krin5292's reviews
482 reviews

High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never by Barbara Kingsolver

funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Claimed by Shadow by Karen Chance

adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa

funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Postcards by Annie Proulx

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 When I first read the description, I wasn't sure I would like this book. By the end, as I found myself wanting to know what happens next, I came to love it. Loyal Blood, and his family, don't have an easy life. While they often make both right and wrong decisions, they live their lives authentically. Proulx's descriptions brought me into the scenes, both beautiful and plain. It's a slow read, but well worth it. 

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Murder in the House by Margaret Truman

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

 I liked this mystery set in Washington, DC and Moscow in the mid 1990s. There were lots of events, both criminal and personal as we learn what happened to Representative Paul Latham and why. One criticism was the late explanation of a character's actions and where they have been. I liked learning what happened to this character, but I wished the explanation happened sooner in the plot. 

 

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

medium-paced

3.0

 I liked this book featuring characters dealing with life and family at different time periods while living in the same run-down house. I only wished that each story was a separate book so there would have been more to read. 

The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

 I enjoyed this book about different world interacting - the "real" world and the "faerie". Eithnie, an artist, becomes entangled in both as she wrestles with finding her muse and trying to figure out whether the faces she sees in the woods are real or not. I liked de Lint's descriptions of the woods and the sounds Eithnie hears as she moves through them. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Something Rich and Strange by Patricia McKillip. 

Engines of God by Jack McDevitt

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

 I enjoyed this first book in the Academy series. At first, the narrative of the planet archaeological exploration seemed a little slow, but as it continued and as the characters faced obstacles both personal and alien, my interest increased. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Deepsix. 

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs

funny informative inspiring medium-paced

3.0