Week 45: Crow Hollow by Michael Wallace

So Crow Hollow is about New England 100 years before the Revolutionary War. The main story is about the struggle between the Puritans and the Native Americans. The main character is a spy that is trying to get the colonies back into the hands of the king. However, he comes across a hiccup that only he can deal with.  I liked the book for its intrigue and suspense.  It was an interesting setting and full of differnet characters.  It was a book that I wouldn't mind reading again! 

I only just realized how similar many of the books I read are! However I am super okay with that! :)

Week 44: The Museum of Literary Souls by John Connelly

This is a really short book that has a fun littlle plot.  I liked the idea of this book, but there is something missing.  So much could have been done to really entertain the readers and draw them into the book.  It is about a man that sees a women throw herself in front of a bus.  She then disappears and he is left to figure out who she is.  The story from there quickly builds,  and then ends. The book lacks depth and the characters were one demensional. I really think the author could have done some much more with the book! It has so much potential!!!!

Week 43: One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

This is an interesting novel that is like nothing I have read before. The book is written as a journal about a historical event that never took place.  However, it gives you a better understanding of what the Native American tribes went through in the late 1800's and just how poorly they were treated. The story holds nothing back and the reader is given gruesome images.  The author was not afraid of going into grim details, yet this novel would not be nearly as good if he did not.  Fergus excelled at creating a novel that has so much depth and is splendidly written. It is so detailed and the characters are wonderfully diverse. Then main character is well written and the trials she goes through are amazing! I think everyone should read this book, if only to better understand these horrible events in American history. It is a beautiful story!

Week 42: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

My goal is to read all of Austen's novels. This is one of my favorite books, because I feel that I connect with the main character so well. She is serious and quiet which I usually am. The book is slow occasionally and sometimes hard to read, but I like it all the same. It is a good book that is about a honest character. However, the main character does nothing to help the plot and just watches as things around her happen. She rarely ever shows any energy to prevent events and in that way she is annoying. Yet, I still like this book a lot and will probably read it many more times!

Week 41: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I don't like the character of Marianne in Sense and Sensibility, she is selfish and overly dramatic. She has no control of her feelings and wants none until the end. She is silly and young, with little respect for others. The only reason I can continue rereading this book is because of Elinor. She is a splendid character, who is both selfless and wise. She cares deeply for others and tries to be as courteous as possible. I suppose I have always admired Elinor's judgement and her common sense. There are few characters in this book that were meant to be liked and I like only a few.

This is not one of my favorite books, but it is one of Austen's so maybe it will grow on me in a few years!

Week 40: The Midwife's Revolt by Jodi Daynard

I was surprised how this book turned out. I thought that this book would have more to do with the work of a midwife, but it really had little to do with it. Instead it is about women trying to survive during the Revolutionary War. I enjoyed reading from a women's perspective of all the trials that occurred and the effects the war had on common people. Though not a true story the author did seem to make many of the events as historically accurate as possible. This book was entertaining and enjoyable.

Week 39: The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

This book is wonderfully full of adventure and thrills.  The book is not like any of the Jurassic Park movies, but I think I like it better that way anyways.  The book reminded me more of a book that Jules Verne would have wrote and than one written by Doyle.  Yet it was a change to the Sherlock Holmes books, which I still haven't quite finished. 

Doyle gives the reader a tale full of fun characters. The main character is rather dull in comparison with his companions, but is sensible all the same. I am surprised this book is not more commonly known.  It is a fun little adventure novel.

Week 38: Emma by Jane Austen

Jane Austen happens to be my favorite author and I have read all of her books multiple times.  Yet I still find them entertaining and diverting each time I read them.  Emma is not one of my favorites of hers, but I do enjoy the book as a whole.  The story is a book that girls can still learn from, even in this day and age! Emma is a character that is constantly learning and making mistakes. The other characters in this book you also learn to love or hate, depending on who they are!  Many of them have such quirky traits that they keep the reader entertained throughout the novel.  I think that is what makes Austen's books great.  Her characters all have such different traits that when thrown together are bound to cause a commotion.  I realize that not everyone likes Jane Austen, but it is a fantastic book that has earned its place with the other great classics.

Week 37: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

I love reading different books by the same author! Jules Verne was definitely a man of the world.  In both books I have read of his this year, his knowledge of world geography was astonishing!  In this book Fogg travels through California and I was able to understand the exact locations he went by. To a common reader today we could simply turn to a map or look it up on our phone, yet he was able to explain the places over 100 years ago!  This is amazing to me and shows just how much study he put into the books he wrote.

Around the World in 80 Days has always been a book I was interested in yet when I picked it up on a cruise 10 years ago it didn't hold my attention. I decided to try it again, because I thought that I should attempt to read it again!  This time I finished it and enjoyed it! It has a fun little plot, and Jules Vernes takes the reader all around the world with this adventurous book!

Week 36: The Einstein Prophecy by Robert Masello

I randomly bought this book on Kindle, because it was cheap and had good reviews, otherwise this is not a typical book that I would pick up and read.  To say the least it is darker than most of the novels I have read this past year.  However, it is a rather good read and has an interesting plot.  It is philosophical, historical, religious, and political, which leads to a compelling story!  The whole novel is complicated, and difficult to explain, so I won't attempt too!  The main characters are well written and most of them are based on true people,  Einstein being one of them. Yet this book however real some of the characters were, is nothing but a fictional story.  I think that was the hardest things to comprehend as I was reading; conscientiously trying to separate the truth from the fiction.  I don't know what genre would be found in, but I liked it.  But probably won't read it again!

Week 35: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? by Jodi Taylor

This series is so entertaining and a great read.  I have enjoyed them all so much and this one does not fail either.  The main character is still diverting, but the growth that she has gone through is wonderful! I love when characters develop throughout the series and learn from their mistakes.  I also like that the character still makes mistakes and isn't perfect.  She has her ups and downs, but faces all challenges well.  She is an admirable character along with many others in the series.

