4.5 stars -- I am pretty open to reading all kinds of books, but I haven't read all that much paranormal romance, so I was glad to have the opportunit...more4.5 stars -- I am pretty open to reading all kinds of books, but I haven't read all that much paranormal romance, so I was glad to have the opportunity to review Bonded by Blood for my blog. I read the excerpt on Laurie London's site, and was drawn into the story almost immediately... I wanted to know who Mackenzie was, what her story was, who this mysterious injured man was... Intriguing!
Once I started, I found I couldn't stop. Bonded by Blood was very readable, and the pace was great. I didn't put this book down very often after I started reading it, and when I did, my mind was drawn back to it again and again, wondering what was happening to them, who they were, and what was going on around them while I wasn't looking. I love when this feeling happens, because then I know that the characters in a book aren't just 2D creations on a page, but are real, well-written characters that I can identify with and care about. And I did care about Dom and Mackenzie. Both intrigued me, and as their lives continually crossed paths, and as each of their histories were revealed and the links between them shown, I was drawn into their lives and felt that the connection between them was tangible.
Their relationship was great as well. I loved the way that they interacted with each other, and the tension and suspense was palpable. Kenzie's history makes it hard for her to commit herself, and Dom being what he is (a predator, really) he feels he should stay away from her for her own protection. But they are drawn to each other, and Dom has the further complicated issue of protecting her from Darkbloods as well as himself. So naturally, things reach a breaking point in the tension between Dom and Kenzie, and ohmygoodness when it does... get out your fans, ladies. It's steamy.
I enjoyed the progression of their relationship, and how each seemed to open up due to it. I love how Kenzie's deep-seated tension and need to control everything in her life, which is understandable given the circumstances, eases up, and she is able to relax and let go when she is with Dom. I also like the fact that she has a similar effect on Dom in that his anger and desire for revenge are softened around her. I felt like this was less a change in personalities, and more an effect of their bonding and connection and understanding with each other.
I loved the world that London created here, where vampires are real and live amongst humans while still remaining secret. I immensely enjoyed the modernity of the story, how vampires have adapted and adjusted to changes in the world around them, welcoming scientific and technological advances and discoveries. I also thought that it was interesting how the Darkbloods embraced scientific methods to further their aims, while still keeping the old world mentality about what it is to be a vampire. I wish that the Darkbloods had a little more face-time in the book, and that more of their ideals and goals were examined, but maybe this will be coming in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and cannot wait for the next in the series, which is out later this year.(less)
Another fantastic job by Stephen Fry... I don't really care for Tonks' voice (every time I hear it I think of an old lady, rather than a hip young wit...moreAnother fantastic job by Stephen Fry... I don't really care for Tonks' voice (every time I hear it I think of an old lady, rather than a hip young witch with purple hair), but otherwise I love Fry's reading.
I love this book - I love the tension, how things are starting to come together, how Rowling so subtly weaves the story together with the others and with the conclusion to come, and tells us everything while still hiding everything. Brilliant. (less)
Love this book... Harry's angst and frustration are palpable, and things really get dark and ugly in this book.
Order of the Phoenix contains some of...moreLove this book... Harry's angst and frustration are palpable, and things really get dark and ugly in this book.
Order of the Phoenix contains some of my favorite scenes - with McGonagall telling off Umbridge, and Harry's grief in Dumbledore's office, and the Weasley twins tormenting Umbridge.
I also love how relevant these books are to the real world... how those in power will go to any lengths to keep it, how those people who see clearly and follow their own path are labeled as crazy and unstable, and how we're blind to everything that we fear.
This was cute, but, misguided as it may be, I actually expected better. The introduction from Christopher Moore was funny, as usual, and there was a p...moreThis was cute, but, misguided as it may be, I actually expected better. The introduction from Christopher Moore was funny, as usual, and there was a pretty good variety of zombie carols in the book, but it didn't live up to my "OMG! I NEED THIS!" reaction on seeing it. It's a good thing that this is a loaner, because I would have been disappointed to have paid $10 for it. In fact, had I done so, I probably would have (shield your eyes for those with sensitive stomachs) cut out the pictures and used them on Christmas cards or something.
The artwork was great - the zombie remixed songs were just OK. They didn't always match up to the tune of the song that they were supposed to be sung to, and seemed pretty repetitive as well. Lots of toe eating, eye popping, and of course brain consumption. But really, Spradlin, you used "Deck the halls with parts of Wally" both IN a song and AS a song - couldn't come up with anything different? How about "Deck the halls with pounds of Molly" or "Deck the halls with slabs of Polly" or "Deck the halls with chunks of Bobby" even?
Overall, this is good, but not great. I have a feeling that 13 year old boys would just love it. :) (less)
Well. I have finally managed to finish an Anne Rice book. Give this girl a cookie! I've tried to read Anne Rice in the past, and time after time, with...moreWell. I have finally managed to finish an Anne Rice book. Give this girl a cookie! I've tried to read Anne Rice in the past, and time after time, with book after book, I get bogged down in the details and the descriptions and the descriptions of the details and the details of the descriptions of the details... and then I just get annoyed with the amazingly intricate and beautifully molded front door (or whatever) she's describing and throw the book at the wall in aggravation.
So I think it's quite an accomplishment to have finally managed to finish SOMETHING Anne Rice has written. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't. Or, more accurately, that I hadn't started it to begin with.
I know that Anne Rice can write beautifully and evocatively when she remembers that she's telling a story and isn't bogged down showing us every little blade of grass. I can see that much before the book becomes a Wallbanger of Frustration. But this one... My goodness. It was bad. It was like Rice dictated the book to a secretary, who had only marginal experience with the English language, and transcribed the book in their native language, afterwards rendering it back into English using nothing but an ESL phrasebook and a thesaurus.
There was no emotion in this book, no feeling, no plot, no point. It was like Rice set out to try to meld the Sleeping Beauty fairytale ending (where the prince comes to awaken her and happily ever after), with 120 Days of Sodom - only without any mutilation. It's like a 273 page pain fantasy with an emphasis (emphasis on emphasis) on spanking, which just happens to feature Beauty from the fairytale - only naked, humiliated, deflowered and spanked. How many different ways can one be spanked? Not that flippin' many. With a hand, with a paddle, with a strap, with a stick - it's spanking. I'm sure some people find it to be a turn-on, and I can maybe understand that even if I'm not one of those people, but when 1/2 of a book is nothing but spankings, that stops being anywhere near arousing, and starts being really boring and repetitive.
The main character, Beauty, is awakened by being raped by the Crown Prince, who then claims her as his sex slave and takes her back to his castle where she joins many, many others in this "service". There's no lack of imagination regarding the different trials that they slaves are put through, but there hardly seems a point to it either. There's certainly not a story here - it's just event after event after event. Beauty cries and cries and cries, but she loves her captors and wants to please - if only they would tell her how.
Hardly any sex at all occurs in this book, actually, and what is there seems barely worth mention. It's done, it's over. Occasionally, Rice would stack it up, so that they go 2, 3, even 4 times in a row, which is apparently so that she can get it over and done with and get back to the "story's" focus... This is all about the pain, the frustration, the humiliation, the domination and submission of people against their will.
I am no prude, but I don't get how this would do anything for anyone but those with a very specific set of fetishes which feature abuse and rape. Because that's really what this is about... repeated abuse and rape. And spankings. But OK - roleplay and dominance and submission is fun, sure. But eventually you get tired of the game and get down to business, right? There's some goal there, right? There's not in this book. These slaves are tormented and made to live in a constant state of arousal and pain and punishment without release. I don't know of any man who would be able to keep it fully locked and loaded 24 hours a day and still be able to walk, let alone crawl and serve in any capacity. Especially not under duress. It's completely unrealistic. So much of this was, but I want to try to keep this review NC-17 at least, so I won't go into specifics.
