Always late.
2013 ended 7 days ago.
But here are my bookish
reflections on the 49 books I read in 2013 (Goodreads says I read 52 -- my own
list says only 49 -- not sure where I'm off -- oh well).
Favorite
classic: By default -- My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier.
Wow...how unfortunate that I didn't read a single classic this year. Shameful.
However, I love me some du Maurier. 4 stars
Favorite fairy tale: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman -- I
was scared, I was mesmerized, I was anxious…and ultimately, I was completely
satisfied with the unfolding fable. 5 stars
Favorite
Mother/Daughter book group selection: Alas...once the
girls entered 7th grade, they called it quits on MDBG. I am now admitting for the first time that I
failed to keep it together. 3rd-6th
grade has to account for something, right?
Made me laugh out loud: Elizabeth the First Wife by Lian Dolan --I loved the theatrical
setting; I loved ALL the references to Shakespeare; I loved the comparisons
between Shakespeare’s characters and their real life counterparts (Henry V
& Katherine = Duke & Duchess of Cambridge); I loved that she had Team
Romeo vs. Team Hamlet vs. Team Twilight (Edward doesn’t stand a chance!); it
was witty, it was smart, it was clever – something I would never attribute to
“chick lit.” Marred by errors -- but still funny. 3 stars.
Favorite book club
pick:
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett -- The story is a clever lampoon of
Shakespeare from the opening scene onwards. It's a
fast-paced romp through a parody of scenes, themes, and lines from Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and many more. Pratchett also throws in
references to Alice in
Wonderland, Cinderella,
and Sleeping Beauty (not
to mention others I have probably missed). Not only is it a spoof of
Shakespeare – but also a mash up of Shakespeare
in Love, The
Princess Bride and Monty
Python. 5 stars
Favorite juvenile fiction: Fortunately, the milk by Neil Gaiman. Only
Neil Gaiman could send a father out for groceries and have him encounter
aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, vampires, and a host of other creatures, only to
return from his time travels with his necessary item -- milk -- for his
children's breakfast cereal. A
rollicking adventure -- with amazing illustrations. 5 stars
Favorite
YA fiction: Corner of White
by Jaclyn Moriarty -- This book was like nothing I've ever read: part fantasy, part time
travel, part whimsy, part science lesson (be prepared for a primer on Sir Isaac
Newton), part potential teen romance -- it was quite delightful! 4 starsI hated but everyone else loved: The Giver by Lois Lowry -- Not a current book (I guess this could qualify as a classic), but I read it for the first time this year. It was creepy. 3 stars
Favorite memoir: Wild by Cheryl Strayed -- This was an amazing adventure.
5 stars
Biggest let down: Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole -- an Internet/blogging darling - I never felt any attachment to any of the characters. The letters’ prose seemed to be far too modern to be written at the earlier part of the 20th century. As chapters shifted between time periods – there was no distinct “voice” to differentiate between the letters. If it hadn't been for the chapter headings, one wouldn’t know if it was Elspeth or Margaret “writing” the prose. The plot was thin, and the ending contrived and predictable. I was emotionally detached throughout the entire novel. 2 stars
Overall favorites of 2013:
Attachments by
Rainbow Rowell -- A cross between Bridget
Jones meets a Friends
episode, I didn't know I was going to love everything about this book.
Everything. 5 starsBiggest let down: Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole -- an Internet/blogging darling - I never felt any attachment to any of the characters. The letters’ prose seemed to be far too modern to be written at the earlier part of the 20th century. As chapters shifted between time periods – there was no distinct “voice” to differentiate between the letters. If it hadn't been for the chapter headings, one wouldn’t know if it was Elspeth or Margaret “writing” the prose. The plot was thin, and the ending contrived and predictable. I was emotionally detached throughout the entire novel. 2 stars
Overall favorites of 2013:
The Husband's Secret by Liane
Moriarty -- I really enjoyed this book and how the author turned run of the
mill families into an escalating moral dilemma. 4 stars
The Secret Keeper by Kate
Morton -- In vintage Kate Morton fashion, she weaves a story using mothers
and daughters, past and present, mystery and secrets, to create an epic WWII
historical drama that kept me reading every waking moment. 5 stars
So there
you have it. My winners and losers of 2013.
Goals for 2014
Goals for 2014
·
Just read. No
pressure. No challenges. Sometimes I'll write detailed reviews,
sometimes I'll say, "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" and
that will be OK.
Finally --
Keep calm and read a great book!
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