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Twelve Years a Slave
phenomenaladjective
1. highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptional
That is what I think of this wonderful book by Karen Harrington. Sarah Nelson is a newly minted twelve year old who just happens to be a logophile. She also has a pet plant that she confides in and her favorite novel is [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361975680s/2657.jpg|3275794].
How could I not love a kid like that? Sarah just wants to have a great summer for once in her life. Unfortunately, she and her alcoholic dad are always trying to keep one step ahead of a devastating secret about her mother. Sarah is always worried that she will turn out too much like her parents, and this causes her to continually question herself and her actions.
This novel was well done and I would recommend it to ages 11 and up. I would caution recommending this for the 9 to 10 year olds that are usually included in the middle-grade reader group. An implied attempt at sexual assault on another character is the main reason for my hesitation. I think the scene could have been left out altogether without compromising the message of the book. Also the fact that Sarah's mother tried to kill her, might be too much for a younger reader to handle
I am so glad I had the chance to read and review this novel I won on goodreads, and as usual my review is unbiased.
The Lion's Paw
My boys and I read this adventure over the summer. We loved all of the characters, especially the resilient, hardworking Penny. For a book that was written over 60 years ago to still keep the attention of modern children, it must be good. The ages of the children in the story are a perfect match for the middle grade children that this book appeals to. The only hindrance that we had, was all of the unfamiliar nautical language. However, we used that as an opportunity to add some new words to our vocabulary. Great book! Highly recommended.
I only enjoyed the first 5 chapters. The rest was just too much non-sense for me. It's not that I don't like science fiction. I like science fiction. I don't like off-the-wall, let's all wear underwear on our heads and make up long hard to pronounce words for the heck of it.. science fiction. I even like quite a bit of British humor, but this was no Mr. Bean(I love him!) Oh and Marvin the robot is my most hated fictional character EVER! I wanted to poke my eyes out when I got to his speeches. I had to force myself to finish. Good thing it is a short book!
Loved this book! I entered the goodreads giveaway for this book at least 10 times, so when I finally won I was ecstatic! How can you go wrong with a crack head that sees ghosts?! This novel was funny, action packed, and yet there was a deeper meaning in those pages as well. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to just about anyone.
I wanted to read something different from my normal genres, so I entered the goodreads giveaway for this book (My unbiased review follows)Never read Sedaris before, but I can see why he is so popular. His humor reminds me of Seinfeld a little.
The first half of the book, especially the chapters that he talks about his father seemed a bit sad to me. I was thinking "Hey isn't this supposed to be funny?" I kept feeling sorry for the child Sedaris instead of laughing with him.
I really didn't start enjoying the book until about the midway point. My favorite chapter was #2 to Go! I was cringing and laughing out loud at the same time. Other faves were
Just a Quick Email
Author, Author
Understanding Understanding Owls
Happy Place
Everything averages out to a 3 out of 5, and I would not mind reading more of his work. Other reviews mention that this was not his best, so maybe I will pick up some of his earlir books.
Orbie has suffered a lot in his short 9 years of life. His father died in a tragic accident and he has a too-soon stepdaddy, Victor, that barely tolerates him. So at the first chance, he is given the boot in Kentucky to stay with his grandparents. His Momma promises that they will come back for him as soon as they get things settled in Florida, but of course, it takes longer than she had planned. The story takes place in the late 50's, so racial prejudices are front and center in this coming of age tale. Orbie arrives in Kentucky with a bunch of hatred in his heart. Hatred for his stepdaddy, hatred for God, and hatred for black people. (The N* word is used frequently due to the subject matter, so readers should be aware) He uses his 'sailor's mouth' to fend off anyone that might truly care for him. His Granpaw has a mouth to match his and a wicked sense of humor. Both he and Granny have beliefs that Orbie just doesn't care for, such as race equality and attending church. Slowly but surely, Orbie realizes how little he really 'knows' about life. His grandparents and a new friend helps to open his eyes and heart to new experiences.
What I like most about this book is that the Orbie doesn't all of a sudden mature and turn into an angel. His character develops at a very realistic pace, and does things at true to life speed. One of my pet peeves is when a character in a book has a sudden change of heart just because it would fit the plot better.
