0062009494
9780062009494
0062009494
3.94
27,036
Sep 13, 2012
Sep 13, 2012
really liked it
I thought Dodger was absolutely delightful, but I'm not sure of the teen appeal.
Let me back up even a little further: I downloaded the audiobook versi I thought Dodger was absolutely delightful, but I'm not sure of the teen appeal.
Let me back up even a little further: I downloaded the audiobook version this summer from Audiobook Sync. It's a great summer program (FREE!) that's aimed at teens, but anyone can participate. You sign up at the beginning of summer and every week they text you two new titles available for download for free. It's always a classic or nonfiction paired with a contemporary, related fiction title. This particular week was Oliver Twist and Dodger. I don't have summer reading assignments, so I went straight for the "fun" one: Dodger. However ... when I was listening to it, I got to Chapter 3 and the recording stopped! Oh no! The download had failed, and I'd failed to notice, and it was by then the next week in the program. So I checked a hard copy out of my library to finish it.
This is the tale of Dodger, a tosher in Industrial London. He's a teen, which is probably why this book gets put in the YA section, and he earns his living traveling through the sewers of London, looking for coins or other small items he can sell that have fallen down the drains from the streets above. Dodger is eternally optimistic and positive, and pretty well-known/powerful in his own little circles. One night while toshing, he overhears screams and witnesses a young lady struggling to escape some mean looking guys, and he steps in and saves her. This is all the very, very beginning of the book! After this the reader gets to go along on the ride with Dodger, as he meets increasingly powerful people in town (Charles Dickens, Disraeli, even Sweeney Todd) and really comes of age.
Terry Pratchett has this fantastic writing voice! I love it. It flows really smoothly and often makes me laugh out loud. I don't say this too often, but I feel like his books don't have a single wasted word. Such rich character development too. Even Dodger's dog, Onan, is 3D!
The only problem I had with the book was the historic slang and nuance. As I made sure to mention earlier in the review, Dodger is a tosher. Although he's introduced that way very early on, it's only later, through context clues, that the reader is able to discern what toshing is. (Unless you get frustrated and Google it, like I did.) And that's not the only bit of historic slang. It's not a huge amount, but enough that it would throw a reluctant reader off of the book. Also, there are some oblique references to events and activities of the time period without much, if any, background; another thing that could chase a teen away from the book, if they don't have a point of reference.
As I mentioned earlier, I did listen to the first two chapters on audiobook. I liked it alright, but I ended up liking the hard copy better. The audiobook is read by a narrator with a British accent; authentic, but with all the historic slang and all it can be a bit more difficult for the American brain to keep up with.
I'm definitely recommending this to the hubby (a big Terry Pratchett fan), and perhaps a few other adults, but I can't see too many opportunities to recommend to teens. ...more
Let me back up even a little further: I downloaded the audiobook versi I thought Dodger was absolutely delightful, but I'm not sure of the teen appeal.
Let me back up even a little further: I downloaded the audiobook version this summer from Audiobook Sync. It's a great summer program (FREE!) that's aimed at teens, but anyone can participate. You sign up at the beginning of summer and every week they text you two new titles available for download for free. It's always a classic or nonfiction paired with a contemporary, related fiction title. This particular week was Oliver Twist and Dodger. I don't have summer reading assignments, so I went straight for the "fun" one: Dodger. However ... when I was listening to it, I got to Chapter 3 and the recording stopped! Oh no! The download had failed, and I'd failed to notice, and it was by then the next week in the program. So I checked a hard copy out of my library to finish it.
This is the tale of Dodger, a tosher in Industrial London. He's a teen, which is probably why this book gets put in the YA section, and he earns his living traveling through the sewers of London, looking for coins or other small items he can sell that have fallen down the drains from the streets above. Dodger is eternally optimistic and positive, and pretty well-known/powerful in his own little circles. One night while toshing, he overhears screams and witnesses a young lady struggling to escape some mean looking guys, and he steps in and saves her. This is all the very, very beginning of the book! After this the reader gets to go along on the ride with Dodger, as he meets increasingly powerful people in town (Charles Dickens, Disraeli, even Sweeney Todd) and really comes of age.
Terry Pratchett has this fantastic writing voice! I love it. It flows really smoothly and often makes me laugh out loud. I don't say this too often, but I feel like his books don't have a single wasted word. Such rich character development too. Even Dodger's dog, Onan, is 3D!
The only problem I had with the book was the historic slang and nuance. As I made sure to mention earlier in the review, Dodger is a tosher. Although he's introduced that way very early on, it's only later, through context clues, that the reader is able to discern what toshing is. (Unless you get frustrated and Google it, like I did.) And that's not the only bit of historic slang. It's not a huge amount, but enough that it would throw a reluctant reader off of the book. Also, there are some oblique references to events and activities of the time period without much, if any, background; another thing that could chase a teen away from the book, if they don't have a point of reference.
As I mentioned earlier, I did listen to the first two chapters on audiobook. I liked it alright, but I ended up liking the hard copy better. The audiobook is read by a narrator with a British accent; authentic, but with all the historic slang and all it can be a bit more difficult for the American brain to keep up with.
I'm definitely recommending this to the hubby (a big Terry Pratchett fan), and perhaps a few other adults, but I can't see too many opportunities to recommend to teens. ...more
Notes are private!
0
1
Jul 28, 2015
Aug 26, 2015
Jul 28, 2015
Hardcover
0803738951
9780803738959
0803738951
3.81
2,591
2013
Oct 22, 2013
it was amazing
OHMYGOODNESS! How much did I LOVE this book! I usually hate when a book has a blurb on the front proclaiming it "*famous book title* meets *famous boo
OHMYGOODNESS! How much did I LOVE this book! I usually hate when a book has a blurb on the front proclaiming it "*famous book title* meets *famous book title*" but in this case it turne out to be so true. The Twistrose Key had a blurb saying it was a mash of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Golden Compass. So accurate!
Eleven-year-old Lin has had a rough couple of months. Her family has moved to the city from their farm, and then Lin's pet rat Rufus passes away. On a cold, wet night, Lin goes exploring in her cellar and finds a magical key, addressed to her. Next thing she knows, she's in Sylver, just as Lucy passed through the wardrobe to reach Narnia. This is where I got hooked: only a couple pages in and I was rearranging my life to make extra reading time! You see, Sylver is where especially well-loved pets or tame wild animals go after death. They become larger and more dextrous and gain speech and they live in a little town. How AWESOME is that premise?! To think that our beloved pets never truly, completely die, but instead go on to a magical place? Lin has been "summoned" to Sylver to help solve a mystery. There's one semi-human (human in shape & form, but very magical) family that lives in Sylver and helps maintain the magic. Unfortunately, they have disappeared. If Lin can't solve this mystery and find them in just a few hours, Sylver will start to unravel as the magic unwinds.
Ya'll, this upper middle-grades story was so good that I'm trying to convince the hubby (usually only reads adult nonfiction) to try it! The writing and pacing were excellent. I never found myself bored or skimming. In fact, this book took me a little longer to read than usual because I would find myself lingering over a particularly well-written passage. It was hard to remember that C.S. Lewis himself didn't write it! I so enjoyed "walking" around Sylver with Lin and Rufus, and meeting other animals. When the task grew dangerous, I found myself getting pretty nervous.
The characters themselves definitely added to the book. The friendship between Lin and Rufus is so sweet. Neither is perfect, but they complement each other well. When Lin gets too impatient and impulsive, Rufus is there to force her to slow down and think. And when Rufus encounters a fear, Lin is there to help encourage him along. The characters also did most of the heavy-lifting of world building. Because this is Lin's first (and probably only) visit to Sylver, Rufus continues to explain things to her as they go about town searching for the missing people. This also clues the reader in on the social mores and infrastructure layout of Sylver. Super helpful, and meant there were no long paragraphs or sections describing scenery.
The mystery itself was really well done too. Lin continually uncovers clues throughout the evening, but you'll be guessing until the end! There's no way anyone could predict that ending. Don't worry; no spoilers. Just saying that the clues were doled out often enough to keep me very, very engaged, but not quite enough clues were given for the reader to solve the mystery before Lin does. I love "group solves" in mystery books!
To sum up: excellent writing, characters you'll love, gorgeous setting. I'm adding Tone Almhjell to my "auto-buy" list! ...more
Eleven-year-old Lin has had a rough couple of months. Her family has moved to the city from their farm, and then Lin's pet rat Rufus passes away. On a cold, wet night, Lin goes exploring in her cellar and finds a magical key, addressed to her. Next thing she knows, she's in Sylver, just as Lucy passed through the wardrobe to reach Narnia. This is where I got hooked: only a couple pages in and I was rearranging my life to make extra reading time! You see, Sylver is where especially well-loved pets or tame wild animals go after death. They become larger and more dextrous and gain speech and they live in a little town. How AWESOME is that premise?! To think that our beloved pets never truly, completely die, but instead go on to a magical place? Lin has been "summoned" to Sylver to help solve a mystery. There's one semi-human (human in shape & form, but very magical) family that lives in Sylver and helps maintain the magic. Unfortunately, they have disappeared. If Lin can't solve this mystery and find them in just a few hours, Sylver will start to unravel as the magic unwinds.
Ya'll, this upper middle-grades story was so good that I'm trying to convince the hubby (usually only reads adult nonfiction) to try it! The writing and pacing were excellent. I never found myself bored or skimming. In fact, this book took me a little longer to read than usual because I would find myself lingering over a particularly well-written passage. It was hard to remember that C.S. Lewis himself didn't write it! I so enjoyed "walking" around Sylver with Lin and Rufus, and meeting other animals. When the task grew dangerous, I found myself getting pretty nervous.
The characters themselves definitely added to the book. The friendship between Lin and Rufus is so sweet. Neither is perfect, but they complement each other well. When Lin gets too impatient and impulsive, Rufus is there to force her to slow down and think. And when Rufus encounters a fear, Lin is there to help encourage him along. The characters also did most of the heavy-lifting of world building. Because this is Lin's first (and probably only) visit to Sylver, Rufus continues to explain things to her as they go about town searching for the missing people. This also clues the reader in on the social mores and infrastructure layout of Sylver. Super helpful, and meant there were no long paragraphs or sections describing scenery.
The mystery itself was really well done too. Lin continually uncovers clues throughout the evening, but you'll be guessing until the end! There's no way anyone could predict that ending. Don't worry; no spoilers. Just saying that the clues were doled out often enough to keep me very, very engaged, but not quite enough clues were given for the reader to solve the mystery before Lin does. I love "group solves" in mystery books!
To sum up: excellent writing, characters you'll love, gorgeous setting. I'm adding Tone Almhjell to my "auto-buy" list! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jul 18, 2015
Jul 27, 2015
Jul 18, 2015
Hardcover
3.95
372,988
1989
Sep 16, 1993
it was amazing
Like Water for Chocolate is primarily a family saga. The novel tells the stories of the de Garda ladies: their relationships with each other and their
Like Water for Chocolate is primarily a family saga. The novel tells the stories of the de Garda ladies: their relationships with each other and their family history and their family recipes. Beyond that, it's also the tale of love found and lost and found again. Above all else, it's the story of Tita de Garda, one of the strongest female protagonists I've come across in a while.
