As a family history, this is a priceless artifact; as a work for public consumption, it sadly feels like a self-published work in need of deep editingAs a family history, this is a priceless artifact; as a work for public consumption, it sadly feels like a self-published work in need of deep editing to make it more interesting, less passive, and more focused on the fascinating women at the center of the story. I really hoped for more data on turn-of-the-20th-century Seattle from the intimate perspective of a midwife, but other than some fantastic photographs, that detail wasn't there. There were only a few personal midwife stories in the middle of the book. My words may be critical, but I still think it's fabulous that the author created this for the sake of her own family. I certainly wish my own kin had passed down a book of this nature!...more
Never Let Me Go was both fascinating and frustrating.
The premise is quite intriguing: students raised at Hailsham are repeatedly told of how special tNever Let Me Go was both fascinating and frustrating.
The premise is quite intriguing: students raised at Hailsham are repeatedly told of how special they are and how they must take care of their bodies. The narrator, Kathy, in the present is a "carer." Most of the other students are "donors," who eventually "complete." The reasons why emerge slowly, until the full picture or their origins and their fate come clear.
First of all, it grated on me that the story followed the exact same format as The Remains of the Day, even though the voice was very different. It begins in the present, hints at the outcome of events, and then most of the book is spent meandering over meaningful memories until the climax. I never felt like I got to really know the first person narrator; most of the story really focuses on her friends Ruth (who isn't very likable) and Tommy. They are fully realized and complex characters. Maybe Ishiguro wasn't in his element in trying to mix in scifi. Many things are heavily hinted at in the book, but then the climax is heavy-handed but doesn't really explain everything. (Why not try and run? Rebel?) There wasn't really a conflict in the book. Everyone did what they were supposed to do. In Remains of the Day that sort of gentle storytelling worked because the butler did sacrifice everything for his master - he was his job. But here... maybe these characters were chosen for their domestication. I don't know. The ending left me disappointed. I felt like shaking these people....more
Four years ago, Mackenzie Philip's youngest daughter was abducted during a camping trip. Her bloodied dress is found in a remote cabin in the woods, aFour years ago, Mackenzie Philip's youngest daughter was abducted during a camping trip. Her bloodied dress is found in a remote cabin in the woods, and all evidence points to her being the victim of a serial killer. Mack's family continues to suffer, and his anger at God is unrelenting. Then, one day, there's a note in his mailbox from "Papa," asking him to come to the shack. Papa is his wife's name for God. Against his better judgment, Mack returns to the shack that destroyed his life, and confronts God Himself.
First things first. The concept of this book is great. It addresses the nature of God, and why God allows evil to exist, and how forgiveness can be achieved. It's very thought-provoking stuff.
However, the writing is downright atrocious. If I'm reading a forward and I have the need to reach for my red pen and start editing, that's a very, very bad sign. The voice is inconsistent. The forward and afterward don't fit the voice of the rest of the book. There are info dumps, including several pages that read like a tour guide to Oregon. For me, though, the most frustrating thing was the dialogue, especially the dialogue of God in all His facets. I see what the author was trying to do. He wanted to make God friendly and approachable, but he does so in a melodramatic matter where God! Constantly uses! Exclamation points! He also laughs constantly and even speaks in chuckles/laughs in dialogue tag (an amateur writer's mistake). Therefore, the dialogue felt forced and fake, which is a shame since the subject matter was compelling. It feels like when this book was picked up by a major publisher, they didn't have anyone edit, and that's to their discredit.
I can see why this sold millions of copies. I can also see why I found my copy at Goodwill....more
This was one of the most-buzzed-about urban fantasies last year, so I wanted to be sure to read it in time for award consideration. I've enjoyed severThis was one of the most-buzzed-about urban fantasies last year, so I wanted to be sure to read it in time for award consideration. I've enjoyed several books in Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, so I already knew her writing was top notch. However, this book came as a big disappointment, and I struggled to finish it.
