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July 11
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New comment on Jamie's review of
America Day by Day
(see all 2 comments)
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Miina
gave
 
to:
Maigret and the Spinster (Paperback)
by Georges Simenon
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended to Miina by:
Mama Ellen
read in May, 2008
Miina said:
"I accidentally clicked "like this review" on the only other person who has reviewed this book. I wish I could take it back.
Anyway.
This was my first introduction to the works of the Belgian author Georges Simenon and it just happens to ...more
I accidentally clicked "like this review" on the only other person who has reviewed this book. I wish I could take it back.
Anyway.
This was my first introduction to the works of the Belgian author Georges Simenon and it just happens to be my intro into what is probably his best known character, Commissaire Maigret, the dedicted, grumpy and often drinking French inspector. Of somewhat interest, while Simenon was a self-proclaimed sex addict who "needed sex at least 3 times a day", and was willing to pay for it, Inspector Maigret remains faithful to his wife throughout all of the 75 novels and 28 short stories in which he is featured. Simenon, by the way, was one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century. It's true. I read it on Wikipedia AND in a "Nation" book review.
The story was engaging enough and a super easy read. I had some problems with the plot because at some points it seems like Simenon just expects us to make leaps of logic in the advancement of the plot when in actuality, I didn't think there was much to support the progression. It's almost as if he wrote it as a screenplay and we the reader were supposed to create the visuals in our head that would magically coalesce the clues together in a rational fashion. Or, perhaps, these failings are due to the translator. I just don't know.
The book was entertaining enough so that I am planning on reading further of the adventures of Maigret....less
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Miina
read and liked
Laura's
review of Maigret and the spinster:
"after listening to all those radio plays this is very much what I expected. There were as many ellipses as straight-up periods at the ends of sentences, and Maigret mopes around a lot of the time with his hands in his pockets, arguing with suspects l...more
after listening to all those radio plays this is very much what I expected. There were as many ellipses as straight-up periods at the ends of sentences, and Maigret mopes around a lot of the time with his hands in his pockets, arguing with suspects like a cranky old grandpa.
Not a particularly fascinating plotline in this one. The ending, however, both surprised me and seemed realistic. I suppose I will have to go read another Maigret book to see how I really feel about the series.
It was a very fast read....less
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Miina
marked as to-read:
A Long Fatal Love Chase (Paperback)
by Louisa May Alcott
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Miina
marked as to-read:
Street Magic (The Circle Opens #2)
by Tamora Pierce
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Miina
is currently reading:
Magic Steps (The Circle Opens, Book 1)
by Tamora Pierce
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Miina
gave
to:
Briar's Book (Circle of Magic #4)
by Tamora Pierce
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Miina
gave
to:
Daja's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 3)
by Tamora Pierce
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Miina
gave
to:
Tris's Book (Circle Of Magic, Book 2)
by Tamora Pierce
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Miina
gave
to:
Sandry's Book (Circle Of Magic, Book 1)
by Tamora Pierce
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Miina said:
"This review will bascially serve as a review of the entire "Circle of Magic" quartet. For those of you don't know, it's young adult fantasy fiction. They are easy to read and I became weirdly obsessed with them. I read the entire quartet wi...more
This review will bascially serve as a review of the entire "Circle of Magic" quartet. For those of you don't know, it's young adult fantasy fiction. They are easy to read and I became weirdly obsessed with them. I read the entire quartet within a week and a half time frame. The writing style is simple and it seems like the author knows her limits but I think her dramatic climaxes could be more powerful. Then again, maybe she's pulling her punches due to the nature of her target audience.
What's great about these books is that there are multiple strong female characters who don't exactly fall into stereotypical gender roles. True, the book is about "craft magic" - the young children (10 years of age or so)all discover they have unusual magical abilities in the arts of gardening, cloth making, forging and, well, climate control. Three of the four youths are girls but it is the boy who is the garden specialist and he is being taught by a strong and respected female mage.
Side bar: Notice how I said "youths" and not "kids"? The author has a serious bug up her butt about the use of "kids", which are really baby goats if you want to technical, in reference to children. Anytime time the term "kid" is used by one of the characters, Pierce makes it a point to pause and explain that "kid is street slang for a child." I want to yell at her, "Thanks I got it the first two times you pointed it out now please shut up about it already! Baaaaah!!" And since I'm on a contentious roll, I was annoyed with one of her examples of "inappropriate use of magic". A mage elsewhere was trying to harness wind or sea power to use as an alternative energy source for something but Mother Nature said no and blew the place up because there was too much power to handle. It just disappointed me because it seemed like a negative comment against researching alternative energy resoures. However, since she does not seem to get political elsewhere in the quartet, I'll admit that my interpretation of her message just might be errorneous.
Anyway, don't get me wrong, this book isn't over the top with a "Yay Girls Rule and Boys Drool" message. The four young mages have multi-faceted personalities and each book of the quartet focuses a little more on one of them and the protrayals are by no means based on gender stereotypes, or racial stereotypes for that matter.
I also like that there are positive adult examples in this book who are teaching the young mages how to grow their powers and use them ethically. I mean, that's what adults are supposed to do right? Our teachers are not the enemy and they are to be respected. I like that this quartet enforces that message. In fact, I dare say that this quartet delivers a lot of positive messages that could benefit a young reader's self esteem and their relationships with their "teachers". In addition, "The Circle of Magic" really emphasizes how much stronger individuals are when they work together as a group. AND the author does a nice job of subtly pointing out how there is everyday magic in the creation of arts and crafts. See? Positive lessons abound in these books. Buy them for the young adults in your life but read them first so you can talk to them about the stories. Plus, they're just kinda enjoyable anyways....less
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