What a beautiful second book! This one picks up exactly where the first one leaves off. In addition to a surprisingly steamy romance (nothing super exWhat a beautiful second book! This one picks up exactly where the first one leaves off. In addition to a surprisingly steamy romance (nothing super explicit, but definitely sensual), Rosalind and Charley's characters both become more developed. Just as beautiful as the first, and just as quick a read....more
The only reason this is four stars instead of five is that I wish it were about four times as long! A cute little story about Kitty, who's been mentioThe only reason this is four stars instead of five is that I wish it were about four times as long! A cute little story about Kitty, who's been mentioned in the other two books in this series. I don't much care for her, other than her mischievous spirit. Mostly she's a brat and I want to slap her. But this is a totally adorable addition to this series....more
This was a lovely and engaging first book. The ending made me want to keep reading almost as much as the thoroughly endearing characters did. It's a sThis was a lovely and engaging first book. The ending made me want to keep reading almost as much as the thoroughly endearing characters did. It's a short little jaunt of YA but absolutely perfect. I only wish it was longer....more
This was a really excellent UX starter guide. I think that Krug makes a lot of good points. The chapters are delivered in bite-sized pieces that you cThis was a really excellent UX starter guide. I think that Krug makes a lot of good points. The chapters are delivered in bite-sized pieces that you can easily devour in ten minutes or less (for the most part). Found myself highlighting a lot in this book and nodding at his points. A must read for anyone who's building a website (yes, you too)....more
So much melodrama! I loved this book as a tween/teenager, and had a touch of nostalgia when I found it on Kindle Unlimited. I reread this in a couple So much melodrama! I loved this book as a tween/teenager, and had a touch of nostalgia when I found it on Kindle Unlimited. I reread this in a couple hours (it's easy reading) and remembered some of the grammar mistakes that worked their way into my own speech. Took years to get rid of those. Interesting plot, some sympathetic characters, ultimately a quick and dirty thriller with not a lot of character development. Because of my own level of knowledge now, I found this less enjoyable than I used to....more
This was a _fantastic_ conclusion to this series! Fast paced and had me on edge for a good portion of the book, which is hard to do. Cinder excels in This was a _fantastic_ conclusion to this series! Fast paced and had me on edge for a good portion of the book, which is hard to do. Cinder excels in being a strong, relatable role model. Cress blossoms in this book, as does Scarlet (who I didn't particularly care about in book 2). I love all the relationships this author was able to develop throughout the course of this series, and how she describes battles is really impressive....more
I picked up this book purely by chance, because I loved the title. The way I see it, there's two ways of looking at this book.
Way #1: middle aged whitI picked up this book purely by chance, because I loved the title. The way I see it, there's two ways of looking at this book.
Way #1: middle aged white lady buys a house and talks about it a lot, sprinkling excerpts from famous poems as she goes.
Way #2: this is a beautiful, poetic explanation of how someone falls in love with a house, against all odds. She buys the house, moves into it, and gets to know it. This book is like the movie version of Under the Tuscan Sun, full of joy in a time when life is supposed to be getting dimmer.
This was a delightful, if slightly dated, memoir of settling into a house, and a small town. I did a bit of research on Sarton and I wish that she'd been more open about the reasons she moved to this house in her book, but at the time it was probably quite difficult to be a lesbian author and be out. (I also understand she did not want to be reduced to being "just" a lesbian author, so there's also that.) Overall though, especially in light of learning more about the author's personal history, this was a lovely book....more
I think mostly that I love this book. It's beautiful and sad, and sort of reminds me of Alice Hoffman's books (in that it's about a family and exploreI think mostly that I love this book. It's beautiful and sad, and sort of reminds me of Alice Hoffman's books (in that it's about a family and explores relationships, particularly between sisters and mothers). This is definitely not a light summer beach read, and serious content warning for abuse/domestic violence descriptions. It's notable that these descriptions did not seem voyeuristic, or inappropriate in and of themselves; they felt necessary to the story and were not excessive.
Some of the dialogue is questionable in its authenticity, with people saying things that seem unbelievable (as in, that's not really how people talk). This is relatively easy to overlook though, especially if you love books about sister and/or mother/daughter relationships. The book ends with a glimmer of hope, which redeemed it from being a complete sobbing mess. I wouldn't say it was a happy book, but it is a beautiful one that's worth the read....more
What delightful 80s trash is this?! I read this book with a horrified expression on my face basically the whole time. Like, who let their kids read thWhat delightful 80s trash is this?! I read this book with a horrified expression on my face basically the whole time. Like, who let their kids read this? Why did anyone ever think this was appropriate for kids?
POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
Not that I think the subject matter itself was inherently inappropriate for children, but rather that the unquestioned handling of it was. I think it's totally apt that since some children have to grapple with issues like incest and abuse in their own lives, that YA literature should sometimes deal with it. But the author presented the incest uncritically. A brother rapes a sister, and the sister's like "Yeah, I probably deserved it because I am the little hussy that my grandmother thinks I am and anyways that was kinda fun let's do it again." That was BY FAR the most disturbing part of that whole thing.
The cruelty of the grandmother and mother is chilling, if totally unbelievable. Then again, A Child Called It was also unbelievable, and that shit really happened. I kept screaming at the book "KILL THE BITCH FUCK YOUR GRANDMOTHER SHE'S AWFUL JUST BASH HER OVER THE HEAD WITH A CHAIR AND GET THE FUCK OUT". I found myself engaging in victim blaming, which only made me hate myself more for reading this crap. So, while this is under crap books, I couldn't not enjoy it.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS ABOVE THIS LINE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
All that analysis aside, this was by far my favorite quote in the entire book that perfectly summarized my feelings on most of the characters: "Christopher," I said coolly, "when Cory and I want to know about a snail's tubular intestines, we'll send you a telegram, and please go sit on a tack and wait for it."
This book kept reminding me of Twilight and 50 Shades, in that the writing and subject matter was pretty trashy, yet somehow it inexplicably gathered readers like mad. I didn't read this as a kid so I missed the whole nostalgia bit. However, I will also say that, awful though the writing was, it was fascinating the way that reality tv is fascinating. I couldn't put it down and will possibly read the others, while judging myself most harshly....more
Re-read review: Ok, 4 stars. Enjoyable and fast-paced, if occasional unbelievable moments.
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This book somehow seemed more tedious than her other twRe-read review: Ok, 4 stars. Enjoyable and fast-paced, if occasional unbelievable moments.
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This book somehow seemed more tedious than her other two. I find myself disinterested and not wanting to finish it. It might have been the repetition, or the feeling that the author had ceased to actually write an interesting plot and was just pulling random shit out of a fantasy book generator.
That was the first 85% of the book. The last 15% is perfect, right in line with the rest of the series. I won't say more, to give it away, but suffice it to say, the ending nearly makes up for the monotony of the rest of the book. Almost, hence the 3 star rating instead of 4. It should actually be closer to a 3.5 though. I'll probably give this another try in the future, and maybe then knowing the ending I won't hate it as much. I'm sure I'll reread the series again, especially since the first two books were so good....more
This one was slightly less believable than The Line, if only because of the fact that all the action seemed more mashed together than it did in the fiThis one was slightly less believable than The Line, if only because of the fact that all the action seemed more mashed together than it did in the first book. Still, the plot is good and interesting. The foreboding is heavier in this book, which made reading it a nail-biting sort of experience. Looking forward to the third book, to see where the next leg of the story goes....more
This is like a quicker paced version of the Discovery of Witches, except this one is set in Savannah, Georgia. I absolutely LOVE Mother Jilo. Her dialThis is like a quicker paced version of the Discovery of Witches, except this one is set in Savannah, Georgia. I absolutely LOVE Mother Jilo. Her dialect is on point (in terms of the writing of it). Several times this book made me gasp and say aloud "Oh no they didn't!" I'm impressed that it could surprise me so regularly. Definitely worth reading!...more
Full disclosure: a friend of mine who I love and adore wrote this book, so it's entirely possible that this review is biased. _However_ aren't all revFull disclosure: a friend of mine who I love and adore wrote this book, so it's entirely possible that this review is biased. _However_ aren't all reviews biased since humans are inherently biased? Moving on from that philosophical can of worms...
This is a beautiful book. It's like books by Francesca Lia Block, Sarah Addison Allen, and Diane Setterfield had a baby. There are themes of quasi-incest (with the love story between the main character and her ex-stepbrother (so, not incest, but for those who are extremely sensitive to themes like this, you may want to skip it) that remind me of FLB's "Wasteland", which I loved.
It was one of those books where when I reached the end, I was just like "Yes, but I want MORE". Overall though this was a highly enjoyable book, full of mystery and magic....more
This would have been a three star book if not for the ending (which didn't make any sense - I won't say any more lest I spoil it).
The first Jenna Fox This would have been a three star book if not for the ending (which didn't make any sense - I won't say any more lest I spoil it).
The first Jenna Fox book was incredible. Foreboding, creepy, fascinating, all about the characters growing. This one was all about the action. None of the characters had much depth. Locke gets his shit together and learns some things, but still seems far too naive for someone who's actually 260 years older than he was before the accident. Kara's character was just confusing. Totally vicious and unfeeling and hellbent on revenge...until the end. She did a total 180 for no discernible reason. It just...wasn't convincing. Any of it. The whole book required such a great degree of suspension of disbelief that it became wholly improbable and uninteresting.