As the cover states, Like Water for Chocolate is a story told in monthly installments with recipes. There are twelve chapters, one for each month of the year, and each starts as a recipe. The ingredients are given, and then the author begins to tell of the preparation, and the story spins out from there. As we all know, food features quite prominently in North American traditions. We cook and eat not only to live, but also to physically nurture those who we love. We eat at celebrations such as weddings and baptisms. We eat at more grave family gatherings such as funerals. We associate certain people with the smells of their signature dishes. It was pure genius for Laura Esquivel to intertwine the family's stories with their food.
Right from the start of the story, the magical realism is evident. There is a liberty taken in describing certain events, but not enough of a liberty to make one believe in the actual existence of fantasy-level magic. For instance, Tita is described as having been born on the kitchen table. Her mother was crying so hard chopping onions that it brought on the labor and before anyone could do anything, Tita slipped right out onto the kitchen table, crying herself. We all know that babies don't simply "slip out" onto tables, but it totally works in the story.
Not only is the story told interlaced with recipes and magical realism, the prose also has an almost poetic cadence to it. It was very fluid slipping from sentence to sentence and page to page. If it hadn't been broken into months, I might have read through the whole book in one sitting without noticing!
I also loved Tita: she drew the short stick in life, but she doesn't give up. She's angry and sad, but continues to try to please those around her. She realizes that there is still life to be lived, but she doesn't ignore or invalidate her feelings; she embraces them and moves forward instead of getting mired down in them. I'm sure I'm not alone in cheering for Tita throughout the book!
Set in the Mexican countryside with very 3D characters, this novel-with-recipes is definitely a good read. ...more
As the cover states, Like Water for Chocolate is a story told in monthly installments with recipes. There are twelve chapters, one for each month of the year, and each starts as a recipe. The ingredients are given, and then the author begins to tell of the preparation, and the story spins out from there. As we all know, food features quite prominently in North American traditions. We cook and eat not only to live, but also to physically nurture those who we love. We eat at celebrations such as weddings and baptisms. We eat at more grave family gatherings such as funerals. We associate certain people with the smells of their signature dishes. It was pure genius for Laura Esquivel to intertwine the family's stories with their food.
Right from the start of the story, the magical realism is evident. There is a liberty taken in describing certain events, but not enough of a liberty to make one believe in the actual existence of fantasy-level magic. For instance, Tita is described as having been born on the kitchen table. Her mother was crying so hard chopping onions that it brought on the labor and before anyone could do anything, Tita slipped right out onto the kitchen table, crying herself. We all know that babies don't simply "slip out" onto tables, but it totally works in the story.
Not only is the story told interlaced with recipes and magical realism, the prose also has an almost poetic cadence to it. It was very fluid slipping from sentence to sentence and page to page. If it hadn't been broken into months, I might have read through the whole book in one sitting without noticing!
I also loved Tita: she drew the short stick in life, but she doesn't give up. She's angry and sad, but continues to try to please those around her. She realizes that there is still life to be lived, but she doesn't ignore or invalidate her feelings; she embraces them and moves forward instead of getting mired down in them. I'm sure I'm not alone in cheering for Tita throughout the book!
Set in the Mexican countryside with very 3D characters, this novel-with-recipes is definitely a good read. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jul 09, 2015
Jul 15, 2015
Jul 09, 2015
Paperback
1444000500
9781444000504
1444000500
3.59
5,631
Oct 03, 2013
Oct 03, 2013
it was amazing
WOW. I loved this book. So much. There's so much to unpack: differently-abled main character, travel, mystery, psychology of coincidences, family, and
WOW. I loved this book. So much. There's so much to unpack: differently-abled main character, travel, mystery, psychology of coincidences, family, and courage. And even though that probably sounds like a LOT to fit into a book, it's so well-written that you never feel overwhelmed by plot points.
She is Not Invisible is the story of Laureth, a blind British teen who embarks on a journey to America to search for her father. He's only been away from a home for a few days, supposedly to Switzerland, but Laureth is in charge of checking his fan email account and finds an unusual email: someone is trying to contact her author father to return his notebook... found in NYC. Upon reflection, Laureth remembers that she hasn't actually heard from her father in a couple days. And he's not answering his cell phone. And he's supposed to be in Switzerland, but his notebook is in NYC. She decides that something is definitely not right, and she takes off to try to find him. Laureth is blind, however, so she ends up taking her 7-yr-old brother along for the trip, to help her out.
I would be interested to find out what kind of research Marcus Sedgwick did to write such an authentic-sounding blind girl, himself being a sighted man. I found this aspect of the story fascinating. I loved the little things that Laureth thinks about and plans for, just to not stand out as blind. For instance, her little brother and she have worked out a way to walk holding hands so that they're side-by-side and she looks like the responsible older sibling, when in fact he's "leading" her through subtle hand twists or squeezes.
While the sensible part of me literally cringed at Laureth taking her mom's credit card to get plane tickets out of country for herself and her brother, another little rebel part of me wished I would have the courage to follow my intuitions so bravely. Laureth just knows that there's something wrong with her dad, and she follows that instinct all the way to America. You go, girl! But maybe not starting with "stealing" your mom's credit card?
Mystery! What's up with her dad? (Nothing more to say without spoilers.)
There's also so many "fun facts" in this book! I hope they're all true; I quoted one yesterday. Laureth's dad is an author, and he's working on a book about the psychology of coincidences, and he tells Laureth about his research. I found it all incredibly fascinating! Don't worry; you don't need to be super smart to keep up: the "fun facts" are sprinkled throughout the book, and an understanding of coincidences and what not is not necessarily to follow the story. But know that there's a good chance you'll come away a little smarter!
And finally, family: I do love a good YA with good family relationships. Laureth and her brother are really close, in a good way. In every action Laureth takes, you can see her considering the impact on her brother. She's always looking out for him, and you can tell that he's always looking out for her too. They both have good relationships with their parents, too. (Duh. Otherwise why would Laureth go all the way to NYC to find her dad?)
I loved this book, start to finish. It ended way too soon for my taste! I'm already thinking of trying more Marcus Sedgwick in the near future. ...more
She is Not Invisible is the story of Laureth, a blind British teen who embarks on a journey to America to search for her father. He's only been away from a home for a few days, supposedly to Switzerland, but Laureth is in charge of checking his fan email account and finds an unusual email: someone is trying to contact her author father to return his notebook... found in NYC. Upon reflection, Laureth remembers that she hasn't actually heard from her father in a couple days. And he's not answering his cell phone. And he's supposed to be in Switzerland, but his notebook is in NYC. She decides that something is definitely not right, and she takes off to try to find him. Laureth is blind, however, so she ends up taking her 7-yr-old brother along for the trip, to help her out.
I would be interested to find out what kind of research Marcus Sedgwick did to write such an authentic-sounding blind girl, himself being a sighted man. I found this aspect of the story fascinating. I loved the little things that Laureth thinks about and plans for, just to not stand out as blind. For instance, her little brother and she have worked out a way to walk holding hands so that they're side-by-side and she looks like the responsible older sibling, when in fact he's "leading" her through subtle hand twists or squeezes.
While the sensible part of me literally cringed at Laureth taking her mom's credit card to get plane tickets out of country for herself and her brother, another little rebel part of me wished I would have the courage to follow my intuitions so bravely. Laureth just knows that there's something wrong with her dad, and she follows that instinct all the way to America. You go, girl! But maybe not starting with "stealing" your mom's credit card?
Mystery! What's up with her dad? (Nothing more to say without spoilers.)
There's also so many "fun facts" in this book! I hope they're all true; I quoted one yesterday. Laureth's dad is an author, and he's working on a book about the psychology of coincidences, and he tells Laureth about his research. I found it all incredibly fascinating! Don't worry; you don't need to be super smart to keep up: the "fun facts" are sprinkled throughout the book, and an understanding of coincidences and what not is not necessarily to follow the story. But know that there's a good chance you'll come away a little smarter!
And finally, family: I do love a good YA with good family relationships. Laureth and her brother are really close, in a good way. In every action Laureth takes, you can see her considering the impact on her brother. She's always looking out for him, and you can tell that he's always looking out for her too. They both have good relationships with their parents, too. (Duh. Otherwise why would Laureth go all the way to NYC to find her dad?)
I loved this book, start to finish. It ended way too soon for my taste! I'm already thinking of trying more Marcus Sedgwick in the near future. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jul 2015
Jul 04, 2015
Jul 01, 2015
Hardcover
0786836547
9780786836543
0786836547
4.11
94,172
Aug 23, 2004
Jan 01, 2006
liked it
The Golem's Eye is the second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. If you haven't read the first book, The Amulet of Samarkand, I recomm
The Golem's Eye is the second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. If you haven't read the first book, The Amulet of Samarkand, I recommend checking out that review first to avoid spoilers.
Quite a bit of time passes between The Amulet of Samarkand and The Golem's Eye. Nathaniel is now 14 years old, and working for the government in Internal Affairs. He's very into keeping his profile low and his fashion high. He is happiest when his life is plodding along serenely. Unfortunately, there's a Resistance movement building up in London; a rogue group of young people staging small attacks around town, trying to discredit the magical government. Nathaniel is tasked with investigating and disbanding this group, led my a young lady named Kitty. Nathaniel soon finds himself traveling to the enemy city of Prague and summoning his old "friend," the djinni Bartimaeus, to help him.
A slight sidebar to the book itself: my local library classifies it as "Juvenile," and I'd recommend it to middle grades readers, based on writing style and language, etc. However... the main characters are both young teens (older than middle grades readers), with no characters at all under 13 years old. Also, the book is chock full of political intrigue, which is great, but some of it may pass over the head of younger readers. I think it's a great book, and I can totally see myself recommending it to 8th or 9th graders. So please don't let the "J" category put you off trying this book; I think it's a YA in masquerade!
In The Golem's Eye the reader gets an additional p.o.v. From the first book, we've become acquainted with Nathaniel and Bartimaeus; in this book we also get the p.o.v. of Kitty, the young leader of the Resistance movement. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I'll say that seeing through Kitty's eyes makes a big difference in the tone of the book. Not everything is black and white; there is some more gray when you get to see the reasons or motivations behind someone's actions. Not to condone attacks on the government, but Kitty and her friends may be more "lost" than "vicious."
We do, however, still get to enjoy Bartimaeus' witty repertoire! I totally nominate Bartimaeus for Sassy Djinni of the Year. His blunt honesty and appraisal of situations has me laughing out loud. Literally. I get these books on CD for my commute and sit at red lights laughing to myself, possibly worrying the other drivers around me. :) I could recommend this series on the basis of Bartimaeus and his sarcasm alone!
And then there's Nathaniel. Poor Nathaniel is just trying to do his very best job in Internal Affairs when all the mess hits the fan. Next thing he knows he's traveling undercover to an enemy country, investigating an anti-government group and their attacks on magic. In The Amulet of Samarkand I felt a little pity for Nathaniel and his circumstances. Even the circumstances he created for himself; I was still rooting for him, like you root for an underdog. Unfortunately, in The Golem's Eye, I felt like he came across kind of wimpy and whining. The action and Bartimaeus was enough to keep me listening, though.
