MickyFine's 2011 Reads

Totally new to this group and to groups in general but thought it was time to stop creeping and start participating. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything going on here, so any tips on how to deal with the craziness without being antisocial are greatly appreciated. Will post my first book on January 1.

Welcome to the group!

Here's a thread with suggestions for dealing with the craziness: http://www.librarything.com/topic/105273

Thanks!

Welcome!

Welcome to the group. There's a lot of us who enjoy reading YA books as well as lots of other genres. I suggest you start by following the threads of members who post to the What you are reading Juvenile & Young Adult thread. Visit the wiki to find the threads of people who sound interesting. Zoe in #2 has given you a helpful thread to read as well.

edit: bad linking

Books of 2011

January
1. I Love It When You Talk Retro - Ralph Keyes
2. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
3. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
4. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
5. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
6. Story of a Girl - Sara Zarr
7. White Cat - Holly Black
8. The Night Bookmobile - Audrey Niffenegger
9. Becoming Jane Austen - Jon Spence
10. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (re-read)
11. The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis
12. Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis
13. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis
14. The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis
15. The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis

February
16. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
17. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
18. Linger - Maggie Stiefvater
19. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
20. A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

March
21. Rebel Angels - Libba Bray
22. The Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray
23. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (re-read)
24. A Kiss in Time - Alex Flinn
25. Beastly - Alex Flinn
26. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare (re-read)
27. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare (re-read)
28. City of Glass - Cassandra Clare (re-read)

April
29. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
30. Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination - Helen Fielding
31. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
32. City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare
33. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (re-read)
34. A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
35. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Welcome to the group, Micky!

Have a great reading year, and a peaceful transition into career life, Micky!

In anticipation of actually starting to list and rate books tomorrow (the excitement is palpable), I provide the following rating system:

/ = Ran screaming in the other direction (aka did not finish)
* = Suffered through it for reasons I'm still not sure of
** = Had far more flaws than virtues
*** = A read I don't regret but could use some improvement
**** = A good, solid read that I might revisit
***** = Loved it beyond reason and will probably re-read in short order

#9: the excitement is palpable

Yeah, it gets that way in this group! Love your rating system, Micky.

First completed book of the year!



I Love It When You Talk Retro - Ralph Keyes

I work part-time as a reference assistant in my local public library and am scheduled as the "rover" for all my shifts (le sigh). The upside to this task is that I often end up with serendipitous book finds like this one. It fits in with one of my major interests that often pulls me in to non-fiction, namely lexicography.

As the introduction notes, the book is designed to be read straight through, browsed, or used as a reference for colloquialisms Keyes terms "retrotalk". He defines retrotalk as "a slippery slope of puzzling allusions to past phenomena." I found the book appealed not only to my endless fascination with words and etymology but my delight in trivia.

The book divides itself into chapters based on the source of the terms (for example, films, the military, etc.). The general pattern of the book is that there is a paragraph devoted to each term explaining its origin with the term appearing in bold, typically towards the end of the paragraph. Reading the book straight through, I found the bolding of the terms distracting but know that this stylistic choice would make it easier to use the text for browsing or reference. Some of my favourite explanations included those for cardigan sweater, boondocks, scuttlebutt, deep-six, and Molotov cocktail.

Overall, a decent read for anyone interested in lexicography, etymology, and trivia.

Rating: ***

#11: I wish my local library had that one. It looks fun! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Micky.

Love your scale...

The one thing that oddly enough I do miss from working circulation at a public library back when I was in library school was finding great books without even trying - between what people returned and what I shelved, I always had more books than I could read.

Though granted, I still find more books than I can read, even as a instruction/reference librarian, but then that's the danger of having too many librarian friends =D lol...

#13 Lol librarian friends can definitely add a ton of books to the TBR pile.

Book the second.



Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

The beginning of what is likely to be a string of YA fiction (based on my pile of books from the library) appearing on my thread.

There are many reviews already available for this book so I'll keep mine brief. The first in a trilogy, Uglies is part of the growing pool of dystopian novels available in YA. For me the world Westerfeld creates struck me as a mix of The Hunger Games (minus all of the violence and death) and H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

While I really enjoyed the book and felt it did a wonderful job on discussing issues such as idealized beauty, climate change, and political and cultural conflict, my only complaint was that I felt the characters and the relationships between them were underdeveloped. I never got a real feel for the personality of the protagonist, Tally, nor any of the other characters. To some extent, the characters exist only to keep the plot turning (and it's a great plot). Also, for relationships that began during the timeline of the novel, it felt like Westerfeld consistently skipped over the portion where people established a connection and jumped to the middle of the relationship. I felt this was particularly true for the romantic relationship in the book which sprang up out of nowhere and left me wondering how the two characters had started to care for each other without really being all that aware of each other prior to that plot development.

Despite these flaws, the book has a wonderful narrative and the world Westerfeld describes is intriguing, beautiful and believable. I will definitely be reading the other two books in trilogy to see how the plot turns out and if the character development improves.

Rating: ****

15> I read Uglies and Pretties, and started on Specials, but the series kind of lost my attention. Did you know that the author did a fourth book? It's called Extras. I'll look forward to your thoughts on the rest of the books!

#15: I enjoyed that book but for me, the series went downhill from there. I do hope you like the follow up books more than I did!

I'm with Stasia on that. However, I know a number of people who enjoyed the series the whole way through, so I guess it just depends!

Book 3


Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

I was slightly concerned I wouldn't like the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy as much as the first one, but I didn't have to be. This book was another wonderful read with a great mix of dystopian craziness going on with just a smidge of love triangle thrown in. Now I just have to wait (whine of dislike) for my turn with the last book. *checks place in hold line at the library*

Rating: *****

#19: I know what you mean about having to wait. Trust me, Mockingjay is worth it.

#20: *anticipation ratchets upwards*

I really loved Westerfeld's Midnighters series. I own three in the Uglies series, but have yet to begin them.

To some extent, the characters exist only to keep the plot turning

I think this is spot-on. I still really enjoyed Uglies, but by Specials I was tired of the series.

#21: I should clarify by saying that I liked the first book in the trilogy the best, followed by book three, and then book two.

Book 4 (This pace of reading is going to slow way down next week when I go back to school)



Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

This is a YA paranormal romance that I earned about through a patron who really enjoyed it and recommended it as a decent read. Set in Maine, the story revolves around Nora who begins to deal with all sorts of weird and dangerous occurrences that happen around the same time she meets a guy named Patch.

I found the book to be a fun and fluffy read which I sped through in a little over a day. At first the book felt a little bit like Twilight (not an issue for me because *tiny voice* I like Twilight *end tiny voice*) especially since Nora meets Patch in biology class. However the relationship dynamic is very different and the plot is absorbing in a very different way. Also, instead of vampires, the supernatural element in this book is angels and Nephilim. However, Fitzpatrick establishes a unique mythology that bears no resemblance to that of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series with the reality of angels and Nephilim being the only commonality.

The characters were fun and Patch (other than his ridiculous name which reminds me of 101 Dalmatians) is swoonworthy. While figuring out how the plot would be resolve was pretty easy, the journey to the resolution wasn't what I expected and was thoroughly enjoyable.

Rating:****

#25: I have seen several good reviews of that one. Some day, I will check it out for myself!

#24 - where as I liked #1, then #2 and #3 the least (but it was still amazing...)

Unlike Twilight (which I originally liked better before Breaking Dawn, Robert Pattinson fangirls, and realizing just how unhealthy the Bella/Edward relationship) where #3 was my favorite, followed by #1, and then #2 (all I liked), followed by #4, which was Stephenie Meyer writing cliche-ish fanfiction about her own characters in my opinion. (Sorry - the whole pregnancy thing screamed fanfiction to me to the point it was distracting)

#27 Out of all the Twilight books, the third is my personal favourite. I'm a sucker for love triangles. Blame it on watching Sabrina (with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford) a lot when I was 10 or so.

