Rachel
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
First and foremost, I REALLY wanted to like this book. The summary sounded interesting and I couldn't wait to start. I enjoyed the first chapter and various other areas of the story, but most of the story was a kite that just couldn't get off the ground.
If I had to identify 1 major problem, it's with the main character Edna. She's underdeveloped and irritating. One minute she's this strong girl traveling into foreign places to save her kidnapped brother and the next she's a completely weak, incompetent girl who sits around crying and complaining all day. Also, Ike reveals a secret in the swamp about his background family and Edna just cracks jokes about it. How heartless can a person be?
Other notable problems:
- Ike and Edna's relationship. Hours into them meeting, Edna falls asleep on his shoulder. He almost robbed her! Then they're holding hands and making out in a cupboard? I could buy it if Edna was more mature, or if there was more buildup, but there was none. The characters felt like they were thrown together to fill a romance plotline.
- Too much detail on some things, not on others. Jordan has a knack for describing places in few words. I loved her descriptions in her previous book Escape from Witchwood Hollow. The descriptions this book were a mess. One example: When they stop by a farmhouse, Edna says she's thirsty, then focuses on the well for about a paragraph. The well isn't important to the storyline and take up valuable real estate in the book. That paragraph could have been spent elaborating more on the house or the people instead.
- Why would the police just forget their baby dragon?....
-Too much repitition. Harrison, Harrison, Harrison. I got it. She wants her brother back. It doesn't need to be repeated every other page.
-The Evil.... Mentioned over and over and over again with no substance. There's a way to build up suspense, this wasn't it.
-Conflicting paragraphs. One paragraph Edna is collapsing from exhaustion (specifically hiking through the swamp). Ike bends down for a minute to get water, and she's complaining that they need to get going to rescue Harrison.
-So many undeveloped characters. The gin house, the fairy girl at the beginning, the hags, the royalty, her mother, the creatures in the swamps. As a reader I met so many characters and was given such little information that I gave up caring whenever a new creature came in. My reaction “oh yay, another strange character that will be irrelevant in 3 paragraphs.”
I don't want to add any more spoilers. Simply put, this book never got off the ground. The premise had so much promise, but there wasn't enough world building. There was limited character development, and the main character was just... frustrating.
For Jordan, I don't know if you'll read my review. I'm sorry it's negative, but I felt I had to be honest. You have really great and original ideas, this book just fell flat for me.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
When I first read the summary I was wary. Based on that summary this sounded like a typical YA book where a heroine called Honoria enters a magical realm to do something impossible. In this case it'd be to resurrect her parents, who died in the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. This was how I INTERPRETED the summary. It really didn't do the book justice at all.
Before I delve into the summary I need to make an aside. I already mentioned that Honoria lost her parents in the September 11th attacks. I was old enough to remember that day. I remember hearing the news, watching the feed, the sirens, the smoke, the planes, the silence.... It was a moment that shocked the American nation to its core. For that reason, I'm exceedingly wary of anyone who tries to turn the event into fiction. If you have those same fears as me, fear not. This book references the attack but doesn't try to undo it. It doesn't add its own fairy tale mumbo jumbo to the event. For the most part, it doesn't even mention the attacks. Not because it's not an important event, but because it's not the focus of the story.
The real story focuses around three women in three different time periods. Lady Elizabeth (1600s) is on the run from the townsfolk. The author quickly labels her as the witch from Witchwood Hollow. Albertine (1800s) live in England. She is summoned by her father to travel to America. There she will meet her future Husband. The only problem? They live next to Witchwood Hollow. Honoria (2001) moves next to Witchwood Hollow following the death of her parents.
Since the book is fairly short, I don't want to give away too much about each of the characters. I do want to highlight things I did and didn't like.
Highlights:
The story - Wasn't what I expected and felt original.
The length - It was perfect for a lazy summer day.
Descriptions of characters - The author didn't spend much time elaborating on the different character, yet they all showed different personalities in relatively few words.
Descriptions of the lands - This was a real treat. I could picture most of the novel. I always find that a real treat. At times I could even smell the scent of the autumn woods.
Low points:
Grammar - There were a number of typos and overall rough sentences that need to be ironed out.
