Monday’s Minutes #13

Published on by Rachelle

Currently Reading: The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg, a review book, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for The Classics Club, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, The Essential Feminist Reader, and Prince of Hazel and Oak by John Lenahan.

Dream Sparrow Little Women Fiery   Feminist Prince

Challenges:

S&S Bingo2update6

Total pages read for the week: 489

Total number of books for the year: 16.  I’m back into the swing of going to classes and working on my research papers, but I’ve added looking for a part-time job into my already busy schedule, so I haven’t had much time to read.  Also, it was the Boyfriend’s Birthday this weekend.  Besides the holidays, it’s the only day of the year that I don’t mind not getting at least a little time to read.  When I did get time (other than during my commute), I concentrated on The Essential Feminist Reader, since it’s due back at the library soon, and I really want to at least get to the ’90s, when I was first introduced to Feminism by way of the Riot Grrrl bands.

Top Commenters: This week, my Top Commenter was Berls over at Fantasy is More Fun.

What are you reading this week?

Friday’s Fairy Tales #3: Beauty and the Beast

Published on by Rachelle
Beauty and the Beast by AL Bowley
Image: Sofi

This is by far my favorite fairy tale and Disney movie, and it was my favorite TV show when I was a kid (my parents once bribed me with it to get me to clean my room).  Why?  Belle is one of the few fairy tale characters that has real agency.  First of all, she chooses to take her Father’s place in staying with the Beast.  Secondly, she makes the best of a beastly situation (har-har) without any real help from anyone.  She doesn’t have a Fairy Godmother to solve her problems, she isn’t taken in by dwarves, and, though she repeatedly gets marriage proposals from the Beast, she doesn’t immediately fall into his arms (In the original, unedited version, he asks her if he may sleep with her, not to marry him, but the response is the same).  Also, in the Disney version, she knows Gaston isn’t the right man for her, and doesn’t give in to his pushiness.  Finally, she is the one that saves the Beast from his curse, instead of being the one that is rescued.  She even wins a rap battle against Cinderella, as far as I’m concerned.

So, I wasn’t surprised to learn that the story, while being a traditional fairy tale, was originally an adult novella written in 1740 by a French woman, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Ville­neuve, who was critiquing the marriage system of her time.  A little more than a decade later, it was shortened, “cleaned”, and published in a women’s magazine by another woman, Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont.  You can find free versions on Project Gutenberg, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.  Also for free is Andrew Lang’s version of the story, which is a combination of Villeneuve’s and Beaumont’s, in his Blue Fairy Book.  In addition to those, there’s an EPUB edition that comes with a free download of the audio book (I’m not affiliated with Barnes & Noble, and don’t receive any profits from sales of the book).

Below is a list of Beauty and the Beast retellings.  All of the links are to Goodreads:

Review: Buan – The Perfect Mortals

Published on by Rachelle

Buan

  • Author: Reece Bridger
  • ISBN: 9781909482029
  • Publisher: Mythos Press
  • Genre: Fantasy

I recieved this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.

This is the perfect “classic” Fantasy book.  The whole time I was reading, I was reminded of some of my favorite RPGs, and I frequently thought that the story could fit perfectly into a D&D or Pathfinder game.  If I were to be any character in the book, I would be Fantasia, who has the personality of a grown up Arya Stark.  Instead of a sword being her weapon of choice, though, she’s an archer, which happens to be my go to weapon in any RPG.

There is very little to criticize in this book.  The only time it got a bit dull was during the chapter when Madame Asra comes into the story, and the only time I had difficulty suspending disbelief was when the siblings’ guardian, Orion, just happens to know all about the Buan.  It seemed a little implausible, even by Fantasy standards, but I understand that Alexander, Aurelia, Fantasia, and Weylyn had to get the information about what they were becoming from somewhere, and having it come from the mouth of the one person they’re close to makes sense.  I just didn’t see Orion as being the type of character to have a large amount of little known ancient knowledge.

Beyond those two tiny things, I loved this book.  I don’t know if I’m going to add it to my all time favorites yet, since it is only the first book in a series, and I tend to only add a series to that list after I’ve finished it and love it as a whole.  What I do know is that as soon as I read the last page, I looked up the second book, Company of Heroes, and added it to my wish list on Goodreads.  I highly recommend reading this one if you’re just getting into Fantasy, or you love Fantasy (especially “classic” Fantasy), or you love RPGs (especially if you loved Baldur’s Gate, any of the Diablo games, D&D, or Pathfinder).

Review: Shadowmagic

Published on by Rachelle

Shadow

  • Author: John Lenahan
  • ISBN: 9781905548927
  • Publisher: Harper Collins

The above information is for the paperback and ebook edition.  I listened to the free “podiobook” version from podiobooks.com.

