Hands-down the most beautiful cover of any book in my apartment! It's stunning.
This was a compelling read, but there were a few things that just didn'Hands-down the most beautiful cover of any book in my apartment! It's stunning.
This was a compelling read, but there were a few things that just didn't work for me. I debated between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately had to round down. I really wish this would have been written for adults with adult characters and not as a YA (fun/adventurous YA I love - YA posing as "dramatic" lit just doesn't achieve the best of either world, so it's hard for me to rate books like this more than "good", or 3 stars - never "great").
1. I completely bought the fairy tale element of this story and, in fact, thought it was the best part of the book. The story of the Swan Sisters was inspired by familiar fairy tales, but stands alone as unique enough - and with a beautiful setting on the foggy Oregon coast - and haunting enough to provide the architecture for the plot. It was eerie and beautiful.
2. The twists were too predictable: 1) (view spoiler)[that Bo comes looking for his brother who was a victim of the Swan Sisters last year, and that is his secret (hide spoiler)]; 2) (view spoiler)[that Hazel Swan is occupying Penny's body (hide spoiler)] - what's less clear (until it's revealed) is when it happened and for how long she's been there; 3) (view spoiler)[that Hazel Swan (Penny) is the one who drowned Bo's brother and that their love is doomed (hide spoiler)]. I also didn't like these twists, and I wish the story had gone in another direction.
3. I get that this is a YA fairy tale, but it felt too juvenile to me. It would have been a much more compelling story if these people were in their 20s and their behavior was a little more significant (and varied) than getting drunk at summer solstice parties. Maybe then the insta-love would have felt like a deeper connection between two people and not just a crush that turned physical and within days was "true love" that (view spoiler)[caused Hazel to haunt Bo after her suicide (hide spoiler)]. This story was missing a lot of maturity - I feel like the author could have challenged herself more here and built a world which was more believable and therefore more emotionally affecting.
4. The characters were extremely one-dimensional, and in the case of Marguerite, unrealistic (I doubt in 1823 any woman would have spoken or behaved as she did in this book - come on), especially all of the secondary high school characters who behaved like extras in a 90s teen movie.
Once I realized exactly where this was going, right around the middle of the book, the author started to lose me, and from there it was downhill (although I did enjoy the last image of (view spoiler)[the ghost of Hazel brushing the back of Bo's neck (hide spoiler)]!)....more
I normally love this kind of storytelling - Jonathan Tropper-style, starring a hyper-intellectual, 40-something man just trying to get through the dayI normally love this kind of storytelling - Jonathan Tropper-style, starring a hyper-intellectual, 40-something man just trying to get through the day without screwing things up too badly because his stocks are starting to drop, with his boss, with his wife, with his kids, and he's bound to do something foolish to get them back up - but for some reason this was almost too sharp, too tongue-in-cheek, too verbose. Every sentence was like a fully-loaded baked potato. Jess Walter just crammed everything into them - numbered lists, parenthetic asides, jokes, ironic observations, and a ton of uncertainty and self-doubt. It was snazzy and dazzling, non-stop fireworks and endless jazz hands. But, to be honest, it was exhausting. I was impressed, but I was annoyed to be impressed, because the writing was really freaking good (and knew it), but just too in love with itself (and, knowing it, was kind of apologetic [but not really]). "I'm a genius, I'm going to show off like hell, love me anyway."
Somewhere around the middle he relaxed, but I was so worn out that the second half couldn't quite elevate this to four stars. The plot itself was absurd (with no endearing side characters to save it), and so the crumbs of sentiment that Walter tossed out at the end didn't quite ring true. A Jonathan Tropper book can make me tear up; there's something vulnerable at its core. I didn't connect with Walter's MC, Matt Prior, or his family or his situation; this book was too contrived to generate any real emotion. I think Walter's a fantastic writer, though, and I remember reading and enjoying Beautiful Ruins. I'll definitely read more of his books and hope to have a better connection with other characters....more
Wonderful prose. But that awful plot... just as painfully uncool as Vernon Halliday's newspaper cover of Judge.Wonderful prose. But that awful plot... just as painfully uncool as Vernon Halliday's newspaper cover of Judge....more
This is my first Joan Lowery Nixon book. I somehow missed reading her as a teen, though I read a lot of Lois Duncan, Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. This is my first Joan Lowery Nixon book. I somehow missed reading her as a teen, though I read a lot of Lois Duncan, Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. A decent 90s teen mystery driven by a funny mother-daughter combo thrust into the middle of the murder of a chocolate company heir....more
At 3.5 stars, "Otherwise Engaged" was very clever, cutting, and thought-provoking, but at no point did it ever hook me. Perhaps because it was told thAt 3.5 stars, "Otherwise Engaged" was very clever, cutting, and thought-provoking, but at no point did it ever hook me. Perhaps because it was told through short, keen observations and anecdotes, the story didn't contain so much plot as a collection of the narrator, Eve's, anxieties about marriage, which she sets about achieving with as much cunning and ruthlessness as a the Pequod chasing Moby Dick. She is determined, she is confused, yet she relentlessly pursues her goal even when it sickens her. She is thrilled for all of 2 seconds of the engagement before she sinks into a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, and listlessness.
