Review: The Day the World Came to Town

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede

Rating: 4 Stars

This book was a fascinating look into how the tragedy of 9/11 effected those people who were in the air that day, and those who took them in. We often forget how that day rippled throughout the world, and how many people stepped up to help. 

This was a lovely story about the best of humanity. I enjoyed the narrative and found myself crying more than once at the kindness shown to these people I’ve never met. I liked the writing style, the pieces of each person’s story, although I know some other readers found it hard to follow. 

If you’re looking for a story that will make you feel all the emotions, but mostly the good ones, this is the book for you.

Review: The Sea Keeper's Daughters

The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate

Rating: 3 Stars

I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and the subject was something I didn’t really know anything about, which I always enjoy. I did feel like there was a little too much going on, plot-wise, and it could have been tightened up a little bit, but overall this was a fun and fairly easy read. 

Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

Review: The Swans of Fifth Avenue

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin

Rating: 3 Stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. Melanie Benjamin is a good writer, and the subject matter was interesting. I found that the writing made me feel what I'm sure Benjamin wanted me to feel as the reader, but I also never felt fully engaged with the characters. 

I found it hard to follow; the jumps in the timeline weren't always clear to me. I also struggled with the sheer number of characters introduced throughout the book. It felt like one giant name-drop, which was probably on purpose, I know, but still hard to follow. It didn't help that I didn't really like any of the characters, even the ones we got to know. I felt sorry for a lot of them, but they were all selfish, with very few redeeming qualities, making it difficult for me to be overly interested in anything any of them were doing. 

I believe a lot of what I didn't like about the writing; the gossipy voice, the name dropping, the jumpy narrative, was all done on purpose to emulate what it must have been like in Truman Capote's head, and in that regard, Benjamin did an excellent job. Even though I didn't enjoy it, I appreciate what she was doing, and can acknowledge the mastery of that. Overall, this was an interesting read, but not one I'd pick up again. I will be sure to try another of Benjamin's books, though, because I do believe she's an excellent writer. 

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

Review: Great American Outpost

Great American Outpost by Maya Rao

Rating: 4 Stars

I've spent almost my entire life in southwestern North Dakota, only a few hours away from the epicenter of the recent oil boom in the Bakken. And even down here on the fringes of the boom, it's hard to believe how much has changed in such a short period of time. 

Maya Rao spent two years in the Bakken, investigating these changes, talking to farmers and ranchers, oil workers from around the world, oil executives, and government officials. Rao has written a book that brings to light how complicated this boom has been for everyone involved, while keeping an open mind and remaining neutral. The boom was romanticized, then villainized by everyone who has survived it (depending on which side you're on, of course). Rao is unbiased in her reporting of the issues, making this a perfect read for anyone who is interested in learning what life was and is really like in the Bakken. As someone who lives on the very edge of the oil activity, it gave me a much more clear idea of what happened during the boom/bust to my neighbors to the North. It's not as clear cut as some would believe, and Rao does an excellent job showing both sides of the story. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in learning about the largest oil boom in modern history, told by the people who lived it.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me an advanced copy of this book.

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I, like most of America, have been swept up in the story of Alexander Hamilton and his family, including his wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. Eliza was so much more than Hamilton's wife; she was an independent mind, who was years ahead of her time. So I was very excited to read this fictionalized account of their romance. Unfortunately, I feel that this book fell flat in that regard.

The whole story seemed very shallow. De la Cruz paid very close attention to detail and attempted to paint a picture of the time period, but in my opinion the attention to the day-to-day detail took away from the characters. I never felt that any of the characters were truly fleshed out, and it seemed like a very small percentage of the book was spent on interactions between Alex and Eliza, which was what I was there for! It came across as much more of a tell instead of show situation. Toward the end the reader is told how much Alex longs for Eliza and how much he loves her, but I didn't believe it. They'd barely spent any time together! The other characters all came across as two dimensional for me as well. No one lived up to their full potential.

I also felt the pacing was a little off. And maybe I felt that simply because it seemed like there was so much of the novel where nothing was really happening. It just plodded along, with no emotion behind any of the plot points or decisions the characters made.

It is aimed at young adults, so the writing style is different than what I'm used to reading, adult fiction, but that doesn't excuse a boring story, slow plot, and no character development. If you're really into young adult historical fiction, give it a try. If you're interested in reading about the passionate love story of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler, I would skip it and try one of the other fictionalized accounts out there.

Review: The Secret of Flirting

The Secret of Flirting by Sabrina Jeffries

Rating: 3 Stars

I enjoyed this installment in Sabrina Jeffries’ Sinful Suitors series. Even though it is the 5th book, it can easily be read as a stand alone. 

This follows the same formula as most historical romances: the couple meets, falls in love, some sort of conflict occurs to keep them apart, and the conflict is resolved. However, Jeffries does an excellent job of weaving in historical accuracy and political details of the time so well. The characters also are all very fleshed out, and have flaws that give them depth and keep the reader rooting for them throughout the story. I also enjoyed the secondary storyline with Lady Ursula. Even though it was a minor part of the story, there was a twist there that I wasn’t expecting, and I definitely enjoyed that. 

All in all, this was a great book to escape into, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good historical romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this book.

Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Rating: 4 Stars

This was the first book from one of the reading challenges that really took me outside my comfort zone. I chose this for Popsugar's cyberpunk prompt. I didn't even know cyberpunk was a genre! Since I'd never heard of the genre, I turned to the Goodreads message boards to find a book that would fit the prompt. This book was the most recommended by far, in part I'm sure by the fact that this is being adapted into a movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, that will be released in March. 

This is a book set in 2044, which is actually not as far away as it once seemed. But in this book's 2044, reality is even uglier than we could imagine. And because the world is so ugly, everyone takes part in the OASIS, a virtual reality utopia. The man who invented the OASIS dies and starts a quest that takes place through the course of the book.

This book is very heavy on the 80s references and computer/tech world, which is not something that normally interests me. However, Cline does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in with the story, regardless of how into tech you are. The story is an adventure story at its core, so if you're interested in stories about quests, or adventures, or the future, this is the book for you!