Book Logging
Jul. 9th, 2011 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_rckAtherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree - This book isn't much different from other installments in the Aunt Dimity series. I know that, in a couple of weeks, I won't remember the details or be able to distinguish this installment from the others in my memory. The book was an easy read, filling an afternoon at my in-laws' place. I enjoyed reading something that I knew would work out well and in which nobody was malicious.
Bishop, Anne. Shalador's Lady - I'm still embarrassed to admit to reading Anne Bishop, but, providing I skim over or skip certain parts, I can read her books. This one was on the gentler side for her work. I mainly had to skim over the sections with one character deluding himself that the Queen he adored was really a good and unselfish person while she was proving at every turn that she was rotten.
Bishop, Anne. Twilight's Dawn - This is a collection of stories set in Bishop's jewels universe. None of them really grabbed me strongly though I did read all of them. I did find myself wondering, on reading the last story, whether Bishop's tired of that universe. That story skips ahead in time, to a point when the shorter lived characters have died of old age.
Bradshaw, Gillian. Cleopatra's Heir - I stalled out on reading this. I was only half surprised. I like Bradshaw's historical fiction, and that has carried me through some of her books in spite of other difficulties, but in this case, I couldn't. It's not because the book is a bad one. I simply found Caesarion difficult to like and found myself too anxious about plot developments to continue.
Brust, Steven. Tiassa - Possibly I need to go back and reread all the books in the Vlad series. I think I'm forgetting a lot of details, and the details seem to matter. Although the silver tiassa featured in all of the stories in the book, I didn't find it sufficient to make them feel united. I enjoyed all of them, but I enjoyed them as separate entities.
Grantville Gazette IV - I'm counting this as read even though I skipped all of the non-fiction articles. They didn't look interesting enough to pull me away from my writing. Most of the stories felt more like snapshots than narratives with a beginning and an end-- That is, they felt like moments in bigger stories. I'm fascinated by the 1632 universe, but I'm currently steering away from the novels because I don't want to deal with the stress of them and the teeny, tiny steps forward. There's too much going on for me to follow. Maybe in a few years I'll gather the novels I haven't yet read and skip through them in a way that lets me find out what happened without wrecking myself.
Ihimaera, Witi. The Whale Rider - I was surprised by how short this book was and by how fast I read it. I'd seen the movie, but somehow I expected something heavier. I liked the sense of community and the mystery of the whales. The author's choice of narrator worked but also surprised me-- He was peripheral to much of the action, witnessing it, reporting it but not a primary mover. He saw more than most, I think.
Kenner, Julie. Carpe Demon; Kenner, Julie. California Demon; Kenner, Julie. Demons Are Forever - These are the first three books in Kenner's series about a demon hunting soccer mom. The main character was a demon hunter during her teens and into her early twenties, but she retired to marry and start a family. Now on her second marriage (after being widowed), she has a teenager, a toddler, and a husband with political ambitions. That's when the demons come back into her life. She has to juggle her everyday obligations along with preventing demons from acquiring powerful artifacts, releasing bigger demons and so on. Each book adds to the complications. There are two more in the library. I'm certainly going to read them.
Law, Ingrid. Savvy - I wanted this book to be something it wasn't. That is, I was more interested in the savvies than in the family drama. The book was more about family and friendship and making mistakes. The story would have been different if the main character's family didn't have special powers (the 'savvy' of the title), but the big events wouldn't really change-- The father would still be in the hospital, and the kids would still be trying desperately to get there.
Lee, Marie G. If It Hadn't Been for Yoon Jun - I think I was expecting more from this book than I should have. I had to remind myself more than once that I'm nowhere near the target age for this book (maybe third grade?). The book's about an adoptee from Korea who is afraid that learning more about Korea will make her less a part of her family and community. She wants to be no different from all the white kids around her. Then a recent immigrant from Korea comes to her school.
Lee, Sharon and Steve Miller. Saltation - I gave up on this after reading about three quarters of it. I was bored. None of the events or supporting characters seemed to connect to a bigger story. Perhaps if I'd read the previous book (the library doesn't have it), I'd be invested enough in the main character and her quest to be pilot to have that investment carry me through this book. Perhaps.