Skip this one. Read the first one and leave it at that. This should not have been a series, or if it did, it should have continued to be character-driven rather than powered by predictable action sequences....more
What a beautiful little world Bashe has managed to build, and in so few pages! I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem on which I ended my year.What a beautiful little world Bashe has managed to build, and in so few pages! I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem on which I ended my year. I do wish the characters and the world were more fleshed out (fingers crossed for future books!), and that the action hadn't felt quite so rushed, but most of that was the length (also what looked like hasty editing). All in all, this was a delight of a girls school story. If only it had been longer!...more
I'm sure I'm about to piss off every fan of this book, but this review is going to be nothing but Lost gifs. Because I can.
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At first, I was inteI'm sure I'm about to piss off every fan of this book, but this review is going to be nothing but Lost gifs. Because I can.
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At first, I was interested. It was a book about a plane crash. It read like a reincarnation of Lost, which was arguably a fantastically entertaining tv show. So I figured maybe it was worth a shot. Until it wasn't.
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I kept reading, hoping it would get better, hoping that I hadn't guessed the ending, that the dang smoke monster would show up soon.
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Sadly, it did not. No smoke monsters, no polar bears, no hot Iraqis. The only thing this book had going for it that Lost didn't was the sex*. Unfortunately that wasn't written all that engagingly, so I sort of felt like it missed the mark. Jack Dave was whiny, Lillian was confusingly boring (seriously, why was Dave so taken with her?! girl has zero personality), and Sawyer Kent was easy to hate. Except while Sawyer redeemed himself some of the time, Kent never did.
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^ Literally Dave.
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And that was what I felt like the whole time I was reading, particularly every time Charlie Paul was mentioned. In conclusion, I felt like Ben basically the entire time I was reading: a "calm, eloquent antagonist" (thanks Lostpedia!). I just kept thinking that I'd be wrong in my predictions, and then I wasn't. It's likely a good beach read, as they say, but not particularly thrilling or groundbreaking.
This was a really interesting book, with lots of unexpected details. Having read the Little House books myself as a child, this fleshed out a lot of tThis was a really interesting book, with lots of unexpected details. Having read the Little House books myself as a child, this fleshed out a lot of the details about why there were sometimes gaps in the narrative. I found Rose's life especially fascinating: she seems as though she were a woman far ahead of her time. I see why they called her "wild rose". Really enjoyed this book and would likely read it again when I'm in the mood for a book about strong women....more
This is a sweet little blip of a book. Rachlin writes about the everyday. It's a locket-sized portrait of a woman rebuilding her life after a divorce.This is a sweet little blip of a book. Rachlin writes about the everyday. It's a locket-sized portrait of a woman rebuilding her life after a divorce. I kept thinking that this was sort of a less exciting version of Rear Window. That isn't meant to be a bad thing, I just mean it as a factual statement. This isn't my first choice kind of book, but this is beautifully written and deals with mundanities in a charming way....more
I loved this book when I was a kid/teen and decided recently that I had a hankering to reread it. So I bought a copy on Amazon for under $1 and tore tI loved this book when I was a kid/teen and decided recently that I had a hankering to reread it. So I bought a copy on Amazon for under $1 and tore through it.
Not quite as charming as I remembered: very typical old-school YA fiction. Pretty strict gender roles, princess stuff, sparkly gowns, etc. It still had charm because I was so nostalgic for it but I think that was the best aspect of it. Quinn is a bit headstrong but not rebellious, and ultimately is a bit too timid for my liking now. (I was a lot more timid in my youth.) The villain has an undercurrent of rape-y vibe but doesn't actually do much other than threaten and posture. I think I like the story concept more than I like how it was executed. But I'll continue to read it again every so often, purely for the nostalgia factor....more
This series really hooked me with the midwifery theme. Her descriptions of midwifery and birth in the first book seemed so solid. And then this book hThis series really hooked me with the midwifery theme. Her descriptions of midwifery and birth in the first book seemed so solid. And then this book happened. Wherein the author uses the term "miscarriage" incorrectly because (I can only assume) she's afraid the word "abortion" will result in fewer copies sold. Additionally she perpetuates the myth that breastfeeding during pregnancy is dangerous (it is not, in the majority of cases).
But ok. If I force myself to look past the issues with birth portrayal, the plot itself is enjoyable. Mostly. Except it made me feel kind of icky: Gaia railing against the injustices of a matriarchal society (that admittedly had problems) while basically ignoring the creepy patriarchal bullshit that went on in the Enclave makes my stomach turn. Like, injustice when it's perpetuated by women is just so much worse? UGH. That sounds like one hell of a MRA argument, which is some bullshit.
I think this series is just not for me. Between the MRA-esque arguments and the inaccuracies surrounding the portrayal of birth, I was too mad to concentrate on the actual plot. Plus I'm just not a fan of the love triangle trend (or perhaps it's a love square in this case?). I won't be reading more of the series, though I'm glad I got to this one as it succeeded in making me love Gaia more (for the most part)....more
