09 June 2007

Recent Readings (Rapid Review)

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Two thumbs way up. Unless you're not married. Then I suggest you wait. Otherwise, a compelling read and a sweet (unorthodox) love story. I sympathized with the characters and the time traveling, which in other hands might have been more science-fiction-y feeling, had a depth of reality to it. Out of the entire book, I didn't like two scenes. Gomez was in both of them. One of them I just didn't get until I thought it over for a couple of hours, and even though I don't like it still, I can see why the author included it.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Really! I've never read it until now. And honestly, I don't like it. I never connected with Jane's insane attraction to a grumpy, brusque and deceitful man. I'm glad that he became decent-er before she married him, but..... not the tang I want in my romances.

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Cute. Favorite paragraph: "The hardworking necklace couldn't believe it. It let out an inaudible, exasperated gasp." I liked the drawings and pictures and quirkiness. But classic material it is not. There's no inspiring theme to it. It is cute.

5 comments:

Th. said...

.

Speaking of Audrey Niffenegger, this.

It's great, I swear, and if you want to read it, you can borrow the issue from me.

We will not speak of Charlotte Brontë.

FoxyJ said...

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only person who hated Jane Eyre. She's annoying and he's grumpy and overbearing. Yuck.

I also love the Time Traveler's Wife. I hadn't even heard of it until I saw it at my parents' house last summer; then I picked it up and read it in one day! It is so, so good.

Mika said...

would you recommend time traveler's wife to me, then? it's been on my TO READ list for a while, and I'm looking for some new books this summer.

Lady Steed said...

Just finished Time Traveler's Wife yesterday. I spent my last hour of reading crying. It was wonderful. And the book didn't get wet!

I still am unsure if you and I can be true bosom friends since you don't like Jane Eyre. ;)

Sposita said...

foxyj: thank you for agreeing with me on Jane Eyre. the Thteeds have been making me question my sanity since i don't agree with them. =)

lady steed: i'm impressed! not one tear on a page! are you going to read it again before book group?
as for my dislike of jane eyre - i think it goes back to my not liking the whole idea of finding your true love after you're married. it's not that it's a bad book, just not one i'd read to enjoy.