And then, as if that is not enough, Rice feels the need to philosophize on what it means to be a true submissive. On and on and on she has one character go, about the need to yield and submit and blah blah blah. He then goes on to say that after being molested and repeatedly anally raped by a rotating band of brutish kitchen hands, that he learned how to submit and how to please his masters appropriately and enjoy it. WTF?
Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed with this. I'm all for some naughty, rough, dirty or whatever books from time to time... But my gosh, even porn has a story - even if it's a stupid one. This was just an abduction with a string of varied abuses following it until the pointless end.
Do yourself a favor and give this one a pass. (less)
For a long, long time this was my favorite book of the series. I just loved all of the different facets of the story, and how dark it starts getting a...moreFor a long, long time this was my favorite book of the series. I just loved all of the different facets of the story, and how dark it starts getting and how it gets really real and ominous. But now, Deathly Hallows is my favorite, closely followed by Order of the Phoenix, and then Goblet.
These books are just so brilliant, and Stephen Fry is so awesome at reading them. He's the perfect kind of reader to me, someone who can give characters their own voices and accents and breathe them to life without making them feel like caricatures and without interpreting them in such a way that it's counter to my own interpretation.
Another great audiobook - thank you Stephen Fry! :D I wish you wouldn't make Hermione so weird old lady sounding, but I can deal with it.
This has nev...moreAnother great audiobook - thank you Stephen Fry! :D I wish you wouldn't make Hermione so weird old lady sounding, but I can deal with it.
This has never really been my favorite of the series, but more and more it's growing on me. I love the way that Dumbledore shows that he won't use his considerable powers to manipulate others to make them come around to his way of thinking, but still doesn't have any qualms about bending the rules when needed to do the right thing. (less)
2 1/2 Stars I downloaded this for free on my Nook, thinking that it was a novel, and then I found out that it is a screenplay for a TV show and only 42...more2 1/2 Stars I downloaded this for free on my Nook, thinking that it was a novel, and then I found out that it is a screenplay for a TV show and only 42 pages long. I've never watched the show (I don't really watch TV at all anymore), so I don't have that to reference, but I thought it was OK to good, but not great. The show is probably better.
I took drama for a few years back in school, so I'm familiar with stage direction, but mainly for plays - not TV shows. I'm not sure if there's a big difference honestly, the only other screenplay I've read is Stephen King's Storm of the Century.
Regarding the story, it was good - reminded me of a pared down CSI: Miami only without all the head tilting and sunglasses acrobatics and one-liners. But when I say "pared down", I mean it. This is pretty bare bones - we can infer a little bit of our main character's history from what he tells others and his investigation methods, but honestly the description of the story gives more information about him than the content does.
There were a lot of choppy sentences, like "Carlos over a microscope." and "Falling in step with Callie as she hurries through the lobby." Maybe this is screenplay short-hand, but it was kind of distracting to read. And the dialogue is almost as choppy - with a lot of assumptions made that the watcher (or in this case, reader) is keeping up not just in the investigation, but with casual conversation that doesn't really say anything but at the same time says a lot -- if everyone is on the same page.
I think that this is the kind of thing that would really come together with the right actors being able to communicate a lot non-verbally. There are a lot of "off (so&so's) look" references, which in a regular novel would specifically say which type of look, but here leaves it open to reader and/or director and/or actor interpretation.
The resolution ties almost everything up while leaving it open for more investigations (this is a TV show after all), and I wasn't expecting the twist, although I should have in hindsight. But that's OK, I don't care when it's obvious once I've been told - it only bothers me when it's obvious BEFORE the reveal, and I didn't think this was. I liked it, but the screenplay format made for not-great reading. It would have been better if it had been expanded a bit and novelized. But hey, it was free, and killed an hour or so I would have otherwise spent bored in the cold car waiting on my boyfriend to run errands - or worse, tagging along.(less)
I love Stephen Fry. I think that his reading of these books are awesome.
Listening to these books is great -- I've read them all multiple times, but I...moreI love Stephen Fry. I think that his reading of these books are awesome.
Listening to these books is great -- I've read them all multiple times, but I still feel like I'm gaining something new each time, and listening is no different.
Listened to the audio for this one... 3/4 or so read by Jim Dale, and then I switched to Stephen Fry when I couldn't take Jim's reading any more.
Jim...moreListened to the audio for this one... 3/4 or so read by Jim Dale, and then I switched to Stephen Fry when I couldn't take Jim's reading any more.
Jim Dale is just too over the top for me, and I don't like his reading style. Stephen Fry is more natural, and that's so much better for me.
Anyway, I'm not doing a full review of these this time around, because I just read and reviewed them about 4 months ago. LOL
I highly recommend the Stephen Fry audio versions. They are great so far. :)(less)
This is not my favorite book of the series by a long shot, and yet, it's such an intriguing book that even as a not-favorite, I still love every minut...moreThis is not my favorite book of the series by a long shot, and yet, it's such an intriguing book that even as a not-favorite, I still love every minute of reading it. So much happens in this book, we learn so much and get to know the characters so much more, that it doesn't feel like a middle-of-a-series book at all, but rather a part of the whole, which is exactly what it is. The Dark Tower series isn't a series really, but one enormous story that encompasses much more than can be conveyed in 7 books + outliers and connected novels. It's an entire universe, and what we see is just a small part of it.
This book finally combines all of the ka-tet: Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy. They have to go through quite a bit of trouble to get together (like the hillbilly instructions to a supposedly really awesome woods party some guy gave you after he drank a 5th of moonshine... "Past wur tha ol' redd truk usta B afor Hugh-Bob kict it n cut a yoowee at dem rabid dogs n den a raht nexta the big barn'n the left'rd side..." If you can figure it out, that's half the battle. Getting there is the other half. And our poor ka-tet don't even have half-cracked directions like that to go by.
My favorite thing about Waste Lands is Roland, and the sides of him that show themselves for the first time (to us anyway) here. I love Roland the diplomat, Roland the polite society master, Roland the father-figure, Roland the insult-hurler, Roland the unsure. It's the first time that we really see him as a person, one who has a past and didn't just pop into existence as this inevitable rolling stone. The little bits of his past, and the doubts and the fears that he has in this book make me love him more than ever.
I really enjoy Eddie and Susannah's deepening relationship, and their sort of foster family formed with Jake and Oy. Roland is a little outside this, but a part of it because he brought them all together. It does make me sad that he's separate... but that's Ka.
I also really like how The Waste Lands introduce cross-over between worlds WITHOUT doors. I love this concept, and there's so much it can mean. What ARE the waste lands? Are they similar to the Blasted Lands from The Talisman? Who was Quick? Mysteries, mysteries. I've read all of these several times, but I have no idea... I love thinking about it though. These books are amazing for being able to draw me in and keep me there until the very end. (less)
A good friend of mine raves about Andrew Taylor, and now I know why. I'd never read anything by him before, so when I saw The Anatomy of Ghosts availa...moreA good friend of mine raves about Andrew Taylor, and now I know why. I'd never read anything by him before, so when I saw The Anatomy of Ghosts available to advanced reviewers, I jumped on the chance to read it - and I very much enjoyed it. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his books.
The story takes place mainly at Cambridge University, where a young student claims to have seen a ghost and is taken to a nearby sanitarium for treatment. His mother, Lady Anne, who is connected with the University and is concerned for her son, hires a down-on-his-luck man to investigate the matter and restore her son to his right mind.
This story is chock full of interesting characters, all of whom step right off the page and into living color. Jerusalem college (a college within the larger University), is almost a character in itself with secrets and habits and its own lifestyle. The young men who go there to learn come away with much, much more than the degree they studied for. It was quite intriguing, and put me in mind of rumors and whispers that one hears about old campuses like that.
