I got a tidy stack of books right before Christmas break and was really looking forward to some reading time while we were off of school. I got a lot more time than I planned on when I got sick. I got to spend chunks of days reading, when I wasn’t napping and I enjoyed every minute of it.
First up, Prized. This is the sequel to Birthmarked which I read probably a year ago so I was eager to get my hands on this one. However, I wasn’t as into this book as I was Birthmarked. It felt redundant in some ways because she escapes one messed up society and ends up in another one just as twisted. It didn’t even leave me with a desire to read the third in the series which is kind of a disappointment.
The Violets of March. I raced through this short, easy read during one of my feverish days. In the beginning I was interested in the story, but things quickly seemed sort of contrived. The main character, heartbroken after a break-up, takes refuge at an aunt/family friend’s house (I never figured out exactly how the realative fit in, but I did have fever in my defense). She discovers a conveniently placed diary and begins reading, meanwhile she’s dating two guys she meets at the beach. Like I said, things move quickly in this book. The mystery in the diary turns out, of course, to relate to her own family. And, well, it’s pretty easy to figure it all out.
But let’s get to the good stuff. The Language of Flowers was a delightful surprise. I went into the book with no expectations and I loved it. I already mentioned it as one of my top books of the year. Victoria is a plucky, yet stubborn character that you can’t help but root for, with complicated relationships, and plenty of baggage. The extra fun of the book with the meanings of flowers was icing on the cake I loved it all. You will too.
The Orchid House was one I kept getting mixed up a little with the Violets of March. So many flower books in one month is probably not a good idea. But, the Orchid House is the story of an old estate that has run out of heirs and is in the process of being sold. A mystery is uncovered and we go back in time to the original owners and their story. It was a good story. I enjoyed the time span and felt both stories were fleshed out well.
The Shoemaker’s Wife is another winner by Adrianna Trigiani. All of her books are fabulous and this was no exception. The story of two young people who meet briefly in Italy and then again years later in America. You get to go through their whole life together and you’ll love it.
Last in my stack was The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. I did not get to finish this one because someone put it on reserve so I couldn’t renew it. I turned it in half finished. Hopefully I’ll get to pick that one up again and give you a review in the future. But, it bears a close resemblance in many ways to Downton Abbey. In fact, I could hear some of the people from downstairs voices in many of the Riverton characters.
What have you been reading lately?
