Tag: Review

Review: The Paris Winter

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Paris Winter

  • Author: Imogen Robertson
  • ISBN: 9781250051837
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Pages: 360

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

Maud Heighton came to Lafond’s famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris eats money. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling joys of the Belle Époque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud takes a job as companion to young, beautiful Sylvie Morel. But Sylvie has a secret: an addiction to opium. As Maud is drawn into the Morels’ world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers. Before the New Year arrives, a greater deception will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light. – Goodreads synopsis

I’m glad I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the book.  Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have finished it.  I would have quit reading after fifty pages.  While the story was good, the first half of the book was like watching a turtle.  For that reason, I had difficulty paying attention to the story, and I probably missed a few details as it unfolded.

Once things picked up a bit, I enjoyed it, but because the first half was so dull, I wasn’t very invested in the main character, Maud.  If there were any book to compare this one to, it would be Villette by Charlotte Brontë, at least in style.  However, Villette was better, and I cared more about Lucy than I did Maud, despite Maud’s involvement in a more interesting plot (at least in the second half).

If the plot hadn’t taken so long to build, I would probably give The Paris Winter four stars.  However, because the first half was on the edge of completely boring, I can only give it three.  If you loved Villette, or you enjoy a modern take on the classic Gothic novel, I would recommend borrowing this one instead of buying.  If you insist on purchasing a copy, you might want to go with the audiobook, but regardless of the edition, just know that the story plods along for well over a hundred pages before it gets anywhere interesting.

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Review: My Life on the Road

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Life

  • Author: Gloria Steinem
  • ISBN: 9780679456209
  • Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir
  • Pages: 276

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t often read non-fiction, and I’m even less likely to read a memoir.  However, I’ve considered myself to be a Feminist for most of my life, and when I saw Gloria Steinem’s new book on Netgalley, I had to request it.   Beyond a few minor details, I don’t know much about her, and I’ve never read any of her other books.

She’s an excellent writer and story teller.  That alone makes My Life on the Road worth reading.  She’s led a life of travel to the point that I think a better title might be “The Road: My Life.”  So, if you’re looking for a good armchair travel experience, this book is it.  Though the writing style is considerably different, I would say the book as a whole is similar to Henry Rollins’ Smile, You’re Traveling.  The only issue I had with My Life on the Road was Steinem’s very biased portrayal of political events.  Not having known much about a couple of the events she wrote about, I later learned through some research that, though she was factually accurate, she didn’t give the full story, and her incomplete version was a bit misleading.  With that being said, I wasn’t expecting a bias-free book.  This is still a memoir, and, therefore, mostly her personal opinions and observations.  Besides, when have politics ever been unbiased?  Ultimately, the result is that I became interested in learning more about the subjects she discussed, and that’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.

A lot of celebrity memoirs have been released within the past couple of years, and it seems to be the new trend.  Even if you’re not a Feminist, but you love a bit of armchair travel, this one is an excellent choice.

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Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

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Storied

  • Author: Gabrielle Zevin
  • ISBN: 9781616204518
  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages: 288

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over–and see everything anew. – Goodreads synopsis

I had heard nothing but great things about The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and so I bought the book with every intention of reading it soon after I got it home.  As with many of the books I’ve bought before I joined the #ShelfLove challenge, it sat on the shelf for a couple of years.  Then I read The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald.  Reviews frequently suggested that anyone who enjoyed The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry would love this book too.  I loved The Readers of Broken Wheel, and so it wasn’t long before I finally took The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry off the shelf.

Like The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, I couldn’t put this book down.  Both stories involve a bookstore and an unexpected death, and both are mostly light-hearted, feel-good reads.  However, you can’t read one and say you’ve read the other because that’s where the similarities end.  The closest story to The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry I’ve come across is the movie Jersey Girl, at least superficially.  Regardless of its similarities to other stories, it’s well worth the short time it takes to read it.

I will be adding this book to my list of go-to comfort reads along with The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.  If life is getting you down, or you just need to relax into a book that isn’t too heavy but isn’t pure brain candy either, then I recommend The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

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Review: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

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Recommend

  • Author: Katarina Bivald
  • ISBN: 9781492623441
  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages: 400

Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy’s funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don’t understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that’s almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend’s memory. All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town. – Goodreads synopsis

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a book I couldn’t put down once I started reading.  The opening pages hooked me by making me wonder what I would do if I found myself stranded in a small town in another country.  Then I wondered what I would do if I found out that not only was I in a strange place but the person I was visiting but had never met before had passed away shortly before my arrival.  The more I thought about it I saw just how possible Sara’s situation was, especially considering I talk to people I’ve never met every day, and some of them live in countries I’ve never been.  The more I develop these global friendships, the more I can see how maybe someday I or they would take the opportunity to get on a plane to meet up in person.  I’ve traveled around the world my entire life, so why not?

The rest of the story is full of familiar faces.  Having lived in an extremely small town in Wisconsin at one point in my life, I recognized each of the characters living in Broken Wheel.  That’s not to say they were 2D stock characters out of a sitcom.  There was more to each of them than the stereotypes they represent at the beginning of the story.  What I am saying is that anyone familiar with Small Town America will find the book to be comforting.  While complex issues are well represented throughout the story, they’re brought up in a way that isn’t jarring or unsettling the way that Literary or Speculative Fiction can be.  The author tells a somewhat light-hearted story while at the same time showing that there is diversity in even the smallest of towns, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first glance.

I can easily see The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend being adapted to film.  I don’t know how I feel about that, though, simply because I think Hollywood would beat it into the shape of a Rom Com and end up losing a lot of what makes this book so enjoyable.  However, it’s worth reading, especially if you loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin or if you just need a comfort read to relax into on a snowy or rainy day.  I will be adding this to my go-to books for when life gets to be too much.

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Review: The Sibyl

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Sibyl

  • Author: Cynthia D. Witherspoon
  • ISBN: 9781311569301
  • Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

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

Eva McRayne was sure that Greek mythology was just that: a myth. Fairy tales told to children who loved a good adventure story.Yet, when she encounters a Sibyl desperate to free herself from the chains binding her to Apollo, Eva realizes that the fairy tales are more than fantasy. – Goodreads synopsis

I think The Sibyl has the potential to be a better story than it is currently, especially since it is the first book of a series that is already five books long.  While I enjoyed it, it is in serious need of an editor, and I’m not talking about simple proofreading.  While I can forgive, up to a certain point, spelling and grammatical errors, I had difficulty letting go of the stilted and often cliched dialogue as well as the stock 2D characters.

Again, overall, I enjoyed The Sibyl.  Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I liked or disliked its cheese factor (for example, one of the characters has a cellphone app to talk to a Greek god).  However, I ultimately decided that, given some of the pieces of brain candy I happen to love, I could take this story for what it is.

With that being said, I probably shouldn’t have read this during the Winter.  The Sibyl is more of a beach or Summer read, and I likely would have enjoyed it more during that time of year when I don’t want to think too much or take anything seriously.  It’s also an excellent choice for reading while on the elliptical or stationary bike.

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Review: Greenglass House

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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.

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

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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

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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?!