Kiwiria's Books for January
Jan. 31st, 2011 09:58 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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christianreaderWoohoo! The first monthly book post of the year! On the off-chance that I actually finish another book this month, I'll just edit my post tomorrow :)
Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper, 5/5, 350 pages
It's gotta be a good omen when the first book of the year is a clear 5-star book, right? ;)
Fantastic book tying together events in Las Vegas and New York of 2009, Area 51 of 1947 and Isle of Wright of 777. The jump between settings and times made for a fascinating read, and gave enough clues that I was able to guess quite a number of the conclusions myself which was immensely satisfying. "Library of the Dead" was almost impossible to put down, and I'm very glad I already have the sequel readily available, because I definitely want to read that one as well.
Missing - Susan Lewis, 4/5, 568 pages
In style this most of all reminds me of Torey Hayden's books, which is weird as hers are memoirs and this is definitely fiction. However, I think a lot of that is preconceived notions as the book covers are so similar, which threw me for a loop at first.
I was very sceptical about this at first, not really knowing what to expect but fearing a fluffy chick-lit. Thankfully I was very wrong, and was quickly completely caught up in the intrigue and tragedy of the story. I did find that the characters were in general too two-dimensional, but the book never made any claims of being great literature, so I didn't feel disappointed with what I got.
It's very manipulative writing, and I have a feeling that Susan Lewis writes very formularic books, but she managed to grab my attention and hold it tight until the last page was turned, and most importantly, I was satisfied with the ending - so 4 stars it is.
The Year of Sacrifice - Rebecca LeeAnne Brammer, 4.5/5, 158 pages
Just like the first book in the series, The Year of Plenty this is a charming account of the life of a 1930s family on a farm in Kentucky. The title is to be taken seriously though, and even more so the difference between the title of the first one and this one. Depression is setting in, and life is becoming increasingly more difficult for the Fraleys, but they are a close-knit family, always willing to help each other in any way possible, and make the necessary sacrifices to support the others.
Despite the sacrifices hinted at in the title, it's a cozy book with much the same atmosphere as "The Little House" series and perfect for a quick comfort read (only took me about 90 minutes to read).
Room - Emma Donoghue, 5/5, 401 pages
An absolutely amazing book. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. It's consistent to its own universe, and the narrator voice works really really well. The writing is amazing - during a suspenseful moment I literally got nervous myself and could feel butterflies in my stomach - it's not often that a book affects me that strongly.
It's NOT a book to be read slowly and savoured - you won't be able to. I absolutely HAD to know what happened next, and stayed up far too late in order to finish it, as I simply couldn't put it down.
The first half of the book takes place in Room, and in many ways reminded me of William Sleator's "Singularity" - finding routines and habits in order to keep sane in a universe that only measures 11'x11'.
The second half is fascinating from a psychological point of view, and I found myself frustrated and charmed in turn by Jack and his Ma's reactions.
An amazing read that cannot be recommended highly enough.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl*, 5/5, 121 pages
This was my first introduction to the works of Roald Dahl, and remains my favourite. I love reading about the Chocolate Factory, and wish there had been time to visit more rooms... In fact, that was my main problem with the movie as well, but I guess they couldn't add rooms to the movie that weren't there in the book ;)
This time I read the book aloud to my niece, which forced me to take it slower, and actually gave me a greater appreciation of the poems - I tend to just skim those when reading it for myself.
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho, 3.5/5, 116 pages
Very different from what I had expected, and I'm not entirely sure I agree that it deserves all the hype there's been about it over the last few years. It's good to be sure, but not as amazing as I'd been let to believe.
However, it is a sweet story that most of all reminded me of "The Little Prince" in that the book's plot obviously took second place to the philosophy taught. I liked it, and found it a very peaceful and satisfying read.
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson*, 5/5, Audiobook, ~23hrs
This is the first time I've reread this since my original rush through it three years ago (where I read it in about a day). Listening to it as an audiobook forced me to take it slower, and savour it more. It's been my experience with Swedish authors that they add on a LOT of unnecessary details, and it was amusing to see that Stieg Larsson is no exception - a fact I completely breezed past the first time I read the book.
