November and Decemeber reading
I need to put together my year-end review. But here is the last installment of 2012.
Total for the two months: 2 books and 10 audiobooks
All ratings are on how much I enjoyed the book, and don't necessarily factor in artistic merit or lack there of ;-). Ratings for re-reads are for how much I enjoyed the book this time.
Ratings (5 star rating will only be given rarely):
to
4 and 4 1/2 star: It sparked a passion in me
3 to 3 1/2 star: I really really liked it, but wasn't passionate about it
2 stars: It was so so
1 stars: I didn't like it
AB = Audiobook
(Date) = date finished
-- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book VIII) -- Alexander McCall Smith [AB] (Nov. 15) -- Another great one.
-- The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg -- Margaret Vermette [Non Fiction] (Nov. 18) -- This was a great book! I especially enjoyed the discussion of the differences between the French and English languages when it comes to music.
-- Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book X) -- Alexander McCall Smith [AB] (Nov. 22) -- Another winner.
-- Alchemy and Meggy Swann -- Karen Cushman [AB] [Children] (Nov. 29) -- Cushman is one of the best writers of historical fiction for children!
-- A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal 1830-32 -- Joan W. Blos [Children] (late November?) -- I normally am skeptical of novels written in the diary format. It normally feels so contrived. But this felt so authentic! Wow.
-- Permanent Rose -- Hilary McKay [AB] [Children] (early December?) -- One of the few authors who can make me really laugh. Although as a warning I will say that this family is REALLY dysfunctional and if you think about it long enough there are real problems here. But for awhile it's nice to laugh at the problems.
-- The Mighty Miss Malone -- Christopher Paul Curtis [AB] [Children] (early to mid December) -- I love Curtis's books but this one isn't quite as good. The early part is great but I didn't feel the ending lived up to the power of Curtis's other book's endings. I hate to say it but a mildly tragic ending might have served this story better. Still not a bad way to spend your time. Curtis is a great writer.
-- Monstrous Beauty -- Elizabeth Fama [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 23) -- This is a great escapist fantasy. I had a couple problems with it but the author sold me on it anyway. The author clearly had done historical research and research into myth and legend.
-- Between the Sea and Sky -- Jaclyn Dolamor [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 25?) -- This was terrible and it didn't help that I'd just read Montrous Beauty which uses much of the same mythology as its background. Aside from just not fitting in with the feel of the legends, this book had almost no character development, no depth, and the adventure and romance the book advertised was basically nonexistent. I kept with it because I kept thinking the story would improved, but by the time I realized it wouldn't I was about 2/3rds of the way through the book and I wanted to finish so I could review it here.
-- Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow -- Jessica Day George [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec 29) -- A very nice escapist fantasy. I've read other retellings of this fairy tale, Edith Pattou's East is probably the best although in that version and in this version the romance doesn't really come off as believable. But this is a fine version as well. I thought the finish could have been stronger but all in all a fun story. Although, no retelling I've read seems to deal with the underpinning almost sexist themes, if you really think about it the story is telling women not to question their husbands and to remain quiet in bed. LOL!
-- The Mermaid Garden -- Santa Montefiore [AB] (Dec. 31) -- This was great fun, very addictive. However I never quite bought the modern romance and I thought the author tried to tie up too many of the loose ends at the end so I'm lower this by half a star. Still, this is a great fun light read.
-- Wicked Lovely -- Melissa Marr [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 31) -- I'm conflicted about this, on the one hand this was very additive and fun but on the other it was just to disturbing on too many levels. Where is the Grandmother this whole time? Yuck. Seriously on the one had I appreciate that the author didn't try to totally sanitize her fairies Disney style but on the other had she threw in all this PC crap to sanitize them! And then there's loads of PC crap in the relationship with Seth. Not to mention the obvious questions about Aislinn's mother which are totally ignored. The whole thing felt half way done.
Total for the two months: 2 books and 10 audiobooks
All ratings are on how much I enjoyed the book, and don't necessarily factor in artistic merit or lack there of ;-). Ratings for re-reads are for how much I enjoyed the book this time.
Ratings (5 star rating will only be given rarely):
to
4 and 4 1/2 star: It sparked a passion in me
3 to 3 1/2 star: I really really liked it, but wasn't passionate about it
2 stars: It was so so
1 stars: I didn't like it
AB = Audiobook
(Date) = date finished
-- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book VIII) -- Alexander McCall Smith [AB] (Nov. 15) -- Another great one.
-- The Musical World of Boublil and Schönberg -- Margaret Vermette [Non Fiction] (Nov. 18) -- This was a great book! I especially enjoyed the discussion of the differences between the French and English languages when it comes to music.
-- Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book X) -- Alexander McCall Smith [AB] (Nov. 22) -- Another winner.
-- Alchemy and Meggy Swann -- Karen Cushman [AB] [Children] (Nov. 29) -- Cushman is one of the best writers of historical fiction for children!
-- A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal 1830-32 -- Joan W. Blos [Children] (late November?) -- I normally am skeptical of novels written in the diary format. It normally feels so contrived. But this felt so authentic! Wow.
-- Permanent Rose -- Hilary McKay [AB] [Children] (early December?) -- One of the few authors who can make me really laugh. Although as a warning I will say that this family is REALLY dysfunctional and if you think about it long enough there are real problems here. But for awhile it's nice to laugh at the problems.
-- The Mighty Miss Malone -- Christopher Paul Curtis [AB] [Children] (early to mid December) -- I love Curtis's books but this one isn't quite as good. The early part is great but I didn't feel the ending lived up to the power of Curtis's other book's endings. I hate to say it but a mildly tragic ending might have served this story better. Still not a bad way to spend your time. Curtis is a great writer.
-- Monstrous Beauty -- Elizabeth Fama [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 23) -- This is a great escapist fantasy. I had a couple problems with it but the author sold me on it anyway. The author clearly had done historical research and research into myth and legend.
-- Between the Sea and Sky -- Jaclyn Dolamor [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 25?) -- This was terrible and it didn't help that I'd just read Montrous Beauty which uses much of the same mythology as its background. Aside from just not fitting in with the feel of the legends, this book had almost no character development, no depth, and the adventure and romance the book advertised was basically nonexistent. I kept with it because I kept thinking the story would improved, but by the time I realized it wouldn't I was about 2/3rds of the way through the book and I wanted to finish so I could review it here.
-- Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow -- Jessica Day George [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec 29) -- A very nice escapist fantasy. I've read other retellings of this fairy tale, Edith Pattou's East is probably the best although in that version and in this version the romance doesn't really come off as believable. But this is a fine version as well. I thought the finish could have been stronger but all in all a fun story. Although, no retelling I've read seems to deal with the underpinning almost sexist themes, if you really think about it the story is telling women not to question their husbands and to remain quiet in bed. LOL!
-- The Mermaid Garden -- Santa Montefiore [AB] (Dec. 31) -- This was great fun, very addictive. However I never quite bought the modern romance and I thought the author tried to tie up too many of the loose ends at the end so I'm lower this by half a star. Still, this is a great fun light read.
-- Wicked Lovely -- Melissa Marr [AB] [Young Adult] (Dec. 31) -- I'm conflicted about this, on the one hand this was very additive and fun but on the other it was just to disturbing on too many levels. Where is the Grandmother this whole time? Yuck. Seriously on the one had I appreciate that the author didn't try to totally sanitize her fairies Disney style but on the other had she threw in all this PC crap to sanitize them! And then there's loads of PC crap in the relationship with Seth. Not to mention the obvious questions about Aislinn's mother which are totally ignored. The whole thing felt half way done.