This is the second short story that I picked up from Tor for free - again, I was drawn in by accolades - this was a Nebula Award nominee - but mostly...moreThis is the second short story that I picked up from Tor for free - again, I was drawn in by accolades - this was a Nebula Award nominee - but mostly I was hooked by the cover. I LOVE the cover... it's almost vampiric, like the taller woman is breathing the life right out of her victim. I love the haunted quality the woman in white has, and the way she seems to be basking in the theft of her. I love the kind of greedy sensuality of the cover.
These are the things that I thought when I picked this up. I didn't notice the paintbrushes, and despite the title, I didn't really think of this book being about art. I don't really read book descriptions much, and I didn't read this one. I read it while I was reading the story though, and I almost wish I hadn't, because even the one sentence teaser of a description caused me to assume things about the story. Which is why I don't like to read them in the first place.
I was not thrilled with the other free Tor story I picked up. It told everything and showed nothing, it lacked substance and meaning and just did nothing but disappoint me. In comparison, Portait of Lisane de Patagnia had all of that. The writing was evocative and descriptive, and the story was interesting and compelling. I wanted to know where it was going.
It seems like I've been reading a lot of stories about art as a method of creation, but not very many stories about art as a method of destruction. But really it wasn't so much about the art, this story. It was more about the relationship between this particular artist and her subject, between teacher and student, lovers. It was about the bitterness that can be created when hopes and expectations aren't met, and how that bitterness can create something new and powerful in its own image.
I really enjoyed this little story, though there were times when I was a little confused, because the narrative jumped around from present day to scenes from the past, and there wasn't always a clear delineation between them. But it wasn't difficult to keep up with the story, I just had to backtrack a couple times.
I can't say that I really liked the characters, but I could identify with them and I had no trouble understanding them. I am always a little impressed by this in short stories, because it seems to me that identifiable characters are hard for many to write even in full length novels, so to do so in only 32 pages makes me happy. There are only a few authors that I've seen write stories this short (or shorter) that have well-written characters, and they are among my favorite authors. I take this as a sign that I may need to search out more of Swirsky's books. (less)
I picked this ebook up when Tor was offering it for free a while back. Apparently this story was nominated for an award, and based on that, and the ti...moreI picked this ebook up when Tor was offering it for free a while back. Apparently this story was nominated for an award, and based on that, and the title, I thought that it would be the kind of story I'd like. Sadly, I am disappointed instead.
I really don't know why this story would have been nominated for anything other than a re-write. It had potential to be really great, but everything that it could and should have been was missing, which is a shame. Everything in the story is just told to the reader: Ian died. Sinead did this to Brigid. Brigid did that to Sinead. Their mother cried. Their father stomped upstairs. Everyone was angry at everyone else, and most of it was misplaced. This last was literally told to the reader just like that. Cold. Distant. There's no reader investment in the characters, or the story, no emotional content at all, despite this being what could have been a really emotionally charged story of two sisters' relationship changing in the wake of their brother's death. There was no growth, no change, nothing was learned, there was no ending... this story just contained a bunch of things that happened and then ended as more things were happening.
I don't even know what the point of this story was. I thought I knew, while I was reading, but it was like a square peg being jammed into a round hole. It just didn't fit.
The more I think about it, the more disappointed I get. It's a shame, really. This honestly could have been a great story if there was just some spark of life in it somewhere. Some growth, something in the characters that made me feel for them. Instead it was just sad in a I-feel-sorry-for-this-book way, not in an emotionally sad way.
Romeo & Juliet; Or: How Verona High Society Was Devastated Due To Two Kids Who Couldn't Keep It In Their Pants for 24 Hours.
This story is only a...moreRomeo & Juliet; Or: How Verona High Society Was Devastated Due To Two Kids Who Couldn't Keep It In Their Pants for 24 Hours.
This story is only a tragedy in the sense that, through their stupidity and selfishness, Romeo & Juliet caused others to suffer.
When we meet Romeo, he's in the throes of grief over Rosalind, who he is "in love" with, but who is not interested in him. Oh, he's in a right tizzy over her. The sun shines out her ass and all that, and the world is just a pit of despair without her in his arms, yada yada yada.
Then, OH HAPPY COINCIDENCE, he learns that she'll be at the Capulets' place for a party, so he can go stare creepily at her for a while, and just be in her presence. (Wonder if they had restraining orders back then?) Anyway, while at the party, Romeo blinks and forgets Rosalind completely, because pretty girl! And... is that...? Why yes. That IS the sun shining out of her ass. Someone must have just misplaced their flashlight at Rosalind's rear, because now that he's seen the true sun, there is OBVIOUSLY no comparison in the brilliance of the light.
We're told in the beginning of the story that Montague and Capulet have this feud thing going on. I dunno why, they just do. Makes for a convenient conflict. Tybalt, of Clan Capulet, recognizes Romeo, and thinks he's there to start shit. Remember - feud. So, he makes to fight him, but is shouted down... so he just files it away for future reference. AIN'T NO MONTAGUE GON' COME UP IN DIS CRIB, YO!
Romeo gets all kissy with Juliet. Juliet gets all swoony (it was her first kiss, being all of almost-14 and all), and within a few hours they are engaged. The next day they are married.
Taking things slow. As a lovely wedding gift, Romeo kills Juliet's cousin Tybalt. Well, I mean, Tybalt started it! *stamps foot* He TOTALLY killed Mercutio FIRST! DANG! And so he's banished from Verona.
Verona Death Count: 2
Juliet loses her shit. Romeo loses her shit. (That's not a typo. Even Friar Lawrence calls Romeo out for crying like a little bitch.)
I would like to take a moment right now to talk about Juliet's moment of losing her shit. Because it is just a moment. Her nurse, who goodness knows needs to be slapped at the best of times, can't be trusted to relay a message accurately, and essentially mindfucks Juliet into thinking for a goodish chunk of time that it's Romeo who is dead. Understandably, Juliet is distraught at the thought that her boyfriend of 12 hours/husband of 3 hours is dead, and she didn't even give up her maidenhead yet (not making this up... she literally laments the fact that he'd not taken her to bed yet)... So, when Nurse FINALLY sets her straight that her boyfriend isn't the murdered but the murderer... Juliet is relieved, happy, and sees this as a comfort.
She sees the murder of her lifelong cousin at the hands of a dude she's known for 12 hours and who previously was a sworn enemy... a comfort.
And she didn't even know if the sex was good yet. O_o
Anyway... So, like... They meet up that night, Juliet finally finds out how the sex is (apparently good enough - WHEW!) and in the morning, Romeo leaves town (banished), and Juliet's kindhearted father promises her to Paris (who I am sure is a nice man, but apparently he ain't no Romeo) and when Juliet refuses, he casts her out. Well, he leaves the option for her to be uncast her out if she agrees to marry Paris. He's a good dad. So accommodating and caring.
