Neat anthology! This collection gets an A+ for diversity. It's definitely a comprehensive volume of spooky tales from all around the world. Some of theNeat anthology! This collection gets an A+ for diversity. It's definitely a comprehensive volume of spooky tales from all around the world. Some of the illustrations really do capture the mood quite well... [image]
...but some seem whimsical rather than spooky. [image]
All in all, it would be a great addition to any home or classroom library. Four stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on September 3rd....more
My First Atlas of the 50 States broke my brain a bit. Crowded and confusing are the first two words that come to mind.
Ok, I know I caMy head hurts...
My First Atlas of the 50 States broke my brain a bit. Crowded and confusing are the first two words that come to mind.
Ok, I know I can be a bit geographically challenged/unobservant sometimes...but since when did we move the Statue of Liberty inland and relocate our nation's capital to southern Pennsylvania?? [image]
We've got some other geographical head scratchers here, too. It might be convenient to rotate the states all willy-nilly for layout purposes, but this is a book for children. Let's keep north at the top of the page, shall we? [image]
The states are littered with itty bitty clip art icons. Thankfully, they're labeled, as I would've been stumped trying to identify some of the things plunked on top of even my home state. Like what is this supposed to be? [image] (Silly me--apparently, the correct answer is...Putnam Memorial State Park?)
On top of that, the clip art seemed to be chosen and placed pretty haphazardly. I didn't see much rhyme or reason to any of it.
Then there's the writing. The descriptions are painfully dry, and some of the sentence structure is rough, to put it nicely.
What does this have going for it? The tiny photographs plunked on each page are actually vibrant and interesting. Dump the clip art and clunky layouts, and make a book that uses those instead!
1.5 stars. I'd skip this one and choose another resource to help kids learn about the 50 states.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on September 17th....more
Great little bio! What a great introduction to Frida Kahlo! Even though this short biography is written for children, it kept my attention as an adultGreat little bio! What a great introduction to Frida Kahlo! Even though this short biography is written for children, it kept my attention as an adult reader, and I learned things about the artist along the way.
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The illustrations are bright and eye catching, and they transported me right into Frida's world. I love that pieces of her artwork are included on each page, and we learn more about each painting at the end of the narrative. This book definitely did its job!
If I had to quibble with anything, I'd say that in places in the illustrations, the perspective looks a little wonky. I did notice one minor layout issue that made it difficult to determine which one of three chunks of text should be read first.
Four stars. I'd love to see more titles added to this series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on September 3rd....more
I was all on board with this charming little introduction to van Gogh's life and work. His story is told clearly and simply, and young readers are No.
I was all on board with this charming little introduction to van Gogh's life and work. His story is told clearly and simply, and young readers are introduced to his most famous works of art. [image]
Then I got to the last illustration. Seems to me that the text and the illustration are romanticizing his death by suicide! [image] Sorry, but no. Hell no. I understand that the ending needs to be PG for young readers, but this telling completely misses the mark.
2 stars. Fixing that one part would be fairly simple, so I hope there are adjustments made, but I can't recommend this version.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on September 3rd....more
Mythologica's illustrations are bold, striking, and imaginative. These renderings of the Greek gods and goddesses eI'd buy it as a coffee table book.
Mythologica's illustrations are bold, striking, and imaginative. These renderings of the Greek gods and goddesses encouraged me to question the stereotypical images of these figures that have formed in my head over time.
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On the other hand, the text and layout both need some tweaking. The text is broken into different unrelated blocks. The intended audience is children, and it would be much easier for them to read one continuous narrative.
Some pages are quite crowded with objects and text. The crowding limits the space available for text, so some of it is written in a thin, tiny font that is *really* difficult to read. I'd suggest removing some of the secondary objects and cutting the amount of text so that it can be laid out in a way that is much more readable.
I'd also cut down on the number of fonts used--the numerous changes in typeface make my eye jump around the page, and I'd imagine that a child would have the same problem.
Amazon has Mythologica listed for 7-10 year olds, and to me, that range seems way off. The vocabulary is going to be over the heads of most younger readers. (For example, I'm not sure many parents/teachers are going to want to explain to 7 year olds what an "illegitimate child" is!) I'd say ages 10+ is probably closer to accurate.
