I've been on a a reading spree lately, and have finished seven books and one audiobook. Here are the first few reviews.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Hallelujah! I have finished this audiobook!
That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy listening to this edition of Gabaldon’s epic Outlander series. I wholeheartedly did! However, I have been listening to this series for about a year, with a few – much shorter – audiobooks mixed between the Outlander books.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes is 48 discs and 58 hours of audio pleasure. As with the previous novels, Davina Porter does an excellent job of bringing life to the text.
The book begins where the previous ends. America is in the early stages of the Revolutionary War. Jamie continues to play the dangerous game of playing both sides. Additionally, there is the matter of the newspaper clipping that Brianna brought from the future. The clipping that announces the fiery death of Jamie and Claire.
As with the previous novels, Gabaldon colorfully portrays life during the 1700s, bringing the reader up close with history without being boring.
The latest book was published last month. I’m anxiously awaiting it to be available on audiobook at my library! (adult)
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
When young orphan Peter pays a fortuneteller to tell him about his baby sister, he does not expect the answer to be an Elephant, especially as there are no elephants in their part of the world. Later, a magician makes a very last minute decision to produce a magnificent bit of magic...and an elephant crashes through the ceiling of the opera house. Thus begins a chain of events that will fulfill the fortuneteller’s prophecy.
I’ll admit that I almost didn’t finish this book. The story flit from one person to another, and didn’t draw me in at all. It is missing the magic that made The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie such fantastic novels. (children's)
Kaleideoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant
Lyza was always had a close relationship with her adventurous grandfather. While helping her dad clean out the house after her grandfather’s death, she finds a mysterious package addressed to her. This leads Lyza and her two best friends on an adventure to discover lost pirate treasure.
This novel written in verse is set in New Jersey during the summer and fall of 1968 with the backdrop of the Vietnam War and it’s affect on young American teens. While not the best book I’ve read this year, I enjoyed the story and the mystery. (tween/teen)
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