One of the trademarks of an urban fantasy is the voice: snarky, with a dry wit. Unfortunately, taken too far it becomes bitchy and annoying, and that's how Verity price struck me from the start. Then the male lead, Dominic from the Covenant comes in, and he's Lawful Good to her Chaotic Good. They are two extremes, which is intended to make for a good conflict and romance, but instead I felt they deserved each other because they were both so aggravating.
The end of chapter one was a major point I almost tossed the book aside. Verity releases a creature she had been tracking that has already killed over a dozen women. Verity's order to the thing: shape up and get out of my town. It's establishing that she's a cryptozoologist and doesn't killed anything unless she must (the opposite of the kill-all-the-things Covenant) but it irritated me that she let the thing go free to continue it's rampage outside of New York City.
There were many other things that shook my sense of belief in the story, like her shock that a member of the Covenant is on her turf (um, NYC is one of the largest cities in the world, why is that a surprise?), her cousin's abilities and how they conveniently locate things beneath the city, and the redundant mention of calling lizard men Sleestaks, while Verity seems way, way too young to have watched Land of the Lost. I have also read two other urban fantasy series that featurde large, important creatures sleeping beneath a city; certainly, the genre relies on twists to cliches like that, but now it seems way too prevalent.
I did like the humor in the book, when it wasn't going to far on the bitchy side. In particular, a Babylon 5 reference made me happy. One of my favorite things in the book turned out to be the religious mice who live in Verity's apartment and celebrate her entire family's history on a calendar of their own creation; it creates some foreseeable gags, but the mice are outright adorable and make me think of the Graham Oakley Church Mice books I loved as a kid. But for humor, I much prefer other series where the voice doesn't grate on me so. It's all about personal preference....more
Robin McKinley's foray into urban fantasy territory is well-written, but uneven.
I've had this book in my to-read pile for two years now, having heard Robin McKinley's foray into urban fantasy territory is well-written, but uneven.
I've had this book in my to-read pile for two years now, having heard good thing about it as a dark, non-sparkly vampire story. I read several of McKinley's books as a teenager and liked them well enough, but I read Spindle's End earlier this year and was really disappointed. Therefore, I put off reading Sunshine even longer--and then I had to choose a new book the day before Halloween, and decided I couldn't get more Halloween than old-fashioned vampires.
I almost didn't make it past the first 20 pages.
The book starts slow. Achingly slow. There's no magic. It just feels like the ramblings of a very normal baker; mind you, baking is one of my prime hobbies, but it's not what I wanted to read about here. Then the fantasy element finally enters as the vampires nab her, and there's an Infodump from Hell. I strongly considered putting the book away, fearing the rest of the book would be that boring and uneven.
However, I decided to stick with it, and I'm glad I did. McKinley's world here is fascinating: humanity struggling to survive after Voodoo Wars killed many, leaving spots of blighted earth in the war's wake. There are no good vampires, which makes Rae's alliance with Constantine all the more dangerous. The powers she develops are particularly interesting. The cast of characters is wide and sometimes difficult to keep straight, but their personalities are a delight. I also love that it was not a vampire-human romance, as that holds no appeal for me (and that goes back way before Twilight ever existed).
I became more interested in the book after 50 pages, and absolutely hooked after the first 100. That said, it was still plagued by Rae's rambling monologues that completely kill the momentum at times. I like first person perspective and write it in quite often, but it feels overkill here; this type of first person POV is why some readers loathe it.
I can see why the book ranks highly as a modern classic in the genre, as it has many brilliant twists on old tropes of vampires and magic, but it's not one I will read again....more
I have wanted to read this since it came out a few years ago. I'm not a comic book reader, but I have always loved superheroes. Hearing the theme of SI have wanted to read this since it came out a few years ago. I'm not a comic book reader, but I have always loved superheroes. Hearing the theme of Superman (Christopher Reeves!) still gives me chills.
Unfortunately, this anthology feels terribly uneven in quality. Several of the stories feel overwhelming, as though I were dropped into completely established worlds and expected to already know who everyone is. The sheer numbers of characters became overwhelming, as though the authors felt they needed to explore every possible facet of superpowers while they had the chance.