It is modern life told in unerring prose, yet not the kind of story which reaches the sustained emotional depths that would have claimed 5 stars. Yet Finnamore is a skilled writer and some of the lines - as tragic or absurd as they were - made me snort and snicker. I'd definitely read her next book....more
This novel of sophistication, which values observation over action, must be read with absolute dedication and an unhurried unspooling of time. If I haThis novel of sophistication, which values observation over action, must be read with absolute dedication and an unhurried unspooling of time. If I had read this during a busy period, in fits and starts and bits and pieces, I doubt I would have finished it, let alone come to appreciate its merits. It's a novel of pleasure and must be read in a mood of pleasure.
While it does possess merits - many of them, not the least of which is beautiful writing and sophisticated turns of phrase - it was not an easy read for me. Throughout the novel, I found myself mystified as to how the book had earned so many 5-star reviews from so many reviewers. Even as I reached the end and examined other reviews, the mystery was never quite solved for me.
With his first book, Rules of Civility, looming large on my list of all-time favorites, lighting it up with the raucous and riotous spirit of New York in the 1930s, A Gentleman in Moscow was like stepping back into a simpler time. The reading experience was... mild, in comparison. Like slowly sipping a glass of aged and oaky wine after downing a bottle of champagne. And I have to say as a reader, and as far as reading experiences go... bring on the champagne. Because my favorite books are those in which I am frantic to find out what happens to my favorite characters, yet I take the time to reread my favorite scenes and exchanges of dialogue because I so want to savor the reading of this favorite tome for the first time, and extend it so that I can enjoy it for as long as possible before I arrive at the inevitable end and part from these characters (at least for the time being, until a chance at a reread, or the next book in the series). Because my favorite books have me shouting at the twists and cursing the characters' misguided mistakes and shoving copies of the book into the hands of everyone I know (and even sometimes strangers) saying, "Trust me - just read this".
And A Gentleman in Moscow did not give me the phenomenal and undeniable sensations that all of my favorite books do: Read this, read this, read this.
I get and appreciate that it's the work of a master. Without a doubt, Amor Towles is a master. But I loved Rules of Civility so much that this second work simply pales in comparison. I have to admit that for much of the book I was bored. That if I hadn't had days off and time to read, I probably wouldn't have finished this one. And that while the writing was divine, and the book was obviously plotted with care and lovingly crafted by its author, I am not a changed person for reading this one and it won't enter the annals of all-time favorites. Certainly not with Rules of Civility towering so high above it.
This was a disappointing read for me because it was so very similar to another of Elizabeth Chandler's books, I Do. There is a Pride & Prejudice vibe This was a disappointing read for me because it was so very similar to another of Elizabeth Chandler's books, I Do. There is a Pride & Prejudice vibe happening throughout the book (mixed in with a lot of sports and summer camp itinerary), which I enjoyed, but it really echoed too closely to I Do, which I read earlier this year. Even the one-on-one lacrosse challenge was nearly the exact same scene in both books.
