What is the last book you read, and your rating?

[strawberrysab]

I'm currently reading The Keeper of Lost Things. I haven't finished it yet but I'm enjoining it so much that I already know I'll be giving it an excellent rating.

[Gravy]

I recently finished The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.
I rated it a 2 out of 4, due intirely to a terrible beginning.

To give an idea of how bad, this would be getting full marks if not for two things: the beginning, and a protagonist that I couldn't stand until almost the end.

I wish he'd been slightly better, and a slightly better beginning, because the rest of the book was wonderful.

[oakley55]

The most recent book I read was, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and honestly I thought is was going to be like all the other books you read in high school, and it really wasn't. This book was sooo good and basically being inside the head of a schizophrenic mental patient topped it off.

[Kibet Hillary]

It was The Buried Secrets of Peonies by Mernegar Dorgoly. Rating was 3 out of 4 stars.

[Jamasenu]

I just finished The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman . I gave the book a rating of/4

[Redlegs]

Again, I finished two books within 24 hours.

First, An Obedient Father by Akhil Sharma. This was a tough book to read at times, not because of the writing, which is generally excellent, but because of the confronting subject matter. Personally, I am not comfortable with depictions of child sexual abuse, and this subject is at the heart of this visceral novel.

Despite the fact that Sharma now lives in the US, this is a quintessentially Indian novel, and the author has captured the culture, language, family relationships, prejudices and superstitions, along with the nature of local politics, impeccably.

This is quality writing, even though I found some of the dialogue unconvincing and the structure a little haphazard at times. 4 stars out of 5.

Secondly, A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M Miller. Labelled as science fiction, this unique apocalyptic novel has a strongly religious aspect to it, being mostly set with the monks of the order of Isaac Leibowitz.

Set over a period of almost 2000 years, several centuries into the future, it is divided into three distinct parts.

Underlying this tale, Miller explores a number of philosophical questions and concepts, including the existence and nature of God, the role of religion in society, the role and benefits of technological advancement and the balance between ensuring capability is used for good as well as aggression.

There are fascinating discussions about currently topical issues such as euthanasia, refugees and other ethical and moral debates.

Miller seems to imply that he believes that mankind is doomed to repeat mistakes of the past, due to our greed, lack of moral compass and intellectual limitations. This is very good quality science fiction writing from 1960, part of what I consider to be the golden age for the genre. 4 stars out of 5

[Elzaavdolli1]

Tatiana and Aleksandri from Paullina Simons. the second book from trilogy with the same title. Tatiana turns back in Rusia to take her husband that was prisoner in Rusia. Mr. Aleksander Belovi general in the second world war remain prisoner in Rusia...it was a very beautiful story of love, I read it for 2 days, it was excellent

[tirzahhawkins]

My husband and I read The Hunger Games during road trips. Whoever wasn't driving would read aloud. It was an amazing book and inspired me to start writing in first person. I would give it 4/4 stars.

[Eileen R]

The last book i read was Heartaches 3- Bad boy vibes by H.M Irwing. I gave it a 3 out of 4. It was the third book in the heartaches series. I loved it.

[Elizabeth Pass]

I just finished Big Brother by Fabian Robinson. The editing was so awful I had to give it 1 out of 4 stars. To be honest, the writing and story wasn't much better but it was hard to even appreciate any good parts since there was at least one mistake in every sentence. There were 16 mistakes on the first page (not counting duplicates). I hope the author gets help with editing and proofreading in the future.

[Chandler_Greg]

I just read Fall Girl by Toni Jordan. It was a clever and thoughtful book with just enough romance. It was recommended for readers of the Rosie Project & Rosie Effect. I'd rate it 4/5 or 3.5 of 4.

[Redlegs]

The key attributes of All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld, winner of the 2014 Miles Franklin Award, are its intricate structure and its spare, yet unsettling, prose.

Jake Whyte is a troubled young woman, raised in rural Queensland, who is on the run from past troubles and life in general. She is tough, resolute and a survivor. On the road, through Darwin and several locations in rural Western Australia, she takes on prostitution, farm work and sheep shearing to earn money and survive until the next opportunity arises.

The story alternates between her past life in Australia and her present situation as a sheep farmer on a nameless island off the coat of Britain. How or why she came to Britain from Australia is never revealed.

The writing style is simple and sparse, rarely detailed, but frequently evocative in its descriptions, especially of the Australian bush and rural blue collar culture.
The portion of the story set on the British Island, where Jake is now a reclusive sheep farmer, revolves around the fact that something unknown is attacking and mauling her sheep, one at a time, which adds an ominous, almost supernatural tone to the mystery.

This is fresh and original writing, beautifully crafted, occasionally visceral and brutal in its descriptions of life on the edge, where survival is paramount. Some is not for the sensitive, and yet it is impossible not to be completely captivated by Jake and her curious mixture of toughness and fragile vulnerability.

A solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Caden Perry]

I just finished "Stranded" book 3 in the Prometheus Project series by Douglas E. Richards.

It is an enjoyable fast-paced science fiction. I would give the book 3/4 stars because the plot isn't as developed as the previous books and this book doesn't wrap up the series very well. It only wraps up the individual book.

[Mildred Tabitha]

I just finished reading Who told you that you were naked? by William E. Combs. I gave it a 3 out of 4 stars because of a minor error which was made repeatedly in chapter 5.

I really enjoyed reading the book and it made me understand some verses in the Bible more.

[Cate Mbevi]

I recently finished reading Twisted Threads by Kaylin MCfarren. A romance thriller. It was hard to put it down.