There were several stand-out stories, however. The first and last tales in the book--"Cleansed and Set in Gold" by Matthew Sturges, and "A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by Bill Willingham--were especially good, and the latter was especially engaging considering the cast of characters involved and the experimental ABC plot structure of the piece. Others, like "The Non-Event" by Mike Carey and "Vacuum Lad" by Stephen Baxter were thoroughly enjoyable.
I really wanted to like "Call Her Savage" by Marjorie M. Liu, but too many details of the fascinating world--steampunk alternate universe, where China settled the western United States--came in too late and I felt frustrated and lost.
This won't be a book I keep on my shelf, but it was worth reading for a few excellent stories. ...more
This is a humor book for journalists. I'm a writer and an avid news reader, so I was able to enjoy much of the humor even though I've never endured thThis is a humor book for journalists. I'm a writer and an avid news reader, so I was able to enjoy much of the humor even though I've never endured the newsroom slog. I have enjoyed the posts by "the Bureau Chiefs" (aka the authors) on Facebook and knew I wanted to read their book. The wit is consistent, enough to make me smile as I read, but there were only a few times I laughed out loud.
Many of the chapters featured a glossary, and this was often my favorite part. There were definitions such as the one for "firewall" in the internet chapter, "Magical spell that protects computer from intrusion by setting intruding computers on fire. Requires a mage of third level or higher to cast." In the sports chapter, "hat trick:" When a hockey player makes a bunny appear on the ice out of NOWHERE!" There's actually a whole section on understanding hockey penalties, which I need to have my hockey-loving husband read.
However, with my books shelves as crowded as they are, I don't think this is a keeper. But would I gift it to journalist friends? Absolutely. ...more
In 1876, the Old West has been strengthened by the use of magic, steampower, and zombie mine laborers. Small-town mountain witch Emily Edwards is worrIn 1876, the Old West has been strengthened by the use of magic, steampower, and zombie mine laborers. Small-town mountain witch Emily Edwards is worried about maintaining her disabled adopted father's charms business against the threat of mail-order magic. Those worries turn out to be petty when a mine accident ends up with a magical stone embedded in her hand--the famed Native Star. The haughty local warlock, Dreadnought Stanton, believes he has connections who can help remove the stone. Backstabbings and ambushes lead the two to trust no one as they flee across the country to find the secrets of the Native Star.
This fun historical frolic has a definite urban fantasy vibe even with the Old West setting. Some aspects reminded me of Cherie Priest's Boneshaker even though the authors do very different things using the same steampunk-tinged Reconstruction period. In some spots the book felt uneven--such as the very beginning and the end--but once Emily steps into the story, her situation immediately grabbed me. The romance with her and Dreadnought felt predictable, but the story had enough twists and turns to keep everything fun even if it felt like too many fantasy elements were crammed in sometimes. ...more
I have absolutely no interest in The Da Vinci Code or any books of that sort, but I picked this up for two reasons: my last name is Cato, and it was oI have absolutely no interest in The Da Vinci Code or any books of that sort, but I picked this up for two reasons: my last name is Cato, and it was only $2 for a hardcover at the Phoenix VNSA sale. Personally relevant and cheap![return][return]I was pleasantly surprised by this massive book. Once it got going, I was completely snared. The main character, Ottavia, is a high-ranking nun working in the Vatican. She specializes in ancient manuscripts and research, and therefore she's stunned when her superiors need her expertise in a new assignment - identifying unusual tattoos on the corpse of a dead Ethiopian. To complicate things more, the dead man was carrying along bits of the True Cross - the one Jesus died upon - and bears scarification that suggests a long-lost religious order may not be lost after all. Along with a stoic Swiss Army captain and brilliant Coptic Egyptian, the three of them work through linguistic riddles and discover the key to everything is hidden in plain sight - Dante's The Divine Comedy. As other churches around the world reel from the theft of their fragments of the Cross, Ottavia and the others rush to join this hidden order so they can stop the pilfering and confront the enigmatic leader of the group, Cato.[return][return]Reading the book reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This is an intelligent, well-researched book and it was a great deal of fun. The ending had a nice twist that was followed by a bit of a cliche, but that was fine. I was concerned that I'd go through all 458-pages and be disgusted by the ending, as I was recently with Edgar Sawtelle, but that wasn't the case here. It ended like it should. I have no regrets about this $2 purchase....more