I particularly loved the writing, though. The story takes place in the late 18th century, and the writing set the tone, character, and pace perfectly, without venturing off into wordy exposition, all the while keeping the suspense and the intrigue going. Quite a feat! Too often historical fiction forgets itself and strays into modernity in order to ramp up the tension and suspense, but Taylor did not lapse at all.
I also really enjoyed the slight social commentary running throughout the novel, with regards to rank and position and power. Of course this is a popular theme throughout history, as people have always been obsessed with rank and position and power, but I felt that here it was put on display, in a way. It's hard to say just what I mean, because I don't mean that the writing was Austen-esque in terms of satirical social commentary, but rather that it was so gritty and real feeling that a modern reader would see it as such. It was not glorified or glamorous, but rather what I think was an accurate representation of the lengths that some will go to to attain power and the lengths some will go to to keep it. Fascinating stuff.
I would have given this book 5 stars, except that I feel that one portion of the plot was not resolved at all in the end, and I was left a little disappointed. The ending itself was satisfying, and I could not guess any of the twists and turns that the story would take (and there were quite a few!), but this one little detail was irksome for not being resolved, and so I had to drop down the rating a bit. Otherwise, I was drawn in and engaged in the story, and felt as if I was watching from the sidelines rather than reading, and I love the feeling of falling through the pages of a book.
I definitely recommend this one to historical fiction, mystery and thriller fans. (less)
My goodness I love this book! I read this book way back in school, 8th grade perhaps, I don't recall, but I remember loving it. It's been years since...moreMy goodness I love this book! I read this book way back in school, 8th grade perhaps, I don't recall, but I remember loving it. It's been years since I last read it though, and so this time around, on audio, it was like the first time. As an adult, I picked up on so many nuances and subtleties and adulticisms that Scout and I missed way back when. Scout's a good reporter, in that she is a wonderful observer and has a keen memory, but she's still just a little girl, and as enlightened as she is, she doesn't understand everything she absorbs. But she is a bright, wonderful character, and without her, literature would have a gaping hole right where its heart should be. Cliche, perhaps, but things become cliche because they were true first.
Honestly, there is so very much to love about this book, I don't even know where to start. OK, yes I do. Atticus. I LOVE Atticus. He is such an amazing character. Honest and courteous and upstanding and kind to a fault, I'm sad that he doesn't actually exist. I love how, through Scout's eyes, Atticus is an old man who doesn't do anything, who is always working, who is distant and simply civil to his kids as he is to everyone else, but from the outside looking in, you see that he actually takes an extremely active role with his kids, reading to them, and treating them as people rather than children incapable of understanding anything (at best) or insignificant inconveniences (at worst). He knows them and trusts them and gives them freedom to be who they are and grow into who they will be. He is straightforward and honest with them, and doesn't shy away from telling them the truth, even if it is above them. He leads by example and shows them what true bravery is.
There are hundreds of Atticus quotes that I would love to include here, but my favorite, I think, is "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win." I love this quote, and it shows just what kind of man Atticus is. He doesn't take the easy road, he takes the RIGHT one.
I love the innocent observations on equality through Scout's eyes. This book does such a brilliant job of showing how children see people as people, and have to be taught their prejudices and to see others' differences. Scout sees people for who they are, but her elders would have her see people for WHAT they are: white or black, well off or dirt poor. I love that Scout is quick to defend those she feels have been wronged, no matter what the situation is. People can't help what they are by the accident of their birth. In this respect, ALL of us are mockingbirds - we've never harmed anyone by our mere existence, but some will still hate and fear based on prejudice and ignorance that they've acquired along the way. The children recognize this in Boo Radley, whom they've feared all their lives, but who teaches them that ignorance is no reason for fear.
This is just such an amazing book. I almost want to start it over again right now. If you haven't read it... You should. It's the type of book that can be life-changing. (less)
I requested this book thinking that it would be a fun and magical children's story aimed at 8-10 year olds, like with the Percy Jackson series, but I...moreI requested this book thinking that it would be a fun and magical children's story aimed at 8-10 year olds, like with the Percy Jackson series, but I was really surprised by the complexity and depth in this book, as well as the darkness, and loved every minute of reading it. I'm actually a little disappointed that I'll now have to wait for so long to read the next book and see what happens.
Kate, Michael and Emma have been shunted from orphanage to orphanage for 10 years, since being removed from their parents' house one Christmas Eve with a kiss and a promise that they'll be reunited again... one day. Then, after missing their last chance at placement with a foster family, they are sent to Cambridge Falls, where they stumble on an adventure that has been both 15 and thousands of years in the making.
This story reminded me of other children's stories - but only little bits and pieces. There was nothing I could really point to and say, "Oh, he was inspired by THIS story here," or anything like that, it was more just an impression that I had. I was reminded of Harry Potter, only kind of in reverse, with the opening scene of the children being taken away from their home. I was reminded of E.Nesbit's stories as well throughout the book, mainly by the tone and the family loyalty theme. I was reminded of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe a few times, and The Hobbit a few times, etc. But again, these were more like impressions that I had, rather than feeling like anything was actually borrowed from what came before.
Despite feeling a vague sense of familiarity with these books, I felt like The Emerald Atlas was very original and different. I loved the concept of time travel, and how it actually came about. I thought it was just the right level of complex to logically and magically work, but was still explained in a way that everyone could understand and follow. The storyline was exciting and the creatures and characters were all interesting.
I loved the characters - they were all believable and identifiable to me, and I couldn't help but love them and their loyalty. Kate is the eldest, and promised her parents that she would watch out for the others. She's got a load of responsibility on her shoulders to match Atlas (which is pretty significant, actually), and she's got a heart of gold. She just can't stand seeing anyone suffer or hurt, and instantly falls into a nurturing role when needed. Emma was my favorite, I think. She's the youngest, and the type of girl who's strong and forceful because she cannot take being hurt, not when that's all she's ever known. She's quick to love though, and her love is a little desperate and fierce. I loved her and I can't wait to see her next adventure. Michael, the middle child, was hilarious. A studious Dwarf-scholar, he is the smart and logical one of the trio. He was constantly making me laugh by his bald-faced awe in a lot of the situations they were in. I truly loved how each of the children brought their own unique aspects and each played and intricate role in the story and worked as a team. I was glad that they had trials, because they each had time to shine.
There was a lot more that I loved about this, but I think that I'll just recommend that you read it yourselves. I highly recommend this one - for readers of all ages. (less)
Well... Finally finished with this one. Goodness, over a week to read one 350 page book. Bah!! This one just seemed very draggy in all of the places t...moreWell... Finally finished with this one. Goodness, over a week to read one 350 page book. Bah!! This one just seemed very draggy in all of the places that did not involve the Woolsey pack or the London hives or the drama and intrigue in and amongst the two.
I find the Templars, in real life, very interesting, so I was very disappointed by the way that they were depicted here. My gosh, their whole storyline was like a trip to Snoozeville. I didn't find them threatening at all, even though they were described as being well trained and soldierly and whatnot. I rooted for Alexia to escape Florence simply because they were boring and useless not because I really felt any concern at her plight - aside from the lack of luxurious accommodations, that is.
Professor Lyall continues to remain one of my favorite characters, and I really just want to give him a hug. He is very very put upon and long suffering, but remains loyal and steadfast and awesome nonetheless.
I thought that Maccon was let off FAR to easily for his actions, but I live with a boy, and I know full well how difficult it is to keep them on topic long enough to properly yell at them. Poor Alexia.
Anyway... Looking forward to the 4th book in the series this summer. Hopefully that one will be less filler (Templars!) and more substance. Still a fun book, and I did enjoy it, but just not nearly as much as the first two. (less)
This is going to be a quickie review. I loved Soulless, I loved Changeless. If anything, I think that Changeless might be better than Soulless.
I love...moreThis is going to be a quickie review. I loved Soulless, I loved Changeless. If anything, I think that Changeless might be better than Soulless.