While there were cute moments here, the story felt so rehashed that I have to give it the exact same rating as I Do, and nowhere near the 5-star rating of Hot Summer Nights, Chandler's other teen book in the Love Stories series, and a book that made me thrill, cry, laugh out loud, and clutch the book to my chest with joy at the ending. I never wanted that story to end. I'm still willing to read Chandler's other books to see if I'm ever again elevated to the same level of emotion I had while reading Hot Summer Nights, but I'm starting to think that's a unicorn in a field of lookalike ponies....more
3.5 stars I love this series, especially the Elizabeth Chandler books. She has a special way of involving family members in the love stories that feels3.5 stars I love this series, especially the Elizabeth Chandler books. She has a special way of involving family members in the love stories that feels complex and authentic. This one takes place over Christmas break and is a short and sweet (and very mid-90s) comedy of manners between three teenage sisters. Not as good as my all-time favorite of hers - Hot Summer Nights - but cute and solid, a refreshing blast from a not-too-distant past. The perfect book to read during a couple of hours on a Rosh Hashana holiday afternoon....more
This was nowhere near Elizabeth Chandler's other work in this series, Hot Summer Nights, which - in spite of its cheesy name - is a wonderf(3.5 stars)
This was nowhere near Elizabeth Chandler's other work in this series, Hot Summer Nights, which - in spite of its cheesy name - is a wonderfully and endearingly told coming-of-age novel, as much about the affections between two sisters as it is about a really winning first romance. I cried buckets and loved it - even when I reread it in my 30s.
Like Hot Summer Nights, this one gets off to a slow start. Chandler has a writing style that is really difficult to connect with upon first read - it doesn't flow for me from the first sentence, and not because it's clunky. It's like switching your brain to enter a world with a slightly different beat or color scheme, and - once you're immersed - she's got you hook, line and sinker.
This was cute, dealing again as in Chandler's books with serious issues aimed at teens (in this case, abandonment, falling on relatives in hard times, career ambitions, love vs money), but also portrays teens (seniors in high school) as young adults who like to shoot hoops in their driveway, but also think about the future and work hard to achieve their dreams.
I loved that this was about sports (lacrosse) and of course the relationship between Jane and Adam. This was very much a case of Pride & Prejudice! Or 10 Things I Hate About You or Much Ado About Nothing. It had Shakespearean overtures. It was cute, funny and very charming... but simply pales in comparison to Hot Summer Nights!...more
This one's all about Stevie, and just like the other books focused on Stevie, it's full of schemes, fun and adventure. WheThe One with the Maple Sugar
This one's all about Stevie, and just like the other books focused on Stevie, it's full of schemes, fun and adventure. When Stevie is invited by her friend Dinah (is there anyone in the world who's really named Dinah?) to participate in a "sugaring off" in Vermont, she leaps at the chance to learn a new skill on horseback. Of course trouble ensues, with some stunt rescue moves on an illicit trail ride (natch, Bryant uses this plotline quite a bit). This one is a fun change of scenery....more
Again, the girls are separated over Winter Break and are each dealing with their own projects. Stevie's involvThe One Where Lisa Goes to the Caribbean
Again, the girls are separated over Winter Break and are each dealing with their own projects. Stevie's involves way too much shopping, something I don't mind in movies, but can't stand to read about.
Well-written, as always, and it definitely moves the overall plot forward, but not my favorite Saddle Club book....more
I liked the first book - City of Dark Magic - much better. While this is still a fantastically written book, with core characters I really li3.5 stars
I liked the first book - City of Dark Magic - much better. While this is still a fantastically written book, with core characters I really like, I found it to be disjointed and confusing. All of the new Austrian characters - Gottfried, Gerhard - weren't around long enough to influence the story, and their roles and identities were confusing because their characters had a specific yet minor role in the plot itself. In general I didn't really like the Vienna storyline, and found this plotline to be less entertaining than in the first book.
But - don't get me wrong. I still love "Magnus Flyte" and the kooky, historical, Europe- and century-jumping plotline, characters and alchemical mysteries. I would read a next installment (if any), but the first book was much stronger....more
So I jumped on the ACOTAR bandwagon to see what the hype was all about.
And you know what? It was worth about 3 stars.
FoA Court of Thorns and Roses #A
So I jumped on the ACOTAR bandwagon to see what the hype was all about.
And you know what? It was worth about 3 stars.
For the first 150 pages of this book, I was very disenchanted. It's nothing to do with Sarah J. Maas's writing, but more with certain holes in the story mainly to do with why Feyre would be breaking her neck to try to get back to her family to warn them about some possible, intangible threat to which she couldn't provide even one concrete detail? She had been providing for this family - single-handedly - for years. She had been dreaming of offloading each sister onto an unsuspecting husband and basically living in a silent detente with her father for the rest of her life. So when she has the opportunity to lay down the bow and pick up her paints it doesn't make sense that she relentlessly plots her escape back into the arms of her hateful family.
The second half of the book was more interesting, enough that I'll probably buy the sequel, but I just didn't like Feyre enough to really root for her besides the basic fact that she is pretty much both Faerie and mortal species' only hope and you have no choice but to root for her. (Same feeling that Kelsea from The Queen of the Tearling gave me.)
