Although the characters started out cardboard flat and just as bland, by the end of the book I really got a good feeling for the "bad guy", heretofore...moreAlthough the characters started out cardboard flat and just as bland, by the end of the book I really got a good feeling for the "bad guy", heretofore referred to as The Priest so as not to spoil his identity. The rest of the characters mostly remained paperdolls in The Priest's play, moving around as clever chess pieces to foil and ultimately thwart him. This is not a spoiler, so much as a trope of murder mysteries, so there. Ultimately however, The Priest does win in a way by redeeming himself and doing some good before his curtain call. The women in this novel actually stand out more than the men, mostly because there are so few of them, and because this was written in 1985, any spectacular women have to be especially so, simply because they are women. Still Susan Calder, Tanya Voroninova, and Morag Finlay are interesting and well defined individuals in a way that the men are not, which is a shame because we aren't even introduced to any of the female characters until about 80 pages in and there are wide gaps between them in some cases.
The plot was pretty typical of this genre and nothing really special. There's a bit of IRA thrown in there and some references to 30 year old Irish-English politics, but your basic political thriller with the usual "flavor" slapped all over it to disguise the fact you ate the same thing yesterday. Overall, the writing was pleasant enough and the dialog was actually intriguing in most places.
Beautiful graphics, an endearing story line. Some of the words might challenge a younger reader, but it is easy enough to comprehend and absolutely de...moreBeautiful graphics, an endearing story line. Some of the words might challenge a younger reader, but it is easy enough to comprehend and absolutely delightful.(less)
While this isn't my favorite Neil Gaiman, I quite enjoyed listening to this while driving down to Tennessee during the recent downpour and subsquent f...moreWhile this isn't my favorite Neil Gaiman, I quite enjoyed listening to this while driving down to Tennessee during the recent downpour and subsquent flooding (May 3, 2010). The poor weather and slightly morbid story meshed well in most, but not all parts of the book. Overall, this is not a book about a boy whose family is killed by a member of a supernatural secret society and who is then adopted by a couple of the residents of a nearby graveyard. Really this is another coming of age tale with some supernatural elements. And that's okay.
Throughout the book Bod gains new responsibilities and begins to behave appropriately according to those responsibilities. The first one that comes to mind is the first time his guardian Silas must leave the graveyard and he is stuck with Miss Lupescu. While they have a tenative relationship at best, this changes once Bod realizes that Silas and Lupescu have the best intentions for his well being, etc.
Bod's final step in becoming an adult is the realization of all the possibilities his life holds. And that he must also be responsible for the well being of others (as evidenced by his offer of help to Silas).
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
Note: The is a review of an advanced reader copy, there may be some discrepancies between this review and the finished work.
Similar to Brian Lumley's...moreNote: The is a review of an advanced reader copy, there may be some discrepancies between this review and the finished work.
Similar to Brian Lumley's Necroscope, The Fall is a fast paced vampire epic where the vampires are not just monsters but a parasitic infection. I would say Lumley did it best, but Del Toro and Hogan's work offers a fairly interesting read. Setrakian is the most fascinating character, and luckily we get some of his back story, which involves run-ins with vampires during the Holocaust.
There are some portions of the book that seem unnecessary or a little weak. I saw no reason to include the astronaut scenes (of which there were only two anyway), there were some very random uses of em-dashes, and sometimes the plot was detracted by back story in a way that interrupted the flow of the action.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy at ALA Annual 2010.
There is a lot of good information in this book, particularly about Family Based Therapy...moreI received this as an Advanced Reader Copy at ALA Annual 2010.
There is a lot of good information in this book, particularly about Family Based Therapy and this family's experience with it.
Unfortunately, Brown is so wrapped up in her own issues and emotions involving anorexia that her work because repetitive. She is overly defensive and I would like to see this reduced by about 25-50 pages, because I think that's how much could be cut out and still make sense. I wanted to the moments she had with her daughter to stand out by themselves rather than having Brown tell us her feelings and how helpless, guilty, scared, etc. etc. she felt. It's that whole Show versus Tell thing, and we get way more telling, and the little showing Brown does is ruined by even more telling.
I understand that the author digests by writing, but in order for this to be more readable there needs to be a little less digesting by the author so the reader can do their own chewing. The place for the commentary is in the research that Brown inserts into the narrative, which honestly I think would have been more useful and less jarring if she had separated it from the narrative of Kitty and her family.
This is probably a good read for people interested in using Family Based Therapy with their children, but I'm not sure it has much use for entertainment or pure research value (the bibliography might be a good starting place for research though).
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books. (less)
Note: This is a review of an Advance Reading Copy, changes may be made to the final version.
There is some good solid writing in this. Lots and lots of...moreNote: This is a review of an Advance Reading Copy, changes may be made to the final version.
There is some good solid writing in this. Lots and lots of good solid writing. In fact, there is so much solid writing that I was overwhelmed by it. There were moments when I was begging for plain, simple sentences and the only time I got it was in dialog. The rest of the time I was beaten over the head with wordy sentences stretching an average of 3 lines. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of flowery language, but this was a little much.
