Category Archives: Words
Soulless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book brings together so many things I love: kickass female heroines who don’t dress like they belong in a film mockery of an S&M video, food, vampires and other such magical types, love, dirty scenes, and the London Season. Didn’t see that last one coming, did you? Well, it’s true. Gail Carriger manages to fit all these things into Soulless, a book that is more funny than sincere, more romance than steampunk, and less creepy than you might think when you realize what the main couple has to overcome. Basically, I recommend it, despite being skeptical when I picked it up. It’s fun in so many ways.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3.5 stars, aristocracy, book review, books, drinkers of blood, fantasy, gail carriger, london town, never-ending tea time, parasol protectorate, review, romance, soulless, steampunk, sweet sweet luuurve, that is not natural, too stubborn for their own good, wolves of the were persuasion, xposted to OSgA reviews | posted in Words
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I spent some time debating whether to give The Name of the Wind 3 stars or 4. I finally settled on 4, in large part because of Patrick Rothfuss‘s incredible language and the phenomenal job Nick Podehl did as narrator. That being said, the book had several pacing issues, a female love interest I find impressively boring and off-putting, and a protagonist I hated for the first third of the book. Despite this rocky going, however, when I finished the book my impression was largely positive. I think this is an excellent book to illustrate the concept that sometimes the whole is greater than the parts. I am definitely looking forward to listening to The Wise Man’s Fear, but will most likely give my ears a week or so sans headphones before doing so.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, bloody spiders, book review, books, boozy, denizens of hell, fantasy, fiction, kingkiller chronicles, kvothe, magical creatures, name of the wind, patrick rothfuss, precocious kiddos, recommended by a friend, review, this way there be dragons, witches & wizards | posted in Words
Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Death of a Cad was a definite improvement on the preceding Hamis Macbeth mystery. M.C. Beaton seems to have found her stride in the genre and the characters are far more developed. We learn more about Hamish and his object of affection, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. We also receive further proof that both the Scottish Highlands and country houses are dangerous. Also dangerous are artists and pushy fiances. (Naturally, as someone who has read many of the Regency novels the author writes as Marion Chesney I was previously aware of the trouble the latter can bring.) Overall, this was a delightful and light read. I recommend it to any fans of the English mystery genre.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, book review, books, country houses, murder, mystery, never-ending tea time, review | posted in Words
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire proved to be an excellent choice for a non-horror Halloween read. In it, J.K. Rowling sharply continues her addition of darkness to the series. We see Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the gang returning to Hogwart’s for yet another year. As usual, there are also dark deeds going on, but the focus this year is on the Triwizard Tournament. Despite rules requiring contestants to be 17, Harry naturally ends up in the mix. Adventures ensue. Naturally, there is a giant spider. Why is there always a giant bloody spider? *grumbles* In spite of that, the book is excellent. Also, there is a merciful lack of Quidditch game play by plays.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, bloody spiders, book review, books, children, fantasy, fiction, fooooood, Harry Potter, impending doom, magical creatures, precocious kiddos, re-read potential, recommended by a friend, review, witches & wizards, young adult | posted in Words
The Duke And I by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Oh the cheesy Regency romance. What a place it holds in my heart. Perfectly mindless and heartwarming despite the massive amounts of suspension of disbelief required. The Duke And I is the first, but will not be the last of Julia Quinn‘s books I read. It struck a fantastic balance between funny and sweet. In the creation of the hilarious Bridgerton family it added that excellent dynamic of The Overprotective Older Brother and Possibly Crazy Mother that makes these books delightful. I know I’m raving shamelessly. It could be the allergy medication or it could be that this is a fun book. I’ll leave the determination to you.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3.5 stars, aristocracy, book review, books, fiction, friend review sparked interest, historical fiction, re-read potential, review, romance, sweet sweet luuurve, the season | posted in Words
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I began reading The Maltese Falcon with every expectation that I would enjoy it. I have heard so many comparisons of Dashiell Hammett to Raymond Chandler that anything else seemed impossible. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Try as hard as I can, I cannot see where the brilliance supposedly lies. All of the ingredients are there: beautiful, lying and tragic woman; hard-boiled detective; copious amounts of booze and coffee; evil men slapping the beautiful women in the face. (Seriously, what is up with all the slapping in noir?) Somehow, despite everything, it came off less compelling than a third-rate Alistair MacLean. What’s up with that?
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Leave a comment | tags: 2.5 stars, book review, books, bourbon coffee & smokes, crime, criminals, disappointing, noir, questionable motives, review, the fuck is this the fuck was that, up to no good | posted in Words
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I suspect that, had I read The White Queen first, I would have understood and enjoyed Richard III far more. I do not find Philippa Gregory to be a particularly compelling author, but the subject matter fascinates me. I cannot say where this fascination with the Tudors and now their Yorkist and Lancastrian ancestors first began, but it seems to be quite persistent. I will almost certainly read more of these books. They are a pleasant diversion from anything serious. Well, pleasant other than all of the dying. And children being used as pawns. And children dying. What happened to the princes in the Tower anyway?
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, aristocracy, book review, books, Britain, conspiracies, everybody dies, fiction, greedy relatives, historical fiction, House of York, london town, review, romance, royalty, sweet sweet luuurve, up to no good, war | posted in Words
Bossypants by Tina Fey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Tina Fey is one of the funniest women in the comedy world. Bossypants is her venture into the comic memoir and it is a success. I highly recommend that you listen to the audio book. While the first third, largely a description of the years before she moved to New York, dragged a little bit, by the time she hit NBC she was in perfect groove. Ever wondered what it is like to be in a photo shoot? Want to know more about raising a child who has always seen her mother in the media sphere? Have you ever wondered the correct way to put on eye cream? All this and more are included in this truly hilarious tale. Go listen to it. Now.
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Leave a comment | tags: (auto)biographies & memoirs, 3.5 stars, beautiful people, book review, books, humorous, memoir, review | posted in Words
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Locke Lamora is what Oliver Twist could have been, had he not been so impossibly perfectly naive to the point of stupidity and dull innocent. Actually, I suppose one would have to say Locke has more in common with The Artful Dodger. An orphan who becomes a skilled thief, but with far more intelligence and skill. And burning down of large inns. In The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch creates a cast of characters who you’ll love and who will make you laugh. An equisite work of fantasy that overlaps heavily with the action genre, I highly recommend this work to anyone who likes their characters to be badass and have questionable motives.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, action or adventure, badassery, bloody spiders, book review, books, everybody dies, fantasy, fiction, questionable motives, review, up to no good, xposted to OSgA reviews | posted in Words