#28 I'm not sure if that's why Eclipse is my favorite or not - it might be... I'm the type who doesn't "like" love triangles, but probably does like the plot it brings (if that makes any sense) - movies and books always have to do something I don't "like" in order for there to be any good plot to them after all...

I think I do appreciate that there was a choice involved though - that it wasn't just set in stone from the beginning that Bella and Edward would end up together. Its one of the things that annoys me the most about the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - having everyone end up with their highschool sweethearts is just not realistic. (Though oddly enough I would have liked to have seen a Neville/Luna pairing despite the fact that it would be probably just as unrealistic...)

Book 5



A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Despite its status as a children's classic I had never felt really compelled to read this book. I had only ever read one other L'Engle book as a tween (Troubling a Star, which I really adored as there is mystery, Antarctica, and penguins and it doesn't get better than that) and although A Wrinkle in Time was often referenced in other books I read, I didn't feel like I was really missing anything.

After reading the book, I have to admit (and I'm sure some people will be appalled as I know it's a childhood favourite for many) that although I enjoyed the book it wasn't an earth-shattering experience. The story has a wonderful overarching message about the power of love and the fantasy elements are well-drawn. But the book is also very much a product of its time. With an original copyright date of 1962, the metaphorical treatment of the communist threat is obvious and some passages feel vaguely Orwellian. Also, the description of the relationships between the Murry family are very representative of the time when it was published (referring to parents as Mother and Father for example). I had no problem with these elements and, from an academic standpoint, found them mildly entertaining but I also recognize these elements might be offputting for some children (the primary audience).

My only complaints are (1) the beginning was a bit slow and perhaps a bit too mysterious to the point where it could be confusing and (2) Meg had the tendency to be whiny and annoying more often than I could tolerate.

I can understand why this book is a classic and won a Newbery but it didn't rock my world and I don't feel the need to read the rest of the books in the series.

Rating: ***1/2

Sorry you did not enjoy that one more, Micky. I hope your next read is better for you!

Book 6



Story of a Girl - Sara Zarr

So this review is going to start with a story of how I found this author and be about a different book for a little bit so if you're only interested in the nuts and bolts, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. I picked this book up at the library shortly after reading Sweethearts before Christmas. And the reason I picked it up was because of Sweethearts. I heard about it through a YA blog (I include the link because the ladies who write the blog are funny and the review many great YA books. They also have fun and entertaining extras) where they absolutely adored Sweethearts. And I did too. So while this review is for Story of a Girl, I also want to highly recommend Sweethearts as a great read.

Story of a Girl starts out with the main character, Deanna Lambert, being caught by her father having sex with a 17-year old boy when she is 13. The rest of the book takes place when Deanna is 16, during the summer between her sophomore and junior year in high school.

While the book does deal with the decision of why Deanna decided to have sex so young and the consequences of that choice and being caught, it is about so much more. It also explores how she deals with the image others have constructed of her as a slut and what her own image of herself is. The book also looks at the repercussions of the choice in Deanna's family and her friendships. Although the book does go to some emotionally trying places, the journey is utterly worthwhile.

I loved this book. It's realistic YA fiction at its best. The characters feel real and the plot is well-paced and believable. Moreover, despite her flaws and some of her poor decisions, Deanna is a wonderful character whom I just wanted to hug and tell that things would get better. Best of all, the book is a wonderful mixture of sweet, sad, and hopeful. If you enjoy YA, go out and read this book now. Also, read Sweethearts which is equally good.

Rating:*****

I'm a bit late, but I wanted to weigh in on the Twilight discussion. I think New Moon was my favourite at the time of reading, largely because Edward was absent. But I got through Bella's delusions by thinking there was some reasonable supernatural explanation, so I may not be able to take it a second time. That would leave Eclipse as my favourite, again because it's not all about Edward. I really much prefer Jacob.

I quite liked A Wrinkle in Time when I read it as a child, but it didn't stand up to re-reading as an adult, probably because the religious overtones were too noticeable. But my favourite of the series was always Many Waters (which has a religious theme too, but an obvious one so I didn't feel like I had been tricked. And I do love ancient history.)

I absolutely adored Story of a Girl. The imagery that she uses with the girl on the water very much appealed to me. I am now going out to try and find Sweethearts :)

#33 I like Edward AND Jacob. Such an odd duck am I. ;)

#34 Yay for Sweethearts!

Book 7



White Cat - Holly Black

Cassel is the youngest member of a family of workers, individuals who with a touch of their hands can alter your emotions, your luck, can hurt your, or even kill you. Cassel, however, has no powers at all. But when he sleepwalks onto the roof of his dorm it sets in motion a series of events that begin to change how he sees his life.

I'm a little ambivalent about this book. It has an interesting premise and the establishment of Black's alternate reality is very well-done. The fact that everyone wears gloves to prevent being worked is a nice touch that I found interesting. Also, the minor alterations to history Black makes such as the ban on 'working' appearing at the same time as prohibition and references to the reason for the many failed assassination attempts on Rasputin (all together now, "Ra-Ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen") were nice touches I enjoyed.

However, I felt no connection with the characters. They were likable enough but I didn't feel to concerned about their potential fates. Part of this had to do with the fact that I could see every plot development coming many pages before it actually happened. And while knowing what's going to happen is sometimes enjoyable (almost exclusively in the cases of re-reads or mysteries where you figure out in advance whodunit), in this case it just left me disappointed with the lack of effort made to keep the plot from being so predictable. Even the twist near the end (which I did not predict) was just... unimpressive.

Not a bad book, but not such a great read that I'll look at the rest of the series.

Rating: ***

Book 8



The Night Bookmobile - Audrey Niffenegger

I've been eagerly awaiting this book from the library ever since I learned of its existence. Between being by Audrey Niffenegger (whose other novels I really loved) and being about books/libraries, I had high expectations. While I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't blown away either.

The premise is that while wandering one night, Alexandra encounters the night bookmobile which holds every single book she has ever read. She then spends her life trying to find the bookmobile again.

The concept is an interesting one and there is an obvious love for books, reading, and libraries in every page. But I had a small issue with the ending (which I won't give away). I also am not sure I would call this a graphic novel (although that's how it's described on the book jacket). Although there is an obvious influence of graphic novels in some of the page formatting, to me it felt more like a picture book for adults (not bad, just me quibbling).

A short and lovely read but not as great as I had hoped.

Rating: ***1/2

Story of a Girl sounds interesting. I'll have to look for that one on my next library visit. When I was a teenager (in the 1980's) sex was almost NEVER in a YA book. I remember girls passing around Judy Blume's Forever when I was in ninth grade and telling each other which page the sex scene was on!

About A Wrinkle in Time--I read that book when I was about 10 or 11 years old on the recommendation of a friend who LOVED it. I absolutely HATED it. I don't know why, I just did. I blame it for starting my dislike of science fiction in general.

Sandy K

I've had Sarah Zarr's Once Was Lost on my to-read list after reading a good review of it as a novel about spiritual doubt (if I remember right - wish I'd saved the link to the blog post! ooh wait - yay for google reader search - it was an interview about a new Christian book award that was giving it as an example of a book that wouldn't get published by a "Christian publisher" but that would fit in their categories - http://mikeduran.com/?p=8425 but I swear I read another review of it somewhere else!)

anyway hadn't heard anything more about the author's work, so I just assumed it was her only novel and fairly obscure, but when I caught her name on your post - I went "wait a second!"

Anyway - still think I may track down Once Was Lost before her others but thanks for sharing your review.

Once Was Lost is the only Sara Zarr novel my library has that I haven't read yet. It's definitely on my TBR list but I'm going to read a few books from my own bookshelves first.

Well, rats. My local library does not have any of Zarr's books.

Holly Black is such a random writer, I find people either love or hate her books, and sometimes both. I'm one of the "both" people... loved the Spiderwick Chronicles, found myself completely turned off by the Tithe series. But I want to read White Cat, because the premise sounds so interesting! I think I'll be reading her books from the library from now on :)

#41 I'm so sad for you. Maybe you could get an Interlibrary loan if you really want to try her.

