Holding My Breath: A Novel
by Sidura Ludwig
Don't hold your breath... (6/27/2008)
The storyline in this novel was interesting enough to hold my attention at times, but the writing style was somewhat choppy. The book was not organized as well as it could have been, and there were several storylines touched on but not fully developed. Character development was another area that lacked. You get to know several characters, but none of them well. When all is said and done, its a decent read, but not fantastic. Leave it on your nightstand, and take something else to the beach.
The Palace of Illusions
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Elusive Palace of Illusions (3/9/2008)
I usually enjoy reading books about other cultures (for example, The Kite Runner), but this one was hard for me to get into. Perhaps it's because I am not familiar with Hindi culture, or because I don't typically enjoy mythology. I like books that challenge my thinking, and this was well-written, I just had a hard time getting into the story. I would recommend this book for people familiar with Hindi culture and stories.