The Girl in the Blue Beret

The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason

Amazon Description:

“Inspired by the wartime experiences of her father-in-law, Bobbie Ann Mason has crafted the haunting and profoundly moving story of an American World War II pilot shot down in Occupied Europe, and his wrenching odyssey of discovery, decades later, as he uncovers the truth about those who helped him escape in 1944.

At twenty-three, Marshall Stone was a confident, cocksure U.S. flyboy stationed in England, with several bombing raids in a B-17 under his belt. But when enemy fighters forced his plane to crash-land in a Belgian field during a mission to Germany, Marshall had to rely solely on the kindness of ordinary Belgian and French citizens to help him hide from and evade the Nazis. Decades later, restless and at the end of his career as an airline pilot, Marshall returns to the crash site and finds himself drawn back in time, unable to stop thinking about the people who risked their lives to save Allied pilots like him. Most of all, he is obsessed by the girl in the blue beret, a courageous young woman who protected and guided him in occupied Paris.

Framed in spellbinding, luminous prose, Marshall’s search for her gradually unfolds, becoming a voyage of discovery that reveals truths about himself and the people he knew during the war. Deeply beautiful and impossible to put down, The Girl in the Blue Beret is an unforgettable story—intimate, affecting, exquisite—of memories, second chances, and one intrepid girl who risked it all for a stranger.”

My Thoughts:

WWII is my favorite period for historical fiction.This story was decent, but I had some issues with the writing. I didn’t enjoy the seamless jumping between flashbacks and the present. It was easy to just stop reading…and I had a hard time picking it back up. Also, the characters are pretty shallow for such a deep topic. And the ending! It was really abrupt and unsatisfying.

It wasn’t a total waste of time, but I wouldn’t highly recommend it, either.

The King

The King by J.R. Ward

If you are a regular reader of my book reviews you know that I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It is so hard for me to wait for the next installment! This book brings it back to Wrath and Beth—the original couple. I get so wrapped up in these characters!

One tiny note of unhappiness--I do agree with some critics that the number of characters is sometimes too much. Each book introduces new characters and the old characters get lost in the shuffle. Ward builds characters up and then they seem to disappear and their lack of presence is noticeable. Since maybe book 5 this has really bothered me. That continued here. Loved most of it, but am tired of some of the side things that have been dragging on (Xcor and Layla especially). This book sets up the next book…which I like, but it seemed to take over the plot more this time. As the series grows it is harder to be as enraptured.

Seriously though—read this series! Start at the beginning with Dark Lover.

Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Amazon Description:

“Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.”

My Thoughts:

Gillian Flynn is a talented story teller. I'm still waiting to fall in love with one of her stories. I enjoyed “Gone Girl” so decided to check out her other work. I really liked the heart of this book, but I also had some issues with it.

There were some problems in the characters. Libby Day isn’t very likable. I found myself liking her…but it took awhile. None of the other characters stood out to me. And there were too many screwed up characters competing for attention.

I enjoyed the flashbacks throughout the book, as they kept me guessing. But, overall, the plot takes off in too many directions for my taste. And, again, Flynn gives an ending that just doesn’t make sense. And unbelievable endings really irk me!

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Amazon Description:

“Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.”

My Thoughts:

My latest foray into the YA world brings me to this book. It was kind of cutesy, but overall I was underwhelmed.

The plot and the characters were just…boring. The thing that really turned me off was that Lola’s boyfriend at the beginning of the story seems to be a pretty likable guy. Then, out of the blue, Perkins paints him as some kind of  pedophile with references to “Lolita.” That seemed to come out of nowhere and turned me off.

This wasn’t a poorly written book…it had its moments, but not something I was dazzled by.

Monday Recommendations

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal reading zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This weeks 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. Ain’t She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. What’s New Cupcake by Karen Tack
3. Reaching To Heaven by James Van Praagh
4. Promise Me by Nancy Brinker
5. Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson
6. Hoda by Hoda Kotb
7. Dead Man Walking  by Helen Prejean
8. The Seven Habit of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey
9. Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
10. Sookie Stackhouse Series (starts with Dead Until Dark) by Charlaine Harris