Book reviews for a blustery day

Today is the very definition of a blustery day, with the wind blowing like crazy and a storm on the way. But I'm quite cozy inside, curled up with a blanket and book. If my only reading goal this year was a book for each week, I'd be there, having just checked off book #52 for the year. This makes two years in a row now where I've passed the 50-book mark, and although I might not always do a great job of prioritizing reading challenge books, the real goal has simply been to recapture my old love of reading, which has definitely happened. It's just that my libraries are so tempting...

41. Catch Me If You Can, by Frank W. Abagnale

(Read for the Mount TBR challenge.) This was a lot of fun to read. He pulled off some seriously crazy cons, and his attention to detail and intelligence were very apparent. Given that it's the autobiography of a preeminent con man, I feel like some things were probably embellished, but that doesn't make it any less of a whirlwind adventure to read. 
My rating: 8/10

42. This Dark Endeavour, by Kenneth Oppel

This was darker than I anticipated, mostly because the narrator, a young Victor Frankenstein, was not the nicest person. It was easy to see how this kid could become the Frankenstein of Mary Shelley's novel - he had all the same flaws and passions, and getting inside his head was not always pleasant. Also, giving Victor a twin was a clever addition that made his darker side stand out even more in contrast to Konrad's better nature, as well as providing much of the impetus that drove both the action and the romance (if you can call it that; Victor was more of a creep than anything else).   My rating: 6/10

43. Here Abide Monsters, by Andre Norton

(Read for the Mount TBR challenge.) This is definitely not my favorite of the Andre Norton books I've read, but it was interesting enough. I never really connected with any of the characters, although the Vicar, Mrs. Clapp, and Rita all had facets that I appreciated. I liked the ideas, especially the exploration of the power of belief, but the pacing of the story felt off to me, with not enough of importance happening in the first part of the book and too much crammed into the last part.   My rating: 6/10