Also, I have no idea what was going on with the Knedlik twins. They seemed completely superfluous to the plot, could have done without that 3 or so chapters. It seemed like no one knew what was going on with those guys, inside or out of the book.
There are some major mommy and daddy issues in the book, I have enough of my own so I wasn't really into seeing anyone else's dragged up for the entire 300 pages, which was only occasionally broken up by a horse race or descriptions of farm chores. Yup. It's about as exciting as Farmville, if you're into that sort of thing. I debated giving this two stars, but I just really wasn't into the content either.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
There was some rather clever wordsmithing going on in this book. The concept was even intriguing. Unfortunately that is not enough to save the ploddin...moreThere was some rather clever wordsmithing going on in this book. The concept was even intriguing. Unfortunately that is not enough to save the plodding pace and the inexplicable decision to almost end the world in first 50 or so pages and THEN throw us into nearly 300 pages of backstory before finally resolving the story.
Harkaway has some fantastic ideas and there are some hilarious moments, maybe a little too hilarious for the tone and overarching themes. Mimes, ninjas, and tupperware fights are all well and good, but it just doesn't work for me when you're setting up a world overrun by thought-created new beings and creatures and an organization that is more machine than entity.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
An excellent allegory for the feelings experienced during life changing events (particularly aging and retirement). The initial symbol is actually Lia...moreAn excellent allegory for the feelings experienced during life changing events (particularly aging and retirement). The initial symbol is actually Liam's memory loss, which is used as a means of trying to retain connections to a life that no longer pertains to him and no longer directly affects him - the loss of his job resulted only in the loss of work he did not particularly find rewarding. This is similar to the incident that caused the gap in memory - the break in and assault that resulted only in physical harm rather than property damage or theft. Tyler finishes the novel with a discussion between Liam and his grandson about Noah's ark. This results in Liam realizing that his recovering his memory about his assault would be much like Noah having a compass: even if he had it, it wouldn't change the fact that he's in limbo waiting for the waters to recede so he can set foot on land again.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
Note: this review pertains to an Advance Reader Copy and may not coincide completely with the final printing.
Johns spent so much time making Countess...moreNote: this review pertains to an Advance Reader Copy and may not coincide completely with the final printing.
Johns spent so much time making Countess Bathory human that I wasn't convinced that anger, entitlement, and abandonment/trust issues were enough to make her snap and commit the atrocities she did. While Bathory did seem to exhibit quite a few signs of megalomania, I didn't see enough other mental illness or cruelty that would indicate she was capable of torturing and killing her servants, especially after she was presented as such a precise housekeeper and businesswoman. If this was the case she would know it would be more difficult to replace the help adequately if she gained a reputation, plus she would have factored in the time to train the new servants.
I wish this had stayed more true the letter format, instead it turned into more of a memoir written for and to Bathory's son. I think it would have added more suspense if it was handed out to us in more piecemeal bits. This may even have worked better as a diary.
I think I was mostly disappointed with this just because Bathory is such an interesting and unknown character in history. We know all sorts of things about Vlad the Impaler, but because Bathory was a woman her life has little historical record.
On the other hand, I think Johns does an excellent job of presenting a very particular voice. I think she wove fact and fiction together in a palatable manner. Her characters were believable, even if their motivations weren't, and this would certainly appeal to anyone looking for a good courtly drama. Those looking for the next Dracula, however, should move on.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
I thought if I heard one more description of how "gorgeous and perfect" Damen is, how Haven eats her cupcakes, or the phrase "a single red tulip" I wa...moreI thought if I heard one more description of how "gorgeous and perfect" Damen is, how Haven eats her cupcakes, or the phrase "a single red tulip" I was going to puke. This book was repetitive to a fault. The entire thing. I don't think there was anything new in this at all, which would have been fine except for the redundancies in the book itself. There are only so many times before having Damen pull a single red tulip from behind Ever's ear starts the eye rolling. That number is pretty much one, but additional times included gagging.
The thing I hate most about these books is that it seems to encourage young women to continue dating jerks who play games with them. You know the game, the "I'm going to lavish extreme, almost stalkerish amounts of attentions on you and then ignore you completely" game. Because if you stay with him then he may just be your soul maaaaaate. If that's my soul mate I would like to excavate my soul. It also teaches young women that somewhere out there is a the most perfect, gorgeous, and sophisticated man out there and you don't need to date anyone else until you find him, oh and if he doesn't tell you anything about himself, that's okay because that warm tingly feeling between your legs means it's true love.
In my 10+ years of dating experience I have yet to meet this man, as a potential suitor or as someone else's husband. This man does not exist. Every person has flaws, get over it, date and learn how to have a real relationship instead of this, "I know nothing about him, but I loooooove him" crap.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books. (less)
Disclaimer: Received as a free Advanced Reader Copy from the First Reads Program.