Timeline - There is no way Honoria's Aunt and Uncle could have taken custody of Honoria and her brother, found a home far away, moved in, and started at a new school only 2 weeks after September 11th. Yes, they wanted to rush away from the city and the memories, but most forms of transportation and communications were shut down. First responders were still pulling bodies from the rubble weeks later. The earliest they could have moved was late October. A more realistic timeline would have been Spring 2002, or fall 2002.
September 11th attacks - Granted, most people would not have talked about the attacks around Honoria, but there was no mention at all about the terrorists, the planes, going to war, etc. This attack changed America. Some minor character should have referenced it.
Honoria's brother - Seemed absolutely indifferent to his parent's deaths. Perhaps this is his way of coping, but a little insight into that emotion would have been nice. maybe it was briefly referenced, but his chipper attitude and indifferent attitude is what stuck out the most in my mind. For someone who just lost his parents in an unthinkable way, he seems to be doing just fine.
The ghost at the inn - Later we get information of who this ghost is and why they might be there, but this chapter/storyline was incredibly underdeveloped. If people could see him, then why not elaborate that more? It felt out of place to begin with, so I'd recommend scrapping that plot line for another story, but it just felt out of place.
Summary - Didn't do the story justice. It completely missed the point of the novel.
The ending - WHY!? I don't want to include spoilers here.... but it was unnecessary. Most of the novel focused on finding a way to survive. Honoria must survive her parent's deaths, Elizabeth must learn to survive on her own, Mary Anne must survive without her sister, Albertine must survive a trip into the unkown and find her way out in an unknown country, Leon must survive something to do with his father and something else. The story claims to be about Witchwood Hollow, but really it's about the Hollow and the surrounding town being the keys to helping the characters survive the troubles the characters face in their lives. Some characters endings were good, but for others... the ending completely undid the point of the story.
Long story short:
I enjoyed this story. It wasn't the best book I've read, but it wasn't the worst either. There were many original ideas which is hard to find these days. I found it to be a quick read and once I started, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the premise of the woods and the variety of the characters. I was eager to read more about them. There were some hiccups in the storyline, and some rough points, but overall I enjoyed it. I feel the author has potential and I'm interested to read more from her.
Night Music is the second collection of short stories and novellas by John Connolly. It features a variety of tales regarding the supernatural ranging from ancient to modern times. I confess I haven't read the first collection, but felt it wasn't necessary to read before starting this.
The tales includes are: (summaries in brackets)
1. The Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository - (A man retires from his dead end job and moves to the country. There he sees a woman jump in front of a train. Why would she do that and why are there no remains anywhere? )
2. The Blood of the Lamb - (A young girl with a gift or a curse is being visited by priests from the vatican)
3. A Dream of Winter - (A young boy see an old man's face in his window at school)
4. The Lamia - (A woman raped in a small town looks for revenge)
5. The Hollow King: From the Universe of The Book of Lost Things - (A myst creeps over the land destroying everything in its path. )
6. The Children of Dr. Lyall - (Two thieves break into an old woman's house during World War II. The house is filled with strange patterns with initials. Who is the woman and what do these patterns mean?)
7. The Fractured Atlas - Five Fragments - (A collection of 5 stories featuring a book called “The Fractured Atlas”. Story 1 (The Dread and Fear of Kinds) takes place in the Dark Ages and introduces readers to the The Fractured Atlas, a strange book with a cover made of skin, and pages that only open when they choose. Story 2 (The Djinn) features Mags, a man who buys and sells books for a living. During an estate sale he finds the Fractured Atlas among its possessions. Story 3 (Mud) features an old soldier from World War II who is haunted by things he did or didn't do during the war. Story 4 (The Wanderer in Unknown Realms) features a private investigator hired to find a very rich man that has disappeared. This is the longest story in The Fractured Atlas and has been published before with great acclaim. Story 5 (And in Darkness Shall We Dwell) concludes the story of the Fractured Atlas and wraps up questions from the first 4 stories. )
8. Razorshins - (A group of men from rival gangs are transporting liquor during prohibition. A snow storm begins and the men take refuge on a man's farm, but they're not alone)
9. On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637) by Frans Mier - (A man recounts a painting of men dissecting a body for science and the death of a murderess Elizabeth Evans. )
10. A Haunting - (A widow books a stay in the hotel room he and his late wife used to rent out for every anniversary. After a short nap, the man finds a woman's belongings in his room. Then his wife appears. Is he the ghost, or is she? )
11. Lazarus - (This story explores the resurrection of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus of Nazareth. What is it like to be brought back from the dead? Is there really life after death?)