She demands Friar Lawrence to help her, so he gives her a potion to allow her to fake her death. She lies to Mummy and Daddy that she'll marry Paris, and then fake-offs herself. Much sadness ensues. The Friar tries to tell Romeo of this plan, but his letter was waylaid, and he found out about Juliet's death through another messenger who didn't know it wasn't real, and he makes haste back to Fair Verona to real-off himself to spend eternity with his wife. Of two days, if my count is right at this point.
Apparently Paris also had the thought of going to visit Juliet, and he meets Romeo, they fight, and Paris dies.
Verona Death Count: 3
Romeo offs himself. Juliet offs herself.
Verona Death Count: 4 & 5
The parents show up with the prince, who after about 5 minutes' investigation into the events, basically says "See what this stupid feud did? Everyone loses."
So, unless I missed someone in my accounting, Romeo and Juliet caused 2 1/2 deaths per day of their marriage. Could you imagine the state of Verona had they NOT both killed themselves out of angst-ridden lust?
The moral of this story: Just have sex and get it out of your system. (less)
I really enjoy Max Brooks' stories. I love his insightful way of looking at the zombie culture, what it represents, what it means for us, what we woul...moreI really enjoy Max Brooks' stories. I love his insightful way of looking at the zombie culture, what it represents, what it means for us, what we would, or could, do about it if it were to occur.
I recently recommended Max's World War Z to a friend, and loaned him my copy so he could read it. (Don't worry, it's back in my possession now, and unharmed. :D) He returned it with the comment that it was probably one of the best stories about society in crisis he'd ever read, and that the realism was incredible. I completely agree, which is why I recommended it to him in the first place. ;)
So anyway, my point in mentioning this is that Max Brooks' books have been on my mind recently, and so when I was browsing Audible last night looking for something to listen to so I could clean the kitchen (What? Like you don't...), I discovered Closure Limited. I'd never heard of it before, so I was kinda excited by the thought of new material.
So, I downloaded, listened, and cleaned... in that order. Priorities, people. O_o
Overall, I liked this - maybe not AS much as Zombie Survival Guide or World War Z, but close. I think part of what detracted from this a bit was the format and the reading. For one thing, the reader sounded a lot like Max Brooks himself to me. I have heard Max read on the WWZ audiobook (the abridged one - I've yet to listen to the newer unabridged version), and I've seen him on that one zombie documentary show that I can't think of the name of... *IMDBs* "Zombies: A Living History". So for the intro, the reader's voice worked fine for me... but in the stories themselves... it wasn't the best match.
That's not to say that the performance wasn't good... It was good, but I am kinda picky when it comes to audiobook readers, and I wouldn't say that Christopher Ragland is among my favorites. The male voices were OK - but the females were... not. And three times he had to do accents: one from The Netherlands (if I remember right?), another from Vietnam, and then a woman from China. Oddly, the Chinese woman's voice distracted me the least, which was kind of contradictory to how I felt about how he read other women - maybe it was the more staccato way in which he read her that helped. Not sure.
Before I talk about the individual stories, I'll just mention one other thing that detracted from this book for me, with regards to the audio version. That issue is that each story is headed by a chapter. "Chapter One: Closure Limited". I didn't actually NOTICE this, though, until midway through the 2nd story, when I was wondering what the hell the events I was listening to had to do with where I thought the story was going. I'm used to stories jumping around at chapter breaks. It gives a different perspective, and progresses the story, etc, so I heard, "Chapter Two: Steve & Fred" and didn't think anything of it being a NEW story, but a 2nd chapter in the story I was listening to already.
It was a little distracting, the be honest. Probably in print form, this wouldn't be an issue, because I'd know, getting to the next story, that it's not really "Chapter Two". Anyway, so when I eventually realized that it was a different story, it made a LOT more sense.
Moving on to the stories themselves, I really enjoyed them.
Closure Limited: Think about a zombie apocalypse... You know that the undead are everywhere, and that they are relentless killing, and turning, machines. Think about your loved ones, the ones that are now out of contact with you in your safehouse, or compound, or whatever. You don't know whether they are alive or dead or undead. You hope that they are alive, but the odds are... slim. After a while, the wondering starts to get to you... it starts to be harder to live with NOT knowing than it would be to just mourn. That's where Closure Limited comes in - they allow you to end that uncertainty. They provide a service that gives just what their name says: closure. Granted, there's a certain amount of self-deception that's required, because, after all, you HIRED this company to give you closure... but if you just need the symbolic aspect, you're all set.
This one really made me think... It is kind of awful in its way, and extremely risky, but could I really say that I wouldn't want something like this to exist if I was in the situation of needing it? At the very least, it would be cathartic to destroy the hope that just stubbornly hangs on and insists on tormenting us...
Steve & Fred: When I listened to this one last night, I was... not impressed. It didn't help that I didn't realize it was a new story (as I mentioned above), but to add to that the story also has a shift of its own. So, to be fair, I listened to this one again this morning, and I've changed my initial opinion. This is a GOOD story. It's like a little polaroid of a story, one that is still working on developing toward the middle. There's not much to this one - it's 22 minutes long, so, maybe I'd estimate a similar number of pages if the reader goes through 1 per minute. Maybe double if he reads slower. I dunno. But either way, the way it expands to show the whole situation is impressive, and enormous in its capacity for dread. And the irony of the story-within-a-story aspect is not lost on me. This is good stuff.
The Extinction Parade: This one is probably my least favorite of the lot, and oddly enough for the "unreality" of this zombie story containing vampires. Yes. Really.
I mean, it's not that I'm against vampires and zombies in the same story; in fact, usually I'm good with that. But in Max Brooks' universe, zombies invade the normal, everyday world due to a virus. There's nothing paranormal about them. So the insertion of the paranormal here just felt... out of place.
That being said, if I put that aside, the story is still a good one. It brings to light the concept of resources - that if suddenly a previously thought continually renewable resource suddenly starts to dwindle, would those who rely on the resource notice in time to stop it... COULD they stop it even if they did?
The Great Wall: This story, previous to my re-listen to Steve & Fred, was my favorite of the four. Now, I'd say they are tied. I loved this story for everything that it represented in terms of human resilience and stoicism and courage. It brought tears to my eyes, both of pride and sadness, and I loved every second of it.
This one is definitely a keeper for anyone who enjoys zombie lit, or who is a fan of Max Brooks, or both. I definitely recommend it. (less)
This one was a little better than the last one, I think, but only in that it actually had a story. But honestly, I lik...moreAnother random WeGiveBooks read.
This one was a little better than the last one, I think, but only in that it actually had a story. But honestly, I liked it less, and what story was there, I think could have been much better.
I know that this is for kids (the age range is 4-7), but I felt like there were a lot of issues with this one. Not only were there missing commas all over the place, but this was nothing but tell, tell, tell, and the story jumped around quite a lot.
