Book Review - Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford

Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford

Since I didn't grow up in the US, I am not very fascinated with Kennedys (though I love Jackie O's style!) This was a book club read, or I probably wouldn't have picked it up.

It is an easy read, as it reads like a gossip magazine. It is interesting to read about the behind-the-scene details at the White House.

There were some controversies in the book, so that made it a good discussion for the book club. Fun to read, but not my favorite memoir.

3 Stars.

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



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Book Review - Lessons From Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living In Paris by Jennifer Scott

Lessons From Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living In Paris by Jennifer Scott

After having a baby, you can't blame me for wanting to look put together again, despite the comfort of living in yoga pants and t-shirts at home.

I have to say though, I haven't really learned many new things from this book, probably because I have read about the tips from various sources before. Though it is nice to have them altogether. At times, the author sounded a bit snobbish (though she said she wasn't trying to be... so she realized that she might sound snobbish or she wouldn't have said so!)

The two tips that stood out to me were - the minimal number of clothing items French people have and how they make it work; and also, the food they eat - now I'd read a little bit about French's meal/food habit from another book last year (French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon... which I haven't reviewed yet...) but this goes a little more details into how the adults eat too not just the kids. I don't think I'd have trouble adopting their eating habits if I live in France! Though I do like snacks every so often...

Not a bad read, just didn't get as much out of it as I'd hoped. I thought the whole book is about fashion/clothing, but that's only a small portion of it so I was a bit disappointed.

3 Stars.


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



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Book Review - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Not a book I'd have picked, based on its title or front cover. But I saw it mentioned a few times as a "Top 10 of 2012" from various bloggers' end of year reviews, so thought I'd try something different.

The pace is a bit slower than my liking, but that matches the story (WALKING from the south end of England to the north... NOT flying or driving or running!) There is a little bit of mystery (why did Henry have to go see Queenie?) and the characters seem realistic.

What makes me think the most though, is the relationship between Henry and his wife...
[SPOILER] how could they have gone from such a loving couple to such strangers to each other? I think it made me think of my relationship to my husband - no, we aren't strangers, or anywhere close to that stage, but with a new baby, and gong back to work full time, I admit that we've neglected our relationship a bit because we're usually so busy or tired... so it made me wonder what we can do to change it for the better. [/SPOILER]

I was actually expecting more (probably because of all the praises) - it isn't quite thought provoking or inspirational as I'd hoped it to be. I don't regret reading it, but it also didn't wow me.

3 Stars.

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



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Book Review - Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

I remember other bloggers mentioned loving Jio's other book, The Violets of March. I had borrowed that book previously, but didn't get around to reading it. When I saw Blackberry Winter at the library, I thought the premise sounded interesting. Plus, we're still snowing here in the midwest... it seems fitting to read about a winter tale right? Reading about tropical islands right now would make me too jealous :)

It was easy to suck into the story. The writing was easy to read - which is great for me right now because I am usually tired (working full time with a 7m old) so I am really reading to entertain. I have to say though, probably because of my love for murder/mystery/thriller books, I could guess the ending / twists and turns pretty much right from the start. I kept reading just to see if I was right...

The characters are okay, some seem to be too perfect, and there seems to be a bit too many coincidences in the plot... but I enjoyed reading it.

3 Stars.

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



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Book Review - The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer

The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer

I came across this book because I was reading review on another book by the same author (forgot which one, maybe the latest?) and one of the reviews said his/her favorite of this author is The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney instead. The premise sounds interesting ("Faith on Trial" - a reality game show about religion, and all contestants were lawyers and had to defend their faith) - now I don't have a religion, but I want to keep an open mind to learn about different ones. Anyway, it wasn't until I looked at my Goodreads record that I found I'd actually read another book by the same author -  By Reason of Insanity - back in 2008. I gave it 4 Stars then, but honestly I don't recall much of it. I don't usually remember much with this type of fiction though (legal thrillers, murder/mystery... these are my "fluffs").

Anyway this was a fun read. I especially liked the part about breaking codes, so much so that I went to reserve The Code Book by Simon Singh which the author referred to. Another interesting aspect is that the author actually wrote a non-fiction called The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ, and this non-fiction book was referred to in this fictional book, in which it was pretended that the main protagonist wrote the non-fiction one :) Now, I don't recall the previous book I read was a Christian legal thriller, and this book definitely biased towards Christianity, for no reason other than that the main protagonist was a Christian. Thankfully that it did not seem preachy and so I was able to enjoy the story.

