What I enjoyed the most was pretty much Lena’s backstory, which had been scattered flashback-like throughout the rest of the book. Midway through, I sWhat I enjoyed the most was pretty much Lena’s backstory, which had been scattered flashback-like throughout the rest of the book. Midway through, I starting skipping the main plot just to keep reading the flashbacks. Three stars....more
Historical romance riff on the Cinderella fairy tale. I particularly liked the secondary couple's pregnancy and 'we need to get permission to marry --Historical romance riff on the Cinderella fairy tale. I particularly liked the secondary couple's pregnancy and 'we need to get permission to marry -- right now' angst. Cute. If I can find some more of these at the library, I'll read them right up....more
Very cute regency novella set at the point of the Victorian divorce laws of 1853. Extra star added to rating in favor of the heroine have been introduVery cute regency novella set at the point of the Victorian divorce laws of 1853. Extra star added to rating in favor of the heroine have been introduced in the act of smuggling her father's body in order to conceal his ruinous suicide. As is par for Milan's work, the plot is intelligent and notably well done. Excellent as a library read....more
Readable but ridiculous. I couldn't help but be taken aback by the introduction of the heroine, the virgin spinster fashion designer raised with stricReadable but ridiculous. I couldn't help but be taken aback by the introduction of the heroine, the virgin spinster fashion designer raised with strict morals by sheltering yet loving missionary parents and whose quirky, sexy designs are only sold by exclusive boutiques and have gathered enough success that she owns a second cottage in Jamaica wherein to rest and renew her artistic sensibilities when she's not living with her parents in their shared Miami home. All right, then; it's one of the those sorts of books. Enter the disturbingly attractive neighbor (half Indian, half white oil baron from the next-door villa -- this book was originally published in 1987 but it feels even more old school than that) and brace yourself, because the fluff is just getting started.
It has all the all the literary merit of a bag of potato chips, but there are worse ways to kill a couple hours.
One and a half stars. Best for persons who enjoyed the 80s, or at least can look back on their fashions and particular word choices with nostalgia.
Sadly, I wasn't charmed by this one. I was particularly disappointed to find that the striking title and cover illustration had practically no relatioSadly, I wasn't charmed by this one. I was particularly disappointed to find that the striking title and cover illustration had practically no relationship to the contents of the book -- there were no poems to explore the theme of Einstein or of cats; the interior illustrations were single-color sketches. I did enjoy the author's notes placed just after each poem, but the poems themselves felt off to me. And I'm very uncertain as to how the intended post-literate child audience is going to relate to types of lettuce and plays on Usain Bolt's name.
My biggest problem with this book is that I'm not in love with it. In fact, I've yet to fall in love with any Valente's books and I've read a couple aMy biggest problem with this book is that I'm not in love with it. In fact, I've yet to fall in love with any Valente's books and I've read a couple and tried several more. I've enjoyed the ones I've read. I didn't close the DNFs out of any sense of dislike, more with an air of 'I'm gonna get back into this later when I'm more in the mood.' Valente is an extraordinarily imaginative author capable of truly breathtaking prose, and even more than that she writes exactly along the genres closest to my taste. By all rights, I should adore her. I don't.
Six-Gun Snow White started brilliantly for me. I loved the historic western setting and the Native American elements, how the Snow White tale was adapted to this setting and how it fit in that setting so well. But my fascination fell apart in the last third of book. The Deer Boy element, Snow White's brother that she barely kind of maybe met, seemed rough and without much purpose. For all that Snow White was half Crow, she was raised without any influence of Native American culture and seemed to exist in a world solely populated by white people, which seemed like a big wasted opportunity to me. Coyote had been touted on the back-flap; he never appeared. The sudden appearance of the taxidermied horse and such details at the very end seemed nice touches as far as details go, but also seemed invented on the spot, grounded neither into the given narrative or traditional story elements.
I still like Yolen's "Snow in Summer" best.
Recommended reading to any fan of fairy-tale retellings or even of westerns, but not likely to be a story I'll reread. Between three and four stars. I'm actually leaning more towards three.
