Vilandra

I actually don't really like voo doo stories, but this really did continue the nostalgic, relaxing feel of this series. This was was finished by a different author after Bellairs' death, but I don't think it feels written by someone else.

I enjoyed this one, but I think I liked The Family Remains better. I'm glad I read that one first. Henry is just really getting his voice by the end of this one. Having said that, I wasn't bored and always wanted to keep reading.

Just as delightful reading it now as when I was a kid.

I enjoyed this much more than We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I was surprised at how much of it is not about a Haunted House. There is a lot about setting off on your own for the first time and beautiful descriptions of idyllic scenes. It's much more psychological than horror.

This book made me laugh out loud. I feel like I would have loved this book more if I had read it as a kid though. There were some parts I just wanted to get through. You can definitely see the influence either from or to Doctor Who.

I liked this - it had funny dialogue. The characters are also distinct. There is something about it that I didn't like as much but I can't put my finger on it. The story was interesting and I feel like this one probably sets up the next one quite well.

Very Agatha Christie-esque mystery. What you would expect from JK Rowling - someone we know can write - but adult. I was invested in the story and characters, and I didn't think the particulars were blatantly obvious. I would definitely read the next book.

Giving it three stars for creativity, but it really belongs more on buzzfeed. I think it's loosely related to another book series of the author, but the excerpt given was fanfic at best.

This book was a 2 that became a 3 in the middle then went back to a 2. It's just too convoluted. It's barely got anything really to do with Jack the Ripper. It's like she had 3 ideas for books and smooshed them all together in this one. And the, “Remember when this happened on the show?”s every other paragraph got very tired by the end. She would just reference something from movies or tv instead of describing them. And the ending made very little sense. Just poorly constructed.

I thought this was slow starting but then got me back into the world. I liked the new characters and how in the end everyone overcame their differences and changed for the better. It was nice to read something uplifting for a change.

A delightful collection of stories about River Song by different authors. They get her voice & humor down very well and it was an enjoyable quick read.

So. Much. Eyerolling. The characters are all one dimensional, with no real motivation for any of the things they do. This is a world supposedly with “magic” that is exactly like the actual world; the author used zero imagination and might as well have forgotten this part of the story because it added zero to it. It's clear the author can put sentences together but has no ability to craft a story. She improves in the last 100 pages or so - but that leaves an incredibly boring 450 odd pages to get to that point. I kept reading only because I thought that surely these characters would eventually go on a personal journey, learn a lesson, something. Nope. No profound reveal at the end that these characters are wrong in their outlook, that extremes in either direction are bad. I wanted her to astound me with her clever plot twist. But no. The entire point of this seems to be that white people are evil and you can only be on the same side as someone who is just like you. This book is trash. When I started reading it, I jokingly said to myself that if I didn't know better I would say that the CCP paid for this to be written. That got less and less ridiculous the more I read. That someone actually published this astounds me. The last 100 pages could have some redeeming value as a jumping off point for debate on the actions of the characters...but I doubt that in today's society that would be allowed. What a complete waste of time.

I'll start off by saying that this is not the type of book I would ever choose to read. I purchased it for free when I first got my kindle and bought every free book there was. I was trying to clear some books off my list and said I'd give it 50 pages. But I found this book delightful! I was invested in the story and the characters, there was some really funny dialogue, and it left you with a good feeling. My only criticism is that I would be moseying along and then there would be something vulgar in it that would take me out of the story, but I think that's just because I am not a romance novel person. Someone who is would give this 5 stars, no question.

It was annoying that the author messed up the titles he used in a couple places, and there was too much telling instead of showing. But it was a good enough light read.

A very good book to read for Christmas. It was clever. The story was pretty well crafted I thought, not so predictable as to be ridiculous. The only things I didn't like were two annoying things the author kept inserting needlessly: the endless talk about corsets, and hitting us over and over and over the head about biphobia etc. The story worked well incorporating same sex romances - it was diminished by the author making these “no one understands people who are bi/lesbian!” comments. Let the story speak for itself!

I was really invested in this book until the last 75 pages. A weird romance thing, and the realization that what I had guessed at the very beginning ended up actually being true, plus the fact that it was a bit all over the place, lessened my enjoyment. I feel like it ended in a good place, but it could have been cleaned up a bit.

Enjoyable short story - my only complaint is how quickly the characters believe what is happening to them is real, but the author didn't really have the luxury of drawing it out. I liked both the characters and the storyline.

First off, this book is beautiful. It's a joy to turn the pages and see what's on the next page. Second, there are so many books mentioned that if you can't find at least one you want to read, then you don't want to read. There are also other cute things interspersed in, like quizzes, trivia and bits about bookstores and libraries around the globe. This is definitely a book I will refer back to.

I enjoyed reading this, both for the discussion of 16-17th century England and 19-early 20th century America. The difference in the market today verses the turn of the 20th century for books is amazing to see. The parts of the book about the library's construction was a bit boring to me, but overall an interesting read.

The story was interesting and I wanted to find out what happened. This reads like a film script, which also makes it confusing sometimes because transitions are not clear. My only other criticism is the teenager's voice - it sounds like the author watched Clueless then based a 14 year-old's speech on that. It just sounded fake.

I found this book very interesting - seeing that investigations of crimes were not done all that differently from today was surprising. There was more surrounding history than I expected, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a little bit like a term paper, but my only real criticism is that he would mention something, then go into more detail at a later point, which made it seem like he was repeating himself and jumping around. The text is very accessible, not dry at all.

I was really excited to read this book. It's beautiful, and I love finding new books I haven't read yet. But if I could get my money back for this one, and the wasted time, I would. First, it's more a collection of college newspaper book reviews than a love letter to great books. Reading it, I thought the author was some 22 year old. Come to find out, she's supposedly some highly acclaimed New York Times book critic who is old enough to know better. Second, it's boring. I wasn't inspired to add a single book to my reading list, and found myself just wanting it to be over. Third, too many quotations and too many name drops. And finally, more write ups mention Trump than don't. It's out of place in a book like this, and leaves us feeling as if the author is a petulant child - and an uneducated one at that. She needlessly inserts her political beliefs in her summaries, and with a complete unawareness of the irony. Don't waste your time on this one.

I thought this was pretty good - I didn't work it out until the end and I stayed interested in figuring it out.

I liked this book - the main character is a little stodgy but otherwise a good story.

This book is like the lost Christmas episode of Fleabag - I dare you to not picture Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Carmen. I liked this one a lot - not saccharine sweet romancey, but more of a how real people makes choices (and mistakes). The characters, even the children, are each distinct, and the family scenes which often go very Hallmark were instead heartwarming. Also, I actually cared about what happened next. I definitely recommend as a Christmas read.