The Reluctant Bachelorette

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Renee Anderson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Taycee Emerson lives in small farming town that's struggling to stay afloat. She's lived there all her life and, despite the fact that the rest of her family has moved away, she loves living there and owns her own flower shop.

Taycee's relatively uncomplicated life gets much more interesting when her former crush moves back into town. It gets even crazier when her best friend signs her up to be on an internet dating show without her knowledge, and the said former crush gets cast as one of her "bachelors."

This book is just good, clean fun. It's cute and predictable, but I felt invested in the story and read it really quickly. It's nice to read a romance without worrying about any kind of graphic content. I needed a change in reading pace and this really did it for me. It's a non-stressful, relaxing read that I finished with a smile on my face.

(If I could change one thing though, it would definitely be the main character's name.)

Also reviewed by: I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Blog Tour
Source: Kindle Purchase

The Magician's Assistant

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Sabine has been a magician's assistant for over twenty years. She fell hard for Parsifal the magician, even when it was clear he was gay. But she stood by him and loved him through everything, including the death of Parsifal's lover. Eventually Parsifal marries Sabine so that she will inherit everything upon his death. When he dies unexpectedly Sabine finds out that Parsifal has lied to her about his whole past and upbringing.

Sabine is shocked to find out Parsifal's real name is Guy Fetters. His mother is alive and well and lives in Nebraska along with his two sisters and two nephews. When Parsifal's mother comes to Los Angeles to visit, Sabine is confused but desperate to find out who the real Parsifal is and why he has hidden his past. To complete her emotional journey, she visits the family in Nebraska.

I'm starting to thing that Ann Patchett's endings and I do not get along. Still, I thought this was a really beautifully written novel. I was emotionally invested in the story, right up until the last 30 pages or so when it really fell apart for me. The direction Patchett took the story did not ring true to the Sabine I felt I had come to know, which really made me question everything. I have continued to mull this story over though, so it definitely had an impact on me, even if it's not as positive as I would have liked.

Also reviewed by: Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? ~ Your link here?
Source: Purchased

A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

On the library stacks: Adult Fiction
AR Reading Level: 5.7
Series: Book 1 of 3 (All Souls Trilogy)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Diana Bishop is a modern-day witch, doing work in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. She usually tries to suppress her powers because she doesn't want them to influence her work as a historian of science. But one day she uses a little magic to reach a book and a vampire spots her.

Matthew Clairmont is a 1,500 year old vampire who thinks Diana may hold the key to a secret all witches, daemons, and vampires are trying to discover. Together they try to figure it all out while trying to stay safe from dark forces that wish them harm. And, of course, they fall in love along the way.

This book is a mix of Harry Potter and Twilight for grownups. It's a large book, but a quick read. I thought Diana was a pretty bland character and I didn't really like Matthew much better. But I really loved all the sides characters--the family and friends of the duo. While I really did enjoy my time reading, it was pretty easy for me to pick apart the book when I finished it, and my book club felt the same. As such, I won't be finishing the series.

Also reviewed by: Peeking Between the Pages ~ Axe for the frozen sea ~ Book Addiction ~ Beth Fish Reads ~ Book Nut ~ Booking Mama ~ Bermudaonion's Weblog ~ Linus's Blanket ~ Capricious Reader
Source: Library

Crow Lake

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
AR Reading Level: 5.5
Award: Alex Award for Adult Books for Young Adults

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This gorgeous novel is set in a small farming community in northern Canada. Kate is just 7 when her parents are killed in a car accident. Her two older brothers make it possible for the family to stay together, including raising baby Bo. Her oldest brother sacrifices his teaching career so that Kate's favorite brother Matt can go to college. But a twist of fate leaves Matt in their small town for good.

Kate tells the story of the family, alternating between past and present. She is now a successful zoologist, struggling in her romantic relationship with a fellow professor. A trip homes brings all of her feelings to the surface, especially those regarding her disappointments in Matt.

I really enjoyed this novel. It's rich and atmospheric and so well written. I loved getting into the guts of the characters--their motivations, choices, and psychology. While it's mainly a character-driven novel, the plot certainly moved along enough for me that I didn't want to put the book down. Although I didn't read it for mine, I think it would make a fantastic book club choice.

Also reviewed by: In the Pages... ~ Your link here?
Source: BookMooch

The Camel Bookmobile

The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
AR Reading Level: 5.9
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fiona Sweeney is a thirty-something living in New York who wants to make a difference. She travels to Africa to deliver books to remote villages by...camel bookmobile, of course. There is a problem in her favorite village, Mididima, when a disfigured boy from the village refuses to return his library books. Under the bookmobile rules, the village can no longer receive books if they are not all returned.

The controversy in Mididima is much more deep rooted than just a couple of missing books. The villagers are facing a serious drought. Some of them fear the new values brought into the village, represented by the books. They believe that sticking to traditional values will keep them safe. Others live for the bookmobile's arrival, yearning for knowledge and the expansion of their worldview.

As a trained librarian, I had such high hopes for this book. I liked that the story was told from multiple characters' perspectives. But I also felt that the jumping around made it difficult to truly flesh out any one character. I found Fiona difficult to like, even though I was rooting for her success as a librarian the whole book. The ending might have been realistic, but it also made me kind of sad.

