Extra Book - Smile

 Book: Smile

Author: Raina Telgemeier

Pages: 224

This is my 69th read for the year

This is a graphic novel written about the author's younger years.  Raina had fallen and knocked out her two front permanent teeth and spent 4 years getting her mouth straightened after that accident.  The book discusses her trials of dealing with that during her teenage years and how it changed her friendships and how she felt about herself.

This is a sweet book.  It was a book my 14 year old daughter wanted to read together, so we did.  We read it all in one sitting - doesn't take long when it is a graphic novel.  It was a great book and we are both looking forward to reading the rest of Raina's books.

Stars: 4 1/2

Extra Book - The Starless Sea

 Book: The Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Pages: 592

This is my 68th read for the year

This is the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins.   He is a graduate student who one night stumbles upon a mysterious book in his college library.  As he begins to read the book, he stumbles upon a story that seems very familiar to him.  A story from his own childhood.  Confused how he has become the part of a very old book, he returns to the library in search for more clues about the books beginnings.  This leads him to a masquerade party in New York, a secret club, and a library hidden deep in the earth.  Here Zachary meets Dorian and Maribel, and as he continues to read Sweet Sorrows - the book that contained a piece of his path - it takes him on an adventure filled with danger and wonder.  Zachary finds himself deeply wound in the world he has discovered through books and the one he lives in as he tries to figure out where he belongs.

The Night Circus - Morgenstern's first book -is one of my all time favorite reads.  I was so excited to see that she put out a second book because she is an incredibly talented writer.  I always know I am going to enjoy a book when I am hooked on chapter one.  Magical Realism is one of my least favorite genres but Morgenstern's writing pulls me in.

This one wasn't QUITE as good as The Night Circus.  I don't think I can give it 5 stars because I didn't find the story as good as her first novel.  Expertly written?  YES.  The story just had some parts that I didn't love, and didn't tie quite as nicely as I was hoping it would in the end.  But it came so very close to a 5 star book for me.  I did really enjoy it.  Plus - it didn't hurt that she mentioned one of my other favorite books - The Shadow of the Wind - within the first few pages.  Scored some points there.

If you loved The Night Circus, or you like Magical Realism - don't miss this one.  Truly.  It is a story that will suck you in as you picture the world that Morgenstern creates.

Stars: 4 1/2

Extra Book - Rodham

 Book: Rodham

Author: Cutis Sittenfeld

Pages: 432

This is my 67th read for the year

This is a fictional story about Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Mixed with truth about Hillary's past and run for President is a fictional story of what would happen if she didn't marry Bill Clinton and instead won the Presidency in 2016.  Spanning the years of 1971-2016, it tells a mixed fact/fictional story of Hillary and her life in the spotlight.  This is the author's take on what would happen if her life had taken a differnt path and she had not become Hillary Clinton.

This book wasn't good.  At all.  I had high hopes for it - thought it would be a neat idea to read about a woman I admire who did actually win the Presidency.  What it would have been like for her if she had not become a Clinton and stood on her own through her Senate and Presidency runs.  But the book had way way way too much sex in it and made Hilary more of a wanting girl than a powerful Senator and President.  I mean letting Donal Trump endorse her?  Large sections of the book actually including conversations with him?  REALLY?  

The second half of this book is a complete mess.  I could hardly finish it.  I should have quit.  I am a big fan of Hilary Clinton.  What the author made up about her thinking his rewrite of her history would be better was way off the mark.

Stars: 2

Read The World - Benin - The Viceroy of Ouidah

 Book: The Viceroy of Ouidah

Author: Bruce Chatwin

Pages: 160

Book takes place in the country: YES

Author is from the country: NO

I have visited: NO

This is my 66th book of the year

This is the story mostly of the life of Francisco Manoel da Silva who was an African slave trader in the 1800s.  The book starts with his annual celebration of his life (after he has passed away) by his impoverished decendents in Benin.  These decendents are sure da Silva has left them riches hidden somewhere that they have yet to find.

I am winding down this Read The World challenge, and the countries I am left with - it was hard to find books for them.  Let's put it that way.  This one wasn't bad.  It was dry.  It was FINE.  It had interesting chapters and chapters that I felt I wish I could have skipped.  It lacked substance to make it a great novel.  However - it is only 160 pages long, so I guess that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

I didn't learn much.  A bit about Benin and the slave trade - yes.  But to make heads or tails of the many people discussed in this short novella?  No.

