I've kind of lost my steam.

I'm still enjoying most of what I'm reading, but I've kind of lost my motivation. I need to go back to school, or at least get into a book group. Let's keep these short. Villette, by Charlotte Brontë. The back said this one was better than Jane Eyre. I didn't like it as much. The main character seemed cold and overly intellectual and logical, and the other characters were all so shallow. I had a hard time getting through this one, I am ashamed to say. Midnighters, by Scott Westerfeld. I enjoyed this authors Uglies trio, so thought I would sample from his other series. In this book, the ideas and premises the story is based on weren't explained or explored very thoroughly. It seemed like there would be more history in the second book, but I don't think I want to put forth the effort. On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. This book was also short and didn't give as much context as I might have hoped. It was well written in that I certainly felt all the things the author wanted me to feel. Overall, I'd say it was good. Physik, by Angie Sage. I don't really like this series, but they are like drugs, or potato chips: I just can't say no. They are probably pretty good for a younger age group, but not that great for the older readers. I feel things aren't as well explained as they could be. Glossing over is bad. Atherton: The House of Power, by Patrick Carman. I'm having a streak of not being happy with the background and information in my readings. The idea was interesting, and apparently there are sequels, but I won't be reading them. No Humans Involved, by Kelley Armstrong. I like the characters in this series, but the books switch among the characters-- in each one, the first person perspective is different, and I don't think the author does a very good job of keeping the characters consistent among the various perspectives. Obviously the different characters will perceive each other and themselves differently, but the differences are too big. Peony in Love, by Lisa See. I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I also loved Peony in Love. What I thought especially interesting was that her death doesn't mark the end of the story. I don't like this author's mystery books, but these two are most excellent.

Mandala: A Novel of India, by Pearl S. Buck. Time lapses that not only went unexplained but not even noticed made it more difficult to follow this story. Not on my list of favorites, but this isn't a bad book.