Category: Reviews

Review: Greenglass House

Published on by Rachelle

Greenglass

  • Author: Kate Milford
  • ISBN: 9780544052703
  • Genre: Middle-Grade Mystery

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House-and themselves. – Goodreads synopsis

Greenglass House was one of my many book purchases last year when I had a couple of gift cards and a long wishlist.  Though I had wanted to read it for quite some time, I saved it for the Winter because just look at that cover!  I have to admit, while the synopsis is what sold me on this book, the cover art is what initially caught my interest.  I was not disappointed.

This is the perfect book for curling up under a blanket with an endless mug of hot chocolate, especially if you have a fireplace, and I’m not sure there’s a better book out there to read during the Winter.  I read it over the Holidays since the story takes place over Milo’s Winter break from school, and I would have finished it much more quickly if life hadn’t gotten in the way.

I will definitely be checking out Kate Milford’s other books.  If you’re looking for a fun Winter read, give Greenglass House a try.  After you finish, head on over to Nagspeake Online for more wintry fun.

Classics Club: The Call of the Wild

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments

Wild

  • Author: Jack London

I listened to the audiobook version I received for free through audiobooks.com.

The Call of the Wild is one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read.  Also, I didn’t read the synopsis, and so wasn’t aware that the story was from a dog’s point of view.  While that’s not a bad thing, it was unexpected.  Buck, a St. Bernard and Shepherd mix, is stolen from his home and endures cruelty and abuse throughout the story.  While there is a, mostly, happy ending, listening was painful.

I also think I wasn’t in the best frame of mind to listen to a story like this.  I had already been feeling depressed, and the weather was crappy that day.  Luckily, it’s a relatively short book (2 hours and 52 minutes), which is why I chose it at the time, and I listened to it while I was cleaning and reorganizing my office.

I’ll probably re-read The Call of the Wild at some point to give it another chance; preferably during a time when I’m not feeling like garbage and the sun is shining.  While I usually love to read stories set during a particular season when it’s also that time of year in reality, I think this book is best read during the Summer.  However, if you can’t handle frequent scenes of animal abuse, you should skip this one and maybe try another book about dogs or wolves, as long as it’s not by Jack London (I recommend Jean Craighead George).

Review: The Witching Hour

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Witching

  • Author: Anne Rice
  • ISBN: 9780345384461

I bought my copy of The Witching Hour well over a decade ago, and though I thought it was incredible back then, I wasn’t as thrilled by it the second read through.

Why?  It’s too long, and huge chunks of pages could have been cut.  It was repetitive.  Worst of all, quite a bit of the dialogue between the main characters, Rowan and Michael, felt contrived, forced, and unrealistic.  Sometimes it went as far as to make me think I was reading the script for a soap opera.  I didn’t feel their deep, unending love for each other.  Instead, I felt like gagging and rolling my eyes.  Hot, passionate sex after just meeting doesn’t equal true love forever.

While the rest of the story is classic Anne Rice, I think she got a bit out of her depth with the romance.  It would have been better if she stuck to what she knows: Horror, the supernatural and paranormal, and steamy sexual encounters.  I’m going to continue with the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy since it becomes more about Lasher and an interesting twist on some Pagan mythology, but, had this been the first time I had read The Witching Hour, I would probably just stick with her Vampire Chronicles.

Review: Coraline

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Coraline

  • Author: Neil Gaiman
  • ISBN: 9780061649691

The above ISBN is for the paperback edition, but I listened to the audiobook I checked out from the library.

When I saw the movie “Coraline” a couple years ago, I had no idea it was an adaptation of a book by Neil Gaiman.  I had only read his Sandman comics and American Gods by that point.  I love the comics, and I enjoyed Coraline as a movie, but I was disappointed in American Gods.  So, when I did find out about Coraline, I added it to my “check it out from the library” list.  I didn’t want to waste money on Coraline on the off chance that I would be just as disappointed in it as I was with American Gods, no matter how much I liked the movie adaptation.

An older audiobook version, narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, was available at my library, so I decided to listen to it during October when I read scary, creepy, and dark books.  I’m fairly sure I enjoyed Coraline more by listening to the audiobook a bit each day on my way to and from class.  It’s relatively short, and being a Middle-Grade book, I would have easily finished it in an afternoon had I read it instead of listening.  I don’t think the story would have been as wonderful if I had sped through it.  I also don’t think I would have gotten as much out of it if I had read it, but my opinion might be different if it were a graphic novel.  I don’t know why, but I often feel Neil Gaiman’s writing is missing something in novel format that isn’t lacking in the comics, but I also don’t know what that something is.

Coraline had that something, at least in the audiobook version, so I’m not giving up.  My next Neil Gaiman book will be The Graveyard Book, but I own the paperback edition, so I guess we’ll see.  Regardless, I recommend listening to the author narrated audiobook of Coraline.

