false 21 359 178 true 5621770 read 6 true 642700 currently-reading 175 true 642699 to-read 63 false 4799829 own-it 57 false 3765771 childrens-ya 41 false 758099 fantasy 29 false 1056923 victorian 28 false 1084829 syllabus-material 28 false 1056908 classics 19 false 758094 chicklit 19 false 1056909 feminism 16 false 1084854 american 16 false 3765779 absolute-favorites 14 false 3367125 drama 13 false 1084853 gothic 10 false 3367129 renaissance 10 false 3384197 vampire-literature 9 false 3252748 partially-read 8 false 3384138 eighteenth-century 6 false 1056945 novelofsensibility 3 false 3384149 non-fiction 3 false 1356757 new-woman 3 false 3384163 criticism 2 false 3367124 poetry 2 false 3373647 modernism 1 false 1093890 decadence http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78041303 to: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
I'm looking for something to fulfill me the way 'Hunger Games' did, and there's nothing, absolutely nothing. : ( ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61038538 to: Fire (Hardcover) by Kristin Cashore
bookshelves: childrens-ya, fantasy
Hmmm, I had a hard time rating this novel. There were times when the heroine annoyed the hell out of me (think Bella in 'New Moon'), and I found myself skimming pages. Portions of the novel were highly enjoyable (the time Fire spends with the royal family was particularly interesting), and one of the final passages left me in tears. I figure it averages out at a 2.5 star rating.

One of chief annoyances with this book is that tying it to Cashore's earlier novel 'Graceling' is a bit of a stretch. The only character the two texts share is barely features in 'Fire.' In fact, if you removed this sole figure from the book, the narrative is not dramatically altered in any way. I felt the motivation to put him in the story was wholly monetary: the book can now be marketed as a prequel to an already successful novel, and thus draw in more readers. Whatever.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74049068 to: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (Hardcover) by Elna Baker
bookshelves: non-fiction
Interesting stuff. The idea of this biography intrigued me. The first couple of chapters in particular are absolutely hilarious. Baker's portrayal of Mormon singles culture generates a lot of laughs, and I certainly related to her struggles with faith. But a few things about her confused me. At times she seems to be looking for any excuse to abandon her religion once and for all (and if you're looking for a reason to leave, that's not the best sign) and at other times I was surprised at how conservative she is (garments under your lingerie anyone?).

On another note, I have to question the authenticity of the author's tale. It's been published as a biography, but it doesn't take long for the reader to discover she's a compulsive liar. What's to keep her from lying, in turn, to the reader? So when sweet little Elna finds herself making out with an older celebrity she has psuedonymously called Warren Beatty, I can't help but be suspicious.

All in all, an intriguing, fast read. However, those seeking a clean read with religious morality should look elsewhere. Baker fairly warns the reader about the profanity in her dedication. Additionally, the brutual honesty with which she relates her (albeit mild) sexual experiences might be offensive to some readers. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77294307 to: Hush, Hush (Hardcover) by Becca Fitzpatrick
bookshelves: childrens-ya, fantasy
I was in the mood for some cheesy, lighthearted fare, and 'Hush, Hush' certainly fit the bill. It is what it is, and I wouldn't advise any reader to expect more from it. But it was fun enough. It draws you in quickly and the central relationship was definitely better developed than that in 'The Vampire Diaries' which was fresh on my mind. The middle is definitely messy and the tone was completely off. The ending clarified a few confusing points and kept me intersted enough to want to read a sequel. Imagine the typical teen vampire novel and replace the undead with fallen angels. That's what you'll find here. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77294203 to: The Awakening and The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #1-2) by L.J. Smith
bookshelves: childrens-ya, fantasy, vampire-literature
I caved in and read these, because I've been enjoying the tv show in a guilty pleasure sort of way (don't judge me) and felt curious about how it compared with its source material. I can sum these two novels up in one word: bland. As sad as it sounds, I believe the television series is infinitely superior, and I'm not sure I'll bother to continue on with the books. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/24206-nov-dec-neo-victorian-book-vote Diana voted on the poll: Nov/Dec Neo-Victorian Book Vote ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73235119 to: The Painted Veil (Paperback) by W. Somerset Maugham
When Ashley suggested we read this work together, I admit to feeling slightly apprehensive about it. It wasn't because I thought she had selected an uninteresting read (not by any means), but I was scared off by the date of publication. I think I might have mentioned here before how I struggle with modernism as a literary movement (I'm just too stupid to fully connect with it), and I noticed that the dates of several of Maugham's works coincided with those of high modernism.

However, I was thrilled to find that 'The Painted Veil' is very readable and accessible to 'slow' readers like me. W. Somerset Maugham has a way with words that is captivating, but never ostentatious. Above all, I was transfixed by his characters. There aren't many of them in this novel, but because there are so few, each makes a strong impression in the reader's mind. For some reason, Charlie Townsend was especially interesting to me. And witnessing Kitty's gradual transformation was a fantastic reading experience. My only complaint is that there came a point where the pacing seemed to slow significantly. It might be due to external factors, therefore I am hesitant to attribute this to Maugham and his elegant prose. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/218520-tbr-lists Diana made a comment in the Victorians! group:

I, like Paula, strongly believe in always having a book on hand; one never knows when one will be left waiting. I have even been known to read at stop lights that seem to rest on red for ages. Sometimes I insist on taking two books with me everywhere, in order to accomodate my mood and the amount of time I expect to be able to read.

As far was wishing for snowstorms, I take it on step further and actually relish the thought of catching the flu so that I might have a few days of uninterrupted reading. Is that horrible? Wait, don't answer that. : ) ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72800649 to: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Dover Thrift Editions) by Mark Twain
bookshelves: american, classics
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72531130 The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (Paperback) by Sue Monk Kidd
bookshelves: to-read
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