Book: Zero Repeat Forever

 Book: Zero Repeat Forever

Author: GS Prendergast

Pages: 496

This is my 220th read for the year

Amazon says:

He has no voice or name, only a rank, Eighth.  He doesn't know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.  Dart the humans.  Leave them where they fall.  His job is to protect his OFfside.  Let her do the shooting.  Until a human kills her.  Sixteen year old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade.  Isolated in the wilderness, RAven and her fellow campuers can only stay put.  Await rescue.  Raven doesn't like feeling helpless, but what choice does she have?  Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.  Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear.  But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival comes to depend on trusting each other.

This was a pretty good book.  I found it on a search for a book challenge, and was pleasantly surprised with the story.  It is dystopian, so it gets extra points for that being my favorite genre.  But overall the writing was decent.  I liked Eighth a lot.  Raven?  Not so much.  Her charcater was all over the place.  I have a few teenagers and know their can be wild swings of emotion, but this seemed to be written to the extreme.  However - I did start to figure out where the story was going, but wasn't quite sure.  The author wasn't keeping the reader in the dark - it was slowly burning to a big reveal.  Which SORT of came at the end, but I think will be clarified in the second book.  I think I will check it out to see where it goes.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Crossroads

 Book: Crossroads

Author: Laurel Hightower

Pages: 124

This is my 219th read for the year

Amazon says:

How far would you go to bring back someone you love?  When Chris's son dies in a tragic car crash, her world is devastated.  The walls of grief close in on Chris's life until, one day, a small cut on her finger chages everything.  A drop of blood falls from Chris's hand onto her son's roadside memorial and later that night, Chris thinks she sees his ghost outside her window.  Only, it is really her son's ghost, or is it something else - something evil?  Soon Chris is playing a dangerous game with forces beyond her control in a bid to see her son, Trey, alive once again.

This was a strange book.  It is very short and I finished it in one day, but I didn't love it.  It is repetative.  I like the idea of the story - a mom so grieving her son that when she thinks she has a chance to bring him back she will do anything.  But it was a mix of grief and a bit of horror, but it didn't do either well.  Characters were just so so.  The plot never developed.

Stars: 2.5

Book: You Wish

 Book: You Wish

Author: Jason Lethcoe

Pages: 224

This is my 218th read for the year

What Amazon says:

On his eleventh birthday, sad, orphaned Benjamin Bartholomew Piff accidentally adheres to all of the wishing rules, and, in wishing for the mother lode of limitless shes, he unknowingly sets into a motion a chain of events that threatens to disrupt the balance between the magical realm of wishes and curses.  Before long, Benjamin has been recruited by the Wishworks Factory director himself to fight the evil henchmen of the Curseworks Factory.  In the process, Benjamin will reclaim his original wish, giving new credence to the old adage: Be careful what you wish for.

This was a cute book.  I read it for a reading challenge, and feel like these books probably crossed my path when the kids were younger and I have forgotten.  It is a quick read and definitely for the younger crowd, but still well written.  Good development of characters and a good ending.  I think there are more books as the ending lead me to believe.

Stars: 4

Book Garlic and Sapphires

 Book: Garlic and Sapphires

Author: Ruth Reichi

Pages: 352

This is myi 217th read for the year

Amazon says:

Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food.  She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world.  A charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities.  She reveals the comic absurdity, artifice and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world - along with her favorite recipes and reviews.

This book was okay.  I liked the idea of her dressing up as various people to disguise herself at these establishments.  She had been warned that her face was posted at a lot of the elite NY restaurants and knew she was not going to be able to get the full effect and true dining experience of a restaurant if she went as herself.  Her orginal plan was to write two reviews.  One as herself - where she knows she would catered to and one as a disguise persona.  But that was vetoed so she wrote just as the persona.  The side of this book that drug for me was the over explaining in each chapter about the character she was going to portray - setting it up, shopping, getting into character - it was too much.  Also Ruth didn't seem to like anyone.  She had really nothing nice to say about the staff, the food, the other people she encountered.  She seems like someone who is very hard to please even in her everday life.  It got to be a bit much.

Stars: 3

Book: Eyes of the Dragon

 Book: Eyes of the Dragon

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 320

This is my 216th read for the year

This is the story of the kingdom of Delain.  Peter and his brother Thomas grew up without their mother and with a distant father.  When their father dies under mysterious circumstances, Peter is accused of his murder, thrown into jail and his brother crowned King.  Over the next 4 years Peter plans his escape and how to prove he didn't kill his father.

