christianreader | Kiwiria's September Sequels

A Gift of Magic - Lois Duncan, 3/5, 240 pages
A good, but fairly run-of-the-mill YA. I liked it well enough, and there was a bit more substance to it than I originally thought. Most importantly, I thought it stayed true to its own universe, and the ending wasn't as rushed as can often happen in YA books from that time.

I did think the epilogue was a tad on the twee side though.

Manga Classic: Emma, 3/5, 308 pages
Fair disclaimer: While I absolutely love Jane Austen, and have no problems with graphic novels rewrites, I am not a huge fan of the manga style of drawing. It seems entirely too cutesy for me. However, that is personal opinion and definitely not an indication of the quality of the drawings. They were objectively very gorgeous and extremely detailed - even in the lower res of the ARC.

It is, of course, a very simplified and abridged version of Jane Austen's "Emma", but it stayed very true to the book, and as it's been awhile since I've read the original, I didn't find myself noticing any major changes, or even anything they'd left out. I've been wanting to reread "Emma" for quite awhile, but haven't really been able to make time for it, so this was the perfect compromise. ... even if I did keep comparing it to the movie, "Clueless" (dating myself here: it's one of my favourite teen movies :) ).

It was fun to read this different version of it, and it did come across as a true homage to the original. There can be no doubt that both the illustrator and the editor are big fans of the book.

Like with the Manga version of "Pride and Prejudice" I'd recommend this adaption without hesitation, but as an addition to reading the original - not as an alternative.

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins, 3/5, 336 pages
I started "reading" this as an audiobook and simply could not get through it - no clue why as I liked the narrators well enough. I think it was probably just too slow-moving for me. So when I found it as an ebook I switched and finished within 2 days!

I mostly liked it. Once I got properly into it, it was very difficult to put down, and although Rachel's self-destructive behaviour really bugged me at times, it got better through the book, and obviously served a purpose.

The book had me guessing until the very end almost. I had theories, but most of them turned out to be wrong. I kept thinking that there was something that didn't ring quite true though - and it turned out I was right.

Trying to avoid spoilers here, but the end annoyed me. Paula Hawkins took the easy way out when it came to the resolution, and it's the kind of cop-out that always annoys me in suspense novels, but which unfortunately is defaulted to way too often.

So with the slow start and annoying ending in mind, this couldn't get higher than 3 stars from me.

The Thing About Jellyfish - Ali Benjamin, 3.5/5, 352 pages
A quick read - I finished it in a day.

"The Thing About Jellyfish" is a sweet childrens/YA story that tackles a difficult subject - how do you cope with grief? Especially if your feelings about the deceased are conflicted.

I liked the way the story was interspersed with facts about jellyfish as well as flashbacks to Suzy's childhood and friendship with Franny. It worked well and gave us the background without resorting to telling rather than showing. I did think there were some things left unanswered or unexplored which pulled the end rating down to 3.5 stars, but as a whole, I enjoyed the book.

And it had was is possibly the best description of what ADHD is like - both with and without medication - that I've ever read. That was both very powerful and very poignant for a non-ADHD sufferer to read and gave me an understanding of it, that I hadn't had earlier.

Cooking as Fast as I Can - Cat Cora, 4/5, 256 pages
Full disclosure: I knew nothing about Cat Cora prior to picking up this book. However, I've long been interested in chef's memoirs, so I knew I wanted to read it all the same.

As many memoirs it was a bit slow to start, but after about 50 pages, it quickly made up for it and I found it difficult to put down. Cat's journey from cooking at home with her grandmother to being the first female Iron Chef and opening her own restaurants was absolutely fascinating, and certainly made me try my hand at cooking some of her delicious-sounding meals as well!

The story of Cat's rise to stardom was nicely seasoned with anecdotes from her more private life, and I appreciated the insight we got into her family, her relationships and her personal life in general. Cat Cora arose from the pages as a fully formed human being, instead of merely a 2-dimensional chef.

I'll have to check her out on youtube, and see if I can find any of her Iron Chef competitions.

All Clear - Connie Willis, 4.5/5, 643 pages
Still an amazing and complex series, but I didn't feel the same need to rush through it this time around. Also, I really wish the ending wasn't so ambiguous! What is it that Binnie won't reveal? And what does Polly realize about Colin? Not to mention, is there more to Sir Godfrey than meets the eye? Sheesh!

Book of the Month: Cooking as Fast as I Can
Biggest Disappointment: None really. I basically liked all books I read this month.