Bird Box - John Malerman

Title: Bird Box
Author: Josh Malerman
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 1.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~8hrs
Date read: January 2015

Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn't look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything.

Just 1.5 stars. I didn't dislike it, but I'm not sure I would even go as far as to say it was okay.

I had a lot of problems with this book. The premise sounded fascinating - somewhat similar to M. Night Shyamalan's movie "The Happening". In retrospect that should have given me pause, as I didn't care much for that movie either. I guess the best thing I can say about the book is that at least it's not that bad.

The book jumps back and forth in time. That doesn't usually bother me, but here it seemed as if the entire book was a prologue, and that the plot itself - you know, the part where all the questions are answered? - didn't even get started until the last 10 minutes... after which it ended without answering any questions whatsoever.

It seemed as if Josh Malerman found an interesting writing prompt ("Imagine that you have to live your life blindfolded") and then just went with it, without putting too much thought into the explanation of WHY the characters had to live their lives blindfolded - not the deeper reason, anyway. I don't mind unanswered questions in books, but I do mind it when the main premise itself is left a mystery.

I 'read' this as an audiobook (narrated by Katharine Mangold - not the best narrator ever, but not the worst either), which may have swayed my opinion slightly to the negative. I might not have gotten as frustrated by it, if I hadn't wasted as much time on it.

Cupid is a Procrastinator - Kate Hurley

Title: Cupid is a Procrastinator
Author: Kate Hurley
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 240
Date read: January, 2015

It's your eighth wedding this year. You are livening up the dance floor with a stirring rendition of YMCA when suddenly, the moment comes that separates the crowd. The slow dance. This one's for pairs. You are not a pair. You thought you would be married much sooner, but it hasn't worked out that way. You are trying to make sense of the unexpected single life.

Kate doesn't offer a magic formula that will bring your spouse to you, nor does she ask you to be content with your "gift" of singleness. With candid humor and refreshing honesty, she shares her own struggles and discoveries as a single person and invites you to come with her on a journey toward hope.


I was surprised by how much I liked this book, and especially by how relateable I found it. As an "old married woman" one could perhaps claim that I am not the intended target audience of this book, but even so I discovered that Kate Hurley had words of wisdom for me as well, and I found myself highlighting passages all over the place.

Because in the end, Kate Hurley's book is about "hope deferred" (Proverbs 13:12). For Kate Hurley, Cupid turned out to be a procrastinator. Others may be waiting on the stork, better health, a house, a job or any other milestone event. The "hopes" are different, but the way we can chose to respond and react really isn't, in the end.

"Cupid is a Procrastinator" is a refreshingly honest take on the issue of singleness, that doesn't offer platitudes ("Just wait! It'll happen when you least expect it!") but dares broach the subject of what to do if it never happens, and how to live a fulfilling life, even with a "hope deferred".

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

So Much To Tell You - John Marsden

Title: So Much to Tell You
Author: John Marsden
Genre: YA
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~4hrs
Date read: January, 2015

Scarred, literally, by her past, Marina has withdrawn into silence. Then, at her new boarding school, she is set the task of writing a diary by her English teacher, and finds a way of expressing her thoughts and feelings and of exploring the traumatic events that have caused her distress.

I didn't recognize the blurb about the book, but hadn't gotten very far into it before I discovered that I'd actually read this one ages go, and had just forgotten pretty much everything about it! Never mind, it was still as satisfying a read as I had expected, even though I have the same issue with it now, as when I first read it 20'ish years ago -- it's much too short! But if I recall correctly, that's my problem with many of John Marsden's books - I want to know what happens next, after the final line.

The book itself is pretty traditional YA, but I'd gotten hold of an audio version of it (from audible.co.uk) narrated by Kate Hosking, who has the most amazing Australian accent, and made the book a delight to listen to. Very fitting to have an Australian narrator for an Australian book, but it was an extra touch I hadn't expected, and which just added to the charm for me. In fact, I ended up finishing the book in just one day, breaking up the listening to just two sittings.

I had no idea it was the first in a series though, and will have to see if I can get hold of the others.