I'm sorry to say I didn't really like this as well as I thought I would. I think Patchett is a wonderful author, and I have enjoyed many of her novelsI'm sorry to say I didn't really like this as well as I thought I would. I think Patchett is a wonderful author, and I have enjoyed many of her novels. This one just didn't quite have enough of a story arc for me. It wandered around a big reveal, and then simply did not produce one. It was anticlimactic and too sprawling to really say anything about this family. Obviously, they are unhappy. But we knew that from the beginning. What we don't know is what on Earth is the matter with these little monsters that make them act with such callous disregard of each other.
I think I over-identified with this because I have a son who is about the age of Albie when he's a boy in the book. The thought of his sister, or his cousins, or even complete strangers drugging him and leaving him in a field just so he wouldn't be "in the way" of a beach day filled me with horror. I stopped reading the book for a week. No one felt the slightest remorse or empathy. I don't ever want to meet people like this. The idea of raising a person like this is revolting. The way they treat this kid wrecked the book for me, honestly....more
These kinds of books are difficult to review. I am recently obsessed with the idea of a Serengeti safari (of the photographic, not gun, variety); I feThese kinds of books are difficult to review. I am recently obsessed with the idea of a Serengeti safari (of the photographic, not gun, variety); I felt like I couldn't not read this. Hemingway, for all his many faults, is the proverbial "most interesting man in the world." He lived a life of unbelievable adventure, action, and variety. Not that it made him any happier, but it is absolutely fascinating to watch.
Even though Hemingway's writing is always engaging and his description of his internal conflicts feel very authentic, this was still a three out of five for me. I got burned out pretty quickly with the descriptions of stalking large game, and listening to grown men fuss and cry when someone else's antelope was bigger than theirs, to be honest.
I wished there was a bit more about the place and the people, and a bit less about following blood trails. I preferred "True at First Light", which covers the same general subject but with a bit more story. ...more
I think this may be the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Typically, in my limited experience with these things, there are one or twoI think this may be the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Typically, in my limited experience with these things, there are one or two stories that are alright, and the rest are utterly forgettable filler. In The Shell Collector just about every one of these stories is fantastic. They share a common motif of the sea, or the mention of shells, or an obsession with the wildness of the natural world, but they are completely unique. Doerr is absolutely lights out in this collection. ...more
What an absolute delight this little book was to read. Frank is so quintessentially English, and Helen is so clever and fun. She teases this poor niceWhat an absolute delight this little book was to read. Frank is so quintessentially English, and Helen is so clever and fun. She teases this poor nice man mercilessly. I loved the bit where she basically told him to slow down because she couldn't take the breakneck pace of books arriving a year after she requested them. Or when she yells at him in all caps because he sends an abridgement instead of the real thing. I loved every page, even though I wanted a much more Hollywood ending that I was allowed to have. This was perfect, and I wished it had been three times as long. ...more
Finishing this one with my eight-year old feels like an accomplishment! I'm a little sad that this is the last of the Jim Kay illustrated versions; weFinishing this one with my eight-year old feels like an accomplishment! I'm a little sad that this is the last of the Jim Kay illustrated versions; we're still planning to read the final two books, but it won't be quite the same without these gorgeous editions. We always celebrate finishing a Harry Potter book by watching the movie. I almost felt like I had whiplash; the movie careens through the plot at such a breakneck speed, I felt like I couldn't keep up. I prefer the more stately pace of the book. You have time to get comfortable with the characters and their world. My only complaint is that we're to the point of the series where things go from dark to darker, and it always makes me nostalgic for the wonder and delight and magic of the earlier books.