Levitt, Steven D. and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics - I found this surprisingly readable. I'd expected to bounce off it hard. I still ran into parts I didn't understand, but they were all things I could read around. I'd have liked to see more proof offered for the assertions in the book (though I'm not sure I'd have understood proof if offered). A lot of the assertions seemed to need more support.
Liu, Marjorie M. Shadow Touch - This was my second attempt to read one of Liu's Dirk and Steele (am I remembering the names correctly? It's been months). This time, I got through the book. I wasn't very interested in the romance, but I was intrigued by the world and the powers people had. I wanted to know more about the factions of people with powers. I may try another book in this series, but I fear I'd end up frustrated by the romance plot.
Lord, Karen. Redemption in Indigo - It's been long enough since I read this that I don't remember details very well. I know I liked it quite a bit and would recommend it to other people, but names of characters and the actual step by step flow of events escape me. There was magic and supernatural beings and bits of everyday life. The heroine's husband was decidedly undesirable but, as I recall, in a way that evoked pity as much as disgust.
Mahy, Margaret. The Magician of Hoad - I was more than a little surprised when I finished this book. I think I just had fortunate timing with it-- Many days, it would set off my anxiety and end up going back to the library unfinished, but the day I actually read it, I must have been feeling stronger or more certain than usual because I got through it all. The book follows a boy who has magic. Rumors of his gift reach the king's court, and the king sends people to collect him. He doesn't want to go but has no choice. He eventually grows into his magic, navigates political intrigue and falls in love. The woman he loves has her own story.
Malvern, Gladys. Behold Your Queen - I don't usually blog rereads, but I'm so thrilled to see this book back in print (after something like forty years!). I'd despaired of ever being able to obtain a copy, and it's one of my childhood favorites. It's a retelling of the story of Esther. I had previously reread it as an adult, so I expected to find it thinner than the story I remembered reading in elementary school (this seems sadly common in adult rereads. I remember so much more depth than is actually there). I did notice a couple of things on this reread that I hadn't before. The first is that it makes no sense for Uncle Mordecai to be single. He's a wealthy man and an observant Jew. It would be believable for him to be widowed, but I suppose that would disrupt the vision Malvern has of a happy household consisting entirely of Mordecai and Hadassah (Esther). The second is that Malvern refers to the Amalekites as 'Aryan.' Was that term even in use then? Why would it apply to the Amalekites?
Marriott, Zoe. The Swan Kingdom - I didn't actually read all of this book. It made me too anxious. I was interested enough, however, to keep opening it up to different points and reading until I couldn't any more. I probably read half to two thirds of it that way, so I figure I should count it. This fairy tale retelling has only three brothers instead of the more traditional larger numbers (I know seven is common, but I seem to recall at least one version with eleven or twelve brothers). That was manageable and allowed them all to have personalities. The villain is scary and powerful and not easily defeated.
McCall Smith, Alexander. Akimbo and the Snakes - This is a short kid's book about a boy who spends a long vacation visiting the park his uncle runs. The park specializes in snakes and has many species in captivity. One day, they get a report of a green mamba, a highly poisonous species that they haven't previously been able to capture. I'll probably read the other Akimbo books that the library has. I'm interested in the wildlife described.
McCall Smith, Alexander. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Tears of the Giraffe; McCall Smith, Alexander. Morality for Beautiful Girls; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Kalahari Typing School for Men; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Full Cupboard of Life; McCall Smith, Alexander. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies; McCall Smith, Alexander. Blue Shoes and Happiness; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Miracle at Speedy Motors; McCall Smith, Alexander. Teatime for the Traditionally Built; McCall Smith, Alexander. Double Comfort Safari Club - These books blur together for me. I've enjoyed them all, working my way through the library's holdings at the rate of about one book a week. I like that the characters are so very human in ways that make them likable even as they have their flaws. I'm not so sure about labeling them mysteries. When there's a mystery present, it tends to be slight, something resolved in a chapter or two with a little bit of talking to people. Of course, I'm not convinced they're anything else, either. I like them (as one can tell from the way I've been going through them). I recommend them.