This was a pretty good book.  3/4 of it was well written and the story flowed nicely.  There was good character development.  The last 1/4 of the book drug some.  It seemed to take forever to get through the rescue of Peter - I think that part of the book could have been shortened.  Overall a good story.

Stars: 4

Book: We Have Always Lived In A Castle

 Book: We Have Always Lived In A Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

Pages: 146

This is my 215th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Since the mysterious death their family, the superstitious Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, her ailing wheelchair-bound uncle, Julian, and agoraphobic sister Constance have lived in a contented state of isolation, secluding themselves from the taunting villagers.  But when cousin Charles arrives in search of the Blackwood fortune, a terrible family secret is revealed.  

This was an okay book.  Not as good as I was hoping.  I read if for a reading challenge.  It was short and uncomplicated and I finished it in a few hours.  Started out okay - but then got sluggish.  It is slow moving with no real buildup - just a lot of bullying.  Ending was disappointing.

Stars: 3

Book: Three Sisters

 Book: Three Sisters

Author: Heather Morris

Pages: 402

This is the 214th read for the year

Amazon says:

Against all odds, three Solvakian sisters have survived years of imprisonment in the most notorious death camp in Nazi Germany: Auschwitz.  Livia, Magda, and Cibi have clung together, nearly died from starvation and overwork, and the brutal whims of the guards in this place of horror.  But now, the allies are closing in and the sisters have one last hurdle to face: the death march from Auschwitz, as the Nazis try to erase any evidence of the prisoners held there.  Due to a last minute stroke of luck, the three of them are able to escape formation and hide in the woods for days before being rescued.  And this is where the story begins.  From there, the three sisters travel to Israel, to their new ome, but the battle for freedom takes on new forms.  Livia, Magda, and Cibi must face the ghosts of their past - and some secrets that they have kept from each other - to find true peace and happiness.

This book was okay.  I really liked her other two books, so I had high hopes for this one.  The first half of the book was good.  It is detailed and hard to read about their time in the camps.  The second half fell flat for me.  It jumps ahead so quickly - marriages, babies, moving.....just seemed almost unrealistic.  It was like she told what she wanted to tell in the first half and then pieced together the second to make the book longer.  It became a chore to finish it.  I lost all interest in what was happening to the sisters by the end of the book and was just glad to be done with it.  It is based on a true story, but how much?  Not sure.

Stars: 3.

Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

 Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 432

This is my 213th read for the year

Amazon says:

America has long been a nation of farmers.  But within the past several decades, our food supply has become dependent on transportation that burns fossil fuels and on increasingly fewer varieties of vegetables and animals.  In a single generation, most Americans have lost their knowledge of agriculture and the natral processes that are a part of our food chain.  But while food is cheap, we pay for it in other ways, including shorter life spans for our children, argues Barbara Kingsolver.  Determined to integrate their food choices with their family values, Kingsolver and her family moved from suburban Arizon to a rural Appalachia, and embarked on an adventure of realigning their lives with the food chain.  Part memoir, part journalistic invetigation, it follows the family through the first year of their experiment.  They learn from other committed citizens who are trying to turn the tide in their communities, from organic farmers to members of the Slow Food movemnt who are doing their best to protect our foods against extinction and return us to a way of life that is better for our health, our wallets, and our environment.

This book was excellent.  Barbara Kingsolver is a gifter writer, and her non-fiction books are no exception.  I really enjoyed this look into her personal life and her personal quest to eat better, better the environment, and truly stick to her purpose - to eat only what she could get locally.  The book will make you hungry and you will want to run out and buy seeds and start your own movement after you hear her passion.  The whole family was on board - even her youngest.

I am so glad I found this book.  I read if for a reading challenge, and it did not disappoint.  I could not put it down.

Stars: 5

Book: The Cabin In The Woods

 Book: The Cabin In The Woods

Author: Sarah Alderson

Pages: 400

This is my 212th read for the year

Amazon Says:

In a cabine in a wood, A woman by the window stood.  Glancing out, she thought she heard.  Footsteps, whistling, somethig stirred.  Hiding here, she fears the night, for what's done in the dark will come to light.

This was a pretty good book.  Better than I expected it to be.  There were a few twists in there I didn't see coming, and that kept the story moving along at a good pace.  I listened to this one, and I consider it a great audiobook.  Characters were developed nicely.  The people that helped Rose when she was in the cabine were some of the best characters.  The ending was okay - I would have liked a bit better.  Writing was overall good.  Glad I read this one and I might try a few of her other books.

Stars: 4  

Book: The Wild Robot

 Book: The Wild Robot

Author: Peter Brown

Pages: 320

This is my 211th book for the year

Amazon says:

Can a robot survive in the wilderness?  When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island.  She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is - but she knows she needs to survive.  After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.  As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home - until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.  