#42 I haven't read anything else by Holly Black. I might try the Spiderwick Chronicles at some point, but I generally don't read books exclusively about fairies so I'm definitely going to skip Tithe.

Book 9



Becoming Jane Austen - Jon Spence

I've been a fan of Jane Austen's writing since I was 13 years old but I didn't pick up a biography on her until a couple years ago and I finally got around to reading it. Although I've known the basic biographical outline of Austen's life for a long time, it was interesting to get a far more in-depth treatment.

This is the biography that was used as the basis for the film Becoming Jane (and while I know and understood why others had issues with it, I love it) so Tom Lefroy is given a bit more consideration than I would imagine he garnered in other Austen biographies. However, I felt the biography was well-balanced and gave equal space to each phase of Jane Austen's life. I also found the Austen family history included in the book interesting although the continued reusage of the same names in each generation did make it difficult to keep everyone straight at times.

Because Jane Austen did not keep a diary and only some of her letters survive, Spence does make some speculations about her life, emotions, and thoughts that some people may find contentious. I took no issue with his arguments but I can understand why others could and my viewpoint may change when I eventually get to reading Jane Austen's letters. His discussion of themes in her various novels and how they were influenced by her life experience were interesting and the only point where I found it wearing was in his discussion of the fragment Sanditon, which seemed too long. My only complaint is that Spence ended the biography with Austen's death and did not cover the posthumous publication of her last two novels nor give any explanation about the lives of the rest of her siblings which I felt would have been a slightly more satisfying conclusion.

An interesting biography and one I would be tempted to compare with other Jane Austen biographies to see how Spence's interpretations differ with those of previous biographers.

Rating: ****

#44: I will have to give that one a look. I am doing a personal biography challenge this year and really know nothing about Austen. Thanks for the recommendation, Micky!

Book 10



Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

A re-read for the Austenathon Group Read. Austen is my all-time favourite author and although I will say that Pride and Prejudice is my favourite novel, I cannot for the life of me rank her other books. Each of them have plot points and characters that I love and Austen's use of language is so understated and artful that it is constantly reminding me of how she described her own work as painting on "the little bit (two Inches wide) of Ivory on which I work with so fine a Brush."

This time around there were two pieces of text that I found particularly striking. First was part of a long speech from Elinor to Marianne:

And after all, Marianne, after all that is bewitching in the idea of a single and constant attachment, and all that can be said of one's happiness depending entirely on any particular person, it is not meant - it is not fit - it is not possible that it should be so.

The second was passage on Lady Middleton's opinion of the Dashwood sisters:

Because they neither flattered herself nor her children, she could not believe them good-natured; and because they were fond of reading, she fancied them satirical: perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical; but that did not signify.

I eagerly anticipate the rest of my Austen re-reads this year.

Rating: *****

Book 11



The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis

Although I've read the first two books in the Chronicles of Narnia a couple times, this is the first time I've read the other books in the series.

Within the timeline of the series, this book would occur during The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe between the end of the battle and the Pevensies return back through the wardrobe. Although Susan, Edmund, and Lucy all make brief appearances in this book, the story is really about Shasta and the Talking Horse he meets by chance and their adventures as they travel to Narnia.

An enjoyable read, I appreciated how well and subtly Lewis includes the religious element of the story. The narrative is well-paced and there were many passages that made me smile with their subtle humour. The only complaint I have is the sexism that rears its head every once in a while.

Rating: ****

Book 12



Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

The fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series sees all four of the Pevensie children return to Narnia, called there to aid Prince Caspian in his bid to claim the throne of Narnia from his uncle, Miraz.

Although I enjoyed the characters and the continuing events of the Narnian universe, I didn't feel this was the strongest entry in the series. The plot seemed lighter than in the previous books and there was no real character development to make up for it. That being said, I still found it to be a good read.

Rating: ***1/2

Book 13


The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis

The fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia tells the story Edmund and Lucy and their cousin Eustace Scrubb after they get pulled into Narnia through a painting in their aunt's house. The three children accompany Caspian as he goes on a quest to the edge of the sea.

I really enjoyed this entry in the series. The story was well done and I enjoyed the anecdotal style (similar in some ways to the first Harry Potter book) where a series of different adventures happen. It's a great quest story and also includes all of the fun elements of a story about a sea voyage. Looking forward to the last two books in the series.

Rating: ****

#46: I eagerly anticipate the rest of my Austen re-reads this year.

Good!

#49: That is my favorite book in the series. I am glad to see you enjoyed it.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the only Narnia book that I actually enjoyed reading. I think I was traumatised by watching a TV adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe when I was very young: I never quite got over Aslan's death scene.

#51 I really loved TLTWATW as a kid (although I read it and didn't see a film version until the most recent one) but I can understand why you found it traumatizing. I still remember reading Romeo and Juliet for the first time when I was 11ish and being so upset that they died.

Book 14


The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis

The sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series follows Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole as they travel through Narnia on a mission from Aslan to find King Caspian's missing son, Rilian.

For me, while the individual plot elements were great ideas, they fell a little short in execution. The quest for the missing prince should have been interesting and exciting, but mostly I felt annoyed by the characters, particularly Jill who is the most dominant character in the narrative. And once again, sexism reared its ugly head. While I recognize, these stories are a product of their time, I was particularly annoyed by the implication that the Head of Eustace and Jill's school was a poor leader because she was a woman. However, I did enjoy the climax of the novel which was vivid and exciting. Definitely not the best book in the series but not a bad story either.

Rating: ***

#53: I agree with you about that not being the best book in the series, Micky.

I hope you enjoy your next read more!

#54 Thanks Stasia!

Book 15


The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis

The final book in the Chronicles of Narnia follows the events of the final days of Narnia.

As an allegory for the Revelation narrative, I thought the book was well constructed. While the first half of the novel was very dark and bleak, it definitely was fitting for the story being told. The sense of joy that fills the last quarter of the book also more than makes up for the darkness of the rest of the novel. I felt Lewis did a very good job of making a very complex and potentially scary topic into a compelling and, in the end, a positive story.

Rating: ****

January Summary

Books read: 15
Non-fiction: 2
Fiction: 13
Pages read: 4345
Favourite book(s) this month: Story of a Girl - Sara Zarr, Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins, Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

It's mostly just me in here so I'm going to talk to myself. I started Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell yesterday. I'm about 80 pages in and really enjoying it so far. Of course, my reading time is mostly limited to bus time and during my break on the three nights that I work so it might take me some time to work through it's 782 pages. Although I do have a road trip coming up this weekend so I might get more reading in then.

Really I should be working on writing papers for school but I don't really want to. I could also be looking for the "grown-up" job to follow the completion of my degree in April but I don't want to do that either. Instead I spend way too much time watching old episodes of Grey's Anatomy (Season 3 when things were good). Or on LT. Or just procrastinating in general by talking to myself.

Definitely a habit I have too, procrastination. Just this week, I had to hand over the projects turned in at the end of last semester to the new instructor at 11 on Tuesday, and I started reading through them and putting feedback on them at 4 p.m. on Monday. I was only 15 minutes late though--I become so productive under stress. ;-)

Myself, I wasn't enamoured of JS&MN. It was okay but not great for me--I never got sucked in completely. But I think I'm in the minority, so I'm glad you are enjoying it.

The Horse and his Boy was always my favorite Narnia book, for some reason. I'm glad you are enjoying them.

I'm usually not too bad with procrastination. I tend to be done things a day or two ahead of the deadline (I have a bit of a reputation as a keener) so this is a bit unusual. I chalk it up to midwinter blahs and nearing end of degree apathy. Today however, I actually tracked down sources for citation and made some rough notes for content. Now I just have to write the darn thing.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell continues to go well although I have to say I'm eagerly anticipating the real arrival of Jonathan Strange's character in the narrative. There's only been one chapter with him in it so far and it was really more about his father. The book definitely has the tone right for the historical period with its large scale and the ever-growing cast of characters. I'm about 130is pages in so we'll see if Jonathan Strange shows up any time soon.