Check out the real story behind the book here.

Also reviewed by: So Many Books, So Little Time ~ Book Clutter
Source: BookMooch

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

On the library stacks: YA Fiction
AR Reading Level: 6.5

This book is getting a lot of great press, so my book club chose it for our September read. It is the story of two girls who become best friends during World War II. Maddie is pilot who drops her friend Verity off in France for a mission and then crashes her plane. Verity is a spy who gets apprehended by the Gestapo.

This book is the hardest book for me to rate and review this year. There were things about it I really loved and then other things I really didn't love. I found it incredibly slow reading. I seemed to shut down while I was reading it and I didn't have a strong desire to pick it back up. But, the writing was really phenomenal. So phenomenal in fact, that the whole story gave me nightmares.

I think the story just got a little overwhelming for me. (The author does admit at the end that it got a little out of hand.) While it is theoretically possible, the story just isn't really plausible for the time period. But it includes a lot of great elements that make it a compelling tale. I just have really mixed feelings about it.

Also reviewed by: Becky's Book Reviews ~ J'adorehappyendings ~ Gerbera Daisy Diaries ~ Book Nut ~ A Work in Progress ~ Diary of an Eccentric ~ My Friend Amy ~ Emily's Reading Room ~ Bloggin' 'bout Books ~ Thoughts of Joy... ~ It's All About Books ~ Ms. Yingling Reads ~ Capricious Reader ~ things mean a lot
Source: Library

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

On the library stacks: Children's fiction
AR Reading Level: 4.7
Awards: NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts; ALA Notable/Best Books; SLJ Best Book; Newbery Medal

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Claudia Kincaid lives with her family in Connecticut. She feels under-appreciated by her family and decides to run away to the Met. She convinces her favorite brother, Jamie, to go with her because she needs his financial support. The live in the Met for about a week, bathing in the fountain and sleeping in an old English bed on display.

A suspected lost work of Michelangelo draws huge crowds to the museum each day. The kids decided to do some research to help determine if it is real or not. They decide they must know the secret of the sculpture, so they spend all their money getting to the home of Mrs. Frankweiler, who was the previous owner.

I'm not sure if I read this when I was a kid or not. But I am homeschooling my 5th grader and decided to read it with him. My son liked this book better than I did. I think he really got into the fantasy of what it would be like to run away and live in a museum. I thought the book was cute, but I found Claudia obnoxious. There are lots of resources online to help teach and test this book. My son and I had a great discussion about it after we both finished it.

Also reviewed by: Gerbera Daisy Diaries ~ Your link here?
Source: Purchased

Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

On the library stacks: YA Fiction
AR Reading Level: 5.0
Series: Divergent #2 of 3

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved Divergent and couldn't wait to read its sequel. In a similar fashion to my review of the first book, I will keep this brief:

1. It's good. Not as good as the first one, but a really solid #2 in the trilogy.
2. I liked the Inception-like elements. Real or simulation?
3. The plot was not predictable, which I really appreciated.
4. I really like how the author can move the story along while deepening our understanding of the characters and their relationships.
5. I'm on tenterhooks to see how it all ends.

Also reviewed by: At Home With Books ~ Melissa's Bookshelf ~ Book Addiction ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Ms. Yingling Reads ~ The Eclectic Reader ~ Book Nut ~ A Bookworm's World ~ Girl Who Loves to Read ~ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer ~ Emily's Reading Room
Source: Borrowed

Abundance

Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund

On the library stacks: Adult Fiction
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This historical fiction novel opens as Marie Antionette prepares to leave her native Austria to marry the future king of France. She was 14 years old at the time of the marriage ceremony. Interestingly, the marriage was not consummated for seven years.

This book, published the same year the Kirsten Dunst movie hit the big screen, has a similarly sympathetic view of Marie Antionette as the movie. (She never said, "Let them eat cake!") Naslund has definitely done her research and even includes actual quotations where they are known. The novel helped me to see how Marie Antionette viewed the events going on around her from the perspective of her privileged upbringing. She cared deeply for the people of France but couldn't see how her own actions could be viewed hypocritically.

While this book obviously does not end well, I'm really glad I read it. I was quite fascinated learning about the inner workings of Versailles and Marie's role as a mother. While I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, if you have an interest in learning more about this very complex historical character, I suggest giving this book a try.

Source: Purchased

Hallowed

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

On the library stacks: YA Fiction
AR Reading Level: 4.1
Series: Unearthly #2 of 3
Recommended for: Age 13+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this second book in the Unearthly series as soon as I could. Without giving too much away, I will say that this book does shed more light on Clara's angel world and how things work. There is more character development in this book and it is quite emotionally charged.

The love triangle between Clara, Christian and Tucker is alive and well in this book. But the main issue at hand is that Clara sees in a vision that someone close to her is going to die. She struggles as she tries figuring out who it is and, once she does know, realizing that there is nothing she can do to make things any different.

I am really enjoying how this trilogy is developing. It's actually kind of a sad book, but I think I might have even enjoyed it more than the first book. I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion in January!

Also reviewed by: Book Lover Stop ~ The Eclectic Reader ~ Emily's Reading Room ~ Your link here?
Source: Library