12. Holmes on the Range: A Tale of the Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository - (Related to the first story in this book, this tale looks at the addition of Sherlock Holmes and Watson to the Caxton Library. Fans of Sherlock Holmes should enjoy this tale)
13. I live here. - (Not a short story, but a collection of thoughts by the author John Connolly. It recounts book tours, and the sources that inspired his love of classic horror. He delves into lesser known facts about famous horror authors Bram Stoker and Mary Shelly and references books, tv shows, and movies that shaped him as a child. It's an interesting chapter with many ideas of what to watch and read next. )
The Wishing Spell transports a twin brother and sister into the land of fairy tales. The Tenth Kingdom did a very similar storyline 16 years ago. If you want to visit fairy-tale land, just watch that mini series.
It's clear the author of the Wishing Spell, Chris Colfer loves fairy tales. His excitement is obvious, but his writing is incredibly sloppy. The prologue begins with Snow White demanding to know if her evil step mother ever loved her. Why should she answer her? She's evil. Let her stay evil....
Next the story jumps to children in a classroom talking about and writing papers about fairy tales. First of all, the children are 12. I don't think 12 year olds are writing 7 page papers with that sort of advanced language in it. The girl is a goody two shoes, the boy is lazy and blunt. Then they go to the land of fairy tales. Suddenly the girl is an adventure seeker and the boy is a bumbling idiot. Then, nearly every chapter (felt like every page almost) there was another fairy tale character mentioned. It was too much.
In short.... If you love fairy tales, and the new trend of all the fairy tales being in one place, you might enjoy this book. If you like better written fairy tales, or retellings, there are many better options out there. This story just felt like it dragged, and there was nothing really innovative about it.
This is not a fast read. This is the story of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany. It is a book narrated by death.
I really enjoyed this book. It's not a fast read. It shows an interesting side to the war. Liesel is a small beacon of hope in a very dark time. Over the course of the book she begins to understand what's happening around her. The war, the unfair persecution. Death doesn't always focus on Liesel. At various points he follows other characters. His comments are the most interesting.
The only thing I didn't like us that he tells us of certain characters deaths very early in the story.
The premise of the book sounds interesting. It has nearly everything. A family secret, a ghost, twins, a mystery, a fire. Unfortunately the book becomes clogged with too much. The characters all start to blend. They appear for a handful of pages, then dissappear. When they reappear you're left struggling to remember who is who. At first I tried to separate the characters by what they did, the gardener, the twins. then the characters with those titles kept multiplying. Honestly, a book does not need more than 1 set of twins as main characters In a book. It became so confusing that I kept having to give up or flip back. It was like a sink full of dirty dishes and food scraps on thanksgiving night. There were thing everywhere. Cleaning the dishes should have been the main focus. Instead, in this book, the author decided to ignore the dishes and try to identify all the floating food scraps.
After watching A Theory of Everything, I was compelled to read Mr. Hawking's book.
I have never studied physics. Whatever knowledge I had of space and time comes from early high school, but mostly gradeschool. I've heard of Einstein, and Galileo. I've seen science fiction films, but the theme has never really interested me. It always seemed too technical and even mathematical.
Mr. Hawking does a good job explaining these complicated topics in a way for intermediates to understand. You must have a basic knowledge of science, and also have an extensive vocabulary. Mr. Hawking tries to break the topics down as best as he can, however there were still times I was completely lost.
I was surprised to find pieces of Mr. Hawking's humor shining through the book. they are small remarks, but it was a nice addition to a heavy subject matter. My favorite section were his two chapters on black holes. Mr. Hawking studied them for years. his passion and excitement seems to bleed onto the pages. It is due to those two chapters that I'm interested in reading more about his research.
I would recommend this to others, but with the disclaimer that it needs your full attention. If you're multitasking you're wasting your time. It's a relatively short book and can be finished in a day if one is really dedicated.