McCall, Smith, Alexander. Portuguese Irregular Verbs - I gave up on this after about four chapters. I simply didn't like the main character and didn't want to spend time with him. I think I was supposed to find his adventures humorous, but I didn't.
McKay, Hilary. Saffy's Angel - I didn't like this book as much as some other people whose reviews I've read did. I didn't dislike it. I just-- How to put it? I think I'm too old. Rather than looking at the children who are the main characters and associating myself with them, I kept looking at the adults, and I'm kind of inclined to think the parents of the main family shouldn't have had children. I suspect that part of the fun of reading about the kids is how self-sufficient they are and how they address perceived problems on their own. I simply kept judging the parents for not being more present.
Nesbit, E. The Magic World - This is a collection of short fantasy stories. I didn't know that when I put a hold on it at the library. I might not have gotten it had I realized because I wasn't in the mood for short stories. That being the case, I can't fairly evaluate the book. The stories were charming, but I wanted more. I think a novel would have suited me better.
Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife - I didn't finish this one. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the romance creepy. I tried opening it at various points later in the book to see if it would catch me, but it didn't. I continued not much liking the characters.
Sanderson, Brandon. Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens - I seem to recall the Amazon blurb for this claiming that it was the final book in the series. I don't believe that to be true. There are too many important things left pending at the end of this book, including at least one plotline with the potential for world ending catastrophe. In this book, Alcatraz goes to Mokia, a kingdom about to fall to the forces of the Librarians. He hopes that his presence there will draw in forces that might help defend the kingdom. The book is as funny as anything that's gone before. I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for the series. The books make more sense read in order.
Walton, Jo. Among Others - I approached this book with trepidation because I've bounced off other Walton books as too anxiety inducing and beyond my ability to cope (Note that this doesn't mean they're bad books, just not for me). I got this from the library because I liked the idea of a story full of book references. The book is very much about going on with one's life after terrible things happen, about going on and finding that the world goes on, too. I liked the fact that the main character, while wishing that the bad things in her life hadn't happened, wasn't angsting about it all. She was doing what she could to keep living and to make her life as pleasant as possible.
Bishop, Anne. Shalador's Lady - I'm still embarrassed to admit to reading Anne Bishop, but, providing I skim over or skip certain parts, I can read her books. This one was on the gentler side for her work. I mainly had to skim over the sections with one character deluding himself that the Queen he adored was really a good and unselfish person while she was proving at every turn that she was rotten.
Bishop, Anne. Twilight's Dawn - This is a collection of stories set in Bishop's jewels universe. None of them really grabbed me strongly though I did read all of them. I did find myself wondering, on reading the last story, whether Bishop's tired of that universe. That story skips ahead in time, to a point when the shorter lived characters have died of old age.
Bradshaw, Gillian. Cleopatra's Heir - I stalled out on reading this. I was only half surprised. I like Bradshaw's historical fiction, and that has carried me through some of her books in spite of other difficulties, but in this case, I couldn't. It's not because the book is a bad one. I simply found Caesarion difficult to like and found myself too anxious about plot developments to continue.
Brust, Steven. Tiassa - Possibly I need to go back and reread all the books in the Vlad series. I think I'm forgetting a lot of details, and the details seem to matter. Although the silver tiassa featured in all of the stories in the book, I didn't find it sufficient to make them feel united. I enjoyed all of them, but I enjoyed them as separate entities.
Grantville Gazette IV - I'm counting this as read even though I skipped all of the non-fiction articles. They didn't look interesting enough to pull me away from my writing. Most of the stories felt more like snapshots than narratives with a beginning and an end-- That is, they felt like moments in bigger stories. I'm fascinated by the 1632 universe, but I'm currently steering away from the novels because I don't want to deal with the stress of them and the teeny, tiny steps forward. There's too much going on for me to follow. Maybe in a few years I'll gather the novels I haven't yet read and skip through them in a way that lets me find out what happened without wrecking myself.
