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Review Date: 11/2/2013
Helpful Score: 12
Oh no. Charlaine? These "After" synopses of every character were poorly thought out and I think were just coughed up one night over a bottle of wine. My teenager could envision better endings for these fictitious souls. Don't bother with your time or your dime.
Review Date: 5/3/2015
Helpful Score: 1
I haven't read a historical romance in a while, and this one chose me in the Little Library on our block.
To say that I was disappointed would put it mildly. In my young adult days I inhaled this genre and I wonder if it was just this book that disappoints. The heroine managed to act both completely prudish and slutty at the same time. The plot, as it were, was crammed into the last 20% of the book and was ill-conceived. The romance was unromantic and makes you wonder how the people could like one another through her childish manipulation and his brutish, one-sided handling of the affairs. Were all the historical romances all like that?
To say that I was disappointed would put it mildly. In my young adult days I inhaled this genre and I wonder if it was just this book that disappoints. The heroine managed to act both completely prudish and slutty at the same time. The plot, as it were, was crammed into the last 20% of the book and was ill-conceived. The romance was unromantic and makes you wonder how the people could like one another through her childish manipulation and his brutish, one-sided handling of the affairs. Were all the historical romances all like that?
Review Date: 10/23/2014
Helpful Score: 3
I bought this book to put on our hipster-cool shelf of Pride and Predjudice and Zombies (+knockoffs), but I am stopping to review only this one. This one doesn't necessarily have literary merit, but it screams (ha) plenty in the social and subconscious themes it throws out.
The 1960's had its share of monsters-under-the-bed for little Americans reading Dick and Jane: the Russians and the "duck and cover" movies, Vietnam, Zodiac serial killer...but new millenial Americans have a new set of monsters. They see stories about kindergarteners being slaughtered in their classroom (and movies) and practice it at school as "lockdown", they hear people kidding about the zombie apocalypse and their parents tell them that is just a way of saying save stuff in case something really bad happens (REALLY BAD happens??) and they see or hear about Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, 107F, -39F.
Here comes Dick and Jane and Vampires. The book reviewers seem split on whether or not this is a book for kids. This is emphatically a book for kids. The book begins with the vampire hanging around the area. The narrator tells them to Run, Dick, RUN! And other funny lines. It is a humor book. At first they can't see the vampire, then only Sally can, then the kids can but not the parents (or something). But then, the Mom can see the vampire! And it might be a big deal, but the family deals with it. Mom mends the vampire's cloak. She makes the kids cloaks that match the vampire's.
This book is an important book for our new kids. Our kids know that there are bad things out there, and you can't hide those things from them. The best you can do is show that we have to live with them. Dick and Jane, the original, sucked at that.
The 1960's had its share of monsters-under-the-bed for little Americans reading Dick and Jane: the Russians and the "duck and cover" movies, Vietnam, Zodiac serial killer...but new millenial Americans have a new set of monsters. They see stories about kindergarteners being slaughtered in their classroom (and movies) and practice it at school as "lockdown", they hear people kidding about the zombie apocalypse and their parents tell them that is just a way of saying save stuff in case something really bad happens (REALLY BAD happens??) and they see or hear about Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, 107F, -39F.
Here comes Dick and Jane and Vampires. The book reviewers seem split on whether or not this is a book for kids. This is emphatically a book for kids. The book begins with the vampire hanging around the area. The narrator tells them to Run, Dick, RUN! And other funny lines. It is a humor book. At first they can't see the vampire, then only Sally can, then the kids can but not the parents (or something). But then, the Mom can see the vampire! And it might be a big deal, but the family deals with it. Mom mends the vampire's cloak. She makes the kids cloaks that match the vampire's.
This book is an important book for our new kids. Our kids know that there are bad things out there, and you can't hide those things from them. The best you can do is show that we have to live with them. Dick and Jane, the original, sucked at that.
Review Date: 10/23/2014
Helpful Score: 1
The Gauguin Connection is a mystery thriller about art thefts and murders. The hook this author has is the protagonist has high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Written in first person. If you know me and my background (my family has some Autism, ranging from very low to very high functioning) you know that I will either like or hate this book. So many attempts are done poorly by posers, and aren't (almost) all of these authors posers?
