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July 25
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Angela
gave
to:
Under a Changing Moon (Paperback)
by Margot Benary-Isbert
bookshelves:
fiction,
growing-up,
romance,
world-war-europe
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"This is a very sweet and poignant book. Paula and Adolf - siblings, and the main characters - are wonderful examples of hard work, confidence, and facing up to responsibilities. It illustrates the truth that as we change and grow, we must sometimes...more
This is a very sweet and poignant book. Paula and Adolf - siblings, and the main characters - are wonderful examples of hard work, confidence, and facing up to responsibilities. It illustrates the truth that as we change and grow, we must sometimes leave things we love behind us. The perspective was not heavy-handed, but realistic and slightly melancholy.
Despite the sometimes sad tone, the end result was still a positive and uplifting story. Though it was not exactly a "Disney princess" ending, I still enjoyed it, and was pleased with Benary-Isbert's choice. It was touching, and perfectly fitting with the paradigm of the book.
I highly recommend it for fans of young adult fiction. I think fans of Louisa May Alcott would especially enjoy this story - it reminded me very much of "Eight Cousins" and "Jack and Jill."...less
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Angela
gave
to:
Wishing Season (Extended)
by Esther M. Friesner
bookshelves:
animals,
fantasy,
romance
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"I was rather disappointed in this book, because the original was great and just shouldn't have been tampered with. The first fifteen chapters are exactly the same as before (and that used to be the end of the story), but then another whole plot bega...more
I was rather disappointed in this book, because the original was great and just shouldn't have been tampered with. The first fifteen chapters are exactly the same as before (and that used to be the end of the story), but then another whole plot began and continued on for another twenty chapters.
Honestly, the second half should have just been written as a sequel, because everything was so different from the first half of the book - it felt like a very strange jump. I really didn't care for the new plot, either, and I especially didn't like what she did to most of the characters (Boabdil used to be my favorite character, but he just became a jerk). The portrayal of marriage and other family relationships was very frustrating as well: playing up all the dumb stereotypes without any reparation in the end. There were even several typos (the first half is free of such errors). That's a big pet peeve of mine.
Also, the 1993 printing has a few stylized illustrations, but this one has none of Frank Kelly Freas's pictures at all, so I was sad to lose that fun aspect of the story.
I very highly recommend the original printing of this book (five stars!), but I wouldn't recommend this version to anyone....less
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July 22
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Angela
gave
to:
Moon Northern California Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping (Moon Outdoors)
by Tom Stienstra
bookshelves:
ca,
non-fiction,
wishlist
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"Very useful and well-written book with good maps and interesting information. We have found it invaluable since we moved to California, and wanted to know where to go for good camping. The author has a fun and quirky way of writing, and his advice ...more
Very useful and well-written book with good maps and interesting information. We have found it invaluable since we moved to California, and wanted to know where to go for good camping. The author has a fun and quirky way of writing, and his advice is great....less
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July 17
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Angela
gave
to:
Ruby Holler (Joanna Cotler Books)
by Sharon Creech
bookshelves:
fiction,
growing-up
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"I enjoyed the story and felt that the interaction between the four main characters was realistic and well-written. I would recommend it for fans of young adult novels in general as a clean, clever story about the strength of love and family ties.
...more
I enjoyed the story and felt that the interaction between the four main characters was realistic and well-written. I would recommend it for fans of young adult novels in general as a clean, clever story about the strength of love and family ties.
