February Mini Reviews

The Alienist (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler #1) - Caleb Carr

 

Rating: 3

This was definitely an interesting story, but dear GOD it was long. And this is coming from the QUEEN of huge book reading!   I love long books as much as the next person, but there needs to be a good reason for it.  There's a reason fantasy novels tend to be thicker books - they need the length to have room to put in the world building.  This book didn't need it - could have easily cut 200 pages of this and not lost anything.  But it does go into an interesting side of history I don't know much about, and if I'm able to watch the series I think it will make a GREAT TV adapation!

The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet #3) - Julia Quinn

 

Rating: 4 stars

I've said it a million times before, but Julia Quinn is hands down QUEEN at humor in historical romance.  She's by far the funniest of any historical romance authors I've read, and this book was no different.  There were parts I didn't love of this toward the end - it got a bit over dramatic when it could have wrapped everything up, but otherwise if you need a solid piece full of squishy feelings and hilarious banter, you should pick this one up.

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

 

Rating: 3.5

Especially in the current climate, I could not recommend reading this book more.  If you choose to go audio - and I do recommend that you do - it's read by the author which makes it feel even more powerful.  Now I didn't agree with everything he said, but I feel like this book isn't really here to answer questions, it's here to make you ask more questions.  Sometimes it felt like Coates goes a little over-generalized, but again this is one where I think it's important to shut up and listen.

Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) - Jacqueline Winspear

 

 Rating: 5 

This book was so delightful!  The mystery doesn't fall into any expected categories - it's not quite a cozy mystery - I usually associate them with a certain amount of humour and this one has a level of sincerity and thoroughness that doesn't quite jive with that.  But neither is it some sort of grim thriller.  It's thoughtful and a little quiet for a mystery novel.  This isn't to say that it's not a very fun novel - it definitely is.  If you like historical mysteries, and I'd say even for fans of cozy mysteries this is definitely one you shouldn't let pass by.

 Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs #2) - Jacqueline Winspear

 

 Rating: 4

This one is also quite lovely.  It's looking like the whole series is going to be set post World War 1 (which tends to get overshadowed in literature by World War II so it's nice to see more on this end of things).  What I really love about this is that both stories so far have been connected to the aftermath of the war - how it affected soldiers, families, and communities and how it was treated at the time.  It feels exceptionally relevant now, as we've had a war going for almost two decades and our treatment of veterans is abominable.

Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1) - Tamora Pierce

 

Rating: 5

THIS IS A TAMORA PIERCE BOOK DID YOU REALLY THINK IT WASN'T GOING TO GET  STARS???  I literally cried before I even started reading the book.  This is not an exaggeration.  I read every single author blurb written for this in the inside cover, and it was 99% authors that I love all saying how much they loved Tammy Pierce's writing and how much she changed their lives. GUYS I'M TEARING UP RIGHT NOW.   Everything is amazing, and if you haven't read any Tamora Pierce yet, all of her series are self-contained so you could start here!

Tortall: A Spy's Guide - Tamora Pierce

 

Rating: 5

Not for the casual reader obviously. But if you're crazy about the Tortall series the way I am this is super helpful in keeping things straight and has some cute details to add about all the characters you love!

Pardonable Lies (Maisie Dobbs #3) - Jacqueline Winspear

  

Rating: 4.5

This one may be my favourite of the lot so far! (Other than the first one).  It feels the most personal of the lot so far and really delves into character depths we haven't seen yet.

Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs #4) - Jacqueline Winspear

Rating: 3.5 stars

I didn't love this quite as much as the others, but can we just agree that the fact I've read four of these in a month is a good indicator of how brilliant this series is?  The WWI trend is definitely a thing, although as we get later in the books (there's at least 8 more of these, maybe more) we're definitely going to head into WWII area at some point. 

The Good Daughter - Karin Slaughter

 

Rating: 5

HOOOOLY CRAP GUYS. This book is intense and amazing, and I highly recommend the audio. , but when you get to it I highly recommend it an audio.  One of my favourite narrators so far!

Maybe wait on reading this one if you're not up for a school shooting.  I was listening to this and we had a lockdown (not a drill, but nothing on school grounds - there was a standoff in the neighborhood) and I can definitely say that if I know ahead of time a book is going to have a school shooting I WILL NOT READ IT.  There is nothing scarier as a teacher right now than knowing you are in a real lockdown situation...and not knowing why. So I'm glad I didn't know about it ahead of time because I definitely would not have picked it up. It seriously made me think I was having heart palpitations it gets so intense.  If you liked Gone Girl, Girl on the Train - any of those sorts of intense thrillers, this is a book for you.

Dollhouse: Epitaphs - Andrew Chamberliss

 

Rating: 2.5

For those of you who don't know, this is a graphic novel based on a show called Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon.  It's one of my favourites from Whedon (and yes, it is problematic, and yes I'm not sure I can love it as much knowing what we do about him now.  That's beside the point and I feel weird about it, but didn't think I could talk about this without mentioning all of the above.)

This didn't actually flesh much of the time gap, so it didn't feel like it added anything to the story. Which wouldn't have bothered me as much except that it looks like there isn't going to be any more, so what was the point? Sooo...I'd give it a pass.