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| 0385546297
| 9780385546294
| 0385546297
| 3.80
| 26,611
| May 21, 2024
| May 21, 2024
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it was amazing
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I'll be the first to admit this isn't a perfect book. For a romance novel, the two main characters Eden and Rufus don't actually interact with one ano
I'll be the first to admit this isn't a perfect book. For a romance novel, the two main characters Eden and Rufus don't actually interact with one another all that much. I think it's one of those distance makes the heart fonder situations? But when I think about whether or not I enjoyed reading this, the answer is YES! This was such a laugh-out-loud, fun read from start to finish. If you are looking for a hilarious, light hearted romance or family drama type novel, this is it. If you've read Kevin Kwan's other book, Crazy Rich Asians then you already know what you are in for. This book is filled with so much over the top crazy rich people drama, but this time, instead of focusing on the new and old money families of Asia, this one is focused more on aristocracy of England (the lower ranks, but still, aristocrats). There's still crazy rich Asians though, don't be disappointed, haha. A lot of the characters are ridiculous to the point of caricature and it was hilarious. The Countess, Arabella (Rufus' mother) is clearly the villain and is horrible to nearly everyone, but she was also just super funny in her narcissism and arrogance. I almost want to say she's my favourite character because of how ridiculous she is at times. My biggest complaint would be, if you are reading this for the romance, that the relationship between Eden and Rufus doesn't really feel like the central focus of this novel. Eden and Rufus have known each other since childhood and it's very much a friends-to-lovers situation. They didn't need much to be nudged into a more romantic relationship, so there wasn't much involving them. Like I mentioned earlier, they actually don't even really interact that much in the book. They were also the most sane (and therefore, boring?) personalities in the book. Everyone else made up for it though. However, if you come at this book expecting a family drama, I think you will be much more satisfied. There is drama aplenty and I enjoyed the satirical commentary on living a life of excess and privilege. I originally came at this book expecting a romance, but found I enjoyed the ride so much that I hardly cared about it by the end, I just wanted to know how everyone in the family was going to end up! All in all, a great read that captivated me from the very beginning. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 2024
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Jul 03, 2024
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Jul 01, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 9780385544269
| 3.92
| 104,707
| Jun 25, 2019
| Jun 25, 2019
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liked it
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3.5 stars. This is the April 2024 book for Reese's Book Club and I had every intention not to read it. I didn't like the last two picks for RBC at all; 3.5 stars. This is the April 2024 book for Reese's Book Club and I had every intention not to read it. I didn't like the last two picks for RBC at all; in fact, they bored me to tears. The synopsis for this book sounded as dull as the synopsis for the last two books, and my god, it's over 500 pages. Not that I've ever been scared by a chunky book, but I am scared of a book that is both chunky AND boring. Anyway, near the end of April, I decided I will just give it a go and I told myself as soon as it got boring, I will DNF it. I hate to admit it, but I went into this book with bad intentions; I was ready to not like it and give up as soon as it showed any signs of dragging. To my surprise, I kept reading ... and reading more bits and pieces ... then I read a couple other books while also reading this one ... and then I'd pick up this one again ... and somehow I made it to the end. That's not to say I thought The Most Fun We Ever Had is super amazing. It's definitely better than I thought it would be, and I did end up kind of enjoying the book, on the whole. The novel is a family drama kind of story about 4 sisters and their parents, and how each daughter looks up to the love their mom and dad had throughout the years as some sort of ideal they should reach for in their own relationships, but never quite getting there. The mom and dad, themselves, are not perfect, but the book goes through the ups and downs in their relationship that they hid from their daughters while they were growing up. So if you like lots of drama (and there's a lot in there), you'll probably like this. So, yeah, generally speaking, I did like the book, but I couldn't help but wonder what the point was the whole time. We never seemed to be going anywhere in particular with the story? Lots of events were happening to all the characters -- it was never boring, per se (well, maybe a few parts here and there) -- but at the same time, I can't really say what the story was building towards. The story just kind of went on and on and on. I did wonder: when was it going to end? Am I at the climax of the story yet? Probably didn't help that 3/4 of the sisters were kind of annoying or just mean/awful people. The parents of the daughters seemed oblivious to their adult daughters' woes and seemed like they were just horny all the time. I wasn't particularly attached to any character, but I do think the characters were pretty well written, just not particularly likeable. But I guess it adds to the realism of the characters -- everyone is flawed. Anyway, the book was decent. Contemporary family drama stories aren't normally my cup of tea, but if you enjoy family drama type stories, I think you will really like this one. Also if you are reading this just for RBC, I think this one is worth a try. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 24, 2024
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Apr 29, 2024
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Apr 24, 2024
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ebook
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| 0062690450
| 9780062690456
| 0062690450
| 4.04
| 60,639
| Sep 19, 2017
| Sep 19, 2017
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really liked it
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Just want to preface this review by saying I'm writing this with the assumption that you have read the first book already. I decided to read book two r Just want to preface this review by saying I'm writing this with the assumption that you have read the first book already. I decided to read book two right away because I was afraid I'd forget what happened in the first book if I put it off for too long. I mean, granted not much happened in the first book, but still. Book two, One Dark Throne, was actually really good! I liked it WAY more than I liked Three Dark Crowns. The first book was clearly meant to just set up everything; this second book is where things actually happened. And you know what, I am surprised. I actually enjoyed it a lot and devoured this book in two sittings. I still maintain that to enjoy this story, you do have to "let go" some of your expectations of logic/common sense. I won't go into it again in this review (I did for the review of the first book) but you know, some of the stuff in this world just doesn't make sense to me. But once you let go of that, and just read the story and accept that this is how this world operates, it's a good story actually. The plot of One Dark Throne is quite simple -- the three queens are now in the Ascension Year where they must kill each other. Last one standing gets to be crowned. After the final events that happened in the first book, sweet Mirabella who missed her sisters so much has decided that since Arsinoe set a bear on her, she no longer has any qualms on killing any of them. Arsinoe is trying to hide the fact that she is actually a poisoner and is trying her hardest to fake being a naturalist. Lastly, Katharine now has a reputation for being the Undead Queen, since climbing out of the Brecca Domain after her beloved Pietyr threw her in there. She is also the most eager of the three sisters to kill one another and claim the crown. Things I liked: Not sure if this is controversial or not, but I quite enjoyed Katharine's character change in this novel. Of course, there is a reason for the character change. Anyway, she is much more villainous and finally we have someone who isn't a goody-goody two shoes, someone who is really clamoring to do some killing (hey, it's what we are promised that will happen in these books!) The pacing in this story is much improved this time around. And there's actually like, EVENTS in this book. I enjoyed the festival where the three queens were forced to attend in an attempt to egg them on. I also liked the ending scenes which I don't want to spoil, but I liked all of the ending. I liked Braddock which is Arsinoe's bear and was very relieved to find that he was alive at the novel's end. We also find out a little bit more about the world of this island. For example, the queen can give birth to triplets well past the normal childbearing years (there is a scene where Arsinoe I think says Mirabella will probably rule for fifty years before having her triplets. Well, that would make her like, 66 years old by then), which I suppose is the only way this weird monarchy makes any sense. Also we know the Goddess in this world is real with real powers, so of course she can make a 66 year old lady have triplets if she wants to. We also find out that it is not just poisoner, naturalist and elemental clans on the island. There is also the war clan and the oracle clan. Actually they were mentioned in the first book, but I don't think it was made very clear that the triplet queens could have had any of those five powers. The first book just wasn't very clear on a lot of things actually ... Things I didn't like: Arsinoe and her bear Braddock. So in the last book, she could barely (haha, no pun intended) control Braddock with her low magic; in fact she had Jules help her. And then in this book, she makes Braddock completely tame and they're so buddy buddy that everyone really does think he's her familiar. Didn't like the convenience of that. Also didn't like the Katharine-Pietyr thing. I wasn't convinced that vengeance hungry Katharine would forgive Pietyr so easily, especially since his reason was, "Oh I thought they were going to kill you so I decided it would be merciful of me to shove you into a chasm." And if Katharine really is so possessed by the spirits or whatever of the dead queens, then she really should not forgiven Pietyr at all for, you know, THROWING HER DOWN A HOLE. Also I just don't GET the suitor system at all. So the suitors has to declare for a queen even though they don't know who wins, so they're just guessing. If the queen they declared for dies, they can still try to marry the living queen. So what was the point of declaring for a queen in the first place? And then they still have to have a hunt where the suitors can try to kill each other? I mean, did I understand that correctly? WTF. And something I'm neutral about: Jules. She CLEARLY is a major character in this book ... but I'm not sure why yet. I understand she's a Special Snowflake, but I still don't understand how she fits in here. Like, why is she a Special Snowflake? She's not one of the queens, after all. Perhaps it is something that will be revealed to me later, which is why I'm kind of neutral about the big reveal about her character that happened in this book. My working theory is that since this generation of three triplets actually had 2 poisoners (assuming Katharine truly was a poisoner, just a weak ass one), Jules kind of fills in the true naturalist position in the story? Okay this is becoming too long, but overall, this book is a BIG improvement over book one. I actually really enjoyed it and I look forward to finding out what happens in book three! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 02, 2017
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Nov 03, 2017
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Nov 02, 2017