There is good deal of magical realism in this book. I really enjoyed that element of the story. It softens the edges on many of the serious subjects (child abuse, death, racism, domestic violence) dealt with in this novel. Also, loved the way the author brought all of the people in this novel to life. The descriptions and dialect were so rich that it was easy to immerse myself into their lives. I learned some new phrases and words that I've never heard before. "Soak" is a morning delicacy "By grabs!"
I highly recommend this book for anyone who would enjoy a story with just the right mix of good vs evil, suspense, humor, and mystery. There are also trained chickens, rain skulls, and snake handling preachers. A little something for everyone ;)
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I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. My review is unbiased.
Chronology of an Egg
Really enjoyed the first story in this collection. I have never read anything that remotely comes close to it's weirdness. Talk about acceptance! The 'feasting' scene actually made me a bit queasy... but in a good way. The middle stories all had interesting premises, but I wanted them to be fleshed out just a little more. Call me greedy I guess.
I admit, the last story just confused me. I wasn't sure exactly what happened at the end. Whose fault was it really? Maybe I should just reread that part.
All in all, it was a goodread and it certainly peaked my interest in Liu's other work.
The individual stories of Hattie's children and 1 grandchild were well written. Mathis has given us a good glimpse into their lives, but I ultimately wanted more. Especially wanted to know more about Ruthie and Ella since we only met them briefly as infants. This book was good, but I think it could have been great with the addition of 50 to 100 more pages. She gave us a sip of really delicious writing but then left me unsatisfied with the lack of details.
I may be one of the few people who have never watched the entire movie "The Princess Bride" I always seem to catch it in the beginning (and somehow leave during the middle) or the end. I guess it never interested me enough to seek out the movie and watch the entire thing. That should have been my first clue...It's not that I didn't find the book clever. I did. Once I figured out the Morgenstern thing, I realized what an imaginative concept Goldman had put to pen. The edition I read had 2 introductions (which I skimmed) and the Buttercup's Baby section. I could have done without all the extras. I didn't really find them all that interesting.
The story itself would have been much much better without all of the 'explanations and interruptions' They really started to grind on my nerves.
As for the story... my favorite characters were not the main characters. I enjoyed the sections with Inigo and Fezzik the most. Westley was cruel to Buttercup and his 'love' for her could just as easily be interpreted as possessiveness. Especially the part where he slaps her! What in the world! I didn't see him as a knight in shining armor at all. Buttercups personality is flat and dull as well. I just couldn't really sympathize with her at all.
There were some funny parts, but nothing really laugh out loud funny to me. I was happy when I finished.
Overall, it was okay and there were several sections that held my attention. I just didn't enjoy the book enough to give it more than 2 stars. As the goodreads ratings attest, most readers don't agree with me on this one.
Finally done with the series. This final chapter was much better than the one before it, but still lacked the originality of the 1st Book of Ember. Lina and Doon are back and looking for something to make everyone's lives just a little bit easier in the town of Sparks. They return to the one place they thought they had left forever, the City of Ember.
There are some new characters introduced in book 4. I wonder if I am the only one who thinks the writers for the movie The Krug's was inspired by the irritating Trogg family from Darkhold. Hmmmm....
The best thing I can say about this book is that it provides a satisfying, even if a bit predictable, closure to this story. I would still recommend it for anyone who like to read middle grade books. Go ahead and read the series, but skip Book 3 (totally unnecessary) for your own sanity.
This was a really cute book. I was reminded of the Little Rascals several times. I admire the independent spirit of the Diaper Gang and Turtle was a feisty unforgettable character. I would definitely recommend it for the 9 to 12 year old age group. Really a fun read!
The premise of the book was interesting, but that was the only good thing about it. The story went back and forth between two story lines. One involved Isabel, the researcher who works with the bonobos and who was badly injured in the bombing attack on the lab. The other involved John, a reporter, and his wife. Unfortunately, I was not interested in John's story line at all. John's wife Amanda was very whiny and I had to force myself not to just skim over the sections with her in them. It was very simple to figure out who was behind the destruction of the Language Lab, and most of the story was predictable. There were also some weird things in the book like written out sound effects ... boots that went clunk, clunk explosions that rocked with Ka-Booms ! written out in italics. It seemed very juvenile for a non YA book. Overall, I was mostly bored with this story. "It was ok" is the perfect description for it.