It's still fantastic though :)
Book of Souls - Glenn Cooper, 4/5, 287 pages
Not quite as good as "Library of the Dead" but still captivating and well worth reading! I wonder if Glenn Cooper has any plans of writing a book that takes place in 2027. I would definitely be interested in reading that!
I've always loved puzzles and clues which added a lot to my enjoyment of this book, but even without that it was still a fascinating read - especially the flash-backs through time, which allowed us to learn more about the history of the book. Now I just want to know more! :)
Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer, 3/5, 331 pages
I think it's about time that Eoin Colfer calls it quits on the Artemis Fowl series. Ever since book 4 (well... book 3 really, but I thought book 4 was HEAPS better than book 3) the series has been steadily declining, and there were just parts of this one that seemed decidedly disjointed. Granted, I read it while sick, so I won't deny that that might have had something to do with it as well.
Unfortunately it was also really badly translated - or rather, it was as if the translator hadn't actually read the book. Part of the Atlantis Complex is that Artemis Fowl is obsessed with the number 5 (no, this isn't a spoiler, it becomes clear within the first very few pages) and even tries to speak in sentences of 5, 10, 15... words. Except in Danish, he doesn't! And when trying to translate back into English, it's obvious that this is something that got lost in translation (after all "the table" is two words and "bordet" just one). I realize this is one of the things that's a big challenge for the translator, but I still think it's a shame that they messed up on a detail that was so obvious to the reader.
Ember - Bettie Sharpe, 4/5, 142 pages
Enjoyable read - I was just going to read the first few chapters before bed last night, and ended up finishing the entire thing. It's a quick read though, so only took me about an hour. Ember is an amusing retelling of the Cinderella story, and in many ways reminded me of M.M. Kaye's The Ordinary Princess, although it's definitely not as innocent. It's a fun idea, and in some ways I may even have enjoyed parts of this story more than the original (but then I've never liked the idea of an evil step-family) - and it's definitely the best retelling I've read.
Service Included - Phoebe Damrosch, 4/5, 222 pages
I'm fascinated by books that give me an insider's description of some profession I'm not personally intimately familiar with. This was no exception, and I actually think it was just as good as "Waiter Rant" by The Waiter. Sure, it included a lot about Phoebe's personal life as well, but as her personal life was so directly influenced by her work, I didn't mind at all.
But just like any other book of this type, I got so hungry for good food while reading it!
Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded - John Scalzi, 3.5/5, 368 pages
"Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded" is a collection of blog entries written by John Scalzi over the years. Some I disagreed strongly with, some were irrelevant, a couple were straight-out boring (although they were mostly the ones that were both irrelevant AND about people/situations I knew absolutely nothing about), but most were well-written and entertaining, and a select few even thought-provoking.
I don't know if I'll start reading his blog regularly now, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for him now and again.
Blood and Chocolate - Annette Curtis Klause, 2.5/5, 264 pages
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure whether this deserved a 2.5 rating or a straight 3 rating. I was well enough entertained while reading it, but once I put it down, I realized that there were several aspects about it that I didn't much like.
First of all, there was a very important thread that we never got tied up, and which pretty much left me thinking, "Hey, wait, what?!" when the book ended.
Secondly, the moral of the story was dubious at best, and could have been handled much, much better.
For a book that came so highly recommended, I was unfortunately very disappointed.
2.5 it is.
9 BSC books - Ann M. Martin 1350 pages total
Book of the Month: A tie between Room and Library of the Dead. Both fantastic, and SO different that it's impossible to choose.
Biggest Disappointment Blood and Chocolate. It came so highly recommended that I had expected a lot more of it.
Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper, 5/5, 350 pages
It's gotta be a good omen when the first book of the year is a clear 5-star book, right? ;)
Fantastic book tying together events in Las Vegas and New York of 2009, Area 51 of 1947 and Isle of Wright of 777. The jump between settings and times made for a fascinating read, and gave enough clues that I was able to guess quite a number of the conclusions myself which was immensely satisfying. "Library of the Dead" was almost impossible to put down, and I'm very glad I already have the sequel readily available, because I definitely want to read that one as well.
Missing - Susan Lewis, 4/5, 568 pages
In style this most of all reminds me of Torey Hayden's books, which is weird as hers are memoirs and this is definitely fiction. However, I think a lot of that is preconceived notions as the book covers are so similar, which threw me for a loop at first.
I was very sceptical about this at first, not really knowing what to expect but fearing a fluffy chick-lit. Thankfully I was very wrong, and was quickly completely caught up in the intrigue and tragedy of the story. I did find that the characters were in general too two-dimensional, but the book never made any claims of being great literature, so I didn't feel disappointed with what I got.
It's very manipulative writing, and I have a feeling that Susan Lewis writes very formularic books, but she managed to grab my attention and hold it tight until the last page was turned, and most importantly, I was satisfied with the ending - so 4 stars it is.
The Year of Sacrifice - Rebecca LeeAnne Brammer, 4.5/5, 158 pages
Just like the first book in the series, The Year of Plenty this is a charming account of the life of a 1930s family on a farm in Kentucky. The title is to be taken seriously though, and even more so the difference between the title of the first one and this one. Depression is setting in, and life is becoming increasingly more difficult for the Fraleys, but they are a close-knit family, always willing to help each other in any way possible, and make the necessary sacrifices to support the others.
Despite the sacrifices hinted at in the title, it's a cozy book with much the same atmosphere as "The Little House" series and perfect for a quick comfort read (only took me about 90 minutes to read).
Room - Emma Donoghue, 5/5, 401 pages
An absolutely amazing book. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. It's consistent to its own universe, and the narrator voice works really really well. The writing is amazing - during a suspenseful moment I literally got nervous myself and could feel butterflies in my stomach - it's not often that a book affects me that strongly.
It's NOT a book to be read slowly and savoured - you won't be able to. I absolutely HAD to know what happened next, and stayed up far too late in order to finish it, as I simply couldn't put it down.
The first half of the book takes place in Room, and in many ways reminded me of William Sleator's "Singularity" - finding routines and habits in order to keep sane in a universe that only measures 11'x11'.
The second half is fascinating from a psychological point of view, and I found myself frustrated and charmed in turn by Jack and his Ma's reactions.
An amazing read that cannot be recommended highly enough.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl*, 5/5, 121 pages
This was my first introduction to the works of Roald Dahl, and remains my favourite. I love reading about the Chocolate Factory, and wish there had been time to visit more rooms... In fact, that was my main problem with the movie as well, but I guess they couldn't add rooms to the movie that weren't there in the book ;)
This time I read the book aloud to my niece, which forced me to take it slower, and actually gave me a greater appreciation of the poems - I tend to just skim those when reading it for myself.
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho, 3.5/5, 116 pages
Very different from what I had expected, and I'm not entirely sure I agree that it deserves all the hype there's been about it over the last few years. It's good to be sure, but not as amazing as I'd been let to believe.
However, it is a sweet story that most of all reminded me of "The Little Prince" in that the book's plot obviously took second place to the philosophy taught. I liked it, and found it a very peaceful and satisfying read.
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson*, 5/5, Audiobook, ~23hrs
This is the first time I've reread this since my original rush through it three years ago (where I read it in about a day). Listening to it as an audiobook forced me to take it slower, and savour it more. It's been my experience with Swedish authors that they add on a LOT of unnecessary details, and it was amusing to see that Stieg Larsson is no exception - a fact I completely breezed past the first time I read the book.
It's still fantastic though :)
Book of Souls - Glenn Cooper, 4/5, 287 pages
Not quite as good as "Library of the Dead" but still captivating and well worth reading! I wonder if Glenn Cooper has any plans of writing a book that takes place in 2027. I would definitely be interested in reading that!