3.5 stars rounded up--I'd buy Mythologica for the artwork, but I'd probably turn to another source to help a tween gather information about Greek mythology.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wide Eyed Editions for my DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on September 3rd....more
Hey, now I "get" Watergate... [image] While it's billed as middle grades, Bringing Down A President: the Watergate Scandal is a great overview of WaterHey, now I "get" Watergate... [image] While it's billed as middle grades, Bringing Down A President: the Watergate Scandal is a great overview of Watergate for adults who never quite got the full story. I'm not old enough to have lived through Watergate, and just about every US history class I've ever taken has covered 1946 to about 1990 in about three sentences.
"So, we won World War II, but then we got into a Cold War with the Commies, and both sides made a metric shit-ton of weapons. Then the Soviet Union broke up, and we won. 'Murica!"
Thanks to the authors for clearing up a murky spot in my historical education.
As an adult reader, a few things didn't quite hit the mark for me. [image] The "Fly on the Wall" labels weren't really needed--without those markings, it still would have been clear when the text was quoting historical figures.
Some of the pictures tried to be humorous, but they weren't too helpful in understanding what happened. In the line drawings, it was hard to tell apart many of the characters. I agree with the reviewers who said that photos would have been a better choice.
I think middle grades readers will enjoy the book a bit less than adults. They might pick it up to complete required research, but it probably wouldn't hold their interest as a voluntary read. Middle grades readers might be annoyed by sections explaining very simple concepts. At the same time, they might also be irritated that some key concepts are not explained.
3.5 stars rounded up--3 stars for middle grades readers, but 4 for adults who want a primer on the subject.
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for giving me a DRC of this book....more
Oof. Okay, I'm totally in the minority here, but I stumbled across the finish line of The Escape Room. (Barely.) [image]
I enjoyed the setup in the firstOof. Okay, I'm totally in the minority here, but I stumbled across the finish line of The Escape Room. (Barely.) [image]
I enjoyed the setup in the first few chapters, but then the long and overly detailed descriptions of characters grated on me. (Of course, it didn't help that the characters were all totally and completely unlikable.) The pages dragged on, so I kept putting this novel down. [image] I tried coming back to it, thinking that maybe I just needed to be in the right mood for it. Unfortunately, I had no luck--for me, things were moving slower than when you have to try to get Heinz ketchup out of one of those old-school glass bottles. [image]
At about the 60% mark, things finally started to pick up for me. The descriptions finally were left behind, and we thankfully got to some more action. But...if I could give it a negative rating for its believability factor, I would. [image]
Like others have said, I guess you have to be in the right mindset for The Escape Room. I tried for about a week, but I just wasn't. Maybe this was just a case of bad timing, but I'd only give this half credit--2.5 out of 5.
Thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin's for giving me a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on July 30th....more
How did I miss the nerd alert for this one? [image]
I don't know how I ever got this far without reading Ready Player One, listening to it, or even watcHow did I miss the nerd alert for this one? [image]
I don't know how I ever got this far without reading Ready Player One, listening to it, or even watching the movie. It's such a fun tribute to nerdery in the the 80s!
I'd recommend listening over reading--Wil Wheaton's narration really made the characters come alive.
At times, some of the references seemed like they were there just for the sake of including them, not to advance the plot. The writing also includes one of my pet peeves, using phrases like "in color" or "in shape." (Do we really need reminders that yellow is a color or that a square is a shape??)
Anyways, none of those picky things got in the way of my enjoyment of this epic. Now on to the movie!...more
Don't judge a book by its cover [image] ...or its title or blurb. Thanks to the other Goodreads reviewers who alerted me to the fa8/6/19--Now available!
Don't judge a book by its cover [image] ...or its title or blurb. Thanks to the other Goodreads reviewers who alerted me to the fact that this book isn't what it appears to be. If I didn't have any reviews to go on, I would have thought The Perfect Wife was "women's fiction" with some mystery/suspense thrown in. It's much more like speculative fiction or sci-fi than what it's advertised to be.
The cover--This image looks far too clean and perfect for a book that's ominous. [image] Maybe a better choice would be a close up on Abbie the AI "cobot" peeling off her manufactured skin?
The title--Despite what "The Perfect Wife" brings to mind, this is no Lifetime or Hallmark movie. I don't have a better suggestion at the moment, but if I do, I'll update my review.
