bookshelves: fantasy, history-project, ya
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bookshelves: currently-reading
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by Gail Carriger
Deirdre wrote: "I've been looking at this book meaning to read it, you have me sold on it!"
If you want a loan, let me know! I'd be interested to see what you think of it. ]]>
bookshelves: listened-to, ya
Still digesting this a bit, but my general feeling is that there was a bit too much going on, though much of it was wonderful. The combination of a regular coming-of-age story with a 'Asperger's is the closest to a description of my condition' one with a romance with a legal-mystery with a spiritual coming-of-age was a lot for one book, and I thought it left some of the elements which were resolved wonderfully in one sphere very much less so in another. The spiritual and the regular coming-of-age elements worked beautifully together for example, but Marcelo's slower than 'normal' development and slower than 'normal' ability to figure things out left me more unhappy with the romantic resolution. Granted, Marcelo hadn't had to rise to the challenge to that degree ever before, and his learning curve might well be expected to be quicker than average, but still. The guy who a few weeks before was unable to decide whether to help his 'friend' Wendell (a stinker if there ever was one!), who was obviously (to the reader) intent on setting up a date-rape, a few weeks later being ready to decide on the plan for the rest of his life, involving a romantic commitment to a *much* more mature-seeming girl... not so sure.
That said, I loved the whole treatment of figuring out what the moral/ethical course of action is when it's complicated. And Aurora was wonderful, though I kind of wished there hadn't been such a divide between the moral judgment of his parents, although in fairness, there was one adult male on the side of the angels for the most part, to balance it out. I was also a bit less than taken with Jasmin's dad, who seemed to take the crusty, earthy Vermont close-to-the-land thing to amazingly crude heights!
The book obviously made me think though, given all that rambling. ]]>
bookshelves: currently-listening-to
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bookshelves: fantasy, ya
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Hallie
read and liked
Sammee (I Want to Read That)'s
review of Betrayals (Strange Angels, #2):
"I really, really enjoyed this. Unlike Strange Angels it started with good momentum and kept it up throughout, incorporating some standout action scenes. Dru was slightly down beat but I felt this was to be expected considering everything that’s hap...more "
"I really, really enjoyed this. Unlike Strange Angels it started with good momentum and kept it up throughout, incorporating some standout action scenes. Dru was slightly down beat but I felt this was to be expected considering everything that’s hap...more "
bookshelves: fantasy, historical-fiction
Very enjoyable comedy-of-manners/romance/historical/vampire-and-werewolf story set in Victorian London. I really liked Alexia and her bookishness, independence and snarky wit was very appealing. The story was good too - fascinating take on vampires as bee-like, complete with hives, drones and queens. The werewolves' pack-behaviour was generally good too, but I got fairly tired of Lord Maccon's super-macho alpha maleness after a while, especially once Alexia started lusting after
bookshelves: currently-reading, on-order
Not sure about the title, but Sara Zarr has an essay in here, so it's a must-read. ]]>
bookshelves: due-out-in-2010, to-read
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