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Paperback
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| 0062385437
| 9780062385437
| 0062385437
| 3.80
| 112,953
| Sep 20, 2016
| Sep 20, 2016
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liked it
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Really, I'd give this 2.5 stars if Goodreads allowed half stars, but I suppose if I had to round it up or down, I'll pick up. I actually saw the second Really, I'd give this 2.5 stars if Goodreads allowed half stars, but I suppose if I had to round it up or down, I'll pick up. I actually saw the second book in this series, One Dark Throne, at the bookstore and was totally drawn into the cover of it. Realizing it's the 2nd book in the series, that's how I ended up reading Three Dark Crowns. It makes a grand promise -- a Hunger Games style competition between three royal sisters for the crown! -- and I just really, really wanted to love it. Well, before you get too excited like I did, that competition never happens in this book, but I assume it will happen later. That's pretty much what this book has been like for me: a lot of build up and anticipation, and then an anticlimax. A bit of a let down. BUT! I still look forward to reading the second one, because for all its flaws, this is one bizarre world Kendare Blake has built and I want to know what happens next in it, god damn it. Anyway, here's what the story is about: On the matriarchal island of Fennbirn, the queen gives birth to triplet girls every generation, blessed by the Goddess with incredible powers. This happens every generation, without fail. The queen will then move away to the mainland where she will no longer have anything to do with Fennbirn, and a council rules the island until the girls are of age. Once the girls are 6 years old, they are separated based on their powers, and sent to live with one of the three clans on the island that wield their respective powers. Ten years later, at age 16, the girls will be expected to kill one another for the crown. Last one standing will become the new queen. The cycle repeats. Stop right there! Okay, really fascinating world Blake has built, I definitely have to hand it to her. I like it actually. I actually enjoy the battle royale aspect of it as well, and the X-men powers that each queen has. BUT CAN WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT AN INEFFECTIVE MONARCHY THIS IS? I mean, the current queen has to vacate once she gives birth, as per the novel. So for the next SIXTEEN YEARS there is no queen, the council makes decisions instead, until the babies are grown. Let's say one of them wins, and she doesn't give birth to her own triplets until she's .... 30. Or maybe 35 years old, let's be generous. (But really we know she'll probably give birth younger than that in a fantasy novel). What kind of weird monarchy system is this where they only have the queen rule for 10-20 years at a time, then get rid of her for 16 years to figure out a new one, then repeat the cycle. Is this not bananas? Completely ludicrous? Like, who would think this is an effective system EVER? Why even HAVE a queen at that point? Okay, whew, I just had to get that off my chest, because it has bothered me the entire time I was reading the book, and I'm sorry if I'm being harsh, but that is just the stupidest part of this whole book. Anyway, the three girls in this generation of triplets are Katherine, Arsinoe and Mirabella. It has been a difficult generation because of the three girls, only Mirabella's powers have revealed themselves; the others have not. When they are born, the current queen knows what powers each of her daughters have and gives them up to the correct clan (I suppose). Katherine is a poisoner, supposed to be able to create all kinds of poisons and be completely immune to them herself -- but she's weak and sickly-looking because her powers have not come in yet, other than her ability to create poisons. Arsinoe is a naturalist, able to cause flowers to bloom and have an animal familiar, but Arsinoe can barely grow a leaf and no animal has come to Arsinoe to be her familiar yet. Lastly is Mirabella, an elementalist, able to wield fire, lightning, water and bend them to her will. The only one who has been able to actually use her powers so far. The book mainly alternates between the three queens, none of whom actually meet one another until near the very end. So, it's kind of like reading three separate stories that take place in the same world. Herein lies this book's greatest problem -- nothing happens until the very end when the characters actually meet up. And by the very end, I mean the last 40-50 pages. The rest of the book is seriously some cringe worthy relationship building between each queen and her respective love interest. Insta-Love strikes again. Also there's SO MANY CHARACTERS. But other than the three main girls, none of them are particularly memorable, and the only reason I say the three main girls are memorable is because they're the main characters so you kind of have to know who they are. The character development is seriously lackluster. Everyone feels really "fake", like this is not how humans really talk or act is it? And of course, the poor character development bleeds into the poor relationship development between characters. The only secondary character that stood out was Jules (Arsinoe's best friend) and that was only because she felt more like a main character than Arsinoe did. Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, NOT MUCH happens in this entire book. None of the so-called queens meet each other until the very end, and they certainly won't be fighting one another here, not until the next book. The whole book is essentially three girls not liking their lives, finding guys they really like, and then thinking, "OH I really love him, I have to be the last girl standing so that I can be with him!" Well, okay, none of them directly says that, but that's really the gist of it! I really think this series should have been ONE book, maybe two, but instead the author has decided to really draaaag it out. I know what you're thinking. "Gee ... you sound like you hated this book." Guess what? I actually don't! Like I said, I really enjoyed the fascinating if not strange world the author has created in this book. But what gets me is this book feels like it has so much damn potential! I mean, I'm definitely going to read the 2nd one, for sure. For all its faults, this first book does set up the foundation of the story, so I'm really hoping from here on out the story will get some more action going on. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 26, 2017
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Nov 2017
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Oct 18, 2017
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Hardcover
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| 0545654742
| 9780545654746
| 0545654742
| 3.86
| 29,672
| Jan 20, 2015
| Jan 20, 2015
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it was ok
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I'm a pretty big Ally Carter fan (even though I'm like, not in her target audience age range haha) (I am at heart though!) I guess the series isn't re
I'm a pretty big Ally Carter fan (even though I'm like, not in her target audience age range haha) (I am at heart though!) I guess the series isn't really new, it's been out for a couple years now, but I didn't get around to it till now (the TBR pile grows ever larger). So I finally got around to reading this new series of her's that's not about spies or thieves, but about .... politicians this time? Diplomats? Grace is a teenager living in the US embassy in the fictional country of Adria. She lives on "Embassy Row", where a whole bunch of embassies of various countries are located, with her grandfather who is the American ambassador. Two years ago, she witnessed her mother being murdered, but for the last two years, everyone has been trying to convince her that her mother actually died in an accident (a fire) and that her mind has made up the murder. As the story is told in a first person perspective, naturally I believed our narrator. BUT you know, a few things pop up in the story that makes you suspect maybe she IS making it up ... ? Well, I won't spoil things, but you'll find out in the end who is right. I gave this book 2 stars though because I just didn't find it to be my cup of tea. I read this book on and off for two months, even though it's a short book, because I just couldn't really get into it. Nothing really hooked me on. Grace isn't really a likeable character either; I understand why she's depressed and cranky and pushes everyone away, but still ... Also, I found it kind of difficult to suspend my belief for this book. All the teens in this book (the kids that grow up on Embassy Row) seem to have free reign to run amok the embassies. Not that I know anything about embassies, but I just found it kind of hard to believe ... And they are able to spy on certain people so easily, hack into computers and have access to certain files, etc. I get they are supposed to be smart kids, but I just found it difficult to "buy in" to the story. Anyway, I gave it 2 stars because it's an "okay" book and that's what 2 stars means to me. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 15, 2017
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Dec 20, 2017
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Dec 01, 2015
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Hardcover
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| 1439102767
| 9781439102763
| 1439102767
| 4.30
| 242,269
| Feb 26, 2013
| Feb 26, 2013
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liked it
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Another Jodi Picoult book for me, this time it’s The Storyteller. The dust jacket summary of the novel didn’t really say much about what this book is
Another Jodi Picoult book for me, this time it’s The Storyteller. The dust jacket summary of the novel didn’t really say much about what this book is about. I thought it was a book about euthanasia at first. Turns out it’s something completely different. It’s actually a World War II related story. I have sort of mixed feelings about the novel, now that I’m finished. Some parts were extraordinarily excellent; other parts were quite dull and cliche. The Storyteller starts with Sage Singer, a young woman who is a baker. She’s a loner who has taken to working/baking through the night and sleeping through the day. Her only friend is Mary, who is also her boss. She dates Adam, a married man, because if he ever left, well, she could say she didn’t lose someone she never truly had. She has been harboring a lot of guilt ever since her mother died, for which she blames herself for. She attends a grief therapy group, where she doesn’t participate all that much to be honest, but still finds herself frequently going. It is at the grief group she meets Josef Weber, an elderly 95 year old man, who is beloved by the small town. They strike up a friendship of some sort and it is then that Josef confesses something incredible to Sage: he is actually a former SS Nazi officer. He then proceeds to ask Sage for a huge favor — to end his life. Sage is Jewish, you see, and Josef hopes to gain forgiveness from what he has done during the war and to be put out of his misery, so to speak. With this book, it feels like all the good parts are in the middle. The beginning and the end were really quite lackluster, in my opinion. I feel like Sage’s ex-nun of a boss and co-worker, the whole ‘Jesus bread loaf’ subplot, etc. that was present in the beginning was made intentionally quirky to try to make the beginning more interesting. Which didn’t really work for me, it just seemed kind of strange. Also, Sage and Josef’s relationship wasn’t really explored too much in depth. Like, he meets her a couple times then drops this HUGE bomb on her, “Oh and by the way, could you please kill me because I really want to die.” And then Sage kept entertaining the idea! What the heck?! The middle of the book was a different story though — literally. We have two ‘biographies’, one from Josef’s time as an SS Nazi officer, and one from Sage’s grandmother as a concentration camp survivor. Hands down, this part of the book was the