Ihimaera, Witi. The Whale Rider - I was surprised by how short this book was and by how fast I read it. I'd seen the movie, but somehow I expected something heavier. I liked the sense of community and the mystery of the whales. The author's choice of narrator worked but also surprised me-- He was peripheral to much of the action, witnessing it, reporting it but not a primary mover. He saw more than most, I think.
Kenner, Julie. Carpe Demon; Kenner, Julie. California Demon; Kenner, Julie. Demons Are Forever - These are the first three books in Kenner's series about a demon hunting soccer mom. The main character was a demon hunter during her teens and into her early twenties, but she retired to marry and start a family. Now on her second marriage (after being widowed), she has a teenager, a toddler, and a husband with political ambitions. That's when the demons come back into her life. She has to juggle her everyday obligations along with preventing demons from acquiring powerful artifacts, releasing bigger demons and so on. Each book adds to the complications. There are two more in the library. I'm certainly going to read them.
Law, Ingrid. Savvy - I wanted this book to be something it wasn't. That is, I was more interested in the savvies than in the family drama. The book was more about family and friendship and making mistakes. The story would have been different if the main character's family didn't have special powers (the 'savvy' of the title), but the big events wouldn't really change-- The father would still be in the hospital, and the kids would still be trying desperately to get there.
Lee, Marie G. If It Hadn't Been for Yoon Jun - I think I was expecting more from this book than I should have. I had to remind myself more than once that I'm nowhere near the target age for this book (maybe third grade?). The book's about an adoptee from Korea who is afraid that learning more about Korea will make her less a part of her family and community. She wants to be no different from all the white kids around her. Then a recent immigrant from Korea comes to her school.
Lee, Sharon and Steve Miller. Saltation - I gave up on this after reading about three quarters of it. I was bored. None of the events or supporting characters seemed to connect to a bigger story. Perhaps if I'd read the previous book (the library doesn't have it), I'd be invested enough in the main character and her quest to be pilot to have that investment carry me through this book. Perhaps.
Levitt, Steven D. and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics - I found this surprisingly readable. I'd expected to bounce off it hard. I still ran into parts I didn't understand, but they were all things I could read around. I'd have liked to see more proof offered for the assertions in the book (though I'm not sure I'd have understood proof if offered). A lot of the assertions seemed to need more support.
Liu, Marjorie M. Shadow Touch - This was my second attempt to read one of Liu's Dirk and Steele (am I remembering the names correctly? It's been months). This time, I got through the book. I wasn't very interested in the romance, but I was intrigued by the world and the powers people had. I wanted to know more about the factions of people with powers. I may try another book in this series, but I fear I'd end up frustrated by the romance plot.
Lord, Karen. Redemption in Indigo - It's been long enough since I read this that I don't remember details very well. I know I liked it quite a bit and would recommend it to other people, but names of characters and the actual step by step flow of events escape me. There was magic and supernatural beings and bits of everyday life. The heroine's husband was decidedly undesirable but, as I recall, in a way that evoked pity as much as disgust.
Mahy, Margaret. The Magician of Hoad - I was more than a little surprised when I finished this book. I think I just had fortunate timing with it-- Many days, it would set off my anxiety and end up going back to the library unfinished, but the day I actually read it, I must have been feeling stronger or more certain than usual because I got through it all. The book follows a boy who has magic. Rumors of his gift reach the king's court, and the king sends people to collect him. He doesn't want to go but has no choice. He eventually grows into his magic, navigates political intrigue and falls in love. The woman he loves has her own story.
Malvern, Gladys. Behold Your Queen - I don't usually blog rereads, but I'm so thrilled to see this book back in print (after something like forty years!). I'd despaired of ever being able to obtain a copy, and it's one of my childhood favorites. It's a retelling of the story of Esther. I had previously reread it as an adult, so I expected to find it thinner than the story I remembered reading in elementary school (this seems sadly common in adult rereads. I remember so much more depth than is actually there). I did notice a couple of things on this reread that I hadn't before. The first is that it makes no sense for Uncle Mordecai to be single. He's a wealthy man and an observant Jew. It would be believable for him to be widowed, but I suppose that would disrupt the vision Malvern has of a happy household consisting entirely of Mordecai and Hadassah (Esther). The second is that Malvern refers to the Amalekites as 'Aryan.' Was that term even in use then? Why would it apply to the Amalekites?
