Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
I enjoyed Fool Moon more than I did Storm Front, which I definitely enjoyed. Harry was still stupidly overprotective of other people in a way which put them in more danger than they would have been otherwise, but at least there was less “omg, the wimmenz, they need protecting and coddling” bullshit. I also found the story more interesting. Where the first book bounced around in a way that I found confusing at times, the pace of the second was pretty good. The audio is also great. I recommend listening to these. I’m looking forward to the next one!
Tag Archives: 4 stars
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files #2)
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (Harry Potter #5)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Good lord, I’ve not reviewed a single book I’ve read this year & it’s already February. *deep breath* Here goes…
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Review: Pear-Pecan Muffins
As you can see from the discre pancy in the post and recipe titles, I substituted pecans for the walnuts and was lazy so they weren’t toasted. I don’t know how much difference that made, but I can assure you these muffins were absolutely wonderful. They stayed moist and light, even the one that was left the next day. My only regret is that I didn’t make a double recipe. I’ll definitely be doing that next time.
Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #5)
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Magic Slays has a poignancy and genuine darkness that was a change from the preceding books in the series. Unfortunately,it also has some problems, for instance the complete ignoring of everything that happened in Magic Dreams. That being said, Kate shows vulnerabilities and weaknesses that made her a far more believable character. The villain was of a sort I had been waiting to see since the main construct of the series was introduced. The tension between Kate & Curran was more believable than in the past. Overall, perhaps less enjoyable because of the afore-mentioned darkness, but a better book. 4 stars just for that.
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Review: Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #3.5)
Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Magic Mourns is probably my favorite of the Kate Daniels novellas. Andrea Nash is not a character to whom I paid much attention prior to this read. In addition to watching her try to come to grips with some stuff in her life, we also see her chasing down Cerberus. With the assistance of Raphael the sexy werehyena and Thanatos, Angel of Death, who happens to be a guy living in a trailer park named Teddy. How could that not be awesome?
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Review: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #3)
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Magic Strikes is my favorite of the Kate Daniels novels to date. I chalk this up to really liking Derek’s and Dali’s characters. Derek in particular gained more dimension in this installment. Dali was really funny, while also plucky. At risk of spoilers, all I am going to say is that there are gladiator games and Kate & Curran end up on opposing sides of an issue in a much more concrete way than they have before. Simon also receives an interesting treatment. Overall, I enjoyed this read quite a bit.
Review: Crispy Quinoa Cakes Recipe
I made this recipe a few weeks ago and it got rave reviews from all. Even the people who are suspicious of anything vegetarian loved it. The combination of the cakes and the Red Pepper Sauce was excellent. I highly recommend!
I did make a few small changes. Due to the tastes of some of the people around here I used an Irish potato instead of a sweet potato. In the future, I will most likely use more quinoa.
Review: Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I cannot remember a time in my life when I have not loved music and loved to sing. I was raised in an environment where singing, and singing in front of others was pervasive. That being said, other than voice lessons, I have very little formal knowledge of what music is. I do not play an instrument or read music easily, and I most certainly have never been taught how music impacts the brain. Fortunately for me, in Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain Oliver Sacks addresses the latter, and does so in his beautiful flowing style. Somethings I’ve suspected were confirmed. Other pipe dreams, like that I could someday acquire perfect pitch, were dashed, but that is fine because of how fascinating the book was. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in any facet of music or the workings of the human brain.
Review: The Name of the Wind
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.
Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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.