This was a cute book.  We had recently see the movie and it was quite the tear jerker.  I was curious about the books.  This is again a young to middle grade book, and written for that age group.  Writing is still pretty good.  In this case I need to say that the movie was better.  I liked the story of Roz and the Gossling Brightbill in the movie much better than in the book.  And Roz was much more of a hero in the movie.  Overall - glad I read it.

Stars: 4

Book: Cirque Du Freak - Allies of the Night

 Book: Cirque Du Freak

Author: Darren Shan

Pages: 196

This is my 210th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Darren Shan, Vampire Prince and Vampaneze killer, faces his worst nightmare yet - school.  But homework is the least of Darren's problems.  Bodies are piling up.  Time is running out.  And the past is catching up with the hunters fast.

Why didn't I start with the first book do you ask?  Well this one fit a challenge, and honestly - because it is a middle grade book - it made little difference.  This book was fine.  It is a quick read with a thin plot as you would imagine for this age group.  It has some twists and turns and a little love story thrown in.  Not much else to say.

Stars: 3

Book: The Baker's Secret

 Book: The Baker's Secret

Author: Stephen Kiernan

Pages: 336

This is my 209th read for the year

Amazon says:

On June 5th, 1944, as dawn rises over a small town on the Normandy coast of France, Emmanuelle is making the bread that has sustained her fellow villagers in the dark days since the Germans invaded her country.  Only 22, Emma learned to bake at the side of a master, Ezra Kuchen, the village baker since before she was born.  Apprenticed to Ezra at 13, Emma watched with shame and anger as her kind mentor was forced to wear the siz-pointed yellow star on his clothing.  She was liekwise powerless to help when they pulled Ezra from his shop at gunpoint, the first of many villagers stolen away and never seen again.  In the years that her sleepy coastal village has suffered under the enemy, Emma has silently, stealthily fought back.  Each day, she receives an extra ration of flour to bake a dozen baguettes for the occupying troops.  And each day, she mixes that pcious flour with ground straw to creat enough dogu for 2 extra loaves - contraband bread she shares with the hungry villagers.  Under the cold, watchful eyes of armed soldiers, she builds a clandestine network of barter and trade that she and the villagers use to thwart their occupiers.  

This book was fine.  I read it for a reading challenge where the main character is a baker.  She is, but this book is more about WWII and Germany's invasion of France.  I was hoping it was going to be more than just another WWII book, but it really wasn't.  The writing was choppy.  And there wasn't a lot of character developement.

Stars: 3

Book: The Comfort Book

 Book: The Comfort Book

Author: Matt Haig

Pages: 272

This is my 208th read for the year

This is a collection that Matt Haig put together for his future self when he was going through a deep depression.  A book on hope, it is a reminder for us all that things are not always as bad as they seem.  This is an easy read - I finished in in an afternoon - with a lot of encouraging antecdotes and short paragraphs to encourage and inspire you.

For me - this book was a good one to read with what is currently going on in our current political climate.  If you are feeling a little out of your depth, worried about what is to come, you should check out this book.  I was glad I read it.  Excellent read.

Stars: 5

Book: The Book of Doors

 Book: The Book of Doors

Author: Gareth Brown

Pages: 416

This is my 207th read for the year

Amazon says: (sorry I am super lazy lately - busy and reading a ton)

Cassie Andrews works in a NYC bookship, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life.  Until the day one of her favorite customers - a lonely yet charming old man - dies right in front of her.  Cassie is devastated.  She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by.  Nothingbu the last book he was reading.  The Book of Doors.  Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawing, it promises CAssie that any door is every door.  You just need to know how to open them.  Then she's approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox.  He's a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes.  The tome now in Cassie's possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.  Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books.  With only her roomate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors - and the other books in his secret library's care - from those who will do evil.   Because only Drummon knows where the unique library is and only Cassie's book can get them there.  But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets.  And a dark force - in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman - is at the very top of that list.

Great book.  Well written with good character development.  It is a neat concept - books that all do different magical things for the person who possesses them.  I knocked it a star because I think the evil characters were overdone - just too horrible.  Overall an interesting story full of mystery and fantasy.

Stars: 4

Book: Notes On An Execution

 Book: Notes on An Execution

Author: Danya Kukafka

Pages: 336

This is my 206th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours.  He knows what he's done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago.  But Answel doesn't want to die.  He wants to be celebrated, understood.  Through a kaleidoscope of women - a mother, a sister, a homicide detective - we learn the story of Answel's life.  We meet his mother, Lavender, a 17 year old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Answel's wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister's relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly.  As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake.