One of these days I'll read Jonathan Strange. I have a copy and my cousin keeps asking if I've read it yet (it's been at least 5 years) so really, I should just do it so she can finally be happy... LOL.

#62 It's definitely a bit of a commitment with its 782 pages so I can understand why you've put it off. I borrowed the copy I'm reading from my brother who really enjoyed it. Give it a try some time. Besides making your cousin happy, you might enjoy it too. :D

#57: Nice summary for January, Micky. It looks like you had a good reading month!

Finally found you :) Will star you so I don't have to go hunting through a zillion threads!
Has it been cold where you are? We just had a big dump of snow over the last couple of days where I am and it's frrrreeeezing :)

Starring is so convenient. It has been cold the last couple days but we've only had a little bit of snow. But I'm excited because it's supposed to be +3 on Friday. :D Hope it warms up for you too!

Heard it supposed to be warm all weekend and may even reach + digits *gasp*. Hoping that I can go for a walk with the baby without breaking my neck. :)

Yay for warm weather in February. I wish you much luck with your perambulation.

I got an email from Chapters today (the big bookstore chain in Canada) with a list of the Top 10 Romantic Books. While I agree with some of the books on the list (numbers 1, 5, and 8 specifically), I find some of the others contentious. However, I found trying to make my own list of books more difficult than I had anticipated. Going through my own list of books trying to pull out truly great romances resulted in Persuasion (although really I could have included all of Austen's novels), Wuthering Heights, and The Great Gatsby. I also toyed with adding Pygmalion and Romeo and Juliet but the former would just drive George Bernard Shaw crazy and the latter is just so... obvious.

I'm curious about others opinions on really great romantic books. And if you can make it to 10, I'll be really impressed.

I don't think I could possibly list a top 10 either but if I could, I would probably list the Outlander series by Diana Galbaldon pretty high on the list. The love story between Claire and James Fraser is one worth swooning over! :)

I haven't read anything by her. Maybe I'll give them a try.

Be prepared to bunker down tho....they are LONG books and she is not done the series yet. :)

I am also a fan of the Outlander series, but like Jolerie said, the books are long!

#70: I agree! I'm more than half-way in love with their romance!

And I second jolerie and Stacia - the books are extremely long, but oh, so worth it :)

Well, you've all convinced me to stick Galbaldon on the TBR list. So at some point I'll be giving them a try.

Book 16


Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

An elegantly structured novel and one that I enjoyed thoroughly, but also one that's difficult to classify. One could classify it as fantasy but it could just as easily be labelled as alternative history fiction. The book takes place over roughly a decade (1806-1817) and follows the careers of the first two practical magicians in England to appear in several hundred years: Mr Norrell and Jonathan Strange.

Clarke's work is brilliant and so well-crafted. She quietly builds a world that mixes history and imagination so smoothly. The overall plot, while building slowly over the 782 pages, reaches a captivating climax and satisfying conclusion resolving the multiple plotlines and character arcs that the reader has encountered.

Among all of the things I enjoyed about these novels, a few stick out. First, is Clarke's fantastic use of footnotes. In some ways the novel is set up as a factual accounting of the events concerning Norrell and Strange during 1806-1817 and so footnotes refer to publications by these two gentlemen. However, they also include wonderful folk tales Clarke has created in building the mythology of her world. Second, is how masterfully she includes real historical events and figures into her novel such as the Napoleonic wars, the Duke of Wellington and Lord Byron. Finally, Clarke employs a wonderfully understated wit that is thoroughly amusing. My favourite interchange is between the Duke of Wellington and Jonathan Strange about a Prussian General:

"Unfortunately, he is also mad. He believes he is pregnant."
"Ah!"
"With a baby elephant."
"Ah!"

However, while I thoroughly appreciated the cerebral enjoyment the novel provided, I had no extreme emotional connection to the book. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I enjoyed it. I'm not indifferent to the book by any means and definitely recommend it as a good read, but there's no overwhelming passion where I feel the desperate need to tell everyone I know that they MUST read this book. Rather, it's one I suggest you give a try. It's a lovely read.

Rating:****1/2

#76: I liked that one too, but I know a lot of readers do not find it to their taste.

Thanks for the review! I think I'll consider putting that on my list :)

#77 I was pretty sure I'd like it because my brother (who is a bit of an infrequent reader) actually read the whole thing a couple years ago, and if he reads a whole book, it usually means it's a decent read. But I can definitely understand why others wouldn't enjoy it.

#78 It's a commitment but it's enjoyable. It reminds me a little of Dickens with its large cast of characters but the time period is Regency rather than Victorian.

Very nice review, Micky! I've been curious about Clarke's novel, think I'll give it a try.

#80 Thanks. I hope you like it!

Book 17


Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, I've been eagerly awaiting my turn with the library's copy of this book. And my eagerness was well-earned. Collins weaves an intense, suspenseful, and satisfying conclusion to her series. The plot held several surprises for me (some of them sad) and I devoured the book in two days. Collins does a wonderful job of taking her dystopian world to darker places and paying it off. Although the understated love triangle in the books had the resolution I anticipated, how Katniss got there was not what I expected. As for the epilogue, which I'd heard mixed reviews on, I really appreciated it and feel that Mockingjay was a satisfying conclusion to a series that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: ****1/2

I can't wait till I can start this series! My brother in law who usually doesn't do much reading especially YA books raved about the series!
I am surprised you were able to get a library copy of the book so fast. I think if I waited my turn it would take half a year for it to get to me. At least that has been my experience with libraries and really popular books.

#83 My library (where I also work part-time) is a single branch in a decent-sized suburban community and they're actually really good about making sure people can get the best-sellers. Just checking the catalogue for Mockingjay we have 5 copies at our library plus a bestseller express copy. With the express copies, they can't be put on hold and patrons only get them for a week (instead of 3) but it helps keep the hold lists down. After putting the book on hold I only had to wait a month to get it. Anyway, hope you enjoy the Hunger Games when you get your chance with them. I think they're fantastic reads.

Book 18


Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

The second book in the trilogy, I was interested to see how the story would be continued as I felt the first book stood well on its own. It follows the two main characters from the previous book, Shiver, in early spring in Minnesota as they wait for the wolves to return to their human forms and deal with the unforeseen repercussions of past events. That description is really vague but I don't want to give anything away from either book if you haven't read them.

The narrative flows nicely which is an impressive achievement as the story is told from four different perspectives. The characters continue to develop and all four of the voices are very distinct and feel real. The romance is also sweet without being really cloying or too ridiculous which can happen easily in YA fiction. But what I appreciate most about this series is that instead of leaving lycanthropy as some sort of mystical phenomenon, Stiefvater instead approaches it scientifically. I'll be interested to see how she resolves this aspect of the story in the final book. The only thing that could be offputting about the book is that the text is printed in dark green ink. While it was a little odd at first, I adjusted quickly, but I know it could be an issue for others. Now I just have to wait for the final book to come out this summer.

Rating: ****

#85: I need to get to that one soon!

I saw Shiver many times in the bookstore but was always hesitant to pick it up because thinking that it might be cheesy?? Is it? Worth buying you think?

Hope you have a great weekend!

#87 Hmm, trying to decide if it's cheesy. It's definitely chock full of Teen Angst and Teen Romance (full emphasis on those capitals) but I wouldn't label it as cheesy. The copies I read of Shiver and Linger were both from the library and I don't feel compelled to buy them. They're definitely fun reads though. So maybe if you could get them used I'd buy, otherwise, try a library copy of Shiver and figure out if you like it enough to buy it. Well wishes for your weekend too!

I know there are werewolves in the story, but no vampires right? I am trying to see how similar it is to the Twilight series?