I love Alexia (but gah, not her name) and I love Lord Maccon. They are kind of perfect for each other, both pushy, Type A personalities. When the supernatural community of London suddenly loses its superness, they both start questioning why... Events take them to unexpected places, and unexpected things happen, and the cause is much better than I guessed, which makes me happy because I hate guessing correctly in mysteries. And then there are more shockers, and a whopper of a cliff-hanger ending!
I'm really glad that I bought Blameless yesterday... I'd be raging if I had to wait to find out what happens! (less)
This is a re-read for me a couple times over. This time I listened to the audio version read by Frank Muller, which I enjoyed immensely. I didn't care...moreThis is a re-read for me a couple times over. This time I listened to the audio version read by Frank Muller, which I enjoyed immensely. I didn't care for Muller's reading much in The Gunslinger, but this time around, he has really grown on me. Perhaps it was due to the fact that there are so many more characters that actually stick around for a while, it took a lot of the focus off of the Gunslinger-voice that I felt was a bit much in The Gunslinger, and let a more natural feel come through.
One of the things that I love the most about audiobooks is that a reader can add quite a bit of personality and depth to a story. Frank Muller took some time to grow on me, but he DID grow on me, and I found myself wishing I could just move right on to the next book so I could continue listening to him read these books. I found parts funnier than they were when I'd read them and heard them in my head, some parts were scarier and more gut-wrenching, some parts much more intimate and touching. Characters were brought to life in a much livelier way than usual, which is saying a lot because King's characters are never uninteresting.
I love this book, which I think pretty much goes without saying to anyone who knows me at all. I love Eddie Dean, I love his struggles and his heartache and his determination and his adaptability and his need - both for someone to need him, and to need someone for himself. He's brave - in ways, even braver than Roland, because Roland chose his quest knowing full well what it could mean, but Eddie didn't. Eddie had to choose with a cloudy mind, an aching heart, a different need, and nothing but the Gunslinger's word for what he was getting into. That takes a real courage to step blindly into that unknown.
Odetta/Detta are brave as well, in a similar but more adaptable way, but unlike Eddie who DID choose, they weren't given a choice in anything. They are nothing if not adaptable though, each in their own ways, and when Susannah makes her appearance, they've all been down a long and hard road already, and still are only just beginning.
Roland is more... human in this book, and while still maintaining his distance, he manages to show that he still has some love left in him. He's been solitary for so long that it's incredibly hard to come back from that and let people in, but Roland has always rolled with the punches, and won't let a little thing like that stand in his way.
I am immensely looking forward to the next book in the series. I can't wait to re-experience it with Frank! :)(less)
I really enjoy reading stories about the Holocaust and about the people who have lived through it. I suppose that...moreThis review also posted on my blog.
I really enjoy reading stories about the Holocaust and about the people who have lived through it. I suppose that in a way, it helps me to gain perspective in my own life, and reminds me that there is goodness to be found in everything. The suffering of the Jewish people during WWII was immense, yet they continue to hope and live. That means something to me.
Heidegger's Glasses takes a different path, a surreal and philosophical and almost mystical one, and is a very different, but no less moving or beautiful story, because of it. We are told in the beginning that the leaders of the Reich were believers in the occult, and felt that winning the war hinged on answering letters to the dead. To do that, the Compound was formed underground, and multi-lingual Jews were placed there as Scribes to answer the dead's letters. When a letter comes in from a well-known person close to the Reich to a close friend who is currently in Auschwitz, the order comes down to answer the letter, even though the recipient is still alive -- the Final Solution must be kept secret, so the letter must not come from Auschwitz.
This throws a huge wrench in the lives of the Scribes, and the people assigned to run the Compound. Elie Schacten is close to the Reich, and has the ability to move freely throughout Germany as few do, and uses this freedom to help people as she can. Gerhardt Lodenstein the Oberst, is a good-hearted man who finds safety for the Compound in flying under the radar. Stumpf, the former-Oberst of the Compound is a believer in the occult and takes the letter writing to the dead very seriously, but is a bit of a fool, and so tends to bungle everything he touches. The letter is written, delivered... and goes very badly wrong.
I think that what I enjoyed most about this book is that we get to see the war and the Reich from people inside it that hate it. They don't believe and they live in fear and uncertainty that they will be found out. The Compound is a mostly-safe haven for the Scribes under Lodenstein, and a temporary refuge for Jews in hiding, but after Heidegger's letter fiasco, you can cut the tension with a knife. They aren't sure if the Reich will come crashing down on their heads, or if they've forgotten, or if they don't care... there are a million ifs, but life must go on and there's very little that can be done either way. I felt like I was there, and was worried for this group of people who had lost nearly everything already.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. It felt simple, almost surreal without quotation marks for the dialogue. The prose was straightforward, but contained some beautiful quotes that I wish I'd have marked. The sections were very short, for the most part, and separated by the letters that the Scribes were answering. These letters told the story of the "outside world" almost as well as any full book would have done, so that by the end, we can see the danger that the Scribes have managed to avoid, mostly, but they still have reason to fear. There were some funny sections in the book as well, which surprised me, since I didn't expect it at all in a novel about Nazi Germany. This helped the surreal feeling as well, but also provided the story with a kind of false-lightness above the seriousness and fear.
The ending was a little abrupt for me. The time shift and the unresolved whereabouts of one of the characters was a bit sudden and and disappointing. I'd hoped for this character to find what they were searching for and to find happiness, so the shift to an entirely new character jarred a little bit. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the story, and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a WWII story scene through a different lens. (less)
This rating and review is only for the audiobook version read by Frank Muller (NOT the George Guidall version - which is the revised edition). I have...moreThis rating and review is only for the audiobook version read by Frank Muller (NOT the George Guidall version - which is the revised edition). I have read (and own) both the original edition of this book and the revised and expanded, but when I saw that there was an audio version, I got excited and decided to listen to it rather than re-reading it.
This is the first book in one of my favorite series of all time. It's dry, and different, and not really very Kinglike. It doesn't give a lot of background, or at least it doesn't seem to, when taken by itself, but rather gives a lot of little glimpses into where the Gunslinger we're following has been while he's on his quest to wherever he's going. I always recommend for people new to the Dark Tower series to read at least the first two books before deciding if the series is for them. The first book just doesn't really represent the series as a whole, but is a great start for those who have a bit of patience to stick with a bit of a dry beginning.
Unfortunately, this audio edition falls more on the "If you're patient" side of the line than on the "Wow, this is great!" side. The reader takes a LOT of getting used to. In fact, I'm not sure if I ever really did get used to him. I am not usually a fan of readers who do character voices, but with this reader, I preferred it. His normal reading voice was just so strange! He would enunciate words in odd ways, and adverbs were especially annoying: For instance, "quietly" which he would invariably pronounce "quiet-LEE", with a rise at the end, almost like a question or an intense almost-scold by someone who doesn't want to raise their voice. Adverb after adverb pronounced this way, no matter what it was. It was so much that I couldn't help but focus on it. He would also give Roland a sort of Christian Bale Batman voice, exaggeratedly more gruff than one would expect.
But all in all, I liked the reading. I enjoy listening to audiobooks - they add something different to the experience, and even me being a purist, I can appreciate being read to from time to time. After all, the text is still the same, the story is still the same, we just now have an outside inflection and interpretation coming through with it.
I love Roland, and I love the journey he embarks on in this story. He's a hard character to identify with, but I still love him. I love that he's not a perfect hero - that he has flaws and understands and works with them rather than against them. He's dogged and has amazing muscle-memory. These things combined, just these two things, make him a formidable enemy.
