January Book Reviews

I love to read. It has always been one of my hobbies. I want to incorporate it more into my blogging so at the beginning of each month, I will review the books I read the previous month.

My goal for 2013 is to read 40 books with 10 of those being nonfiction and 5 of those being classics. This month I read 4 books. They were all fiction books. I am currently reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This is a nonfiction book, but it's taking me a while to get through. I'm going to focus more on nonfiction in February. 

2013 Reading Challenge

Megan has read 2 books toward a goal of 40 books.

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2 of 40 (5%)

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Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Book Description:
 When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.
                 image and description via Amazon
My Review:
I'm afraid J.K. Rowling will never be able to get away from being the author of Harry Potter. Not that I think she wants to, but people will always compare anything she does to that series. I admit, I wanted to read this book because J.K. Rowling wrote it, but I didn't go in expecting HP. Overall, I was not disappointed once I finished. It took me a little while to get into. I think the reason was because there were so many characters to be introduced to. Once I got past that, I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoy stories where the characters are all inter-connected and have their secrets. A lot of reviews I've seen have complained that there wasn't a lot of action to the plot. I agree that there isn't but I like character driven plot. It fascinates me. Being from a small town, I could relate to people trying to be in each other's business. I enjoyed the parts of the storyline that revolved around the teenagers the most. There were some things I didn't like. This book was very vulgar both in language and subjects that it touched on.  I also feel like the end of the book was too dramatic for my taste.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Book Description:
Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.
             

image and description via Amazon

My Review:

I was disappointed overall with this book. I love historical fiction so I was excited to read this. It took me a LONG time to get into the story. I found the beginning to be confusing and a little boring. The main character, Cora's love interest was completely unlikeable. I was actually shocked by their marriage. The author did nothing to make me "fall in love" with him too nor did the author make you hate him. He was just there. His character wasn't developed at all. There were also a lot of characters introduced or subtle things that happened or were mentioned that you thought would come into play later, but never did. Overall, the plot was predictable and the ending was a cop out. I didn't feel like there was closure or an explanation for why the main character did what she did. The book just ended.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

                                                                              Book Description:
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies. A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.                                                                                                  image and description via Amazon

 My Review:

I really enjoyed this book. I think my favorite part was that it gave me a chance to learn more about a culture I really knew nothing about and had a lot of assumptions about. This story shows how our choices can have a big impact on our lives. It is also a beautiful story of finding redemption. I was also reminded of how our world is still full people who are being treated differently (often mistreated) because of their race or cultural heritage. There were only a few minor things I didn't like about this book. I don't feel like there's much else to say without giving away anything. I would highly recommend this book if you've never read it.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

Book Description:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
                                                                                                  image and description via Amazon

My Review:
I honestly don't know what to think of this book. It's unlike anything I've ever read before.  I think the story had great potential, but I don't think it was told in the best way. This story was like a runaway train speeding through time. One chapter it's 1893. The next chapter it's 1895-1897. Then it's 1889. There were also so many characters and small details to keep track of. I felt like I needed to take notes while reading this book because something that happened 20 chapters ago would come into play, but you'd read about so many other characters and details in between that you couldn't keep it all straight. The book description makes this competition sound a lot more intense than it actually is. I also have a problem with two people being SO in love when they've barely spent any time together. I found the romance between the two younger characters (Bailey and Poppet) to seem more natural and believable than the main characters. Despite all this, I still enjoyed this book. You never knew what to expect and I honestly didn't know how it was going to end.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

What are you reading now?