This was an okay book.  I enjoyed the timeline and view points of vaious characters  that were all tied to Ansel.  I liked that the focus wasn't solely on the serial killer, but his victims.  The problem was that the characters were just so-so.  And the writing was average.

Stars: 3

Book: Dark Corners

 Book: Dark Corners

Author: Megan Goldin

Pages: 352

This is my 205th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Terenc Baily is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women.  As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a youn influencer with a huge social media follwoing.  Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she's been kidnapped or worse.  When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall's help in finding the missing influencer.  Maddison seems to only exist on social media - she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her.  Using a fake Instagram account, RAchel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.  When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tall - identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey's hand - the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, incluing Racehl Krall herself.  Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

This was a pretty good book.  I read the first Rachel Krall book (The Night Swim) and enjoyed it as well.  I listened to this book and honestly I felt that helped because these are books about a podcaster.  She weaves her podcast episodes into the story, so audiobook works well for that story line.  I like the Rachel character - she doesn't do anything overly stupid.  I liked most of the characters in this book (main characters) and there is even a little love story happening in this one.  Written well with a satisfying ending, I am glad I read this one.

Stars: 4

Book: Everything's Eventual

 Book: Everything's Eventual

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 464

This is my 204th read for the year

This is a book of short stories.  And it was okay.  I liked a few of the stories, but not even half I would say.  They were not scary.  Some just....ended.  Quite a few were well written and interesting - but not scary.  Odd?  yes.  Even being a fan of his writing I just could not get into this one.  I have read quite a few of his short story books, but this one I would rate at the bottom of the ones I have tackled so far.

Stars: 3

Book: The Days I Loved You Most

 Book: The Days I Loved You Most

Author: Amy Neff

Pages: 336

This is my 203rd read for the year

This is the story of Evelyn and Joseph.  They fell in love in the 40s and have been married ever since.  3 kids and several grandkids later, Evelyn has been diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease and decided she wanted to leave this life on her terms.  And Joseph wants to go with her.  When they tell their family that this is their last year, the family explodes with confusing and anger.  But Evelyn and Joseph are determined to make this a great year to leave their family with many good memories.  

This was an okay book.  I read it for a reading challenge, and was hoping for a better love story.  The story goes back and forth between Evelyn and Joseph's past and their present and intermingles their kid's feelings with a few chapters as well.  But it fell flat for me.  The writing was okay.  I really didn't like Evelyn at all.  The others were just okay.  Joseph was the only one that really didn't seem self absorbed.  I did not like the ending, but should have seen it coming.

Stars: 3

Book: Unnatural Causes

 Book: Unnatural Causes

Author: Richard Shepherd

Pages: 391

This is my 202nd book for the year

This is the story of the author as a Forensic Pathologist.  He uses this book to recount his time from the beginning of his career until present day (for this book when it was published in 2019).  He is a pathologist in the UK.  He recounts stories of crime scenes, bodies in the morgue and his defense in the courtroom of the cases he was in charge of.  Driven by finding the truth, and becoming a top expert in his field, he strives to bring justice to people who were killed or died under circumstances that were not clear.

This was a great book.  It is well written and I became very invested in the stories he was telling of certain cases where the cause of death was not clear.  He was even on a team sent over from Britain for 9/11 and was called in to review the case of Princess Diana.  He weaves his personal life into the story and how he learned to separate his work from his home life.  I learned a lot about forensic pathology and I thought he did a good job of keeping the story for the general writer and did not get overly technical when talking about his work.  He remained honest and self aware throughout.  Glad I read this one.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Black Coal and Red Bandanas - West Virginia Mine Wars

 Book: Black Coal and Red Bandanas - West Virginia Mine Wars

Author: Raymond Tyler

Pages: 136

This is my 201st read for the year

Amazon says:

Our illustrated history begins with Mary Harris "Mother" Jone's arrival at the turn of the century.  White-haired, matronly, and fiercely socialist, Jones became known as the "miners' angel", and helped turn the fledglind United Mine Workers into the nation's most powerful labor union.  In 1912, miners led by stubborn Frank Keeney struck against harsh conditions in the work camps of Paint and Cabin Creeks.  Coal operators responded by elisting violent Baldwin-Felts guards.  The ensuing battles and murderous events caused the governor to declare and execute martial law on a scale unprecedented in the US.  On May 19, 1920 in response to evictions by coal company agents, the "Matewan Massacre" event occured.  This graphic interpretation of people's history features unforgettable main characters while also displaying the diverse rank nd file workers who stood in solidarity during this struggle.

