I am a sucker for a magic school novel, especially if it has a tight group of misfit friends. This book had all of that but for some reason it failed I am a sucker for a magic school novel, especially if it has a tight group of misfit friends. This book had all of that but for some reason it failed to keep my interest.
I think it was because the characters felt more like types than people. Clover is the Very Smart Girl who is Poor but who will succeed anyway because she's just that good. She also can't fit in because of her social status. Until she meets: Alden Lennox-Fontaine, a blond wonderboy who's sort of the Gatsby of the group. He is effortlessly charming, feckless, but with a hollow inside that no one knows about. He is friends with Hero, my favorite character for the part of the book I read. Hero is the only other girl at Magic School. She's rich and classy but also perceptive and kind. She's a great friend and practically perfect. I think that something happens to her in the second part of the book that I would strongly dislike. Then there's Eddie. He's a bit neuroatypical and so is bullied until Hero and Alden rescue him. He's the overlooked one of the group with his own special genius.
These four create their own golden private world. And then nothing much happens for a very long time. There are hints and insinuations. There is the set up. Faerie doors can no longer be used because of the deadly consequences of opening one during the Great War. BUT: Clover's brother is no longer quite right because of that opened door and Clover thinks that she could heal him if only... Alden also has his own secret reasons for wanting to open a faerie door despite all good sense screaming otherwise. The secret that these two keep will probably split the friendship.
But I don't know that for sure. I read about half the book. And then I just didn't care enough to pick it up again. Alden is a weak hero, to be sure, and I didn't find Clover interesting even though she was Special and Smart. And I am given to understand that then there's a time jump and a great change coming toward these characters and I didn't care enough to find out what happened. I'll give this author another try but I wish this one had gone better for me....more
I like audiobooks that keep me either engrossed or relaxed when I'm driving. This was so soothing that it couldn't even hold my attention. I like cookI like audiobooks that keep me either engrossed or relaxed when I'm driving. This was so soothing that it couldn't even hold my attention. I like cooking and hearing/reading descriptions of cooking but this failed to interest me. Maybe it was me this time, but I'm going to move on to something that is interesting enough to focus on....more
I read and enjoyed the author's "A Fate Inked in Blood" and thought I'd give one of her earlier series a try. I'm just going to stick with the Fate seI read and enjoyed the author's "A Fate Inked in Blood" and thought I'd give one of her earlier series a try. I'm just going to stick with the Fate series.
This was so, so YA. A deadly assassin/princess who is to marry/sleep with/kill the king of a rival kingdom because of her great patriotism. The king isn't exactly who she thought he would be- what a surprise. And maybe her father isn't as great as she thought either- how original. And she killed all her sisters to get her position to show her ruthlessness- but she didn't really, though! She really drugged them to save them from being killed by not being chosen. Could our icy heroine have a big heart after all? Never seen that before.
I've liked Eowyn Ivey's previous books but this one didn't do it for me.
Right off the bat I didn't care for the mom character. She does things like leI've liked Eowyn Ivey's previous books but this one didn't do it for me.
Right off the bat I didn't care for the mom character. She does things like leave her young child alone while she drinks all night, and then leave them alone again in the morning while she goes off fishing to take care of her hangover. Birdie seemed careless with herself and with her child.
Then I got POV chapter from said young child. I DON'T like reading these sorts of chapters. I wasn't patient enough to go further without skimming. Seems like mom keeps on getting herself and her child into dangerous situations and I didn't feel like getting further into it....more
I listened to this as an audiobook which probably made me more patient with it. I liked the narrator. But eventually that could not overcome the book'I listened to this as an audiobook which probably made me more patient with it. I liked the narrator. But eventually that could not overcome the book's fatal flaw, which was that nothing happened.
I guess this could be considered cozy- there is a small town with shabby yet cozy pubs, a teahouse, a forest cottage. And lord knows older women could use more books where they are protagonists. And yet.