best. It was super interesting read about World War II from two vastly different perspectives. Lots of emotion combined with wonderful prose led to a very late night where I could not put the book down. Now, I’ve read a few things around the Internet where people were saying small parts of Picoult’s story aren’t historically accurate but I think I’ll give her a pass on it because she’s not normally a historical fiction writer. Might even be her first try, as far as I know. Anyway, from what I’ve read, it’s really small, minor details, so I’m not going to be super nitpicky about stuff like that. Threaded throughout the entire novel, is another story that is written by Sage’s grandmother. Without mincing with words, it’s essentially a vampire love story, that she wrote during her time in the concentration camp. There’s supposed to be some allegory comparing the Nazis to vampires or something, I think, but I didn’t really get it. It wasn’t really a good story, to be honest. Every time I encountered another small section of the book dedicated to continuing this vampire story, I was tempted to just skip it over. I probably could have, but I also didn’t want to miss anything. After the fantastic middle portion of the book (which is the bulk of the novel), we come back to the present day where Sage has enlisted Nazi hunter (a federal agent), Leo. Okay, here’s where the story went all wonky again and just felt too Hollywood for my liking, if you kind of know where I’m going with this. (view spoiler)[Sage and Leo fall completely in love with one another. Sage ends up doing Josef the favor and helps ends his life. Which I think was moronic; after all the trouble she went through trying to get him to confess to certain crimes and stuff so that Leo could arrest him or whatever, Sage just does her own thing and kills him anyway. And how was she planning to get away with this murder?! Because like it or not, it’s still murder and it’s not like Sage is a mastermind criminal. Someone is definitely going to figure out that Sage did it. (hide spoiler)] Anyway, I have gripes with this book, if you can’t tell. However, I cannot stress enough how wonderful and emotional the historical portions of this book were. It did feel like it was two/three separate stories wrapped in one book. I don’t feel like this is one of Jodi Picoult’s best novels but it was okay. If are a Jodi Picoult fan, I am sure you would read this anyway. If you are looking for a WWII novel, there are better ones out there, I would think, but this one is pretty good if you ignore the present-day parts. ...more |
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1
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not set
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Mar 17, 2015
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Mar 17, 2015
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Hardcover
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| 1439102759
| 9781439102756
| 1439102759
| 3.73
| 83,348
| Feb 28, 2012
| Oct 23, 2012
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it was amazing
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I need to catch up on Jodi Picoult books! This one is called Lone Wolf and it came out about 2-3 years ago. Like all of Picoult’s books, the dust cove
I need to catch up on Jodi Picoult books! This one is called Lone Wolf and it came out about 2-3 years ago. Like all of Picoult’s books, the dust cover summaries always sound kind of boring but I’ll try to make it a bit more interesting. Luke Warren is a renowned wolf expert who literally lived with wolves for two years in order to fully understand and study them. His extreme passion for wolves has, unfortunately, been a heated topic with his family, who feel he may love the animals more than them. He had divorced from his wife Georgie several years ago, at the same time his then-18 year old son Edward left home to become the estranged son. He lives in a trailer near his wolf conservation park (theme park thing?) with his daughter Cara (6 years younger than Edward) and his wife Georgie has since remarried lawyer Joe Ng and had twins. Presently, in the book, Cara is 17 (and 3/4 she will tell you!) and Edward is 23. That’s the background. The story starts with a terrible accident in which Luke is driving his drunk daughter Cara home from a party she wasn’t supposed to be at when the truck smashes into a tree. Cara makes it out fairly alright, with a broken arm, bruised ribs and a concussion. Luke, on the other hand, is in a vegetative state, kept alive by a ventilator and a feeding tube. The whole family gather together immediately, daughter, ex-wife and estranged son, at his bedside but days pass and the prognosis is extremely grim. As his next-of-kin, Edward finds himself in a position to make medical decisions for his father, but his choice of whether to keep Luke alive via ventilator and tube feedings clash directly with Cara, who wants to keep him alive as long as possible. The family comes under extreme pressure as Cara is sure Edward is just looking for an excuse to kill their father, while Edward is sure Cara is too blinded by survivor’s guilt to grasp the reality of the situation. What is it with Jodi Picoult’s books?! You start reading one and all of a sudden, you find yourself 100 pages in and it feels like only 5 minutes have passed. Her books always suck me in quickly, and Lone Wolf is no exception. In particular, dealing with the ethical and legal stuff that has to do with keeping patients alive through mechanical means is really interesting to me as a nurse (even though I’m aware this is all fictional). Maybe that’s why I liked the story so much. Also, because Jodi Picoult books always have to have some sort of legal battle going on, I love hearing both sides of the argument. The downside is that in this book — for me, in any case — it was really clear which side had better arguments and I think this came down to the characters. Cara was extremely immature and I have no idea why anyone would entertain anything she says, especially as she was caught lying multiple times in the story. She was also bordering delusional with her great hope that her father would come back alive, and just didn’t seem to be able to grasp the consequences of her actions. For goodness’ sake, she tried to get her brother thrown in jail and when confronted, all she could say was that she wouldn’t have let anyone actually put him in jail, she’d just recant what she said if it got to that point. Seriously?! And here she is trying to prove to everyone she is mature enough to be appointed her father’s decision maker. Why anyone would even begin to think that’s a good idea is beyond me. I ended up rooting for Edward to “win” just because I couldn’t stand the idea of Cara “winning’. Edward wasn’t a spectacularly built character either, but he was alright. Even though he was gone from the family for the last few years with extremely minimal contact, I didn’t believe he was trying to pull the plug on his father as an act of revenge, as Cara tries to tell everyone. Even though I think his reasons for running away from home in the first place are kind of overly dramatic for what it was, he played a good ‘tortured soul’ character in this novel and I ended up sympathizing a lot more with him than Cara. Towards the end of the novel, I was beginning to become worried about what the result of the legal battle was going to be. Okay, so here’s the thing — (view spoiler)[every time I read a Jodi Picoult novel (or almost every time … every time I can remember, anyway), the ending has always been utter crap. I’d become angry and think, “Are you serious?!” because the legal battle(s) will usually end in such a way that I just cannot believe it. So I was thinking that the whole time and just bracing for some shitty ending like Luke magically regaining consciousness despite ALL the medical staff saying it’s pretty darn impossible due to damage to a very vital part of your brain. I really did not think a positive, “miracle” ending suited this story. I guess this is a spoiler, but I am glad the book ended the way I thought it should end, on a more realistic note. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Mar 10, 2015
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Mar 10, 2015
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Paperback
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| 0425238660
| 9780425238660
| 0425238660
| 3.49
| 3,047
| Nov 23, 2010
| Jan 04, 2011
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liked it
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I discovered this series via Goodreads’ “Readers Also Enjoyed …” recommendation section. The combination of a promise of exciting espionage by a femme
I discovered this series via Goodreads’ “Readers Also Enjoyed …” recommendation section. The combination of a promise of exciting espionage by a femme fatale kind of character and the gorgeous cover had me persuaded to give the book a try. Also, I love the time period this book takes place in, during Queen Victoria’s reign. Bizarrely enough, despite the word “mystery” being used to describe this book (it’s right on the cover!), it’s not a mystery novel at all. At least, I don’t think so … The story is about a woman named India Black who is a madam that runs a whore house in London, called the Lotus House. She becomes pulled into an international crisis of some sort when one of the clients of her establishment dies inside Lotus House. Said client is a pretty high ranking government official, who was supposed to be carrying a briefcase with top secret military documents that could be very detrimental to Britain should they fall into the wrong hands — such as Russian hands. India is forced/blackmailed by the Prime Minister of Britain and a government spy agent nicknamed French (real name is confidential) to help them in retrieving this briefcase that was stolen from the Lotus House. India becomes engaged in a cat-and-mouse chase with Russian spy agents as they both race to be the first to retrieve these documents. If any part of it is a mystery, I suppose it’s when India was just trying to figure out who the gentleman was that died in her brothel, but that was solved very early on. I really don’t think this is a mystery at all. It’s certainly a thriller kind of novel though, and action oriented. Another thing about this novel that might throw you off is that the plot summary and even the cover of this book look “serious” and “cool”– however, it’s actually humorous. I read some reviews where people said the characters were kind of ‘idiotic’ and certain plot points is nonsensical or bizarre, in a “why the heck would they do that?” kind of way. I really think it is all intentional, as my impression of the novel is that it’s all meant to be sort of comedic. No, I don’t buy the reason why the British government would recruit a brothel madame to help them retrieve top secret documents and various other events in the book, but I never, for once, felt this was a serious, realistic espionage novel. So I was able to easily suspend my belief and enjoy the ride. With all that being said, I actually found myself quite enjoying the story. Mainly because I found it funny. The plot is kind of predictable, but India’s wittiness, sarcasm and humor held my interest. And you know what, it was just a plain ol’ fun novel to read. It didn’t take itself seriously, and it was so easy to slip into the story. I think the main shortcomings of this novel is that it was packaged all wrong (not really a mystery, looks too serious on the outside); as well, the official book premise includes a promise of India starting to develop feelings for the British spy agent French … but that never happened in the book!! To be fair, I did get a vibe that India and French were to be an item in the future, however, this vibe came from my own ‘intuition’, if you will, about how characters in such novels usually end up. I don’t think I could find much contextual evidence to support this vibe I have. I think there was only one scene where the two of them had a slightly meaningful conversation, but 99% of the time, they were just bickering at one another. So, all in all, initial expectations from the book’s premise and book cover could be potentially disappointing, especially if you thought you were getting a certain story but really wasn’t. However, overall, a very fun book and a series that I would love to continue reading. ...more |