In terms of similarity to Twilight the only major similarities are that they're both YA, there's romance, and there are werewolves. Oh and first person narrative. Otherwise they're pretty different. If you liked Twilight then you'll probably like these books but if you didn't like it they may still appeal to you. I found a a blog post on Shiver that includes the first chapter. Maybe that'll help.

I saw Shiver at the bookstore today and was soooooo tempted just to buy it but seeing how I had 4 other books in my arms already, I let that one go... :)

Mmm, the balancing act of book shopping. ;) Just bought two the other day myself, but online. So I'll get a package in the mail soon. Yay!

Since you didn't get Shiver, what did you get?

Like you, I love those packages in the mail, Micky!

Thought I would stop by and say hello. You're had some great reads so far. Your reviews of the Narnia series make me want to re-read them. I have Hush, Hush somewhere in my TBR pile. I keep neglecting it for newer, shiner books.

#93 It is so much fun. Although, with your book buying ban, Stasia, are you going to get any or are you going to go into a real bookstore for your purchases?

#94 Thanks for stopping by! Hush, Hush is a quick read and I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. But you just reminded me to check at the library for Crescendo, its sequel.

This was my haul over the last 2 days...oh boy...granted my husband was shopping me me both time so I guess I am not in trouble..haha

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Helen Simonson (this after hearing rave reviews from so many people on LT0
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
Blackout by Connie Willis (another one with rave reviews)
Always and Forever by Cathy Kelly
Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly (the last two were purely bought on the cover design...so..bad....)

I think after this, I really need to self impose a ban on purchasing books on myself for the next decade. :) Spending so much time on LT really is NOT helping the cause, as two of my purchases were from reviews other people have given....yikes!

#96 Impressive haul! I haven't read any of them although Blackout is on the TBR list based on reviews from LT. One of the two books I ordered was Outlander based on various raves (yours among them) about it.

A decade long ban probably wouldn't turn out well because then you'd have to go through a massive splurge at the end. :) Maybe just a book quota for the year would be better?

#93: I get books through the mail from PBS these days. Since these books are swaps, they do not count as bought books.

Either way, I'd fail. I set up restrictions only to break them myself! I need to take a course of self-control..haha

Oooh..I hope you enjoy Outlander! You will have to let me know if it is your cup of tea.

Hope you are having a great day so far. Our highest temp this week will be a balmy -14C..so I'm bunkering down for the next couple of days. :)

*swooning for Gilbert Blythe* :)

#99 & 100 Temperatures here are ok (around -10C) but the windchill has been cold the past couple days so I've been snuggling under blankets the past couple days.

You've tempted me to pull out the DVDs so I can have a little swoon over Gilbert Blythe myself. ;)

Book 19


Moby Dick - Herman Melville

The classic tale of Captain Ahab and his crew aboard the Pequod in their hunt for the white whale, Moby Dick.

Although I knew the ending of the story before I began (thanks to frequent viewings of Pagemaster as a kid), I was interested to see whether I would enjoy this particular classic. After finishing it, my reviews are mixed. The book is a well-crafted one with a compelling central narrative, a multitude of allusions (predominantly biblical), and in-depth descriptions of the typical experience on a whaling ship. It's easy to see why this book ended up in the canon. However, I found Melville's writing style to be a bit unusual. Intermixed with overall tale of the fateful voyage of the Pequod as told by the narrator, Ishmael, there are many other chapters which discuss the zoological classification of whales, whale anatomy, whale mythology, and whaling practice. While some of these chapters do serve to enhance an understanding of the narrative, at some points it felt as if Melville included this information only as proof of his extensive research into the topic. At other points it felt as if Melville were jumping up and down exclaiming "Whaling is an important and noble profession worthy of this highly artistic novel that I've written." Which I'd be more than willing to admit if he'd stop whacking the reader over the head with that same idea over and over.

Stylistically too, Melville is a bit irregular. Interspersed with typical novel structure are chapters which, if they were particularly heavy on dialogue, would be set up like directions in a stage play but without the speaker's name next to his dialogue so that it was occasionally difficult to determine who was speaking.

Despite these quirks, some of which can be justified by the age of the book, the main story is fascinating as Ahab slowly succumbs to his monomaniacal quest to kill the whale that took his leg. Many sections are full of action and high seas adventure as the crew goes whale hunting, although some of the descriptions are a tad gruesome. Overall, it's a book I'm glad to read but not one I'm likely to come back to again.

Rating: ***

Excellent review of Moby Dick. All I could think about while I was reading the book was really if you describe another boat and/or harpoon and/or fish, I am going to go drown myself :), but you did an excellent job of expressing the good and the bad of the book!

I Youtubed some clips of Anne just to see what this Blythe guy really looks like and if it's even comparable to the man I have in my mind. :)

Thanks! I saw the film adaptations first before I read the books so the actor who played Gilbert is always what I pictured in my imagination. How'd he measure up for you?

Book 20


A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

In 1895 Gemma Doyle is 16 and living in India with her parents but desperately wishing to go to glamorous London. When her mother is mysteriously murdered Gemma's wish is fulfilled as her family send her to Spence Academy, a finishing school for young ladies. While attempting to find her place in the school, Gemma learns that she has powers that allow her to access the magical realms. With her three friends she begins to explore the realms, the magic, and the role these things had in her mother's death.

I really enjoyed this book, a YA historical fiction with a dash of the paranormal. Bray has obviously done a lot of research and it shows in her descriptions but also her wonderful evocation of the time and the position that women had in society. The limited options available to the girls in this novel are a constant presence making their forays into the realms where they can have power so understandable.

However, the best creation of this book is the characters themselves. Gemma and her three friends are realistically drawn. They are teenage girls with secrets, problems, and flaws. Of course, that means they aren't always likable nor do they always make the best decisions, but it's easy to excuse them because they feel real and that's what real people are like. Bray's descriptions of the relationships between the girls are also well done and she has wonderful narrative voice. I particularly enjoyed this passage:

You can never really know anyone completely. That's why it's the most terrifying thing in the world, really - taking someone on faith, hoping they'll take you on faith too. It's such a precarious balance, it's a wonder we do it at all. And yet...

I also really appreciated the interweaving of Tennyson's The Lady of Shalot into the narrative as it worked well with the themes and it's a favourite of mine.

A strong first entry in the trilogy, I'm glad I have the next two books sitting in my reading pile.

Rating: ****

I just picked this up as a bargain book. I'm really excited to read it now!

#106 I hope you like it!

Ahhhh...your thread is proving to be very dangerous for me! I've seen those books around before but have always just passed them over but reading your reviews has been tempting!
Hope you are having a great weekend :)

February Summary

Books read: 5
Non-fiction: 0
Fiction: 5
Pages read: 2446
Favourite book(s) this month: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Awesome on getting 5 books done in February!! :)

With Linger being one of your favourite reads in February, I may just cave and go purchase the books one of these days but I will wait till the whole series is out in paperback.

#110 Sounds like a plan. It was hard to pick a favourite this month because I didn't have a book that loved overwhelmingly like last month. But Linger was a sold read.

Book 21


Rebel Angels - Libba Bray

The second book of the Gemma Doyle trilogy follows Gemma and her friends as they leave Spence Academy for the Christmas holidays and go to London. The girls see the sights, go to the opera, and balls but there is a more pressing danger from the magic that has been released in the realms. Gemma must bind it before it causes the realms to descend into chaos.

I was generally pleased with this book. Bray's research into the Victorian era is evident and melds well into the narrative. She effectively weaves Bethlem (Bedlam) Hospital, opium dens, the slums, and the Underground into the narrative which adds a nice depth to story. The characters continued to develop and were still distinctly realistic. At points this made them particularly grating, as they acted exactly like girls who annoyed me when I was in my teens. However, the backstory of one of the characters that was revealed provided significant insight into her behaviour and made her less annoying.