Marriott, Zoe. The Swan Kingdom - I didn't actually read all of this book. It made me too anxious. I was interested enough, however, to keep opening it up to different points and reading until I couldn't any more. I probably read half to two thirds of it that way, so I figure I should count it. This fairy tale retelling has only three brothers instead of the more traditional larger numbers (I know seven is common, but I seem to recall at least one version with eleven or twelve brothers). That was manageable and allowed them all to have personalities. The villain is scary and powerful and not easily defeated.
McCall Smith, Alexander. Akimbo and the Snakes - This is a short kid's book about a boy who spends a long vacation visiting the park his uncle runs. The park specializes in snakes and has many species in captivity. One day, they get a report of a green mamba, a highly poisonous species that they haven't previously been able to capture. I'll probably read the other Akimbo books that the library has. I'm interested in the wildlife described.
McCall Smith, Alexander. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Tears of the Giraffe; McCall Smith, Alexander. Morality for Beautiful Girls; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Kalahari Typing School for Men; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Full Cupboard of Life; McCall Smith, Alexander. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies; McCall Smith, Alexander. Blue Shoes and Happiness; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive; McCall Smith, Alexander. The Miracle at Speedy Motors; McCall Smith, Alexander. Teatime for the Traditionally Built; McCall Smith, Alexander. Double Comfort Safari Club - These books blur together for me. I've enjoyed them all, working my way through the library's holdings at the rate of about one book a week. I like that the characters are so very human in ways that make them likable even as they have their flaws. I'm not so sure about labeling them mysteries. When there's a mystery present, it tends to be slight, something resolved in a chapter or two with a little bit of talking to people. Of course, I'm not convinced they're anything else, either. I like them (as one can tell from the way I've been going through them). I recommend them.
McCall, Smith, Alexander. Portuguese Irregular Verbs - I gave up on this after about four chapters. I simply didn't like the main character and didn't want to spend time with him. I think I was supposed to find his adventures humorous, but I didn't.
McKay, Hilary. Saffy's Angel - I didn't like this book as much as some other people whose reviews I've read did. I didn't dislike it. I just-- How to put it? I think I'm too old. Rather than looking at the children who are the main characters and associating myself with them, I kept looking at the adults, and I'm kind of inclined to think the parents of the main family shouldn't have had children. I suspect that part of the fun of reading about the kids is how self-sufficient they are and how they address perceived problems on their own. I simply kept judging the parents for not being more present.
Nesbit, E. The Magic World - This is a collection of short fantasy stories. I didn't know that when I put a hold on it at the library. I might not have gotten it had I realized because I wasn't in the mood for short stories. That being the case, I can't fairly evaluate the book. The stories were charming, but I wanted more. I think a novel would have suited me better.
Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife - I didn't finish this one. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the romance creepy. I tried opening it at various points later in the book to see if it would catch me, but it didn't. I continued not much liking the characters.
Sanderson, Brandon. Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens - I seem to recall the Amazon blurb for this claiming that it was the final book in the series. I don't believe that to be true. There are too many important things left pending at the end of this book, including at least one plotline with the potential for world ending catastrophe. In this book, Alcatraz goes to Mokia, a kingdom about to fall to the forces of the Librarians. He hopes that his presence there will draw in forces that might help defend the kingdom. The book is as funny as anything that's gone before. I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for the series. The books make more sense read in order.
Walton, Jo. Among Others - I approached this book with trepidation because I've bounced off other Walton books as too anxiety inducing and beyond my ability to cope (Note that this doesn't mean they're bad books, just not for me). I got this from the library because I liked the idea of a story full of book references. The book is very much about going on with one's life after terrible things happen, about going on and finding that the world goes on, too. I liked the fact that the main character, while wishing that the bad things in her life hadn't happened, wasn't angsting about it all. She was doing what she could to keep living and to make her life as pleasant as possible.
