Andrea

A Nice, Big Read

Revisado: 09-24-16

I only discovered Into the Wilderness because it was recommended by fellow Outlander fans. Bonus: Young Ian is mentioned by name, as well as a "tall, redheaded Scot" and his wife, a doctor.

There will never be another Outlander for me, but this was a really long, nice read. I found the beginning to be abrupt, but that obviously evened out, because this is a beast of a book. The audiobook is 30 hours. I really liked the narrator, btw.

Elizabeth was a great MC. I didn't really get hers and Nathaniel's strong connection at first, but it grew on me throughout the story. ItW has romance, danger, scheming, death and destruction, even a hidden treasure.

For such a big book, I have surprising little to say. After more than two months to get through it, I guess I'm ready to move on. I definitely need a break, but will continue the series.

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Terrific Book About Awful People

Revisado: 07-14-16

Gone Girl was everything I was looking for:

—unreliable narrators, Nick and Amy were truly awful, sociopathic liars and I loved it.

—I was truly puzzled by the mystery, what happened to Amy and why. I wanted to be kept in the dark, on my toes. I would say that Flynn pulled the rug every time I had things figured out, but, she always five steps ahead of me anyway.

—Gone Girl was an absolute mind trip. Messed up people living messed up lives and doing terribly mean, awful things. Perfect.

As the last woman on earth who's finally read Gone Girl, I wholeheartedly approve.

(audiobook—great narrators)

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Gorgeous — Everything I Could Have Hoped For

Revisado: 06-28-16

If you could sum up The Firebird in three words, what would they be?

Gorgeous, Fulfilling, Interesting

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best was the that The Firebird was a continuation, of sorts of The Winter Sea.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to this narrator before. I really enjoyed her work. Her Irish accent was great, but her Scottish accent was perfection.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was happily shocked at the surprised ending. Cried happy tears.

Any additional comments?

The Firebird was lovely lovely lovely. Anna "Jamison" was the most delightful character, and although hers is the story within the story, she is exactly what made this book as gorgeous as it was. As did her long-awaited, much-needed HEA. I wasn't as keen on the contemporaries portion of the book —Nicola and Rob's story. This is par for the course with me and all of Kearsley's books. I never love the present timeline. It was nice and all, and I liked how it ended, but it didn't have the emotional pull that Anna's held. Also, I never *got* their supernatural ability. WHY were they able to read the history of an object; HOW were they able to focus on a particular person and skip through that person's timeline? I listened to Nicola's English accent. She was great with Irish.

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Gorgeous, Romantic

Revisado: 05-20-16

The Rose Garden is a gorgeous, romantic story of time slips and love that reaches across space and time. I was so into the story that I didn't mind not knowing exactly how and why the time slips happen, and why only certain individuals were affected. The only thing that mattered to me was Daniel and Eva and whether than could ever truly be together.

The Rose Garden is my new favorite Susanna Kearsley novel.

Nicola Barber is in my top-two favorite narrators. I will pick up a book just to hear her read it.

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Worth It

Revisado: 04-25-16

After a long, slow start, The Winter Sea turned out to be an incredibly beautiful story. Part of my issues with the first half is that the pace is so slow, the rest lays on the narration. I did eventually warm to her, but her take on the Scot accent was not good (particularly when I consider what the amazing Davina Porter can do with a Scot). 

The Winter Sea contains a story within a story —with present day Carrie's heroine writing the story of her ancestor Sophia. I actually preferred Sophia's tale, particularly since it was set around the time of the first Jacobite rising attempt. Sophia's story was heartbreaking, interesting, and bittersweet. Be on the lookout for an amazing twist. The happy tears were flowing freely. ;-) 

The Winter Sea was a lovely story, and has pulled me as a fan of Susanna Kearsley. If you decide up read this one, take your time. It's worth it. 

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Gripping —I Loved It!

Revisado: 02-24-16

WELL. The Girl on the Train definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. This book had every element I was looking for in a psychological thriller: the characters were largely awful, or at least deeply flawed; the main narrator, Rachel, was shaky and unreliable; the plot was gritty and dark; the climax was shocking; the ending was appropriately sedate.

I listened to the audio version of the book. I liked all the narrators, a lot. It was a little difficult to keep up with the timeline, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment.

There are thousands of reviews for The Girl on the Train, so I'm sure mine wouldn't add much more to the discussion. I think this book is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers like Mary Kubica's The Good Girl and Pretty Baby.

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Nice Series Introduction

Revisado: 01-26-16

Midnight Crossroad was a light, quirky read that kept me fairly engaged and entertained throughout. I thought the book centered around Manfred Bernardo (whom I fondly remember from Harris's <b><i>excellent </b></i>Harper Connelly series), but the story actually contains multiple points-of-view. Midnight Crossroad is not heavy on the paranormal, which I do expect more of in the next book. It is a nice series introduction and a surprising mystery.


Audio narration was nicely done.

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Liked the Story, but Not the Fanfic

Revisado: 01-09-16

As a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell's adult fiction, I was interested in reading her take on younger characters. I wasn't sure the subject would be for me —at this point, I'm not into NA-age characters or the fanfic world —but I felt certain I would at least enjoy the writing. That is exactly what happened in my reading of Fangirl. I thought it was a good (not especially great or life-altering) story, and the writing was great.

-I really liked Cath's character growth
-adored Levi
-was frustrated by Cath's take on appropriation of her favorite author's series-in-progress, but appreciated her changing actions/opinions late in the story
-ended up skipping most of the passages from Carry On, as well as Cath's fanfic —I was more interested in Levi/Cath and Cath/her family than I was in Simon and Baz and it was frustrated to be pulled out of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed Fangirl quite a lot. The audio narration was really good. I'm looking forward to more from Rowell.

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Intriguing, Bittersweet

Revisado: 12-02-15

My sister-in-law recommended this one, and I'm so glad I listened. The beginning was a tad slow, and I wasn't sure where the plot was going, but when it picked up, I was consumed.

Perfect for readers/listeners who enjoy books with dual timelines, mystery, and a bittersweet love story.

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Another Grand Adventure

Revisado: 08-26-15

This is my second time around with Echo and I love it just as much as the first. It's long, so you more than get your money's worth, but it's wonderfully long, with never a dull moment.

Plus, this book ends with one of the greatest reveals ever.

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