vyhurz
I was pretty disappointed by this book. It was my choice from the subscription box ‘Book of the Month' this month, and I had been skipping BOTM for many months. I decided to select this creepy book for October, even though it didn't seem that interesting to me. I was hoping it would be good and surprise me. BOTM's quick take is: “A mysterious hiking accident kicks off this sp**ky tale of witchcraft, revenge, and a mother's search for answers.” Additionally, their full synopsis does not cover that there is a second narrative taking place in the past at all. In retrospect, I should have just skipped another month, and maybe I should cancel my subscription altogether.
The book is just over 350 pages and I got to page 74 before giving up. There were a few things that bothered me: First, different narratives in different time periods. This seems to be a big trend these days, and most of the time if this is in a synopsis in a book, I will not read it. It's just not interesting to me to read virtually two different stories that somehow come together in the end. The synopsis offered by BOTM did not really point to different narratives in the book. One is modern day (2024), and the other is far in the past (1594), and they are (or will be from my point-of-view as a reader who stopped reading) connected by witchcraft. I found the modern day story very intriguing and almost enjoyed those chapters, and often when I flipped to a new chapter set in 1594, I audibly groaned.
Second, 74 pages in and I'm utterly uninterested in half the book? That's a problem. Third, the writing is quite poor. Not only is it in present tense, which, to me, is unenjoyable to read, but sentence variation, descriptions, tension, character and plot development were all extremely lacking. It was just so uninteresting.
Let me go back to the line level for a moment: I'd read sentences like (not an exact quote): “Clem puts on her shoes and walks out the door. Clem gets in the car and drives to the hospital. Clem speaks to the doctors.” Maybe I'm being a bit over-the-top, but this is what it felt like. Also, another pet peeve is this flip of the hand to try to build tension at the end of a chapter (not an exact quote):
“They place me back in chains and pull me down the stairs.
To the dungeon.”
I am not alarmed by this. I'm annoyed that, “To the dungeon,” is not a sentence.
So, all-in-all, I don't recommend this and really want my time and money back.
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This was a re-read for me to hopefully get me out of my slump. I adore this movie and its movie adaptation. I don't think I can really give a true review since I know the story so well at this point, and I love it. I think the book is inventive and challenging. You're not supposed to like the characters or events. I think that fact trips up a lot of people, and they start to deconstruct the book and theorize about it being something else. It is what it is, and what transpires isn't warm and fuzzy. Love it!
Not sure what I'm going to read next, but I hope I read something.
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I don't think I've ever read a “cozy” mystery, but that's what I'd call this. I felt excited and, well, cozy reading it. It reminded me of Miss Marple or Sherlock, but in a different way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got it from Libby, and slowly read it over two weeks. That's actually fast for me. In the last four days, I've been speed-reading because the book was going to be returned and I couldn't renew it. I just had to know the ending!
How to Solve Your Own Murder follows Annie in the present day when she seemingly and suddenly becomes the heir to her elderly Great Aunt Frances' fortune, so she travels from her home in London to pleasant Castle Knoll. Annie has never met Frances, so this was a surprise. More of a surprise is that the day Annie is going to meet Frances, she is found murdered. All her life, Frances was obsessed with a fortune she was told as a teenager that she would be murdered, so she acted rather paranoid and rooted out secrets. Annie's involvement in solving the mystery is interspersed with entries from Frances' diary as a teenager in the 1960s, which sheds light on the mystery as well.
The story is entertaining and pulls you along. There are many characters, and I was only slightly unsure of who some were, but those were very minor ones. I think the book does a good job of swirling all these different egos, histories, motives, and fears together. The setting is enjoyable as well, and as this is becoming a series with a second book on the way, I can see many things happening in this small town.
I had two main issues with the book. One was that something would happen on the page, and then we would receive Annie's inner narrative describing what just happened. Many times it didn't elaborate or cause revelations for Annie. It was just a description, more-or-less. Obviously, it happened enough times for me to notice it. Secondly, Annie's character is fun, but she felt a little one dimensional. It felt like she was a mirror for all the interesting characters in the story even though she's the main character. She was excited right from the beginning to learn about Frances and Castle Knoll, even before the murder. Often in books, this type of setup creates an unwilling main character, so it is refreshing that Annie wanted to be there. But she had so little depth. All I really know about her is that she wants to be a writer.
I recommend this book if you like mysteries of any kind, especially if you just want a rather lighthearted read. (Well, considering it's a murder mystery...) I will read the second book as this one was so enjoyable.
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Sometimes it's a little hard to review middle grade books because they're not meant for an adult audience. Some parts of the story may feel flat or predictable, but those parts wouldn't necessarily feel that way to the intended audience. I always have to remind myself of that when I read these books. The reason I go back to them is for the simplicity and pure fun that they give. Usually, the middle grade books I pick up are fantastical, and I just love the pure imagination I find.
