It is summer and I was tracked out this month, so I've had a lot of time to read.
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose, but then his big question involves a trip abroad—not a trip down the aisle. Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they’ll just get married . . . right now. Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say “I do,” for better, or for worse.
Book description and image via Goodreads
My Review:
At the time, this was the 2nd Sophie Kinsella book I'd read. I really enjoyed the first one so I was looking forward to a fun, beach read (considering I was at the beach when I read this). I was pretty disappointed overall. The promise of fun and laugh out loud moments just didn't happen for me. It was an easy read and definitely worked for a light, beach read.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
Book Description:
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons? When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!
Book description and image via Goodreads
My review:
This is the final book in the Mortal Instruments series. My feelings after reading this one are very similar to my feelings after reading the previous two books in the series. This series was originally a trilogy and I wish it had stayed a trilogy. The last 3 books felt so repetitive. The same types of things kept happening. I also didn't like the characters as much in the last 3 books. In the first 3, there were moments that I laughed out loud, yet the last 3 just seemed to be trying too hard to be funny. Simon is my favorite character, but his time in the book was very limited. I also didn't like how a lot of questions were left unanswered or new questions were created. I know that the author did this so that you would read her other series, but I don't want to read the other series. I wanted resolution.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie—a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance—mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other.
Book description and image via Goodreads
My Review:
This was a fun book. This would have been a better beach read than the other Kinsella book I read. It actually was funny. It was also different in that it wasn't exclusively a romance novel. It did have a little romance, but that wasn't the driving force of the book. It also had some elements of mystery to it. The main character grew a lot throughout the book. This was an easy, light read and I would recommend this for a fun, summer read.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel
Book Description:
Sam Elling works for an internet dating company, but he still can't get a date. So he creates an algorithm that will match you with your soul mate. Sam meets the love of his life, a coworker named Meredith, but he also gets fired when the company starts losing all their customers to Mr. and Ms. Right. When Meredith's grandmother, Livvie, dies suddenly, Sam uses his ample free time to create a computer program that will allow Meredith to have one last conversation with her grandmother. Mining from all her correspondence—email, Facebook, Skype, texts—Sam constructs a computer simulation of Livvie who can respond to email or video chat just as if she were still alive. It's not supernatural, it's computer science. Meredith loves it, and the couple begins to wonder if this is something that could help more people through their grief. And thus, the company RePose is born. The business takes off, but for every person who just wants to say good-bye, there is someone who can't let go. In the meantime, Sam and Meredith's affection for one another deepens into the kind of love that once tasted, you can't live without. But what if one of them suddenly had to?
Book description and image via Goodreads
My Review:
The premise of this book seemed really interesting. However, the book did not live up to my expectations. I had a really hard time getting through this one. The writing style was different. I never felt connected to the characters. I don't feel like the characters grew or changed by the events of the story. I don't have much else to say about this one other than I didn't like it.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars.
Savannah Folklore by Nicole Carlson Easley
Read Savannahs history through 58 short stories about revenge, exorcisms, graveyard parties, forgotten cemeteries, unsettled spirits, and lady pirates. See over 60 images of Savannah's lovely buildings and statues that are mentioned in the text. Learn tales of a secret tunnel once used to capture men for forced labor, superstitions that stave spirits of the dead, and unabashed sexual deviances in the most hospitable city in the South.
Book description and image via Goodreads
My Review:
I picked this book up on my family's recent trip to Tybee Island. I've gotten to where I like to buy ghost story or local folklore books when I visit historical cities. This is the first one that I've actually read all the way through. It was a very simple read. The history of Savannah is told in very short stories. It also had several pictures to help you visualize the spots that the stories were talking about. I really enjoyed learning little bits of history and it's made me want to go back and visit some of these places.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
Book Description:
Meet Martin, JJ, Jess,
and Maureen. Four people who come together on New Year's Eve: a former
TV talk show host, a musician, a teenage girl, and a mother. Three are
British, one is American. They encounter one another on the roof of
Topper's House, a London destination famous as the last stop for those
ready to end their lives. In four distinct and riveting
first-person voices, Nick Hornby tells a story of four individuals
confronting the limits of choice, circumstance, and their own mortality.
This is a tale of connections made and missed, punishing regrets, and
the grace of second chances.
Book description and image via Goodreads
My Review:
I'm not really sure what to think of this book. It wasn't really the premise that bothered me as much as the fact that it was just kind of boring. The story was told by each of the four main characters. Usually I enjoy stories that switch between points of view. On a good note, the characters were all very distinct and they grew and changed throughout the story. I also think the ending was appropriate for the book.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars.
What have you read lately? Have you read any of these?
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