It may come as a shock that this book is my actual introduction into the world of Jane Austen, unless you count a million viewings of the movie Cluele...moreIt may come as a shock that this book is my actual introduction into the world of Jane Austen, unless you count a million viewings of the movie Clueless, which is based off a different Austen novel. I haven’t ever read a stitch of Austen’s work, so I entered this book with no knowledge or prejudices about any of the characters. This book gives enough background so that someone like me is not entirely confused as to who is who, and hints just enough at the past and present of each of these characters that you can get a bit of an idea about them before the bulk of the novel starts.
Given that most other readers probably have read Pride & Prejudice, I’ll spare a description or comment on our cast of characters, since I don’t have P&P to compare them to anyway. What we have in this story is really a classic whodunit, with a bloody supposed murderer standing over a dead body. To make matters worse, we get a confession of sorts, which throws everything into disarray.
I was intrigued by the title of this book when it was offered to me for review, so I decided to take it on during this blog tour. The concepts and gu...moreI was intrigued by the title of this book when it was offered to me for review, so I decided to take it on during this blog tour. The concepts and guidance provided in the book can be interesting at times, and I can absolutely see them being useful for people, especially people in a slightly older generation who may have trouble with their close relationships. Personally, I fit more into the demographic the author describes as a group that is very connected to their friends, so I didn’t feel the book spoke to me as much as it will to others.
I did like the points the author brought up about the influence of Facebook and other social networking on our friendships. I think that Facebook can be useful for keeping up with people I no longer live near, but it can also be a huge pain when it comes to relationships I want to keep maintaining. Fortunately, all the people I care about are also interested in staying in touch with me in other ways, which is another benefit of my generation, in my opinion.
The first time I read this book, I didn’t think much of Liir himself. He’s a rather obtuse boy who becomes a rather obtuse sort of man. Subsequent r...moreThe first time I read this book, I didn’t think much of Liir himself. He’s a rather obtuse boy who becomes a rather obtuse sort of man. Subsequent readings have somewhat altered that perception of him, but on the whole, he’s still very frustrating to me. I can’t remember the last time I read a character who seems to despise themselves this much and thinks so little of their own value. Oh wait, yes I can – it was Bella Swan!
Liir is a boy who has really suffered from not knowing the truth of his parentage – and to an extent, no one fully knows that truth anyway. It becomes clear over the course of both Wicked and this novel that he is, in fact, the offspring of Elphaba and Fiyero, although even to the reader I guess we’re never quite sure about that either. So I can see how Liir would be so confused, and happy to just wander around wherever the wind blows him for quite some time.
As the title indicates, each year, a group of friends meets before the holiday season to do a cookie exchange. We quickly learn, however, that the co...moreAs the title indicates, each year, a group of friends meets before the holiday season to do a cookie exchange. We quickly learn, however, that the cookie’s are really just an excuse for these friends to get together, one of the few times a year that all of them are together to share with each other.
This novel hit a familiar cord with me, as someone who had previously read The Friday Night Knitting Club series. The ideas behind the two books are similar – a great reason for a fabulous group of ladies to get together and share their lives on a regular basis. I wanted to know these ladies, to share in their lives, or at the very least start my own kind of cookie club.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read Wicked, but I can safely say that I enjoy it more every time I read it. I adore getting caught up in...moreI’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read Wicked, but I can safely say that I enjoy it more every time I read it. I adore getting caught up in the world of Oz regardless of the source, but Maguire’s world holds a special place in my heart. I feel like I catch more about this world every time I read the series, which makes me respect Maguire even more as an author.
This version of Oz provides a great backdrop for commentary on things that are going on in our society, and really can be modified to think of social issues we’re dealing with at any time. The struggle of the Animals in this book can be likened to the struggle of any minority in our social landscape, which makes it more sad to me because I know these kinds of horrible things have happened in our history, and are still happening now in some way or another.
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