was very interesting and had a lot of action-packed pages.

Cons:

·       The romance element of the book seemed rather rushed.

·       At times the plot was difficult to follow.

Final Thoughts:

            This was my first time reading a book by Isaac Asimov; I really enjoyed it. It was not my favorite sci-fi novel I have read but I am definitely excited to read more of his books. The plot moved along very quickly so even the parts I was not crazy about went by quickly. The fact that this was written 65 years ago is pretty impressive. I would definitely recommend it if you want a quick sci-fi read!

           

Review: How to Live in a Storage Unit or Other Place You Don't Belong

How to Live in a Storage Unit or Other Place You Don’t Belong by John Casper

Publisher: John Alan Martinson Jr

Genre: Non-fiction - Survival

Publication Date: November, 2016

Rating: 4/5

Summary:

The author has created a guide on how to live in a storage unit based on his own experiences. The goal of the guide is to teach people how to survive physically and mentally while not revealing to people that you are homeless.

Pros:

·       It is about a rather unique topic. The advice given was definitely practical and can be applied to any “off-the-grid” living situation.

·       Most of the chapters were informative yet to the point.

·       The guide is very interesting even to someone who does not plan to become homeless, or live “off-the-grid” anytime soon.

Cons:

·       The author seemed to go on personal rants in the section about who to find help from. He was talking about how Christians are not taught to help others so they are the least likely to help. He seemed to present some exaggerated facts.

Final Thoughts:

            This was a great, short read if you have ever wondered how people live in storage units or have an interest in doing it yourself.

Review: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

 

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 288

Publication Date: August, 2013

Rating: 1/5

Summary:

            The story takes place on Leonard Peacock’s birthday. He decides to take his grandfather’s P-38 pistol to his high school with him. His goal is to kill his former best friend and then himself. Before he does this, he must say goodbye to four important people in his life. His old neighbor, Walt; a classmate who would play violin for Leonard, Baback; the homeschooled evangelist that Leonard had a crush on, Lauren; and his history teacher, Herr Silverman. The novel follows Leonard throughout this disturbing day.

Pros:

·       The story is set in Philadelphia, which was interesting to me as I am live in the city.

·       The last 60 pages were kind of interesting.

Cons:

·       The whole story was honestly pretty boring. I have read other YA novels with similar plots that held my attention. Perhaps the constant use of lengthy footnotes made it hard for me to get into the story.

·       The main character is so unlikable that it was hard to feel sorry for him. I just felt annoyed and wanted him to get on with his day.

Final Thoughts:

I wanted to like this book as much as other people seemed too. I just could not get into it or feel any connection with the characters. The only reason I finished it was because it was set in Philadelphia.

           

Review: Illuminae

Illuminae  by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult- Science Fiction

Pages: 600

Publication Date: October, 2015

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Illuminae takes place in the year 2575 when two mega corporations are fighting over a tiny planet near the edge of the universe. Ezra and Kady, who had just broken up, are forced off of their planet when it is attacked by the corporations. They board separate space crafts in order to flee from the enemy. They are forced to work together in order to save themselves and others in their fleet.

This story is told through a variety of hacked documents that include IM logs, e-mails, surveillance video transcripts, and military files.

Pros:

·       The format of this book is absolutely stunning. The author created visually appealing files, logos, and schematics.

·       Kaufman managed to use the variety of formats to craft a whole, detailed universe that makes you feel like you have known it for years.

·       Illuminae had plot twists that I never would have guessed. 

Cons:

·       The only downside was that I did not get into the story until about page 200. After that point I read it all in one sitting because I couldn’t tear myself away.

Final Thoughts:

Definitely go out and read this book! To fully appreciate the artwork and unique format, read a physical copy instead of an ebook. The format was just so unique compared to every other book I have ever read; I absolutely loved it!

           

Review: Beautiful Darkness

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Young Adult- Fantasy

Pages: 503

Publication Date: October, 2010

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

This is the second book in the Caster Series, the sequel to Beautiful Creatures. It picks up right where the previous book left off. Still in the small, southern town of Gatlin, Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes are dealing with the town’s magical secrets. Ethan is still accepting that people he has trusted have deceived him his whole life to protect him. Lena is dealing with the repercussions of her actions that saved Ethan but destroyed her family. The second book in the series dives into the caster world headfirst. Ethan, the familiar favorites from the first book, and a few new characters embark on a journey to save Lena from herself and, more importantly, save the caster world.

Pros:

·       This book incorporated more detailed fantasy elements than I expected from a young adult book.

·       Compared to the first book, it reveals more secrets about Gatlin which keeps the plot interesting.

Cons:

·       The romance sections of the book are still a bit cheesy. Although I don’t know if I will ever find a paranormal romance that isn’t cheesy to me!

Final Thoughts:

I definitely was not disappointed by this book! It explains so many of the secrets of Gatlin and the caster world. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!