Book Logging
Feb. 10th, 2012 04:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_rckAlbert, Susan Wittig. The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree - I wasn't sure I'd like this, but I'm trying e-books from the library that I wouldn't normally look at twice (there's just not much selection). This mystery is set in Alabama during the Depression. It centers on a few members of a small town's gardening club as they deal with day to day problems and solve a couple of mysteries. Black characters just barely seem to exist, all as the help.
Baum, L. Frank. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - This bored me. I read about two thirds of it and then couldn't face the rest. The characters have no personality, and there's no conflict to speak of. The book lacks the inventiveness of the Oz books.
Baum, L. Frank. The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale - I only finished this because it's short. I can't recommend it. There's an appalling amount of racism and not enough else to make it worthwhile. I kept waiting for it to be fun, and it never happened. Baum had some out there ideas about what electricity could potentially do. I guess it looked enough like magic to him to be capable of just about anything. I picked this one up from Project Gutenberg and read it on my e-reader.
Bernobich, Beth. Fox and Phoenix - I think I need to find the story that comes before this novel. I read the novel without any problems following it, but I'm now curious as to just how the events referenced played out. The setting is Asian (mostly Chinese, I think). There's a mix of technology and magic. The characters all have spirit animals. A good portion of the book follows the protagonist as he travels from his home city to a relatively distant empire in order to inform his country's princess that her father is dying. There were several plot threads that didn't get wrapped up, so I'm hoping for a sequel.
Burrowes, Grace. The Virtuoso - I only read parts of this book. I'm not sure why because it was pretty good. I think maybe I simply wasn't in the mood for a romance novel at the time. Burrowes writes characters that I care about and loves that grow believably.
Carlisle, Kate. Homicide in Hardcover - I think the e-reader may lead to me finishing books that I otherwise wouldn't. There wasn't anything wrong with this mystery, but there also wasn't anything about it that would normally draw me to stick with it. I wanted more details about the books or, failing that, more about characters with quirky personalities. I suppose I should be glad that my library has e-books at all and not disappointed about the selection.
Daheim, Mary. Just Desserts - I didn't really enjoy this book. I mainly finished it because it was an e-book from the library. I'll read things that way that I wouldn't finish if I had a paper book in my hands. In this case, I had trouble tracking who the characters were and never really felt like any of them were human beings. The author withheld the final clues from the reader in order to prolong suspense. That made me cranky.
Daneshvari, Gitty. School of Fear - I picked this up at the school's Scholastic book fair. I was intrigued by the idea of a book about kids with powerful fears confronting them. I also hoped that the book might eventually interest Delia (I still keep hoping that she'll be interested enough in *something* to read when she doesn't have to). The kids' fears are so severe as to be humorous. I don't buy the method of treatment in the least, but the book was reasonably amusing.
Flanagan, John. Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan - The prologue almost put me off this book. That would have been a pity because I enjoyed the rest of it. It wasn't highly original or spectacularly good, but I read it straight through and will pick up the next volume from the library. (The library has volumes one, three and five as e-books, but volumes two and four are only available in paper.) The story follows an orphan training to be a ranger as his country heads toward war.
Haskell, Merrie. The Princess Curse - Fair disclaimer-- I know the author offline. I haven't spoken to her in years, but I do know her. I think she still has a book she borrowed from me. At any rate, I enjoyed this book. I liked the variation on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and, even more, liked the second half of the book which is something quite different. The heroine appealed to me. I liked her plans for what she wanted to do with her life.
Hearne, Kevin. Hounded - I've got to stop gambling on urban fantasy novels. They just end up annoying me. This one has the advantage of humor, but I just couldn't get myself through it. I can't even point at something and say that that's what was wrong with the book. I think I just don't like stories where everything comes after the protagonist, beats him or her six ways to Sunday until he or she somehow pulls it all together and triumphs. I've liked a couple of stories like that that are secondary world fantasies, but set in our world (or close to it) urban fantasies just don't work for me. This one follows a millennia old druid who has a Celtic god for an enemy.
