Poetry of Reading

Exit the Actress is an entertaining book about the life of Nell Gwyn, favorite mistress of Charles II in England. It moves briskly, covering 8 years of her life and introducing many characters from the royal court.

I think the book has some interesting things to say, like about how people relate to art or other objects for example, but there’s so much going on around those moments that don’t seem to have any point that it can get a little lost. Donna Tartt's writing style is where most of my rating is coming from. I just prefer stories that are a little shorter and more focused.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (✫✫)

Wanted to love this book after reading all the great reviews, but, no, sadly I did not enjoy it. Interesting characters but a terrible plot. Couldn’t wait to finish it.

History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason (✫✫)

There is no plot. The author introduces too many characters; the writing was mediocre. There are only a couple of erotic scenes and they are not well written. Overall, disappointing.

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson (✫✫✫)

This book gave an insight into the Viking Era, however, the characters were very flat, almost boring, especially the protagonists and antagonists. I liked the descriptions of the daily life of the Vikings, and even their contact with other cultures, but this book had so much more potential than this.

The Woman in the Moonlight by Patricia Morrisroe (✫✫✫)

The book started great, but I felt like the third part was just lagging. It seemed to be all about Beethoven’s work and didn’t focus on the story.

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (✫✫✫✫)

This is a very interesting and humorous story of Gerald Durrell's family living on the island of Corfu, an island off of the northwest coast of Greece. However, some parts where he goes into detail about insects were boring for me and I had to skim over those parts. Despite that, it’s a wonderful book for all ages.

Birds, Beasts and Relatives by Gerald Durrell (✫✫✫✫)

After reading “My Family and Other Animals” I was eager to read the second book in the trilogy. The book did not disappoint! Just as beautifully written, and as interesting as the first, and even funnier.

The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell (✫✫✫✫)

All three of Durrell’s books in the series are intriguing and excellent in giving you a picture of the family’s life, their surroundings. All are enjoyable and entertaining.

It suddenly made sense. Only twice in his life had he felt this inexplicable, almost mystical attraction to a woman. He’d thought it remarkable, to have found two, when in his heart he’d always believed there was only one perfect woman out there for him.

After the death of her mother, Sophie Beckett came to live with the Earl of Penwood. She knew she was his bastard but lived in comfort though without love until the Earl married Araminta. The woman and her two daughters hated Sophie because of her mere existence. The Earl died. To receive money from the Earl’s estate, Araminta must allow Sophie to stay in the house. She did but forced Sophie to work as a servant. Sophie turns twenty and is still a servant. The family is invited to a masquerade ball at the famed Bridgerton home. Sophie dresses the mother and sisters, and after they leave, the rest of the staff help Sophie dress for the masquerade ball in a silver gown. One night, just one night to be more than the scorned bastard of her birth. The beautiful vision in silver entrances Benedict Bridgerton and sneaks her away without learning her name or seeing her unmasked face. The mystery surrounding her and the instant chemistry between them make Benedict lose his control and he kisses her. The clock strikes twelve and Sophie races away, leaving a monogrammed glove. Araminta realizes Sophie had attended the ball and casts her out of their home.

I love Benedict - like all the Bridgerton’s; he is stubborn as heck but has a heart of gold (and the soul of an artist). I, like Sophie, was so resilient in her life after living through such horrible mistreatment - her spirit was never broken. I think Sophie overcomplicated things to herself. However, she commanded respect in her beliefs, especially from Benedict, and it was what eventually led them to have their happy ending. I think if she had done the simple thing or taken the easier way out, she would’ve been happy for a while but miserable in the long run. I also liked that they both accepted the faults in themselves at the end of the book. It was like they developed as characters like you would hope a real person to do.

This one was a whirlwind of romance, secrets, and passion! The echoes of the famous fairy tale are noticeable from the start, which I loved! I thought I knew the story, but Quinn added many other elements & twists, making it familiar but all her own.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (✫✫)

The book started out great, but went downhill pretty quickly. It became very boring, and I had to drag myself to the end hoping something would improve the plot line, but that never happened.

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell (✫✫✫)

I was really torn when reading this book: I really wanted to enjoy it and it was genuinely engaging, but it was so flawed and frustrating it ends up ultimately disappointing. But it’s not bad, either.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (✫✫✫)

I enjoyed this book! It was really interesting and kept me turning the pages. The one thing was that it read like a romance more than a fantasy novel. I felt like the plot took a backseat to the romance aspect.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (✫✫✫)

It was a decently written novel, with fun characters and a somewhat tense storyline. A bit artificially prolonged, it still kept my attention and desire to find out what happens next.

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (✫✫✫✫)

This was a pleasant story about an artist and his relationships with friends, his daughters, old colleagues, and his grandson after WWII has ended. It is an interesting insight into the mind of someone who was active politically in imperial Japan who then had to look back on his actions objectively and make apologies for it post-war.

Reign of Madness by Lynn Cullen (✫✫✫✫)

An excellent historical view of Juana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabel of Spain. The characters are beautifully developed, and the plot kept me very interested.