So as I mentioned, I listened to this on CD. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Simon Jones narrates both, and he's got a delightful British accent. And I love how he reads the Bartimaeus parts! Good cadence, maybe just a little bit low and accented, but always understandable. Two thumbs on the narration! ...more
Quite a bit of time passes between The Amulet of Samarkand and The Golem's Eye. Nathaniel is now 14 years old, and working for the government in Internal Affairs. He's very into keeping his profile low and his fashion high. He is happiest when his life is plodding along serenely. Unfortunately, there's a Resistance movement building up in London; a rogue group of young people staging small attacks around town, trying to discredit the magical government. Nathaniel is tasked with investigating and disbanding this group, led my a young lady named Kitty. Nathaniel soon finds himself traveling to the enemy city of Prague and summoning his old "friend," the djinni Bartimaeus, to help him.
A slight sidebar to the book itself: my local library classifies it as "Juvenile," and I'd recommend it to middle grades readers, based on writing style and language, etc. However... the main characters are both young teens (older than middle grades readers), with no characters at all under 13 years old. Also, the book is chock full of political intrigue, which is great, but some of it may pass over the head of younger readers. I think it's a great book, and I can totally see myself recommending it to 8th or 9th graders. So please don't let the "J" category put you off trying this book; I think it's a YA in masquerade!
In The Golem's Eye the reader gets an additional p.o.v. From the first book, we've become acquainted with Nathaniel and Bartimaeus; in this book we also get the p.o.v. of Kitty, the young leader of the Resistance movement. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I'll say that seeing through Kitty's eyes makes a big difference in the tone of the book. Not everything is black and white; there is some more gray when you get to see the reasons or motivations behind someone's actions. Not to condone attacks on the government, but Kitty and her friends may be more "lost" than "vicious."
We do, however, still get to enjoy Bartimaeus' witty repertoire! I totally nominate Bartimaeus for Sassy Djinni of the Year. His blunt honesty and appraisal of situations has me laughing out loud. Literally. I get these books on CD for my commute and sit at red lights laughing to myself, possibly worrying the other drivers around me. :) I could recommend this series on the basis of Bartimaeus and his sarcasm alone!
And then there's Nathaniel. Poor Nathaniel is just trying to do his very best job in Internal Affairs when all the mess hits the fan. Next thing he knows he's traveling undercover to an enemy country, investigating an anti-government group and their attacks on magic. In The Amulet of Samarkand I felt a little pity for Nathaniel and his circumstances. Even the circumstances he created for himself; I was still rooting for him, like you root for an underdog. Unfortunately, in The Golem's Eye, I felt like he came across kind of wimpy and whining. The action and Bartimaeus was enough to keep me listening, though.
So as I mentioned, I listened to this on CD. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Simon Jones narrates both, and he's got a delightful British accent. And I love how he reads the Bartimaeus parts! Good cadence, maybe just a little bit low and accented, but always understandable. Two thumbs on the narration! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jun 24, 2015
Jul 12, 2015
Jun 24, 2015
Paperback
0062306812
9780062306814
0062306812
3.62
146,145
Jul 03, 2014
Aug 26, 2014
did not like it
The Miniaturist is a historical novel, set in 1686 Holland. The main character is Petronella (Nella) Brandt, a very young, very new wife to the very r
The Miniaturist is a historical novel, set in 1686 Holland. The main character is Petronella (Nella) Brandt, a very young, very new wife to the very rich Johannes Brandt. There's a chart at the back of the book that explains that an average Dutchman made about 400 guilders/year, and someone at Johannes' standing would have made about 300,000 guilders. So Nella is supposed to count herself quite fortunate to have been brought into this marriage.
However, she seems to find it a bit difficult to get acclimated to her new life. Her new husband is distant; her spinster sister-in-law lives with them and runs the household; Johannes' two servants are definitely oddballs. As a wedding gift, Johannes gives Nella a special cabinet. It's a miniature of their house, and he gives her blank checks to go shopping for miniature furniture and whatnot for it. (I thought this was pretty weird, but the author's note at the front explains that it was not unusual for young adult women of the time to have what is essentially doll houses.)
Enter the miniaturist. Nella finds the miniaturist in a sort of phone book and writes a letter requesting certain pieces for her cabinet. She receives the requested pieces... and more. With the advent of correspondence between Nella and the miniaturist, a whole world of mystery surrounding the Brandt household residents begins to unravel. The question: is Nella's life better or worse after finding out the truths that Johannes, Marin (the sister-in-law), and the servants are hiding?
The summation sounds the book sound intriguing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I didn't find that to be the case. I thought the book really just plodded along for the first half. It's one of very few books that I've actually considered DNFing. Then, the very thin veil protecting Nella from the truth begins to tear. All of a sudden we readers are given secret after secret after secret. So the pacing was a bit off. And no spoilers, but I will tell you that the ending felt a little convenient. The language/grammar felt a little clunky at times, too, but that might just be because I'm an American reading a book written by a Brit.
Another reason this book lost ratings stars from me was my inability to connect emotionally to Nella. The whole book is from her point of view, but even at the end of the book she still felt very hollow and 2D. She's one of those characters that things happen to , not a character who does .
The final reason that the book loses stars from me has to do with (view spoiler)[the miniaturist herself. The whole book is this big mystery about her... then NOTHING! Who the hell is she?!? What the hell was she doing sending all those things to Nella?!? I need answers!!! (hide spoiler)]
I had really high hopes for this book. I paid actual money for it. (I'm mostly a library user, and only purchase a small handful of books each year.) My dreams were shattered. ...more
However, she seems to find it a bit difficult to get acclimated to her new life. Her new husband is distant; her spinster sister-in-law lives with them and runs the household; Johannes' two servants are definitely oddballs. As a wedding gift, Johannes gives Nella a special cabinet. It's a miniature of their house, and he gives her blank checks to go shopping for miniature furniture and whatnot for it. (I thought this was pretty weird, but the author's note at the front explains that it was not unusual for young adult women of the time to have what is essentially doll houses.)
Enter the miniaturist. Nella finds the miniaturist in a sort of phone book and writes a letter requesting certain pieces for her cabinet. She receives the requested pieces... and more. With the advent of correspondence between Nella and the miniaturist, a whole world of mystery surrounding the Brandt household residents begins to unravel. The question: is Nella's life better or worse after finding out the truths that Johannes, Marin (the sister-in-law), and the servants are hiding?
The summation sounds the book sound intriguing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I didn't find that to be the case. I thought the book really just plodded along for the first half. It's one of very few books that I've actually considered DNFing. Then, the very thin veil protecting Nella from the truth begins to tear. All of a sudden we readers are given secret after secret after secret. So the pacing was a bit off. And no spoilers, but I will tell you that the ending felt a little convenient. The language/grammar felt a little clunky at times, too, but that might just be because I'm an American reading a book written by a Brit.
Another reason this book lost ratings stars from me was my inability to connect emotionally to Nella. The whole book is from her point of view, but even at the end of the book she still felt very hollow and 2D. She's one of those characters that things happen to , not a character who does .
The final reason that the book loses stars from me has to do with (view spoiler)[the miniaturist herself. The whole book is this big mystery about her... then NOTHING! Who the hell is she?!? What the hell was she doing sending all those things to Nella?!? I need answers!!! (hide spoiler)]
I had really high hopes for this book. I paid actual money for it. (I'm mostly a library user, and only purchase a small handful of books each year.) My dreams were shattered. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jun 08, 2015
Jun 15, 2015
Jun 08, 2015
Hardcover
078681859X
9780786818594
078681859X
4.03
130,547
Sep 30, 2003
Sep 30, 2003
really liked it
The Amulet of Samarkand is the first book in an older series, the Bartimaeus trilogy. And I'm so glad that it's an older series! This first book was s
The Amulet of Samarkand is the first book in an older series, the Bartimaeus trilogy. And I'm so glad that it's an older series! This first book was so good, I'm already excited to binge the series. This middle grades book was just as enjoyable for me (supposedly an adult, lol) as it would be for an actual middle schooler. One of the main characters, Bartimaeus, has a great, snarky sense of humor that had me chuckling out loud.
The other main character, Nathaniel, is super relatable. Yes, he's an 11-year-old boy, but he's got the same impatience and also desire to do good that we all have. The entire plot comes about because Nathaniel is insulted by a leading magician in the community, and he seeks a rather petty way to exact revenge. Then when the consequences start to hit, he quickly tries to backpedal in order to avoid any blame falling on those he cares for. Are you familiar with the phrase "what a tangled web we weave when we first endeavor to deceive?" That's Nathaniel's situation in this book. He's an apprentice magician, young and with just enough knowledge to get himself into trouble and not enough to get him back out of it. When a local magician bigwig belittle's Nathaniel, and the magician that Nathaniel is apprenticed to doesn't stand up for him, Nathaniel concocts a plan to get revenge on both of them at once. His plan: summon a djinni (also referred to in the book as a demon or genie; I imagine the "demon" reference makes a few conservative parents of young readers a little nervous, but I digress) to steal an amulet from the powerful magician and hide it in Nathaniel's magician's study. Both magicians will be insulted when the cops get involved and find the stolen item! But of course the plan falls a little short of expectations, and the situation spirals out of control.
Now you'll notice that I've referenced magicians and djinni/genies/demons and magical amulets as though they occur every day. Well, in Jonathan Stroud's world they do! This book did a fantastic job of introducing all these fantastic elements and making them seem everyday. The reader never feels lost in this world. I listened to this book on CD in my car, so it was a bit disjointed, and I was able to easily follow the story.
And as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, the other main character is fantastically snarky, which I love. The Amulet of Samarkand is told in two viewpoints: young Nathaniel and the djinni he summons, Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is very, very, very old; centuries old. And he is, of course, a bit put-upon that a mere slip of a boy could summon him and force him into his revenge plot. I loved hearing his internal monologue as he gripes and whines about his task. Like it's so hard to travel a short distance and pick up an amulet.
Overall, I'm liking this series. I love how the characters of Nathaniel and Bartimaeus play off of each other. Just when Nathaniel's timidness would start to get under my skin, we'd switch to a Bartimaeus chapter. (By the way, the chapters are all headed with a character's name, so there's no question of POV.) I wanted to take Nathaniel under my wing and love him, and I wanted to be friends with Bartimaeus. I listened to this first book on CD, and I would continue to do so. The narration is great; good, even tone and good pacing. ...more
The other main character, Nathaniel, is super relatable. Yes, he's an 11-year-old boy, but he's got the same impatience and also desire to do good that we all have. The entire plot comes about because Nathaniel is insulted by a leading magician in the community, and he seeks a rather petty way to exact revenge. Then when the consequences start to hit, he quickly tries to backpedal in order to avoid any blame falling on those he cares for. Are you familiar with the phrase "what a tangled web we weave when we first endeavor to deceive?" That's Nathaniel's situation in this book. He's an apprentice magician, young and with just enough knowledge to get himself into trouble and not enough to get him back out of it. When a local magician bigwig belittle's Nathaniel, and the magician that Nathaniel is apprenticed to doesn't stand up for him, Nathaniel concocts a plan to get revenge on both of them at once. His plan: summon a djinni (also referred to in the book as a demon or genie; I imagine the "demon" reference makes a few conservative parents of young readers a little nervous, but I digress) to steal an amulet from the powerful magician and hide it in Nathaniel's magician's study. Both magicians will be insulted when the cops get involved and find the stolen item! But of course the plan falls a little short of expectations, and the situation spirals out of control.
Now you'll notice that I've referenced magicians and djinni/genies/demons and magical amulets as though they occur every day. Well, in Jonathan Stroud's world they do! This book did a fantastic job of introducing all these fantastic elements and making them seem everyday. The reader never feels lost in this world. I listened to this book on CD in my car, so it was a bit disjointed, and I was able to easily follow the story.