Krentz, Jayne Ann. Copper Beach - There are no surprises in this book for anybody who's read Krentz's other books. The hero and heroine have instant chemistry. There are dangerous items with psychic resonance that several people want to locate and exploit. Not awful for a popcorn book.
Landy, Derek. Dark Days - In each of these books, the characters manage to avert utter disaster, but each time, the overall situation ends up worse. Destruction seems inevitable. I suppose that's in keeping with the way these books read-- rather like a Call of Cthulhu campaign with a sense of humor. I still enjoyed this volume, but I'm not sure how much more Doom I can take. I'll still try the next book.
McKay, Hilary. Wishing for Tomorrow - This is a sequel to A Little Princess. It covers events at Miss Minchin's school after Sara and Becky have departed. There's a relatively large cast, all with distinct personalities. It was a little disconcerting to see Miss Minchin and Miss Amelia presented with more depth.
Moriarty, Chris. The Inquisitor's Apprentice - I couldn't read all of this because the main character kept digging himself in deeper with lies and deceptions. I knew that bad things would come of it, and they did. It's a pity because I really enjoyed the details of the alternate New York, the politics, the neighborhoods, the magic. I'd recommend this book to people who deal better than I do with characters getting themselves into trouble. I will look at any sequel that comes out or anything else this author writes because this was good.
Naruto 53 - Scott commented, on reading this volume, that the story looks a lot different when you're a parent yourself. I know what he means. The thought of leaving one's child alone in the world is more than painful. It was interesting to find out more about Naruto's mother.
Okorafor, Nnedi. Akata Witch - This one was fun. I'm fascinated by the idea of an economy where money comes originally from learning. The story follows a girl from a normal family as she learns that she can use magic and moves further and further into the world of magic. That world is just scary enough. Lessons in magic are not without risk.
Ouran High School Host Club 16 - I actually thought for a little while that I was going to have to return this without finishing it. The plot is coming to a head, and Haruhi can't see what's happening. I may have to wait until this arc is complete and read it all in one go.
Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men - I knew the general outline of what was going to happen in this book because I read A Hat Full of Sky first, thinking it was the first in the series. I like Tiffany and her determination to do what needs to be done, but I probably wouldn't have read this if the library didn't have it as a e-book because I didn't fall in love with A Hat Full of Sky. All the things I'd heard about Pratchett's work set the bar pretty high. At any rate, I enjoyed this one. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a good story, well told. I even could deal with the use of dialect in the dialogue, and that's usually something I hate.
Quick, Amanda. Burning Lamp; Quicksilver; Second Sight; The Third Circle - These books blur together. The heroes and heroines are, to some extent, interchangeable. There aren't any surprises for those who've read Quick's other books. I really wouldn't mind some deviation from the formula. I find myself wishing for more about the Janus Club (which appears, glancingly, in each of the books). It's a gentlemen's club consisting entirely of women who live as men. Unfortunately, Quick's focus is on heterosexual romance. We're not likely to get stories about trans people, Lesbians or women choosing to stay permanently outside the roles society dictates for them.
Schmitz, James H. Agent of Vega & Other Stories - I'd read Agent of Vega before, but most of the other stories were new to me. I got this e-book from Baen's free library. Partly, I wanted to reread Agent of Vega, knowing I'd enjoy it, and partly, I wanted to see how Baen's books worked on my Sony e-reader. These stories all feature ultra-competent characters and, like most of Schmitz's work, have a fair share of competent women.
Walden, Mark. H.I.V.E.: Rogue - This read like a transitional book. That is, I think it was largely set up, getting characters and situations into position for later plot developments. There wasn't much of the story set actually at the school; at least it didn't feel like much was. I'm still planning to read more of these books, but I don't feel like the characters are developing or growing.
Zimmer, Carl. Soul Made Flesh - This non-fiction book looks at the origins of modern neuroscience. It deals mainly with the seventeenth century and talks a bit about the politics of the time in England. Historically speaking, the brain wasn't considered very important for quite a long time. This book covers the ways in which that slowly changed. Quite readable.
I'm giving myself a pass on writing comments for the following books because I'm simply blanking when I try. I'm willing to discuss them if anybody has comments or questions. I enjoyed all of these.
McKay, Hilary. Permanent Rose; Caddy Ever After.