I've always loved puzzles and clues which added a lot to my enjoyment of this book, but even without that it was still a fascinating read - especially the flash-backs through time, which allowed us to learn more about the history of the book. Now I just want to know more! :)
Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer, 3/5, 331 pages
I think it's about time that Eoin Colfer calls it quits on the Artemis Fowl series. Ever since book 4 (well... book 3 really, but I thought book 4 was HEAPS better than book 3) the series has been steadily declining, and there were just parts of this one that seemed decidedly disjointed. Granted, I read it while sick, so I won't deny that that might have had something to do with it as well.
Unfortunately it was also really badly translated - or rather, it was as if the translator hadn't actually read the book. Part of the Atlantis Complex is that Artemis Fowl is obsessed with the number 5 (no, this isn't a spoiler, it becomes clear within the first very few pages) and even tries to speak in sentences of 5, 10, 15... words. Except in Danish, he doesn't! And when trying to translate back into English, it's obvious that this is something that got lost in translation (after all "the table" is two words and "bordet" just one). I realize this is one of the things that's a big challenge for the translator, but I still think it's a shame that they messed up on a detail that was so obvious to the reader.
Ember - Bettie Sharpe, 4/5, 142 pages
Enjoyable read - I was just going to read the first few chapters before bed last night, and ended up finishing the entire thing. It's a quick read though, so only took me about an hour. Ember is an amusing retelling of the Cinderella story, and in many ways reminded me of M.M. Kaye's The Ordinary Princess, although it's definitely not as innocent. It's a fun idea, and in some ways I may even have enjoyed parts of this story more than the original (but then I've never liked the idea of an evil step-family) - and it's definitely the best retelling I've read.
Service Included - Phoebe Damrosch, 4/5, 222 pages
I'm fascinated by books that give me an insider's description of some profession I'm not personally intimately familiar with. This was no exception, and I actually think it was just as good as "Waiter Rant" by The Waiter. Sure, it included a lot about Phoebe's personal life as well, but as her personal life was so directly influenced by her work, I didn't mind at all.
But just like any other book of this type, I got so hungry for good food while reading it!
Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded - John Scalzi, 3.5/5, 368 pages
"Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded" is a collection of blog entries written by John Scalzi over the years. Some I disagreed strongly with, some were irrelevant, a couple were straight-out boring (although they were mostly the ones that were both irrelevant AND about people/situations I knew absolutely nothing about), but most were well-written and entertaining, and a select few even thought-provoking.
I don't know if I'll start reading his blog regularly now, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for him now and again.
Blood and Chocolate - Annette Curtis Klause, 2.5/5, 264 pages
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure whether this deserved a 2.5 rating or a straight 3 rating. I was well enough entertained while reading it, but once I put it down, I realized that there were several aspects about it that I didn't much like.
First of all, there was a very important thread that we never got tied up, and which pretty much left me thinking, "Hey, wait, what?!" when the book ended.
Secondly, the moral of the story was dubious at best, and could have been handled much, much better.
For a book that came so highly recommended, I was unfortunately very disappointed.
2.5 it is.
9 BSC books - Ann M. Martin 1350 pages total
Book of the Month: A tie between Room and Library of the Dead. Both fantastic, and SO different that it's impossible to choose.
Biggest Disappointment Blood and Chocolate. It came so highly recommended that I had expected a lot more of it.
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Date: 2011-02-01 05:37 am (UTC)If you enjoy "The Little House" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I'm sure you'll love this too :-) Like LIW's books, it's based on real events (Rebecca's grandmother is the main character).
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Date: 2011-02-02 07:48 am (UTC)I love LHOTP as well :) They're some of my favourite comfort books!
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Date: 2011-02-03 06:24 am (UTC)Yeah I'm noticing that too. I think that's why I'm having trouble getting into it. I read the first 200 pages or so of Dragon Tattoo and haven't felt real motivated to go back. I imagine it gets a lot better but so far it's been way too much fluff for me. Or "unnecessary details" : )
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Date: 2011-02-03 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 08:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 08:39 am (UTC)