In summary: A very strange book, yet somehow compelling.[return][return]As ancient gods from around the world begin to gather, a man named Shadow is pIn summary: A very strange book, yet somehow compelling.[return][return]As ancient gods from around the world begin to gather, a man named Shadow is pulled into their battle against the up-and-coming forces of the world. I loved seeing deities of all sorts in various places and roles through America, all where you would least expect them. I didn't like the sudden, graphic sex scenes that did nothing to further the plot and only seemed to exist to shock the reader. Some of the back stories on gods were very good as stand-alone short stories, but didn't seem to connect with the larger plot. Shadow comes across as a good guy pulled into bad situations; I didn't expect to like his wife because of some things she does, but she grew on me through the book.[return][return]I've been told this isn't Neil Gaiman's best work. I really like the concept of it and the ending had some delicious twists (the trunk!), but I don't think it is worth keeping. I read Stardust in 2003 and found it mediocre. However, I would like to read more of Gaiman's work because I love the spins he puts on old tropes....more
I'm so glad I bought this for only $4 at Goodwill.[return][return]This book garnered a lot of attention last fall when Oprah selected it for her book I'm so glad I bought this for only $4 at Goodwill.[return][return]This book garnered a lot of attention last fall when Oprah selected it for her book club. I can see why it merited such attention. The writing is beautiful. It tells the story of the Sawtelle family and their own special breed of dogs. Trudy and Gar's son Edgar is born mute, but as he grows they develop their own sign-language - one that their unusually intelligent dogs also pick up. But when Gar's brother Claude returns to the farm and Gar dies soon afterward, Edgar is left struggling. Bad things happen. Edgar flees into the wilderness. Etc.[return][return]Unfortunately, this is the sort of book that makes the whole literary fiction genre look bad. The writing is beautiful, yes, but it's also overwritten. Half the book could have been edited away and the story would have remained the same. It took two-hundred pages for any genuine plot momentum to begin. When Edgar fled the farm, the story became much more interesting to me - his survival, Henry, and the tension leading up to the ending.[return][return]And then the ending happened. Um, what? I can understand wanting to make the ending non-cliche, but Wroblewski's ending is heavily contrived and completely unsatisfying. I didn't expect a happy ending, but the ending he wrote is just stupid. It made the entire 562-pages feel like a complete waste.[return][return]Sorry. Pretty writing does not make up for lousy storytelling....more
I never read Harlequins, but I was given this free signed book a few months ago. Honestly, I had very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. TI never read Harlequins, but I was given this free signed book a few months ago. Honestly, I had very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The plot was tight (albeit predictable) and the characters were likeable yet complex. It takes place in a small Kentucky town where Alan Ridge was widowed a year ago; the car accident that killed his wife left his daughter unable to use her limbs, though the reasons are psychological. Laurel Ashline, a gifted weaver, arrives in town to take over her grandmother's land and to escape her alcoholic ex-husband. Of course, the land used to belong to the Ridge family and they want it back for use by their bourbon facility, and Laurel wants nothing to do with whiskey-makers. But the wounded daughter responds well to weaving as therapy, and that brings the adults together.[return][return]As I said, it's predictable but much, much better than I expected. I'm not planning on becoming a regular reader of Harlequin Superromances, but I think my original opinion was a bit snobby and harsh. It was a good read....more
