WE DON'T NEED ROADS (Caseen Gaines) - July 30/15

This is kind of an interesting look at the best film trilogy of all time but Gaines isn't exactly the best writer. And he tends to bog things down with the minutia of things that I'm not terribly interested in (eg how certain props were made). I wanted more juicy behind the scenes stories, a la the whole Eric Stoltz thing. And Part III really gets the short shrift, while the book closes with a pretty tedious stretch devoted to the films' legacy. Still, it's BTTF so I enjoyed it. **1/2 out of ****

DAY FOUR (Sarah Lotz) - July 23/15

Read this based on Stephen King's twitter recommendation. I love the premise but the execution just didn't work for me. The characters were all boring and hard to sympathize with and although I liked the interview structure of the final stretch, the ambiguous conclusion rendered the good stuff moot. (Were the survivors killed? What's the deal with the demonic kid?) Disappointed! ** out of ****

PAPER TOWNS (John Green) - July 16/15

This decent yet unspectacular book features a hell of an entertaining first act but ultimately devolves into tedium with a midsection revolving entirely around the protagonist's rather dull investigation. Not one of Green's stronger efforts. And the dude often tries *way* too hard to sound profound. **1/2 out of ****

ALLEGIANT (Veronica Roth) - July 11/15

More of the same, really, as Roth offers up a storyline that I couldn't possibly have cared less about. I was extremely bored for much of the book (which is almost insanely overlong) but I will admit that the final 100 pages are somewhat involving and exciting. I was kind of shocked that Roth killed of Tris, too, and assumed that she'd come back from the dead somehow. But I'm glad to be done with this series. (And, hopefully, YA dystopian fiction.) ** out of ****

EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES (Laura Dave) - July 5/15

Pretty much the definition of meh, this one. It's a very slight story that never becomes terribly engrossing, and the central character remains unable to wholeheartedly capture the reader's sympathy. The book's problems are compounded by Dave's tendency to utilize overly flowery instances of writing. It was a quick read but I was never captivated. **1/2 out of ****

MISSING PIECES (Joy Fielding) - July 1/15

This is a pretty quick read, though the storyline is rather ludicrous. I kinda liked how Fielding essentially offers up a chick story (eg her menopause, her thoughts of infidelity, her problems with her daughter, etc) and also includes thriller elements (her sister's murderous fiance). It doesn't add up to much but I enjoyed reading it. **1/2 out of ****