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1
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Jun 25, 2014
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Jun 28, 2014
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Jun 24, 2014
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Paperback
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| 1405519223
| 9781405519229
| 1405519223
| 3.30
| 331,685
| Sep 27, 2012
| Sep 27, 2012
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liked it
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The most anticipated book of 2012! At first I wanted to read it because I am a fan of Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling. I know, I know, everyone said no
The most anticipated book of 2012! At first I wanted to read it because I am a fan of Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling. I know, I know, everyone said not to read it if you’re doing it just because it’s by J. K. Rowling, but let’s face it — there’s no other real reason to read it except for that one reason. If that cover said someone else’s name on it, I doubt many people would even glance at it. Then, I changed my mind and I didn’t want to read it because I found out the plot synopsis and it didn’t sound interesting to me at all. I mean, even the cover is pretty boring. I think, eventually I would have succumbed and gave the book a try, but anyway, the real reason I read this book is because it is the November book of my book club. The Casual Vacancy is a grim story about a little, tiny town called Pagford. Barry Fairbrother, a member of the parish council suddenly dies of a stroke in his very early forties, leaving a ‘casual vacancy’ on the council. Quickly, various members of the town begin to run for the empty spot in the upcoming election. On the surface, it seems like the casual vacancy is the only issue at hand, but Barry’s death reveals the many, many problems and unhappiness that various townspeople have with their own families, with their neighbours, with their own children, with their parents. The Casual Vacancy is a dark and realistic portrait of human unhappiness, frustration and loneliness. I have mixed feelings towards this book. When I first started this book, maybe for the first half or so, I was really bored. There’s just no other way to put it, sorry — I was bored. I know character-centered stories aren’t normally my cup of tea, but I’ve enjoyed a good handful of them before so it’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I’m just picky with them. This character-centered novel was simply not capturing my attention though. There were so many characters introduced at once that I couldn’t keep track of them. I got Samantha and Shirley mixed up a lot, even up to the end of the novel. Several characters have nicknames so it threw me off a bit to remember two names for one character when I already have so many to keep track of. I did like how there were many perspectives, from adults to children, but the story flits from character to character so often that it isn’t until two-thirds of the way through that I feel I really start to get to know the characters and how they tick — the ones I could remember and tell apart from the others anyway. The story did get more interesting and picked up some more pace once the computer-hacking stuff begins (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you read it). And then from there, the story got more and more depressing and tragic, in an interesting way. I really was quite absorbed into the story in the last 100 pages or so, and I feel the last 100 pages really redeemed some of the boring-ness I felt for the first half of the novel. The ending made my heart clench up, it was quite sad, and if I was the type of person who easily cried when reading or watching movies, I think I would have. I think the best part of this novel are the teenager characters Rowling presents. She’s really quite good at writing about turbulent and angsty teens. It’s no surprise to me that all the best scenes in the novel involved the teenager characters, especially the ending. (And on that note, while I liked the ending because it got quite an emotional response from me, I’m not quite sure what I was supposed to take away from the ending. It felt like quite a hopeless and depressing ending). As for complaints that Rowling “tried too hard” to be adult in this book, such as using swear words and having sex in the novels and stuff, I think that’s just silly. Thousands of other adult novels have swearing and sex in it, many of them to much worse degrees than what is presented in The Casual Vacancy. I think anyone complaining about the adult content in this book needs to stop thinking of Rowling as a children’s writer and comparing her older works to this one. The Casual Vacancy is meant to be a realistic and grim picture of human relationships and those things are a part of real life. For all it’s worth, I commend Rowling for trying to write something completely different from Harry Potter. Overall, I still have some mixed feelings towards the book. I thought the beginning was sluggish and dull, but the ending half was actually quite interesting, in a rather morbid way. I don’t think I would ever re-read this book though. It’s nothing like Harry Potter at all, if that is your only reason for reading this book. If you are a person who enjoys books about character development and “life stories” kind of novels, this is a book for you. If not, I would be kind of wary about picking it up. ...more |
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1
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Nov 10, 2012
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Nov 25, 2012
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Sep 28, 2012
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ebook
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| 0316211346
| 9780316211345
| B00FOQRY5O
| 3.43
| 15,693
| Jul 17, 2012
| Jul 17, 2012
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really liked it
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I’m not really sure what caused me to pick up this novel to read. I first saw it at the bookstore, and quite liked the cover. Reminded me a bit of The
I’m not really sure what caused me to pick up this novel to read. I first saw it at the bookstore, and quite liked the cover. Reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby. The title was also quite intriguing — tigers in red weather? What could that mean? Anyway, I eventually got the novel and read it. While at first I was kind of “meh” about it, the story really grew on me and I ended up really liking it. I have been ruminating on the story ever since I finished it — so much betrayal, guilt, love and lust. Everyone’s hiding something, from someone else or from themselves. It starts off rather light hearted but snowballs into an intense drama. Tigers In Red Weather is a story set in the mid 40′s to late 50′s time period. It spans two decades, give or take, and follows five main characters. The novel is split into five parts, one for each of them. Nick (who is a woman — that threw me off in the beginning, when I didn’t realize she was a woman) and Helena are cousins and best friends. They enjoy spending their summers at Tiger House, a family-owned estate. Their life seems perfect, what with the ending of World War II approaching: Nick’s husband, Hughes, is coming back from war and Helena is soon to marry her own husband and move to glamorous Hollywood. However, life is not as wonderful and perfect as it seems. Hughes has come back a changed man and Helena’s husband, Avery, is a sly and untrustworthy figure. A decade later, the cousins reunite at Tiger House, now each with their own child: Daisy (Nick’s) and Ed (Helena’s). They throw a party, not knowing that that night, everything in their lives was going to change. A murder happens, the victim being the maid of a neighbour’s, and everyone’s secrets and guilts begin to leak out, spanning another decade. The story does not move forward in time in a straightforward manner. It generally moves in one direction, but also hops backwards into the past and then back into the present, and occasionally into the future. This created a very suspenseful atmosphere in the book, although at first I didn’t realize there was a ‘mystery’ involved so I didn’t understand why we were jumping around time so much. Besides suspense, there is also an element of horror although I would not go so far to classify it as horror. More of a “something is not quite right” element, really. It’s not evident at first. It kind of creeps up on you. At first you don’t think anything is off, just a little odd. Then you have a sense something is not quite right, which slowly but surely makes you feel kind of chilled, until at last the truth comes out. Perhaps sharper readers would have caught on earlier to the truth/secret, but I did not see it coming and when it was all revealed, I was quite surprised because when I first started the book, I had no idea it would head in such a dramatic direction! I liked this book because I felt it struck a good balance between character development and plot, not too much or too little of either. The characters in particular were lovely. Each one was flawed in their own unique way, fighting their own demons. It’s definitely a grim story despite the summery-looking book cover. The characters are all miserable but hiding behind lies they’ve told themselves (or things they have convinced themselves of being the truth). It’s just all very well done in my opinion, the characters all captured my interest one hundred percent. In particular, Ed was fascinating and what compelled me to keep reading because he seemed to be the biggest mystery of all. He was the last perspective introduced in the story so you don’t get to find out his thoughts and feelings until the end, so for the longest time, I was just guessing as to why Ed was the way he was, and what really happened that midsummer night with the maid’s murder. Tigers In Red Weather is a fascinating read and if the plot synopsis sounds interesting to you, I’d definitely recommend you check it out. ...more |
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1
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Nov 26, 2012
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Dec 08, 2012
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Aug 17, 2012
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Kindle Edition
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| 0345511875
| 9780345511874
| 0345511875
| 3.78
| 9,881
| Apr 01, 2010
| Jul 13, 2010
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it was amazing
