Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Kingsolver writes beautifully about nature and does such a lovely job of weaving it into the human stories. Although I really enjoyed reading about the two women characters, I think my favorite was 80-year-old Garnett Walker. His relationship with his environment is much more complex. In some instances, you could almost call him an environmentalist--he clearly loves the chestnut trees that used to grow in rural Zebulon County. But, he also uses chemicals on his trees and is very old fashioned about a lot of things. Kingsolver does a great job in writing shades of gray into what, on the surface, you might think of as a very black and white character.

Verdict: great characters, beautiful descriptions, and interesting structure.

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Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great look at a different aspect of the Revolutionary War. I'm a sucker for a good spy tale and it was especially interesting to see some of George Washington's personality shining through his letters.



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The City & The City by China Miéville

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great story. Essentially a police procedural, but with two cities (instead of the detective or the victim) at the heart of the story. I liked the characters quite a bit, but I liked learning about the cities more. Kind of an anthropological study layered on top of a crime novel. And, of course, the two fictional cities happen to occupy the same physical space...there is a lot to delve into there.

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The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Like the previous two books, I couldn't put this one down. There were some plot holes, the romance storyline was incredibly annoying, and I really wish Salander had gotten out of her hospital bed sooner. But, in the end, it didn't really matter--it was a fun read.

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The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kind-of historical fiction? A fictionalized version of Cooperstown, New York with a fictionalized version of James Fenimore Cooper. Whatever you would classify this as, it was a great read. It wrapped up a little too neatly in the end, but it kept me hooked on the way there.

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The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read most of this in one sitting. After a bit of a slow start, I couldn't put it down.

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Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
McCann spins several characters' stories around the day in 1974 when Philippe Petit walked on a wire between the World Trade Center's two towers. Beautifully written with fascinating characters. I loved this book.

One suggestion: watch Man on Wire about Petit's walk. The book isn't really about Petit, but it was definitely good background to have before reading the book.

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