And as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, the other main character is fantastically snarky, which I love. The Amulet of Samarkand is told in two viewpoints: young Nathaniel and the djinni he summons, Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is very, very, very old; centuries old. And he is, of course, a bit put-upon that a mere slip of a boy could summon him and force him into his revenge plot. I loved hearing his internal monologue as he gripes and whines about his task. Like it's so hard to travel a short distance and pick up an amulet.
Overall, I'm liking this series. I love how the characters of Nathaniel and Bartimaeus play off of each other. Just when Nathaniel's timidness would start to get under my skin, we'd switch to a Bartimaeus chapter. (By the way, the chapters are all headed with a character's name, so there's no question of POV.) I wanted to take Nathaniel under my wing and love him, and I wanted to be friends with Bartimaeus. I listened to this first book on CD, and I would continue to do so. The narration is great; good, even tone and good pacing. ...more
Notes are private!
1
May 19, 2015
May 19, 2015
May 19, 2015
Hardcover
0451528824
9780451528827
0451528824
4.32
1,015,679
Jan 01, 1908
May 06, 2003
it was amazing
Yup yup! I'm totally writing a review of a book that's been in print for over a hundred years. I know; no need to "sell" this one, but I do want to ra
Yup yup! I'm totally writing a review of a book that's been in print for over a hundred years. I know; no need to "sell" this one, but I do want to rave about how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. :)
I LOVE THIS BOOK! (So this "review" is unapologetically biased.) I'm going to open with a little story from my childhood. Don't worry; I wont' take long. When I was about 11 years old or so, my mom purchased a box set of the entire Anne series. She gave me the first one, Anne of Green Gables, told me I might like it, and to let her know when I finished. I immediately connected with the spunky redheaded Anne and flew through it! When I finished, my mom gave me the second book in the series. I loved the immediate gratification! And like Anne, I was occasionally a little mischievous. It was round about book 3 or 4 that I figured my mom must have the entire series stashed somewhere in the house. The first time I was left unsupervised, the hunt began! Oh, how I must have tried my mom's patience as a kid. She just wanted a fun surprise for me over summer break, and my impatience ruined it a bit.
But that was when my love affair with Anne began. I identified with her. No, I'm not adopted, but I identified more with her personality than her circumstances. When she flew into a temper at Mrs. Lynde, I saw myself and my own flash temper. When she worked so hard at school to be head of class, I saw myself and how upset I'd get if I got less than a "B" on any assignment. Anne and I are "kindred spirits" in our love of books and our penchant for imagination. And I still, as an adult, sometimes get lost in a book or other thoughts and leave dinner to burn or remain unthawed.
I think that's part of the magic of this book, and the key to it's longevity: almost everyone could identify with at least part of Anne's personality or situation. Everyone must have experienced, a least a little bit, a desire to please an adult in their life. And everyone had a childhood best friend they were fiercely loyal to. Everyone played and had to work at school.
Anne of Green Gables also has a bit of timelessness to it. No, of course Anne and Diana didn't have computers or cell phones. But they did have curfews and played in their yards and went to school together. They may not have had movies or malls to go to, but they attended live recitations and concerts. Anne didn't long after leggings and crop tops, but she did crave puffed sleeves on her dresses. (Anyone who has read this book will never again be able to hear "puffed sleeves" without thinking of Anne!)
I've now read this book 5 or 6 times, at different ages, and each time I read it a different aspect resonates with me. I will continue to reread it occasionally for the rest of my life, and will share it with nieces and library patrons. :) ...more
I LOVE THIS BOOK! (So this "review" is unapologetically biased.) I'm going to open with a little story from my childhood. Don't worry; I wont' take long. When I was about 11 years old or so, my mom purchased a box set of the entire Anne series. She gave me the first one, Anne of Green Gables, told me I might like it, and to let her know when I finished. I immediately connected with the spunky redheaded Anne and flew through it! When I finished, my mom gave me the second book in the series. I loved the immediate gratification! And like Anne, I was occasionally a little mischievous. It was round about book 3 or 4 that I figured my mom must have the entire series stashed somewhere in the house. The first time I was left unsupervised, the hunt began! Oh, how I must have tried my mom's patience as a kid. She just wanted a fun surprise for me over summer break, and my impatience ruined it a bit.
But that was when my love affair with Anne began. I identified with her. No, I'm not adopted, but I identified more with her personality than her circumstances. When she flew into a temper at Mrs. Lynde, I saw myself and my own flash temper. When she worked so hard at school to be head of class, I saw myself and how upset I'd get if I got less than a "B" on any assignment. Anne and I are "kindred spirits" in our love of books and our penchant for imagination. And I still, as an adult, sometimes get lost in a book or other thoughts and leave dinner to burn or remain unthawed.
I think that's part of the magic of this book, and the key to it's longevity: almost everyone could identify with at least part of Anne's personality or situation. Everyone must have experienced, a least a little bit, a desire to please an adult in their life. And everyone had a childhood best friend they were fiercely loyal to. Everyone played and had to work at school.
Anne of Green Gables also has a bit of timelessness to it. No, of course Anne and Diana didn't have computers or cell phones. But they did have curfews and played in their yards and went to school together. They may not have had movies or malls to go to, but they attended live recitations and concerts. Anne didn't long after leggings and crop tops, but she did crave puffed sleeves on her dresses. (Anyone who has read this book will never again be able to hear "puffed sleeves" without thinking of Anne!)
I've now read this book 5 or 6 times, at different ages, and each time I read it a different aspect resonates with me. I will continue to reread it occasionally for the rest of my life, and will share it with nieces and library patrons. :) ...more
Notes are private!
1
May 19, 2015
May 26, 2015
May 19, 2015
Paperback
0764205692
9780764205699
0764205692
3.37
99
Jul 01, 2010
Jul 01, 2010
it was ok
This doesn't happen often, and I hate when it does, but I just never clicked at all with this book. 2 of 5 stars.
My aunt sent this to me to help with This doesn't happen often, and I hate when it does, but I just never clicked at all with this book. 2 of 5 stars.
My aunt sent this to me to help with my PopSugar Reading Challenge, as it's "a book with antonyms in the title." She only rated it a little better than I did. I think part of the disconnect was the setting; I'm not in any way familiar in the least with 1870s Paris or with the machinations of the Franco-Prussian War.
The book follows a family as they navigate politics and intrigue in Paris in the lead-up to the Franco-Prussian War. The family is Austrian, but the father figure's position as Austrian ambassador to France means they live in Paris. There's Baron Ferdinand, his son Rudolph (roughly college-age), and his daughter Therese (late teens). The Baron's wife is the owner of Europe's largest cinnabar (used to make military-grade mercury) mine, and three countries are vying for private contracts. After her sudden death, the Baron is in charge of the mines, until Rudolph turns 23. Now those three countries (France, Prussia, and Britain) are courting the men in the family.
I think there was supposed to be a feeling of build up in tension? But it was a lot of talking and plotting. And Therese was supposed to be involved somehow, but I just felt like she got in the way. I don't know... I suppose someone with more knowledge of or interest in European history would enjoy this book much more than I did.
I totally appreciate that my aunt sent me this. It was a unique read for me; the last French historical novel I read was Les Miserables, and that was three years ago. It's good for me to step slightly outside my usual reads. I don't regret the time spent reading it (it's not overly long), and it gave me another check off on my reading challenge. Has anyone else read this one? Did I just miss something? ...more
My aunt sent this to me to help with This doesn't happen often, and I hate when it does, but I just never clicked at all with this book. 2 of 5 stars.
My aunt sent this to me to help with my PopSugar Reading Challenge, as it's "a book with antonyms in the title." She only rated it a little better than I did. I think part of the disconnect was the setting; I'm not in any way familiar in the least with 1870s Paris or with the machinations of the Franco-Prussian War.
The book follows a family as they navigate politics and intrigue in Paris in the lead-up to the Franco-Prussian War. The family is Austrian, but the father figure's position as Austrian ambassador to France means they live in Paris. There's Baron Ferdinand, his son Rudolph (roughly college-age), and his daughter Therese (late teens). The Baron's wife is the owner of Europe's largest cinnabar (used to make military-grade mercury) mine, and three countries are vying for private contracts. After her sudden death, the Baron is in charge of the mines, until Rudolph turns 23. Now those three countries (France, Prussia, and Britain) are courting the men in the family.
I think there was supposed to be a feeling of build up in tension? But it was a lot of talking and plotting. And Therese was supposed to be involved somehow, but I just felt like she got in the way. I don't know... I suppose someone with more knowledge of or interest in European history would enjoy this book much more than I did.
I totally appreciate that my aunt sent me this. It was a unique read for me; the last French historical novel I read was Les Miserables, and that was three years ago. It's good for me to step slightly outside my usual reads. I don't regret the time spent reading it (it's not overly long), and it gave me another check off on my reading challenge. Has anyone else read this one? Did I just miss something? ...more
Notes are private!
1
May 02, 2015
May 10, 2015
May 02, 2015
Paperback
3.98
58,230
2000
Aug 07, 2003
really liked it
I had to think long and hard about how to rate Tears of the Giraffe. I was leaning toward 2 or 3 out of 5 at first, to be honest. But then I started m
I had to think long and hard about how to rate Tears of the Giraffe. I was leaning toward 2 or 3 out of 5 at first, to be honest. But then I started mentally listing the reasons why I was deducting stars, and I realized I'd be totally remiss to rate this book below 4 stars. You see, the only problems I could find with the story were personal problems, not actual factual plot problems. So long story short: Tears of the Giraffe gets 4 of 5 stars!
This is the second book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, and has more mystery than the first book. (Probably because the reader is already assumed to be familiar with the characters and setting, so the author skips right to the plot.) In this one, Mma Ramotswe solves mysteries pertaining to a wayward wife, a missing child, and a devious maid.
I do love Mma Ramotswe's forthrightness and confidence, both in herself and in her precious Botswana. She is easily one of the strongest female characters I've read. Unfortunately, this is also a detractor in a way; she kind of overpowers her fiancee in a few situations. But underneath it all she has a heart of gold, and always tries to help the people who come to her detective agency.
Another reason to love these books: the setting, in Botswana. Alexander McCall Smith lived in Botswana for a number of years, and you can feel his love for the country. Before reading these books, I honestly didn't have Botswana on my "want to go" list. I still can't say it's on my horizon (that's a looooooong plane ride), but I am intrigued. Sounds like a gorgeous country. And I love how Mma Ramotswe holds her country to such high moral standards!
The book lost a star, however, with the narration. I listened to this on CD, and the narrator had a lovely lilting accent.... too lilting. My mind would kind of wander away sometimes. And the pacing was definitely on the slow side. At the end of the book, I felt like there was no action. I had to reflect to remember that there were actually some mysteries solved. They were just so spread out that the story felt blase. I think I'll read the next book in the series in physical form and see if that fits me better. One undeniable benefit to the audiobook version of this series: pronunciation of the characters' names. I'm not familiar with pronunciation of Setswana names, and it helped to hear them out loud.