Review: Bird Box

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments

Bird Box

  • Author: Josh Malerman
  • ISBN: 9780062259653
  • Genre: Horror/Suspense/Post-Apocalyptic

The above ISBN is for the hardcover edition, but I listened to the audiobook I purchased.

This is a story about what happens when the world goes violently insane, and just like a Shirley Jackson story, Bird Box kept me riveted.  So it was no surprise to find out that Josh Malerman’s novel was a 2014 Shirley Jackson Award Nominee.

The story is told by Malorie by going back and forth between her and her two children’s present situation and Malorie’s past in which you find out how they got to the point of trying to row down a river blindfolded.  This construction is why the book sucked me in and kept me listening.  Not only did I want to know what would happen to Malorie and the children, but I wanted to know even more how it all happened and why Malorie is the way she is.  There were so many questions I wanted answered that I got through the book in a matter of days.

Has this story been done before?  Yes, as is the case with most Post-Apocalyptic novels.  However, never once did I feel the story was contrived or overdone.  Instead, it was a refreshing take on the subgenre that didn’t, for once, involve zombies or The Stand style super-virus.  I also appreciated that we never really know what the monster is or looks like, where it came from, or why everyone is driven to extreme violence after seeing them.  To me, that’s realistic and horrifying.  Aren’t we often more afraid of what we don’t know than what we do know?  I recommend Bird Box to anyone who loves Horror and Suspense, Post-Apocalyptic stories, and fans of Shirley Jackson.

Review: Eleanor and Park

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Eleanor and Park

  • Author: Rainbow Rowell
  • ISBN: 9781250012579

The above ISBN is for the hardcover edition, but I borrowed the audiobook from my university’s library.

I thought Fangirl was amazing.  However, Fangirl isn’t even in the same league as Eleanor and Park.  E&P is the kind of book I want to give a copy of to everyone I know, along with a mix CD of all my favorite 80’s music.  E&P is a piece of much-needed therapy for anyone who has survived an abusive situation.  I crushed so hard on this book and my new OTP that as soon as I was done, my book hangover was severe enough I immediately started to re-read it because nothing else could possibly compare.  Nothing.  How did this happen?

As my regular readers will know, I’m not a huge YA fan, though most of the few YA books I’ve read have been enjoyable.  I don’t have anything against YA, but I do feel it tends towards the same plot lines over and over again and is heavy on the romance.  Yes, Eleanor and Park is about teenage love.  No, that’s not even close to what it’s all about, though.  Eleanor isn’t your typical skinny, blonde girl who has some coming of age teen crisis while trying to juggle a relationship and friends and school and family.  Eleanor has the kind of problems that are much more severe, unsafe, and destructive to her person and her self-esteem.  Eleanor is also messy-haired, weird, and fat.  Eleanor is me, especially when I was a teenager.

I don’t just love this book because of Eleanor and her story, though.  There’s also all the music and comic book conversations between her and Park.  I also love how the story is constructed.  It’s told from both of their perspectives, back and forth, so you don’t just get to know one of them through the eyes of the other.  Also, I love how Rainbow Rowell includes their parents in the story beyond a casual, in the background sort of way.  She’s the only YA author I’ve read that does so.  There are so many other reasons why I love Eleanor and Park.  Just read the book, ok?!

The Classics Club: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Jekyll

  • Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

This is my second read by Robert Louis Stevenson.  The first was Treasure Island, which I also enjoyed.  However, this one is more Gothic Horror than Adventure, so I don’t feel it’s fair to compare the two.

As with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this is a story about the horrible things that can happen when scientists attempt to mess with nature, but instead of playing around with life and death, Dr. Jekyll seeks to “better” himself by separating the good from the bad in human nature.  The story is closer to Existentialism than Frankenstein, and it makes me wonder if Stevenson had been reading Kierkegaard or Nietzche.  Regardless of where he got the idea for his story, he’s asking the question, “What is human nature?”  My opinion is that his answer is that human beings are born into sin, and it is relatively easier for us to be evil than it is to be good.  I don’t know if I agree, but I don’t agree with much of Victorian moralizing.  However, I do see the question as interesting and relevant, especially as we gain more knowledge of the brain and its chemistry and how that affects behavior and thought.

No matter your beliefs, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a short Classic worth reading.

DNF Review: The Magic Shop

Published on by Rachelle

Magic Shop

  • Author: Justin Swapp
  • Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to get through this book.  It started out alright, but it wasn’t long until I was forcing myself through a chapter, then putting it down to read something else until I picked it back up the next day and tried again.  I suffered through three chapters like that, attempting to put myself in a frame of mind the average Middle-Grade reader might have.  I thought my adult mindset was the problem.  I talked it over with the Boyfriend and came to the conclusion that it’s not me and my adult brain.  It’s the story.