Would you accept the word of a hearing person about how it feels to be born deaf? A white person about how it is be Korean? I am always skeptical of those who adopt another's voice, and most skeptical of those who choose to speak as one with Autism.
Is she believable? Yes, as a character and a detective. As a person with autism? .... I don't think so. She is too social and verbal and her "blackouts" seem contrived and convenient. The book starts out with her having a disability, somewhat like "Monk" but fades rapidly when the book actually needs to progress.
I did like the book and would have liked it more if the author hadn't given her character the diagnosis of autism, and left the reader to decide what she might have. Telling the reader "this is autism" leaves the author with a heavy burden of showing what high-functioning autism really looks like.
Would you accept the word of a hearing person about how it feels to be born deaf? A white person about how it is be Korean? I am always skeptical of those who adopt another's voice, and most skeptical of those who choose to speak as one with Autism.
Is she believable? Yes, as a character and a detective. As a person with autism? .... I don't think so. She is too social and verbal and her "blackouts" seem contrived and convenient. The book starts out with her having a disability, somewhat like "Monk" but fades rapidly when the book actually needs to progress.
I did like the book and would have liked it more if the author hadn't given her character the diagnosis of autism, and left the reader to decide what she might have. Telling the reader "this is autism" leaves the author with a heavy burden of showing what high-functioning autism really looks like.
Review Date: 8/20/2012
This book IS very short, and is disappointing to receive in the mail. The book and characters lack appeal because they are manifestations of her fantasies, not actual ghosts with their own personalities. The "action" was also not very interesting. Sorry I sent for it.
Review Date: 7/19/2013
I love this book and reccommend it as a shower gift. The mother-to-be will be horrified, but the parents in the room will nod in agreement. For me, I was glad I am not the only one thinking this and I liked being able to let go of these feelings in a sigh of relief.
For parents who already caught by the title, (if you are horrified, calmly walk away), I suggest the audio version narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. You can hear a lot of it (all?) on YouTube, if you are hesitant to buy.
For parents who already caught by the title, (if you are horrified, calmly walk away), I suggest the audio version narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. You can hear a lot of it (all?) on YouTube, if you are hesitant to buy.
Review Date: 4/29/2015
I am trying to stay away from books that are depressing, but this book was solidly written and kept me engaged. There was no big reveal that was alluded to on the book jacket, and I agree this isn't a book for everyone. The Little Bee character was carefully constructed and her history and plot arc were consistent with her character. The Sarah and Andrew characters, not so much. Their story, from their romance to the ill-fated vacation to Andrew's death, seem like a square peg Cleave is trying to mesh with the Little Bee round hole. Will read more by this author.
Review Date: 10/27/2014
This is a cute little book. The Man is a Marquess. The woman makes cakes. Her hair is red. It goes from there. Not really my genre, but a solid comfortable read with very little conflict to stress over. The plot starts to pack up and wander around the pages as though it had nothing to do for quite a long time, but eventually hit upon a story with a character conflict that needed resolution toward the end. I enjoyed it. Not necessarily worth a series, as the characters as introduced were lukewarm.
Review Date: 5/3/2015
Up until page 245 or so, it was a wonderfully well-put-together tale of one woman who was orphaned and put for adoption in the 1920's Orphan Trains, interlaced with a modern day's girl's similar tale of foster care woes. It is lyrical, with kindness but also brutality, a book you wouldn't mind passing on to your great aunt.
That said, this book had an extra 33 pages tacked on to the end, spinning the book out-of-control into a WTfreakin' bizarro ending where none of the characters act like themselves, the main character does a complete 180 turn against the values she's learned throughout the book, and additional tidbits are sloppily thrown in for no apparent reason. I would put a 30% marker that some intern at Wm. Morrow threw this on while it was on the way out the door to the publisher.
5 star to Page 245 2 star to page 278
That said, this book had an extra 33 pages tacked on to the end, spinning the book out-of-control into a WTfreakin' bizarro ending where none of the characters act like themselves, the main character does a complete 180 turn against the values she's learned throughout the book, and additional tidbits are sloppily thrown in for no apparent reason. I would put a 30% marker that some intern at Wm. Morrow threw this on while it was on the way out the door to the publisher.