And finally, the disclosure of my bias: I'm not thinking I'm much of a fan of the "cozy" mystery genre. Not quite enough "bang" for my buck, I guess. But I'm very aware that is just a personal bias, and nothing against the book itself. ...more
This is the second book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, and has more mystery than the first book. (Probably because the reader is already assumed to be familiar with the characters and setting, so the author skips right to the plot.) In this one, Mma Ramotswe solves mysteries pertaining to a wayward wife, a missing child, and a devious maid.
I do love Mma Ramotswe's forthrightness and confidence, both in herself and in her precious Botswana. She is easily one of the strongest female characters I've read. Unfortunately, this is also a detractor in a way; she kind of overpowers her fiancee in a few situations. But underneath it all she has a heart of gold, and always tries to help the people who come to her detective agency.
Another reason to love these books: the setting, in Botswana. Alexander McCall Smith lived in Botswana for a number of years, and you can feel his love for the country. Before reading these books, I honestly didn't have Botswana on my "want to go" list. I still can't say it's on my horizon (that's a looooooong plane ride), but I am intrigued. Sounds like a gorgeous country. And I love how Mma Ramotswe holds her country to such high moral standards!
The book lost a star, however, with the narration. I listened to this on CD, and the narrator had a lovely lilting accent.... too lilting. My mind would kind of wander away sometimes. And the pacing was definitely on the slow side. At the end of the book, I felt like there was no action. I had to reflect to remember that there were actually some mysteries solved. They were just so spread out that the story felt blase. I think I'll read the next book in the series in physical form and see if that fits me better. One undeniable benefit to the audiobook version of this series: pronunciation of the characters' names. I'm not familiar with pronunciation of Setswana names, and it helped to hear them out loud.
And finally, the disclosure of my bias: I'm not thinking I'm much of a fan of the "cozy" mystery genre. Not quite enough "bang" for my buck, I guess. But I'm very aware that is just a personal bias, and nothing against the book itself. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Apr 22, 2015
May 10, 2015
Apr 22, 2015
Paperback
0399256628
9780399256622
0399256628
3.96
9,008
Feb 10, 2015
Feb 10, 2015
it was amazing
Ohmygoodness how much did I LOVE this book?! <--See? I can't even write coherently or maturely about it. Too excited. I've been waiting nearly a year
Ohmygoodness how much did I LOVE this book?! <--See? I can't even write coherently or maturely about it. Too excited. I've been waiting nearly a year since the last book in the series! That was entirely too long. And now I'll probably have to wait another year for the next book....
This YA series is just jam packed with all the things I love: it's set in modern-day London, most of the characters attend a boarding school, the main character is from small-town Louisiana, there are ghosts , and one of them is Jack the Ripper. In The Shadow Cabinet, there even two "bonus" elements: interdimensional (I think I just made that word up) travel and a cult!
I know that's quite a list of plot elements, but never you fear: Maureen Johnson weaves it all together so very skillfully, and manages to include a lot of character development and interaction in between all the action. During the previous book, Rory met the Shades, a kind of ghostbustin' group that are responsible for her still being alive. In this book, the reader really gets to know the Shades a lot better as she works with them to find Stephen's spirit and bring him back, out of his coma. One of Rory's tasks is to go through a ton of notes and books from Stephen's apartment to try to determine where his spirit may have settled, and as she goes through the personal items and journals, we learn a lot about him and his interest in the Shadow Cabinet. This is also where we get a little romantic development in the book: Rory isn't blind, and knows that Jerome is awesomely sweet and really cute, but he doesn't know about ghosts. Stephen is also really cute, and Rory can talk to him about ghosts. You'll just have to read the book to find out how all that goes!
For a medium-length YA book, Maureen Johnson sneaks in plenty of atmosphere. I so loved reading about Rory's travels around London in pursuit of Stephen! London is definitely on my travel wish-list, but reading books set there is as close as I can get right now. There's a fantastic scene in the book in a cemetery. I won't give away any spoilers, but there is foggy mist. That feels very "London" to me.
I can't talk about the Shadow Cabinet too much without spoilers, but it turns out that it's something like the Illuminati theories here in America. Or the Knights Templar. And Stephen was looking into it, so the rest of the Shades end up looking into it too. Very realistically, many of the characters are non-believers, but a few are skeptical believers. I can talk a little more about the cult. The book opens with a flashback scene to the 1970s, where two young people have recruited ten other young people into their worship of ancient Greek gods. During a ceremony, they kill all the kids. Fast forward 40 years, and now the Shades discover a tenuous link between Rory's psychologist, her classmate Charlotte's disappearance, and this cult from way back when.
I read physical copies of the first two books, and branched out into audio for this third book. WOW! I may need to go back and listen to the first two also. Nicola Barber is one of my new all-time favorite narrators after this. She does nonregional dictation for most of the book, and a realistic Louisiana accent for Rory, and a clear & fantastic British accent for all the other characters! And she switches smoothly and effortlessly through all three accents! I was so impressed with the conversations between Rory and any other character, when Nicola had to switch back and forth multiple times between southern & British accents.
Two super enthusiastic thumbs up! ...more
This YA series is just jam packed with all the things I love: it's set in modern-day London, most of the characters attend a boarding school, the main character is from small-town Louisiana, there are ghosts , and one of them is Jack the Ripper. In The Shadow Cabinet, there even two "bonus" elements: interdimensional (I think I just made that word up) travel and a cult!
I know that's quite a list of plot elements, but never you fear: Maureen Johnson weaves it all together so very skillfully, and manages to include a lot of character development and interaction in between all the action. During the previous book, Rory met the Shades, a kind of ghostbustin' group that are responsible for her still being alive. In this book, the reader really gets to know the Shades a lot better as she works with them to find Stephen's spirit and bring him back, out of his coma. One of Rory's tasks is to go through a ton of notes and books from Stephen's apartment to try to determine where his spirit may have settled, and as she goes through the personal items and journals, we learn a lot about him and his interest in the Shadow Cabinet. This is also where we get a little romantic development in the book: Rory isn't blind, and knows that Jerome is awesomely sweet and really cute, but he doesn't know about ghosts. Stephen is also really cute, and Rory can talk to him about ghosts. You'll just have to read the book to find out how all that goes!
For a medium-length YA book, Maureen Johnson sneaks in plenty of atmosphere. I so loved reading about Rory's travels around London in pursuit of Stephen! London is definitely on my travel wish-list, but reading books set there is as close as I can get right now. There's a fantastic scene in the book in a cemetery. I won't give away any spoilers, but there is foggy mist. That feels very "London" to me.
I can't talk about the Shadow Cabinet too much without spoilers, but it turns out that it's something like the Illuminati theories here in America. Or the Knights Templar. And Stephen was looking into it, so the rest of the Shades end up looking into it too. Very realistically, many of the characters are non-believers, but a few are skeptical believers. I can talk a little more about the cult. The book opens with a flashback scene to the 1970s, where two young people have recruited ten other young people into their worship of ancient Greek gods. During a ceremony, they kill all the kids. Fast forward 40 years, and now the Shades discover a tenuous link between Rory's psychologist, her classmate Charlotte's disappearance, and this cult from way back when.
I read physical copies of the first two books, and branched out into audio for this third book. WOW! I may need to go back and listen to the first two also. Nicola Barber is one of my new all-time favorite narrators after this. She does nonregional dictation for most of the book, and a realistic Louisiana accent for Rory, and a clear & fantastic British accent for all the other characters! And she switches smoothly and effortlessly through all three accents! I was so impressed with the conversations between Rory and any other character, when Nicola had to switch back and forth multiple times between southern & British accents.
Two super enthusiastic thumbs up! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Apr 2015
Apr 12, 2015
Apr 01, 2015
Hardcover
0802775802
9780802775801
0802775802
3.75
11,008
Nov 01, 1983
Mar 01, 2000
really liked it
Alan Turing: The Enigma is an exhaustive, in-depth biography of Alan Turing, a British mathematician, a genius, who was instrumental to helping the Al
Alan Turing: The Enigma is an exhaustive, in-depth biography of Alan Turing, a British mathematician, a genius, who was instrumental to helping the Allied effort during WWII. I picked up the biography because my mom told me that the movie was really good, but the hubby wasn't interested in seeing it. I know that sounds odd, but that's how it goes in our house. I kinda forget that the TV/DVD player exists when left to my own devices, in favor of books.
Back to the book. It's probably the most thorough biography I have ever read. Topping out at just under 700 pages, with an additional 50+ pages of notes and bibliography, there isn't a moment of Alan Turing's life left unaccounted for. However, I didn't begrudge any of the reading time. The pace kept moving right along, without ever getting bogged down with extraneous information.
The biography starts with a brief chapter outlining Alan's heritage; his grandparents and parents. This gives the reader insight right away into what would come, when Alan took up mathematics, a career with little visible results (in his parents' eyes). In fact, evidence shows that his mother never truly understood what he did. As we move through Alan's childhood and schooling, we start to see the development of his genius and his personality. Alan was not a typical young man, much preferring to read science and math nonfiction to playing sports. We also see the development of what may have been his first homosexual relationship, and how the loss of that dear friend (more than a friend?) to a genetic illness affected him at such a crucial juncture of his life.
The meat of the book deals with his work at Bletchley during WWII, helping develop machines (what would in hindsight be recognizable as very early forerunners to the modern computer) to break the German codes. This gave the Allied forces invaluable information, and did much to help the war effort. I believe this is what the movie focuses on.
I will admit that there are a few sections that didn't really completely resonate with me. Not the author's fault! Not bad writing! I'm just not a mathematical genius. I work in a library. The extent of my average daily math use is counting... to find nonfiction titles arranged according to the Dewey Decimal system. I don't feel like I missed any important info by skimming the few mathematically dense pages, so I would assure potential readers that they don't need to be Einstein Jr. to enjoy this book.
Along with the sections explaining Alan's work on machines and mathematics, there's lots and lots of "human interest." This is what I live for! All the details about what he was like to work with (not surprisingly, he was a bit eccentric) and his hobbies and his career path. (Speaking of: this book was written about a Brit by a Brit, so I was slightly confused on some of the academic path information. For example, his parents worked hard to get him into public school, which was implied was better than private school. Here in the USA, private school is generally regarded as the better option.)
Overall, a pretty good read! But not for the very casual reader. I'm a fast and intense reader, and it took me nearly 2 weeks to read. However, for anyone interested in mathematics and cryptoanalysis, this book won't disappoint. ...more
Back to the book. It's probably the most thorough biography I have ever read. Topping out at just under 700 pages, with an additional 50+ pages of notes and bibliography, there isn't a moment of Alan Turing's life left unaccounted for. However, I didn't begrudge any of the reading time. The pace kept moving right along, without ever getting bogged down with extraneous information.
The biography starts with a brief chapter outlining Alan's heritage; his grandparents and parents. This gives the reader insight right away into what would come, when Alan took up mathematics, a career with little visible results (in his parents' eyes). In fact, evidence shows that his mother never truly understood what he did. As we move through Alan's childhood and schooling, we start to see the development of his genius and his personality. Alan was not a typical young man, much preferring to read science and math nonfiction to playing sports. We also see the development of what may have been his first homosexual relationship, and how the loss of that dear friend (more than a friend?) to a genetic illness affected him at such a crucial juncture of his life.
The meat of the book deals with his work at Bletchley during WWII, helping develop machines (what would in hindsight be recognizable as very early forerunners to the modern computer) to break the German codes. This gave the Allied forces invaluable information, and did much to help the war effort. I believe this is what the movie focuses on.
