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anieva

I Like Books

I like to read, write and talk about writing.

Currently reading

Midnight in Austenland: A Novel
Shannon Hale
Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality
Rob Bell

The Winter Sea

The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley Soooooo good! Thoughtful and light and lovely and heartbreaking in places. But a beautiful story.

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 10)

Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris Well, I enjoyed it. And I think the quality of writing - ie. sentence and paragraph construction - is better. But I have comments and a question...

But, really, when I read a book, I like to wonder about motives and desires of the characters. In CH's books, I can't do that so much because there's a lack of 'integrity' in the characters, structurally speaking. They behave out of character for seeminly no good reason. And I have to think either CH has a plan or maybe she isn't taking the care with the books that would provide sounder personalities for the protagonists.

I was happy there was less rehashing of previous plot points, which generally I understand is often done. But since the series is so complex now, I think CH has wisely decidedly there's just too much previous story to mention.

Regarding Sookie's character, I think CH has done a good pointed yet subtle job of showing over the series the changes in Sookie's character from sensitive, shocked and sweet girl to fairly jaded fighter. I hope this goes somewhere. Based on comments in DITF, I think it will. She's irritating though, because she makes silly decisions (kind of understandable for plot purposes) and because she worries over moral issues that don't need so much worry and not over those that do.

Finally, can someone please explain the Niall thing? He put a spell on Dermot many years ago? Does that mean he's a big fat liar about Dermot's wanting to kill Sookie and having killed her parents? He wasn't there to help at all??

BTW, I have a love-hate relationship going on with these books on my blog, http://goodbooksbrightside.blogspot.com/. Somehow this series got to me. It can't be all that bad then!

What Would Jane Austen Do?

What Would Jane Austen Do? - Laurie Brown Surprisingly good. Perhaps 4.5 stars. Regency speak not duplicated as well as possible, but in this context (a fun historical romance novel) that not a big deal, if you suspend disbelief and just let yourself enjoy the ride. Imaginative. Fun.

Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America

Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America - Kati Marton Reading some of the comments on the three-starred and fewer-starred reviews here is surprising. One claim is that it is badly written. In what universe? I can agree there is perhaps a bit of dryness, but that's it. The story's substance more than makes up for this.

Another criticism, that Marton is repetitive. Not so much, actually. What Marton does is periodically reflect on her parents given the new info she has learned.

At least one person seemed surprised it was a memoir. Another wanted more info about life in Communist Hungary. Exactly how much info can one book (that's not a textbook) give? This book gives a detailed account of one family's, and many individual persons', lives in Hungary. This is not a census in narrative form.

Meanwhile, no one has seemed to understand the point of how very complicated all the persons in the book were. Secret Police harassing the parents and the parents later giving shelter to one of those very secret police, for example. U.S. diplomats who befriended the Martons and kept in mind, nonetheless, the idea that they might be spies for Hungary. The status of the Martons in the U.S. It wasn't an all-encompassing embrace by their new country: both the FBI and Hungary's Secret Police spied on them for years. These are complexities that shed light on what it means to be a person who does more than go to work and shop for groceries and watch soccer or football games. We can learn from it, but instead we're writing these limited reviews and comments. Some of the most important stuff here has flown over the heads of a great many - if not most - of the people who say they've read the book.

Of course, there are problems. As a reader, I felt Marton frustratingly gives a pass to her father on his treatment of his wife. But, hey, he's her father; she has a right to her viewpoint; and, I don't know everything about their family relationships. So, it's a point of gossip rather than a way to evaluate the book. One commenter felt Marton hasn't worked out her issues with her parents. So she shouldn't write a book? We're readers, not Marton's therapists.

Secondly, there were two or three translations that were inaccurate, which is curious since she is a native speaker. Thirdly, Marton does not use diacritical marks on her many Hungarian words and names. This is unfortunate and, to a Hungarian speaker, very obviously missing. If the book is going to exhibit the language, particularly one that so few speak, it should accurately depict it. It's puzzling why Marton failed to do this.

Overall, I found this book absorbing and a valuable insight on this bit of history and on human nature.

Insatiable

Insatiable - Meg Cabot Fun and funny and romantic. Sort of perfect for what it is - romantic, comedic, fantasy adventure.

After the Wall

After the Wall - Jana Hensel The voice of the author is often irritating, particularly because of the generalizations about groups of people which she makes quite firmly.

Nonetheless, I haven't seen a lot of books on this fascinating topic, so it was interesting. And, it's a really easy, quick read.

