The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

What I love about Marian Keyes is this: you never know the whole story until close to the end and she can write! Once again I was engrossed in a book that kept me wondering what was going on, how are these pieces all tied together? But in a really good way. This book centres on the occupants of the 4 apartments at 66 Star Street in Dublin. They seem completely different, but their stories start to intertwine and unravel. Also along for the ride is a mysterious narrator that is watching what is going on. I really had no idea who this narrator was and was totally surprised at the end. A very enjoyable read!

Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury

I can break this post down in 3 parts.
1. Why I picked this book up: I've been reading a bit of Karen Kingsbury this year and I read that this one was made into a movie that was released this fall.
2. Why I almost stopped reading it: It seemed very 'meh' to get going. Although I enjoy her writing for a quick read, I am not enjoying the steriotypes that some of her work has. I don't think life is as black and white as that. I don't like how the 'good guys' are always wealthy (monitarily) and the 'bad guys' are poor. That's not realistic to me. It also isn't a good standard to put out there. Money does not make you happy. Not having money does not mean that you are using drugs, in jail, abused, abusive, rude, crass etc.
3. Why I soldiered on. I wanted to know where she was going with it and if it would get better. Well, it just got really unrealistically dramatic. That's about it.
Oh yeah and the storyline. Couple adopts boy as an infant. Biological father is released from prison and then finds out the child exists. Biological father wants child and judge decides in favor of that happening. Adoptive parents desperate to keep child contemplate drastic measures.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting something a little bit lighter, but I guess I should have read the book flap a little more carefully. This story centres on 2 women, Tessa and Valerie. They don't know each other, but you find out that they are connected as their stories intertwine. Giffin uses the technique of switching perspectives each chapter. One thing I found interesting is that all of Tessa's chapters were written in the first person, and all of Valeries in the 3rd person. I did find myself pulled into this story. I really like Giffin's writing. Although it was heavier than I anticipated, it was still a good read. It reminded me a bit of something Marian Keyes would write (which is a compliment, I love Marian Keyes).

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I always expect to like Philippa Gregory's writing more than I do. I love historical fiction. I love well-researched authors. She should fit the bill. There are part of her books I really like. Her characters can be very interesting. She can tell a story. I think she can get bogged down in trying to tell the history (or her version of the history) that some of the elements of good storytelling gets lost. I enjoyed the first half of this book so much more than the last. The first half was interesting. The first half didn't stretch across so many years. The second half had a lot of finishing to do.
This is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of King Edward IV and Queen of England for a time. She is a character in the era known as the War of the Roses, the battle between the Lancasters and Yorks for the crown of England. She is also mother to the Princes in the Tower, the princes whose fate still remains unknown to this day.
Because the history that Gregory writes about takes place so long ago there were a lot of gaps to fill in. Some of her story is based on historical account, other parts are pure fiction and supposition.
She also weaves Elizabeth's story with the legend of Melusina, a half woman/half fish character who Elizabeth considers to be her ancestor.
It's an interesting read at times and enjoyable at times, I just felt my attention drift away a bit at the end.

Been Blogging

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce my newest blog: Crafty Kris. Please take a moment or two to check it out. It's where I'm being creative when I'm not chasing my kids, or in the kitchen, or reading...