If you don’t have time to read The Times’ Book Reviews
Here are my super short reviews of the many books I’ve read this summer. (I posted longer reviews of The Age of Miracles and Wild: Lost and Found on the Pacific Crest Trail earlier and you can read them by clicking on those titles.)
Quick question for discussion: If the book is great but you hate the ending…do you still say the book was great?
I feel this conundrum all the time because a great ending is really hard to achieve and hardly anyone ever does it to my satisfaction. But that doesn’t mean the book wasn’t meaningful to me or that I didn’t enjoy it. I’ve basically made it a policy that if I don’t like the ending I don’t recommend it, but that’s mainly because I want to be exuberant when recommending a good read. But maybe that doesn’t have to be the case.
Okay, on to my super short reviews.
Broken Harbor by Tana French
I deeply disliked this murder mystery set in a suburb of Dublin, modern day. I am a huge fan of her last book Faithful Place because the murder mystery was compelling but the personal story of tragedy and the search for happiness and redemption for the main character resonated and touched me deeply. In this latest novel, the murder is horrific and the tragedy of its circumstances just goes on and on, from start to finish, without relief.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
I absolutely loved every page of this sequel to Discovery of Witches. It has time travel, romance, historical and literary references galore. Most importantly it continues the theme of the inviolability of true love (the kind of love that respects one another, protects one another and upholds and supports the dreams of one another) and our duty to protect it wherever that kind of love is found. I cannot wait for the final book of this trilogy!
Diamond in the Rough: A Memoir by Shawn Colvin
She’s one of my favorite songwriters ever, but she didn’t write a very good book. She almost seems abashed, as if she doesn’t feel her life story is worth a book. Therefore she speeds through each event and never really engages you, as if she’s trying to tell the story really quick before she loses her audience. I didn’t really find the person who wrote my favorite song “I Don’t Know Why” in this book. It’s mainly a quick retelling of her life and a bunch of anecdotes about songwriting, romance, depression and the life of a touring musician.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This seems to be the “must read” of the summer. It’s the story of a wife who disappears and it’s told from two perspectives: the husband as he deals with suspicion from everyone around him; and the wife, in the form of her diary left behind. It’s immediately engaging, you can’t put it down, and it’s a really good mystery. But I didn’t love it the way other people do. Even though I thought it was really good, I had a hard time finding someone to root for in the story. A bit like a Jonathan Franzen novel, it was just a little too reflective of real people and I can watch them any old time. And I’m really torn about the ending, but that’s a discussion we’ll have to have in the comments, with Spoiler Alerts attached.
Back to my reading chair. I’m in the middle of Dare Me by Megan Abbott with Gold by Chris Cleave on deck.
August 8th, 2012 at 9:17 am
I can’t comment on any of these books as I haven’t read them. But I am reading one that I think I’ve heard you say is one of your favorites Jen. The Book Thief. Very engaging. I also saw that J.K. Rowling has a new book in September. Not sure if it’s another YA or for adults this time but I’ll be curious
Add that to your list!
August 8th, 2012 at 9:27 am
Hi Sandy, That is indeed one of my all time favorites. If you end up loving it, I highly recommend his other book, I Am the Messenger. It’s wonderful! – Jen
August 8th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Ooooh…I loved “I am the Messenger,” so I guess I need to check out “The Book Thief.” Also, you just totally made my day. I didn’t know that the second book in the Discovery of Witches trilogy was out. Hooray! It will be going on my Kindle in about 3 minutes.
August 8th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
I am currently re-reading Shadow of Night. I also read A Discovery of Witches again before Shadow of Night was released.
**SPOILERS**
I love the time travel aspect which I think can be hard to do well for a writer but I never though Elizabethian England could be so fun. Also, I love how we get an occasional modern chapter to show how the past changes the future. I must say I thought the book really picked up at Sept-tours.
And I thought of you during a very META (hope I’m using this term correctly…) moment between Matthew and Diana. They were discussing modern vampire romance novels in a novel with both romance and vampires. Made me think deborah harkness is pretty funny.
I told my husband when he saw me re-reading these books that I considered them to be like Twilight for nerds (And this is meant as a compliment due to how what an addictive read they are, subject matter, and how historical the second book gets.)
Anyway, I can’t wait for the last book!
August 9th, 2012 at 6:15 am
SPOILER ALERT – I know the scene you mean and it was wonderfully meta. I wept through the scenes with Matthew’s father in Sept-Tours (and then wept again at the notion that he had been funding scholarships for women throughout the years because he was looking for her in time) and I particularly loved Diana’s relationship with Gallowglass and how he was waiting for her in the future. Also, I appreciated that in their own way, Matthew and Diana were working through the 1st year marriage stuff like everyone else has to.
August 9th, 2012 at 8:08 am
**SPOILERS!**
I noticed another line in Shadow of Night that felt like my own TBTL inside joke. While trying to get Rudolf’s attention Gallowglass tells Matthew, “you’ve been hoist by your own petard.” Awesome for two reasons 1.) Deborah Harkness – potential TBTL listener 2.) I finally understand what Sean has been saying all these years.
August 8th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Jen, I want to whole-heartedly thank you for recommending “The Fault in Our Stars”. It was one of the most touching books I heave read in a while – I was simultaneously laughing and crying throughout most of it. I’ve since told all of my bookish friends, who have then passed it along to their friends and family. I also believe you recommended “The Passage” around Christmastime; loved that as well and cannot wait for the next book to come out in October. It has definitely elevated the apocalypse-planning in our household.
Basically, all my friends and family think I am some sort of reading superstar with great taste in books and I owe it all to you! Thanks for keeping up with the book reviews!
August 9th, 2012 at 12:09 am
We missed you and Jason at the CSM event. We were pleasantly surprised to hear your audio clip to us though. All the Best! – jon
August 9th, 2012 at 6:39 am
Really loved The Fault in Our Stars—thanks.
Sad to hear that you didn’t like Broken Harbor which I bought for my Kindle and am now hesitant to dive into it. I loved Faithful Place too (also her title The Likeness) but avoided Into the Woods because I don’t like to read too much about child abuse. I have trouble with grisly murder details. She’s terrific with psychological portraits of characters, isn’t she? And the Irish settings just make it all better.
I would like to recommend Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Best YA book I’ve read since The Fault in Our Stars. Check it out.