All Reviews by 52 Books
All for a Scrap of Paper
by Joseph Hocking
This book was really interesting and surprised me (in a good way). Unlike a lot of war books, it wasn't all that violent and it wasn't slow paced, either. The only problem I had was that I couldn't really relate to the main character, Bob. He just seemed to be full of himself and not a nice person.
The Apartment Next Door
by William Andrew Johnston
This book was great. It was a nice mystery and was fun and easy to read. Sure, it was a bit unbelievable, but even that made it an enjoyable read!
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
by Fergus Hume
This is a great mystery. It appears to be really simple, but twists and turns keep you guessing until the end of the story. If you like mysteries, you'll like this one.
Mothers & Other Monsters
by Maureen F. McHugh
I don't really like short stories, and these were nothing special. Unless you are a fan of science fiction/futuristic short stories, you can easily give these stories a miss.
A Study In Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle
This book was fast-paced and hard to put down. The description in the book is wonderful, and it almost makes you believe that you are part of the crime scene.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Doyle's work or would like to first read his work.
The Enchanted April
by Elizabeth von Arnim
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a great story of four totally different women coming together in Italy to rent a house, and forming different relationships.
I liked the book, because it was easy to read, it kept me wanting to read, and it had a strange sort of humor (the kind that makes you laugh, because it is the truth that is given straight up).
The Awakening & Other Short Stories
by Kate Chopin
This book was average. I guess I never can feel much sympathy for the problems of the rich and spoiled, so I can't really say that I enjoyed the book. I felt that the characters were hard to relate to, and a bit one-dimensional.
The other short stories were also disappointing. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
The Last of the Mohicans
by James Fenimore Cooper
This book was terrible. Ok, I admit, I don't really have an interest in American Indian stories, and I don't really like violence in books (or tv), so maybe this book wasn't a good match for me from the beginning, but I figured since many American high school and college kids read this book, there must be SOMETHING about it to make it a classic.
Nope... It was long, repetitive, boring. The dialog was scarce and it didn't really keep me reading. The action bits were few and far between, but in-between was nothing. Just mindless narrative.
I would recommend this book to someone who really takes an interest in Indian stories, but not to someone who just wants a good solid read.
My Brilliant Career
by Miles Franklin
This book was excellent, and reminded me a lot of Willa Cather's O Pioneers!. It takes place in the Australian Bush, and is written by a woman who tells about the poverty and hardship that she went through, and the love that she lost. I would recommend this book to any woman or any teenage girl who wants to learn more about life in Australia.
Stranger Things Happen
by Kelly Link
The stories were interesting, but there was always something missing from them. Most lacked a proper ending (or any ending at all). My impression of the stories were that the author was trying too hard to be modern and trying too hard to shock the reader. There were also some formatting problems in the middle of the text which were annoying. I wouldn't recommend this book, but could understand how someone who like more experimental fiction would enjoy it.
O Pioneers!
by Willa Cather
I liked this book a lot, because the characters drew me into the story, and told me the struggles that they went through.
The story is about a Swedish family that came to Nebraska to become farmers and how they survive and the troubles that they go through.
I can't really say anything negative about the book. It was a really fast read, and I would recommend this book.
Tokyo Zero
by Marc Horne
This book was really difficult to read, but I struggled through it. I had problems with the point of view constantly changing, the incomplete thoughts, and I never seemed to know who was saying what...
The story line was stretched too long, and I think that this story would have been better as a short story rather than a novel.
Roast Beef, Medium
by Edna Ferber
A well-written collection of short stories about a saleswoman who stands up to the men who say that a womans job is in the house.
The Go-Getter
by Peter B. Kyne
A good short-story that proves that someone can achieve anything if they really put their mind to it.