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4.5 stars, rounded up! This is my second Alison Weir book. I loved her first one, Innocent Traitor, on Lady Jane Grey and was very excited to read more 4.5 stars, rounded up! This is my second Alison Weir book. I loved her first one, Innocent Traitor, on Lady Jane Grey and was very excited to read more of her works. Captive Queen is about Eleanor of Aquitaine, who, despite my limited knowledge on her, is a favourite Queen of mine from history. This book has its flaws, but I thought overall it was quite well done and I was pretty addicted to reading it. The book starts off a bit slow, but builds up increasingly. By the middle of the book, I couldn’t put it down at all. Captive Queen begins when Eleanor is almost thirty years old, beginning with her failure of a marriage to King Louis of France. Eleanor is a beautiful, headstrong Queen with a high sex drive; unfortunately, her husband is so pious that Eleanor practically needs to beg him to come to bed with her, for the sake of an heir at least. When Eleanor lays her eyes on young Henry of Anjou (future King Henry of England), eleven years her junior, she is instantly attracted — and so is he. Daringly, Eleanor arranges for her marriage to Louis to become annulled and before anyone can say anything, she is wed to Henry. Their relationship is extremely passionate, as Henry shares the same sexual appetite as her and together, they eventually come to have eight children. However, as the years go on, Eleanor and Henry’s relationship begins to break down. Though they can’t get enough of one another in the bedroom, outside they are butting heads politically over land and over their children. Finding out about Henry’s faithlessness also drives the wedge deeper between them. When Eleanor’s sons revolt against their father, Eleanor can’t help but side with her sons, a decision that will cost her her freedom. As I mentioned earlier, the book begins a bit on the slow side. I still liked it, but it wasn’t anything too impressive. I read some reviews where people were unhappy with how much sex Eleanor and Henry had in the book, but that didn’t bother me one bit. I mean, they were both known to be quite into sex, it’s kind of hard to leave that out. However, I do agree that the beginning of the book seemed to be overly dominated with sex scenes and sexual-related scenes and the like. I guess it just drove home how much of Eleanor and Henry’s relationship was built upon pure, unrestrained lust — and unfortunately, lust doesn’t last. What I loved was reading about Eleanor and Henry’s relationship dissolving. In some ways, this book isn’t really about just Eleanor, but rather, Eleanor and Henry. They couldn’t agree on so many things outside of the bedroom. Henry wanted things one way, Eleanor wanted things another way. Eleanor, who was quite an intelligent woman herself, resented the fact that Henry technically had control of her lands as her husband, even though none of her vassals liked Henry. She would try to persuade Henry to let her handle her own vassals since they like her more, but Henry is too prideful, too “manly” to let a woman handle his affairs. Then there was also Becket, Henry’s new BFF, who came between Eleanor and Henry’s relationship even more. She hated that she wasn’t the first person Henry would turn to for advice anymore. When their children grew older, she sided with her sons who felt their father was hogging all the power, which of course, drove Eleanor and Henry apart even more. As morbid as it sounds, I loved reading about their marriage and relationship falling apart. It was exciting! Dramatic! I loved this book a lot! No, it’s not perfect — I do wish the author focused a bit more on Eleanor’s children, specifically her sons — but it’s a great book on its own. Whether you are knowledgeable about Eleanor’s life or not, I think many people will find this book quite exciting to read. ...more |
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1
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Jul 16, 2012
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Jul 18, 2012
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Jul 16, 2012
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Hardcover
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| 0307361594
| 9780307361592
| 0307361594
| 3.83
| 535
| Jul 03, 2012
| Jul 03, 2012
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it was amazing
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This book was an impulse buy from Wal-Mart (30% off books’ cover prices, woohoo!), but I’m so glad I did it because I fell in love with it! What inter
This book was an impulse buy from Wal-Mart (30% off books’ cover prices, woohoo!), but I’m so glad I did it because I fell in love with it! What interested me was the fact that it took place in 1860′s Russia. I am really enjoying European historical fiction lately, particularly the 1500-1800s, so when I saw this book, I knew I wanted it right away. It was a bit risky since I didn’t know anything about the author and it is such a new book that there are hardly any reviews on it on Goodreads, but I took the chance and it turned out to be an amazing read. The story takes place in 1860s Russia, under the reign of Tsar Alexander II. Russia is experiencing a social revolution during this time period thanks to the Emancipation Reform of 1861, which meant that many serfs were allowed their freedom and granted the rights of a full citizen of Russia. The entire novel revolves around this one event: the Count and Countess of Angelkov’s son is kidnapped from them by their ex-serfs (though they don’t know who did it for a while; they thought it was the Cossacks). Even though serfdom was abolished, many were still landless, poor peasants and their situation did not improve one bit; many harbored resentment towards their former masters and now acted on their feelings. Antonina, the Countess, slowly spirals into despair, becoming an alcoholic. The Count falls ill and becomes of no use to Antonina and the entire estate slowly heads toward bankruptcy. Other characters include Lilya, Antonina’s maid who is in love with Antonina and is jealous of anyone who seems to have her mistress’ affections; Grisha, the steward of the estate who regrets being involved with the kidnapping scheme greatly; and Valentin, an attractive and talented violinist who befriends the Countess during her time of crisis. A great chunk of the book is devoted to exploring the back stories of each of the main characters. At first I felt a bit like the story was a tad disjointed because there is such a significant amount of writing devoted to explaining each character and how they came to live at Angelkov, so soon after the beginning. I suppose what I wanted was for the back stories to blend in with the story a little better: it felt like the book consisted of “kidnapping (50 pages) — backstories (200 pages) — resume kidnapping story (200 pages)”. However, each character has a very interesting story so it was a pleasant detour, if you can call it that. Actually, as I continued reading, I realized this book isn’t really about the kidnapping — it’s about the characters, and so, the so-called “detour” is actually vital to the story. Even though I wanted the book to go back to the kidnapping story, I was not unhappy with reading about the individual characters’ pasts. Each one is so fascinating and it was really great to read about how the Emancipation Reform affected everyone on all levels. Freeing the serfs sounds great on paper, but many of them don’t feel any difference in their situation since they have no land or money anyway. They’ll have to just keep working for their master anyway. For the nobles, they begin to lose so many serfs that they can’t keep all their land, especially with the high land taxes the tsar has set, so they end up having to give away pieces of land anyway, and downsizing a lot. This book was such a great way for me to learn about this time period. Even though it is all fictional, its point is the unrest that followed such a social revolution affects everyone, and nobody comes out as a clear winner or loser. The kidnapping is obviously what this whole novel revolves around, even though I didn’t feel like it was the focal point. The kidnapping felt more like the background on which all the characters are introduced to the reader. This is more of a character driven story, which I am usually not the biggest fan of (I’m very 50/50 on such stories), but this one had me sucked in and I was up reading this book until the wee hours of the morning. Of course, the kidnapping did provide a very exciting element to the story. The whole time I wondered if Antonina would get her son back or not, if she would ever be reunited with him. So even though this is a character driven story, I think it can be rather plot driven as well! I highly recommend this book, it’s a great novel and I felt it was written in a very engaging and easy-to-read manner. Such a great book! ...more |
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1
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Jul 06, 2012
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Jul 08, 2012
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Jul 03, 2012
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Paperback
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| 0312367384
| 9780312367381
| 0312367384
| 3.39
| 2,583
| Sep 30, 2008
| Sep 30, 2008
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liked it
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3.5 stars, IMO. This is the third Erickson book I’ve read now, and I’ve come to a realization: if you want historical fiction that is also historically 3.5 stars, IMO. This is the third Erickson book I’ve read now, and I’ve come to a realization: if you want historical fiction that is also historically accurate, you probably won’t like Erickson’s works. But if you don’t mind authors taking some liberties with history, then you’ll probably enjoy Erickson’s novels. I fall in the latter group — I don’t mind authors making things up (though I do enjoy historical accuracy as well). And there are a lot of made up events and characters in The Tsarina’s Daughter. In this book, the Grand Duchess Tatiana actually survived the assassination of her family and is living in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1989. She has decided to tell the story of her family during the Russian Revolution: how her father the Tsar ran the country, how her mother dealt with her “delusions” and obsession with that “healer”, Rasputin, and how she fell in and out of love over the years until she found the right man for her. I thought it was really interested how Erickson decided to use Tatiana, the second eldest daughter of the Tsar and Tsarina, as her main character, as most novels love romanticizing Anastasia instead. I actually have never really read anything dealing with last Tsar and his family that didn’t have Anastasia as the main character, so this was a different experience indeed. I do not know that much about Tatiana Romanov, certainly not to the extent that I know Anastasia (I had an Anastasia phase when I was in middle school; I adored the mystery surrounding the missing last duchess and wanted to know everything I could about her), but I’m certain a majority of this novel is made up, especially her romances. However, as I said before, I don’t mind historical fiction that actually puts some real fiction in it, and I thought the story was quite well done. It was interesting, it had my attention and once I started reading, I was wrapped in the story. I actually quite enjoyed the made-up romances of Tatiana. She was a teenager at the time, after all, so I thought it plausible that she had a crush or two. However, other than the romances, I found Tatiana to be a bit of a passive character. I felt like the story was really about the Russian Revolution, just seen through Tatiana’s eyes. Even though Tatiana was the main character though, I thought the most interesting characters were her parents, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, who were portrayed as major players in the Revolution. We see, through Tatiana’s eyes, how her parents contributed to the decline of their family, the general lack of confidence the Russian people felt towards the monarchy, and the Russian Revolution. I would love to read a novel about those two rulers, actually! (Unfortunately, the historical royalty fiction market is still quite saturated with Tudor novels, so I might be in for a long wait). Since the author had already chosen to go down the historically fiction route (as opposed to historically accurate), I would have loved if there was a short chapter on how Tatiana’s life had been after she moved to Canada. It would have been a nice way to wrap up the story, as opposed to what I feel was a rather blunt ending, that basically said ‘I managed to escape and move to Canada, the end’ (an exaggeration, but you know what I mean). Regardless, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to people who don’t mind large doses of fiction in their historical novels. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 25, 2012
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Jun 27, 2012
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Jun 25, 2012
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0618562036
| 9780618562039
| 0618562036
| 3.89
| 24,997
| Dec 15, 2003
| Apr 11, 2005
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really liked it
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It took me way longer than it should have to finish this book — not because I found it uninteresting (quite the contrary actually) but because I have