Unfortunately, it had several technical drawbacks, in my opinion: For instance, sixty-six chapters averaging about three or four pages each made the book feel very choppy, even awkward - it just didn't work for me. I also didn't like spending so much time reading about the miserable, pitiful lives of the orphanage owners - essentially, the "bad guys" - because it was pointless and had so little to do with the real emotional conflicts at the heart of the story. Last of all, the book ended abruptly with a handful of loose ends and questions still dangling. This book required more of an emotional investment than most young adult novels, so having the story cut off with so few answers or explanations left me feeling silly for caring so much....less
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July 08
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Angela
gave
to:
Hungarian Folk-Tales (Oxford Myths and Legends)
by Val Biro
bookshelves:
folklore-fairytales,
illustrated,
short-stories,
wishlist
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"Useful collection of folk tales - well told, and with good variety. There are cute, funny illustrations for every story and most tales are fairly tame (i.e., dragons' heads were cut off, but heroes weren't chopped into pieces like in some stories). ...more
Useful collection of folk tales - well told, and with good variety. There are cute, funny illustrations for every story and most tales are fairly tame (i.e., dragons' heads were cut off, but heroes weren't chopped into pieces like in some stories). Most of them are even similar in length, making them great for reading aloud to kids....less
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July 04
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Angela
gave
to:
A Fine, Fine School (Paperback)
by Sharon Creech
bookshelves:
book-i-own,
fiction,
growing-up,
picture-book
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"A fun story about priorities, with mostly cute illustrations. I didn't, however, like how the illustrator incorporated "inside jokes" for adults through the character of the dog (portraying him reading grown-up literature and drinking coff...more
A fun story about priorities, with mostly cute illustrations. I didn't, however, like how the illustrator incorporated "inside jokes" for adults through the character of the dog (portraying him reading grown-up literature and drinking coffee in the morning and other odd things). As there was nothing magical about the characters or plot, I felt that this "wink-wink-nudge" detracted from the story. ...less
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Angela
gave
to:
A Time to Love (Hardcover)
by Margot Benary-Isbert
bookshelves:
animals,
fiction,
world-war-europe
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Angela said:
"I enjoyed this book immensely. It is fun, interesting, and well-written. This sequel to Benary-Isbert's "The Shooting Star" and "Blue Mystery" follows Annegret Benninger though three years of boarding school and into college, al...more
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is fun, interesting, and well-written. This sequel to Benary-Isbert's "The Shooting Star" and "Blue Mystery" follows Annegret Benninger though three years of boarding school and into college, all during the early years of the Third Reich movement. The shadows of politics and war stretching across Germany provide a thought-provoking counterpoint to Annegret's charming journey from spunky child to independent adult.
The four star rating (instead of five) is because I was disappointed in the ending. As WWII began in earnest, the mood of the book darkened a bit, and became rather forlorn. I hoped it would end on a positive note, but it wound up bittersweet instead. In fact, the end felt anticlimactic and very abrupt - almost to the point of being confusing.
It is well worth reading, though, especially if you have read the first two Annegret books, or if you are interested in the civilian culture of WWII....less
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June 27
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Angela
gave
to:
Wicked Enchantment (Hardcover)
by Margot Benary-Isbert
bookshelves:
animals,
fiction,
mystery
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Angela said:
"The story was cute, but I didn't care for the characters, which kind of disappointed me. The two protagonists - an 11-year-old girl and her almost-sorceress-ish spinster aunt - were brave and smart, but not entirely in the right, I thought. It made...more
The story was cute, but I didn't care for the characters, which kind of disappointed me. The two protagonists - an 11-year-old girl and her almost-sorceress-ish spinster aunt - were brave and smart, but not entirely in the right, I thought. It made their feistiness seem more like pig-headedness. Also, I'm all for girl-power and women's rights and stuff, but the glaring feminism in this book was pretty overpowering. Down with tyranny and men in general seemed to be the motto throughout most of the book.
It was, however, well-written and intriguing, and the illustrations were very charming. I'd recommend it to adults who like young adult literature, but I'm not sure young ones would actually like it that much (except the part about running away with the circus...)....less
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June 26
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Angela
gave
to:
Blue Mystery (Hardcover)
by Margot Benary-Isbert
bookshelves:
fiction,
growing-up,
illustrated,
mystery,
wishlist
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
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read in June, 2008
Angela said:
"This is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It is a wonderful novel for children and young adults, a fantastic choice for reading aloud, and even a charming piece of escapist fiction for adults. Around the very simple mystery that carrie...more
This is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It is a wonderful novel for children and young adults, a fantastic choice for reading aloud, and even a charming piece of escapist fiction for adults. Around the very simple mystery that carries the plot, Benary-Isbert weaves a story about friendship, trust, honor, and family ties.
The stylized illustrations are few and far between, but they are beautiful and fit perfectly with the mood of the book: a sense of creativity and a love for growing and living things. This book is a sequel to "A Shooting Star" and is followed by "A Time to Love."...less
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June 23
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Angela
gave
to:
The Shooting Star (Hardcover)
by Margot Benary-Isbert
bookshelves:
fiction,
growing-up,
illustrated,
wishlist
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
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read in June, 2008
Angela said:
"This book introduces us to Annegret: a sweet and thoughtful little girl who spends three glorious months in the Swiss Alps with her mother. At the beginning of the book she is somewhat spoiled and listless, but over the course of the story she becom...more
This book introduces us to Annegret: a sweet and thoughtful little girl who spends three glorious months in the Swiss Alps with her mother. At the beginning of the book she is somewhat spoiled and listless, but over the course of the story she becomes stronger, more confident, and vibrant with the joy she takes in the people, animals, and nature around her. What little the book lacks in significant plot is more than made up for in characterization and simple exuberance for childhood in general.
I would highly recommend this book for any fans of children's literature, especially for reading aloud. There are a scattering of illustrations which are decent, but weren't that impressive to me....less
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