Ape House By Sara Gruen

3/5

This is no Water For Elephants, but it was a pleasant enough read. Unfortunately I didn't connect with (or really care for) any of the characters. I think I may have actually connected to the apes more haha. It did hold my interest as a page-turner...so there's that.

The Shadow Of The Wind By Carlos Ruiz Zafón

5/5

This is now one of my favorite books of all time. It's got everything, mystery, romance, history, murder...even some spooky elements...a story within a story and on top of all that, it's woven with some of the most beautiful prose I've had the joy of reading. I can't recommend it enough. Keep in mind it's not a quick read...and yet I didn't want it to end.

The Particular Sadness Of Lemon Cake By Aimee Bender

2/5

The prose of this book is refreshingly beautiful and intricate...I will give it that. And I do love the magical realism premise of the book, but the actual execution of the plot along with flat characters made reading it a less than enjoyable journey.

I never could get a grasp of the characters and had a hard time caring what happened. There were questions I wanted answered and I think they were answered in a way, but a way that was far from satisfactory. I kept waiting for something to make me like this...it just never happened. I’m ultimately left unaffected and empty.

Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet By Jamie Ford

3/5

This is a very straightforward tale of first love and how life can get in the way. I think I just expected more...I wanted to FEEL more.

The Last Song By Nicholas Sparks

3/5

I initially picked this up because I saw it took place in the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, NC area...an area I'm pretty familiar with. It was fun to hear about places I have frequented.

Aside from that the story was a pleasant enough tale of family, reconciliation, first love and all that goes with it, but it felt like it was all over the place and I found myself losing interest at certain points. I did enjoy many moments though...enough that I did get rather teary a time or two.

I would like to read more by Sparks...maybe ;) Right now I just want to read his latest because it takes place where I really did grow up...Southport, NC.

Note: This is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have "read" and is also my very first audiobook.