Though I’ve listened to audio books before, this was my first “podiobook”.  I’m now a huge fan of the format, John Lenahan, and his book, Shadowmagic.  My commute to and from school has never been more fun!  I deliberately held off on listening to it until I was in my car, unless I was finishing up the last couple minutes of a chapter, which was difficult at times.  I frequently had the urge to continue listening, but I told myself it was better to savor it, since it would be over all too soon.  I’m already listening to the second book, Prince of Hazel and Oak, and I have a feeling I’ll be just a little bit sad when it ends.  I’m sure there are other great books on podiobooks.com, but finding them will likely involve a bit of trial and error.  Thankfully, they’re free.

I can’t say for sure, but I think listening to the book, which is narrated by the author, rather than reading a print version, is what got me hooked.  I felt like I was being told a story, instead of just being read to, if that makes sense?  I think the difference is in the enthusiasm of the author as he narrates.  In an author’s note at the end of the book, he mentions that he wrote it for his son, and I’m sure that’s a factor in his performance.  If I had been reading the book, I might have felt that the story was a little silly, but then again, maybe not.  I really don’t know.  I just feel that this is a story that needs to be told rather than read.

With that being said, I have to recommend the “podiobook” version.  It’s free, so it gives you the chance to try it out without costing anything in case you’re not 100% sold on it yet.  If you love Fantasy, the childlike feeling of being told a story, or Irish Celtic mythology, you can’t go wrong with Shadowmagic.

 

#FitReaders Check-In #12

Published on by Rachelle
Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
  • This check-in is for March 16th – 22nd.  Since I hurt my back, and was stuck on the couch, I didn’t even wear my Fitbit for about half the week.  So, I’m not bothering with the week’s step count.
  • Though most of the pain is gone, I’m still uncomfortable when I do anything other than lie down for more than a couple hours, so I’m not trying to meet my goal of 8K steps this week.  I’ll be taking the bus to and from my car on campus until all that walking up and down the stairs and hills is no longer an issue.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.

Monday’s Minutes #12

Published on by Rachelle

Currently Reading: The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg, a review book, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for The Classics Club, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, and The Essential Feminist Reader.

Dream Sparrow Little Women Fiery   Feminist

Finished: Stardust by Neil Gaiman, and Buan: The Perfect Mortals by Reece Bridger.

stardust Buan

Challenges:

S&S Bingo2update6

Total pages read for the week: 832

Total number of books for the year: 16.  Spring Break is over, and despite hurting my back and being stuck on the couch, I didn’t get as much reading done as I thought I would.  I also didn’t finish most of my current reads.  That’s ok, though.  I watched a lot of TV, and I read a book that had nothing to do with most of my challenges.  It was a recommendation from Erika at Book Punks.  Anyway, my mind wasn’t in the right place to read critically, and I just wanted something to enjoy while I wasn’t able to go anywhere or do much of anything.  Stardust was that book.  I won’t be reviewing it because I deliberately didn’t take any notes or do any thinking about it after I finished it.  I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars on Goodreads, and that’s all that matters.

Top Commenters: This week, my Top Commenter was Shaina from Shaina Reads.

What are you reading this week?  Do you have any go-to books when you’re sick or injured?

Once Upon a Time IX

Published on by Rachelle

oncetimenine200

Today is the start date of the Once Upon a Time Challenge, which runs until June 21st.

I will be doing “Quest, the Third”:

Fulfill the requirements for The Journey or Quest the First or Quest the Second AND read Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or watch one of the many film versions of the play.

My choice between. “The Journey”, “Quest the First”, and “Quest the Second” is “Quest the First”:

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories of Fantasy, Folklore, Fairy tales, or Mythology.

In addition to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, I’ll be reading:

 

Review: The Art of Asking

Published on by Rachelle

Art

 

  • Author: Amanda Palmer
  • ISBN: 9781455581085
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help

I purchased this book.

I had been wanting to read Amanda Palmer’s book, The Art of Asking, for awhile, but I couldn’t afford it, so when I found out about a deal at Audiobooks.com, I chose it as my freebie.  There were so many other books on my wishlist, but Amanda Palmer narrates the book herself, and there’s the “extra” of a few music tracks.  So, I figured, if there’s one book I’d likely enjoy as an audiobook, it would be this one.  I’m so glad I chose it, instead of something else.  This book is beyond amazing!

