christianreader | Kiwiria's September Sequels

Scent of Magic - Maria V. Snyder, 4/5, 414 pages
I stand corrected. Just when I complain about Maria Snyder's books being formulaic, along comes one that doesn't fit the bill. I started out not being terribly interested in the chapters told from Kerrick's POV, but fortunately that quickly changed!

However, the book obviously suffers from "middle book in a trilogy" curse, in that not much happens as the characters get in line for whatever's about the happen in the third book. I liked it well enough, but wasn't quite as enamoured of it as the first book, as there were too many side plots that weren't of any great interest to me. It's still a solid 4 star book though (okay, perhaps 3.5 star, but leaning more towards 4 than 3), and I'm very keen to get started on the last one.

Feed - Mira Grant*, 4.5/5, 599 pages
Fed - Mira Grant*, 4/5, 53 pages
Countdown - Mira Grant*, 4/5, 104 pages
Just as good the second time around. I LOVED these!

Feathers - Debora Geary, 4/5, 30 pages
A lovely little snippet to tide me over until the last book was released

Hyperbole and a Half - Allie Brosh*, 5/5, 385 pages
I'd better start out with a confession -- I've been pronouncing 'hyperbole' incorrectly my entire life! The dangers of only reading a word and never hearing it spoken...

A reread - I love this book. Allie's letters to previous selves was probably my favourite essay, but the two essays on depression were heartwrenchingly relateable.

Sleeping Solo - Audrey Faye, 4/5, 51 pages
I don't really feel right rating this book. How can you "grade" somebody's personal experience? Fortunately the goodreads rating system (which I've adopted here too) is based on how much you like a book, and not how good you think it is from a literary standpoint. That helps.

"Sleeping Solo" is Debora Geary's first book under her new pen-name, and does a lot to explain why she had to change pen-names, and why she could no longer remain Debora Geary.

It's a fascinating book about the first 8 months of her life post-divorce, and invites you a look into her journey from a married woman to a single mother.

Personally I am amazed at how quickly she was able to regroup - had I not known the timeline I would have assumed these events took place over a couple of years rather than 8 months - but each person regroups in their own fashion, and while I do believe some ways are healthier than others, it does seem as if Audrey Faye chose the way that was best and healthiest for her.

It's a deeply personal account, that doesn't claim to offer any advice or "truth" for other people in a similar situation, but is simply a writer's way of reacting to a deeply personal and transitional set of circumstances.

I appreciated reading it, and getting to know a bit more about the person behind some of my favourite books.

Gracefully Grayson - Ami Polonsky, 4/5, 250 pages
Much of this book made for rather unpleasant reading. It is never nice to read about people being bullied, and even more so when that bullying spreads over to a person's home life. I hope Grayson grows up to trust his uncle, and that his aunt realizes what a disservice she's doing him, by wanting him to appear "normal". I can understand her reasoning, but some things are just more important than keeping yourself "safe" from bullying (which obviously doesn't work anyway, but somehow some people keep thinking it will).

The book was a bit slow to start, but once the rehearsals for the school play began it really took off, and I found it hard to put down. I loved how Grayson finally managed to find a place for himself in the school, and how he started to relate to the other actors.

This could have been a 5-star read, but unfortunately the end fell a bit flat. I would have liked to see Grayson's relationship with Jack and his aunt be resolved somewhat. I'm glad Ami Polonsky didn't end it immediately after the play though, which is what I originally had feared.

I think it is an important book, and am glad such a book has been written for a younger audience than normal. Many thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy.

Dødsenglen - Sara Blædel*, 4/5, 306 pages
(Angel of Death)
A terrific continuation to the Louise Rick series. Sara Blædel clearly improves by each book - her writing is ever tighter and the plot more detailed. This one included a twist I had not seen coming, but which turned out to be completely believable in the scope of the novel.

My only complaint with this novel is that there was too little about Louise's private life and especially one huge (and important!) thread concerning her foster son was left hanging. I hope this is merely in order to pick it up in a later sequel - otherwise I think she made a huge mistake in not tying it off properly here.

But excellent entertainment regardless. Definitely one of the best in the series.

De danske tigre - Lars Ulslev Johannesen, 4/5, 265 pages
Not my usual reading fare, but Lars Ulslev is a colleague of mine, and ever since I first heard of this book I knew I had to read it, in order to learn more about his background.

And as such it made for absolutely fascinating reading. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like, but he did a terrific job at describing the situation in an engaging manner without making it a sensational account.

I already had a great deal of respect for Lars Ulslev because of who he is, but now I can add a deep sense of respect for his actions in the past as well. I don't know what I would have thought of the book if I hadn't know somebody involved, but as it is, I found it incredibly interesting.

A Dangerous Witch - Debora Geary, 4/5, 165 pages
Very bittersweet book to read, since I knew it would be the last book about my dear witches. I almost put off reading it, so I'd still have something 'new' to read, but in the end I couldn't wait. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that Debora Geary gets attacked by plot bunnies sometime in the future after all ;)

That said, having read this I can understand her decision. I don't mean to say that it's badly written or anything, but for the first time ever the book is plot-driven rather than character-driven... Which makes sense, if she no longer feels like she can draw on her personal experiences to write the characters - then the plot would have to take center stage. And it feels weird to say, because usually I prefer plot-driven books, but this series is apparently the exception that proves the rule, and I missed the crazy asides that has made me come to know and love the Witch Central characters so. But Debora Geary was determined only to "add words that were worthy of Witch Central" and I understand and respect that decision. And at the end of the day, I think she succeeded very nicely.

I am very sorry to see the end of Witch Central - it has meant more to me than almost all other book series I can think of - but I wish Debora Geary all the best for the future, and thank her for the hours of joy and love she has brought me through these characters.

She hasn't stopped writing completely though, and I will make sure to continue to follow her under her new pseudonym.

Things I Learned From Knitting - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, 3/5, 160 pages
Fun collection of musings about knitting. Not Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's best, but certainly not her worst either.

The Hidden Staircase - Carolyn Keene*, 2/5, 182 pages
This used to be my favourite Nancy Drew book, but unfortunately it doesn't really hold up to the test of time. It is extremely dated and very simplified. Part of this may be the translation, as the language seemed rather stilted at times.

Dear John, I Love Jane - Candace Walsh, 2.5/5, 272 pages
I picked this book up, not really knowing what to expect, and put it down again, not really knowing what I thought. I'm obviously not the target audience, and as such I thought it fell a little flat... or rather, it was a tad one-dimensional. I would have appreciated essays from the ex-husbands and children as well in order to tell the full story.

The essays were all well-written though, so all in all it made for a solid average read.

Book of the Month: De danske tigre. I will admit to a touch of "hero-worship" for want of better word. Lars is the head of HR where I work, and as such has been the one to "keep tabs on me" while I was sick. It was really, really interesting to see this different side of a man whom I see as this extremely kind and caring person.

Biggest Disappointment: The Hidden Staircase. I don't usually include rereads here, but this used to be an old favourite of mine, and it's such a shame when childhood favourites can't stand up to the test of time.