FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (E.L. James) - January 31/15

I wasn't really expecting to enjoy this, but given my love for the Twilight series, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I did. I really got hooked on the relationship between Anastasia and Christian, although at first I was a little off-put by Christian's lack of emotions and dominance. But he becomes more human as the book progresses and I did find myself rooting for the relationship to succeed. The book is definitely way, waaaay too long, however, and it does seem as though it could've lost at least a third of its length. Still, I enjoyed this. *** out of ****

MORTAL FEAR (Robin Cook) - January 21/15

This is a pretty typical Cook thriller. It's definitely too long but surprisingly exciting in parts. Utterly forgettable yet a passable read. **1/2 out of ****

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL (Lena Dunham) - January 14/15

This had all the problems that seem to be omnipresent with celebrity memoirs, in that it consists mostly of stories that aren't terribly interesting. It's the literary equivalent of watching a stranger's home movies. Like, why should I care about Dunham's experiences at summer camp? The book is likewise filled with stories that are impossible to really connect to, and I was definitely disappointed by a total lack of tales of her film and TV exploits. It's basically readable but I wouldn't say I "enjoyed" it. ** out of ****

THE BASKETBALL DIARIES (Jim Carroll) - January 13/15

I read this on Sayward's recommendation and I didn't hate it, I suppose. It's the same stream of consciousness style as Last Exit to Brooklyn and it's super rambling and completely plot free. It's readable, to be sure, and the seediness of Carroll's existence is definitely compelling, but the book is quite repetitive to be sure. There's really no variation to the narrative, as Carroll describes his ongoing efforts to scam money and score drugs. That's really about it for 210 pages. But I wasn't ever flat-out bored, so that's saying something, I guess. **1/2 out of ****