I will admit that there are a few sections that didn't really completely resonate with me. Not the author's fault! Not bad writing! I'm just not a mathematical genius. I work in a library. The extent of my average daily math use is counting... to find nonfiction titles arranged according to the Dewey Decimal system. I don't feel like I missed any important info by skimming the few mathematically dense pages, so I would assure potential readers that they don't need to be Einstein Jr. to enjoy this book.
Along with the sections explaining Alan's work on machines and mathematics, there's lots and lots of "human interest." This is what I live for! All the details about what he was like to work with (not surprisingly, he was a bit eccentric) and his hobbies and his career path. (Speaking of: this book was written about a Brit by a Brit, so I was slightly confused on some of the academic path information. For example, his parents worked hard to get him into public school, which was implied was better than private school. Here in the USA, private school is generally regarded as the better option.)
Overall, a pretty good read! But not for the very casual reader. I'm a fast and intense reader, and it took me nearly 2 weeks to read. However, for anyone interested in mathematics and cryptoanalysis, this book won't disappoint. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Apr 02, 2015
Apr 20, 2015
Mar 31, 2015
Paperback
0789313707
9780789313706
0789313707
3.81
2,807
Mar 07, 2006
Mar 07, 2006
it was amazing
Full confession: most people (all sane people) would simply treat this book as a reference. Maybe even just something to look nice on their bookshelf.
Full confession: most people (all sane people) would simply treat this book as a reference. Maybe even just something to look nice on their bookshelf. I might be slightly crazy, and I read it. I couldn't help it! I love books. And there's no way I'll ever have time in my life to read all 1001 books in full before I die, so why not read short synopses/reviews of them?
I ended up really, really enjoying this book! I got a "sampler plate" of 1001 books from around the world and across history! The book is set up in chronological order of publication, starting very, very early in history and proceeding through 2010. Peter Boxall is the main editor, but the synopsis-reviews were written by dozens of reviewers and academics from around the world. I totally loved that about this book! The internationality. All the inhabited continents were fairly represented. There were so many books listed that I probably wouldn't have ever run across casually. You can bet I added plenty of books to my ever-growing TBR list!
I was also impressed that all the reviewers were able to condense these books into 300-350 words each. You saw that correctly: these reviews are definitely bite-sized. Some of the books were many hundreds of pages long, and the reviewer managed to get it down to a few hundred words. Impressive! (As a comparison, my reviews are usually close to 500 words.)
And finally, the book isn't straight text. There are lots of images throughout, of the book's first jacket, or a picture of the author, or a copy of the movie poster. I loved the extra visuals sprinkled liberally throughout.
Because there is a great mixture of different genres, the presentation style is fantastic, and because I was convinced to add so many books to my TBR list, I give this book 5 of 5 stars! ...more
I ended up really, really enjoying this book! I got a "sampler plate" of 1001 books from around the world and across history! The book is set up in chronological order of publication, starting very, very early in history and proceeding through 2010. Peter Boxall is the main editor, but the synopsis-reviews were written by dozens of reviewers and academics from around the world. I totally loved that about this book! The internationality. All the inhabited continents were fairly represented. There were so many books listed that I probably wouldn't have ever run across casually. You can bet I added plenty of books to my ever-growing TBR list!
I was also impressed that all the reviewers were able to condense these books into 300-350 words each. You saw that correctly: these reviews are definitely bite-sized. Some of the books were many hundreds of pages long, and the reviewer managed to get it down to a few hundred words. Impressive! (As a comparison, my reviews are usually close to 500 words.)
And finally, the book isn't straight text. There are lots of images throughout, of the book's first jacket, or a picture of the author, or a copy of the movie poster. I loved the extra visuals sprinkled liberally throughout.
Because there is a great mixture of different genres, the presentation style is fantastic, and because I was convinced to add so many books to my TBR list, I give this book 5 of 5 stars! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 30, 2015
Apr 20, 2015
Mar 30, 2015
Hardcover
0062128086
9780062128089
0062128086
3.86
4,881
Jan 27, 2015
Jan 27, 2015
it was amazing
Warning! A Cold Legacy is the finale to the Madman's Daughter trilogy.
Just as in the first two books, A Cold Legacy leans heavily on a classic horror Warning! A Cold Legacy is the finale to the Madman's Daughter trilogy.
Just as in the first two books, A Cold Legacy leans heavily on a classic horror story. This time, it's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I continue to be super impressed with Megan Shepherd, as she manages to work these classic tales into entirely new stories with new characters.
Even though this novel is based on a different classic than Her Dark Curiosity, the characters remain the same. The second book closed with a very narrow escape for Juliet, Montgomery, Edward, Lucy, and Balthazar, and A Cold Legacy opens on the very same scene, with the characters still on the run. They have directions from Elizabeth, to reach her secluded manor on the moor. She has just revealed to the group (at the end of the second book) that her family's last name used to be Frankenstein.... so what will await them at the manor?
Action! Fright! Dangerous things! <--what awaits them at the manor
But if you've been reading this trilogy from the start, that is what you'd expect. This trilogy definitely does NOT tire in it's finale! I would even venture to say that A Cold Legacy is more exciting and gripping than The Madman's Daughter. There wasn't every more than half a page of rest between reveals and surprises and action. This book was definitely chilling: Megan Shepherd doesn't hold back at all when describing medical conditions. (Elizabeth, remember, is a skilled surgeon; and Juliet is self-taught at medicine.) I hold to what I said in my review of The Madman's Daughter: this trilogy is like Stephen King for the YA set. The lines between right and wrong seem very wide and very gray. I've never loved a character so much while hating her decisions so much as I have Juliet. All of the characters are so very complex and imperfect; you may find your loyalties changing chapter to chapter.
The only slight bump in the book came near the end, when Juliet is performing a surgery... she manages to do a procedure in a few minutes that I really feel should have taken a few hours. (I'm not a doctor; I just watch medical dramas on TV. But when you get to that scene you'll probably agree with me.) And then the patient recovers much more quickly than I felt was realistic. This particular procedure played a large enough part in the plot that it kind of bothered me. But by the time I reached that scene I was hopelessly hooked, and the action does return to closer to realistic soon after.
I can't underscore that last sentence enough: I was hooked. In fact, I sat down to read in the early afternoon and didn't put it down until after sunset, until I'd read the last page. Now I'm a little sad that the trilogy has ended. I recommend this series at work all the time, and I recommend it to you too! ...more
Just as in the first two books, A Cold Legacy leans heavily on a classic horror Warning! A Cold Legacy is the finale to the Madman's Daughter trilogy.
Just as in the first two books, A Cold Legacy leans heavily on a classic horror story. This time, it's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I continue to be super impressed with Megan Shepherd, as she manages to work these classic tales into entirely new stories with new characters.
Even though this novel is based on a different classic than Her Dark Curiosity, the characters remain the same. The second book closed with a very narrow escape for Juliet, Montgomery, Edward, Lucy, and Balthazar, and A Cold Legacy opens on the very same scene, with the characters still on the run. They have directions from Elizabeth, to reach her secluded manor on the moor. She has just revealed to the group (at the end of the second book) that her family's last name used to be Frankenstein.... so what will await them at the manor?
Action! Fright! Dangerous things! <--what awaits them at the manor
But if you've been reading this trilogy from the start, that is what you'd expect. This trilogy definitely does NOT tire in it's finale! I would even venture to say that A Cold Legacy is more exciting and gripping than The Madman's Daughter. There wasn't every more than half a page of rest between reveals and surprises and action. This book was definitely chilling: Megan Shepherd doesn't hold back at all when describing medical conditions. (Elizabeth, remember, is a skilled surgeon; and Juliet is self-taught at medicine.) I hold to what I said in my review of The Madman's Daughter: this trilogy is like Stephen King for the YA set. The lines between right and wrong seem very wide and very gray. I've never loved a character so much while hating her decisions so much as I have Juliet. All of the characters are so very complex and imperfect; you may find your loyalties changing chapter to chapter.
The only slight bump in the book came near the end, when Juliet is performing a surgery... she manages to do a procedure in a few minutes that I really feel should have taken a few hours. (I'm not a doctor; I just watch medical dramas on TV. But when you get to that scene you'll probably agree with me.) And then the patient recovers much more quickly than I felt was realistic. This particular procedure played a large enough part in the plot that it kind of bothered me. But by the time I reached that scene I was hopelessly hooked, and the action does return to closer to realistic soon after.
I can't underscore that last sentence enough: I was hooked. In fact, I sat down to read in the early afternoon and didn't put it down until after sunset, until I'd read the last page. Now I'm a little sad that the trilogy has ended. I recommend this series at work all the time, and I recommend it to you too! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 29, 2015
Mar 30, 2015
Mar 29, 2015
Hardcover
0670026476
9780670026470
0670026476
3.76
18,087
Jan 01, 2013
May 28, 2013
it was amazing
Peter, the bookman of the title, is a newly widowed antiquarian bookseller. In the wake of his grief, he leaves his home in western North Carolina and
Peter, the bookman of the title, is a newly widowed antiquarian bookseller. In the wake of his grief, he leaves his home in western North Carolina and relocates to England, where he stumbles upon an unusual watercolor painting hidden in an unusual book in a small village bookshop. You see, the painting is clearing Victorian, but very much seems to picture his wife. And the book... ! Wait till you read this book to find out what book Peter finds, and what it means! I was hooked. The story is told in three viewpoints: Peter in 1995, Peter in 1985, and various booksellers throughout history. "Peter in 1995" is where the current action is, with the mysteries surrounding the watercolor and the book. "Peter in 1985" recounts the love story of Peter and Amanda, his late wife. Ohmygoodness, these chapters were just too sweet! Peter is a painfully shy library intern and Amanda is a caring and vivacious girl. And the other chapters introduce us to the progression of ownership of the mystery book through the centuries. Intrigue! Then at the end the author does some kind of magic and makes connections that I didn't see coming. You'll have to read it to find out!
I can honestly say that you do not have to be interested in antique books to appreciate this sweet story. By the time I reached the middle of the book I was so hooked that I had a lot of trouble putting it down. ...more
I can honestly say that you do not have to be interested in antique books to appreciate this sweet story. By the time I reached the middle of the book I was so hooked that I had a lot of trouble putting it down. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 22, 2015
Mar 27, 2015
Mar 22, 2015
Hardcover
0316134074
9780316134071
0316134074
4.12
111,356
Apr 17, 2014
Apr 08, 2014
really liked it
Starcrossed lovers Karou (a monster) and Akiva (an angel) join forces in a new and unique twist on the classic good vs. evil battle. Angels are descen
Starcrossed lovers Karou (a monster) and Akiva (an angel) join forces in a new and unique twist on the classic good vs. evil battle. Angels are descending on Rome in battalions, thousands of angels, through a tear in the sky. Concurrently, Eliza, a genetics researcher, is called to Morocco to investigate what appears to be a mass grave full of unnatural monsters. Karou has managed a great deception and set up a puppet leader of the chimaera. Through him, she's able to unite the misbegotten and the chimaera to battle the invading seraphim. Yes-- that's the great twist on the classic good vs. evil battle: in Dreams of Gods & Monsters, angels are seen as a malevolent invading force and the monsters (chimaera) are the good defenders!
