Lisa's 22-26
Book 22 - The Circle Opens: Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce
This was my favorite of the four narrators, but this book was So. Bloody. It disturbs me that kids read these.
Book 23 - The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
This continues to be fun to read. I love that there are no limits whatsoever in what can happen. It always amazes me when fantasy writers make up so many rules for themselves that they can barely breathe in their own stories. Narnia? Anything can happen, baby.
Book 24 - Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern
From Publishers Weekly: Ahern (PS, I Love You) uses letters, notes, e-mails and instant messages to narrate her poignant second novel about thwarted love and missed opportunities. Plucky Rosie Dunne is infatuated with her best friend since childhood, Alex Stewart, but Alex has always been oblivious. After he moves from Ireland to the U.S. with his family, the two keep in touch, planning to reunite-first at Rosie's prom and, later, at college. But Rosie has the kind of bad luck you see in the movies...
That goes on, but that's the gist of it. Everything that can go bad does in this book. To the point where it's ridiculous. Even things that couldn't possibly go wrong end up going wrong. It's so over-the-top and there are SO many conveniently-inconvenient pregnancies that it's really just silly. The main character is very nearly hard to like, but still a little charming, and I liked this despite not liking the characters for a good long while at the beginning. It really stretches the plausibility of the epistolary novel at some points... but still mostly fun. Definitely funner to read than P.S. I Love You, since Rosie doesn't spend half the book crying, at least. But I guess Ahern gets points for keeping me interested despite me wanting to pretty much throttle her characters and/or plotlines.
As a side note, I just found out from her web site that Ahern created Samantha Who? the TV show, and that makes so much sense. The selfishness but then little surprise nicenesses of the main characters... I'm almost surprised I didn't realize that on my own.
Book 25 - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Look I've spelled her name correctly for once! And now that I know that her name is spelled with all e's, it kind of bugs me. Meh. This re-read confirms that I care more about Jacob than I do about Edward, because Jacob's scenes still manage to rip my heart out. Whereas Edward's sadness I kind of just shrug off. Not that I'd expect anything but an Edward/Bella ending from Miss Meyer. I guess I'm ready for Breaking Dawn, though.
Book 26 - The Circle Opens: Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
I don't much like Briar's books. This one wasn't as bloody as the above, thankfully. Until the end, that is. Blech. Some of the concepts are neat, I have to admit. But again, are these really aimed at kids? People say Harry Potter is dark, and okay some of it is, but at least he's not running around murdering his enemies.
This was my favorite of the four narrators, but this book was So. Bloody. It disturbs me that kids read these.
Book 23 - The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
This continues to be fun to read. I love that there are no limits whatsoever in what can happen. It always amazes me when fantasy writers make up so many rules for themselves that they can barely breathe in their own stories. Narnia? Anything can happen, baby.
Book 24 - Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern
From Publishers Weekly: Ahern (PS, I Love You) uses letters, notes, e-mails and instant messages to narrate her poignant second novel about thwarted love and missed opportunities. Plucky Rosie Dunne is infatuated with her best friend since childhood, Alex Stewart, but Alex has always been oblivious. After he moves from Ireland to the U.S. with his family, the two keep in touch, planning to reunite-first at Rosie's prom and, later, at college. But Rosie has the kind of bad luck you see in the movies...
That goes on, but that's the gist of it. Everything that can go bad does in this book. To the point where it's ridiculous. Even things that couldn't possibly go wrong end up going wrong. It's so over-the-top and there are SO many conveniently-inconvenient pregnancies that it's really just silly. The main character is very nearly hard to like, but still a little charming, and I liked this despite not liking the characters for a good long while at the beginning. It really stretches the plausibility of the epistolary novel at some points... but still mostly fun. Definitely funner to read than P.S. I Love You, since Rosie doesn't spend half the book crying, at least. But I guess Ahern gets points for keeping me interested despite me wanting to pretty much throttle her characters and/or plotlines.
As a side note, I just found out from her web site that Ahern created Samantha Who? the TV show, and that makes so much sense. The selfishness but then little surprise nicenesses of the main characters... I'm almost surprised I didn't realize that on my own.
Book 25 - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Look I've spelled her name correctly for once! And now that I know that her name is spelled with all e's, it kind of bugs me. Meh. This re-read confirms that I care more about Jacob than I do about Edward, because Jacob's scenes still manage to rip my heart out. Whereas Edward's sadness I kind of just shrug off. Not that I'd expect anything but an Edward/Bella ending from Miss Meyer. I guess I'm ready for Breaking Dawn, though.
Book 26 - The Circle Opens: Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
I don't much like Briar's books. This one wasn't as bloody as the above, thankfully. Until the end, that is. Blech. Some of the concepts are neat, I have to admit. But again, are these really aimed at kids? People say Harry Potter is dark, and okay some of it is, but at least he's not running around murdering his enemies.