For example: The book starts out on the last day of summer, with 6 year old Amanda receiving a letter with her new teacher's name in it. The teacher's name is Dr. Malko (I just had to look it up, actually. And it was probably mentioned once a page for all 56 pages), and Amanda is worried that she might have to get a shot. Cut to the first day of school, when Amanda meets Dr. Malko and is immediately reassured that she's not that kind of doctor. She then asks the students to tell something about themselves, and Amanda immediately yells out about her iguana, her puppy, her family, etc.
Nobody else gets a word in (not in dialogue anyway - it's said that they all wanted to hear more about Amanda's stuff though), and then Dr. Teacher is shutting down intro time to hand out schoolbooks.
Then suddenly it's story time, Amanda's favorite book is read. Amanda guesses the hat from the hints given. And then suddenly it's Halloween... and Amanda is going to be a witch! Amanda Amanda Amanda. I know that this is supposed to be some sort of memoir about one little girl's caring when her teacher was in need... But that's not really the vibe I got from this. I kept feeling like she just needed to be the center of attention, the "It" girl in her class, teacher's pet.
Anyway, so then when Dr. Malko's daughter got sick around Thanksgiving (because suddenly Thanksgiving!), Amanda decided to do something to help. "She thought and she thought... and then she thought some more... until a great idea came to her." She'd make Christmas decorations, sell them at $10 each, and raise money for her teacher. (Because suddenly Christmas now! There's literally no progression in time. It's just BLINK and it's a new holiday.) And just like that it was done. These cycles of Amanda thinking and thinking and thinking some more and then just great ideas coming to her happened two more times, and each time the great idea was over and done with in less than 2 sentences. Because, you know, the focus is AMANDA, not the kindness itself. We need to remember how selfless and caring Amanda is... it's not really all that important WHAT she did, or how she did it. She just did, OK!?
This is all the more annoying since this is apparently based on true events. I didn't get anything out of this book. I wasn't moved, I wasn't impressed or inspired. I was kind of irritated. Not really the reaction they were going for, I bet.
Another disappointing children's book. I'm beginning to wonder: Are books for children more about the pictures than the story?
Let's consider: This book...moreAnother disappointing children's book. I'm beginning to wonder: Are books for children more about the pictures than the story?
Let's consider: This book is about a bear who randomly comes across a three-leaf clover one day. His friend, Mouse, says "Hey, I heard that if you find one with FOUR leaves, you'll be lucky!" So, Bear goes in search of a four-leafer. He encounters a couple other unhelpful anthropomorphs: A monkey who says they don't exist, a turtle who says it'll take forever to find one if they do, an elephant who says he found one once, but doesn't remember where, a gopher who wonders aloud whether Bear will be unlucky if he never finds one...
And then Bear gives up.
But never fear! Mouse has stuck through the search with him, and while Mouse didn't find what Bear was looking for, exactly, he found something better: a FIVE leaf clover. I'm extrapolating here in the assumption that was in fact better, because that is literally the end of the story.
So, the moral to this story is that if you give up on something, someone will just... give it to you.
The artwork again is the saving grace for this one. It was adorably cute. Story? Not so much.
I've set myself a goal of reading 150 books this year. I am not even close to being on target. I'm like 12 books behind.
It's quite sad, really.
So, w...moreI've set myself a goal of reading 150 books this year. I am not even close to being on target. I'm like 12 books behind.
It's quite sad, really.
So, when I remembered WeGiveBooks.org, I was like "Oooh! I can feel as though I've accomplished something almost like reading!" AND, even better, I have done something to tip the Karmic scales a little more toward the positive, since my spending 5 minutes to read this book has resulted in a book being donated to the Overbrook School for the Blind, in Philadelphia.
I picked this book almost at random. I am not much of a children's book reader, to be honest. I don't have kids, so I don't really have much reason to, other than to do a good deed. I have come across some cute ones, though, really enjoyable books with fantastic artwork and a really fun reading experience.
Unfortunately, this one wasn't one of those.
I think it tried to be, but my first, and lingering, thought as I read this was that it reminded me of Dr. Seuss's rhyming structure. The first few lines in the book were:
"I must wear clothes? That's what you say? I don't LIKE clothes! I say -- NO WAY!"
Sounds like Green Eggs & Ham, doesn't it?
So the actual story is about a couple parents telling their little boy about all these horrible things that could happen if he went to school in ze buff. He could get dirty, or sunburned, he could freeze, he could get slime all over him in Show & Tell when he has to hold the frogs and snails, he wouldn't have any pockets for cool things that little boys pick up off the ground, etc.
But the whole time I was reading this, (I mean, when I wasn't also repeating "I do not like them, Sam I Am") I was thinking: "That's not really a good way to get a little boy to want to wear clothes. Boys like to get dirty, they like gross things, they don't really care about sunburns or cold as long as they are having fun. These things sound like Little Boy Adventures, not 'consequences'."
In the end, spoiler alert, the little boy doesn't go to school naked, because his parents traumatized him with all of their dire warnings of awful consequences of doing so.
Me, I'd have just said, "If you go to school naked, all the little boys and girls will be able to see your noodle, and they won't want to play with you! *cough* ...Until they're older anyway.
*distraction technique, engage!* Cookie? "
I'm gonna be a great mom. :D
Anyway, it was OK, if a little wishfully idealistic. The drawings were cute, but I think the story could have been better.
Just a quick review on this one: This was a re-read and this time around, it just didn't have the same awesomeness that it had the first time. Maybe i...moreJust a quick review on this one: This was a re-read and this time around, it just didn't have the same awesomeness that it had the first time. Maybe it's because I knew what happens (mostly - I did forget a lot), but it just didn't hold my interest as much as it did the first time through.
BUT - In all fairness, this could be me, and not the book. I haven't really been in a mood to read much of anything lately, so this disinterest could be in my head. Probably likely.
Still, I'll say that I enjoyed this book, and I enjoy how Greek Mythology is updated to modern times. It's a fun story overall. (less)
Despite like 20 people I know having read (or wanting to read this), I'd never heard of it until discussing the best Urban Fantasy books and series......moreDespite like 20 people I know having read (or wanting to read this), I'd never heard of it until discussing the best Urban Fantasy books and series... And then, because I'm half-demon myself, this one stood out from the crowd and sounded like it'd be something I'd really enjoy. To be quite honest, I'm a little tired of the vampires and the werewolves and whatnot, so demons and ghosts seemed like a nice change.
And it was.
I really enjoyed this book. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, and so it seemed like it took me forever to read this, but I got there in the end and I liked it a lot. I loved the kind of... gritty realism the book had. It felt less like fantasy than real life - if real life had ghosts and demons and those who were capable of seeing and dealing with them.
This book seems to come with an intertwined recommendation: If you like The Dresden Files, read Felix Castor. And vice versa. (Again, odd, because last year I read EVERY SINGLE HARRY DRESDEN BOOK THERE IS and Felix was mentioned not one time to me... HMPH!) Anyway, I can kind of see why, because Felix and Harry both kind of have that snarky, just-a-guy-who-can-do-stuff thing going on. But, they were quite different, too. I've been thinking about it this morning, and it's taken me a little bit of time to realize it, but in SOME ways, I liked Felix more than Harry. (What? Like it's WEIRD to brood over fictional characters or something. Pfft.)
