“My temptation is to tackle everything at once, or nothing at all.” ―Kevin DeYoung

Have you been stalking me, Kevin? Because you just nailed the story of my life. Hence the current (constant) state of my not-so-walk-in closet. Which is also why, on days like this, I'd normally wave my white flag, crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head, and forget all about that review I promised myself I'd write. If I can't bring the whole kit and caboodle, why bring it at all? But new year, new me. I'm okay to bring the kit, and who knows, you probably don't have time for the caboodle either. So here's two super quick mini reviews of the books I finished last week. Who knows, maybe it'll become a thing around here. Mini-Review Monday. I kinda like the sound of it...

Echo came to me by way of a friend's hardy recommendation. It did not disappoint. If you're a listener (and why on earth wouldn't you be by now—even Tracy's converted, folks!), this is one of those books that was written to be listened to. Grab your kiddos, or just yourself, and settle in for “a grand narrative that examines the power of music to inspire beauty in a world overrun with fear and intolerance; it's worth every moment of readers' time."

Am I alone in not loving The Great Alone? To be fair, I came at it with some pretty high, as in The Nightingale high, expectations and I picked it up right after savoring every word of An American Marriage. Not many books could withstand that double whammy and this one definitely did not. It felt a bit trite and predictable—almost like it was written to be a movie (which someone obviously agreed as the film rights have already been sold.) If you're looking for a book about life in the harsh Alaskan wilderness, do yourself a favor and read The Snow Child instead.

Posted by Rachel