Pierce, Tamora. Melting Stones.
Snyder, Laurel. Bigger Than a Bread Box.
Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me.
Walsh, Jill Paton. The Wyndham Case.
Baum, L. Frank. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - This bored me. I read about two thirds of it and then couldn't face the rest. The characters have no personality, and there's no conflict to speak of. The book lacks the inventiveness of the Oz books.
Baum, L. Frank. The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale - I only finished this because it's short. I can't recommend it. There's an appalling amount of racism and not enough else to make it worthwhile. I kept waiting for it to be fun, and it never happened. Baum had some out there ideas about what electricity could potentially do. I guess it looked enough like magic to him to be capable of just about anything. I picked this one up from Project Gutenberg and read it on my e-reader.
Bernobich, Beth. Fox and Phoenix - I think I need to find the story that comes before this novel. I read the novel without any problems following it, but I'm now curious as to just how the events referenced played out. The setting is Asian (mostly Chinese, I think). There's a mix of technology and magic. The characters all have spirit animals. A good portion of the book follows the protagonist as he travels from his home city to a relatively distant empire in order to inform his country's princess that her father is dying. There were several plot threads that didn't get wrapped up, so I'm hoping for a sequel.
Burrowes, Grace. The Virtuoso - I only read parts of this book. I'm not sure why because it was pretty good. I think maybe I simply wasn't in the mood for a romance novel at the time. Burrowes writes characters that I care about and loves that grow believably.
Carlisle, Kate. Homicide in Hardcover - I think the e-reader may lead to me finishing books that I otherwise wouldn't. There wasn't anything wrong with this mystery, but there also wasn't anything about it that would normally draw me to stick with it. I wanted more details about the books or, failing that, more about characters with quirky personalities. I suppose I should be glad that my library has e-books at all and not disappointed about the selection.
Daheim, Mary. Just Desserts - I didn't really enjoy this book. I mainly finished it because it was an e-book from the library. I'll read things that way that I wouldn't finish if I had a paper book in my hands. In this case, I had trouble tracking who the characters were and never really felt like any of them were human beings. The author withheld the final clues from the reader in order to prolong suspense. That made me cranky.
Daneshvari, Gitty. School of Fear - I picked this up at the school's Scholastic book fair. I was intrigued by the idea of a book about kids with powerful fears confronting them. I also hoped that the book might eventually interest Delia (I still keep hoping that she'll be interested enough in *something* to read when she doesn't have to). The kids' fears are so severe as to be humorous. I don't buy the method of treatment in the least, but the book was reasonably amusing.
Flanagan, John. Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan - The prologue almost put me off this book. That would have been a pity because I enjoyed the rest of it. It wasn't highly original or spectacularly good, but I read it straight through and will pick up the next volume from the library. (The library has volumes one, three and five as e-books, but volumes two and four are only available in paper.) The story follows an orphan training to be a ranger as his country heads toward war.
Haskell, Merrie. The Princess Curse - Fair disclaimer-- I know the author offline. I haven't spoken to her in years, but I do know her. I think she still has a book she borrowed from me. At any rate, I enjoyed this book. I liked the variation on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and, even more, liked the second half of the book which is something quite different. The heroine appealed to me. I liked her plans for what she wanted to do with her life.
Hearne, Kevin. Hounded - I've got to stop gambling on urban fantasy novels. They just end up annoying me. This one has the advantage of humor, but I just couldn't get myself through it. I can't even point at something and say that that's what was wrong with the book. I think I just don't like stories where everything comes after the protagonist, beats him or her six ways to Sunday until he or she somehow pulls it all together and triumphs. I've liked a couple of stories like that that are secondary world fantasies, but set in our world (or close to it) urban fantasies just don't work for me. This one follows a millennia old druid who has a Celtic god for an enemy.
Krentz, Jayne Ann. Copper Beach - There are no surprises in this book for anybody who's read Krentz's other books. The hero and heroine have instant chemistry. There are dangerous items with psychic resonance that several people want to locate and exploit. Not awful for a popcorn book.