I don't want this to be come off sounding like a criticism of Harry, because it's not. Some of the things that I'm going to mention are parts of WHY I love his character so much. But they work in HIS world - not so much the one that Felix lives in.
First, Harry has this kind of (to use Hermione's words from The Order of the Phoenix) "saving people thing". He's chivalrous and kind-hearted with a dirty mouth and a quick temper. He has a lot of internal doubts about his ability to be the man -or the wizard- that he needs to be. Which is, of course, what makes him that man/wizard. Harry Dresden knows who he is and what his powers can do, and he has a kind of feeling of responsibility to use them to help people. I love these things about Harry, because the man that it makes him (without giving anything away) is one that I love and pity in equal measures.
But Felix was... just a guy. And I liked that. OK - maybe just a guy who was slightly more in tune with the no-longer-alive than most other people. He didn't have the hero thing going on. He didn't really head out into the fray to protect "his" city or to do good deeds... he just got caught up in a mess. He has his own doubts, his own dark history, his own fears. I really hope to see more of this in the remaining books in the series.
I liked the plot as well, and I think that it lent a good deal to the realism of the story. This was an already fucked up situation that went completely FUBAR, and then some. There are books (like The Dresden Files) where the fantasy is so entwined that to remove it would be impossible - and I wouldn't want to. But then there are books like this one, where the fantasy aspect is more... like an addition. Take away the ghosts and demons and whatnot, and you STILL have a really good story. With them, and you have a really good urban fantasy story. And I really liked that. But the fantasy aspects never felt tacked on or like an afterthought. They meshed perfectly with the story and the world, especially old city London with all its history, and I loved it.
I will definitely be reading more of this series. (less)
I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
I haven't been accepting many books for review lately, because I dislike the feeling of obl...moreI received a copy of this book from the author for review.
I haven't been accepting many books for review lately, because I dislike the feeling of obligation that accepting a book for review brings with it, especially the past chunk of time, with my reading so erratic and all.
But Therese emailed me, and I checked out the book and it intrigued me. The cover drew me in, and the description left me wondering, and both are good things. So I accepted a review copy, but then all that erratic reading happened again, and I sat on this one for over a month.
I picked it up last night, and I'll admit that right off the bat, I was a little apprehensive. This is written in 1st person present tense, which is honestly my least favorite narrative style. I thought right away that I was going to be constantly distracted by the narrative. I will admit that there were a few times that repetitive wording or phrasing jumped out at me ("If there's a choice, I don't see it" and "If I have a choice, I don't see it" both showed up within 9 pages of each other, for example), but once I got into the story, I was engrossed, and read the majority of the book in one sitting this afternoon. Which is pretty impressive, since, as I've mentioned, I have Erratic Reading Syndrome (ERS).
I am pleasantly surprised by how much I actually did enjoy this story, considering my first impressions last night. I thought that the characters were all well done, and understandable, if a bit frustrating. I truly felt as though I was trying to figure things out with Eliza as she went along - not just about the mystery, but also who Eliza is, or wants to be.
I got the feeling that Eliza had done a lot of growing up in a short time, even before the start of the book, and didn't yet realize it. Her interactions with Fiona just held that awkwardness of friends who are drifting apart but are unsure why or how. This is one of the things that I liked best about the book. We're not in Eliza's head a lot - just when she's actively questioning or piecing things together - but it never feels like there's any narrative missing. She is understandable and relatable, even if I don't always necessarily agree with her reactions, so it's easy to keep up with her moods and changes.
The story itself is interesting, and kept me reading through to the end to find out the answers to the questions, but also to find out what the repercussions of the answers would be.
I felt for Annie, after learning what she had gone through, and though the subject matter was grim, the writing was never manipulative or overly sentimental. I liked that quite a bit. Let the story speak for itself. If you've written a good one, it will. This one did.
Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to someone looking for a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. (less)
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one going in, but I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the story much more t...more3.5 Stars
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one going in, but I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the story much more than I thought that I would, especially considering that, despite what MrsJ claims, I am not really a romance reader. Occasionally I'll dip a toe into romance, but it's not really my genre of choice.
So, I actually liked this. It was a bit over the top, and in the middle I started feeling like it was getting repetitive with the antics and mishaps, but, thankfully, the book overheard me, and moved along.
I thought that the characters were fleshed out pretty well, and I liked seeing things from both Penelope's and Charles' perspectives. I particularly enjoyed Madame Bellafraunde. She reminded me quite a lot of Lord Akeldama from the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger... Only, you know, not vampiric. Apparently I find Fashionistas in Regency fiction appealing, despite being abysmally fashion-backwards myself.
I enjoyed the progression of the story, though the ending felt a little rushed. But I thought that the tension was done well, and that the little chips in Charles' ice-facade were well-placed and mostly well-timed. His situation, with Lydia, was a little coincidental, but of course it had to be something. I did think that his history though was a little much. It's a little much to believe that Charles would have fallen so many times for so many different women, all of whom would try the exact same snare tactic in such a short period of time. I think it would have really only needed one to put Charles' guard up, not 3 or 4 or... however many there really were.
I also noticed several typos and misused words in the text. For instance, "bucked" was used instead of "bucket", "peak" instead of "peek", and "breath" instead of "breathe". "Of" and "off" were mixed up more than once as well. I noticed that the frequency of typos increased the further along in the story I got - the beginning was quite clean and well edited.
Overall, this was a fun read, and I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to fans of Regency romance easily.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy of this book for review from the author. (less)
I've never read any Witch World books, or anything of Andre Norton's, to be honest, so when my friend chose The Key of the Keplian for her group's boo...moreI've never read any Witch World books, or anything of Andre Norton's, to be honest, so when my friend chose The Key of the Keplian for her group's book of the month, I agreed to read it and participate in the discussion. Unfortunately, I can't say that I enjoyed it much. I wanted to like it much more than I did, but I kept being distracted by the writing and storytelling, and I couldn't get into the story enough to be able to overlook the issues that were bothering me.
I think part of the issue is that, though this is the first book in a story arc within Witch World's overall series, it is not the introductory point, nor does it make a very good one, in my opinion. Technically, it can be read as a standalone - the story is complete enough for that, in that there's a beginning, middle, and end - but I think that lack of prior Witch World experience hurt more than it helped. There was a lot of content that assumed the reader knew the reference, so explanations were either not forthcoming, leading to random sentences that just didn't make sense, or an explanation came after it would have been helpful to the reader.
Here are two examples: First, this:
The Keplians had an ability to handle evil at closer quarters, where humans would faint from the stench of the Dark.
I made a note here that said, and I quote: "Uhhhh, what?" This was especially baffling, considering that there were no Keplians present during the final Boss fight - only humans, and none of them had fainted at the appalling stench of evil.
