A story told in notes between a mom and her daughter.
Fast read. Bittersweet in its shortness, though I wanted to reach through and shake the two characters for never stopping to TALK to one another. 3/5
7) Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie (Romance, 283 pages)
Very sweet and cute romance. I'm glad that Fred was on the cover; I might have never picked it up otherwise! Fun, quirky characters. 3.5/5
8) Playground: A Childhood Lost Inside the Playboy Mansion by Jennifer Saginor (Memoirs, 288 pages)
This book made me incredibly sad. The book follows the author's train wreck of a life, and like a train wreck, you can't look away. I really wished that the author had found something more substantive in life, and I wanted to reach through and shake her when at the end, she didn't show she had. 3/5
9) Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey (Historical Fantasy, 400 pages)
It was with some trepidation that I started this book. I had not liked Lackey's recent stuff, and thought this would be more of the same not-well plotted, shown not told, cliched, soapboxing stuff she has churned out in recent years. I originally was not going to read it but the library had it. So it is with real amazement that I conclude: Gwenhwyfar did not suck. The story was fresh, the main character was complexly developed, the narrative was compelling, and I could not put the book down. Whatever the reason for this upturn, I can't say, but welcome it. And nary a "blame the parent" plot point in sight.
She could have fleshed out some of the supporting characters better, and she does rely too much on the internal monologue to move the story along, but this is still lightyears better than the last few books of hers I picked up. 4/5
