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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'Santa Olivia']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61426831
to: Santa Olivia (Paperback)byJacqueline Carey
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'The Angel's Game']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61424094
to: The Angel's Game (Hardcover)byCarlos Ruiz Zafón
Zafón's previous novel, The Shadow of the Wind, is one of my all-time favorites. So it's no surprise that I bought his latest novel the day it came out, and I am pleased to say that Angel's Game is just as rewarding.
I think Zafón's style is really something special. He's a master of description and mood, and the characters he weaves together are vivid and unapologetic in their realness. The elements of the supernatural and macabre are handled exactly right, so that one feels chills at times during the reading, but not to the point that suspension of disbelief is lost.
This novel takes place before The Shadow of the Wind, set in the same Barcelona and therefore connected in small ways, but this is not what I'd consider a prequel (and it's not billed as such, that I know of). As an aspiring writer, I loved watching the main character grow and evolve through success and failure, and could relate to much of what he experiences. Although it's not the main focus of the book, he faces a choice I think most writers, if not all, have to make from time to time--the craft vs. loved ones. It is uncomfortable, but true, that at times it is near-impossible to put one's masterpiece aside for the sake of duty to another human being, be it ailing parent or lonely friend or selfish sibling.
This book is also thick with philosophy and philosophical debates, and my gears are still whirring after finishing the first read. Zafón does an excellent job of showing the different sides of the central arguments, so that the novel is rich with a lavish banquet of mental food. And this is exactly how I think books should be--dense with the weight of the words propelling both characters and story so that in the end it stays wrapped around one's memory for a time, tinting everything in life from a new perspective.
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'The Enemy']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61421987
to: The Enemy (Jack Reacher Series, #8)byLee Child
Lee Child is a mystery writer I've heard about from more than one friend, so I grabbed this one on a whim at the supermarket. I had a feeling it wasn't the first in his Jack Reacher series, and I normally like to begin at the beginning, but I figured if the writer was any good then I should still be able to enjoy it, right?
I had a lot of fun reading this. From a writing standpoint, I was pretty appalled by the opening paragraph--the first sentence of the book is a fragment, a metaphor, and an uninteresting and expected metaphor at that. But I didn't let this stop me, and as the story gets going I realized that this is the kind of book where the plot and the research carry all the interest, not the writing. The writing is clipped and choppy at times, which matches the rigid military setting... but also comes across as inexperienced.
Child's wealth of knowledge and experience, and his creativity are obvious in other ways. I found his insights on human behavior and psychology to be captivating, expecially in interview situations and when dealing with military hierarchy. I would definitely read more of his books!
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'Swag']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61419854
to: Swag (Paperback)byElmore Leonard
I picked this up not knowing it was written in 1976; the synopsis on the back is what made me take it home since I figured it was time I gave Leonard a try. I intended to buy "Get Shorty", I think, but the bookstore was sold out of it so I grabbed this instead. It was the synopsis that got me, but more than that it was the Boston Globe quote on the back describing Leonard's prose as being "lean and shifty," which is exactly what I wanted to take a loot at since I'm working on achieving the same kind of atmosphere in one of my current projects.
At any rate, I had a great time with this book. I wanted to get a look at how real men act, think, and behave, both on the page and with one another. The dialogue between the main guys, Ryan and Stick, was entertaining, witty, and above all, it was real. I've heard that Leonard is a master at dialogue, and I would have to agree.
I also enjoyed--although as I said, this wasn't something I anticipated--the time warp back to a period pre-dating cell phones, cars with automatic locks, and video cameras in every store, hallway, alleyway, and elevator. I think the total lack of instant communication made the tension so much higher for me, watching the players in action hoping and praying for nothing strange to mess up the heist, and of course, not to get caught.
Would definitely recommend this book to others, whether crime fiction is your thing or not. Leonard is a terrific writer.
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1321805
to: Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales (Paperback)byStephen King
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'Water for Elephants']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1793880
to: Water for Elephants (Paperback)bySara Gruen
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<![CDATA[Elizabeth added 'The Shadow of the Wind']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51886969
to: The Shadow of the Wind (Paperback)byCarlos Ruiz Zafón
I bought this book and had it on my shelf for years before I finally decided to crack it open. I was instantly hooked--this book appealed to my undying love of books as well as my pursuit of authorship, and yet I can't imagine a person reading the first thirty pages or so and deciding to put it down for something else. Not a chance.
I always read with a pen or pencil in my hand, and I got about halfway through when I realized something horrible--the copy I had was misbound! Eighty pages were printed twice, and thirty were missing. So my dilemma was this: Considering all my precious notetaking, do I keep going and skip the thirty pages on the chance they're not vital? Or do I go buy another copy?
In the end, I bought a second copy--I was so impressed by the book that I didn't want to miss even one page, much less thirty. Since the discovery of the misprinting had happened late at night, thit meant I had to wait through a whole workday in suspence before I could get to the bookstore. But wouldn't you know those thirty pages have THE MOST EXCITING things happen in them?!
Yes, I have two copies of this book on my shelf, one with notes in the first half, one with notes in the second half. But I do not regret it one bit.