I only had two complaints this time. First, was that Bray teased me with a prologue from Kartik's perspective which I found really interesting and a nice change from Gemma's voice but she didn't give any further chapters from his perspective. *sigh* My second complaint is that I figured out what the climax of the novel would be halfway through the novel and then spent the rest of the novel being mildly annoyed with the characters for being too obtuse to figure it out also. I can't decide if I figured it out because the hints provided were too easy or because I have more reading experience (and thus am more adept at looking for such hints) than the YA audience the book is aimed at.

The epigraph of the novel is from Milton's Paradise Lost and I'm sure some of the themes from that work appear in this one, but as I haven't read it (I do mean to get around to it one of these days) I couldn't spot them.

As the middle book in the trilogy, I found it did an adequate job of building the base for the major conflict in the final book while also tying up some plotlines from the previous book.

Rating: ****

I haven't read any Libba Bray... something I should definitely rectify in the near future.

Her latest is a take-off of Don Quixote, Going Bovine and is very different from the trilogy.

Way to go! You are tearing through the series. :) Another one to add to my pile. :)

#113 Hope you enjoy her when you do.

#114 Looks like Going Bovine has the potential to be amusing but I don't think I'll be hunting it down any time soon.

#115 Thanks Valerie! Hope you like them when you get around to it.

Just popping in to say HI! Now I'm popping back out. Teehee :)

Book 22


The Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray

The final book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy follows Gemma as she deals with her role in controlling the magic of the realms and the impending battle with the dark creatures of the Winterlands. At the same time she and her friends must also face their futures as they prepare to leave Spence Academy and make their debuts.

The final book in the trilogy was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Throughout all three books, the main characters have been clearly defined as realistic and flawed teenage girls and it was this characterization that really annoyed me for the first half of the book. However, in the second half of the book, the action picked up and the characters' choices ceased to irritate me.

Bray continued to impress me with her ability to skillfully include so many different historical elements. My favourites in this book were references to H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Jack the Ripper, suffragettes, and the development of workers' unions. She also used W.B. Yeats' poem "The Rose of Battle" as the epigraph and weaved themes from the poem very effectively into the narrative.

While I think the first half of the book could have been edited to be a little tighter, the final half of the book made up for these flaws. I found it to be a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and I was pleased with how Bray allowed her characters to develop.

Rating: ***1/2

You convinced me! Will have to pick up this series at some point. :) Can't wait to see what you are going to read next!

I'm toying with picking up the second book in this series. I did like how she showed in the first book the other side of the bullies. (I also really like both the poem "The Lady of Shallot" and Waterhouse's painting).

#119 Hope you like the series when you try it, Valerie.

#120 Give it a try. I found the central mystery too easy to figure out but the development of the world and the characters was well done. Plus, it included some really fun historical references.

I have the first book here in my tbr pile, and had been waffling on whether to read the series, but you've convinced me to give it a try.

#122 Yay! Hope you enjoy it!

I saw the series in the bookstore when I was shopping and ooh how my hands burned and I wanted to grab all three off the shelf, but I restrained myself *pat on the back*. :)
Excited to see what you are going to read next!

I am thoroughly impressed by your restraint in the bookstore. :)

I should have my next read finished by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Book 23


Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The classic tale of the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

My excuse for re-reading this was for the Austen-athon, but really I'd take any excuse to revisit Austen's works. Pride and Prejudice is my favourite novel for so many reasons. This is Austen's wit at its most sparkling. Each character, whether it's ridiculous ones like Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Collins, or the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner or Jane Bennet are well-crafted. The plot is very familiar but it clips along lightly with never a dull moment.

Obviously I could gush about this book for pages but instead I will simply say that as sweet as the romantic moments are in this book (and believe me, I love Mr. Darcy), it is the comedy that makes this book truly brilliant.

Rating: *****

Ahh..Mr. Darcy! All these literary beaus ;) How is one to choose between them all??? Great excuse to re-read a classical gem. Glad to see you enjoyed it all over again. :)

The tremendous upside to literary beaus is that you never have to choose. :D

Darcy's fine, but he's just not for me. I prefer Mr. Knightley, or Edward Ferrars.

There is something to say about stuffy, snobby, British men who start off as pompus jerks who half way through the book are suddenly so endearing, it breaks your heart... Suckers, we are all suckers! :)

>129 norabelle414: I actually have a huge soft spot for Henry Tilney.

>130 jolerie: Yes, but it's so much fun. :D

Imagine the fun if you were to find one that was REAL. Then what would you do with yourself??

Book 24



A Kiss in Time - Alex Flinn

A re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. Talia is about to turn 16 and is eager to do so because for her entire life she's been living under the threat of falling under a curse if she ever touches a spindle. 300 years later, Jack is bored out of his mind on his bus tour of Europe and when he sneaks away and finds a town where all the inhabitants are asleep including a really hot girl in a tower things get even weirder.

I was prepared to like this book but it was a bit of disappointment. I'd really hoped for a fresh take on the fairy tale but I was underwhelmed by the effort. The characters weren't as well-developed as they had the chance of being and the plot wasn't fantastic either. Talia was set up with the potential of being a strong female character and then she just wasn't. Jack was a blah hero. The plot resolution was too neat.

That said, I did read the entire book over the course of an afternoon and evening, so I did like it enough to blitz through it. Some of my review is probably coloured by my opinions about the ending which was... cheesy. An easy read that teens would probably enjoy more than I did, but not fantastic for adults who enjoy YA.

Rating: ***

>132 jolerie: Probably blush, stutter awkwardly, and then hide in a corner with a book.

That would not be keeping in theme with all those Austen heroines. You need to be ballsy, go up to the man of your dreams and demand that he dance with you, OR you can simply ignore that he exists and he will eventually come grovelling at your feet. :)

My second complaint is that I figured out what the climax of the novel would be halfway through the novel and then spent the rest of the novel being mildly annoyed with the characters for being too obtuse to figure it out also.

Oh my god yes. This made for possibly the most irritating read ever; even though I loved the first book, I haven't yet been able to bring myself to finish the trilogy because this was just too annoying.

At the risk of spoilers....

I think the problem is that Bray made anagrams a key part of the plot, while apparently never having done an anagram in her life. Anyone who plays Scrabble, does cryptic crosswords, etc., would immediately have figured out who the bad guy was after the characters started anagramming that name. I've never known a plot twist to be revealed so blatantly and in a way that leaves no doubt at all about what's coming. And it was absolutely unbelievable that the characters were unable to figure it out after just doing ridiculous long anagrams with no problem. Clearly Bray was doing those anagrams using a computer, so that having every letter present was the key issue, whereas for actual humans doing an anagram it's much more important to have a limited number of options; the mind can easily fill in the gaps if it turns out a few letters are missing.

This was just SO BAD. I'm not sure I've ever been so annoyed with a book in my life (at least not one that I've read through--1000 Places to See Before You Die also has to be mentioned among annoying books).

Sorry for the ranting! I just feel very strongly about that book....

>136 _Zoe_: I agree. The first book was so so so good and the other two were just annoying.

>135 jolerie: When it comes to Austen heroines, although Elizabeth Bennet is my favourite, I think I'm most like Catherine Morland. Naive with an overactive imagination and voracious reading habits.

>136 _Zoe_: Feel free to rant. I definitely agree with your opinion about the anagram plotline. My annoyance ebbed and flowed while reading the entire trilogy and I'm still not sure if it was worth all the effort.

>133 MickyFine: Oh, I almost bought this the other day as I love fairytale retellings. Glad I decided to put it back on the shelf!

Found and starred! This group is very overwhelming, and sometimes it's hard to find people with similar reading interests. So thanks for posting on my thread, as it led me to the your thread, and to the discovery that we have eerily similar tastes! I look forward to more YA recommendations here.

>139 Tanglewood: It's not a bad read and if you can get it from the library it's an easy read. But I wouldn't buy it either.

>140 wisechild: Thanks for the star! I know I lurk on your thread pretty often and enjoy seeing what you read.

Book 25


Beastly - Alex Flinn

A modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, Beastly tells the story of Kyle Kingsbury the golden boy of his high school. But when he plays a cruel trick on a girl at a dance she turns out to be a witch who turns him into a beast and gives him two years to fin a girl who will fall in love with him and break the curse.

Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favourite fairy tales and Disney films (he gives her a library! How awesome is that?!) but having just read A Kiss in Time my expectations were lower for this book. However, it did a decent job. The story is told entirely from Kyle's perspective and Flinn adequately describes his character development from shallow and cruel pretty boy to a considerate young man. Some of the dialogue was a bit stilted and awkward and I felt like the girl, Lindy, could have used more character development. But it was a fun and quick read (I read it in two and a half hours). I'm going to see the film next week and I'll be interested to see how they compare (I've heard the poor reviews but I'm thinking Alex Pettyfer's abs and NPH should make up for any flaws).

Rating: ***

Love Beauty and the Beast. :) Probably one of my all time favourite fairy tales! And yes, to have someone give you an entire room filled with books from ceiling to floor is pretty fantastic, even if he looked a bit shaggy..hehe.

I think your last 2 books will be library reads for me since they don't sound like they are worth buying but I'd still want to check them out one day.

Found your thread Micky! So, this is my official apology in advance for when I accidentally break something. :P

>143 jolerie: I would definitely go with library reads. They're not bad for a bit of fluff but I wouldn't shell out cash for them. :)

>144 Ape: Hi Stephen! Don't worry, there's nothing around here that's really breakable. As long as you don't start climbing the bookshelves, we should be fine. ;)

See now this is where I am tempted to get an E-reader! That way I can buy all those YA books that I want to read, but don't really want to dish out so much cash for them. Or I can borrow them from the library, but I've had some bad experience with library books that despite the cost saving benefits, I haven't borrowed a book from the library in YEARS.

>142 MickyFine: I saw the movie Beastly 2 weeks ago, before I read the book. I almost skipped the book because the movie was SO BAD. Neil Patrick Harris makes it worth watching, but only barely. I'd be really interested to talk about it once you get to see it, but I don't want to spoil anything for you.

>146 jolerie: I'm curious what really bad experiences you had with library books. I love trolling for new YA at the library, but recently I've been borrowing ebooks from the library. The selection isn't huge but they're free and there's no need to worry about returning them on time as they expire automatically. Best of both worlds!

>146 jolerie: I look at e-readers and I'm a little tempted (especially when Chapters has the Kobo on sale) but I think I'm going to wait a while longer. The issues surrounding DRM, actual ownership of books (Amazon and copies of 1984 anyone?), and HarperCollins current position on library ebooks just make the current market a little to uncertain for me to invest just now.

I am also curious about your bad experiences with library books. Did you check out the Monster Book of Monsters and get bitten? ;)

>147 norabelle414: I will definitely let you know my opinion after I see it.

>148 wisechild: The library where I work is working on getting ebooks and is that an arduous process. :P But I know people will be thrilled when we finally do have them.

Well truthfully, my bad experience is really 2 folds. One is entirely my own fault and the other is out of my control. The part that is within my control is my utter laziness in returning items on time. Coupled with my OCD, I usually have at least 10 items checked out at one time and then I say to myself...well one or 2 days can't hurt. Those 1-2 days quickly end up being 1-2 WEEKS and then I sheepishly fork over at least 20 dollars in overdue fees when I go back to the library to return the books to check another ten or more books..haha! I know..I know..there is such a thing as online renewal as well, but again, I blame my sheer laziness. I think just my overdue fees alone is enough to sustain my local library.. @.@
The other thing would be the condition that I find some of the books in and I am not just talking about bent pages, or wet books. I am talking about NASTY things I find inbetween the pages and then my imagination runs off with me and I imagine where the last place this book possibly has been and *shudder*...I don't think I need to go on. Suffice to say, I am a bit grossed out by library books.
So, forking over my life savings to pay for late books, and dirty books is enough to deter me from my local library for the last couple of years.....

>148 wisechild: I just realized that you can check out e-books from the library this last week and that looks like it would be the perfect solution to both my issues with library books!

Micky, I was looking into the KOBO but apparently it is not worth it when for the same price, you can get a much better reader. I'll let you know more once my hubby does more research (electronic toys is his department...hehe).

Working in a public library I totally understand your qualms about where books have been. Trying not to think about how many babies have chewed on a single board book is best for everyone. But at the same time, I kind of like the idea of other people encountering a book just like me. Of course, going to the library on a weekly basis is an institution in my family so my experiences are probably different from yours.

That is so great that you work at a library! I used to dream about working in one...maybe one day?? :)

Babies chewing on books, I don't mind that in the least. Baby germs I can handle. It's the OTHER stuff. I mean like questionable stuff... :/

But regardless I do have fond memories of walking to the library after school when I was old enough and just browsing through all the stacks of books and just dream....
I will probably venture back to the library once my little one is hold enough and I can start checking out books to read to him...you can only read Green Eggs and Ham (as great as it is) so many times... :)

Working at the library is an interesting experience. And in a little over twenty days I will be an official librarian with my shiny, brand new MLIS.

Kids books at the library are awesome. Occasionally I come across some really awesome picture books while I wander around. My personal favourites have to be Robert Munsch though. 50 Below Zero is a must-read for any Canadian. ;)

Congratulations on that! I am truly envious that you are able to work with books all day! Just curious but do you need an undergrad first before you get your MLIS?

Yes..Munsch is a common book in our house as well. Except we got the one that has like a collection of his books and so it is super heavy to hold during story time and couple that with a flailing baby makes for a very interesting bedtime. :) 50 Below Zero is not one that we've read yet. *Off to go find out*

I think you need an undergraduate degree for an MLIS, but you can go to college for a library tech diploma directly out of high school. Both lead to working with books :)

I have a Kobo, but I pretty much only use it for prolonged travelling.

>154 jolerie: Yup, an undergrad is required before you can apply for an MLIS. And I can just imagine that a heavy book and a squirmy baby don't make for the best mix.

>155 _Zoe_: An ereader for traveling makes a lot of sense. I don't do much of that right now and I don't desperately want or need an ereader so I keep bypassing the occasional urge to get one.

Book 26



City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray is a normal teenage girl living in New York City until the night she goes to the Pandemonium Club with her best friend, Simon, and sees three teens murder another boy. She quickly learns that all is not as it seems and is drawn into the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders in her efforts to find her mother who has disappeared. In the process, she learns more about herself than she bargained for.

This is a re-read for me. I blitzed through the Mortal Instruments series a couple weeks before Christmas last year and liked it enough that I bought my own copies which I now had to read to make sure nothing's wrong with them (I blame my paranoia on If On a Winter's Night a Traveler). The story is just as enjoyable the second time around, maybe even slightly more as I know the ultimate resolution so I can see hints of future developments Clare included in the first book.

The book creates a wonderful world in which Clare includes Nephilim, werewolves, vampires, fairies, and demons that all exist outside the awareness of mundanes (regular people). Her characters are vivid (mmm, Jace), the plot is well-paced, and she includes some wonderfully sarcastic humour as well. My favourite line talking about a Latin motto:

It means "Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of Our Enemies Since 1234."

A fun YA urban fantasy, slightly reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the first novel in the series sets up the trilogy well while also having a well-contained narrative of its own.

Rating: ****1/2

Hey, just in case you didn't know, the next book in that series is out April 5th City of Fallen Angels. We are counting down the days in my house!

>158 sydamy: Oh, I know. :D

#153 Congrats!

RE: public library books

I worked in a public library for the first half a year or so towards my MLIS (before I got an reference internship at the academic library) I have to say - for all that I still go to the public library - I AM picky about library books I will read (public library ones that is - academic ones don't generally get nearly so nasty)

I would have been late to Harry Potter either way, but I ended up waiting years past the point I was going to start reading them, because when I went to check them out at the public library I was working at they were just too nasty. Same recently with the mass market paperback of the first Song of Fire and Ice book at the local public library - ick! But most of the spiritual memoirs and such I've read from the public library have been in good shape...