This was a good graphic novel.  It is short, but it covers a lot of material and does it well.  I did not know anything about this story, and learned a lot about the unions that were formed for mine workers and the cost.  My husband got it for me as a present knowing I am a fan of non-fiction and graphic novels, and it was a good one.

Stars: 4

Book: Small Pleasures

 Book: Small Pleasures

Author: Clare Chambers

Pages: 368

This is my 200th read for the year

This is the story of Jean.  She is a single woman who works for a newspaper and cares for her ailing mother.  One day a story comes across her desk where a woman claims she had a virgin birth.  Jean asks if she can follow up on the story and meets Gretchen who has a 10 year old daughter.  She was never with a man, but became pregnant while convalescing from rheumatoid arthritis in a convent.  Gretchen is now married to a man named Howard who has accepted Margaret - her daughter - as his own.  Jean starts to spend time with the whole family and quickly becomes intertwined in their daily lives as the story unfolds.  

This book was just okay.  I found a lot of the story "convenient" as it went along to pull Jean and Howard together.  It just went off the rails just to further their story together and I found it dumb.  I could see it coming and it was more than half of the story which was a shame.  And don't get me started on the ending - just awful.  

Stars: 2

Book: The Sign of the Four

 Book: The Sign of the Four

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Pages: 162

This is my 199th read for the year

From Amazon:

When Mary Morstan presents Sherlock Holmes with the mystery of a missing father and a cryptic message sent from an anonymous benefactor, the great detective is propelled into a complex case of treasure, intrigue, and betrayal.  Alonside his trusted friend Dr. John Watson, Holmes embarks on a thrilling chase that takes them from the fog-shrouded streets of London to the bustling docks of the River Thames.  As the mystery deepens, the danger intensifies, leading to a confrontation that will test not only Holmes's brilliance but the very bonds of friendship and trust between the detective and his devoted chronicler.  This second novel in the Sherlock Holmes series is a masterpiece of mystery and adventure that stirs the mind and quickens the pulse.

This was a pretty good book.  I have not read that many Sherlock Holmes books, and I should.  I enjoy them and they are well written.  My favorite part is that he borrowed a dog to help him with the case saying that the dog could out play the police any day.  The story moves along nicely even in this very short book, and it wraps up well.  Glad I read it.

Stars: 4

Book: Balloons Over Broadway

 Book: Balloons Over Broadway

Author: Melissa Sweet

Pages: 40

This is my 198th read for the year

Amazon:

Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invened the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual parade celebrating Thanksgving.  

This book was really cute.  I read it for a reading challenge, and I actually learned a lot about how the balloons of the parade came to be in this short book.  It is always fun to learn something knew - even through a children's book.

Stars: 4

Book: When God Became White

 Book: When God Became White

Author: Grace Ji-Sun Kim

Pages: 200

This is my 197th read for the year

Amazon says:

Christianity is rooted in the ancient Near East among people of darker skin.  But over time, European Christians cast Jesus in their own image, with art that imagined a fair-skinned Savior in the style of imperial rulers.  Grace Ji-Sun Kim explores the historical origins and theological implications of how Jesus became white and God became a white male.  The myth of the white male God has had a devastating effect as it enabled Christianity to have a profoundly colonialist posture across the globe.  Kim examines the roots of the distortion, its harmful impact on the world, and shows what it looks like to recover the biblical reality of a nonwhite, nongendered God.  Rediscovering God as Spirit leads us to a more just faither and a better church and world.

This book was excellent.  I had picked this book up at a bookstore in Boston and decided I wanted to check it out.  The author talks about the history of God and Jesus becoming white over the course of time and how that has affected not only her life but other people of color.  She weaves personal memoir among theology and paints a picture of how we got here and where we go from here.  She invisions a church that is inclusive and representative of all people and how we get there.  I can think of a lot of people who should read this book. Glad I found this one. 

Stars: 4.5

Book: Everything is Illuminated

 Book: Everything is Illuminated

Author: Jonathan Safran

Pages: 288

This is my 196th read for the year

Amazon says: (sorry - I am super behind with reviews)

With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.  Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis Junior Junior, and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.  As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time.  As his search moves back in time, the fantastical history moves forward, until reality collides with fiction in a heart-stopping scene of extraordinary power.

I really liked this book.  I have been putting it off on my Gilmore challenge, but finally picked it up on a whim from the library.  It took a bit to get into, and the ending could have been held together a bit better, but overall, I enjoyed the story.  It was amusing and serious, and told a good story.  Glad I tried this one.

Stars: 4