I agree with another reviewer: these poems are definitely goofy. Best recommended for very young children who seem predisposed to such goofiness, and I agree with another reviewer: these poems are definitely goofy. Best recommended for very young children who seem predisposed to such goofiness, and for parents to read aloud rather than for the child to read themselves.
Straightforward, introductory text. I know practically nothing of ninjas, and so the information was all new to me and uniformly fascinating. I preferStraightforward, introductory text. I know practically nothing of ninjas, and so the information was all new to me and uniformly fascinating. I preferred the history of the ninja clans over the strength exercises (which I didn't try to do) and weapons techniques. It would have been happier if there had been more extensive reference list (citations in this were completely lacking) as well as some recommended titles for further reading, but as it was this seemed like an easily accessible work for persons casually interested in the subject material. I could see it being particularly helpful as a preliminary resource for writers.
However, I'm knocking a star off my rating due to the stated list price of this book -- Amazon prices it at about $6, currently on sale for $4. This book is 28 pages long, or 22 pages if you don't count the title page, author bio, contents, etc. That's not a six-dollar book. That's a 99-cent short story.
Favorite typo, from the copyright notice:
"No part of this book may me reproduced" [p. 4, ISBN unknown]
Excellent debut, but flawed. I absolutely loved the setting of this, and the mythology and ghost culture was fascinating to me. Slightly less fascinatExcellent debut, but flawed. I absolutely loved the setting of this, and the mythology and ghost culture was fascinating to me. Slightly less fascinating to me was the heroine – I really liked how she started off, even in the first-person narrative which is generally not my style, but she later stalled for me while navigating scenes with her various potential husbands, floundered about solving mysteries, and never really regained steam. I ended up liking the idea of the novel better than execution.
Three and a half stars. I’d definitely read more of Choo’s works, and it seems like she’s setting Li Lan up for continuing novels... which I may or may not read.
I was predisposed to be charmed by these stories. Look at the cover artwork with the tiny princess having tea with the dragon! Look at all the story tI was predisposed to be charmed by these stories. Look at the cover artwork with the tiny princess having tea with the dragon! Look at all the story titles about grumpy dragons and precious things! The stories themselves feel traditional and modern all at the same time, and Price's hand on the writing is sure and smooth and fun.
Five-year-old me would have demanded this book be read to her every night at bedtime.
Ten-year-old me would have pulled this out concurrently with volumes of Brothers Grimm and other folklores and sincerely try to read all of them at the same time.
Seventeen-year-old me would have stumbled upon this while reorganizing her bookshelves with a Huh, I remember this. and spent the next 30 minutes rereading it without a trace of shame.
Sadly, disappointing. The heroine read like a Mary Sue caricature and there was never a shred of explanation as to why the hero was so taken with her.Sadly, disappointing. The heroine read like a Mary Sue caricature and there was never a shred of explanation as to why the hero was so taken with her. The horror aspects began and ended with the demon hero character; I never found any part of the novel chilling,* or even mildly thrilling, although one or two parts of it were rather gory.
* Unless you count the speed at which the characters' relationship progressed.
I had quite high hopes for this one -- Rich Hautala is a new author to me but has a solid bibliography and reputation in horror and speculative fiction. And it's worth pointing out that The Demon's Wife is a posthumous publication. For all I know, Hautala had this book finalized and completely edited well before his untimely passing, but I suspect that was not the case here and I'm rather regretful I didn't start reading him with any other of his published works instead.
Best recommended for the horror-fond YA crowd. DNF at the 50% mark. Two stars.
I very much enjoy fairy tales and retellings and I'm fairly well-read in them, but despite George MacDonald being one of the classic names in that genI very much enjoy fairy tales and retellings and I'm fairly well-read in them, but despite George MacDonald being one of the classic names in that genre, I'd never read anything by him. His writings are openly acknowledged as having influenced the work of many authors I admire — C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Madeline L'Engle, G.K. Chesterston, Mark Twain, et al. — so when I realized that Project Gutenberg has several of his out-of-copyright publications up for free access, I downloaded them once and prepped my ereader for some serious reading.
