Varied reading

February so far has been a fabulous reading month for me, and I managed 12 books so far. Reading faster than I could review, so here comes a few smaller reviews.

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
I listened to this book of short stories, narrated by Tom Hanks himself. What a treat! The stories mostly take place in the past and some I liked more than others. I awaited a twist in the end of the stories, but either there was none or I did not understand them. I thoroughly enjoyed the story with the very active, healthy and enthusiastic girl friend who tried to introduce her rather tired boy friend to the world of adventure. A story about an actor who gets to kiss the heroine and is envied by all the men in the world. It sounds very romantic, but the hard work shooting a movie which takes place all over the world is something different, as we learn. The story of a rich man who pays to travel back in time, meets a young girl and falls in love. He constantly goes back to the same time, try to meet her a little bit earlier, before he has to travel back. He is only allowed to stay for a certain number of hours. In the end he stays on and....! Although I did not enjoy all of them, some were really great and tell stories of different kind of people, and I think anyone can find something interesting.

Restless by William Boyd

Another thrilling novel by William Boyd. What do you do when your old mother tells you that someone is trying to kill her? Ruth's mother Sally Gilmartin tells her one day that her name is Eva Delectorskaya, and with this news, Ruth's life will never be the same. The story is told in parallell lines, from WWII and today, and Ruth learns that her mother was once a spy. Boyd, I find, creates wonderful characters and stories that keep you stuck to the book, and you are never really sure how it will end. A drama of high class and, what it seems to me, a good insight in the world of espionage and the secret services. The story how Eva ended up a spy also seems feasible enough. Fascinating to me was the way she "disappeared" when she had to. But as they say, the past will always catch up with you and this is where this story starts.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Another wonderful story of past and present in the typical Morton style. It is such a pleasure to read and both her stories are intriguing. When Laurel Nicolson was sixteen years old she was witness to a crime that affected her family. Today she is a famous actress. When their mother falls sick the siblings gather to help her. When going through old photographs, Laurel starts thinking back of the crime she saw her mother commit and she wants to find out what really happened. The story of their mother, before she married their father, is a totally different life, and slowly Laurel learns the truth. Morton manages to keep the story going and you think you know where it will end. But, as in her other books, there is a twist in the very end. I find the way she approaches her stories interesting. What you see today, is not always what it was. A page turner.

Angel Fall by Kristin Hannah

A present day romance, but not going over the edge. Michaela Campbell falls off a horse and lands in a coma. Her husband Liam is devastated and is spending most of the time by her hospital bed. Their two children are also affected by the accident. Hannah manages very well to describe the trauma the family goes through. When Liam look through Michaela's wardrobe he finds photos of her first husband and he is rather chocked when he realises who he is. It turns out that Michaela, in her own world, stirs when she hears his name. This is a story of love in different ways. How is it when you cannot live with the love of your life. Even so, this love takes over everything else, and you don't have enough to give to somebody else. The novel looks at the different aspects of love and how it effects the people involved.  The insecurity of Liam on Michaela's love did take up a little too much space, and could have been shortened. Otherwise, it is an easy read and, yes, I have to admit it, I cried in the end!