3 Quick Reviews

Ok, so you know we just got back from vacation. I like to read. I love to read on the beach. And it took two days to get there and two days to get back, so that's a lot of car time, too. So I read. So today I'm not going to give you long book reviews, I'm going to keep it quick. Here's what I read last week:

The Middle Place

by Kelly Corrigan

Rating: 4 out of 5

This is not a non-fiction (like I thought it was when I grabbed it as I was whizzing through the bookstore the day before we left). It's very well written and very relateable for mothers who have small children and are in "the middle place" between being a parent (to their children) and a child (to their parents). The main theme is her fight and her father's with cancer. Her wit and humor make it an easy read for a topic that could be depressing. It wasn't a "I couldn't put this book down" type of book, but it's very good and I would recommend it.

The Red Garden

by Alice Hoffman

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is a very interesting book. If you decide to read it here's my first piece of advise...stick with it. The first 3 or 4 chapters you'll be thinking "blah...eh." But stay with it. This book isn't a 'story,' each chapter is a glimpse at the life of a citizen of a town in Massachusetts starting at the founding of the town and continuing through the 1990s-2000s. The common thread that binds the chapter together and the character together through the centuries is this garden that is behind the founder of the town's home where the soil is blood red. I would recommend this book and it's interesting cast of characters. But like I said...stick with this book through the beginning.

A Soft Place to Land

by Susan Rebecca White

Rating: 3 out of 5

Man, I really wanted to like this book. I really wanted to like the characters and was waiting for that "aha" moment in the book. But it never happened. It's the story of two sisters whose parents die in a plane crash when they are in 7th and 10th grade and their relationship throughout the years. This could have been a beautiful story but I just kept wanting to take a hold of both girls and shake them by the shoulders and say, "it's not always about YOU!" This is a decent 'beach read' where it isn't too deep, so don't expect too much out of it except for one mini drama after another. Oh--also more character development was needed. Read it if you'd like...it's just ok.

Happy Wednesday! Have a hot day!