The blurb--As of July 12, 2019, the blurb doesn't mention that Abbie is brought back as an empathetic AI robot. This is not a spoiler, as it's explained in the first few pages of the book. Including this very relevant detail would help give readers a much better idea of what to expect.
If other readers hadn't clued me in to what The Perfect Wife actually is, I honestly doubt I would have picked it up. I'm glad they did, though! It's a fun, unique read, and its short chapters make it easy to read in pieces. I don't want to give away too much about the plot, but there are a few holes. Nevertheless, it's an entertaining read.
Four stars--I hope the publishers fix the way this book is being marketed before publication so that more readers will give it a chance!
Thanks to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for giving me a DRC of this book....more
A quick hate-read Surprisingly, I think I blew through this book so quickly because of how much I hated the main character's father, Cougar. I kept reaA quick hate-read Surprisingly, I think I blew through this book so quickly because of how much I hated the main character's father, Cougar. I kept reading in hopes that the asshat would be eaten by wild hyenas, kind of like that scene in the animated Lion King or something. [image] (I know hyenas don't live in the rainforest, where this book takes place, but that would be the only appropriate end for Cougar!) Going in, I thought Dad would have more redeeming qualities, but really, there's only a glimmer of any of that in his character. Mostly, I wanted him to get his just desserts.
I didn't quite expect Danny, the main character, to be such a brat, either. In the initial chapters, I was a little taken aback in the parts when she treats her mom and best friend like absolute garbage. Luckily, *she* shows some growth. [image]
Until the last 15% or so, I would have rated this a 3.5 out of 5, and I probably would've rounded up. It's a quick, entertaining read. However, the ending annoyed me enough to knock it down to a 3. An encounter between two characters was just far too saccharine. [image] On top of that, the ways some things were wrapped up didn't seem consistent with the rest of the book.
Note--Chapter 1 begins at the plane crash, but chapter 2 flashes back to detail Danny's fetal pig dissection in science class. If that sort of thing bugs you, skip that chapter! :)
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me a DRC of this novel, which will be available for purchase on October 1st....more
Good start, but then a miss... [image] Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts starts with an inventive premise. An eccentric billionaire dies, and he sends theGood start, but then a miss... [image] Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts starts with an inventive premise. An eccentric billionaire dies, and he sends the people of Boston on a Poe-themed treasure hunt to recover his fortune. The first chapter or two built up my expectations.
After that? I just wasn't interested in what happened to these characters [image] ...and, oh boy, are there scores of them. I'm not quite sure why so many are needed. Tuesday and Dex struck me as unoriginal. She's the geeky, smart loner, and he's the stereotypical gay best friend who loves musical theater. The treatment of what Tuesday calls her mental illness (talking to ghosts) also seems heavy handed and maybe even a bit tone deaf.
2.5 stars--I'll round up, simply because I might be a harsher-than-usual grader right now. (It's been so ridiculously hot over the past few days!) [image]
Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for giving me a review copy of this novel, which will be available for purchase on October 8th....more
I thought Sedaris was funny in writing, but he's even funnier when he's delivering his own material aloud. I could've done without the live recordingsI thought Sedaris was funny in writing, but he's even funnier when he's delivering his own material aloud. I could've done without the live recordings of some parts, though. They sounded like the laugh track on a 90s sitcom, and the material can stand just fine on its own....more
Be a bar trivia champion! Want to dominate any biology questions at bar trivia? [image] The Body: A Guide for Occupants has you covered! For those of uBe a bar trivia champion! Want to dominate any biology questions at bar trivia? [image] The Body: A Guide for Occupants has you covered! For those of us who haven't had a biology class since we fulfilled some course requirement ages ago, Bryson gives an excellent overview of what doctors and scientists know about all our different body parts and bodily functions.
Bryson's dry wit will come across even more clearly when this is eventually made into an audiobook. [image] While reading, I imagined Alton Brown reading the text in the same manner he talks to the audience in Good Eats. Bill Nye would be a great narrator, too! [image]
It's clear that The Body is aimed at a general audience. (Readers who specialize in the biological sciences might want more detail than this book provides.)
One caveat, particularly for Goodreads reviewers--more than our fair share of us have had frustrating or scary "adventures" through the medical system. Since Bryson spends a surprising amount of time discussing the things doctors *don't* know, this aspect of the text could be unsettling.