I highly recommend the series, but not the audio version unless you're already familiar with the story and just settling down for a multi-taskable re-read. (less)
I've been seeing this book around for quite a while, but I never really thought about reading it. I figured that it was one of those "Let's see just h...moreI've been seeing this book around for quite a while, but I never really thought about reading it. I figured that it was one of those "Let's see just how drunk, high and stupid we can get!" books, the ones that glorify the idiocy that is being a teenager. I went through that, I lived through it, even had fun with it at the time, but I outgrew that phase of my life (earlier than most) and I don't care to read about it now. So I was rather "Meh." about reading this book.
And then my friend, influential by persistence, introduced me to John & Hank Green via VlogBrothers on YouTube. Now, if you've never watched any of their videos, I highly recommend them. They are smart, funny, relevant and always make me think. So, via VlogBrothers, I came to understand John Green a bit, and realize that I had underestimated him. So, the next time I came across "Looking for Alaska", I picked it up. And this book did not forget to be awesome.
Right away, I was glad that I "met" John via VlogBrothers before reading the book. I could really feel his personality in it, and his intelligence and sense of humor. But I also felt like it was a story that he took seriously. Not only because of the serious subject matter, but because he captured the permanent impermanence of being a teen without making it feel like a joke. Everything now is forever until what was is yesterday and everything NOW is forever. Looking back on my teenage years, the furthest out I could imagine was 21, and that was only for the legal ability to drink. My friends were still my friends in this imagining, my life was still my life, as if the only thing that would change was my age. We just can't picture where things will take us. By the time I hit 21, I was so far from the predicted life I had thought I'd have that if someone had bet me a million dollars that I would have been there, I'd be out of a million dollars.
My point is that I liked the way that John portrayed these characters as having everything in front of them, to look forward to, but still they live in the moment as if that future never gets any closer. I loved that they were booksmart brilliant, but still make the same stupid mistakes and errors in judgment as anyone else. I love that they latch on to an idea and hold onto it despite realizing that it is slipping away anyway, because everything does and we change despite ourselves.
I loved Miles, or Pudge as he's called. I feel like I understood him. He's bookish, nerdy, a bit of a loner by necessity rather than choice, at least until he's around people who are ready to accept someone like him. Those people primarily being Alaska and Chip, aka The Colonel, who are both outrageous, brilliant and wild, and bring Pudge out of his shell a bit. Pudge forms an instant and close friendship with both of them, one that changes his life.
As much as I loved Pudge, I loved The Colonel more. He is one of those characters that, for me, just hop off the page and into being. I would have been friends with him. I liked that he came from humble beginnings, and that he and his mother weren't afraid to aspire to be better, that they weren't afraid to show how hard they work for something, that they weren't ashamed of who they are but rather proud of it. I loved that while he was as willing to play hard and get into trouble as anyone, he still took his priorities, which were his studies, seriously. I loved his loyalty and his determination to follow everything he started through to the end. He was definitely my favorite character here.
My least favorite character was actually Alaska. I don't know if this is because she's a female teenager written by a man, or if she just represented all (or at least a large chunk) of the things in teen girls that annoy me, but I just couldn't really like her. I can certainly see why Pudge would, why lots of teen boys would, but I just didn't. She was too much. Too wishy-washy, too moody, too impulsive, too flirty, too wild, too mysterious, too smart for her own good, too damaged-and-knew-it, too aware of her effect on others. But not all of these things are bad. And not all of them bother me individually, but all together, it was just too much and I couldn't care about her like The Colonel or Takumi or Lara or even Pudge did. And I find this last the worst, because Pudge is telling this story, so I should understand his feelings for her, but they just seemed shallow to non-teenage me. Attraction and flirtation do not equal love - unless you're 16 and a hopeful idealist.
But the one thing that I think affected me the most about Alaska is her sense of responsibility for others. She seems to take on the well-being and happiness of others as her own obligation, and the burden of guilt when she doesn't succeed. And it struck me that the guilt of failing someone is like a physical thing that can be passed on or spread. Alaska failed someone she loved, and then Pudge failed Alaska, and the guilt spreads.
Shortly after the shift from "Before" to "After" (which was a storytelling method I loved!), I realized why Alaska left the school that night, and I waited for the guys to figure it out as well. Normally, I would be disappointed that I figured it out before the main character, but this is not the type of "mystery" that gets solved like that. It's a human mystery, one where the only person able to solve it is the one you seek and cannot find.
I loved the depth of this book, particularly the philosophical aspects of their World Religions class. I wish I could have taken a class, and had a teacher like that. This book, and the class it depicted, makes you look at life, the world, and meaning itself differently. I am glad that I read it, because it was so much more than I thought it would be. And I officially declare myself to have been wrong. John Green, can you ever forgive me?(less)
Oh my goodness, this was such a delightful book! I'm glad that I picked it up - sometimes it's easy to discount these kinds of books, but this one is...moreOh my goodness, this was such a delightful book! I'm glad that I picked it up - sometimes it's easy to discount these kinds of books, but this one is a perfect example of why it's silly to do so.
Princess Amy is the seventh daughter of King Hulderbrand and Queen Rhodesia. All throughout history, the seventh daughter has been the most beautiful, the most extraordinary princess of them all - but not this time. This time, the most powerful Fairy, Crustacea, is out of patience when she arrives, delayed by traffic, at the christening of little baby Amy - and gives her the gift of ordinary. Of course this is a travesty and a tragedy to the royal court, and a never-ending source of shame and embarrassment to the King and Queen - but Amy is perfectly happy to be herself and not stiffly proper and bored.
When she is of an age to marry, and her suitors have all seen her and then just remembered urgent appointments that they had forgotten, her father decides to take matters into his own hands (well, at the advice of his council), and endeavors to hire a dragon to lay waste to the kingdom in the hopes that some enterprising young prince will come to slay it in return for the princess's hand. Amy catches wind of this plot, and wants no part of it, so she runs away to seek her own fortune.
I loved the wit and the humor in this story. I found myself giggling at the descriptions of the royalty and the extremes that they will go to to get their way. I also really loved Peregrine, the man-of-all-work that Amy meets. He is such a sweet and honest person, and accepts Amy for who she really is, rather than what she looks like. I have to say that in this children's book, I found myself thinking that the romance was sweeter and more moving than in some of the adult romance novels I've read.
This is definitely a feel-good keeper of a book. I loved the message that no matter who you are, or where you come from, being yourself will bring you happiness. (less)
I was super surprised and excited when I found a pristine condition copy of this book at my local go-to shop for super-cheap books. I started it almos...moreI was super surprised and excited when I found a pristine condition copy of this book at my local go-to shop for super-cheap books. I started it almost immediately, and now that I'm finished, I have to say I'm disappointed. I've heard great things about this book. I wanted to love it. I wanted to be so moved by it so that I would need for other people to read it, and experience what I did.
The Heart Is Not A Size had enormous potential to be absolutely amazing. It had the potential to be one of those books that can open your eyes and change your life. With the kind of issues that teens face these days, this could have been a book that would speak to them and actually have something to say that means something. About body issues and eating disorders and the pressure that teens are under to be perfect and to do something extraordinary. About friendship and loyalty and where the line between the two is, because they aren't always on the same side - sometimes you have to be disloyal to be a true friend to someone. About helping and giving of yourself to someone who needs it.
All of these things, and more, would have made this an important, MUST READ book for all ages, not just teens or young adults, but a book that everyone could benefit from. But these facets, the ones that I feel should have been the heart and soul of the story, weren't given the respect and attention that they deserved. It was like the story skirted around these aspects and only looked at them from the corner of its eye. To me, this felt like a cop out and was a complete disappointment.
What is this story about if it is not about the issues that Georgia faces with her panic attacks? What is it about if it is not about Riley, Georgia's best friend since kindergarten, who has an eating disorder? What is it about if it is not about DEALING with these issues? What does this story teach or communicate to someone who is struggling with these issues, or for someone who is trying to help someone deal with them?