It took me way longer than it should have to finish this book — not because I found it uninteresting (quite the contrary actually) but because I have been distracted by computer games. Ahhh. Anyway, if you keep up with my reviews, you probably noticed I’ve become quite enamoured by historical fiction. Mostly European, but I’m trying to read some about China/Asia too. This book, Empress Orchid, takes place in the 1800′s in China, when it is under a Manchu dynasty. It is about the last empress of China, Orchid (or Cixi/Tzu Hsi), and how she went from a lowly country girl to becoming an empress of China: her life story. Orchid starts out as the daughter of a low ranking official who had been fired from his job and died. Struggling to survive, Orchid, her mother and siblings are in the care of an uncle, but the uncle wants to marry Orchid to his mentally challenged son. To put off the marriage, Orchid decides to try out for the “auditions” to become a concubine of the Emperor. Anybody trying out for the “audition” cannot marry during that time period. Unlike European royalty who marry other royalty from other countries, in China, the emperor would marry a wife (or rather, wives) of some rank who is also of the same background. The Emperor at the time was Manchu Chinese and so was Orchid. Though Orchid’s father had fallen on hard time and eventually died, she still had some ranking to her. The auditions are mentally fatiguing and Orchid is scrutinized in every possible way. But somehow, she makes it past the rounds and becomes a concubine of the emperor. However, to survive in the royal court, Orchid knows she needs to win the Emperor’s favor. But some wives and concubines can be married to the Emperor forever and never even meet their husband. There are 3000 of them, after all. I thought this book was great! I don’t really know anything about Orchid and though I have some very basic understanding of Chinese history, the 1800s was a mystery to me. Orchid is traditionally presented as a power hungry, “evil” concubine who brought the fall of the entire dynasty, but this book portrays her as a smart woman who cared for her husband and her son, who wanted the best for China and was unfortunately surrounded by other schemers. I can definitely see how she can be portrayed “evilly” too, but I do quite like this portrayal of her: she isn’t perfect, not some saint like the other empress, Nuharoo, and I can see how the other characters would have seen her as a meddling woman. At the same time, she is strong of will and has strong family values. She was a woman trying to speak her voice in a culture dominated by men, and these men viewed her as a threat. Though I enjoyed the entire book thoroughly, I thought the beginning half of the novel was a lot more interesting than the latter half. The first half was about her as a young teenager, living in near poverty with her family, and then working to become a concubine of the Emperor. The latter half was about her as an Empress and trying to fight against the manipulative Chief Eunach who wants power for himself and firmly believes that women should just stick to domestic issues and leave the politics to the men. I’ve never been a person who was that interested in political-ish stuff so I was a little less interested, relatively speaking. With that said, that Chief Eunach really annoyed me — what a wonderfully written villain, haha. This book isn’t a part of a series, per se. There is a sequel, The Last Empress, which I imagine is about Orchid’s reign as an empress (I believe she eventually becomes the sole ruler). I’ve heard it isn’t as good as this first one, but I do still want to give it a try! I really enjoyed this book and I feel like I learned lots, not just historically but also culturally. Definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in reading historicals or books about different cultures. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 26, 2012
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Aug 07, 2012
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Jun 07, 2012
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Paperback
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| 1451633246
| 9781451633245
| 1451633246
| 3.92
| 4,328
| May 08, 2012
| May 08, 2012
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really liked it
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I’m much more acquainted with the Tudor time period when it comes to European history, but let’s face it: in a genre oversaturated with the Tudors, th
I’m much more acquainted with the Tudor time period when it comes to European history, but let’s face it: in a genre oversaturated with the Tudors, the premise of this story was too interesting to pass up — four sisters in the 13th century all became queens of different countries! It sounds totally fictional because hey, what are the chances of that happening? But it really happened! Combined with my fascination for historical royal fiction the past handful of months, and the fact that this book became the August book of my online book club, well, it’s inevitable I would eventually read it. Also, I had read Captive Queen by Alison Weir not too long ago, so it was kind of cool reading about Eleanor of Aquitaine’s descendants (through King Henry III in this book). Four Sisters, All Queens is about the four daughters of Beatrice of Savoy who lived in the 13th century in Provence. An ambitious woman, she planned for her daughters to have the most advantageous marriages possible. Her daughters are, in birth order, Marguerite who became Queen of France; Eleanore who became Queen of England; Sanchia who became Queen of Germany; and Beatrice who became Queen of Sicily. Beatrice of Savoy tried to instill in her daughters that family comes first and to help one another to bring their own family name of Savoy to great heights. Unfortunately, each of her daughters experience a myriad of obstacles in their reigns (or during their journey to the crown. The youngest sisters did not become queens right away, but a long while after the two eldest). Like their mother, the daughters were highly ambitious themselves. The sisters often found themselves battling another sister for power, money, land and affection and learn that becoming a queen comes with many costs. I really enjoyed this book! As someone with two sisters and no brothers, I am quite familiar with the way sisters can end up acting around one another. Of course, neither myself or my sisters are queens of anything (har har), so the characters in this book have much more serious and intense rivalries. I found the book very easy to read and get into, even though it started off a bit slowly, but it steadily builds momentum. Sometimes the names mixed me up but it’s not the author’s fault that there were so many Henrys and Edwards back then, haha. I particularly enjoyed the last 150 pages of the book, because that was when the youngest two sisters and their husbands started making claims to the thrones of Sicily and Germany (their husbands were, previously, brothers to the king of France and England, respectively — they didn’t start off as kings themselves). I’m not very familiar with this part of history, and I didn’t find the explanation of how they were able to just make a claim for those thrones (something about the pope picking the kings?) very clear, but I understood the gist of what was going on. The rivalries between the sisters were at their highest point at this part of the story, in my opinion, and I loved reading every word of it! I feel the majority of the story focused more so on Marguerite and Eleanore. They are older than the two youngest by quite a number of years, so with a “head start” in their queening career, it is understandable that they have more story to tell. My favourite is actually Beatrice though. I loved her! She was the youngest sister and to me, she sort of felt like the underdog so I liked rooting for her. She also has a very memorable personality, being the spunkiest and most in-your-face Savoy girl. Sanchia had a rather small presence in comparison to her three sisters, but I really enjoyed her parts as well. I was a little disappointed by their endings though: the younger daughters’ endings were rather abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere, and the older daughters’ seemed kind of anti-climatic. Besides sisterly bonds and the trials and tribulations of being a queen, I also loved how the book explored how tough it is to be a woman in that period of time. The book did this by painting a wonderfully detailed portrait of each Savoy girl with their husband. They each had a unique relationship with their husbands, and each had their own way to try to take for themselves what power they could — some with more success than others. Beatrice is my favourite and I also felt like she had the most success with her husband as well. Some of the husbands came off as tyrants and some came off as incompetent rulers, but what I gathered was that you shouldn’t disregard the advice your queen gives you! These girls were, for the most part, pretty sharp. If you enjoy historical fiction and want to take a trip far back in time, I definitely recommend Four Sisters, All Queens! Honestly, with how exciting these ladies’ lives were, I’m surprised there aren’t more books about them, as I would love to read more about them! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Aug 14, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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Paperback
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| 0312379749
| 9780312379742
| 0312379749
| 3.71
| 2,259
| Oct 2010
| Sep 28, 2010
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liked it
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2.5 stars (rounded up). Continuing my recent obsession with historical royalty fiction, I just finished reading Rival to the Queen, which is Erickson’s 2.5 stars (rounded up). Continuing my recent obsession with historical royalty fiction, I just finished reading Rival to the Queen, which is Erickson’s story about Lettie Knollys, Queen Elizabeth I’s cousin. As I mentioned in a previous review, I really am not very knowledgeable about British or European history of this time period (most of my historical knowledge lies with Ancient Rome) so I didn’t really know who Lettie was or what her rivalry with the Queen was. I read the story not really knowing what was fact or fiction, but tried to just enjoy the ride. This story details the life of Lettie Knollys, from her time as a girl to when she becomes 96 years old. Lettie falls in love with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, but knows her feelings cannot be returned, for Queen Elizabeth I, Lettie’s cousin, is quite fond of Robert Dudley and many whisper that he may become King Robert one day. Robert himself is an ambitious man, said to have killed his own wife in order to be with Elizabeth. When Robert’s patience with Elizabeth runs out, he marries Lettie in secret, which infuriates the Queen. I thought the book started off wonderfully. I was drawn into the story immediately and I like Lettie as the first person narrator, she’s easy to like and isn’t annoying, which is pretty important to me whenever I read first person novels. I thought the characters were well done in that they stayed consistent and were memorable. I have no idea if they are true to their historical counterparts, but the way they were written as characters in a novel were great (though I really ought to read another Queen Elizabeth I novel by someone other than Erickson, since she always portrays this Queen as a bit of a psycho, and I’d like to read another interpretation of her to see if it’s a common thing or what. Not that I mind Queen Elizabeth being a psycho, she’s quite a character haha). I also enjoyed the story as a whole, though not as much as I would have liked. The actual plot is fine, in my opinion, filled with drama and scandals and gossip. However, the pacing was rather undesirable. It moved at a strange, choppy speed: sometimes fast and sometimes very slow. The way the chapters were divided were sometimes strange as well. For example, (view spoiler)[there was one chapter where Lettie and her brother see a drowning woman. Chapter ends, and the next one that begins was literally one page long and more or less said they saved her and discovered she was Marianna. (hide spoiler)] I don’t understand why those few paragraphs couldn’t have been tacked onto the previous chapter; why did they need to have their own chapter? It was hardly a cliffhanger. Another part of the novel that had a pretty bad transition from chapter to chapter was when Lettie married Dudley. The story was reaching an intense moment where (view spoiler)[Dudley and the Queen were arguing about why she won’t marry him (hide spoiler)] and all of a sudden, the chapter ends and the next one begins with Lettie saying she married Dudley. What?! I really felt like I was gypped of a scene, like something was missing there. There should have been some sort of Dudley proposal scene, or something where Dudley talks with Lettie after his fight with the Queen. (view spoiler)[It made it look like Dudley said, “Well, fine! If you won’t marry me, I’ll marry Lettie!” and I know there is supposed to be more to it than that. (hide spoiler)] I think that’s a key thing that was missing — the passionate love between Lettie and Dudley. It was just words on paper to me, I couldn’t feel it. So, I feel this book has equal parts pros and cons. It definitely could be better, but I don’t think it’s as terrible as some other readers say. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 02, 2012