I'm sure I missed some key facts in the book, but I feel better after reading it. I feel smarter. I feel like Mr. Hawking has shared part of his knowledge with me. It's as if I was listeneing to one of his lectures. I've been given insight into the mind of a genius. I didn't understand everything but I've come out more intelligent than when I went in.
The Bone Forest is listed as a sequel to Mythago Wood, but really it's a collection of short stories. Each tale is different, but the collection as a whole is haunting, ancient, and like a shadow. The stories can be barbaric. Others mysterious. Others feel so ancient.
They feel like a collection of another world, a world that once was, and still is, but has been lost to time. It's a world that's right there withing our grasp. We just need to open ourselves up to it.
Holdstock's imagination feels unlimited. He captures ancient pagan tradition. He captures medieval times, modern times, even the future. The reader is transported to all these places and more.
Most of the time I didn't see the words. I saw the worlds. I was there with the character. I was running through the forest. I could smell the scent of the wood.
I'm glad I was able to find this book and continue my journey through Holdstock's worlds.
As a child, I would not have enjoyed this book. The story is bizarre. So is the writing style. The author narrates the story like a parent reads to a child.
I've read hundreds of books in my life. I know the general writing formula. Honestly, it's great to find a story that breaks the rules. This book wasn't happy. It was depressing, but it was different. I also really enjoyed the little definitions the author added in. Bravo.
BUY THE AUDIOBOOK! Seriously. If you're a fan of the movie, you'll love the audiobook. It features Cary Elwes, Carol Kane, Wallace Sean, Billy Crystal, Chris Sarandon, Rob Reiner, Robin Wright, and Norman Lear (producer).
It was delight to listen to the cast recount these behind the scenes moments. I smiled from ear to ear the whole time.
It's hard to review this book, so I'll break down the different parts.
Story: ** The story is an emotional roller coaster. Often I started to picture myself in their shoes. Not only does Kevin share his side, but his wife Sam shares hers. Various friends and crew members give outside points of view. Those were very powerful. It's easy to forget there are others in the world who are suffering. This puts it front and center. Kevin shares so many intimate details. It's raw, and an incredible insight into Kevin's struggles. Editing: **. there are so many names being dropped that it takes away from the overall story. It was too much. Clearly they were so eager to tell their story that they didn't know where to limit it. Reading: *** This was the second story I've heard Kevin Sorbo narrate. At first i hated it. he was so cocky. Then I realized that is who he is. who could present the story more realistically than the person it happened to. Sam provides narrative for herself and other book contributions. Hercules Fans: *** There isn't much insight into the shows until the 2/3 mark. then it gets really good. overall: **. the story is inspiring, but could have used more editing. Around the 40% mark I was ready to give up. I'm glad I didn't. the last 1/4 was the best. Kevin grew up. That made the rest worth it.
When I started this book, I didn't realize it would be the final book. I thought the author may continue to write more. Turns out she passed away only a few years after this book was published.
There is something so charming about Wynn-jones writing. Unlike Castle in the Air, Sophie and Howl make appearances fairly early. This was a huge improvement. Howl disguises himself as a mischievous child named Twinkle. Every time he made an appearance I could feel myself smiling. Poor Sophie, but oh Howl.
I also loved the magically expanding house. i expected them to expand more on the house. perhaps the author planned to, but ran out of time.
in summary, this wasn't as chaotic as the first two books, but it's charming and a great Sunday read.
I am sad that there won't be more trips back to Ingary, but maybe it's time to visit her other books.
If you love books and you're looking for a cozy mystery, this is it.
Brooklyn is a book restorer who works on a show special similar to antiques roadshow. she appraises a very rare edition of The Secret Garden for tens of thousands of dollars. Then there is a murder. Who is willing to kill to get the book? Read it and find out.
Side note: This was the first book I read in the series. I found it fairly easy to follow all the characters and didn't need to read the others first.
What a great book about success. I learned some great tips while reading/listening to this. I'm really looking forward to making my success board this weekend. Steve called it something else, but I can't remember it. I found the concepts to be more important.
I'd like to listen to this six months from now, comparing how successful I've been in that time. The audiobook only took 4 hours and was def worth the time to listen to.
