Tag Archives: witches & wizards
Worst Books Read in 2011
8. The Black Company by Glen Cook
As I suspected at the time, The Black Company proved utterly forgettable. I also hated the naming convention and it felt like I was reading an idea for a book rather than the book itself.
Also, the big, bad wizard people had flying carpets. Seriously. Shame on you, Glen Cook. Shame on you.
Original Review
9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
8 comments | tags: 1.5 stars, black company, book review, books, boozy, disappointing, fantasy, felt dirty, fiction, glen cook, godawful, questionable motives, review, the fuck is this the fuck was that, up to no good, witches & wizards, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Best Books Read in 2011
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
A Great & Terrible Beauty earned its place on this list by showing me that young adult paranormal fantasy can be enjoyable. I remain surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s genuinely good. Unfortunately, the second is kind of awful, but the third is also great.
Original Review
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
9 comments | tags: 4.5 stars, a great and terrible beauty, best books read in 2011, book review, books, fantasy, fiction, gemma doyle, libba bray, magical creatures, re-read potential, review, witches & wizards, you think your family has issues, young adult | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
Best Books Read in 2011
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
In this case, The Color of Magic stands in for the Discworld series as a whole. For Christmas last year, my boyfriend gave me the first two and I was hooked. The series is not as consistently good, but I have enjoyed the majority of the books I have read to date. It also has the benefit of each book being able to stand alone or mixed & matched by its dominant characters.
Original Review
10 comments | tags: 5 stars, best books read in 2011, book review, books, discworld, fantasy, luggage, other worlds, re-read potential, recommended by a friend, review, rincewind, terry pratchett, the color of magic, too stubborn for their own good, turtles, witches & wizards | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, 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
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