Second, a passage relating a joke shared between two characters:
"He's a nice old man but very stuffy and pompous. It was kind of him to ride all the way out here and he only came to go over our fortifications for us. But he would keep on about the importance of having escape passages. We should have at least two, one known only to us. We were both sitting there trying to look interested and he just kept on and on. The next thing, I had this picture--" She broke off to snicker again while Eleeri waited patiently. "It came from Jerrany. It was of Lord Terne as a burrower, digging tunnels madly all underneath the keep until the whole thing fell in on him. Then this burrower with his face sat up in all the dust looking so surprised. I couldn't help it." She was laughing again, and visualizing it all. So was Eleeri.
I didn't get the joke until later, when it's explained that a burrower is a "small stout animal who did indeed have an air of surprised pompousness about them." Until then, I failed to see what was funny.
I mean, that's a small, throwaway scene, but it's a good one to illustrate my point. If there was no explanation that a burrower is an animal, I'd have been completely confused. As it was, the explanation came too late for me to be in on the joke as well. So all I got out of it was bewilderment and then a bit of irritation at the fact that it could have been written in a way to include the reader as well.
Eleeri, the main character, isn't from Witch World - she came through a gate from our world, so everything she knows about WW, she had to learn. But she learns it off-screen; the reader is never involved in the process, we don't get to learn about the world with her, but what's more aggravating is that we're only told that she has learned something immediately before it will benefit her to use the knowledge in some way. So not only did this book constantly tell rather than show, but it also seemed extremely convenient and coincidental how things just fell into place for Eleeri. Everything was incredibly easy for her. She makes "intuitive leaps" several times that left me baffled when I tried to connect the dots. I could not figure out what either piece had to do with the other, but obviously it made perfect sense to Eleeri. Either that or she's the best and luckiest guesser I've ever read about. In fact, only one time did something not go as planned or prepared for, and in that case, her friends showed up in the nick of time to save her. Conveniently.
It was very hard for me to care about Eleeri, in general. I felt like I was being kept at arm's length from her because of the writing. At the halfway mark of the story, Eleeri was still being referred to at times as "the girl" - something that bugged me quite a lot. By this point, I believe she was 20 or 21, so she was NOT a girl anymore, and calling her "the girl" just created distance from Eleeri for me. I think Norton was going for a connotation of innocence, but the term also connotes inexperience, naivete, & immaturity, which contradict what I was told and had seen of Eleeri, an independent and proud hunter and warrior.
Another example of distancing the reader from the story is the repeated use of "these ones", "these", "this one" etc when referring to people or Keplians. It just seemed dismissive to me. There were times, toward the end, that I understood the use to avoid saying names in a place of power where the names could be used against them - but throughout the story, these terms are used, and it was distracting to me. Likewise with the references to Light and Dark. I get the good vs evil thing, and even that they might have a kind of consciousness or power (even though this was never mentioned in the book, I'm just extrapolating here) - but the way they were constantly named and referred to, in capitalized form, just seemed so cliched and distracting to me.
Finally, there was the "romance" plotline. *sigh* As soon as the love interest's name was introduced, before I'd even met the guy, I knew exactly where this was going and how it'd get there. It was predictable in the extreme. By the end, I was just waiting for it to happen - I no longer cared. Though, if I'm brutally honest, I will say that I harbored a small hope that Norton would pull the rug out from under me and let Dark win. Alas, that was not to be. I know, I was shocked, too. ;)
Anyway, this book didn't work for me, but I have been known to be nitpicky. If you're used to Norton's writing, or looking for a light, not-very-complex story to kill some time with, I'd say go for it. (less)
I picked this up for free a while back for my Nook, because, come on - that cover is cute! I just now got around t...moreErrr... Right. Where to even start?
I picked this up for free a while back for my Nook, because, come on - that cover is cute! I just now got around to reading it, though, and, well, it wasn't the best.
This whole story, novella, whatever, just felt unfinished. Starting from a whole chapter of Mike's monologue to someone about how his wife/girlfriend (I think gf, though) died, and then another chapter from Trent's perspective with his own monologue... and I started to wonder that each section would be that kind of story-progressing-dialogue-I-hate - only with a twist of not actually being dialogue at all, but just one person talking to themselves...
Oh yes, quite. I agree. Juvenile and awkward. Quite right.
(Yeah, like that.)
So then things move along, shifting around from perspective to perspective, and in the end I just found myself wondering what the actual story was. There were a lot of Things That Happened, but there seemed to be missing one of those plot thingies.
The Quick Rundown, and there will be spoilers: Mike's girlfriend/maybe-wife is dead and haunting him because she thinks he killed her. He claims it was an accident, and that they argued after she cheated on him with the flamboyantly-gay-no-only-mostly-gay neighbors, and he slapped her, she fell and hit her head and died. Only, there's no body. And the girlfriend/maybe-wife is haunting him until she gets it back. Only to find out that, uhh, it's not available. Because... Mike barbequed her and fed her to the very same flamboyantly-gay-no-only-mostly-gay neighbors she was supposed to have cheated on him with - or did he ask her to do it? Nobody seems to really know.
But, gaping plot-(haha what plot?)-holes... If Genius Mike claimed that the death was an accident, how, exactly, did he plan to make that stick when there's no body? Even if he wasn't being haunted and harassed by his murder victim? I mean, logistically, there's got to be blood evidence out the wazoo to have cut her up into cookable and eatable pieces. Hair, bones, bloody clothes... all things that would leave lots of mess and wouldn't have been served at the neighborhood cook-out.
But to add insult to injury and hobble this "story" a little more, Mike then goes ahead and tells the neighbors what they just ate, so that they'd have to, I dunno, cover for him. I dunno about you, but I don't get it.. It's not like they were in on the murder, so why tell them? Because he's clearly not the brightest bulb on the tree (one), and because Trent wouldn't have his deus ex machina drunken flamboyantly-gay-no-only-mostly-gay neighbor spill the beans and wrap up the story (two).
The characters were one dimensional, lifeless (ha-ha, see what I did there?), and moronic caricatures in the extreme.
Don't waste your time on this one. The only good thing I can say about it is that reading it on the smallest font size on my nook apparently counted as two pages each, so it was over really fast.
This was a cute and fun book (yeah, I'm saying that about a schoolbook - what?) about the origins and history of Quidditch.
I missed Harry's notes in...moreThis was a cute and fun book (yeah, I'm saying that about a schoolbook - what?) about the origins and history of Quidditch.
I missed Harry's notes in this book though - perhaps he had a little more respect for this book than a Care of Magical Creatures book, eh? (less)
I have had a run of books that have bored me, or annoyed me, or just did nothing for me. This one is... You know, I don't even know...more13% and I'm done.
I have had a run of books that have bored me, or annoyed me, or just did nothing for me. This one is... You know, I don't even know how to describe this one.
