The Name of the Wind By: Patrick Rothfuss

 

I adore a good story and absolutely LOVE a good storyteller; The Name of the Wind is a story about a someone telling a story and it is absolutely brilliant.  Huge in scope, the fantasy aspects are naturally folded into the story and it is totally griping.  Diving into Book 2 now (and yes I know Book 3 isn't done yet and it's been 11 years since Book 2 came out)!

Irish Coffee Murder By: Leslie Meier; Lee Hollis; Barbara Ross

Three novellas centered around the St. Patrick's Day holiday. Fans of Meier, Hollis and Ross won't be disappointed.  I do have to say however, that Ross' Perked Up is the standout in this collection.  Her story takes a the theme and turns it and makes it her own and it fits perfectly in the oeuvre of her Maine Clambake Series!

 

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba By: Chanel Cleeton

 

This is simply written-and that's what makes it so effective!  There is so much packed into this novel, from the fight for Cuban independence, to the history of the Pulitzer/Hearst newspaper wars with a hint of the newsboy strike, but at the forefront of this beautiful story is women.  Women who are forever shoved to the back and forgotten...even the ones who did something extraordinary.  Based on the actual Evangeline, we meet her, a determined young reporter and a courageous farm wife.  How all three are interconnected is something you'll have to read for yourself-trust me, you won't be disappointed!

I Am My Own Wife By: Doug Wright

An intriguing and fascinating character-a wholly original concept in structuring the play-surprisingly moving and a stunning piece of theatre! 

Jitney By: August Wilson

I felt the need to revisit an August Wilson play-and I chose Jitney.  Wilson's words are symphonic, his tone poetical and his characters are so real.  Set in the 70's this piece follows a group of Jitney drivers and their daily lives.  The scene between Rena and Youngblood is gorgeously rendered and Becker and Booster's reunion is rife with honesty nd heart.  A deeply moving piece!

The 14th Colony By: Steve Berry

Berry's mixing of history and action is always enthralling and thrilling. Cotton's claustrophobia plays a large part in this story and Berry's description of what that phobia does to a person is chilling! What I really loved about this story was that it's focus was more on Stephanie than on Cotton-I really enjoy when an author focuses on supporting characters without sacrificing story or series! 

 

Verity By: Colleen Hoover

While I was engaged enough to what to know what happened in this story, I found the writing very simplistic, and not enough character development-thus I didn't find a lot of what happened to be credible or believable.  Some of it was also predictable.  But still, a quick fun read.

The Count of Monte Cristo By: Alexandre Dumas

Who knew that at this age I'd turn into a huge Dumas fan!  TCoMC is an immense tail of love, revenge and redemption.  Despite it's size, it moves along at a breakneck pace!  I had no problem keeping track of the numerous characters, their story lines and their relationships to other characters-quite a feat over 1200 pages!  The amount of manipulative fuckery in the revenge stroylines is just too delicious and had me giggling with glee (which says a lot about me if I want to stop and think about it).  This is just an amazing read!