I just realized I haven't posted on here in a few weeks.
Book #35 of 2010 was
Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell.
Quote:
| Bestselling novelist Orla Hart owes her life to her friend Millie Brady, whose rotten boyfriend has just left her. So Orla invites Millie to Cornwall, where Millie looks forward to a summer without any dating whatsoever. But Orla envisions Millie as the heroine of her next novel and decides to find Millie the man of her dreams. Except the two women have drastically different ideas about what kind of guy that should be. |
I have read several of Mansell's novels and I have to say this was my least favorite. I can usually finish one of her books in a few days but this took almost a week. I didn't find the characters terribly appealing and the plot was a bit sluggish.
Book #36 of 2010 was
Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo
Quote:
| British novelist Evaristo delivers an astonishing, uncomfortable and beautiful alternative history that goes back several centuries to flip the slave trade, with Aphrikans enslaving the people of Europa and exporting many of them to Amarika. The plot revolves around Doris, the daughter of a long line of proud cabbage farmers who live in serfdom. After she's kidnapped by slavers, she experiences the horror and inhumanity of slave transport, is sold and works her way back to freedom. The narrative cuts back and forth through time, contrasting the journey to freedom with the journey toward slavery. |
I liked the story from Doris' perspective but I didn't find Bwana's perspective as interesting. In fact I skimmed most of it.
Book #37 of 2010 was ...
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Quote:
| Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. |
I kept hearing about this book so I decided to read it despite this not being my favorite genre. I am glad I did because it was intriguing and interesting throughout. There were a few minor road bumps -- obviously the sex crimes play heavily into the story and can be very disturbing to read. Also, I found it odd when the author wrote extensive technical details about the computer that Salander purchased. But this didn't detract heavily from the overall book and I will read the follow-up novel.
Book #38 of 2010 was ... "
Bright Side of Disaster" by Katherine Center.
Quote:
| Jenny Harris is nesting in her Houston home with her fiance, Dean, awaiting the birth of their child, to be followed by their wedding. But Dean grows more distant, especially after a coworker dies in a plane crash, and Jenny ends up becoming a single mother. Determined to take good care of her child, she tries to forget about Dean, relegating him to the past. Coping with a baby takes all Jenny's time, so when her perfect single neighbor takes an interest, Jenny is flattered but exhausted. Then, when she finally decides to take a chance and get to know him, Dean comes back into her life. |
Center writes realistically about parenting which is why I keep coming back to her books. Her characters are flawed and their stories are never perfect. I happily look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Book #39 of 2010 was "
Anything But Typical" by Nora Raleigh Baskin.
Quote:
| Baskin tells this luminous story entirely from the point of view of Jason, an autistic boy who is a creative-writing whiz and deft explainer of literary devices, but markedly at a loss in social interactions with “neurotypicals” both at school and at home. He is most comfortable in an online writing forum called Storyboard, where his stories kindle an e-mail-based friendship with a girl. His excitement over having a real friend (and maybe even girlfriend) turns to terror when he learns that his parents want to take him on a trip to the Storyboard conference, where he’ll no doubt have to meet her in person. |
This is a young adult novel that was recommended to me by someone who, like me, has a child with autism. Baskin writes as authentically as a NT (neurotypical) can about life when you have autism. Her portrayals of both Jason, his parents and those around Jason (and their interactions with him) were very realistic. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a little insight into autism or just a well-written young adult novel.