The entire book felt like a never-boring conversation between life-long friends.  I listened to it while commuting to and from school (an hour each way), but also at every point in my day when I had a couple minutes to spare.  That meant a book that, clocking in at 11 hours and 30 minutes, should have taken me 6 days to finish, only took 4 days instead.  However, If I had been reading the hardcover, instead of listening, I think it would have taken much longer.  There are just so many quotes that I would have had to stop and think about and then highlight and write notes in the margins, if not longer “notes” in my journal.  There would have been moments when I would need to stop reading so I could let out all the feels this book brought on, and I would have stopped too many times to count in order to dog ear pages.  I frequently thought that someone needs to come up with an app to “bookmark” passages in audiobooks, and there were several times when I came close to having to pull over so I could let the tears flow safely.  I don’t know how I managed to hold myself together long enough to get to school or home.

I loved The Art of Asking so much that I bought a physical copy.  The boyfriend later made it a gift, when I told him that this book was the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read that I HAD to buy it, regardless of the hardcover price tag.  His other reason might have been that I wouldn’t shut up about the book, Amanda Palmer, or Neil Gaiman, and maybe paying for the book would finally earn him a subject change.  I greatly look forward to rereading it, and I can’t recommend it enough.  I somewhat understand why it’s labeled as “Self-Help”, but I think it fits better into the auto-biography or memoir categories.  Really, it’s a one-on-one, sit down, with an endless cup of coffee or glass of wine, conversation with a best friend.  Unfortunately there’s no category for that in bookstores and libraries.

Review: The Gift of Charms

Published on by Rachelle

Gift

  • Author: Julia Suzuki
  • ISBN: 9781782199243
  • Publisher: Dino Books
  • Genre: Fantasy

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

I wish I hadn’t wasted my time with this book.  It started out ok, but it devolved into a message that I don’t think any child should hear.  That message said that if you’re being bullied, you have to change.  If you’re a little heavier than the average kid, you have to get fit to be accepted, and if you do, not only will others be more approving, but you’ll be perfect and everything will go your way.  You’ll be a hero.  You’ll be successful.  All you have to do is get in shape.  It’s likely that the author meant her message to be one of exercise and fitness being confidence and self-esteem builders, but that’s not how it comes across.

The other problem I had was with the plot itself.  Events fell into place a little too easily, even for a children’s story.  It also lacks any real depth.  Many of the reviews I read for The Gift of Charms said this was an all-ages book.  That’s not true.  The only readers I could see enjoying this story without rolling their eyes at how easily Yoshiko succeeds at everything he does as soon as he’s gotten rid of his belly are children up to the 2nd, maybe 3rd, grade.

I don’t want to recommend this book to anyone, but if you’re still interested in giving or reading it to a child, take a couple hours (the book is really short) and read it yourself first, so that you’re fully aware of the kind of lesson that child will be learning.  There are much better books out there that deal with the subjects of bullying, diversity, and fitness.

 

Review: Nightfall Gardens

Published on by Rachelle

Nightfall

  • Author: Allen Houston
  • ISBN: 9780615804453
  • Publisher: Flycatcher Books
  • Genre: Fantasy/Cozy Horror

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

While Nightfall Gardens is a very different story, many of its elements reminded me of the Chimera books by Phil Gomm, which is why I classified it as Cozy Horror.  In addition to this, one of the characters, Deiva, instantly made me think of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.  On top of that, the Blackwood family curse begins with the Greek myth about Pandora, and Lily Blackwood, who is primarily affected by the curse, isn’t perfect.  Her character flaws become apparent right from the start, and she makes mistakes.  She makes the kind of mistakes that almost get her killed several times.  Suffice it to say, I enjoyed this book.

My one problem with it, however, is that it just ends.  There’s no cliffhanger or any other event to make a good stopping point for the 1st book in a series.  To make it worse, the story has only just begun.  It’s really more of an introduction than anything else, and there’s still so much that is left unknown.  In other words, there’s no real resolution to anything.  Had I read this first book when it was originally published, I would have had to wait to read the 2nd book.  Chances are, I wouldn’t have bothered, because, while the story is great, I’m not invested in it yet.  I’m not left worrying about what might happen.  A cliffhanger isn’t necessary to cause that feeling, but there needs to be some kind of ending that makes me want to pick the next book up.

Luckily for me, and any of you who haven’t yet read the book, the 2nd and 3rd books are available.  We don’t have to wait.  Like a 2nd episode of a never before watched TV show on Netflix, I’ll likely read at least the 2nd book, not because it demands to be read, but because it’s available, and why not?  It has the potential to be even better than the 1st, since the story can get under way now that the introductions have been made.  I recommend giving Nightfall Gardens a chance.  It’s not a long book, and so, if you decide it’s not worth continuing, you’ve only lost a couple hours of time.  I don’t think you’ll feel that way, though.  If it weren’t for the ending, I would give the book 5 stars.