Long Lost is about Fiona Crane who has to move away from her old life to Lost Lake with her family. She's very unhappy about it and jealous of the attention her older sister, Arden, receives for being a figure skater. The story takes place during the summertime, so Fiona has to find something to do with her time. She turns to the local library and discovers a mysterious book. This leads her on a hunt for truth.
I highly enjoyed reading this book. It's about Fiona and her family, but it's also about the mysterious book she discovers, which is also about two sisters, Hazel and Pearl, who lived about a hundred years ago. The story of Fiona involves her reading this story, and it's hard to say which story is more interesting. At first, I thought it was going to be a frame story, but Fiona gets interrupted in reading the Hazel and Pearl book. This brought some intrigue since you, as the reader, wanted to finish it with Fiona.
I personally don't like too much detail about the books I'm going to read, so I'm not going to give away much more details. But the adventure Fiona goes on is so much fun. I quickly read through the second half of the book, when things really started taking off. As I stated at the top, some things do feel flat and predictable, but that's more on me. I'm not the audience for this. Even so, those few small things don't kill the book. The overall story is a joy.
There's many characters throughout the book, and most of them are pretty distinct. I can't say the writing was anything special. It was all pretty straightforward, just telling us what we need to know, but there were a few pretty phrases. However, I think middle grades are more about the story instead of pretty writing. I've never read a book my Jacqueline West before, but the imagination in this book really impressed me.
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I struggled a bit with this book because I found it predictable and still surprisingly disturbing. I think the characters are intriguing with so many issues unique to them. The characters make this story special. The mystery itself was rather full of tropes and, like I said, I predicted most of the surprises. Review on my channel to come.
Well, after my last review, I'm very surprised to be back here so soon. I read this book in two or three days, which is remarkable. I couldn't put it down. I read 50 pages one day, and finished it the next time I picked it up. I won't lie. This may have to do with the fact that I saw and loved the movie some time ago. The book is different, but the essence is there. It just pulled me in.
This book is pure science fiction, but in a natural world type of way, not a space and aliens type of way. Essentially, there's a strange area of the world – Area X – that is cordoned off by the military. They send in expeditions to investigate. The book opens with the twelfth expedition going in. According to Goodreads: “The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.”
Much of this book and what it's trying to say is intangible and ethereal. I don't really know what's going in. There's a lot of mystery. And that can be a bit frustrating, having no answers. But for some reason it doesn't bother me. The environment, the characters, the prose... All of it is enthralling. Annihilation is now one of my most favorite books.
I would like to continue the series, but I'm almost nervous the sequel won't be as good, and it would taint the experience. I think I'll put some time between now and picking it up.
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review from Netgalley. Thank you to Tin House Books.
I believe the prologue of How We Named the Stars is absolutely beautiful. I cried a little when I read it the first time, and then read it again when I finished the book. The entire book itself is full of beautiful, emotional writing. When I finished, I discovered Ordorica is a poet, so that makes sense.
With that said, I want to say the book lacks substance because so much relies on language alone. Most of the book is just paragraphs of Daniel's, the narrator, thoughts. Not exactly much happens until the third part. Until then, so much is just what's in his head. However, it's difficult to say the book lacks substance since the point seems to be emotional, not plot-focused. Still, it fell flat for me.
Speaking of the plot, essentially it's supposed to be adjacent to a love story between Daniel and Sam. At least, that's how I feel. Perhaps others would say it's a full-on love story. But as I said, so much is in Daniel's head. I find it hard to discuss this without spoilers, but the links between Daniel and others felt weak. If more time was spent with those other characters, where we as readers see them being themselves instead of Daniel telling us about them, perhaps the links would feel stronger. Besides Daniel and Sam, and really just Daniel, there is nothing to be said of these characters. I know nothing about them or their development. With Sam, I had trouble understanding why Sam felt the way he did. It was like, it just happened because it needed to be that way for the book. There was no development of character or feelings.
In the third part of the book, things change in many ways and there are so many scenes with other people. People talking and things happening. This was like a breath of fresh air. To be honest, while reading the first and second parts, I was getting frustrated. It was Daniel's constant thoughts. If there was a scene with dialogue, each line was followed by a paragraph of Daniel's thoughts. I didn't know if the whole book would be this way, but I didn't want to give up. The prose itself was lovely.
I guess all of this boils down to the old adage of “show don't tell.” This book almost solely tells us what is going on. It was disappointing. My frustration would rate it two stars, but my feelings while reading Ordorica's use of language would give it four stars. Normally, a three star rating from me usually means it's a middling book. But I can't say that's the case here. There are two strong reactions to this book, and three stars is just the average.
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I loved the imagery in this. I also often forgot it was a Snow White retelling, which was refreshing. At times it could be disturbing.