Mr. Poe is one of my favorite authors. So much so that every year I take my extremely thick and heavy copy of his complete works ([b:The Complete Tales and Poems|837021|The Complete Tales and Poems|Edgar Allan Poe|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327942553s/837021.jpg|30431]) from the shelf and read various stories. I just open it up and whatever story or poem lays before me, I go back to the start and read it. I usually do this during October for effect. After 2 or 3 weeks, I put the book back on the shelf and look forward to our next annual meeting. He was a master of words and I never get tired of reading his tales. So, when I saw this on the goodreads giveaway list, I really really really wanted to win it because even though I love Edgar's writing, I have never done much reading about his background and life. I was so excited when I won the book and hoped that it would be full of interesting details. This book did not disappoint me in the least.
I never knew of the 'scandalous' relationship between Poe and the beautiful poet Frances Osgood, and I never thought much of his marriage to his cousin. I somehow remembered that they were related, but I certainly did not remember how young Virginia Poe was when she married him. Throw an absent Mr. Osgood into the mix, and you have the recipe for a juicy novel.
Cullen did an excellent job of bringing mid 19th century New York to life. I felt as if I was walking down the streets with Frances and Edgar. Her accounts of the famous personalities of the day were also very vivid and interesting. The story of Virginia and Frances' "friendship" was extremely well done. I read this book very quickly because I wanted to know what Virginia had planned for Frances, what Poe had planned for Virginia, and what Frances planned to do about ALL of it!
There is a certain amount of tragedy and darkness lurking at the edges of this story. Living at that time in history, it would be almost a miracle for anyone to avoid it. Illness and death were constant companions of the populace, so no wonder a writer like Poe emerged.
For the most part, this story focuses on two soul mates who struggle to keep their relationship from destroying them and those around them. It is very bittersweet and I loved every page of it.
This was my first encounter with Sarah Addison Allen, and I really enjoyed the book. The best word I can come up with to describe it is 'sweet'. It was light on mystery, drama, romance, and magical realism. Nothing too shocking happened even though I was anticipating something dramatic. The main characters were all likeable, and I think that might have been what I was missing in this story. The only antagonist was not a main character, and that kind of dulled the story a bit. I would still recommend this as a fun read, and I am going to check out the author's other books.
On the Line
I enjoyed the first chapters of this book the most. It was very interesting to read about how her close family played and practiced together. I never realized how many hours elite atheletes log in perfecting their skills. I admire their dedication to each other and the game. I am not a big tennis fan and I don't know the rules very well. This was a hindrance to me especially during the later part of the book where she detailed her matches point by point. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I knew what she was talking about! I really enjoyed the photo section of the book as well. It was a neat addition to the memoir.
Fly is a taxi driver in Montreal(or a city much like it, the book never really specified) and the book Carnival is centered around his interactions with the people he has met both as a driver and in his everyday life.
Fly had an unusual upbringing as the child of circus performers and his observations of the world are all colored by it. Hage has a talent for wordplay and long sentences...
"I say, docters are the profiteers of death and unclaimed cadavers that were once inhabited by homeless and wandering poets! Doctors are the final custodians of those delusional walkers who roamed the streets, reciting monologues to imaginary friends, their long orangutan arms peeking out from magician's cuffs and reaching the inside the bellies of city barrels to make food appear and cans disappear and recycle into metal tables displaying the wretched of the earth, the unclaimed dead, in open chests and torn shoes."
Fly is also a lover of literature. His musings are extremely scholastic. He is tolerant of most people but has a certain disgust for non-readers. Literature is a big part of his life and he has hoarded hundred of books in his apartment.
He also talks about self pleasure A LOT. If the old wives tale was true, poor Fly would have been blind at a very young age.
I am rambling with this review, but the book sort of does that. Just floats from one story to the next like acts in a circus, and I suppose that was the intent. The writing was good, I just didn't connect with the story. It is a solid 3.0 because of the intelligence of his prose.
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I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. My review is unbiased.