Landy, Derek. Dark Days - In each of these books, the characters manage to avert utter disaster, but each time, the overall situation ends up worse. Destruction seems inevitable. I suppose that's in keeping with the way these books read-- rather like a Call of Cthulhu campaign with a sense of humor. I still enjoyed this volume, but I'm not sure how much more Doom I can take. I'll still try the next book.
McKay, Hilary. Wishing for Tomorrow - This is a sequel to A Little Princess. It covers events at Miss Minchin's school after Sara and Becky have departed. There's a relatively large cast, all with distinct personalities. It was a little disconcerting to see Miss Minchin and Miss Amelia presented with more depth.
Moriarty, Chris. The Inquisitor's Apprentice - I couldn't read all of this because the main character kept digging himself in deeper with lies and deceptions. I knew that bad things would come of it, and they did. It's a pity because I really enjoyed the details of the alternate New York, the politics, the neighborhoods, the magic. I'd recommend this book to people who deal better than I do with characters getting themselves into trouble. I will look at any sequel that comes out or anything else this author writes because this was good.
Naruto 53 - Scott commented, on reading this volume, that the story looks a lot different when you're a parent yourself. I know what he means. The thought of leaving one's child alone in the world is more than painful. It was interesting to find out more about Naruto's mother.
Okorafor, Nnedi. Akata Witch - This one was fun. I'm fascinated by the idea of an economy where money comes originally from learning. The story follows a girl from a normal family as she learns that she can use magic and moves further and further into the world of magic. That world is just scary enough. Lessons in magic are not without risk.
Ouran High School Host Club 16 - I actually thought for a little while that I was going to have to return this without finishing it. The plot is coming to a head, and Haruhi can't see what's happening. I may have to wait until this arc is complete and read it all in one go.
Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men - I knew the general outline of what was going to happen in this book because I read A Hat Full of Sky first, thinking it was the first in the series. I like Tiffany and her determination to do what needs to be done, but I probably wouldn't have read this if the library didn't have it as a e-book because I didn't fall in love with A Hat Full of Sky. All the things I'd heard about Pratchett's work set the bar pretty high. At any rate, I enjoyed this one. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a good story, well told. I even could deal with the use of dialect in the dialogue, and that's usually something I hate.
Quick, Amanda. Burning Lamp; Quicksilver; Second Sight; The Third Circle - These books blur together. The heroes and heroines are, to some extent, interchangeable. There aren't any surprises for those who've read Quick's other books. I really wouldn't mind some deviation from the formula. I find myself wishing for more about the Janus Club (which appears, glancingly, in each of the books). It's a gentlemen's club consisting entirely of women who live as men. Unfortunately, Quick's focus is on heterosexual romance. We're not likely to get stories about trans people, Lesbians or women choosing to stay permanently outside the roles society dictates for them.
Schmitz, James H. Agent of Vega & Other Stories - I'd read Agent of Vega before, but most of the other stories were new to me. I got this e-book from Baen's free library. Partly, I wanted to reread Agent of Vega, knowing I'd enjoy it, and partly, I wanted to see how Baen's books worked on my Sony e-reader. These stories all feature ultra-competent characters and, like most of Schmitz's work, have a fair share of competent women.
Walden, Mark. H.I.V.E.: Rogue - This read like a transitional book. That is, I think it was largely set up, getting characters and situations into position for later plot developments. There wasn't much of the story set actually at the school; at least it didn't feel like much was. I'm still planning to read more of these books, but I don't feel like the characters are developing or growing.
Zimmer, Carl. Soul Made Flesh - This non-fiction book looks at the origins of modern neuroscience. It deals mainly with the seventeenth century and talks a bit about the politics of the time in England. Historically speaking, the brain wasn't considered very important for quite a long time. This book covers the ways in which that slowly changed. Quite readable.
I'm giving myself a pass on writing comments for the following books because I'm simply blanking when I try. I'm willing to discuss them if anybody has comments or questions. I enjoyed all of these.
McKay, Hilary. Permanent Rose; Caddy Ever After.
Pierce, Tamora. Melting Stones.
Snyder, Laurel. Bigger Than a Bread Box.
Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me.
Walsh, Jill Paton. The Wyndham Case.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-11 09:46 pm (UTC)