I've never read an Earthsea book, and I knew nothing about the world except that it was fantasy. I didn't even know the name, “Ged.” I'd heard in many places how respected Le Guin is, but reading Earthsea was something I just would get around to one day.
Well, I got my library card and began using the Libby app. I've been reading ebooks on my tablet instead of my phone, and it's much more enjoyable. And that's how I put a hold on A Wizard of Earthsea. I knew of the book, and it was there, and when it became available, I read it.
Well, what a surprise and a delight. It's a fantastical book following a young man as he becomes a wizard. However, he's arrogant and proud, believing in his own greatness. This nearly ruins him, and then he must right his wrongs and discover how he can be that wizard.
The book is short, so I don't want to share too many details. Learning about the world of Earthsea should be done by the book itself. It's a quick, smooth read. The writing pulls you along as though you were listening to someone tell a great story at a party. You don't want them to stop. You need to know what happens.
Le Guin's style made me think not only of Lord of the Rings but also Narnia. It felt like a mix to me. It's a fantasical history of sorts, and it's so pleasant and enjoyable to experience. I can't wait to read the next one.
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Wow, finishing books so close together is really impressive for me. I received The Kingdom of Sweets from Book of the Month, and I chose it because it's inspired by The Nutcracker. I had vague memories of the ballet, but felt like I liked it. I also thought it'd be fun for Christmas.
I did really enjoy reading this book. I reached for it, looked forward to it. Last night I read for two hours in order to finish it. I go back and forth on my rating, between 2 or 3 stars. I lean towards 3 because of how much I wanted to finish the story, but I'm stuck at 2 because I noticed the flaws I will discuss while reading. I also realized more issues after finishing.
I don't want to discuss the plot in depth because I hate giving out spoilers. I also went in completely blind, which is my favorite way to read a book. My reviews are not plot descriptions because of this. The story is definitely inspired by The Nutcracker in a loose way. I read the plot of the ballet after finishing and I think Johansen did so much with what was there. There are moments that are directly taken and expanded on in a very interesting way. A new character is introduced, Natasha, and the story is from her point-of-view. Her twin is Clara, and Clara has always had everything: attention, beauty, love. Natasha sticks to the walls and is friends with servants. This dynamic works for them and they aren't enemies. But it fuels what happens in the story.
The momentum stayed up for me and I just wanted to know what would happen. However, in the last 30% or 40%, I started to feel like the story was falling flat. And that feeling stuck once the book ended. I hate to say this, but there was so much potential. Overall, I think this book suffered from a lack of editing. There are so many ideas: directly from the ballet, inspired by it, and newly formed. I suppose they don't mesh seamlessly. Early on in the book, I found repetition was common. In the actual Kingdom of Sweets, it makes sense to describe all the different sweets, but it became, well, annoying. This after this after this after this. These types of repetitive descriptions happened multiple times. The writing didn't feel clear, especially when describing a complicated idea. A few times, I simply couldn't understand what was happening.
One thing that bothered from the beginning was the fact that this book is nearly all exposition. Yes, there are scenes of dialogue and action. But only very key scenes are acted out in this way. Everything else is told to the reader by Natasha. At one point I though Johansen might be doing this on purpose since there is no speaking in a ballet, which is clever, but she does have scenes with dialogue. You can't really go halfway with that idea.
Yes, I read the book, and quickly, so how bad can it be? Could I recommend it? Perhaps. Just with the caveat that it is lackluster. It needed to be tightened up and polished.
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Many of these stories are brutal, and I believe all of them are shockingly explicit. It's amazing how Gay can write so plainly, to just lay the truth bare. It's hard to look at. I love everything she's written. The only thing that saddens me is that every story was about pain, and perhaps finding some small pleasure in that pain. I would have loved one story that focused on joy or pride in Haiti rather than just enending pain.
(I'm currently doing this from my phone as I just moved and don't have internet. I apologize for brevity and errors!)
I hated this book from the beginning. I only finished it to see how it differed from the movie. It is full to the brim with misogyny and hatred for the mentally ill. I even took screenshots (I read the ebook) while reading to share on Twitter and in my video review, whenever I can make that.
I won't spoil anything, but Paul, our main character, uses the rape word twice to describe something unpleasant. He refers to most women in the book as bitches. He goes on tangents describing how simple minded his female fan base must be. It was highly insulting and aggravating to read. Hating Annie, calling her a bitch, makes sense. But Paul feels the same towards all women.
Then there's the talk about the mentally ill. In this book, they don't need help. They're just scary. King boils it down to this handy statement: “Depressives kill themselves. Psychotics, rocked in the poison cradles of their own egos, want to do everyone handy a favor and take them along.” That's useful.
I hate this book. Do not recommend. Even if I could get past these things, the actual story is boring, gruesome, and gratuitous. This should have been a short story or novella.