What Doesn't Kill Her: A Reeve LeClaire Series Novel
by Carla Norton
Would Classify as a "Beach Read" (5/16/2015)
The very short chapters make What Doesn't Kill Her a breeze to read. The story was fine; kept me reading though nothing outstanding. My issue was that there was no protagonist who had a fully developed character. It was hard to root or feel much for the victim, Reeve, because I felt I barely knew her. The victim's acumen for crime solving required significant willing suspension of disbelief. That said, this book is fine for an entertaining, easy, quick read.
Wench: A Novel
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Average writing but intriguing subject (4/11/2011)
This is a genre that I particularly enjoy, so I had high hopes for Wench. I thought it was solid literary fiction, but nothing exceptional, albeit an intriguing topic. The character development was flat as I had difficulty sorting out the slave women and masters until the focus shifted to one particular slave/master relationship. The book ended very abruptly. As a matter of fact, it seemed like Perkins-Valdez couldn't figure out how to end it and thus took a wimpy way out. If you would like to read a book of this ilk, I would highly recommend The Kitchen House. Wench is not bad, it's just not that good.
Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
by Gabrielle Hamilton
Frenetic! (4/6/2011)
This book is fascinating, often in that train wreck sort of way. Gabrielle Hamilton is a terrific writer who tells her crazy life story in an unpretentious fashion. The frenetic pace and actions of Hamilton's life give the book the feel of The Glass Castle. I put off reading B,B&B for a while because I am not a true foodie. It did not matter; it's a great read whether you are into food or not.
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