Was this young adult non-fiction does anyone know? For some reason, it seemed so, perhaps because of the age of the author during the time period in question.

She has another book in German, I think. Wonder if it was translated....

The Journal of Hélène Berr

The Journal of Hélène Berr - Hélène Berr This book falls short of five stars not because of its author, but rather the editors who did not nearly footnote enough the large cast of characters and the backstories which are contained between its overs.

Inklings

Inklings (The Oxford Chronicles) - Melanie M. Jeschke Isn't it refreshing to find a book which does not glorify promiscuity, which actually advocates sweetness and love? There are other books,like On Chesil Beach, for instance, which contain sexual references and are, indeed, also worthy of praise for their thoughtfulness and writing. However, this is the only book I've read that eschews the modern seemingly requisite trashiness that's found so often in novels.

The writing here is a bit amateurish, but what do I care? It's a great idea for a story sweetly done.

I actually found some of the writing humorous where it wasn't meant to be. And it could use some pizazz in its structure and sentence construction. However, the concept is so great - an American goes to Oxford University, meets a new Inklings group, and falls in love - that the writing can be forgiven and a reader can be thankful the book somehow made it into print given today's stinky narrative/content standards

Lost for Words (Little Black Dress)

Lost For Words - Lorelei Mathias Sweet book! A woman with a small position at a publisher finds a mysterious love while wrestling with her feelings about her current beau. An example of fun chick-lit which isn't obnoxious with vulgar language and situations. It's frothy like a beach shore and effervescent like ginger ale.

To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War

To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War - 'Betty Schimmel',  'Joyce Gabriel' How could this book not be one easily found in a bookstore? You probably have to go on-line to find this one, but it's worth it if you love a great, absorbing read.
It's very romantic. Will the lovers find each other after so many years? Incredible near-misses and ultimate reunion. I wasn't sure I should buy the book, despite its bargain price, but I did and couldn't believe I got such a great find. Recommended highly for romantics and the kind of person who used to like listening to Believe It or Not.

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

Dead Reckoning  - Charlaine Harris I have comments here: http://bit.ly/kK364b

The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder - Erin Blakemore 3 and 1/2 to 4 stars. Really good. Very reflective. Clearly, this was a labor of love, written with care - something appreciated by any booklover. Maybe a little over the top sometimes, but that's about all the negative there is, unless you don't agree with the author on certain points, but that's par-for-the- course, isn't it?

I only read about half as I haven't read some of the books, but I will probably continue when it become pertinent. (ie, when I've read the books and/or develop a sudden interest in the characters despite not having read the books)

Avalon High

Avalon High - Meg Cabot Fun. Imaginative. Just wish the follow-ups were novels, instead of manga. Would have loved to read more.

Outlander

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon A bit over three stars, perhaps, now.

I'm enjoying the minutiae of life as depicted in the book. But I have a difficult time with the Jamie character and am trying to figure out why so many readers are ga-ga over him.

He basically rapes Claire. He becomes mister-I'm-the-man-and-you'll-do-what-I-want after having been gentle and sane for a long time. It's like someone struck a critical area on his head and accidentally altered his personality with the blow, altered it significantly but with subtlety.

He apologizes for small things and then beats Claire into submission. Irritatingly, not a lot of internal or external dialogue is dedicated to this change in personality, though there's certainly lots to explore. Hopefully, it will be addressed and Jamie will see the huge errors in his ways.

I can't tell if the Scottish accent is spot on or way off or whatever, but it works to evoke the idea of the place and time, so no problem there. Somebody said somewhere that the dialogue sounds too modern sometimes and this is mildly accurate, but no big deal.

Still reading, so things could change....


UPDATE: I've finished and I'm inclined to give it five stars, despite my criticisms. It's complicated and imaginative and makes you care about the characters, the situations, and the issues. I quite liked it.

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 1)

Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris Very enjoyable. Maybe even 3.5 stars. But didn't care for some of the language. Also, a few sentences were strangely unclear. Some loopholes were present, too. For example, Sooki, a telepath, doesn't know what's going on in someone's mind once and this inability to 'hear' this person's thoughts is conveniently not explained. Sooki is really likeable, though. This was one of those books I used to look down on. Who knew?

Harry Potter, You're the Best!

Harry Potter, You're the Best!: A Tribute from Fans the World Over - Sharon Moore I didn't really read it at all; I perused it. It doesn't really seem to be written in children's language. Did anyone else find themselves doubting these were actually kids' letters? Seems like they might have had some major editing by the editor. Kids don't talk like that. Too "precious."