I pretty much hated it from the first page. I do not understand the high rating on Goodreads for this book. I can barely stand the thought of picking it up again and reading more of the words telling me things about characters that I could not possibly care less about.
We have Tomas, whom we meet standing on his balcony and vacillating between whether he should ask a woman that he's "in love with" (read: met in a chance encounter and became infatuated with) to move in with him. He's saved from making any kind of fucking decision by her showing up on his doorstep (literally) with her bags packed and ready to move in. Which she does. And then she clings to him (literally) every night - to the point that he controls her sleep patterns. He even, charmer that he is, fucks with her partially-asleep mind and tells her that he's leaving her forever, so that she'll chase him and drag him back home.
Tereza (that's the woman - I had to look up her name) begins to have nightmares that he's cheating on her and forcing her to watch after finding a letter from a woman in Tomas's drawer describing that very thing. So then, in the course of a sentence, we learn that Tomas has never stopped womanizing, then that he lied to Tereza about it, then tried to justify it, and now just tries to hide it from her, but won't stop.
And she stays. He gets her a dog, because the dog will hopefully "develop lesbian tendencies" and love Tereza, because Tomas can't cope with her and needs help.
So yes, Tereza not only stays, but marries him.
Why? *shrug* The book said so.
So then war comes, and they relocate... but after a while Tereza leaves Tomas (taking the female dog that they named Karenin and now refer to using male pronouns... Maybe to make Tomas feel as though Tereza has a lover as well? Who knows. This book is so stupid...).
She leaves him, and I think, "About frigging time." There's no reason for her having decided to leave him NOW, as opposed to any day of the 7 previous years of dreading him coming home smelling of another woman, of fearing that every single woman she sees will be her husband's next conquest. She decided to leave now... because the book said so.
And then he realizes that he can't be without her, and goes to her, and she takes him back, and then he realizes he feels nothing for her but mild indigestion and "pressure in his stomach and the despair of having returned".
I am a character reader. I need characters that I can identify with, that I can understand, maybe like... but these were none of those things. I don't know them, I don't understand them, I don't identify with them in any way... and I don't want to.
This was a cute little book detailing the magical creatures that exist in the world. Unfortunately, as a Muggle, I'm unlikely to see any of them anyti...moreThis was a cute little book detailing the magical creatures that exist in the world. Unfortunately, as a Muggle, I'm unlikely to see any of them anytime soon.
I particularly liked Harry and Ron's little notes in the book. It was a cute addition.
This was a fun little story. It took quite a while for it to get going, there was a lot of build up and intro type stuff, but once it really started c...moreThis was a fun little story. It took quite a while for it to get going, there was a lot of build up and intro type stuff, but once it really started chugging along, it was hilarious and fun.
Also, I just want to clarify that I'm not complaining much about the intro stuff - too often, short stories skim over that stuff when they shouldn't. But I will admit that it took a pretty good chunk of time for the story to even start on the paranormal stuff. I was beginning to wonder why it was called "Undead Sublet" at one point. It felt like a standard fiction story, not paranormal at all, so it was a little bit of a "Huh?" moment for me when the vampire finally made his appearance.
But, like I said, that is a little thing. I really liked the story, and the characters, and the humor. I might have to read more of Molly Harper's stories if they are all this funny. There were some moments that definitely had me giggling out loud. I also really enjoyed the cooking references, and I was getting hungry while some of Tess's concoctions were being described. The human ones, not the vampiric. But speaking of the vampire diet, I did like the name of their blood substitute, Faux Type-O. It's much better than lame-o TrueBlood.
My one actual complaint would be regarding the reader on this one. She did pretty well, overall, but I hated how she read the guys, and the other female characters of Half-Moon Hollow all kind of sounded like they'd taken to huffing helium. The accents were right though, even switching back and forth between them, and that's kind of impressive.
So, overall, a fun story. Definitely worth reading. :)(less)
I got this for free from Audible a couple months back, and I thought it would be a quick listen and an entertaining story. I was 1 for 2, anyway. It w...moreI got this for free from Audible a couple months back, and I thought it would be a quick listen and an entertaining story. I was 1 for 2, anyway. It was quick at least, though truth be told, I wish it had been shorter.
I've never read, or in this case listened, to a murder mystery that bored me more than this one did. I could barely even bring myself to pay attention, which is bad because it's only an hour and 45 minutes long.
I didn't really care about the characters, probably because I haven't read any of the other books in this series, and didn't know them. But my goodness, when D.D. practically creamed herself when her boyfriend showed up, I thought it was a bit much. You're 41 years old woman, not 16. Get a grip. Dang!
And then the murder tips, which apparently were a blog? I get how they fit in, but it took me quite a while to realize that it wasn't D.D herself. THAT might have been interesting!
So, maybe 1.5 stars for this one? I dunno... it just didn't do anything for me. (less)
I've heard lots of goodness about John Scalzi, and so I decided to give him a try. And I've been watching a lot of Star Trek TNG la...moreOne-point-five-ish?
I've heard lots of goodness about John Scalzi, and so I decided to give him a try. And I've been watching a lot of Star Trek TNG lately, so I decided to give THIS book a try.
But it just didn't do anything for me... and now I'm giving up.
Here're my issues: 1) All the characters sound the same. All of them. Even the Yeti. Especially in Wil Wheaton's voice.
2) All of the dialogue is overly witty, without meaning, and circular. Nobody actually says anything that means anything, and it's all this roundabout dialogue where Person A gets all pissy because Person B's not understanding what A's not saying, hence B's getting frustrated that they are getting THE "ARE YOU STUPID" LOOK.
Not a fan of this. I'm a kind of direct person. If I want someone to know something, I just say that thing and move on with my life. It takes so much more energy to talk around it.
2a) When there is some sort of direct discussion going on, it's "Just do what I tell you to do, because if I tell you WHY, you won't believe me."
Really. Try me. This is the 25th century, where aliens try to eat peoples' faces on a daily basis. I think I'm capable of believing in THE BOX.
3) I've stopped paying attention to where this is going, because the above stuff has me practically drooling on my keyboard. Whether this is due to loss of braincells or boredom... or both... I'm unsure.
Either way, I'm disappointed in this one and I expected better. (less)
[Edited this review because I was being mean and unfair right about this area here, and it was, rightly, called to my attention. My apologies.]
Stephen...more[Edited this review because I was being mean and unfair right about this area here, and it was, rightly, called to my attention. My apologies.]
Stephen King and I differ in regards to our stance on policy, in that I would be wholly and completely in favor of banning all guns outright. However, since that's unlikely to happen, I would be happy with some sort of action being taken to prevent further tragedies like Sandy Hook.
I think that King laid out his opinion well, and provided a fair account of the issue. Stephen King only proposes moderation - ban automatic weapons and limit clip size so that only a certain number of rounds can be shot before having to reload. Do thorough background checks. Have a longer waiting period. It makes sense to me, it's not an all-or-nothing proposal, but still there are some who think ANY regulation is a violation of their unassailable rights.