About 30% into the book, Delia, our main character, is hanging out in Myrtlewood. She's there because a couple of things have caught on fire when she's around, her daughter is in the area, and Delia needs to get away from London. Her philandering ex-husband has philandered one too many times. Delia has a foggy inkling that maybe she has something to do with things catching on fire but she really hasn't bought into that. She's surrounded by characters who know more than she does, but no one tells her anything. They just send her around to different places and people, none of whom will tell her anything either. These people all know that something very big and very dangerous will happen soon and Delia might be very important to it, but no one feels like putting Delia in the picture. Or putting the reader in the picture, either. This is a cardinal sin for me in entertainment- no being super cagey with information for no good reason!!!!
So, despite the priests in red robes occasionally coming at Delia with swords (she thinks nothing of this), despite the hints of foreboding, eventually I just didn't care anymore, about 30% in....more
I bounced off this pretty early. It seems to be set in a post-apocalypse pastoral society. The first part of the book is about a forest fire in which I bounced off this pretty early. It seems to be set in a post-apocalypse pastoral society. The first part of the book is about a forest fire in which a (possibly) magical (possibly) forest guardian perishes. In addition, a young girl dies. It seems that this girl is a motivating factor for some of the main characters in the book when they grow up and she doesn't. However, to me the only trait she showed was a spoiled inability to listen to anybody so I really did not care when she burned to death.
Next, we move on to a more urban environment with a guy being tortured in a bar. The feel is Eastern Europe post-apocalypse but now we're in the city instead of the forest. Despite this guy being threatened with torture, I didn't really care too much about what happened to him either.
So it could just be me being coldhearted about all these characters, or it could be the book not making it easy for me to get attached. I'm willing to admit it could be me, but I have no desire to go back to the book....more
I do like the occasional Victorian mystery, especially if there's a rollicking adventure and a bit of sexual tension. This one just fell into some troI do like the occasional Victorian mystery, especially if there's a rollicking adventure and a bit of sexual tension. This one just fell into some tropy ruts that I got bored with quickly. Our heroine is so sassy and of course an early feminist. The priest in the intro was of course self centered, totally oblivious as to the reality of those he's sent to convert and the most unpleasant sort of religious person.
Maybe in a different mood I've have been more accommodating of the frothiness- I certainly have been in the past. But the writing was just a little bit overstated and the tiniest bit too clunky. I'll look elsewhere for frothy Victorian problematic fun....more
This one wasn't for me. It's quite preoccupied with designer brands, sexual politics, and isn't quite as edgy as it thinks it is. At least not what I This one wasn't for me. It's quite preoccupied with designer brands, sexual politics, and isn't quite as edgy as it thinks it is. At least not what I read. The two sisters feel like polar opposites and the relationship between them that's established at the beginning of the story feels like it's long gone. We have the sexy vampiric sister and the uptight good girl sister. I just didn't care after reading 15%. ...more
It's Romeo and Juliet but there are books involved in some fashion. It's a typical romance. It was not for me.It's Romeo and Juliet but there are books involved in some fashion. It's a typical romance. It was not for me....more
This one is part of the trend of older main characters getting some spotlight, with the edition of an 80+ year old woman finding she is the Chosen OneThis one is part of the trend of older main characters getting some spotlight, with the edition of an 80+ year old woman finding she is the Chosen One and must find the magic sword and deal with dragons.
However, this one felt slow. The author took enough care to build her world that the breeziness that's often a part of these stories was lost. It ended up feeling clunky and slow and I was impatient enough to tap out....more
I tried this out in preparation for a trip to Taiwan. The writing is studied and deliberate. The author wanders through her family's past. After a quaI tried this out in preparation for a trip to Taiwan. The writing is studied and deliberate. The author wanders through her family's past. After a quarter of the book I wasn't drawn in and hadn't learned a lot so I put the book down....more
This is my first book by Francis Spufford and I come to his work as a science fiction literature fan and as someone who's read my share of murder mystThis is my first book by Francis Spufford and I come to his work as a science fiction literature fan and as someone who's read my share of murder mysteries. Some people might relate to this work on a level of symbolism and writing craft. I related to it through character and plot and I didn't enjoy it nor did I make it very far. Perhaps it got better as it went along but I didn't have the patience for it.