Unfortunately, all in all, I really would have rather left MacDonald entirely unread. He seems to be an author far too fond of his own voice. I found his fairy stories to be ponderous moral tales, which I'm sure are fine if you like that sort of stuff: I don't. The gender and race relations made me cringe, and the introduction of Chinese buffoon characters 'Hum-Drum' and 'Kopy-Keck' nearly made me stop reading then and there. In the entirely of "The Light Princess," I found one single passage I enjoyed:
The forests are very useful in delivering princes from their courtiers, like a sieve that keeps back the bran. Then the princes get away to follow their fortunes. In this they have the advantage of the princesses, who are forced to marry before they have a bit of fun. I wish our princesses got lost in a forest sometimes. [p. 15-16]
The character names in "The Giant's Heart" stopped me dead as well: 'Tricksy-Wee' and 'Buffy-Bob,' seriously? "The Golden Key" was better, but I didn't like the creepy, directly stated plot point that eating sentient fish was perfectly okay because the fish turn into angels afterward.
I can't speak for MacDonald's other publications, but The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories was to me an example of Victorian literature at its worst. I need to go off and reread Wee Free Men as a palate clenser. Two stars.
Quote pulled from unknown edition. Three stories made up this edition: "The Light Princess," "The Giant's Heart", and "The Golden Key."
Radford is a capable writer. Her stories are imaginative and well crafted. And I genuinely don’t like any of them. I read about five of the stories inRadford is a capable writer. Her stories are imaginative and well crafted. And I genuinely don’t like any of them. I read about five of the stories in this collection, and maybe two others from a previous anthology, and I actively disliked each one. The stories she tells just aren’t ones I want to hear. INYIM. YMMV. DNF. Two stars....more
**spoiler alert** Terrible. And horribly, horribly dated. I picked this up after spotting a positive review online that mentioned the novel’s equestri**spoiler alert** Terrible. And horribly, horribly dated. I picked this up after spotting a positive review online that mentioned the novel’s equestrian plotline. Equestrian plotlines being not so thick on the ground that I can chance to pass one up, I checked it out from the library with thoughts of horses! eventing! Olympics! running happily through my head.
It lost my interest by p. 17, or 10 pages into Chapter 1, which coincidentally is when the hero met the heroine. Those 10 pages establish the heroine as a dedicated professional gearing up for competition. Those 7 preceding pages establish the heroine’s father as a high-ranking anti-terrorist strategist who has set his most trusted agent to lead a protection team to keep the Games secure from an imminent terrorist attack. Yet somehow this crack strategist failed to provide the agent with an accurate photo ID of his daughter, leading to the introductory scene where he tackles the heroine face-down in the desert, convinced that she is planting bombs while she’s scoping out an early look at the eventing grounds. The heroine, whose crack strategist father never bothered to inform her of this security detail, reacts to this introduction not by screaming or fighting back with all her strength gained from years of controlling 1200 lb beasts in competitive riding, like a sane woman would, but by reflecting on how warm and juicy she feels being laid upon by a stranger who's just attacked her. The hero, who is going by a different name than the one by which he was introduced in preface, frisks, interrogates, engages in meaningful conversation, and kisses away her tears in the next 11 pages, while keeping her pinned to the dirt. And on that 11th page, the heroine apologizes for being such a weak child.
This is not how you introduce a hero. This is how you introduce a villain planning a Stockholm abduction.
The heroine doesn’t get to sit up until the 12th page, then spends the next 3 pages brushing her hair, then several pages after that having her bloody friction abrasion tended. Standing upright doesn’t get to happen until p. 37, and that’s the point where I began skipping through this book in 50-page chunks.
I still got to read such gems as the hero being better at handling the heroine’s wondrous, man-hating horse than the heroine herself is; the heroine taking until p. 172 to realize her involvement in professional sports could be used as a way to draw her father into the open for an assassination; the heroine failing to shed her childhood nickname of ‘Baby;’ the hero riding the Olympic-caliber stallion bareback with lasso in a fight for dominance that involves the hero being described as a ‘shaman’ and a ‘cougar;’ the heroine’s riding team taking the gold metal (apparently she wasn’t attempting any individual medals); the hero’s apparent death and re-entry upon a black helicopter; and the heroine deciding to retire and raise foals and babies.