I just don't see why compromise is such a hard concept to grasp. (less)
This has never been one of my favorite King novels. It has that feeling of being a first novel- it's rough around the edges, has grammar and punctuati...moreThis has never been one of my favorite King novels. It has that feeling of being a first novel- it's rough around the edges, has grammar and punctuation issues, and just feels... Unpolished.
But there is something about King that is just compelling. Even with all the issues this book had, I still felt King's hand on it. The characters were not nearly as fleshed out as characters in his later stories, even The Shining written not long after Carrie, but they were still real, and I could identify with them. King's strength has always been his characters. Even the extraordinary ones like Carrie are, at heart, normal people put in a situation beyond reason, and sometimes it's heartbreaking to see where that goes. I felt for Carrie. Despite knowing ehat happens, I still wish for a different outcome.
I also noticed, in this reread, that there were a lot of idea precursors in this books. Concepts that King would take away and build on in other books. There's the White Commission which was definitely an early prototype of The Shop, mentioned in a few other notables, like Firestarter and Dreamcatcher. There's the concept of a car having power and influence, a la Christine, and a preview of The Kid. Quite a few ideas to revisit in later books. I also liked the reference to Rage. Nicely done there.
There is also the religious fundamentalism, which has been revisited in some other stories, but never as thoroughly as here... At least to my recollection. Margaret White is almost a founding member of the Westboro Baptist Church. Everything is a sin and God is a wrathful punisher. I could not imagine growing up in a home like that, and it makes me feel for Carrie all the more to think of how terrifying her every waking moment had to have been, knowing that home was less a haven than a prison.
Overall, this is an OK book, but not King's best. Still as a starting point for the career he has had, he could have done a lot worse!(less)
Alrighty... I'm having a really hard time mustering up any interest in this book, and so I'm calling it quits.
This was recommended to me by a friend...moreAlrighty... I'm having a really hard time mustering up any interest in this book, and so I'm calling it quits.
This was recommended to me by a friend who is really into the game, but it's just not really my thing. I've been told what happens in the second half of the book, and for me, it's not really worth sticking with it.
Once again I read this book through a stream of tears. I just can't seem to help it. It's just... the end, the losses, t...more*Sigh* It's over, once again.
Once again I read this book through a stream of tears. I just can't seem to help it. It's just... the end, the losses, the trials, everything. I just can't seem to turn off the tear ducts.
But my goodness, I love this book so much. Not only does everything come together, but we learn so much more about Dumbledore's history, and what he means when he says that it's choice over ability, what he means when he says that love is the most powerful, what he means when he says to trust in others. As a counterpoint, Voldemort only equates trusting with necessity and regret.
This book isn't perfect - it's just NEARLY perfect. I noticed this time around that there were an awful lot of colons strewn about. Places where I think a semicolon or comma or period would be better. But that was only a little distracting. I would also have liked a bit more of the epilogue, to know about everyone that I've loved all this time and how they are doing. And, I might have missed it, but I don't know how Harry and the others could have gotten to Shell Cottage, since Bill, Secret Keeper, hadn't told them about it. Technically, Ron shouldn't have been able to name it.
But. But, in light of the otherwise amazingness of this book, I can overlook one tiny little misstep plot hole. I mean, maybe Dobby had to really apparate them there, because Elf magic is different. But I still don't know how they'd have been able to speak the name of the place without Bill having first told them.
Anyway. I love the way that the Horcruxes and Hallows are blended here. Both are vital and important to Harry's success, and both must be sought for the right reasons. Not for personal gain or invincibility, but to help other people, to protect them.
I've read this series... many times. But it amazes me how I'm still affected by it, every time. I still get nervous for Harry, I still ache for his losses and fears. My heart still pounds every time Hermione is dragged off to be tortured and Ron screams for Bellatrix to take him instead immediately - no hesitation. It makes me love him even more because he doesn't even think about it - it's just a natural urge to protect her.
This book makes my soul ache. Love love love love it. I can't help it, I just wallow in it, and as much as I sob my way through it... it's in a proud way. I'm so proud of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Of Neville. Of all of them.
I remember when this book was originally released. I'd gotten into the Harry Potter phenomenon late, after the 5th book was out, and during the time b...moreI remember when this book was originally released. I'd gotten into the Harry Potter phenomenon late, after the 5th book was out, and during the time before Half-Blood Prince was out, I'd read and re-read the first 5 books... A LOT.
So then comes the 6th book's release, and by this time, I'm just as rabid for it as everyone else. I need to know what's happened. I need to know whether Sirius... but no. What I really need to know is What Will Harry Do Now? The day comes, and, at the time, I was working a late shift. I got out of work at 11:15pm, raced to the bookstore for the midnight release... and found it closed, dark, and the parking lot nearly empty when I got there at 11:30.
OH! I was LIVID. I immediately, literally standing in the parking lot, called the bookstore and ripped the manager a new one. The book releases at MIDNIGHT. I HAD A PRE-ORDER!! You don't get to sell it early just because you don't feel like being there into the early hours of the morning! I was so angry that Mr. Sheepishly Apologetic Bookstore Manager even offered to reopen the store for me.
I refused on principle. (What? He made me mad and I just wanted him to know it. Though, honestly, if I was really feeling vindictive, I should have made him re-openThe summumabeech.)
What does this story have to do with anything? Nothing much, except to establish my almost desperate frame of mind... I NEEDED that book. But I knew they'd be available everywhere. That night, there were so many copies of Half-Blood Prince around that I could practically have snagged one off of a passing owl.
And just as an aside, I'll tell you that when the 7th book came out a couple years later, that bookstore was open and selling them properly. I take personal credit. Not that I was there... I went to a different store, again on principle. Because I hold grudges like that. ;)
Anyway, with my new acquisition, I raced home, told my boyfriend he had to go out with his friends so that he didn't disturb me, and I devoured the book in hours. And it was like... a cool drink of water after you've been thirsty for a long time. I HAD A NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK!
But after finishing, I was like, "Eh, it's just a filler, bridge to the last book, book." I wasn't disappointed - don't get me wrong. I had loved it. But I am admitting that it took me a couple reads to really, REALLY appreciate it properly.
All the things that we learn, all the ways that this book brings all the things that we'd seen in the first 5 books together, how Harry finally realizes what it all means and what he'll have to do, how he can't just hope to keep defending himself and those he loves, but knows he'll need to go on the offensive if he hopes to win... It was all amazing, brilliantly woven together into this awesome next-to-last book.
When Harry tells Ron and Hermione about the real prophecy, and he is grateful to them for not shrinking away from him as though he'd suddenly turned leprous, it hits home just how alone Harry truly is. I never expected them to do differently... but Harry feared they might. It shows how much of a complex Harry has about his role in everything - he's always been alone, separate, so it surprises him that his friends would stick by him. And even at the very end, he is again surprised when they refuse to let him shrug them off and take the Horcrux Hunt onto his own shoulders completely.
