cjeanne99's reviews
971 reviews

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Started out slow - so slow that I thought about not finishing. But I hate to add books to my DNF list. I'm so glad I stuck with this story. 
Linus Baker has been a case worker for decades with the department in charge of Magical Youth. Linus is a fastidious  employee, carrying out his assignments and writing his reports without any emotion. He is summoned to the offices of Extremely Upper Management - and sent on a special assignment to an orphanage by the Cerulean Sea to determine if the children are sage and if the orphanage should remain in operation. 
The orphanage is on an island near a small town. Linus meets Arthur Parnassus, the man who runs the orphanage, and the children; Chauncey, Lucy, Talia, Phee, Sal and Theodore, a wyvern who communicates in his own language. Linus is to determine if Lucy, who is listed as the son of the devil, and the other residents, are a danger to the future of mankind. Instead, he learns that these children are meant to be loved so they can grow and flourish. Linus submits his report, and
returns to the orphanage to help Arthur in caring for his charges.
Flowers in the Attic: 40th Anniversary Edition by V.C. Andrews

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Disturbing content. Narration sounding like it was written by a middle schooler in their first creative writing class. 
Did not care for any of the characters. 
Deadline by John Sandford

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Virgil heads to southeastern Minnesota to find who is stealing dogs - and then uncovers some extreme corruption among the school board - almost unbelievable  - but it probably has happened. 
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

Not my kind of book - but if you like stories of a girl who learns at an early age that her mother struggles with mental illness so that the daughter needs to be the adult - and then the girl meets women who support each other and provide her with a warm environment - then this is the book for you. 
Joe Country by Mick Herron

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funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Another winner from Mick Herron - Louisa goes to Wales in search of Min Harper's son - River, Emma, Lech and JK Coe all head off to help her - with Roddy Ho holding down the fort. 
The humor - the intrigue - the ability for Jackson Lamb to put pieces together continues to make for an enjoyable read. 

Weyward by Emilia Hart

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Three story lines of women in the Weyward family. 
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The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.75

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Offbeat premise and Marin Ireland as the narrator - it's a win-win for me. 
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Pretty standard Agatha C work - with Hercule Poirot on the scene. As an audio book - they apparently needed to make some edits after the original taping - and the man voicing Rufus Van Aldin was not available to re-read his parts. Instead, they used a voice altering microphone - which distracted me the first time I heard it - and was annoying in subsequent usage. 
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl

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inspiring slow-paced

3.0

This is a book that is meant to be savored - and read in a meaningful way - not listened to as an audiobook. So many people talk about the beautiful illustrations - I am going to look for the book next time I am in a bookstore. 
The essays are fine - but the author's voice was too strident for me.