As far as alternate histories go, the world was mostly like ours but with different groups making power plays. I was disappointed in that- surely an intact Indigenous civilization on this continent would have a culture more diversified from our own. Part of the reason for this is that it looks like the author wanted to write a hard-boiled mystery in a unique setting but I wasn't impressed with the mystery aspect of it either. After the first chapter I was pretty sure who the murderer was and when I checked the end of the book it looked like I was pretty much right, with allowances for some complications as to the why.
So, no reason to read the book for the mystery and nothing to sink into with an alternate history. I DNFed....more
If ever there was an October book, this one is it. The cover, the theme, it's all on point.
This one just didn't do it for me, though. The writing is jIf ever there was an October book, this one is it. The cover, the theme, it's all on point.
This one just didn't do it for me, though. The writing is just a little clunky. The setting is cosy, which is nice, but it was so cosy that it became soporific and there were no stakes that I cared about. The heroine was just a bit too perfect for me.
Now this could just be the mood I was in when I picked up the book. This might be perfect for you if you're looking for a comfort read, it just wasn't quite for me....more
This is one of the author's early works, I think, and it just didn't draw me in. I didn't like the man that our young protagonist was partnered with aThis is one of the author's early works, I think, and it just didn't draw me in. I didn't like the man that our young protagonist was partnered with and even a demonic goose didn't save the book for me. Maybe I was spoiled by reading some of her later, more developed work first....more
I always want to like Elizabeth Hand's books but in reality they seem to be very hit or miss for me.
There's no doubt that she's a great writer. She seI always want to like Elizabeth Hand's books but in reality they seem to be very hit or miss for me.
There's no doubt that she's a great writer. She set up distinct characters, all flawed but all somehow relatable, in this haunted house book. In a lot of horror there's an air of characters being punished for sins and in this book we have an arrogant (but insecure) actress, a timorous (but sweet), sound specialist, a driven (but jealous) playwright and a talented and charismatic (but selfish?) singer.
They all get together in a dilapidated mansion to work on a play, but the mansion is no safe place to be. There are weird giant black hares, disembodied and hateful voices, secret tiny doors, random bloodstains and trails that appear and disappear, time slips. And locals who warn them over and over about the house, but still want them (and the money they are paying for the rental) to be there.
I ended up getting a little too bored about halfway through the book. The set up was done but there wasn't much action or plot moving forward. As I think about it, that happens to me a lot with Hand's books. The setting is intriguing, the characters are compelling but then not as much is done with these things as I would like. I'm not really a fan of atmospheric gothics where it's about mood and not plot and I suppose this, while not exactly gothic, has some of the same weaknesses....more
The writing itself was good. But the (very short) mystery mostly seemed to be about very rich people taking a lot of drugs and having a lot of sex up The writing itself was good. But the (very short) mystery mostly seemed to be about very rich people taking a lot of drugs and having a lot of sex up until the 30% in that I stopped. There didn't seem to be much plot so much as things just happened to the main character....more
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a difficult book to review, because it is one of those classicsI received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a difficult book to review, because it is one of those classics that is so meaningful to so many people. Charles Williams was one of the Inklings, a group of British writers that included Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Williams' work has not garnered the fame of the most famous Inklings, and his work is read more in literature classes than for enjoyment.
I was very interested to try the book, since my understanding was that he also incorporated theology and mythology into his works of fiction.
However, coming into it as a lay reader, I did not find enthusiasm for reading it. The book was originally written in 1930, and as with most books of that time, the writing style feels quaint and dated, as do the relationships between the characters. If I was reading this for a class and had some guidance as to what to look for and how to interpret some of the symbolism, it might have worked out better. As it stood, I petered out quickly, skimmed, and lost interest.
