Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

Review based on ARC:

Also, my book group, Desert Girls, read the book.  See the group's review at desertgirlsbooks.blogspot.com.

I thought the book was OK.  I didn't hate it, but I found it cliched and predictable.

I found the characters to be somewhat dull and 2-dimensional, and a lot of them seemed to have a lot of anger and negativity.  The so-called best friend of the protagonist seems to love her friend by offering good advice, but seems to turn her back on the emotional sufferings and baggage of bad decisions.  She was a friend who seemed present only when it was convenient for her to be so.  The various "mother" figures in the book were interesting and ... well, probably the only likeable characters that were really there. 

The writing and the story-telling, however, were quite good.  I thought Gideon did a *great* job interweaving various social networking, texting, emailing, etc. to tell the story.  I also felt that there were a lot of realistically drawn characters, but I felt that the "resolution" was altogether too easy for the lack of self-reflection and growth the characters seemed to exhibit or experience in the story.

Overall, I would recommend to someone who likes suburban stories about the emotional struggles that we experience as a result of our own decisions.  The book isn't challenging, but it's funny at times, light at times, thoughtful at times, and written well enough to not throw.

A Mind of Winter by Shira Nayman

Review based on ARC.

I was initially intrigued by this book because its title and brief description made me think of reading a cozy psychological thriller.  Fortunately, Nayman moves the reader seamlessly into an intriguing story.  I say fortunately because there are portions of the book that don't move the reader along as effortlessly as others, but the initial intrigue of Oscar's situation drives the reader through those less exciting portions.

You can read the basic description of the book in other reviews & on the book jacket, but very briefly, Nayman presents a story of mystery and intrigue through the perspectives of Oscar and two women in his life, Christine and Marilyn.  Oscar may have committed some horrible crime and may be the victim of mistaken identities, or perhaps both.  Christine is his love who has left upon discovery of his crime, and Marilyn is his companion, a war photographer who enjoys the life of his mansion and his parties (it is this part that seems to remind people of the Great Gatsby, though I find Nayman's portrayals more interesting).

Oscar's incredibly brief introduction somewhat sets the stage for the reader to be pulled into the overall story.  But the book truly starts with Christine, after she has left Oscar, after she has become addicted to Opium, and near her point of desperation.  Nayman flits between past and present with ease, and I even thought at one point that the book, written by a lesser writer, would have left me confused and annoyed.  Instead, Christine's tale is convincing and understood, artfully written and non-gratuitously told.  I felt that Nayman was a little brilliant in her ability to present Christine so well, despite my discomfort with some of the subject matter (for you more sensitive readers, please know that this story involves various types of sexual assault, but Nayman does not gratuitously divulge the details).

Then we are rather abruptly moved to Marilyn's main story.  It is abrupt largely because it is so very different from where we are left at the end of Christine's "chapter."  There is some darkness, but Marilyn is not currently staggering through the darkness, which is (essentially) where we left Christine.  As others have stated, her portion is, overall, the least moving, but it serves its purpose in the book.  I'm not yet sure if I would have preferred more depth into Marilyn's character, or a quicker foray...

And we are finally reintroduced to Oscar.  The discovery, the tied up loose ends, the conclusion... well I like satisfying ends.  I know it's trendy to leave the reader frustrated, but I appreciate a writer who is willing to actually conclude a tale.  It does not, of course, conclude the lives of the characters therein, but it leaves the reader with a sense of satisfaction.  I appreciated Nayman's decision and felt she did a nice job of wrapping up this dark and anxious tale.

Overall, a thoughtful read, a dark read.  I recommend to people seeking something more challenging -- particularly more emotionally challenging.

THREE AND A HALF of five stars.

Iron House by John Hart

See Review of Iron House by John Hart here.

BossyPants by Tina Fey

See BossyPants by Tina Fey for my book group's review on BossyPants.
As you'll see at the end of that review, my personal feelings are "READ THIS!"

FIVE out of five stars.

Oxford Messed Up: a novel by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

Review based on ARC.

Phew, where to start.

Let's see, perhaps the beginning...
The beginning was not the strongest part of the book and I felt somewhat patronized - like the author was trying to both trick me into not understanding Gloria's true relationship with Oliver and giving me obvious clues.  So the first 20-40 pages I read because I was intrigued by the topic, pleased with the title, and because it was easy enough to read... but not because any of the characters were particularly compelling.

Around page 40/50, however, I began to lose sight of "the topic," "the title," or anything but the story, really.  And in the end, that's always what I'm really looking for -- a well told story.  In this case, it was even better because it was accompanied by good writing.  Very good writing (though not spectacular).  There were moments when I felt that the author wanted to educate me, more than share with me the story.  But these moments were few and far in between.  Although the novel IS educational on many fronts, it is first and foremost a story about Gloria, Henry, and Oliver.

I actually cried.  I certainly laughed.  And I read it quickly and voraciously.  It was convincing, not terribly contrived, and redeeming.  I felt strong emotions for Gloria, Henry, and Oliver... I felt *some* emotions for the more peripheral characters Claire, Nicholas, Margo, Gladys, and Frank.... so much so that I even remembered their names!  I will not say *which* emotions I felt for them, but I imagine that, in a conversation with someone else who has read the book, some of my responses will be surprising...

Kudos to Ms. Kaufman.  I appreciate that she did not give into some of the traps that often result in cliched stories and contrived endings ... while still providing a complete and satisfying story.  I won't say more... just, read it.  If you know someone who suffers from any level of OCD, if you yourself suffer from any level of OCD, if you know of no one who suffers from OCD, if you don't even know why I keep repeating those letters.... read the book.  It's a lovely story.  It certainly is as it is touted to be -- a story about "messed up" people, about cognitive behavior therapy, about fatalistic optimism... but it's also just a good story.  A story about people with their own quirks, with their own histories, with their own demons, their own choices to learn and live.

FOUR AND A HALF of five stars.

The Odditorium by Melissa Pritchard

Review based on ARC.

There is no doubt that Ms. Pritchard has a talent with words... However, i feel she is lacking in story and flow.  I have often said that I love a well-written book, but even better, a well-told story.  The conflict is apparent in the Odditorium.

It is clear that she has a poetic and lyrical method to her prose.  But I don't care about the characters, not a single one has been endeared to me, and it feels like a well-written, albeit dry, history book.  One that I know is fiction.

But she's smart.  She is evocative with her language.  She is creative and presents thoughtful and involved perspectives.  I was almost intrigued.  I was almost interested.  I kept wanting to fall into the tales.  But I remained above, reading from an outside perspective.

If you want something literary, intelligent, thoughtful.. pick it up.  If you want to lose yourself in another place, another world... hold off.  You won't lose yourself here -- you will merely be intellectually stimulated.

THREE of five stars.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Read for book group.  Please see post here.

Highly recommend.  FOUR AND A HALF of five stars.