Books, update

I can’t remember if I posted about Ape House or The Night Circus. I definitely haven’t posted about If You Were Here and The Hangman’s Daughter.

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern – This is one of those books I that I read/heard about a thousand great reviews about and finally just caved and picked it up. In fact, I paid more than my $9.99 limit and it was worth every penny. I kind of loved it. It’s told by an omniscient narrator which provides a bit of distance from the characters but the story was so compelling that I think it would have lost something or gotten muddled in first person. The descriptions of the circus are captivating, as is the premise itself. The two magicians in battle are incredibly different and yet drawn together. If you’re looking for a modern fairy tale, you could do a LOT worse than this.

The Hangman’s Daughter, Oliver Pötzsch. I think I picked this up as a Kindle Daily Deal and I’m very glad I did. A seamless historical mystery with rich characters and a troubled town, I just kept turning pages. Engaging and satisfying.

Ape House, Sarah Gruen. I listened to this on audiobook and JESUS there were parts I wished I could fast forward. Alas it was actually on CD so I just had to gut through it. Don’t get me wrong, the story premise is great – a lab housing Bonobo apes which have learned and are utilizing ASL is bombed. Mystery ensues. Unfortunately she decided to try and tell THREE stories – the story of the apes, the story of the lead scientist and the story of the lead reporter. Sadly the reporter, the least compelling of all, gets the lion’s share of the book and the book feels a bit scattershot and loses some momentum as a result.

If You Were Here, Jen Lancaster. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Lancaster’s books but haven’t picked up any before. This was also an audiobook and it had a great performance but fell a bit flat for me. First, I like HGTV. I really do. I watch a sad amount of DIY house remodel TV, including the oft-referenced Holmes on Homes. This book was like a love letter to HGTV and I was tempted to fast-forward through the bits about fixturing and cabinet hardware and I’m sure I would have skimmed those parts if I’d been reading the book. It  was funny and yes, a wake-up call if (like me) you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel. I liked enough of it to talk about but I think it’s niche enough to not link it.

As to the Book goals this year, I’ve read 49 of the 55 books I’m hoping to reach before the end of the year. I’m about 73% of the way through Juliet, Naked and just downloaded TC Boyle’s When The Killing’s Done. Now that I’m using library books on the Kindle and my phone, I’m pretty stoked about getting a few more new releases. Also, I’m hearing raves about Alice Hoffman’s latest so in all likelihood I’m going to just buy it because I love Alice Hoffman. Before that, however, I’ve got to get through Lit (library book) and Infidel by Kameron Hurley.