Merged review:
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a difficult book to review, because it is one of those classics that is so meaningful to so many people. Charles Williams was one of the Inklings, a group of British writers that included Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Williams' work has not garnered the fame of the most famous Inklings, and his work is read more in literature classes than for enjoyment.
I was very interested to try the book, since my understanding was that he also incorporated theology and mythology into his works of fiction.
However, coming into it as a lay reader, I did not find enthusiasm for reading it. The book was originally written in 1930, and as with most books of that time, the writing style feels quaint and dated, as do the relationships between the characters. If I was reading this for a class and had some guidance as to what to look for and how to interpret some of the symbolism, it might have worked out better. As it stood, I petered out quickly, skimmed, and lost interest....more
I didn't get too far into this one but it might just have not been what I was in the mood for.
The theme of the book is cycles and connectedness, especI didn't get too far into this one but it might just have not been what I was in the mood for.
The theme of the book is cycles and connectedness, especially related to water. A raindrop fall from the sky far in the ancient past, in Victorian London, in mostly modern Turkey. The raindrop bears witness to what happens to the people that it sees and/or touches.
I just had a hard time attaching. I've read "The Island of Missing Trees" by this author and it took a while to really attach to as well, although I ended up really enjoying it. This time I had less patience and it looks like at least one of these storylines is going to be pretty brutal.
The vastly different characters and settings jarred me from the story whenever they switched. I can often handle multiple timeline books with no problem and even enjoy them most of the time, but this book just wasn't for me. I'd like to try more of the author's work, though....more
I really liked the Southern Reach trilogy when it was "completed" but hadn't followed that up by reading anything else by Jeff VanderMeer since. I wasI really liked the Southern Reach trilogy when it was "completed" but hadn't followed that up by reading anything else by Jeff VanderMeer since. I was interested to go further in the story but ended up being left cold.
There are three main parts to the book. I read the first part and started the second. The first part of the book takes place before the Southern Reach trilogy (sort of). A guy named Old Jim is reading about a group of biologists that went to what would become Area X to do field research, only to find that things were getting very strange. Old Jim is reading this years after the events described but I felt like I was back in time with the biologists with the eerie sensation that I was seeing into the past but unable to change it. There are creepy rabbits and also an alligator called The Tyrant that number among some of the dangers that the biologists face. But they also have some awareness that their reality is tenuous. This seems to correspond a bit to "Annihilation" with that book's unnamed biologists and the way that the team in that book had to come to grips with an unknowable reality.
The second part of the book seems to correspond a bit to "Authority", the second book in the series. Old Jim is more in the present in this part. He's a spy, some sort of operator, but he's sort of been put out to pasture. A missing daughter gives him a sense of urgency as he tries to parse the past. I just was not in the mood to read another character who continually second guesses everyone and everything in an effort to get behind smokescreens and understand the truth that no one wants him to know. It wore on me and I decided to stop.
But first I checked out the third part of the book in case things changed again. In this part, the narrator has so many F---s to give that he spews dozens of them all over the page, multiple times per sentence, and it seems that most of this part of the book is written in this manner. I have no particular issue with this word, but I got exhausted reading it so f-----g much. I decided that my decision to quit had been validated....more
The reason this book wasn't for me is that it wasn't what I was expecting. Most books set in a D&D related setting move pretty quickly and feature a lThe reason this book wasn't for me is that it wasn't what I was expecting. Most books set in a D&D related setting move pretty quickly and feature a lot of action. This book was very much about the thoughts and feelings of the two main characters and how they navigated the subtle politics and cultural minefields of the pseudo-Japanese society of Rokugan. While at another time I might have been into reading about these two young men who love each other and are trying to find a way to be together despite their different clan obligations, I just wanted some sword fighting this time....more
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