Four stars for the print version--and if the audiobook is available when you're making your purchasing decision, I would definitely give this a listen.
Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for my DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on October 15th....more
I think it gives away far too much, and this mystery/thrillerRead the book instead of the blurb.
If you haven't read the blurb yet, then don't.
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I think it gives away far too much, and this mystery/thriller would have been more enjoyable if I didn't know quite so much going into it.
Other than that, this was a great quick read. Girls Like Us is different because the main character, Nell Flynn, is a totally badass female FBI agent, and the men get relegated to the bit parts.
Oh my. I had high hopes for this title, but sadly, there's absolutely no way I can recommend it to any readers. At first glance, I thought the illustrOh my. I had high hopes for this title, but sadly, there's absolutely no way I can recommend it to any readers. At first glance, I thought the illustrations were lovely, but it didn't take me long to notice a HUGE, glaring problem. The people of color in this book are depicted as very, very (did I say very?) light-skinned.
For just one example, check out the illustration of Chinua Achebe compared to how he appears on Google Images.
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I could hardly believe that a book about immigrants would contain such a gargantuan oversight, so I reached out to NetGalley to confirm that I was not experiencing a problem with my device. (I wasn't.) These illustrations are a HUGE issue in a book that's claiming to celebrate America's diversity.
If the illustrations are revised, I'll be happy to revisit this review, but as the book appears right now, I absolutely cannot recommend it.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book, which will be available for purchase on October 15th....more
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always the most patient reader. [image]
This time, I'm glad I took others' advice and hung Patience pays off...
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always the most patient reader. [image]
This time, I'm glad I took others' advice and hung in there! [image]
Quichotte was my first Rushdie novel, and it's true what people say about his style taking some getting used to. In this case, the chapters switch point of view, and each character's voice is written in a slightly different style.
The other thing that took patience was waiting for the different threads of the story to come together. At first, I was confused because I couldn't see how the pieces we're introduced to would finally become a cohesive story.
At the 20-25% mark (four or five chapters), things started to come together. [image]
I got used to Rushdie's style, and I realized that although the narration was in third person, sentence construction often reflected characters' mental states. (I don't think his style's for everyone, but it works well in telling this story.) Finally, the entire complex tale came together beautifully.
I'm not one to regularly re-read books, but Quichotte might just make my re-read list. Like another reviewer noted, I think things might come together for me even better the second time around. (If I do, I may revisit this review.)
Four stars, and if you do decide to embark on reading Quichotte, make sure you're in the mindset to be patient :) [image]
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a DRC of this novel, which will be available for purchase on September 3rd....more
I hope these guys have been in touch with HBO or Netflix because The Deserter is going to be fantastic when it comes to our screens.
[I'd watch that!
I hope these guys have been in touch with HBO or Netflix because The Deserter is going to be fantastic when it comes to our screens.
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This thriller is part Homeland, part Serial season 2 (the one about Bowe Bergdahl), and part modern-day Rambo. Our protagonist, Scott Brodie, has to go to seemingly impossible lengths to try to accomplish his mission of bringing deserter Captain Kyle Mercer home to face justice. The action in this story, along with its plot twists, will make these authors millions when they sell the TV/movie rights.
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The novel itself could definitely benefit from another good pass through by a developmental editor. The first 40% or so is bogged down by a lot of unnecessary detail about the setting and the political context in Venezuela. Scenes that are not directly relevant to the plot are described in painstaking detail--this type of description will definitely benefit the people who get to adapt this into a screenplay, but it becomes tedious for readers.
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The overemphasis on the desperation and corruption in Venezuela is also a bit of overkill. This plot could work in any authoritarian and corrupt country. The pages and pages of information about the problems particular to Venezuela could be cut considerably.
Making those big cuts to the beginning of the novel would also help solve problems with character development. In that beginning section, Brodie's partner, Maggie Taylor, comes off flat and boring. (She seems to only be there to babysit Brodie and serve as eye candy for him.)
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By the time we find out that there's more to her than meets the eye, it's too late for those perceptions to change too much. If her "reveal" comes 100 pages or so earlier, then she'll come off as a more dynamic character.
3.5 stars for the novel version of The Deserter, but I can't wait for the eventual hit TV show!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me a DRC of this novel, which will be available for purchase on October 22nd....more
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