As with the first two books, the characters are so incredibly rich. The reader literally gets inside many of the character's minds, so we see firsthand their struggles and doubts and confidences. This series is solidly YA; we can be sure which characters are "good guys" and which ones are the "bad guys." But they're still more complex than that. Karou is definitely a "good guy," but we see her struggle with battle plans, knowing that some of her kind may perish. And although Akiva is on Karou's side, the reader can feel his confliction, going against his own kind. By the end of the book I was nearly crying and/or cheering out loud!
Speaking of characters, of course we must talk about Zuzana and Mick! How could anyone not love this brave pair? They are fully human, and don't always understand what's going on, but they are always always always ready to stand by Karou's side. Even when that leads to a serious lack of chocolate cake in Zuzana's life. Ya'll, I have never shipped two characters as much as I ship them! I haven't yet read Night of Cake & Puppets, but I plan to asap.
Not only is Laini Taylor good at developing characters for us to love, she's also a top-notch world-builder. You might think it'd be hard to wrap your mind around a world populated by creatures composed of many different species (such as a gray wolf head on a human body, or a jaguar body with a human head and bat wings), a world lived mostly deep inside a system of caves, but the author does such fantastic descriptions that you can really picture yourself there.
So, the plot. Here's where Dreams of Gods & Monsters lost one of it's five stars for me. The final battle did not go as I expected it to. I felt like it fell a little flat compared to all the build-up. I also felt like there were a few loose ends, or tenuous connections, at the end, considering that it's a series finale. It wasn't too terrible; if you're already invested from reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight, you should definitely still read Dreams of Gods & Monsters... but just be prepared.
And finally, the narration: I listened to Dreams of Gods & Monsters on CD and the narration was great! The narrator had good, clear annunciation and pacing. The production quality was great; I never had to fiddle with the volume. I never tuned out. And the narrator did a great accent for Zuzana and Mick.
This is such a unique, well-written trilogy, and I definitely recommend to folks at work (and now to you too)! ...more
As with the first two books, the characters are so incredibly rich. The reader literally gets inside many of the character's minds, so we see firsthand their struggles and doubts and confidences. This series is solidly YA; we can be sure which characters are "good guys" and which ones are the "bad guys." But they're still more complex than that. Karou is definitely a "good guy," but we see her struggle with battle plans, knowing that some of her kind may perish. And although Akiva is on Karou's side, the reader can feel his confliction, going against his own kind. By the end of the book I was nearly crying and/or cheering out loud!
Speaking of characters, of course we must talk about Zuzana and Mick! How could anyone not love this brave pair? They are fully human, and don't always understand what's going on, but they are always always always ready to stand by Karou's side. Even when that leads to a serious lack of chocolate cake in Zuzana's life. Ya'll, I have never shipped two characters as much as I ship them! I haven't yet read Night of Cake & Puppets, but I plan to asap.
Not only is Laini Taylor good at developing characters for us to love, she's also a top-notch world-builder. You might think it'd be hard to wrap your mind around a world populated by creatures composed of many different species (such as a gray wolf head on a human body, or a jaguar body with a human head and bat wings), a world lived mostly deep inside a system of caves, but the author does such fantastic descriptions that you can really picture yourself there.
So, the plot. Here's where Dreams of Gods & Monsters lost one of it's five stars for me. The final battle did not go as I expected it to. I felt like it fell a little flat compared to all the build-up. I also felt like there were a few loose ends, or tenuous connections, at the end, considering that it's a series finale. It wasn't too terrible; if you're already invested from reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight, you should definitely still read Dreams of Gods & Monsters... but just be prepared.
And finally, the narration: I listened to Dreams of Gods & Monsters on CD and the narration was great! The narrator had good, clear annunciation and pacing. The production quality was great; I never had to fiddle with the volume. I never tuned out. And the narrator did a great accent for Zuzana and Mick.
This is such a unique, well-written trilogy, and I definitely recommend to folks at work (and now to you too)! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 13, 2015
Apr 2015
Mar 13, 2015
Hardcover
1451660316
9781451660319
1451660316
3.95
3,051
Jan 01, 2012
Sep 04, 2012
really liked it
I am JUST AS EXCITED about The Map of the Sky as I was about The Map of Time! In the first book, the plot revolved around time travel, and how it rela
I am JUST AS EXCITED about The Map of the Sky as I was about The Map of Time! In the first book, the plot revolved around time travel, and how it related to H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. In this second book in the trilogy, the same characters are back, with a few additions, and the story is based on H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. Yes: there are MARTIANS in this book! Martians + steampunk + author-as-character… everything I love!
Although the format of The Map of the Sky is very similar to the the format of The Map of Time, I was never bored, and I was never able to predict plot twists. This book is also split into three very distinct parts, that all weave together at the end for a big reveal. In the first part, we very briefly rejoin H.G. Wells as he goes with a friend to see a Martian that is being kept in secret storage at a London museum. Coincidentally, the author has just published The War of the Worlds; will he find out that he wrote a piece of nonfiction rather than fiction? The reader is then taken on a flashback adventure to the Antarctic in 1830 with the brave Captain Reynolds and Edgar Allen Poe. (Yes: two authors-as-characters in this one!)
In another vignette within the book we’re introduced to Emma and Montgomery, two young people at the top of the London social chain. At first I very much disliked Emma; she’s pretentious and a bit stuck up. However, we see a lot of character growth in her through the book. As we come to the pinnacle of the story-the Martian invasion-we see her really come into her own and shine with a previously unknown strength.
And finally, Felix J. Palma does an amazing and masterful job interweaving all the early plot points to come together for a un-put-downable ending. Really! I completely ignored everything else in the world to sit for two hours straight to read through the ending. Once the action gets going, you won’t want to miss a moment in Victorian London! Action, adventure, a little romance, all set against a backdrop of survival during an intergalactic invasion.
A final note: I somehow missed this when I read The Map of Time, but these books were actually originally published in Spanish and translated by Nick Caistor. I give him many, many props for his translation skills! I mean, he’s obviously working from a great book, but then to continue the fluidity of the prose and the gorgeous descriptives… just wow.
I give this series two enthusiastic thumbs up, and will definitely be continuing on to the third book in the series! ...more
Although the format of The Map of the Sky is very similar to the the format of The Map of Time, I was never bored, and I was never able to predict plot twists. This book is also split into three very distinct parts, that all weave together at the end for a big reveal. In the first part, we very briefly rejoin H.G. Wells as he goes with a friend to see a Martian that is being kept in secret storage at a London museum. Coincidentally, the author has just published The War of the Worlds; will he find out that he wrote a piece of nonfiction rather than fiction? The reader is then taken on a flashback adventure to the Antarctic in 1830 with the brave Captain Reynolds and Edgar Allen Poe. (Yes: two authors-as-characters in this one!)
In another vignette within the book we’re introduced to Emma and Montgomery, two young people at the top of the London social chain. At first I very much disliked Emma; she’s pretentious and a bit stuck up. However, we see a lot of character growth in her through the book. As we come to the pinnacle of the story-the Martian invasion-we see her really come into her own and shine with a previously unknown strength.
And finally, Felix J. Palma does an amazing and masterful job interweaving all the early plot points to come together for a un-put-downable ending. Really! I completely ignored everything else in the world to sit for two hours straight to read through the ending. Once the action gets going, you won’t want to miss a moment in Victorian London! Action, adventure, a little romance, all set against a backdrop of survival during an intergalactic invasion.
A final note: I somehow missed this when I read The Map of Time, but these books were actually originally published in Spanish and translated by Nick Caistor. I give him many, many props for his translation skills! I mean, he’s obviously working from a great book, but then to continue the fluidity of the prose and the gorgeous descriptives… just wow.
I give this series two enthusiastic thumbs up, and will definitely be continuing on to the third book in the series! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 09, 2015
Mar 25, 2015
Mar 05, 2015
Hardcover
3.85
28,835
Mar 06, 2012
Mar 06, 2012
really liked it
A historical fiction ghost story that was just the Goldilocks-perfect level of tension! The Haunting of Maddy Clare is set in 1920s England, and the m
A historical fiction ghost story that was just the Goldilocks-perfect level of tension! The Haunting of Maddy Clare is set in 1920s England, and the main character is a young lady who is just starting her professional life. I just love that: right from the beginning we know that our protagonist is AWESOME because not a lot of young ladies had careers back then. There certainly weren't a ton of them living on their own. And here's Sarah, taking assorted jobs from a temp agency, including the job that becomes the focal point of this novel.
For her next job, she's going to travel with Alistair (a single young man, ooh la la) to the countryside to investigate a ghost. At the very beginning of the book, I was thinking that maybe the team would travel to the countryside, investigate the "haunted" barn, and declare it all a sham. But no: there really is an honest-to-goodness ghost in the book! As I mentioned, the book has the perfect tension to it; yes, there's a ghost and that's spooky, but there's also investigation into the back story of the ghost and some contemporary plot that rounds out the story.
When Alistair and Sarah reach the village where they're to investigate the ghost of Maddy Clare, they're joined by Alistair's male assistant, Matthew. Since Maddy Clare hated/feared men in life, her ghost continues to refuse men after death; so it falls to Sarah to go into the haunted barn to try to talk to Maddy Clare. She's to take in an audio recorder and a camera to try to get proof of the ghost for Alistair's future book on the subject, and try to find out what "unfinished business" Maddy Clare needs to take care of before moving on. The scenes where Sarah is in the barn are a bit scary, but they're nicely spaced out throughout the book.
I also loved the mystery aspect to the novel. The team is not just there to study the ghost; they're also under obligation by the owner of the barn to get rid of the ghost. In order to do that, they must follow a very few, very cryptic clues from Maddy Clare. They also interview many of the locals to get some background information. The author does a fantastic job skillfully planting a few red herrings along the way, and I was kept guessing until the end!
And finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the touch of romance in The Haunting of Maddy Clare. This novel actually won an award for the love story, so you know it's good! I don't want to give any spoilers, but the love interest is contemporary to the characters, and doesn't involve the ghost. ;)
I really enjoyed this book! The cover caught my eye; I didn't know a thing about the plot before I dove in. Four and half of five stars, and I've already recommended this to others! ...more
For her next job, she's going to travel with Alistair (a single young man, ooh la la) to the countryside to investigate a ghost. At the very beginning of the book, I was thinking that maybe the team would travel to the countryside, investigate the "haunted" barn, and declare it all a sham. But no: there really is an honest-to-goodness ghost in the book! As I mentioned, the book has the perfect tension to it; yes, there's a ghost and that's spooky, but there's also investigation into the back story of the ghost and some contemporary plot that rounds out the story.
When Alistair and Sarah reach the village where they're to investigate the ghost of Maddy Clare, they're joined by Alistair's male assistant, Matthew. Since Maddy Clare hated/feared men in life, her ghost continues to refuse men after death; so it falls to Sarah to go into the haunted barn to try to talk to Maddy Clare. She's to take in an audio recorder and a camera to try to get proof of the ghost for Alistair's future book on the subject, and try to find out what "unfinished business" Maddy Clare needs to take care of before moving on. The scenes where Sarah is in the barn are a bit scary, but they're nicely spaced out throughout the book.
I also loved the mystery aspect to the novel. The team is not just there to study the ghost; they're also under obligation by the owner of the barn to get rid of the ghost. In order to do that, they must follow a very few, very cryptic clues from Maddy Clare. They also interview many of the locals to get some background information. The author does a fantastic job skillfully planting a few red herrings along the way, and I was kept guessing until the end!
And finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the touch of romance in The Haunting of Maddy Clare. This novel actually won an award for the love story, so you know it's good! I don't want to give any spoilers, but the love interest is contemporary to the characters, and doesn't involve the ghost. ;)
I really enjoyed this book! The cover caught my eye; I didn't know a thing about the plot before I dove in. Four and half of five stars, and I've already recommended this to others! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 05, 2015
Mar 15, 2015
Mar 02, 2015
Paperback
037321071X
9780373210718
037321071X
3.66
9,990
Jun 08, 2013
Jun 25, 2013
it was amazing
WOWZA
.
I am kicking myself for missing this when it first came out! I saw lots of reviews of people love love loving the cover, but it didn't grab WOWZA .
I am kicking myself for missing this when it first came out! I saw lots of reviews of people love love loving the cover, but it didn't grab me. I don't say this often, but I was wrong . This is a fantastic book and lots of people should go read it. Good news: because I'm so very behind on this, you don't have to wait to read the sequel! You can binge-read the first two books now and be ready for the trilogy finale in June. Yay!
Katie is dealing with a lot. Her mom has just died. Her dad was never in the picture. Her beloved grandparents can't take her in because her grandfather is suffering with cancer. She's sent from everything and everyone she knows in New York to live with her aunt in Japan. There she finds herself one of very, very few foreigners, or gaijin, in her smallish city. Fortunately, she is able to quickly make two friends, Yuki and Tanaka, and catches the attention of a boy *wink wink* named Tomo.
But all is not as it seems. Tomo is very mysterious and aloof. And Katie witnesses him dumping another girl rather coldly. Who is he? Why is he so distant? Did he really brutally attack another boy a few years ago?
The answers are all in the ink. Katie and Tomo forge a bond over pen and ink drawings and kendo, which is like Japanese fencing. However, there's definitely an air of danger around their clandestine meetings in the park.
I was sucked into Ink rather quickly and completely. At first it seemed ludicrous that Tomo's drawings were moving... like, coming to life. But Amanda Sun works it all back into Japanese mythology, and that makes the premise pretty solid. Believe me, it works.
My only little gripe with Ink was that I wanted even more answers and information than I was given! I wanted even more information about the kanji and the Japanese social customs and more time to get to know the characters. Thank goodness there's two more books. ;) There were a few points where I felt the plot was a tiny bit jumpy, but I did read an ARC; that might've been smoothed out in the final publication.
I love characters and the setting! I read that Amanda Sun spent part of high school living as an exchange student in Japan, so she was definitely capable of writing the character of Katie, a foreigner looking in. Katie reads so very real. She's confident and capable and responsible. Because she's so aware of the differences between American and Japanese culture, she makes the reader aware also. I feel like I didn't get to know Tomo nearly well enough, but I think that's because Japanese are so much more reserved than Americans. So naturally he can't give away too much about himself and also be true to his cultural background!
Ink had two big bonuses: first, you get to learn so much about modern Japanese culture and a little bit of Japanese mythology! There are Japanese terms scattered through the text (without it ever feeling confusing or overwhelming) with a glossary at the end. And there's all these great descriptions of the setting, and references to Japanese school customs. A second bonus: my book included an interview with the author at the end! That's where I found out that she studied in Japan as a teen. Again, I read an ARC; I hope that was also included in the finished book.
I want to try to work this into every readers' advisory now! Including you, reading this, who didn't even ask for my opinion: GO READ INK! ...more
I am kicking myself for missing this when it first came out! I saw lots of reviews of people love love loving the cover, but it didn't grab WOWZA .
I am kicking myself for missing this when it first came out! I saw lots of reviews of people love love loving the cover, but it didn't grab me. I don't say this often, but I was wrong . This is a fantastic book and lots of people should go read it. Good news: because I'm so very behind on this, you don't have to wait to read the sequel! You can binge-read the first two books now and be ready for the trilogy finale in June. Yay!
Katie is dealing with a lot. Her mom has just died. Her dad was never in the picture. Her beloved grandparents can't take her in because her grandfather is suffering with cancer. She's sent from everything and everyone she knows in New York to live with her aunt in Japan. There she finds herself one of very, very few foreigners, or gaijin, in her smallish city. Fortunately, she is able to quickly make two friends, Yuki and Tanaka, and catches the attention of a boy *wink wink* named Tomo.
But all is not as it seems. Tomo is very mysterious and aloof. And Katie witnesses him dumping another girl rather coldly. Who is he? Why is he so distant? Did he really brutally attack another boy a few years ago?
The answers are all in the ink. Katie and Tomo forge a bond over pen and ink drawings and kendo, which is like Japanese fencing. However, there's definitely an air of danger around their clandestine meetings in the park.
I was sucked into Ink rather quickly and completely. At first it seemed ludicrous that Tomo's drawings were moving... like, coming to life. But Amanda Sun works it all back into Japanese mythology, and that makes the premise pretty solid. Believe me, it works.
My only little gripe with Ink was that I wanted even more answers and information than I was given! I wanted even more information about the kanji and the Japanese social customs and more time to get to know the characters. Thank goodness there's two more books. ;) There were a few points where I felt the plot was a tiny bit jumpy, but I did read an ARC; that might've been smoothed out in the final publication.
I love characters and the setting! I read that Amanda Sun spent part of high school living as an exchange student in Japan, so she was definitely capable of writing the character of Katie, a foreigner looking in. Katie reads so very real. She's confident and capable and responsible. Because she's so aware of the differences between American and Japanese culture, she makes the reader aware also. I feel like I didn't get to know Tomo nearly well enough, but I think that's because Japanese are so much more reserved than Americans. So naturally he can't give away too much about himself and also be true to his cultural background!
Ink had two big bonuses: first, you get to learn so much about modern Japanese culture and a little bit of Japanese mythology! There are Japanese terms scattered through the text (without it ever feeling confusing or overwhelming) with a glossary at the end. And there's all these great descriptions of the setting, and references to Japanese school customs. A second bonus: my book included an interview with the author at the end! That's where I found out that she studied in Japan as a teen. Again, I read an ARC; I hope that was also included in the finished book.
I want to try to work this into every readers' advisory now! Including you, reading this, who didn't even ask for my opinion: GO READ INK! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jan 04, 2015
Jan 10, 2015
Jan 04, 2015
Paperback
1439167397
9781439167397
1439167397
3.39
12,828
2008
Jun 2011
it was amazing
Ohmygoodness did I ever LOVE this book! I know it's early in the year, but this may be a Top Ten Read of 2015. My aunt recommended this to me; I'm so
Ohmygoodness did I ever LOVE this book! I know it's early in the year, but this may be a Top Ten Read of 2015. My aunt recommended this to me; I'm so lucky to have people in my life to introduce me to such great books! It's got an author as a character (H.G. Wells no less!), time travel, Victorian England.... love it!
The Map of Time is told in three parts--or episodes--that all come together beautifully in the end. It felt like Felix J. Palma was conducting a gorgeous, moving symphony of a story. He was able to skillfully gather up and weave together all the disparate moving parts and characters at the end to give the reader a conclusive, satisfying, and exciting ending. That, my friends, is talent .
I want to go ahead an reassure you that The Map of Time never felt confusing to me. The cast of characters was definitely manageable, especially considering the length of the book and it's subject matter. The majority of the first part of the book is told from the point of a young man named Andrew; the majority of the second part is told from the point of view of a young lady named Claire; and the majority of the third part of the book is told from the point of view of the author H.G. Wells. There is also an omniscient, unnamed narrator who helps fill in gaps and provide the reader with extra insight. I loved that there were a few points where the omniscient narrator introduced a character by name, only to immediately tell the reader that it's not necessary to remember them; they only play a bit part in the larger story. Whenever a plot point or a character were influential to the story, the author found a way for the narrator to subtly "underline" them.
The Map of Time may be a lengthy tome (656 pages!) with a sometimes-confusing subject matter (time travel), but I flew through it and felt like it ended too soon. I'm so glad that it's the start of a trilogy! I began recommending it to other book-loving friends before I'd even finished it myself. In the first part, Andrew is a devastated young man. He's contemplating ending his life after the tragic death of his beloved. His cousin swoops in and takes him to H.G. Wells, who has just published The Time Machine and who, they believe, may have an actual time machine that Andrew can use to go back in time and save his love's life. In the second part, Claire is a young lady who is disillusioned with Victorian England. She signs up for an expedition to the future to escape the pressure to get married. She believes that life will be better for a woman in the year 2000. In the final part of the book, H.G. Wells himself is confronted by a time travel dilemma; and his choice could have rather large ripple effects on history. It's not all smoke and mirrors; every time a character time travels or is confronted by a time traveler, Mr. Palma gives explanations as to how it was possible. He even preemptively answered questions that I hadn't even considered! There are no plot holes that I could find! I also found it all very accessible. I'm a library worker, not a scientist, and I didn't have any trouble keeping up with the action and explanations.
I haven't read much steampunk in the past, but The Map of Time has peaked my interest. I've already requested the sequel, The Map of the Sky, from my library! ...more
The Map of Time is told in three parts--or episodes--that all come together beautifully in the end. It felt like Felix J. Palma was conducting a gorgeous, moving symphony of a story. He was able to skillfully gather up and weave together all the disparate moving parts and characters at the end to give the reader a conclusive, satisfying, and exciting ending. That, my friends, is talent .
I want to go ahead an reassure you that The Map of Time never felt confusing to me. The cast of characters was definitely manageable, especially considering the length of the book and it's subject matter. The majority of the first part of the book is told from the point of a young man named Andrew; the majority of the second part is told from the point of view of a young lady named Claire; and the majority of the third part of the book is told from the point of view of the author H.G. Wells. There is also an omniscient, unnamed narrator who helps fill in gaps and provide the reader with extra insight. I loved that there were a few points where the omniscient narrator introduced a character by name, only to immediately tell the reader that it's not necessary to remember them; they only play a bit part in the larger story. Whenever a plot point or a character were influential to the story, the author found a way for the narrator to subtly "underline" them.
The Map of Time may be a lengthy tome (656 pages!) with a sometimes-confusing subject matter (time travel), but I flew through it and felt like it ended too soon. I'm so glad that it's the start of a trilogy! I began recommending it to other book-loving friends before I'd even finished it myself. In the first part, Andrew is a devastated young man. He's contemplating ending his life after the tragic death of his beloved. His cousin swoops in and takes him to H.G. Wells, who has just published The Time Machine and who, they believe, may have an actual time machine that Andrew can use to go back in time and save his love's life. In the second part, Claire is a young lady who is disillusioned with Victorian England. She signs up for an expedition to the future to escape the pressure to get married. She believes that life will be better for a woman in the year 2000. In the final part of the book, H.G. Wells himself is confronted by a time travel dilemma; and his choice could have rather large ripple effects on history. It's not all smoke and mirrors; every time a character time travels or is confronted by a time traveler, Mr. Palma gives explanations as to how it was possible. He even preemptively answered questions that I hadn't even considered! There are no plot holes that I could find! I also found it all very accessible. I'm a library worker, not a scientist, and I didn't have any trouble keeping up with the action and explanations.
I haven't read much steampunk in the past, but The Map of Time has peaked my interest. I've already requested the sequel, The Map of the Sky, from my library! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Dec 30, 2014
Jan 05, 2015
Dec 30, 2014
Hardcover
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