Two Reviews

I think I rather prefer recapping my thoughts on multiple books instead of doing individual reviews. I tend to review books in a unique way: instead of summarizing the book, I get right down to the nitty-gritty. Truth be told, I've never been confident in summarizing the books I read. I either tend to give away the whole plot or end up with a really vague paraphrase that doesn't do it justice. I'll leave it to the people who write the blurbs that go on the dust jackets :) 

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim was introduced to me by my reading-buddy friend. We discussed this one after I finished it and agreed that this title was one we would not have appreciated as younger readers. I think if I had read this even a year ago I would either have abandoned it after the first chapter or trudged my way through it, bored the whole time. Arnim is one of those authors that writes the scenery in such a way you feel you are literally standing there as one of the characters. Italy is described in such vivid detail and evokes, quite honestly, heavenly imagery. I felt at peace reading this book; I also felt challenged. Some of the women were harder to empathize with; I found myself feeling irritated with their motivations and attitudes. Lotty's behavior towards them completely changed my way of thinking and encouraged me to examine my own attitudes to people in my life. 

Thunder on The Right by Mary Stewart was a fun little mystery, coincidentally also introduced to me by my reading-buddy friend. (I've made a note to myself that if she suggests I read something, I'll probably enjoy it!) Stewart's writing is similar to Arnim's in her ability to describe scenery well. Stewart takes it a step farther and manages to convey drama and intensity; I felt like I was reading a soap opera mystery. I think my lower rating of 3 stars can be attributed to the fact that I felt like the story was a little long; I think she could have wrapped it up in fewer pages because I found myself sifting through pages of description just to get to the meat of the scene. I am interested in reading more works from her, though.

I enjoyed reading both of these books and am feeling a little proud of myself to see how far I've come in my personal reading tastes, just in the last year. I used to read a lot of YA fiction; while certain titles still interest me, I have steered clear of the genre for quite a while now. I'm choosing to read the "good stuff" right now; stories that will challenge me, leave me laughing, or even a sweeping romance that won't leave me feeling yucky inside. So far I really enjoy where my reading journey is taking me!

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