The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo

The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo
By Paula Huntley
1585422118

It’s sad that “Kosovo” comes up in my spell-check as wrong. It suggests “Kazoo” as the first choice. And doesn’t offer “Kosova” as an alternate spelling. Ah, well, the Western World is always a bit behind, huh? This book was amazing! I actually started reading it the same time I was reading Zlata’s Diary and it was a great juxtaposition to read them both. The people in the story, those who are just trying to rebuild their homes, are amazingly courageous. They’re also, in some ways, naive. It’s an interesting look at them, fighting against stereotypes and yet having them ingrained in their own minds.
9/10

Suddenly Southern

Suddenly Southern
By Maureen Duffin-Ward
0743254953

This was an okay book, although the acknowledgements at the end of it are funnier than a lot of the rest of the book! I’m not exactly the target audience for this book, having no desire to move South. But it was vaguely amusing sometimes… 6/10

The Changling

The Changling
By Philippa Carr

Wow! So much better than the last one I read by Victoria Holt writing as Philippa Carr. I almost didn’t read this because of my bad experience with the other book. But this was well-written, had an intriguing story and plot twist, and had believable characters. Everything made sense at the end, every little tiny detail was there for a reason in the rest of the book. A drape flutters on page 100 and it’s explained on page 250, that sort of thing! Great storytelling, even though it’s sort of a fluff book: 9/10.

Zlata’s Diary

Zlata’s Diary
By Zlata Filipovic
0140242058

Unbelievable the amount of suffering this little girl had to go through. She was luckier than most in that country, she managed to get out and not lose a parent. But the things she had to go through are unimaginable. One of the most profound things she says is when she’s talking about the politicians and she calls them “kids.” She knows how childish and ridiculous they all are, how they’re selfish and only looking out for themselves. And meanwhile, she sees children around her everywhere helping their parents and acting so mature. It’s an interesting comparison and it’s a shame she had to live through the horrors of war to make the discovery that maturity has nothing to do with age.
9/10

Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman’s Soul

Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman’s Soul
By Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
0757300189

Moving stories, as usual! I like these collections, they’re pretty fast reads and easy to put down since they’re short stories.
8/10

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
By Douglas Adams
0671625829

Douglas Adams is hysterical. I would read anything he wrote, I love Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy so much! This was not quite as good, but not much is! I liked the characters, they were amusing as always. The shock at the end was definitely worth the read! I couldn’t figure out how everything would tie together, so that was a nice surprise for me! Very funny, dry humor which is great. My favorite part is still the couch though, that’s just plain wonderful.
9/10