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February books.
Mar. 9th, 2016 10:24 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
bluiidmommy.livejournal.comThe Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport
5 stars
Rappaport did her research. This book is excellently written (though a bit dry in parts) and made me feel such sympathy for the Romanov sisters. My mother's always been obsessed with the story of the Romanovs, and now I understand a bit of that obsession.
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
2 stars
Madeleine Roux sets a creepy mood, but her characters were too moody and secretive for my taste. Also, while some of the pictures went well with the story, not all of them did, and instead pulled me out of it. I won't be reading the others in this series. This wasn't a bad story, just not very interesting.
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
4 stars
The second in Riggs's trilogy, Hollow City surpasses Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The characters, leaving the safety of their loop to explore other loops in their search to bring Miss Peregrine back to human form, are fleshed out. They leave the safety of their loop, facing many enemies (and unlikely friends) along the way. I'm sad there's only one book left, but I'm confident that Riggs will bring this trilogy to a satisfying close.
The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur
4 stars
Messy brother Micheal and neat brother Norman often fight over the messiness or neatness of their room, but that all stops with the arrival of seeds Micheal didn't remember sending away for. Both boys take a seed and raise it, but it's not long before socks start disappearing and the boys realize both plants have an appetite for socks.
Shenanigans ensue when the boys try to keep their sock-eating plants a secret from their friends as well as try to convince their parents to keep the massive plants. I read this aloud to my children and they loved it.
Once Upon a Time edited by Lester del Rey and Rita Kessler
3 1/2 stars
Most of the stories were quite good, though a few were too slow for my taste. I did find a couple new authors that I plan to pursue.
A Circle of Children by Mary MacCracken
4 stars
This book was fantastic, chronicling Mary MacCracken's teaching of emotionally disturbed children, starting as a volunteer and through the years as she worked in various rooms. I loved how the children were described; each child fleshed out and loved despite his flaws. MacCracken took her experiences over the years and fictionalized the settings and the names, but behind every word breathes authenticity. I don't think a teacher like her or Helga or Dan or even the director Doris would be allowed to teach today, but they did such a mighty work in bringing light to those lost children.
I'd have given this book five out of five stars, but MacCracken jumps back and forth between present and past tense. Many times, her jumping between tenses pulled me out of the story.
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
4 stars
As with much that he writes, Neil Gaiman weaves a magical tale that drew me in until the end. I can't say much about the story without giving the ending away, but he blends the story of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty together seamlessly, creating a very realistic world. There's a soon-to-be-married young queen, an enchanted princess, a witch, and three dwarves. The story has quick pacing and charming illustrations, and Gaiman really takes the details from the Queen's past to flesh her out. If you enjoy fairy tales retold, you'll enjoy this one.
A Touch of Chill by Joan Aiken
4 stars
Most of these stories aren't scary as much as they are creepy. There were a couple I didn't fully understand, but there were none I disliked. A few were more sad than anything else, but overall I liked this collection of stories.
February total: 8
2016 total: 19
5 stars
Rappaport did her research. This book is excellently written (though a bit dry in parts) and made me feel such sympathy for the Romanov sisters. My mother's always been obsessed with the story of the Romanovs, and now I understand a bit of that obsession.
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
2 stars
Madeleine Roux sets a creepy mood, but her characters were too moody and secretive for my taste. Also, while some of the pictures went well with the story, not all of them did, and instead pulled me out of it. I won't be reading the others in this series. This wasn't a bad story, just not very interesting.
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
4 stars
The second in Riggs's trilogy, Hollow City surpasses Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The characters, leaving the safety of their loop to explore other loops in their search to bring Miss Peregrine back to human form, are fleshed out. They leave the safety of their loop, facing many enemies (and unlikely friends) along the way. I'm sad there's only one book left, but I'm confident that Riggs will bring this trilogy to a satisfying close.
The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur
4 stars
Messy brother Micheal and neat brother Norman often fight over the messiness or neatness of their room, but that all stops with the arrival of seeds Micheal didn't remember sending away for. Both boys take a seed and raise it, but it's not long before socks start disappearing and the boys realize both plants have an appetite for socks.
Shenanigans ensue when the boys try to keep their sock-eating plants a secret from their friends as well as try to convince their parents to keep the massive plants. I read this aloud to my children and they loved it.
Once Upon a Time edited by Lester del Rey and Rita Kessler
3 1/2 stars
Most of the stories were quite good, though a few were too slow for my taste. I did find a couple new authors that I plan to pursue.
A Circle of Children by Mary MacCracken
4 stars
This book was fantastic, chronicling Mary MacCracken's teaching of emotionally disturbed children, starting as a volunteer and through the years as she worked in various rooms. I loved how the children were described; each child fleshed out and loved despite his flaws. MacCracken took her experiences over the years and fictionalized the settings and the names, but behind every word breathes authenticity. I don't think a teacher like her or Helga or Dan or even the director Doris would be allowed to teach today, but they did such a mighty work in bringing light to those lost children.
I'd have given this book five out of five stars, but MacCracken jumps back and forth between present and past tense. Many times, her jumping between tenses pulled me out of the story.
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
4 stars
As with much that he writes, Neil Gaiman weaves a magical tale that drew me in until the end. I can't say much about the story without giving the ending away, but he blends the story of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty together seamlessly, creating a very realistic world. There's a soon-to-be-married young queen, an enchanted princess, a witch, and three dwarves. The story has quick pacing and charming illustrations, and Gaiman really takes the details from the Queen's past to flesh her out. If you enjoy fairy tales retold, you'll enjoy this one.
A Touch of Chill by Joan Aiken
4 stars
Most of these stories aren't scary as much as they are creepy. There were a couple I didn't fully understand, but there were none I disliked. A few were more sad than anything else, but overall I liked this collection of stories.
February total: 8
2016 total: 19
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