I hate Tamlin's name. Hate it.
And as for this being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, yes, it was, with a very liberal dose of Twilight DNA spliced into the story, (view spoiler)[particularly when the High Lords turn Feyre into a High Fae - I mean, come on, that was Bella becoming a vampire all over again (hide spoiler)].
In short, not a lot to love, but a decent enough hook that I'll continue the story and maybe reverse my opinion on Book 1 eventually. I grew to absolutely love Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series and I'd love to be proven wrong here....more
This cover! The days of the 80s and 90s with their bespoke painted covers in neon colors. This one comes straight from the golden year of 1991.
NonethThis cover! The days of the 80s and 90s with their bespoke painted covers in neon colors. This one comes straight from the golden year of 1991.
Nonetheless this cover is completely misleading. Yes, there are two cemetery scenes in this novel, but most of the action takes place in the coral reefs of Hawaii as Jean, Mandy and Michele learn to SCUBA... and uncover sordid truths hidden beneath the beautiful Pacific.
It did have some paranormal elements (that's fine, I can suspend belief), and the story was on a concise and solid track from start to finish without diverging on strange tangents or false trails, but overall it was a "just OK" mystery, a little less gory than Pike's other novels....more
Clever and well-plotted. I really liked the concept of the Thunderhead, but... why, in all of its wisdom, would it leave population control to the ScyClever and well-plotted. I really liked the concept of the Thunderhead, but... why, in all of its wisdom, would it leave population control to the Scythes? Why wouldn't every person at age 300 be gleaned? This premise was never really resolved for me and bothered me throughout the book....more
1. The romance was really lackluster. Who goes all the way Quite a disappointment after the amazing The Bookshop on the Corner, a 5-star read for me.
1. The romance was really lackluster. Who goes all the way to Scotland to fall in love with an American?? Not to mention that literally nothing happened between them... Bummer. 2. The Summer Seaside Kitchen itself does not make an appearance until about page 250. And I didn't even quite really understand why it had to be there... 3. Food is much less appealing to me than books! 4. The editing felt sloppy. There were some parts where a bit of dialogue did not match the paragraph which followed, as though a chunk had been cut and then hastily (and nonsensically) patched. This happened in a few places and was jarring. I don't think it was just a case of British-isms and my American brain not getting the language... it was just a sloppy cut-and-paste job.
Here's hoping the next Jenny Colgan I read will send me into the same ecstasies of joy that Bookshop did, and not the lackluster, too-long, circuitous maze that this novel was....more
When I need a palate cleanser between heavier books, books from my youth are the perfect recipe: two parts nostalgia, one part mystery, one part 90s, When I need a palate cleanser between heavier books, books from my youth are the perfect recipe: two parts nostalgia, one part mystery, one part 90s, and a hefty sprinkling of classic 90s goons, high school mean girls, tempting men, and delinquent parents.
The Immortal is no exception. Christopher Pike never fails to spin a clever tale, and this one seems to bridge his earlier stories of twisted teens with horrible tendencies to harm and murder (my favorite of his books) and his later stories which are more expansive, experimental, and mind-bending. The Immortal has the perfect mixture of both. The two main characters, Josie and Helen, are typical eighteen-year-olds: selfish, melodramatic, boy crazy, and out of control. Yet their story intertwines with Greek mythology as they vacation on Mykonos in a way which requires a pretty significant suspension of belief. Fortunately I have no qualms as a reader with traveling beyond the boundaries of reality. Why does every plot point need to make perfect sense?
While this is better than The Midnight Club and stranger sci-fi like The Tachyon Web and The Star Group, it doesn't hold a candle to my all-time favorites like Chain Letter and Last Act. This is my first time reading The Immortal and as a teen I might have loved it more....more
I never got around to this Christopher Pike book in the 90s, and I have to say it's a weird one. It's part of his later phase of writing, very scienceI never got around to this Christopher Pike book in the 90s, and I have to say it's a weird one. It's part of his later phase of writing, very science-based, very space-obsessed, and bears little resemblance to his earlier classics like Chain Letter and Slumber Party. The fact that the protagonist is a teenage girl seems almost incidental - the concepts in this book are pretty advanced and very adult. Overall, Pike is heavy on the science and light on the horror. While I thought the concept was interesting (and clearly inspired by The Terminator), it was just a little too odd to work for me.
Love that it circulates around a VCR (purchased at Circuit City for $300, natch) gone rogue, though. ...more
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