Read this series if you enjoy history, fictional, or just plain funny books! They are quick fun reads!!!

Week 34: No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor

This is the fifth installment of The Chronicles if St. Marys book series.  This book was both fun and diverting.  It had the same thrilling scenarios as the first few books in the series.  It retains the other books fun plot line while bringing in a more serious undertone.  The one complaint I have of the book is that it has very little references of the events that occurred in the fourth book. Other than that I liked the book and found it a pleasant read. 

On a side note they should make this book series a TV show or mini series. It would be so fun to watch!

Week 33: A Trail through Time by Jodi Taylor

This book made me a little bit confused and at times I got the sense that it also confused the author herself.  The story starts with the main character being thrown into a familiar world that is just slightly skewed.  She takes everything in stride, even when it would be life changing to most people.  This story was not as impressive as the first few books and made everything overly complicated.  That being said however, I do like the series and enjoy all of the little scenarios that occur.

Week 32: A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor

In this thrilling third book the historians at St. Marys go to Troy to research the epic ten year battle between the Greeks and the Trojans.  They of course get into lots of trouble and have to use their wits to get themselves out of many difficult situations.  The main character, Madeline Maxwell, is someone that most people don't want to mess with. She is one tough character that is both entertaning and extremely wise.  She has many faults, which helps the story from dragging on. 

This series has so far been great and I have enjoyed all of the history it has in it. However, the ending of the book made me a little confused and it seemed just a little unbelievable.

Week 31: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor

This is the 2nd book to the Chronicles of St. Mary's books! This book was just as fun and diverting as the first. The author does great at constantly making the story move forward.  Which is ironic cause most of the characters are going back in time the majority of the time!  

Anyways this time the characters travel to 16th century Scotland, 600BC, and 19th century London.  The creepiest part is the 19th century and that is with Jack the Ripper.  I didn't like that part much at all.  However, besides that part I really enjoyed the book and liked the different historical periods.  This book is just an overall exciting read, for adults.  I wouldn't recommend it for young adults or children, some of the content is a little to mature for them! Yet it is educational and humorous!

Week 30: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

It is somewhat surprising that this was the first time I read this book! It is such a classic that I felt I should read it! Also since it is close to Halloween I thought that a monster book was a fun idea! 

To begin with this book is far from most movies and their depictions of the Frankenstein monster! An example being that the monster speaks exceptionally well.  In fact he is incredibly intuned with his feelings and is a persuasive orator.  The main character is Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster.  During the entire book you see him slowly losing control.  In away this novel is a study of the human intellect when faced with difficult challenges and our coping mechanisms in times of despair.  It plays with your emotions and makes you realize the unkindness of humans. 

This book is one that will keep you pondering human nature and all that we do.  Shelley portrayed many different traits into every single character!

Week 29: Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

This book is fantastically entertaining! The main character has a lot of depth to her and the story line is full of twists and turns! It is about historians that travel back in time to record history.  However, every time they go back in history they cause problems and multiple things happen! The whole plot is full of accidents and problems, which keeps the reader enthralled in the story! Most of the characters are funny and are constantly making jokes! The author created a wonderful story that leaves you guessing throughout the whole book! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, historical, or comical books! Be aware however that this is a series, but it is quite inexpensive on Kindle!

Week 28: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

This book is a about three men who take a boat ride up the Thames.  It is really funny and entertaining! The men have many silly adventures in their boat. They often make mistakes and cause problems.  On top of all of the adventures there is a good deal of philosophy in the novel.  The main character has many different views and is quite funny! He is constantly making obscure statements that often ring with truth!  I liked this book, and suggest it to anyone that understands British humorous! The book is a quick read and a funny little story if you can understand it!

Week 27: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

This summer was hard to keep up book wise! Yet I tried to keep up this month! I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne this past month.  I liked the book well enough, but it was not my favorite book.  I liked all of the adventures and the story line itself.  Yet the constant description of nautical terms, scientific animal names, and obscure geographical locations left me constantly floundered. I am by no means an expert at any of the subjects I listed,  however I did believe I knew enough to understand the majority of the book. I was wrong!  Honestly, I was often left at a lose and found myself checking terms in the dictionary frequently.  This was a good book foelr letting myself see just how much I still need to learn! And I am more than willing to learn it!

Besides my constant lack of comprehension, I did really like the book! I found it diverting and original! I understand now why Captain Nemo is such a known literary figure and the book itself is looked upon as a classic! Though some of the adventures in the novel are more or less impossible, many of the events are actually quite possible! The fact that this book was written 150 years ago yet contains things that are extremely plausible today is amazing! While reading I was often blown away by how advanced Verne's ideas were! I liked the book and may read it again in the distant future!

Week 26: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White is a classic book I found on my Kindle for free.  I had never heard of it and found that the reviews were pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try! The Woman in White is a classic mystery that is fairly suspenseful and has many different plot twists in it.  The story is told from the first person perspective of many different characters.

Some of the characters were developed exceptionally well by Collins.  Marian and Count Fosco for example both are characters that have numerous different layers to them. They are both self assured, confident people, who help to drive the story.  I would say they are two of the main driving characters that have complex personalities that truly show their depth. However, Laura who is another main character was characteristically unimpressive for me.  She just seemed like a sniveling woman that had very little development. To be fair she is extremely loyal and truthful which helps her otherwise useless character.  She does go through many trials and challenges, but her character does not grow from any of them!

I would recommend the novel to anyone who likes classic literature, or mysteries.  The story is a wonderful mixture of suspense, thrill, mystery, and romance.  I am glad I read it and may read more from this author in the future!!!