Recommended instead: any Anne Stuart book, if you want to read about black-ops agents falling ill-timed into love, or Ride a Storm, if you want to read an equestrian-themed romance with believable and actually likeable characters. But for the love of god, pass on this one. One star.
Oh, ha ha, this was excellent. The stories are brilliantly creative along the one solid theme, and I really like the illustrations that accompanied evOh, ha ha, this was excellent. The stories are brilliantly creative along the one solid theme, and I really like the illustrations that accompanied every story. (I’d say I was charmed by the surprise of finding them here – I hadn’t realized there were to be illustrations at all – but ‘charmed’ isn’t a word that gracefully accompanies an anthology of this theme.) I finished it practically in one sitting. Five stars.
I’ve followed Wheaton’s blog off and on for years, certainly long enough to know he is both a geek and a cool guy. I enjoyed reading his biography. BuI’ve followed Wheaton’s blog off and on for years, certainly long enough to know he is both a geek and a cool guy. I enjoyed reading his biography. But I have to admit, it left me a little wanting.
Textually, I rather wish Wheaton had gone into more detail regarding his family. I liked reading about his wife and children – his wife in particular sounds like an awesome person – but there’s little background information given on their relationships. I would have liked to have learned about their courtship, about how Wheaton moved passed being the guy dating his kids’ mother to becoming their father, about the wife’s evil ex, who was mentioned repeatedly, but those stories were never told. Wheaton talked at length about his experience with Star Trek, which I found fascinating, and about his work to be an active actor, which I found somewhat less so. Part of my disappointment is probably a factor in timing – this was published in 2004, and I think I started reading Wheaton’s blog somewhat later than that. His writing here isn’t always as polished as I’m used to reading, particularly in the excerpts from his very early blog entries, which were terrible. And I guess Galaxy Quest film came out sometime after 2004?† That would have been great to read about and would have really fit well with the themes of this memoir. And it felt really odd to hear Wheaton enthuse about the Nemesis film: He talks it up so much here, but I’m pretty sure I remember that film being universally panned.
† Nope, that film came out in 1999. Huh.
Formatively, I had issues with the ecopy I read. There are mentions in text of artwork by John Kovalic, but no artwork was in the version I read. Apparently there was another edition I could have bought instead? So glad I learn that at this late in the game. And my Sony Reader had a terrible time reading this – there was tremendous lag turning pages at times and twice the pages refused to turn at all; I had to pull up the page-count bar and key in the next sequential page because tapping the Next button or swiping the screen did nothing. I have not ever seen that error before (or since, as I’m about five books beyond reading this now).
On the pro side, I had been delighted to find this had an introduction by Neil Gaiman. What an unexpected pleasure!
Too didactic for my taste. The narration was heavy towards dialogue, and most of those dialogues were endless circles of questions and answers that seToo didactic for my taste. The narration was heavy towards dialogue, and most of those dialogues were endless circles of questions and answers that seemed shoehorned to occur almost hourly within the plot. While I found the characters interesting (particularly the artist character, Kim), the entire book covered a period of only two or three days and made the plot feel crammed and stagnant. And the longer I read, the less I appreciated the characters' habits of thinking in terms of taste and smell. It started as a unique method to explain abstract art, but that's not a method I'm naturally drawn to and it grated on my reading experience.
This series seems best suited for YA readers. Two stars for me....more
**spoiler alert** I agree with another reviewer's assessment that The Six-Gun Tarot is Christian Fantasy in disguise. I'm quite irked with myself for **spoiler alert** I agree with another reviewer's assessment that The Six-Gun Tarot is Christian Fantasy in disguise. I'm quite irked with myself for picking it up; Christian fiction is a genre I find distasteful, and I would not have read this book if I realized in what genre it belonged.