In my opinion, anywhere from 'not very much' to 'nothing at all'. This book didn't delve into the true danger of eating disorders. It did focus on the wedge that it can drive between friends, but I felt that this was mostly because of Georgia's panic attacks that we got this impression from her. She worried about how they could not be friends anymore when they've been friends over 2/3 of their lives. But they remained friends for that long because Georgia was the "open-arms, no-judgment" friend, which can be just as unhealthy in a friendship as betrayal is. Because it is a betrayal of your friend if you let them hurt themselves in silence, which is something the Georgia finally realizes. This one aspect, Georgia speaking up and finally finding the gumption to stand up to her friend for her friend's sake, is what earned this book a two star rating rather than one.
There is so much superfluous detail that what should be important here is buried. Things like the color and texture of sand, to the doll that is being ravaged by the sun on top of a shanty tin roof, to the way that a volunteer carries himself when he listens. Yes, its beautiful writing, but it doesn't add to a story that has nothing to say about the important issues that its flirting with. Nothing is resolved; not the charity project that the girls went to Mexico for, not the issues between them, not anything. This is literally just a several month long diary entry, from winter when Georgia finds the charity listing and starts looking into it, to mid-summer in Mexico, when apparently Georgia loses her diary after the pinata party.
I wanted to love this. I wanted to be able to gush and force it into the hands of my friends and make them read it and pass it on to their friends. I just can't because this book didn't have the courage to be the book it should have been. (less)
While I was listening to this one, I said to a friend on Google Chat, "You know... it's crazy how much Stephen King affects me. I'm listening to this a...moreWhile I was listening to this one, I said to a friend on Google Chat, "You know... it's crazy how much Stephen King affects me. I'm listening to this audio book and I have a knot in my stomach out of nervousness." This about sums up what I love about Stephen King. Even in his shortest stories, he is able to take me out of my world and transplant me into the one he's created. He's able to make me not only know his characters, but care about them and root for them and worry for their well-being.
I wish that this was something that more authors understood. It's not enough to tell me a story if I don't like or don't understand the characters in it. It's not enough to craft a complicated or ingenious plot if I can't identify with the people in the story enough to put myself in their place. I have never had an issue with identifying with a King character. I may not like them, but I don't have to like them, because, like real people, they have a life of their own and do with it what they will. What they do is organic and true to their characters, and isn't shaped by King into something fake to fit the storyline.
I don't mean to harp on like this, but it always amazes me how much I fall in love with King's characters -- especially after I've read other books where the characters are flat, lifeless things that just move from scene to scene doing whatever the storyline requires without a personality or free will of their own. Alright... harping to stop..... Now.
I loved the concept of this book, and it thrilled me to no end seeing the King universe tied into the story. The connection didn't feel as unplanned as some of his other books do, more like he sought to write a book that tied in the Dark Tower series with a story about a Kindle, but even so it was pretty cool. I loved the concept of what the UR edition Kindle could do. I would absolutely be searching out more of King's works... I would have to cover the Kindle in plastic to avoid ruining it by drool, but still... I would be in heaven.
If you haven't read this one, I recommend it. It's a short read, the audio is great, and it's a mind-trip, like most of the DT stuff is. :)(less)
I consider myself to be something of a stickler for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and capita...moreI received this ebook for review from the author.
I consider myself to be something of a stickler for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and capitalization. I have always had a knack for grammar, even though I am not an expert on the rules, and certainly don't know them upside down and backwards, I generally have a feel for them, and not to toot my own horn too much, I'm often right.
Even though I was interested in the book due to the subject matter, grammar is hardly exciting reading, so I was slightly nervous that the book might be dry, boring or tedious. It wasn't. I found the book to be interesting, informative, personable, and even funny at times. Yaffe sprinkled anecdotes throughout the text which lightened the tone of the book, and made it feel as if it was a friendly tutoring session rather than a pre-final lecture.
This book focused on expository writing, such as training documents, memos, articles, newsletters, etc, more than writing for entertainment or enjoyment. I am not a professional journalist or writer, but I do use written communication and presentations in my day-to-day work, and while I feel like I am a good communicator, I still feel as though I picked up some useful information here.
My favorite tip was the "inverted pyramid" and related tests. The inverted pyramid is a method of writing which structures your text into a lead-in section and then the supporting details in the body. The lead-in should contain all of the most important and informative information regarding the subject, and the body should contain the details which provide additional information. There are two related tests which go hand-in-hand with this method: the "Stop Reading Test" and the "Q&A Test".
The Stop Reading Test is designed to ensure that busy readers can glean as much information as possible, as quickly as possible, from your writing. The test helps to indicate how much of the article or text a person would have to read in order to obtain a full understanding of the topic -- the more they have to read, the more likely the text should be rewritten more concisely and to the point, so that a reader can stop reading after the first paragraph and still understand the entire text's purpose.
The Q&A Test is designed to answer potential questions in the body of the text to support the lead-in. As a writer adds sentences, they should anticipate questions that the reader may have, and answer them, so that by the end of the text, the reader has a full understanding of the information provided.
These are brilliant tips that I wish were used more often, especially in the workplace. I detest having to read through pages and pages of a document just to learn one bit of information that could have been explained in a paragraph-long brief up front. I wish that this technique was used more widely!
In addition to these, Yaffe's book contains many examples, exercises, tips and guidelines to help mold us into better communicators. This includes orally speaking and presenting information, which is just as important in the professional world as writing is. There are subtle differences that one should bear in mind between the different types of communication, because they are similar, but using only one set of methods for both will result in a failure to engage and interest your audience.
I found this book to be enlightening and informative, and with the exception of two typos, very well written and helpful. I would definitely recommend this to those people looking to improve their professional communication, both written and spoken. (less)
This is the last of the romance books that I agreed to read for a friend's blog activity, and, in my opinion the best of the five. I quite enjoyed thi...moreThis is the last of the romance books that I agreed to read for a friend's blog activity, and, in my opinion the best of the five. I quite enjoyed this one!
Right from the start, we're thrown into the middle of a scene of a crime, with a murdered woman and a mysterious man searching her house. An exciting beginning which only continued throughout the story...
I loved the characters in this story, and found them all to be believable and real. Adam Hardesty is the kind of man that women swoon over. Tall, dark and handsome, rich, but secretive and determined, we don't really know anything about him -- except that which he allows us to find out. But the more we learn about him, the more we likie.
Caroline Fordyce is a sensational serial novelist living with her aunt and her aunt's companion, independently supporting herself through her writing. When she is drawn into the investigation of the murder by having been with the victim, a noted psychic medium, the previous evening as part of a seance, things really begin to get serious. Caroline is a wonderful character. She's spirited and independent and resourceful and honest, and what's best about this character is that she embodies these traits, we're not just told of them, as with other romance novels I've read this month. She shows her initiative and her intelligence, so it is believable when others see these features.
I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery as well. I was a bit concerned that this would be a paranormal romance when I discovered that it was about mediums and psychic abilities, but it is a straightforward historical romance set in Victorian England. At times, it did feel a little bit modern in the speech, and on the other hand the term "psychical" was used quite a lot, but it's easy to overlook those small details and just enjoy the story and let the twists and turns and unpredictable shifts go where they will. I didn't guess the killer, and that is always a plus!
The romance here was much more understated than the other novels I've read this month. The sex scenes were believable and fun, but they were not the main focus of the story. And miracle of miracles, this book contains a realistic deflowering! Hallelujah! No "Broken Hymen, Hear Me Roar!" here, Caroline reacts with honest pain and confusion and tries to undo the decision to proceed, at least until the pain goes away... but then she makes him go slowly... Piston-like ramming forbidden.
