Book Review Thursday - 12/26

Last reviews of the year and if I can get 4 reviews written, I am all caught up!

A Plain and Fancy Christmas by Cynthia Keller is about 2 families that had their daughters switched at birth. After 30 years, the wife of the doctor that made the mistake came clean after his death. And to make matters even more interesting, one family is Amish in PA and one family was from NYC. Rachel, the one who grew up Amish, would have loved to leave everything alone, but Ellie couldn't leave it and opened the can of worms.

At first, Rachel and Ellie are not friendly towards each other because Rachel resents that Ellie wants to know her family. And when Rachel goes to NYC and meets her real family, she starts to understand. But since she was already baptized into the Amish community, she can't give it up without being shunned.

There were a few things that I think could have been left out of this book and a few things that could have been elaborated on. But overall, it was an interesting story. Way too many characters, but a lot of generalizations helped keep things straight between the families.

Dead Reckoning and Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris are the next in the Sookie Stackhouse series for me. The first picks up where the last in the series that I read picks up. It seems like they are all just a big continuation of the same things. Eric, Pam and Sookie are plotting to kill Victor who is now in charge of Louisiana vamps. And the Van Pelt gal is still trying to kill Sookie. And Sam is still dating Janalynn from Alcid's Long Tooth pack.

Some things are resolved in this book, but some actions lead to future consequences and that leads us to Deadlocked. Another continuation of the story, more of less. Felipe comes out to investigate Victor's disappearance and a body is found on Eric's front lawn. Sookie is very weary of Janalynn and her motives towards Sookie.

There is only one book left in the series and while I have enjoyed the books so far, I am ready to move on to a different series. :) I love the characters and how things are constant in each of the books though.

The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini took me forever to finish. I am sure that I started it at the beginning of November if not back in October and I just finished it this week. Lizzie Van Lew lived in Richmond, VA when the Civil War broke out. Virginia voted to be a Southern State and succeed from the United States and the Van Lews were against this action. They spent the entire war working to help the Union and not be found out about their loyalties or their actions.

Chiaverini is not a very good writer of facts about war time actions. The ideas and feelings that the people must have been enduring come across in the writing, but the parts about the battles and the fighting are extremely dry. I should have known this and avoided this book after listening to Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. I will not read another period novel by this author.

What are you reading? Did you have any reading goals for this year? Have you met them or missed the mark? :)