2015 Challenge---Book #12

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So totally agree with Cousin Amy. In fact, I almost quit reading this book because I was so frustrated with the main character. But the further into the book you get, the better choices Rachel makes. And then finally the book started picking up speed. In fact, the whole book felt like a train ride that starts in the city--stop and go, stop and go. And then you get into the journey and it really starts moving along.

I will admit I did figure out whodunnit before the end of the book. Part of the reason I stuck with the book was to make sure I was right.



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Congrats to Cousin Ellen Adrian for raising a smart daughter!

Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Smart and contemporary. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book so much so that I read it clear through on a flight back from China.

I liked the characters, I liked the story line; the writing flows very well and is engaging. The content is relevant to teens today and to parents of teens. I liked too that it was very localized in Portland.

I kept asking myself if Emily had been (or is) a high school thespian or if she had been aware of or part of a teacher/student relationship--don't let that be a spoiler for the book--that's not really what the book is about. It's about peer relationships, school relationships, family relationships, and discovering who you are and where you're going. This book totally took me back to what it felt like to be 15-16 years old.

I'd like to read more from Ms Adrian.


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Trips provide for great reading time!

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Between 3 and 3.5 stars.

And how do you say quirky in Swedish--knäppa. This book is so knäppa! I don't know how else to describe it. Interesting. Makes you consider, makes you wonder. Also, this is one amazing centenarian. Is it true? or is he senile? Read it for yourself and tell me what you think.

I would never have read it had it not been for book club.


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The Art of Crash Landing--Great airplane read, bad airplane title.

The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very likable woman with a very real story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were laugh out loud moments in this book and moments of heartbreak. That's a great book that can capture both ends of the spectrum so well. This book makes you analyze your past and why you do what you do now because of past mistakes--your own and your parents' mistakes.

The only downside to this book is that I couldn't quite keep all the past characters straight and by the end of the book I wasn't quite figure out who was related to whom. I felt like there was one too many past stories.

But overall, I recommend this book.


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2015 Book Challenge

BEA Book

Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm sorry to those who gave this five stars because really? Really?  The story is fine and the writing is fluid and you care about the characters but this was FAR too predictable. How many times is Arlie going to do the same thing over and over--sneak out to confront the bad guy. And I never quite really got why Lloyd was after her--it was too weak.

So, if you're on an airplane or at the beach and need something to read, then this reads well--the story just was too weak.


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Sunday-go-to-potatoes (when you need to stretch your meal)

INGREDIENTS

Nutrition

SERVINGS 6-8UNITS US

• 2lbs  frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
• 16ounces  sour cream
• 1(10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 2cups  cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1⁄2cup  onion, chopped
• 3⁄4teaspoon  salt
• 1⁄4teaspoon  pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Turn ingredients into crock pot.
4. Cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours.

The Sound of Glass--2015 Challenge

The Sound of Glass by Karen   White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I give this a B grade. I do like how this book has three stories entertwined--a story from the past and two current stories. This book was a good roundtrip airplane read. The writing flows well.

I don't like feeling like a story is TOO manipulated. I mean really, a suitcase falls in the garden of a family experiencing the same kind of family trauma as the person the suitcase belongs to? And the back story of Cal was just too funky.

But I liked the characters Merritt, Gibbes, Owen, and Loralee (I can't even remember her name as I write this).

Last point: by the end of the book though I felt like I didn't need to finish it because I knew the ending. And there are no surprises--it ends just as you suspect it will.


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