Harry. Harry... You have better friends than you can possibly know. What I wouldn't give for friends that would stand with me like that, time after time after time, and in the face of such danger and fear.
Silly boy.
I also love Snape in this book. He's as much of a jerk as always, but in the chapter where he's running from Hogwarts, when he screams at Harry not to call him a coward, how his voice is described, how he's STILL trying to teach Harry, but Harry is too full of blind rage to hear, to think, to learn... It's... brilliant. Harry reaches his conclusions and refuses to see any other alternative, despite what Dumbledore has exemplified year after year - openmindedness, trust, understanding.
I remember the first time I'd ever read this book, and how I felt at the end - after everything that was lost... and I still feel that way to this day...moreI remember the first time I'd ever read this book, and how I felt at the end - after everything that was lost... and I still feel that way to this day: shocked, hollow, heartbroken, and furious.
OK, maybe not 'shocked' anymore, because now I know what's coming, but my point is that this book has the power to affect me... EVERY SINGLE TIME. And as loud as the emotions can be (Harry rampaging about being kept in the dark all summer when he finally is brought to Grimmauld Place, and After (capital A) in Dumbledore's office), it's the small things that gut me. Lupin's voice being full of pain, Harry's crushing realization that he wouldn't be kept waiting, especially when he was clearly in need.
Even writing this makes me tear up.
I know that there are a lot of people who dislike the angsty-ness of this book, but I think it's perfect. Harry is 15, right in the thick of his moody teen "I'm So Misunderstood" years, as Phinneas Nigellus is wont to point out, and I loved it. I don't mean to say that I LIKE it, because it is a tad frustrating, but I love it because it's realistic. Harry has been through more than most full-grown wizards, hell, more than some AURORS have been through, and he's left in the dark for so long that it's completely realistic that he should be frustrated and angry about it.
I love this book, and I love the way that the circumstances really become real to Harry in this book. After Cedric last year, and then the Longbottoms - I mean, I know that Harry knew what happened to them last year, but really SEEING them this year had to make it tangible how dangerous Lord Thingy's supporters can be, and then Sirius solidified it.
There's a lot that comes together in this book as well, most that becomes clear in the last two books, but it's starting to meld into a picture of the link that was formed that day in Godric's Hollow.
I bought this on a whim because the cover was absolutely adorable. And I really just can't resist adorably horrifying things. Plus it was on sale.
So,...moreI bought this on a whim because the cover was absolutely adorable. And I really just can't resist adorably horrifying things. Plus it was on sale.
So, anyway, I read this one while away from my main book, and... it was OK. Just OK. I thought that this would be better, honestly. A story about a boy who is scared of everything except The Frightening Things (a monster-under-the-bed, a ghost, and a skeleton) sounded really cute... but it just kind of fell flat.
I know that it's a children's story, but there was just something missing. There was a lot of "and then this happened", and not enough actual story. And I found the writing really repetitive. Lots of lists of things that Dinkin is frightened of, lots of probability statistics, and lots and lots and lots of extremely specific time stats, like "36 seconds later, Dinkin stopped doing ____" or whatever.
The illustrations were cute, but I don't really think that's enough. I wanted more from this. *shrug*(less)
Once again, this book is awesome. It's the turning point in the series. The place where SHIT GETS REAL.
We see Harry go through some real challenges i...moreOnce again, this book is awesome. It's the turning point in the series. The place where SHIT GETS REAL.
We see Harry go through some real challenges in this book, and not just the ones that Voldy cooked up through his devious evility, but challenges that any normal teen may go through... jealousy, a strained-to-the-breaking-point friendship, a crush, and bullying... and that's a day in Harry's life BEFORE anyone tries to kill him.
There's something about these books that just pulls my heartstrings, too... and his name is Ron. I love love love love Ron. He is my favorite character, by far, of the series. It breaks my heart a little to see him wearing too-short PJs, and it's embarrassing to me, both on Ron's behalf and for Harry, to know that Harry sees it, acknowledges and pities Ron for it, but disregards it in his anger. And Ron's reaction to Harry's anger, or lack of one, speaks volumes, and breaks my heart still more.
And this is the kind of thing that I love about JKR's writing. That scene seems so simple on the surface - Ron interrupts Harry when he's trying to talk to Snuffles, and since Ron has been acting like a jerk, Harry uses the interruption to vent his frustration. But what's implied, and what's NOT said are what makes the scene so emotionally powerful to me. And every single time I tear up.
There are some things that I noticed on this 374th reading of the book that stood out as improbable, like how does Voldemort keep his wand for 13 years of being incorporeal? Someone else would have had to have held onto it for him, but if that's the case, why wouldn't they have helped him arise again? And likewise, I find it hard to believe that Voldy did ZERO magic between killing Lily Potter and then killing Bertha Jorkins 13 years later. Priori Incantatem shows the spells that a wand has performed... It showed the hand that Voldemort had conjured for Wormtail, and screaming to indicate the Cruciatus curse he used on Harry, so why did it not reflect any of the magic he'd have had to do to get to Bertha's memories? Likely this is just due to the amount of time that it would have needed to show them all, but some sort of explanation would be better than none.
But still... I love this book, and there's a reason why it was my favorite for so long. I love the emotional impact of this book, and how draining it is to read. I love that I finish this book with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart for the things that I know are coming... but I can't help but want more. (less)
This isnt my favorite of the series, and I generally don't like the time-turner bit, but I love this book for what it represents, especially to Harry:...moreThis isnt my favorite of the series, and I generally don't like the time-turner bit, but I love this book for what it represents, especially to Harry: looks can be deceiving, and friends can be found in the most unlikely places. (less)
I always seem to forget just how funny this book is. Gilderoy Lockhart is so comically, appallingly inept that you just can't help but find him funny....moreI always seem to forget just how funny this book is. Gilderoy Lockhart is so comically, appallingly inept that you just can't help but find him funny.
Since it's been a while since my last re-read, I'm kind of seeing these books in a new light. It's a little strange, because I'm seeing little flaws and things, questions and such... like why Mrs. Weasley would ask what the platform number is in the first book (considering that she went to Hogwarts herself, and has been bringing her kids to King's Cross for years already by the time we see her help Harry through to Platform 9 3/4). Or why Ron would have had a hand-me-down wand - wouldn't his brother have still needed it? Why would he have gotten a new one?
But I still enjoy the series so much that even these little things can't really dampen my love for Harry Potter. They are just such a pleasure to experience, no matter how many times I've been here before. (less)
I love this series... it's crazy how emotional it makes me just reading the first line, knowing what's in store... I've read these dozens of times, an...moreI love this series... it's crazy how emotional it makes me just reading the first line, knowing what's in store... I've read these dozens of times, and since I wasn't re-reading last year I missed my annual re-read, almost physically. I am so happy to be able to go back to Hogwarts, finally! (less)
![DEAD[ish]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288854653s/6599765.jpg "DEAD[ish]")
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