More to the point, it’s the main character, Marcus.  There are likeable characters I can’t stand (Captain America), and there are unlikeable characters I love (Lestat).  Then there are characters like Marcus.  He’s a spoiled brat.  He’s rude not only to his teacher but also to his grandparents, who are more than forgiving of his bad behavior.  He doesn’t break rules for the sake of morality or because he thinks it’s the only way to solve a problem.  He just breaks them, refuses to listen to other’s advice and his conscience telling him he shouldn’t do whatever it is he’s doing, and then gets angry when he gets into trouble or has to face the consequences.  I don’t expect all Middle-Grade characters to be copies of Harry Potter, and I’ve even questioned whether or not H.P.’s character is realistic.  While I think Marcus is a realistic character, he’s exactly the type of kid I hated while I was growing up.  On top of that, his bad behavior and poor decisions are what drive the plot.  Every horrible thing that occurs up to the point that I quit reading was a result of Marcus’ actions.  That’s just plain poor writing, and it doesn’t make for an enjoyable story.  My most constant feeling was one of frustration.

I would love to say that I think the story would have eventually gotten better, but I read a quarter of the book (according to my Kindle), which is over 500 pages long.  A story that hasn’t improved after 125+ pages (when I usually only give a book 50 pages to grab me) leaves me with no doubt that my decision to stop reading was a good one.  It also makes me question all the four-star ratings The Magic Shop received on Amazon and Goodreads and the comparison to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson in the synopsis.  While I’m not going to assume that Middle-Grade readers won’t enjoy this book or be able to relate to Marcus, I didn’t and couldn’t.

 

Classics Club: The Joy Luck Club

Published on by Rachelle

Joy

  • Author: Amy Tan

I bought The Joy Luck Club years ago at a used bookstore, but it took joining the Classics Club for me to finally get around to reading it.  Doing a read-along certainly didn’t hurt either.

I think this book is perfect for read-alongs, book clubs, and college courses because it should be read a little chunk at a time and discussed in detail.  There are so many emotions and ideas to process throughout the stories of the four mothers and daughters that I think trying to read the book quickly wouldn’t allow the time and space needed to dig in deep.  I also think anyone reading this book should be prepared to want to learn more about China’s history and culture.  What little I already knew was not enough, and The Joy Luck Club prodded me to go in search of that knowledge.

What makes this book one of the top pieces of literary fiction is even when you think Chinese culture is so very different that no one but the Chinese could possibly understand, the struggles that occur between mothers and daughters is relatable no matter where you come from in the world.  Am I an expert on Chinese familial relationships?  Not a chance.  Did I see my mother and myself in those pages?  All the time.  Amy Tan somehow combines uncomfortable unfamiliarity with the feeling of looking in a mirror.  She even has the characters experience this same interchange of emotions as they find themselves realizing how different and yet how similar they are to each other.  She also turns myth into reality and vice versa.  Somehow she manages all this within the structure of a mahjong game.  At the end of every chapter, I would pause for a moment to let what I had read sink in and allow myself to feel astounded.  For once, I can safely say that this is a book everyone should read.

The Classics Club: Frankenstein

Published on by Rachelle

Frankenstein

  • Author: Mary Shelley

I’ve meant to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for years, and I’ve had the Barnes and Noble’s Classics ebook edition for nearly as long as I’ve owned my Nook.  The story is also included in a horror classics anthology I own, titled Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror.  Since the Boyfriend and I are currently sharing my Nook, I shifted back and forth between the two editions.

My reason for finally getting around to reading Frankenstein was my recent introduction to the show “Penny Dreadful.”  It’s full of characters and references from Gothic and Victorian Horror stories.  While it’s not necessary to enjoy the show, I wanted to be able to recognize and get a better understanding of all those seemingly minor but very important details as well as know where the original stories differ from how they’re portrayed in the show.  Since, the first season includes Dr. Frankenstein and his monster as part of the storyline, I thought it was about time to read one of the most well-known classic Gothic tales.  I’m glad I did.

As with much of Gothic Horror, Frankenstein is more about what it means to be human in a world where Science seems to be constantly redefining humanity.  While Shelley doesn’t go quite as far into the realm of Existentialism as Robert Louis Stevenson does in his story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (written more than half a century later) the beginnings of the philosophy can be seen in her work.  It’s also obvious that Shelley was heavily influenced by the Romantics, my other favorite literary period, and concerned with the route that Science and Industry were taking in the name of “Progress.”  We’re still dealing with these questions and concerns today, almost 200 years later.  Just how relevant Frankenstein still is can be seen in the long list of adaptations and re-tellings of the story that exist, and I highly recommend reading it.