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Jun 06, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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Hardcover
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| 0812982711
| 9780812982718
| 0812982711
| 4.09
| 376,824
| Feb 21, 2005
| May 31, 2011
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it was amazing
|
My very first Lisa See book -- and certainly won't be my last! I am loving historical fiction lately, though I've mostly stayed around Europe, so I'm
My very first Lisa See book -- and certainly won't be my last! I am loving historical fiction lately, though I've mostly stayed around Europe, so I'm glad to be venturing out into Asian territory. Specifically, in this book, it is China. I am Chinese (in appearance, though culturally, I'm very North American), so I immediately felt a bit of a connection with the story and slid into the culture presented in this novel easily. I thought this was a great way to learn more about the country my parents' families are from, and it really was a fantastic read. I was absolutely captivated by the beautiful story that had my heart aching for its characters by the end. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is about a girl named Lily, who, at the beginning of the novel, is 80 years old and is reflecting on her life and her past, knowing she will probably die soon. Lily started off as the second daughter of a farmer. One day, the local diviner and matchmaker tell her family that if Lily's feet are properly bound, she will have perfect little feet and be eligible for marriage into a higher-status family in the future. In 19th century China, foot-binding is a common practice. Little girls' feet are bound with cloth in such a way that the toes are bent under the foot until eventually the bones break and stay that way. The smaller the feet, the more fashionable, beautiful and desirable a woman is. Foot binding is agonizingly painful, but Lily has her laotong, her "old same", Snow Flower, to share her experience with. A laotong is essentially someone you are friends with for life, but deeper than a friendship, even deeper than a marriage, and it is 'official' with a contract and everything. It is only because Lily has such perfect feet that Snow Flower is able to become laotong with a lowly farmer's daughter, for Snow Flower is actually from a much higher status family. The two girls form a deep relationship as they experience foot binding together, as well as learning nu shu, the secret women's writing. Together, they share their life in nu shu written on a fan. However, when the two girls' fortunes reverse, their relationship changes. Suddenly, it is very difficult to stay laotong with one another, even though they try their hardest. I really enjoyed this book. I read it nearly non-stop, only putting it down when I had to go to work. I finished it pretty fast, since it is not very long, but wow, it was such a journey. You follow Lily and Snow Flower through their whole lives, from when they are little girls to old women, and it is really a very touching story about the love and deep friendship between women in that time period in China. Back in those days, especially in the more rural parts of China, girls were considered useless and only sons are desired. I suppose a bit of that sentiment still exists today in China, from what I know, but it has definitely improved a lot compared to the 19th century. As a 21st century reader, reading about two "useless" girls coming together and both trying to find their place in their families and in a community that simply doesn't value women, was heart breaking. But even though this book takes place in a time when women are not considered important at all, from this novel, I could see that women are proud of themselves and what they are able to do to serve their families. Lily, in particular, reached almost cold-hearted levels of pride in herself. She always talked about doing her duties as a wife, mother and daughter-in-law and pushed it on Snow Flower too, who tried her best to follow Lily's example. It was difficult though, because the two girls' positions have reversed completely and in extreme degrees. Sometimes I felt Lily was too harsh, but then I have to remember that this was the way it was back then. This book is also very rich in cultural details. Even though I am Chinese, I really don't know that much about China's past and older traditions and customs. It might have been a little easier for me to slip into the world in this book since I am not completely unfamiliar with it, but at the same time, there were many things I didn't know and was astonished to discover. As a random side note: I find it kind of ironic how in one of my recent book reviews, I briefly mentioned not liking movie poster book covers. Then I read my copy of this book, not knowing that I had a movie poster book cover! (My copy doesn't have that "Now a major motion picture!" circle on the right, as in this picture; it has it written in smaller letters at the bottom of the cover). I really like this cover too, so I feel almost a bit conflicted ... haha! I guess movie poster book covers can work out occasionally. A powerful and beautiful story, I recommend this book to everyone! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 08, 2012
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Jul 10, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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Paperback
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| 0345495349
| 9780345495341
| 0345495349
| 3.97
| 34,151
| 2006
| Nov 06, 2007
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it was amazing
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I actually have never, ever heard of Lady Jane Grey before reading this book. I remember, while hunting for some historical royal fiction at the books
I actually have never, ever heard of Lady Jane Grey before reading this book. I remember, while hunting for some historical royal fiction at the bookstore, initially looking at the back cover, seeing her name amongst other names I am more familiar with like Henry VIII and Queen Mary, thinking, “Who the heck is Jane Grey? Why is there an entire book about her?” Curiosity, as well as many Goodreads reviews singing its praises, convinced me to try the book. After reading it, I don’t think I can ever forget Jane Grey, The Nine Days Queen. Lady Jane Grey was born during the reign of King Henry VIII. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, were very disappointed that she was not the son and male heir that they hoped for. Schemers and very ambitious, her parents decide that perhaps they can still use their daughter to their advantage, and hoped that the young heir of Henry, Prince Edward VI, will marry their daughter one day. After all, they do have Tudor blood in their veins. And so, Jane is brought up strictly and harshly by her parents, who try to mold her into a future Queen. Poor Jane endures years of physical and emotional abuse, with few moments of reprieve. At long last, an opportunity arises for Jane to take the throne and her parents greedily reach for it, despite Jane stating that she has no desire to become Queen. Reading the book without knowing even the smallest bit about Jane Grey probably added to my enjoyment of the novel. I had no idea how things will turn out, for the most part (except for the very end, because her destiny was the prologue so you know already if she lives or dies at the end of the book). This book was written really well, and from the very first few pages, I was sucked into the story. I liked how there were no “useless” scenes — sometimes historical novels, for the sake of accuracy, like to put in scenes of things that really happened in time but have no real bearing on the actual plot of the novel. Thankfully, that never happened here. All the characters were wonderfully memorable as well, and are pretty much forever etched into my memory, especially Jane, despite myself not knowing any of these people before the book (okay, except Henry VIII …) Weir paints Jane Grey as a very innocent girl, a complete pawn of her parents and others who wanted to maintain their power after Edward VI’s death. She shows Jane as a very intelligent girl, a devout Protestant and someone who can be outspoken if she wants to, but more often that not, is literally beaten into submission by her parents, husband and those around her. She was completely used, and really, my heart ached for her, not just for the character, but just knowing this stuff happened to a real person. It was so easy to sympathize for Jane, and oftentimes I felt angry on her behalf at all the injustices being handed to her. I remember thinking, “Geez, this girl just cannot catch a break, can she? Poor girl.” And then I would have to keep reading and turning the pages to find out if she does. It was difficult putting this book down. I like to read about the real person after I finish a historical novel. Granted, I only use Wikipedia, and maybe a few scattered webpages, as my “source”, but for my purpose, it is enough. From what I can tell, Alison Weir, who is already an established author of several non-fiction books regarding historical royalty, with this being her first foray into the fiction world, has written Innocent Traitor to be rather accurate of the actual events. Jane is, by and large, really seen as a reluctant Queen, the most unwilling accomplice to the conspiracy that unfolded. So if you are curious as to how historically accurate this book is (I know, there are some historical novels that just create really big events out of nowhere, and when you know you’re reading history (albeit in a fictitious manner), it can be a little shocking), I can tell you it’s quite good. I feel like I learned a lot! When I finished this book, the first thing I did was jump on Amazon.ca and order Weir’s other book, The Lady Elizabeth (I actually do already have her other other book, The Captive Queen). I can already tell that I am going to be a loyal fan of her works. I really, really loved this book and would most certainly recommend this to everyone. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 15, 2012
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Jun 18, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1451602057
| 9781451602050
| 1451602057
| 3.96
| 177,578
| Aug 18, 2009
| Nov 30, 2010
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it was amazing
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I don't think you can get away with reading historical royalty fiction without at least hearing of Philippa Gregory's name, author of the famous The O
