The sixth book I read was The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the 5th book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series which is why I can't really tell you what happened in this one. I can say that this story picks up after the last. I really enjoyed spending another few hours with Mma Ramotswe and the folks in Gaborone. I am enjoying seeing how all the characters develop over time. I also enjoy learning about characters who were in the background in earlier books. It was funny, had pearls of hidden wisdom and was overall a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to picking up the next one in a few months. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads.
The next book was The Asbo Fairy Tales by Chris Pilbeam otherwise known as Hans Christian Asbosen. This book is a retelling of popular fairy tales. OK, so I know I bought this because it was dirt cheap and looked like it could be a laugh. Maybe it is because I was not in the frame of mind for a laugh when I read it; maybe it was because I had read some really good books around the time that I read this, but this... yeah, this was a waste of trees. I just didn't see the point to it. It felt like an experiment to see just how distasteful something could be. I gave it a pathetic 1 star. I should probably add that it is NOT for children - AT ALL!
The Blind Assassin
by Margaret Atwood is next. I am so pleased I finally got around to reading this one. This book tells multiple stories at once. We follow a book that was published (which contains two tales), and we follow the protagonist in the story who is telling us about the book and telling us about her past as we follow her in the present. Hang on. That just sounds confusing. I promise you, Margaret Atwood does a much better job of pulling this off than I have done of trying to explain it. The story starts in the protagonist's past, with her hearing of the death of her sister. The Blind Assassin is exquisitely written. I think I must have annoyed most of my family, as I would interrupt what they were doing to read them passages as I came to them. The imagery she created was fantastic. I loved her descriptions. While the pacing of this book was not fast, I was never bored. I was curious to know if my predictions were right and no matter whether I was in the story-within-the-story or in the main story, I was always intrigued. Another thing that was brilliant was how the story progressively gets darker. As the reader figures things out (yes, Atwood does not spell things out like this is a baby's book) the intrigue grows. Loved every minute of it. I gave this 5 stars!
I wanted something that was a bit lighter next so I picked up Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. This story follows a gay boy who is bullied and blackmailed by another kid at school who is threatening to reveal his secret. I did not know what to expect going into this. Generally, when books are hyped up, I find them disappointing; and then there is this thing that I am tired of reading YA (I have read tons of it so that I can recommend books for kids at school). But this one, I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only did this book have a realistic family - they were not perfect, but they were not AWOL or horrid as is so common in YA books, but it portrayed realistic friendships too. Although, a few things could possibly be tested on that note, I did find the fallouts and reunions believable. I must admit that I found the lack of redemption for a character fitting. I do not feel that we should always feel obliged to forgive someone when they say sorry. I think the message would have been softened had that character been forgiven.Well, I hope that didn't spoil too much. I am scared that it has. I gave this 4 stars.
The last book in this wrap up is The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. I can't remember why I bought this one. I can't say that the idea of a doll house and stocking it in miniature furniture is exactly my thing. But somehow I bought it and then ignored it (showing my great self-control and discipline while shopping). The first few chapters had me wishing I had perhaps picked up something else. I was not feeling the ominous environment. But then, somehow, I was intrigued. I didn't put it down; couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen next. I liked Nella. While she was still polite and quiet, she was not timid and meek. She could put her foot down when she needed to. In fact, to be honest, I quite enjoyed all the characters in this. There were some really awesome ladies in this, and another interesting perspective on how damned lucky we are to not be living in a day and age where woman can own nothing, do nothing - unless they want to be maids. I probably do have to put the disclaimer in here that I was as sick as a dog, so maybe, had I not been blowing my IQ out into every available tissue, I might have put the whole thing together and not been driven with the 'What's going to happen?' state of mind. I gave this 4 stars.OK, one more wrap up to go and then I am up to date on my blog!
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