Dark Mirror by M.J. PutneyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Based on the description of the book I was quite surprised when the plot developed in an entire differently direction, leaving me surprised and even confused as to whether I was actually reading the correct book. After I got over my initial surprise and confusion, I began to enjoy the story tremendously, although at times I would still have my brows knitted in befuddled intrigue by the decisions the author chose to flesh out the plot as well as the characters.The story was told through the point of view of the female protagonist, who in my opinion did not possess…

The Caged Graves by Dianne K. SalerniMy rating: 5 of 5 stars The Caged Graves really is a very good story. Looking at the physical book the first thought that came to my mind was that it looked to be a rather short novel, the font of the writing was larger than I expected it to be as well as the spacing of the lines. As a whole, it felt and read like a short story with the added bonus of being longer, hence giving the reader more to enjoy.It was a well-paced narration that followed the main plot without the -sometimes and so often seen unnecessary- sub-plots that take…

The Book Thief by Markus ZusakMy rating: 2 of 5 stars I must admit, I am perhaps more than just a little biased when reading fictional stories of the World War 2 era as written from the point of view of the German people, regardless of how well researched the subject may be. As a German myself I cannot look past every little detail that is supposed to describe the German culture by an author of a different nationality. Such was the case with this story as well. There are a few descriptions, details, customs or “typical German” character traits that I thought were less true and less flattering than…

Gold Rush Girl by Suzanne LillyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Around this time of year I am always in the mood for stories about the pioneering adventures of the settlers in 19th century America and this story was just perfect to gratify that craving. It was light, with a bit of romance and adventure.I kept changing the rating of this story from three to four stars and then back again to three stars until I was finally able to settle on four stars. The reason for my indecisiveness were some of the annoying personality traits of the protagonist. At times she came across as very naive, wavering in her…

A Share in Death by Deborah CrombieMy rating: 3 of 5 stars I was in a murder mystery mood and had a difficult time finding anything that really caught my interest. After much searching I found this book, hoping it would satisfy my craving for a good detective story.Generally speaking, the story was entertaining enough. It was evident that this book was to act as an introduction to a long lasting series containing the same main characters, hence interest and intrigue of those characters was set up, without much resolution to the personal conflicts they experience.The plot was straight forward and easy to follow; however, the writing proved to cause…

Anne Perry’s Christmas Crimes: A Christmas Homecoming / A Christmas Garland by Anne PerryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars In need to find Christmas stories that would actually get me into the Christmas mood I borrowed this book from my mother, hoping that it would be better than The Chimes by Charles Dickens (this would be the first time I admit that a classic is not as good as a contemporary story), which made me feel strangely odd. I began to read with mixed feelings.I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect. This book as a whole was over 400 pages long, containing two stories that could not be completely…

Gathering Blue by Lois LowryMy rating: 2 of 5 stars I was greatly disappointed with this installment of The Giver. I admit, up until chapter 13 I was actually quite interested in the story, but found the remainder of the book slow. In addition, after chapter 13 I noticed a change in the writing, which was very confusing.I didn’t mind the oddity of the story or the lack of details that surrounded the circumstances of the village, but I was greatly annoyed by what can only be described as the author’s desperate attempt to make the story much longer than it actually had to be. Which brings me back to…

The Pierced Heart by Lynn ShepherdMy rating: 5 of 5 stars In my opinion The Pierced Heart is Lynn Shepherd’s best work to date. I was surprised to find the story on average 100 pages shorter than her previous three books, but as so often the reader is reminded that it isn’t really about the length of the book that defines its quality. With only ca. 230 pages the author created a story of suspense, grotesque, eeriness and the possibility of the supernatural. As with all books in a series, it is impossible to review this book in a standard manner, since various elements of the overall story may be…

Siddhartha by Hermann HesseMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I was already in the middle of reading two other books when I decided to pick up Siddhartha, mostly because the one book (an ebook) was too spine tingling to read late at night in bed, while the other was a print book that would have been too straining on the eyes to read in bed with minimal light. The main reason for deciding to read Siddhartha now, was my impending 30th birthday and the mini mid-life crisis I was experiencing. So, in the hope of finding some advice or soothing comfort, I embarked on this journey of classic German literature…