Story wise I'd give it 3.5 Stars, Character wise maybe 3 Stars (a bit flat and stereotypical), but I really enjoyed reading about code cracking, so will change that to 4 Stars. 


Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Books Read in 2013

Fiction:

1. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (3 Stars)
2. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (3 Stars)
3. The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer (4 Stars)
4. Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio (3 Stars) 
5. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (3 Stars)
6. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell (3 Stars)
7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (3.5 Stars)
8. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (3 Stars)
9. Defending Jacob by William Landay (4 Stars) 
10. If You Were Here by Alafair Burke (3.5 Stars)
11. A Textbook Case (Lincoln Rhyme short story) by Jeffery Deaver (3.5 Stars)
12. Say You're Sorry (Joseph O'Loughlin #6) by by Michael Robotham (3.5 Stars)
13. Tell Tale by Same Hayes (3.5 Stars)
14. Joyland by Stephen King (3.5 Stars)
15. The Wednesday Sisters (Wednesday #1) by Meg Waite Clayton (3 Stars)
16. No Way Back by Andrew Gross (2.5 Stars)
17. The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma (3 Stars)
18. The Kill Room (Lincoln Rhyme #10) by Jeffery Deaver (3.5 Stars)
19. Bait by J. Kent Messum (2.5 Stars)
20. After the Fall by Victoria Roberts (2 Stars)
21. Mother, Mother: A Novel by Koren Zailckas (4 Stars)
22. The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom (3.5 Stars)
23. The Stranger You Know (Forensic Instincts #3) by Andrea Kane (3.5 Stars)
24. Corrupt Practices: A Parker Stern Novel by Robert Rotstein (4 Stars)
25. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (3 Stars)
26. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (2.5 Stars)
27. We Are Water by Wally Lamb (3.5 Stars)
28. The October List by Jeffrey Deaver (4 Stars)
29. The Boy Who Could See Demons: A Novel by Carolyn Jess-Cooke (4 Stars)
30. Going Home (Survivalist #1) by A. American (3.5 Stars)
31. Surviving Home (Survivalist #2) by A. American (3.5 Stars)
32. Escaping Home  (Survivalist #3) by A. American (3 Stars)

Non-Fiction:

1. Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford (3 Stars)
2. Lessons From Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living In Paris by Jennifer Scott (3 Stars)
3. Until I Say Good-Bye: My Year of Living with Joy by Susan Spencer-Wendel, Bret Witter (4.5 Sars) 
4. The Other End Of The Stethoscope by Marcus Engel (4 Stars) 
5. You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You by Jennifer Baumgartner  (3 Stars)
6. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall  (4 Stars)
7. How to Fix Your Novel by Steve Alcorn (4 Stars)
8. Awakened Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery by Alan E. Shelton (2.5 Stars)
9. My Road To Wealth: Learn About Obtaining Wealth Through The Story Of A Young Self Made Multimillionaire by Todd Babbitt (4.5 Stars)
10. Mammolina: A Story about Maria Montessori by Barbara O'Connor, Sara Campitelli (4 Stars)
11. Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job by Jon Acuff
12. Relish: My Life In the Kitchen by Lucy Kinsley (4 Stars)
13. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (3.5 Stars)

Did Not Finish - Fiction

1. The Antagonist by Lynn Coady 
2. You Shouldn't Call Me Mommy by Susan Tsui  
3. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple 
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
5. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Did Not Finish - Non-Fiction

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All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

*** This review most likely include spoilers, so read at your own risk! ***

First book of the year. It's been getting cold here so reading this book is quite fitting. I was captivated by the imagery and wondered whether the child was real or not (fairy tale re-tell, remember?) and what'd happen. My favorite character is Esther, the neighbor. She's just a hoot. The rest of the characters are not as well developed and seemed too flat or too stereotypical.

In the end, this book is just okay to me because nothing really happens... well fine, stuff happens, but there wasn't a climax and the plot is flat. I didn't really feel much emotion one way or the other about the ending... and I use how emotional I get to gauge how much I like a book.

So 3 Stars out of 5 only for me.

Note - The book was borrowed from the library.



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.