I'm afraid I'm just not a big fan of mystery novels in general, altho...moreDisclaimer: Received as a free Advanced Reader Copy from the First Reads Program.
I'm afraid I'm just not a big fan of mystery novels in general, although I like to think I can pick out a good novel even in a genre I don't care for. I think perhaps The Holy Thief was just a little too ambitious for a first time novel. There are some really great things going on here, namely the Thieves, particularly the mention of their tattoos; the street kids of Russia; and the author Babel. Sadly, we don't get to see much of this, and what we do see is kind of humdrum.
There are also some fairly distracting similes in this novel, two "favorites" being, "The lie tasted like meatballs in his mouth" and someone staring at someone "like he farted during the ballet." It was distracting and completely out of tone with the rest of the novel. If Ryan wanted some comedic relief, he could have done it better by using his characters, namely Babel. Want more Babel.
I would also say that this novel is trying to spread itself into three genres. We obviously know it's a murder mystery, because there's a dead body and it's "about" a police detective even if he is Soviet Militiaman (in Soviet Russia, murder mystery solve you?). However, I would venture that Ryan is also trying to write a historical fiction novel AND a political thriller. Sadly, it just doesn't work in this case. It's a little too watered down in certain areas because of the other genre influences to really satisfy any genre reader, and definitely not strong enough to stand on its own.
Finally...I would say that the ending was a little anti-climactic, but there was really no build-up in order for there to be a climax. This book is nothing but plateau. I guess if you're into being literally frustrated this might just be for you, but I need a little more...satisfaction. I have no idea how this book review turned into entendre, but there it is.
There are things that might be fixed before the final copy is released...but I don't think it will be drastically enough for me to change my rating. And there's no way I'm re-reading this.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books. (less)
While this is not my typical fair, I rather enjoyed the lyrical writing style Law employed. The plot was not completely predictable, although I felt i...moreWhile this is not my typical fair, I rather enjoyed the lyrical writing style Law employed. The plot was not completely predictable, although I felt it was somewhat drawn out in places and the "night bus" metaphor was used as more of a bludgeon than a subtle undertone. I think the amnesia thing has also been beaten over the head, but Law uses it as a method of slowly revealing bits and pieces of important memories, as well as allowing for some truly wonder detailed descriptions that we might not see otherwise.
Not a bad read, I don't regret reading it, although I probably won't actively seek out more of her work either.
The reviewer is a graduate of Kent State University's Library Science program, an Antioch College alumna, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
This thing needs some serious editing. I found myself constantly unsure of whether or not I had read a...moreNote: This is a review of an uncorrected proof.
This thing needs some serious editing. I found myself constantly unsure of whether or not I had read a passage before because of unnecessarily repetitive information. A good portion of the book also focuses on the effect Cleopatra had on her famous and influential lovers rather than vice versa. In other words, for a biography that is supposedly about a very powerful woman in her own right, the biographer spends an awful lot of time talking about Mark Antony and Julius Cesar and their respective politics instead. This is certainly interesting information, but Schiff seems to have been greatly sidetracked away from the main focus of her subject.
The narration of this is often terribly wordy. I imagine the final product will read more smoothly, but there were obvious errors including word duplications and stranded thoughts where the author started with one thread and picked up another without accounting for the previous words, etc. The work is fairly readable for all that, but will probably only be of real interest to the more serious scholars. The Endnotes section is particularly impressive and bodes well for the amount and thoroughness of Schiff's research.(less)
Hurray! A smutty book in which the smut doesn't get in the way of the plot. A semi-steampunk book in which the author doesn't try to distract us from...moreHurray! A smutty book in which the smut doesn't get in the way of the plot. A semi-steampunk book in which the author doesn't try to distract us from poor character development with endless descriptions of detailed gadgetry. A paranormal novel in which the paranormals are actually dangerous and not twinkling twinkies.
There is just the right amount of everything in this book. No one element overwhelms another and the result is a pleasant novel that any escapist would relish. The action is good, the writing is quick paced and not too heavy handed (despite being set in Victorian England). The mix of Victorian values with less restrained vampire and werewolf culture is almost hilarious as Tarabotti learns to deal with pack protocol. All in all, this is a fabulous, "fluffy" read for those looking for something fun AND well written.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books. (less)
In some ways, Changeless is the book that Soulless was not. We have a little more steampunk in this novel, which I felt was lacking from Soulless (thi...moreIn some ways, Changeless is the book that Soulless was not. We have a little more steampunk in this novel, which I felt was lacking from Soulless (this is according to the author's description of the genres covered by the book). This also had the cliffhanger ending I was looking for to make me come back to the series. I'm actually unsure as the why Carriger didn't wait to resolve the marriage issue until this book, that way we'd have both a resolution and a loose end to play with in this volume.
All in all, an excellent follow-up novel, loved the new characters. Alexia seems to really be growing into her political role and I'm interested to see how the relationship between Alexia and Connall develops.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.(less)
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