5 star to Page 245 2 star to page 278
Review Date: 4/29/2015
Helpful Score: 1
The Paper Magician is the first in a series of steampunk historical sci-fi books by new author American Charlie Holmberg. (Charlie is a woman.) There are three in the series as of now (4/15) and I expect more will come. The Paper Magician is another take on the wizard school concept, but it original and fresh, with a romantic component. The book isn't classified as young adult but it should be - although it is classified as a "romance", it is a classical romance taking the long view. Meaning, not physical romance, but the chaste development of mutual fondness and then love. This, with the clever magical devices putting this truly in the fantasy/sci-fi camp, makes the Paper Magician series one to read and Holmberg one to watch.
Review Date: 8/31/2011
This book was engaging, and I finished in a day. I would recommend it.
However (!!!) the big fatal flaw to this book is that it lacked a protagonist. As others have said, it was written from the different points of view of nearly all major characters. Not one of these was likable (maybe one) and most I nearly hated. They all had flaws -- big ones ranging from infidelity, to wife/child abuse, to arson and manslaughter, possible murder and attempted murder, to just being a jerk. Overwhelming. I finished the book to see how it ended -- and it was interesting, but I really didn't care what happened to anyone.
I like to be able to root for at least one character to have a happy ending.
Maybe it matters that I didn't read the first book. Will continue to read this author.
However (!!!) the big fatal flaw to this book is that it lacked a protagonist. As others have said, it was written from the different points of view of nearly all major characters. Not one of these was likable (maybe one) and most I nearly hated. They all had flaws -- big ones ranging from infidelity, to wife/child abuse, to arson and manslaughter, possible murder and attempted murder, to just being a jerk. Overwhelming. I finished the book to see how it ended -- and it was interesting, but I really didn't care what happened to anyone.
I like to be able to root for at least one character to have a happy ending.
Maybe it matters that I didn't read the first book. Will continue to read this author.
Review Date: 10/23/2014
The first rule about Math Club is always talk about Math Club.
The Simpsons and sister program Futurama are written by a strange bunch of comedy writers, those with advanced degrees in mathematics, physics and computer science. The jokes they write are funny on the surface, but they embed these shows with many, (many!) math jokes.
I recognized enough of these jokes to want to read the book, and I really enjoyed this book and seeing the depth these jokes ran. I did not enjoy realizing the shallowness of my nerd creds. I used to know a lot of this stuff and could hold my own. No one holds the throne forever.
The Simpsons and sister program Futurama are written by a strange bunch of comedy writers, those with advanced degrees in mathematics, physics and computer science. The jokes they write are funny on the surface, but they embed these shows with many, (many!) math jokes.
I recognized enough of these jokes to want to read the book, and I really enjoyed this book and seeing the depth these jokes ran. I did not enjoy realizing the shallowness of my nerd creds. I used to know a lot of this stuff and could hold my own. No one holds the throne forever.
Review Date: 12/9/2013
I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy. This is a hardcover coffee table book for steampunk/victorian children or adults (but smaller). Every page is a full page poster of the letter represented. The artistry is basic enough for children to enjoy but detailed and clever enough to excite adults and make them wisely think to pack it away as a treasure and not put it into the resale pile. D is for difference engine, everyone!!! (But G is for goggles.)
Review Date: 2/8/2011
Helpful Score: 3
This is perhaps my favorite book I've ever read. Plot-wise, it is the autobiography of a woman who grew up in East Africa in the early 20th century. It is marvelous -- the quote from Hemingway should sell it if we can't. There are some racist undertones that are probably appropriate for the time and place of this book, albeit shocking now.
Scholars debate whether this book was actually written by Hemingway himself. He was her lover, and so seldom praised other writers' works. Markham, after penning this masterpiece, never wrote anything else. The book does have a Hemingway flavor to it.
Scholars debate whether this book was actually written by Hemingway himself. He was her lover, and so seldom praised other writers' works. Markham, after penning this masterpiece, never wrote anything else. The book does have a Hemingway flavor to it.
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