But sadly, pick it up I did, and it was unreadable to me. The fifteen-year-old opening protagonist speaks in a western vernacular I found cliched. For all that words like 'humdinger' may well be historically accurate, they read to me as cheesey and jarred me completely out of the story whenever they appeared. Jim's introduced in the act of fleeing a multiple murder charge, but the novel doesn't properly disclose that until practically the end and even there it's still very vague -- he may or may not have killed his sister, along with a couple other more deserving victims. No one knows. Jim certainly doesn't. I would have liked Jim better if I had been given the understanding of what drives him earlier, but as it was my opening impression of him was of a child testing out bravado in a prepubescent voice, and I could not take him seriously.
Other protagonists I found less irritating, but none of them engaged me to a serious extent. The subplot of Gerta's heartbroken, mourning husband preserving his deceased wife's undead head in a jar, so that he could continue to talk to her, was to me the most interesting part of the whole book, but the ending soured it for me. After the entire book built to Gerta's husband gathering the strength to leave his wife to rest in peace, two pages after they say their goodbyes another character preps detailed plans to build Gerta a new body to house her rotting head? What is the point of that pacing? What's the point of those actions with that pacing? Wouldn't it have been more more dramatic narratively to wait until the sequel and unveil still-undead Gerta there, rather than two pages after closure?
Best recommended for fans of Orson Scott Card's series, The Tales of Alvin the Maker (it has a similar flavor), or to young adult fans of horror like Darren Shan's novels before they've graduated to Stephen King.
Not recommended, at all, for fans of Gemma Files' Hexslinger series. Whoaaa, no. Go get your supernatural western fix satisfied somewhere else.
I have a great interest in nature, a milder one for Alaska, and a passing interest in photography and true crime — in short, every aspect advertised aI have a great interest in nature, a milder one for Alaska, and a passing interest in photography and true crime — in short, every aspect advertised as of this memoir. Sadly, I could never engage with it. Schooler came off to me as a man full of hippy-dippy sensibilities. He's clearly trying to tell of experiences that had caused him great emotion, but it all felt forced. Described interactions between the author and his deceased friend felt overly dramatic and, frankly, poorly written and especially poorly paced. The trauma of the deceased lover, noted so predominately the memoir's blurbs, occupied all of two or three pages of memoir, and felt completely disjointed from the rest of the story. Honestly, not even the nature descriptions could persuade me to finish this.
DNF. Two stars. Not particularly recommended. I have no desire to try reading anything else by this author.
This book lost me in the first two pages, when characters were introduced that were identified primarily by smell — hyacinth, oranges, new-mown hay — This book lost me in the first two pages, when characters were introduced that were identified primarily by smell — hyacinth, oranges, new-mown hay — and labeled in text by the same identifying words: 'He smiled at Oranges.' I couldn't stand it. If a character walks into a room and is immediately overcome by the scent of hyacinth wafting from the guy standing in the far corner, I picture a scene where everybody ought to fall down gagging at the perfume bomb that has clearly just gone off. I don't picture a subtle introduction to the otherness of special elf senses which is, just as clearly, what the author had been going for.
I might accept a set-up like this if the point-of-view character was a shapeshifter (or a non-humanoid alien), where special senses could be a logical extension of the character's inhumanity — He's a werewolf; it follows that he has a wolf-sharp nose — but elves are not classically known for their sense of smell. As a general requirement, the author would have to do a lot of heavy lifting, background-wise, to explain to me this special sense (or perhaps more to a point, explain why this individual is strongly exuding an odor), but this is never done. The detail is handwaved. The heroine enjoys that the hero smells of vanilla, and that's about the limit to the importance of this detail.
I did read on past those two pages, but I skimmed large chunks. This is Malan's first published novel; it really showed the lack of polish from an experienced author. It felt very much like a freshman effort, where a writer is just learning how to expand an idea into a full novel. The novel's there; the writer succeeded, but only by adding in every school-taught writerly trick regardless of how it fit in the story. It's sad in that The Mirror Prince has a lot going for it. The mix of races fascinated me, and I genuinely enjoyed the focused attention on female characters, but Malan added so many flourished details that there didn't seem to be room to develop the parts that tugged on my interest. It was an ambitious novel where a more restricted story might have flowed a bit better.
Two stars. It wasn't terrible, but I'd recommend it only to passionate fans of Malan who wish to read every word she's written.