I think Dangerous Tides almost ruined romance for me forever... but this book redeemed the genre. Hopefully the other Amanda Quick novel I have is as good. ;)(less)
This is one of those times when I wonder to myself whether the publisher read the same book I read. Maybe there was some devious plot afoot with two s...moreThis is one of those times when I wonder to myself whether the publisher read the same book I read. Maybe there was some devious plot afoot with two stories being switched at printing, and I just got unlucky enough to get the hideous, annoying, barely literate story instead of the beautiful, interesting and readable one. I actually have doubts as to whether editors have even heard of this book. If so, the ones responsible for giving it their stamp of approval should be fired, and probably slapped. MY inner editor was whimpering in frustration and curled up in a fetal position waiting for the pain to stop while I read this.
I'd never read Feehan before, but her Carpathians series has been recommended to me quite a few times as "Must Reads". After reading this book, which, by the way, was published in 2006, a full SEVEN YEARS after her first book, I'm thinking that's probably not gonna happen. This was just bad in so many ways, and if her writing is this bad after having so many other books published before it, I am afraid to even contemplate the writing in her early books. The fact that these books made bestseller lists, (yes PLURAL lists), baffles me and I actually feel a little nauseous thinking about it.
I'm not sure where to start here, so I guess I'll just list the things that annoyed me. Brace yourselves. This isn't going to be pretty.
Annoyance the First Holy crap, has Feehan ever held a real conversation with anyone? Or at least HEARD one? I'm not sure. The dialogue in this book was so bad, so painfully, awkwardly, uncomfortably bad, that I had to read sections of it two or three times before I believed that it made it into a published book. I've seen kindergarten drawings with better dialogue. Take this example: "Yes. I know him and this just doesn't sound at all like him. Whoever this John Sandoval is, he isn't associated with Ed. I'll call Ed and let him know what's going on," Ty said. "I hope you're right," Libby replied. She turned her attention to Mason Fredrickson, a man her older sisters had gone through school with. "Thank you, Mason. It was courageous of you to back Jackson." "I was having dinner with Sylvia and she realized you were in trouble. She could tell by your expression. I'm reserve with the sheriff and so is Mike Dangerfield, so we just kept an eye on things. I'll catch you all later." {Mason} sauntered across the room back to the small intimate table in a darker corner of the restaurant.
Ok... Problems: 1. Libby sounds like she's talking to a 5 year old who just got a tetanus shot and is telling them what a brave little boy or girl they are and just as soon as they get home they're going to get some ice cream. Adults don't talk like that to each other, especially not adults who have known each other for any length of time. 2. Mason's speech sounds like it was rehearsed in front of a mirror and then he still had to rely on cue cards to remember all those details that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the scene OR the story. A short and to the point "Sylvia noticed you looked like you could use some help," would have sufficed and been much more natural and fitting. 3. Who is Mike Dangerfield? He's not in the scene, and this is the only time he's mentioned in the entire book. I kept waiting for him to pop back up like a sly "gotcha!" reference, but no. I know that this is part of a series, but Feehan's own website says that these are stand-alone books. So... unless I'm missing something, I can't see the point in mentioning Mr. Dangerfield at all if he has no part in the story. 4. SAUNTERED?!? Walked, jogged, moved, made his way, returned, strolled... Any of these would be a better, less effeminate choice to describe the exit of a character we are supposed to assume is at least marginally bad-ass, considering that he is a reserve with the sheriff's office and just came to help get rid of troublesome armed men. Sauntered makes him sound like a pansy.
All of that in just one section of dialogue, not even half a page... Imagine that for 353 1/2 more pages.
A huge issue throughout this book is that rather than putting in a expository paragraph, Feehan tries to jam all of a character's history into their dialogue, which comes out sounding like something Data from Star Trek TNG would say... only less human-like.
Annoyance the Second I guess this should technically be 1 1/2, but who's counting? This issue is with Libby... She's a doctor who also has a magical ability to heal people. Depending on the severity of the injuries or illness, she can either give someone energy from her own, or take on their injury in order to heal them. She is drawn to do this... She feels a kind of gravitational pull toward people who need her help. So when she finds Ty injured and near death, she... wait for it... Stops to talk to a nurse about his life history and how he came to be in the area and how he got hurt. She doesn't talk about his injuries, or his vital signs, or his prognosis, but the fact that he went to school with her, that he is brilliant, that his mind can do so much good in the biotech field, that he won the Nobel, that he is an adrenaline junkie... THIS is what she talks about while she can feel "the life ebbing away from him". Yes, those are the words used. In what world is this scenario natural? What kind of doctor, aside from an utter quack, would shoot the shit with a nurse rehashing this meaningless trivia rather than helping someone stay alive?
Annoyance the Third. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. ...Repetition. ...Repe-- you get the idea. There is no substitute for good characterizations and believable characters. None. Yet Feehan seems to think that recycling scenes and reiterating character traits is plenty good enough. Every time Libby was home, there was some sort of heart-to-heart with her sisters where rivers of tea were served, and mountains of cookies floated through the air. (Apparently, this is the only food they ever ate. There is one mention of canned soup being made, but no evidence of it being consumed. I have my doubts.) Conversations were lengthy and abundant, but there was never anything new said... No matter what, it always came back to the same topics, over and over and over. Descriptions of actions were just as repetitive. Kissing means Ty's mouth "took possession" of Libby's. Violence is someone beating someone else into a "bloody pulp", Libby's description of Ty is always that he's "brilliant"... It's enough to make a girl want to buy stock in thesauri.
Annoyance the Fourth Details. Between Joe Fields/Fielding/Fields/Fielding/Fields/Fielding I kind of got the impression that this hadn't been proofread all that thoroughly. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if it's not a PNR author requirement to get at least one character's name wrong in the course of a book/series. Looking at you, Charlaine Harris. There were so many little detail quirks and errors, and ridiculous situations, that I literally had to stop keeping track. From Ty being released from the hospital with a range of extremely painful injuries (including a broken sternum, broken ribs, torn cartilage and muscles) in less than a week, to someone knowing how many bullets had hit someone else before the paramedics actually even looked at the victim, despite the barrage of bullets fired, it just all seemed a bit much to me. And then there's the fact that someone living in a coastal city outside of San Francisco, presumably not cheap, could say that they'd never seen $5,000 before, and that it's "So much money!". $5,000 is nothing to shake a stick at, but it's certainly not a life-changing amount of money. $50,000 and I could see that reaction. And before you go thinking it's just a typo, let me clarify, it was typed out: five thousand dollars.
Annoyance the Fifth Ty is a biochemist, working on a drug that he thinks has the potential to cure cancer. The problem is that the side-effects in teens causes severe depression and suicidal tendencies, so it's not nearly ready, but BigPharma wants it to go to testing to be put on the market. There's a lot of tension around this storyline, complete with death threats... yet this part of the story is never resolved or finished at all. The main story is wrapped up all shiny with a silver bow, but this side story is never mentioned again once the main story comes to a head. So... basically it's just a really lengthy plot device with a special bonus of being a hot topic issue to opine about.
Annoyance the Sixth I figured out the killer about halfway through. I. HATE. THAT. The clues were there, practically with neon signs blinking "Super Devious Murderer This Way". They could probably have been seen from space.
The sex was decent... It was at least fairly detailed and descriptive, although I think Feehan is paid by the number of times certain words were used. Those specific words being "shaft" and "sac".
All in all... I was not at all impressed by this book. Not at all. (less)
I have to admit that when I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. The main character, Blair Mallory just seemed so shallo...moreI have to admit that when I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. The main character, Blair Mallory just seemed so shallow and ditzy and ridiculous, but then as soon as Wyatt Bloodsworth came onto the scene, things turned around and really started getting interesting.
When Blair witnesses a murder outside of her business, the murder of an annoying copy-cat who went to great pains to imitate Blair's style and look, she soon realizes that she might have been the intended victim.