This was really well done. Beautiful illustrations, very solid retellings of the stories, and I thought this was a great introduction to Arthurian legThis was really well done. Beautiful illustrations, very solid retellings of the stories, and I thought this was a great introduction to Arthurian legend for the kids. I am currently reading/listening to "Le Morte d'Arthur" and frankly it was nice hearing some of these stories told in modern English for me as well. The stories are more Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere/Gawain-centric and leave out everything to do with Tristan and La Belle Isolde. We read a little Usborne book about those characters that gave the gist of their story to try to get a broader Arthurian experience. This one was perfect - not too babyish, not too mature. I would highly recommend. ...more
This was fun, but had some typical middle-book-in-a-series problems. I didn't really feel like we went anywhere in this in terms of either plot or chaThis was fun, but had some typical middle-book-in-a-series problems. I didn't really feel like we went anywhere in this in terms of either plot or character development. My vote is that Yarros makes Riorson go completely dark-side in the next book. I'm getting a bit bored with the will-he or won't-he. If he could turn from antihero love-interest to proper villain, I think we'd actually get some where in terms of Violet having to decide what she's about. ...more
What a great series of introductory mythology books from DK! My kids and I enjoyed the great illustrations that went with the stories. I thought the bWhat a great series of introductory mythology books from DK! My kids and I enjoyed the great illustrations that went with the stories. I thought the book did a good job picking out the highlights of Norse Mythology. I adore these stories in all their forms, and this was a great way to introduce them to my kids. ...more
This was a fun read. I've been reading Chinese mythology with my kids, and it was fun to recognize some of the stories she mentions about Nuwa, Chang'This was a fun read. I've been reading Chinese mythology with my kids, and it was fun to recognize some of the stories she mentions about Nuwa, Chang'e and Jade Rabbit, and so on. I think the book is mischaracterized as general fiction, however. This feels very young adult in tone. Everything is just a little too squeaky clean to feel authentic. I'm not an expert on what life as an imperial concubine would have been like, but I definitely felt like I had to suspend my disbelief to accept this version. The author made it a little too easy for Xishi to keep Fuchai at arm's length, which in turn made her betrayal less tragic. Still, it was a quick and enjoyable read. ...more
It isn't fair to say that the reason you are criticizing a novella is because it was too short to really get into, but unfortunately here we are. It wIt isn't fair to say that the reason you are criticizing a novella is because it was too short to really get into, but unfortunately here we are. It was good, the characters were interesting, the writing is sharp, and there is atmosphere for days, but it was just not very satisfying. I was just settling in when it was over. Here's hoping Rio writes another full length novel soon. ...more
This took me forever to get through, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was between three and four stars on this - I liked the first half much better thaThis took me forever to get through, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was between three and four stars on this - I liked the first half much better than the last half, but unfortunately the end was fresher in my mind when I picked the rating.
First, I think it's plain that the author of this books is a wildly intelligent person, and I enjoyed the experience of watching her mind work through her characters. The central pillar of the speculative part of the narrative - that silver bars inscribed with words for the same things in different languages could resonate a force produced by difference of nuances of meaning is at once completely bonkers and terribly interesting. I have nothing like Kuang's skill, but I've always been fascinated by language and I found this idea intriguing.
Kuang's world building and characters are fantastic. The story lost a bit of momentum in the second half for me after the big turning point, and didn't quite recover its steam until the very end. But the problem for me was unapologetic glamorization of political terrorism. I suppose I was forewarned by the subtitle “Or the Necessity of Violence,� but I think I took that to be not quite literal. My mistake. It feels like only a slight oversimplification to say that the take-home moral points of this novel were that:
1. Colonialism is inherently violent (which is fair)
2. White colonizers and by extension all white people everywhere are inherently violent, self-centered, and blinded by greed. (true, since history seems to suggest this is default human nature)
3. Non-white people are inherently none of these things but rather good and moral, and even if their geopolitical situations were reversed, would never have exploited their fellow man. (that’s a little tougher to agree with, and is unsupported by history)
4. The only way to effectively deal with the colonizers is to kill them and destroy their societies. And don’t worry about noncombatants because really every man, woman, and child in these societies is complicit. (said every murderer to ever strap on a bomb vest and blow up a bus or coffee shop)
So. She lost me there. And maybe those are just the views of her characters, but I’m not a fan of trivializing political violence into something cute and politely packaged. Too many people take it too literally for it to be amusing at this point. ...more
I've been a little obsessed with octopuses since I read Remarkably Bright Creatures a few months ago. This was awesome and included lots of gorgeous NI've been a little obsessed with octopuses since I read Remarkably Bright Creatures a few months ago. This was awesome and included lots of gorgeous National Geographic photography. I wanted it to be longer, though. I'm going to check out Montgomery's original The Soul of an Octopus next.
I would like to say publicly how uncomfortable I am with the word "octopuses"; the author claims that it is a Greek derivation and not Latin. She is probably right - I have no idea. However, since we've all been happily treating it like a Latin noun for approximately a million years, this feels sudden and upsetting. I feel like "alumnuses" or "stimuluses" or "funguses" are next.
It is basically the goal of my life to someday make friends with an octopus. ...more
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