This book is July's [2008] pick for bookof_themonth [on LiveJournal]. I read it early so I can fully participate.[return][return]My first reaction is This book is July's [2008] pick for bookof_themonth [on LiveJournal]. I read it early so I can fully participate.[return][return]My first reaction is that this is very British. It was slower than I expected and it took me time to get into it, but the setting is wonderful and the people are delightfully unique and eccentric. I can see how J.K. Rowling would take inspiration from this. The protagonist, Cassandra, lives with her family in a dilapidated castle. Her father published a book of staggering success and has written nothing since, leaving the family in abject poverty. Her older sister, Rose, is determined to marry up, and when the American Cotton family takes possession of their family castle nearby, she makes her move.[return][return]The book is in the form of a diary, but it never feels like a diary. There are some moments of great hilarity such as the bear coat and Father-in-the-tower (a technique I should try for Nanowrimo). It's really a coming-of-age book for Cassandra, very delicately written, and it does show how much she has matured and how she is still more mature than Rose in some regards.[return][return]It's a good story overall, but not one I think I'll reread. However, I'll gladly take possession of that castle. I do love the setting of 1930s England; I kept thinking of Hercule Poirot during the London scenes....more
This book for middle-graders probably would have appealed greatly to me at age 11, but I could never quite get into it. It felt like Hero's Song did iThis book for middle-graders probably would have appealed greatly to me at age 11, but I could never quite get into it. It felt like Hero's Song did its utmost to hit every fantasy cliche down to the cast: the humble gardener, the tomboy archer, the bard, the elf, the old wizard as the mentor, the bad guys who are absolute evil without any nuances. It felt like it was trying to be Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, but without that charm and sparkle. The plot is also predictable, and I think it would have been transparent to me as a kid, too. I rushed through to the end, not because I enjoyed it, but because I wanted to get it over with....more
This is a fluffy Christian historical romance I was given for free. I used to love reading pioneer stories but I probably would have found this too liThis is a fluffy Christian historical romance I was given for free. I used to love reading pioneer stories but I probably would have found this too light for my tastes even when I was 12. The book has four stories about four young women all on the same wagon train going to Oregon. The historical research is nice, especially in the first story when it talks about what they needed to pack and what books they used as resources. As far as the women... meh. To paraphrase one of the romantic conversations from one of the better stories:[return][return]Woman: I'd love to be a doctor but there are so few women doctors. And all the good schools are back east, and we're going to Oregon![return]Man: Maybe that's not God's will.[return]Woman: What is His will?[return]Man: Marry me.[return]Woman: Okay.[return][return]One of the stories involved a Pinkerton agent, and that was the worst one of the lot. It had so much potential, too. The names and situations were confusing and the romance was totally unbelievable.[return][return]I would never have read this if it hadn't been given to me. Mind you, I liked this more than some of the other romances I've forced myself through this year, mainly because I love the historical aspect. It sure made me wince at times (see above conversation), but maybe that's a reflection of my own fallout with faith....more
Kate Malone, science and math geek, is about to have a nervous breakdown. All of her friends are receiving word back from their choice colleges, and sKate Malone, science and math geek, is about to have a nervous breakdown. All of her friends are receiving word back from their choice colleges, and she still waits for a single response from MIT. She can't sleep, eat; she runs in the middle of the night. She avoids the prodding questions from her pastor father. Then the neighbors down the hill are burned out of their house, and Kate is forced to share a room with the malevolent Teri Litch and her adorable toddler brother. Kate begins to realize her priorities may be a bit askew, and then everything gets impossibly worse.[return][return]This is a YA book, and the voice is clear from the very first page. Laurie Halse Anderson is a master at recreating that teenage angst and voice - so good, in fact, that I didn't even like Kate during the first part of the book. She's incredibly shallow, even compared to her nemesis, Teri. Of course, she matures during the course of the book, and even the awful Teri gains new dimensions. The ending did seem abrupt, though; I wish it had gone just a chapter more, just for a smidgen more resolution. I just couldn't relate to Kate much because she would have struck me as shallow and ridiculously immature even when I was a teenager. It's a decent book, but not a keeper....more