Stars: 3

Extra Book - When We Believe In Mermaids

 Book: When We Believed In Mermaids

Author: Barbara O'Neal

Pages: 348

This is my 65th read for the year.

This is the story of Kit and her sister Josie.  The grew up in a home that was filled with turmoil.  Parents who didn't take the time to parent instead spent their time with alcohol and drugs.  And an "brother" who came into their lives when they were teenagers who was left to care for them, but struggled with deamons of his own.

Josie ran away and killed in a terroist attack on her train.  For 15 years Kit and her mother have mourned her.  Already Kit had lost her father in an earthquake and her "brother" Dylan to a drowning.  Focusing instead of keeping herself out of trouble, Kit becomes an ER doctor.  One day, while watching the news of a fire in New Zealand, Kit swears she sees her sister in the background.  Slowing the video she becomes more convinced that Josie is somehow alive and she needs to go and find her.  She gets on a plane to New Zealand to search and find out the truth.

Kit is determined to find her, but in taking this journey she is forced to re-live her past.  Old memories and old wounds resurface and Kit can no longer run away.

This was a pretty good book.  I listened to it as an audiobook on my long car rides and it kept me entertained.  It is an easy listen and the story flows well between the two sisters.  There are a few eye rolling moments for me - things that just seem a bit silly or overdrawn, but for the most part, a good story.  Kit and Josie are likeable characters and it was interesting to see how two sisters from the same house had two very different life outcomes.

I would say check this one out.  As an easy beach (or winter pretty soon) read or a good audio book.

Stars: 4

Extra Book - Dear Edward

 Book: Dear Edward

Author: Ann Napolitano

Pages: 352

This is my 64th read for the year

This is the story of a young boy named Edward.  He and his family are flying across the country to California for a big family move when their plane crashes killing everyone on board except for Edward.  His story captures the country and he struggles to figure out what to do now that his whole family is gone.  Taken in by a loving aunt and uncle who never had children, he is not sure how to fit in.  

He meets the girl next door, and they form an instant bond.  Together with his aunt, uncle, his friend and his counselor, Edward starts to move forward.  The book goes back and forth between the few years following the crash to the people who are on board the plane.  Edward tries to figure out how he - as the only one who survived - can help all of the families of the other passengers.

I had actually started a book for my Read The World Challenge, and had pulled Dear Edward for my "book to read at night".  But I started this book and couldn't put it down, so I quit the other to finish this one.  IT was a great book.  I was so tense knowing that the plane crash was coming, and how it was going to play out in those final moments before it hit the ground.  And when the crash finally happens, I found myself overwhelmed with feelings about how that must have been for those people on board.

The book is well written and flows well between the past and present.  You feel Edward's struggle with what to make of all the attention and the loss of his family at the age of 12.  He has lost everything he knew.  And it takes him years to finally come to terms with what his life would be life from now on.  You can feel his turmoil.

I highly recommend.  It was a great read.

Stars: 4 1/2

Extra Book - The Last Story of Mina Lee

 Book: The Last Story of Mina Lee

Author: Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Pages: 305

This is my 63rd read for the year

I joined Book of the Month Book Box, and this was my first pick from that.  I am pretty excited to be back in the United States and have more access to monthly boxes.  

This is the story of Margot and her mother, Mina.  Margot has not seen her mother in almost a year, and has decided to go and visit her.  She has been calling her mom to let her know she is coming, but has not gotten an answer.  When Margot shows up at her mother's apartment, she discovered that she had died.  The death seems like an accident, but Margot is not so sure.

The book goes back and forth between Margot trying to solve the mystery of her mother's death, and dealing with her past - and Mina's story.  How she came to be in Los Angeles from Korea - and what she was escaping from.  Margot pieces together her mother's history and gets to the bottom of the mystery of her death and struggles to learn who her mother really was.

This book was fine.  It wasn't especially well written and I really didn't like the end.  The book fell apart in the end for me.  The plot was a bit all over the place.  I really cannot recommend it.

Stars: 3