So enter police lieutenant Bloodsworth, and things get all interesting, like I mentioned before. No, I don't mean in a sexual way, because that is very non-descriptive, but in a Clash of the Egos way. And it was hilarious. Blair, still bitter about a failed first attempt with Bloodsworth where he just hit the road without a word after 3 dates, goes out of her way to make him pay for it. Little things like hiding the remote, making lists about the ways that he annoys her, and just generally being a pain in the ass. But a funny one.
I really enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought that I would. The plot is pretty thin, and the resolution feels a little like an afterthought, but the characters were fun and intriguing and made up for the lack. I really enjoyed the Mallory's family dynamic, and Dad giving Wyatt advice just really cracked me up.
This is a great beach read, or lazy weekend day read, nothing too risque or naughty, but a lot of implied risqueness and naughtiness. You're pretty much guaranteed to hoot with laughter though. That makes it worthwhile. (less)
I kept seeing this book everywhere, and it certainly seemed interesting, so when I saw a copy at the library, I grabbed it. I didn't know much about t...moreI kept seeing this book everywhere, and it certainly seemed interesting, so when I saw a copy at the library, I grabbed it. I didn't know much about the concept before I started the book, only that it was about a little boy who has always lived in a Room, but I thought that there had to be something more to this story, or it wouldn't be getting quite so much face time and such great ratings. I was actually prepared to think that this was a child abuse story. I was ready to hate this little boy's mother for all the manipulation and reduction of his life in confining him to this room for his whole life... but once I actually started to read it, I realized that wasn't the case at all, and that I was quite wrong.
So I read it. The beginning was fantastic. I felt a bit lost in this world that is Room, being showed 5-year-old Jack's world and life as he lives it. He doesn't understand very much in terms of why anything is the way that it is, he simply accepts that it is that way because it has always been that way. Through Jack's eyes, we gradually begin to see that both he and his mother are victims and prisoners. They cope with the limitations of their lives in myriad tiny ways, rationing everything from cereal (100 daily), to TV, to trash. The only things that they do not lack are love and creativity.
I really enjoyed the telling of this story from Jack's point of view, because you could really see how his world is interpreted in his head. This story told from the mother's point of view would just lack something - a kind of innocence I think. Jack provides that innocence and freshness, without being too annoying. I loved how we were given so many different perspectives through Jack's narration, without his even knowing.
I did think that Jack got to be a little tedious toward the middle and end of the book. I'm in awe at the patience and restraint that Ma shows with him when he simply refuses to believe something new. What a frustrating situation!! I also felt that the book started to drag in these sections as well, which is why I can't rate the book higher.
I loved the way that the story was handled, and the hope and determination and perseverance and love that it shows, and the way that we can all adapt to a bad situation when we need to. Over all, I thought it was a good book, but the last half could have been a little more concise. (less)
I have to admit, I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I thought that I would. I am not a romance reader by nature. I do enjoy romance in the stor...moreI have to admit, I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I thought that I would. I am not a romance reader by nature. I do enjoy romance in the stories I read. I just don't go for books in which the romance is the central plot or point of the story. Give me soul-crushing tear-jerkers about human suffering, or horror, or a classic, or, really just about anything else first. But I agreed to read at least 5 romance books for a friend's blog activity for September, so here I am, reading and surprisingly enjoying romance.
The basic premise here is that a 12th century Scottish laird is ordered to take an English wife by his king, and an English Baron is ordered by HIS king to marry one of his daughters to him. Oh, the atrocity! Those Scottish are barbarians! The English are cowards and weak! Ack! Hiss! Boo!
So the marriage takes place, and all of a sudden Alec Kincaid, Laird of the Kincaid clan, is saddled with a feisty and not at all thrilled to be married Jamie (who has a man's name).
Hilarity ensues (at least to me) when their personalities clash. Oh my goodness, I found their disagreements and misunderstandings and attempts to rile each other extremely funny. In fact, I spent a good 3/4 of the book giggling to myself like a crazy woman. I think that it was this aspect, more than anything else that caused me to like the book. True, the lurvin' was pretty steamy, but it was admittedly a little repetitive too, as were certain conversationsdisagreements arguments between husband and wife.
On top of this, there was a secondary mystery plotline, which was meant, I'm sure, to ratchet up the suspense: Just when things are getting cozy, there's an attempt on Jamie's life! But the way that it was written felt awkward and out of place. There would just be a random paragraph from the Mystery Murderer at the end of random chapters, in italics, and in 1st person narrative.
So he thinks to take an English wife. Well, she's no match for me. I hope he loves her. It will make it all the sweeter when I watch her die and challenge him. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yep, like that. Well, maybe without the maniacal laughter. That may have been an embellishment on my part. But I did hear it in my head every time I read one of these little sections!
There was very little that was historically accurate in the book. I mean, the big stuff, like the King and the clan feuds and that stuff, sure, but the devil is in the details, and it just felt a bit modern. The dialogue was definitely modern, but after a while I just got used to it. But I still wanted to mention it.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and provided me with some laughs, so maybe I'll look into more of Garwood's books in the future. ;)(less)
I don't really get magical realism. I think my brain just doesn't function in the necessary way to really appreciate them, or I could be prejudiced ag...moreI don't really get magical realism. I think my brain just doesn't function in the necessary way to really appreciate them, or I could be prejudiced against them from the utter loathing and disgust that I felt while reading Beloved, which in my opinion is one of the worst books ever. Get all your hissing and booing out of your system now, I'll wait. :)
There. Feel better? Good.
I would probably have never picked up this book on my own, but a friend chose it as her book in a chain-swap, so I read it. And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Like Beloved, this book deals with some very heavy subject matter, but unlike Beloved, this book actually made sense.
True, there was some surreal and mystical and odd moments, but those moments didn't get in the way of the main story of family and country. These moments enhanced it, creating interesting and unique and eccentric characters that I didn't always like, but certainly understood. The surreal and the mystical and the odd were portrayed as everyday, and interpretable as one chooses - to believe them as fact, or to believe them as figments of the imagination of the characters, or to not believe them at all. This is apparently how I like my magical realism. The "who am I? where am I? when am I? is this real? is this memory? is this dream? is this prediction? etc" style of Beloved? Not so much, although it is also interpretable, but in vastly different ways. Beloved forces you to interpret, while The House of the Spirits allows you to take the story at face value if you choose.
I read this story at the right time in my life to appreciate all of the political and socio-economic aspects of the story. If I had read it last year, I would not have appreciated it nearly as much. The political storyline is a huge and important part of the story, and frames the Trueba family like bookends. They rise to prominence during favorable economic and political times, and fracture to pieces when the political tone shifts, aided by a member of the family himself too blind to see the consequences of his actions, and too single-minded to give much thought to them.
Esteban isn't exactly an empathetic soul. Through most of the story, he is reprehensible and awful and cruel. He has brief moments of humanity, particularly at the end of his life, when I almost wanted to pity him for all that his ignorance and hatred and malice caused him to lose, but I couldn't. He made his choices, and had to live with them. I did feel pity for his family though, particularly Ferula. Poor Ferula got the short end of the stick all her life, being born of the wrong sex in a time when women had no rights, no means of supporting themselves, no role in society except as wife or mother or caregiver. Ferula never got to be a wife nor a mother, but was a caregiver to her own ill mother for years, wasting her youth and turning her into a bitter spinster whose only happiness came in the form of her friendship with Clara, Esteban's wife. A happiness that Esteban envied, and ruined.
This story follows four generations of women... Nivea del Valle, her daughter Clara del Valle Trueba, Clara's daughter Blanca Trueba, and finally Blanca's daughter Alba Trueba. These women are all strong in their own ways, finding methods of surviving in both a turbulent household and country. In a way, this story is as uplifting as it is sad, because it shows that cruelty and horror don't have to win, that love is a stronger force than indifference, even if it comes too late. (less)
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