Sammy and Sue are a mother and daughter committed to helping the planet. In this illustrated children's book, they explore ways for children to help tSammy and Sue are a mother and daughter committed to helping the planet. In this illustrated children's book, they explore ways for children to help the earth - ranging from buying organic foods to having their parent drive a hybrid car.[return][return]My feelings on this are mixed. The illustrations are really well done, and the characters really do look like Sammy and Sue - the real people. However, the rhyme scheme is heavily contrived and often awkward. I read the book aloud to my four-year-old son, and the forced rhyme made me wince throughout. The message of the book is also... well, fairly militant, and many of the suggestions are for the parent, not the child. The parent is asked to buy organic everything - food, laundry, cleaning supplies, clothing. When Sammy and Sue ride in a hybrid car, they are in Hollywood and a very handsome actor is driving alongside and offering them support.[return][return]I'm all for teaching my child to be a good steward of the earth, but the tone of this book felt patronizing at times. I'm sorry, I can't afford to buy an all-organic wardrobe, or a hybrid car. What about picking up trash outside, or shopping at a thrift store to buy and reuse goods, or walking or biking instead of driving? What about inspiring the child to start a recycling program at their school or carpool with friends? So many simple - and affordable - ways of helping the earth weren't even mentioned. The back of the ARC featured endorsements from various environmentally-friendly companies and celebrities, including Olympia Dukakis and Jack Hanna. The heart of the book is in the right place, but I think their intended audience is already doing most of these things and can AFFORD to do these things. We can't....more
This is the tale of two cousins, a cadre of superheroes, a war, and sacrifice. In 1939, young Joseph Kavalier employed his Houdini-inspired escape talThis is the tale of two cousins, a cadre of superheroes, a war, and sacrifice. In 1939, young Joseph Kavalier employed his Houdini-inspired escape talents to smuggle himself out of Prague and into the United States. His cousin in Brooklyn, Sammy Clay, loves comic books and is awed by Joseph's natural artistic talents. Together the two young Jewish men toil to create the Escapist and Luna Moth, among others, while Joe dreams of saving his family from the devastation of Europe under Hitler. The beautiful Rosa Saks captures his heart, even as Sammy takes a very different path. Then on the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, everything changes.[return][return]My feelings on this are mixed. It's beautifully written and captures the spirit of the time period. Joe, Sammy, Rosa, and the rest of the wide cast are alive and vibrant. I can see why Chabon won the Pulitzer for this work. However, sometimes he went into exhaustive detail. In the middle of a scene it will dive into a three page history of the comic book, or a particular setting that never returned. Sometimes the perspective changes were dizzying as well, diving into characters we only see for a few pages. It felt as though the author had so much good material, he had to make sure all of it made it into the finished product. Yes, it was interesting stuff, but an info dump is still an info dump and it detracted from the flow of the story. It's worth reading, but not keeping....more
When Maisie Thomas and her family return to Grange House in 1896 for their annual summer visit, she has no clue how this particular year will change hWhen Maisie Thomas and her family return to Grange House in 1896 for their annual summer visit, she has no clue how this particular year will change her life. The almost-spectral figure of Miss Grange invites Maisie to be part of the house's story - one fulls of ghosts, lost children, and disasters visited upon generation after generation - and Maisie runs in fear. However, fate will not let her stray far. Calamity falls upon her family, and Maisie is drawn into Miss Grange's mystery, even as two young men begin to vie for her affection. As young as she is, Maisie knows one thing: she will not marry simply because it's what she is supposed to do, and nothing will ease her heart until she knows the secret of the grave in the woods.[return][return]Grange House is beautifully written with a strong clear voice. It would be easy to read it and assume it was written over a hundred years ago. Every scene - even the sentence constructive - has a distinct Victorian-Gothic lilt. The story is enjoyable as well, with the ghosts, secrets, and hidden identities that one would expect. Maisie is a likeable girl, and very true to her time period. One of the major twists to the ending seemed obvious to me for a while, but I didn't foresee everything so it still had a nice surprise....more
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