I don't think you can get away with reading historical royalty fiction without at least hearing of Philippa Gregory's name, author of the famous The Other Boleyn Girl (which I haven't read yet but will soon, hopefully). This is my very first book by Gregory, the first of many I think, now that I finished The White Queen. I didn't know what to expect going in; I'm not too familiar with the War of the Roses other than really basic facts. Luckily, I found this book very engrossing from the very first few pages in, and the story was able to hold my interest tightly until the last page. In fact, all I wanted to do after finishing this book was jump straight into the next one, The Red Queen, but I'm going to try to pace myself so I don't burn out on historical fiction so quickly, haha. The White Queen is about Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who catches the eye of the new York King, Edward IV. It would be in Edward's favor to marry a French princess in order to secure an alliance between the two countries, but Edward, against his trusted friend and advisor, the Kingmaker Richard Neville's advice, marries Elizabeth in secret, and later, crowns her as his queen. Coming from such a low position, Elizabeth ambitiously raises the ranking of her family amongst the other noble families of England, and does her best in her new queenly role, supporting her husband against Lancaster plots. I really, really enjoyed this book. I feel like I finished it rather quickly; there were a few late-night reading sessions so that's probably why. When I started, I just couldn't stop, to be honest! Elizabeth is a really fascinating character and person. In this book, she's depicted as an ambitious woman, a person who remembers those who wronged her greatly and will never give up on revenge. However, she is also depicted as very loving to her husband, her family and her children and will do anything to try to keep them safe, especially in such perilous times. I think traditionally she is vilified but from what I can tell, in this book, she's a bit of a gray character, not completely black or white. I found it easy to relate to her. I also really liked the legend of Melusina that was woven into the story as well. Melusina is an ancient French water goddess that Elizabeth's family claims descent from. This causes Elizabeth and her mother to have some special powers mostly related to water (rivers, rain, etc). But it's not blatant fantasy or anything. For example, Elizabeth wishes for a storm to stop Henry Tudor from invading London and indeed, a storm brews and stops Henry from coming. You can attribute that to Elizabeth or funky coincidence, there's no proof, even in the book, that she's the actual creator of the storm, even though she believes she was. I also really liked the author's version of what could have happened to the Princes in the Tower. Okay, that was one part of the book I did have some historical knowledge of. Gregory tells a plausible story of what could have happened to the poor boys, and she brings up excellent points as to why this theory is plausible. She really had me convinced! No one really knows what happened the princes or who killed them, if they were indeed murdered, and after reading Gregory's version of events, I'm inclined to believe she brings up some excellent points! I'm still pretty indecisive about who the real culprit is, just because I don't want to commit myself to one theory or another, haha. All in all, this was a fantastic read, it kept me up way too late at nights. It got me interested in the Plantagenet dynasty, and I just had to look up more information on all the people involved in Elizabeth's life, and revisit the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. It was so fun to read, and I can't wait to dive into The Red Queen next! (Oh, as a P.S., this is a part of a series, but you can read the series out of order and everything will still make sense). ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 19, 2012
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Jun 21, 2012
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Apr 04, 2012
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 062050742X
| 9780620507424
| B005HFK7UG
| 3.66
| 80
| May 26, 2011
| May 26, 2011
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it was ok
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I was asked by the author to review her novel, Coffee At Little Angels a month ago. The cover is really cute and the story sounded like it would be so
I was asked by the author to review her novel, Coffee At Little Angels a month ago. The cover is really cute and the story sounded like it would be something bittersweet to read, something that may make me feel warm and fuzzy inside by the end. What I actually ended up feeling was indifference when I finished it. I tried to like it, but I just couldn’t really get into the story. The story takes place in South Africa, and involves eight characters who are all of the same circle of friends back when they were kids, living in a small town. The characters are all adults now (their 30′s, perhaps?), living in different places and haven’t spoken to each other for years now. They all receive word that their friend, Philip, has died in a hit-and-run and fly back to their small town for the funeral. It becomes clear that there’s a lot of unresolved issues between the friends and as the funeral nears, they learn to deal with them. This story is most definitely character-driven than plot-driven. That’s kind of where my problem began. There are seven first-person perspectives in this book, and none of them felt very distinctive to me. When I read a chapter, sometimes I would forget whose perspective I was in, because all the perspectives sounded so similar. Each character’s voice was eerily similar to each other. The fact that this story is driven by the characters and their memories and problems with one another was kind of lost on me because I couldn’t even tell them apart sometimes. The fact that the perspectives switch with some frequency also made it difficult for me to distinguish them. The relationships between the characters are drama filled. They haven’t seen each other in ages, but now having to see one another, their old high school drama comes back and the story had a lot of You left me for her and I never knew about this and You never told me that kind of stuff. It was interesting to read, but their problems never really made me feel emotional the same way the characters did. I really liked the idea of a bunch of friends reuniting after years of being apart, even if it’s something as morbid as a funeral, but somehow the drama didn’t have the effect on me that I wish it did … and I usually love drama-filled stories. However, this story did have many redeeming qualities. Even though I couldn’t tell the characters apart much of the time, the story and the characters felt very real. I loved how they would run off on tangents when monologue-ing — there’s a bit of the stream of consciousness effect happening here. And there are many, many wonderful and profound realizations the characters make that reveal the fragility and strengths of relationships. There are good things about this book, but also things I wasn’t too crazy about. I think what it comes down to is a preference thing. Coffee At Little Angels ended up not really being my cup of tea, personally, but I did think it was overall okay. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 20, 2011
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Aug 22, 2011
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Aug 20, 2011
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ebook
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my rating |
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| 3.80
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it was amazing
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Jul 03, 2024
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Jul 01, 2024
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| 3.92
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liked it
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Apr 29, 2024
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Apr 24, 2024
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| 4.04
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really liked it
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Nov 03, 2017
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Nov 02, 2017
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|||||
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| 3.80
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liked it
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Nov 2017
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Oct 18, 2017
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| 3.86
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it was ok
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Dec 20, 2017
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Dec 01, 2015
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| 4.30
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liked it
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Mar 17, 2015
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Mar 17, 2015
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| 3.73
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it was amazing
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Mar 10, 2015
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Mar 10, 2015
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| 3.49
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liked it
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Jun 28, 2014
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Jun 24, 2014
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|||||
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| 3.30
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liked it
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Nov 25, 2012
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Sep 28, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.43
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really liked it
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Dec 08, 2012
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Aug 17, 2012
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| 3.78
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it was amazing
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Jul 18, 2012
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Jul 16, 2012
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| 3.83
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it was amazing
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Jul 08, 2012
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Jul 03, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.39
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liked it
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Jun 27, 2012
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Jun 25, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.89
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really liked it
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Aug 07, 2012
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Jun 07, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.92
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really liked it
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Aug 14, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.71
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liked it
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Jun 06, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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|||||
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| 4.09
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it was amazing
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Jul 10, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.97
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it was amazing
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Jun 18, 2012
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Jun 02, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.96
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it was amazing
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Jun 21, 2012
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Apr 04, 2012
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|||||
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| 3.66
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it was ok
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Aug 22, 2011
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Aug 20, 2011
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