The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

So I had been told going into this that it is either a book you love or you hate. I come down pretty soundly on the "not the book for me" side of things. I almost gave it up several times. But as it was for a book club (and at the prodding of a friend), I pushed through.
The life and environment that Jeannette Walls describes growing up in is so clearly abhorrent. That any of the siblings are functioning adults is nothing short of a miracle. However, Walls writing doesn't do justice to the horror and conflict and neglect of her childhood. The writing style itself just seemed flat and unemotional. I wanted to feel what she felt, but her feelings were so often left out of the equation. I just couldn't connect, and that affected my overall reading and response to the book.

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Truth Stained Lies (Moonlighters Series #1) - Terri Blackstock

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this first book of the trilogy, we are introduced to the Cramer family: Cathy, Juliet, Holly, and Jay. Jay's ex-wife has been murdered, and he's set up to take the fall. The Cramer sisters, along with family friend Michael, are determined to prove Jay's innocence.
This was a decent, quick read. Each of the characters is definitely a bit cookie cutter, and the story is plot driven. The characters don't grow or change much - at least not past what a reader can predict.
Also, there were several typos involving the wrong sisters' name in various places. That always annoys me. Not sure if those are just errors in the large print.
Anyway, I was needing something easy and entertaining after my last read. This fit the bill.

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Her Majesty: The Court of Queen Elizabeth II - Robert Hardman

Her Majesty: The Court of Queen Elizabeth II by Robert Hardman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book took me forever to read. I’m not entirely sure why, because it was interesting. I did have a few times I had to wait to get it back from the library.
This is not so much a biography of the Queen and her life as it is a biography for her reign. Organized by topic (prime ministers, royalist vs republic debates, foreign interactions, etc.) instead of chronologically, it was a good format.
I learned quite a bit and enjoyed the reading.

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A Gentleman in Moscot - Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book. I didn't expect to when I was just a few chapters in, despite the fact everyone I knew who read it absolutely raved about it. For me, it got off to a slow start. But then I was hooked. I didn't want to put it down.
This is definitely a characters driven story. And what a character we get in the Count and his "comrades." To see each of the characters grow and develop over the course of the book, in addition to learning snippets of the back story of each. It was just beautifully done.
I learned some Russian history as well, so that's always a nice bonus.
Also liked the alliteration in all the chapter titles.

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The Polygamist's Daughter - Anna LeBaron

The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LeBaron
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think my empathetic bone is broken. On one level, I realize that Anna's experiences are horrific and her upbringing so damaging. However, on another level, I just didn't feel anything for her. I'm not sure if it's the way it was written. Or the fact I average 5 hours of sleep a night between my 2- and 4-year-old's wakings so my emotions are dead.
I do admire how Anna has overcome all the things in her past to be the strong woman she appears to be today.

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