Public librarianship is not for the faint of heart - I learned that much my first day as a circulation clerk - a large pair of purple underwear was found in the middle of the floor of the ladies restroom and none of the library staff thought that was particularly strange!

(But I do want to clarify that was NOT what made me go into academic librarianship! LOL! I do have other reasons for having been very happy as an academic librarian these past 5 years!)

>157 MickyFine: I've been meaning to read those books for ages. One day....

>160 YoungGeekyLibrarian: Thanks! It's true, public librarianship has some really odd moments and you get all kinds of people. I've had some really varied experiences with my student work. I've worked in an academic repository, a government library, and now a public library. All of them have their charms and I'm pretty open in terms of what I'm hoping to get for a job post-graduation.

>161 _Zoe_: I'm sure they'll jump out and grab you one of these days. Hope you enjoy them when they do.

Interestingly enough this came through my feed reads just now from the Library History Buff Blog: "Contagious Diseases and Library Books" http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/contagious-diseases-and-library-b...

I had to laugh because even though its historical nature makes the marginalia in this post rather unrelated to our conversation here about public library books (because I'm assuming the note was sent during a time of a truly very contagious disease if the board of health was notifying libraries of who had contagious disease in their home), I did think it was pretty interesting none the less...

>163 YoungGeekyLibrarian: That is really interesting. Thanks!

Book 27



City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

The second book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy follows Clary as she begins to grapple with the consequences of her new role in the world of the Shadowhunters and its effect on her relationships. At the same time, Shadowhunters and Downworlders must also attempt to discover and stop Valentine's plans to destroy their world as they know it.

The narrative is once again a nice balance of plot advancement and character development. The action sequences are riveting and intense, the relationship moments are sweet and although heightened as they can only be in a fantasy, they are resonant. This book also gives greater insight into Jace and Simon's characters as well as Clary. An enjoyable re-read.

Rating: ****1/2

I like that cover much better than the first one... :D

Lol, you would, Stephen. I prefer the first cover myself. ;)

I bought the whole series at superstore the other day....
Too be honest I've seen the series in so many places but never bothered to pick them up and read the back of the book because and this sounds silly....I really don't like books with pictures of people on the front covers(not including biographies and such)...and I have no idea why.
I blame my compulsive need to buy entirely on you Micky. :P

I will gladly take credit, especially if you enjoy them.

As for your cover art preferences, I totally understand. Although your aversion to people on covers must severely limit your reading options. ;)

I'm actually the same was as Valerie when it comes to people on covers. At least, photographs of people. Drawn ones are fine, but every time I see one with a live model I suddenly (and unintentionally) become completely disinterested. I also have no idea why. o.o

Hmm, maybe you two should form a support group? Or find some brown paper to wrap books with objectionable cover art in because there are some great books with people on the cover. :P

I also dislike photographs of people on the covers and sometimes even illustrated people on covers. One of the reasons I've held off on getting the newer books in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series is that they've switched from beautifully painted covers to drawing of people. I'm not sure why it bothers me either (maybe I like to imagine the main character?).

Hahaha..I think I am beginning to really reveal my uber OCDness. :) First it's the whole library book issue I have going on and now it's the I have a thing with people on the cover of books.
>172 Tanglewood: is a prime example of the kind of covers that I tend to shy away from and I think it's because it reminds me too much of those cheesy and sometimes tacky romance novels.... :/ The first picture I would pick up in a heartbeat, the second I would approach with a ten-foot pole...now how judgmental is that?? :)

Generally speaking, when I see a book with people on the cover I think "Oh look, they put a pretty model on the cover. Nice marketing strategy. GETAWAY!"

This, of course, applies to male and female cover models.

I always hate when movies (horror movies are the worst at this) substitue good actors for pretty ones. I think, to some extent, I associate this distaste with books as well. Pretty people on the cover = lesser writing quality? Not a scientific conclusion, but I think that's what happens in my brain! ... *shrugs*

It's doubly true for 'scantily-clad' folk. Men or women, it's an instant turn-off.

No so for 'drawn' ones, however. I look forward to reading this sometime... *shrug*

Sorry I also forgot to add my dislike of books that have been turned into movies and then they use the actors in the movies as the cover of the book........ :/ and you can't find any other version of the books...extreme inconvenience.

>147 norabelle414: Saw Beastly today. I actually enjoyed it, but going in with low expectations may have helped. NPH and Alex Pettyfer's abs were also strong contributing factors. In terms of adaptations I've seen far worse and on the awkward teen drama scale, it's still miles away from Twilight. What were your bugbears?

175: YES! I had to read Return of the King with Viggo Mortensen on it because it was all my library had to offer. -.-

(this one)

*Grumbles*

*shakes her head* Although I liked him as the character...so not cool... :)

>176 MickyFine: They basically negated the entire theme of the book by casting Mary-Kate Olson and Vanessa Hudgens (who are much more well-known for their attractiveness than their acting skills) for the lead female roles (who are supposed to be unattractive).

And the movie's idea of ugly was "tattooed, self-mutilating freaks". Tattoos and self-mutilation (I think he was referring to piercings in this case) are concrete choices people make, and that's very different from being fat or conventionally unattractive. Kendra is "ugly" because she has a face tattoo and unusual hair. Kyle is changed to be "ugly", but he mostly just has lots of tattoos and piercings.

When I read the book I couldn't believe there was so much in it about books and reading and how important that was to Lindy, and they just left all of that out of the movie.

The things I liked better in the movie were the flowering tattoo that told him how long he had left, and Lindy's relationship with her dad/how she came to be at Kyle's house.

It's probably good that I saw the movie first, because then my expectations for the book were way low, and it surprised me by being good :-)

>179 norabelle414: Very legitimate arguments. I think for me the book was just a "meh" experience and I expected the movie to be the same and I was actually entertained (mostly by NPH) so I was pleasantly surprised by that.

NPH was fabulous.

Popping by to also express my extreme dislike of movie tie-in covers. Especially when it has horrid advertising like "Now a major motion picture," as if this will make me read the book. Grr.
I used to work for a bookstore which was underneath a movie theatre in a mall. The entrance closest to the theatre was always lined with a display of movie tie-in books. A whole wall of ugly covers to look at - yuck.
One display I especially liked, however, was when someone from the fiction section made a display of books with the same cover. It was amazing to see how many books use the same stock photography.

That display sounds pretty awesome.

I'm not crazy picky about my cover art. If I'm buying a book I prefer the original cover art rather than a movie tie-in version but if I'm borrowing a book from the library, as along as I like the content I don't care too much about the cover art.

I prefer the non-movie cover art, but sometimes the movie tie-in editions are SO much cheaper....

I took the quiz I saw on mamzel's thread about the type of reader I am and got the following:

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader  

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm   Literate Good Citizen   Book Snob   Fad Reader   Non-Reader   What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Book 28



City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

The third book in the Mortal Instruments series follows the characters as they travel from New York to Idris where they must fight to stop Valentine's plans. In the midst of the conflict the characters learn things about themselves that will change everything.

Horrible description of the plot on my part, but this book really is fantastic. Clare brings all of the conflicts to a wonderful climax, resolves many of the conflicts between the characters but also leaves some questions which should be addressed in the next books (less than a week until book four comes out!). I particularly enjoy how Clare developed Clary, Jace, and Simon's characters. And of course the dry sarcastic humour is still in evidence despite the darker plot elements going on. Just as enjoyable the second time around.

Rating: ****1/2

I've never really felt compelled to read the Mortal Instruments series but you're making a really good case for them! I may have to investigate.

>187 curioussquared: Want to borrow my magnifying glass? ;)

188 - Just let me grab my deerstalker and I'm on it.

>189 curioussquared: :)

Looking forward to seeing what you have to say about the next book in the series. I take it that it's not a reread for you?

Hey, Micky. Just trying to catch up a bit. Glad to see you enjoyed the Mortal Instruments trilogy. I did too.

>191 jolerie: Brand new book coming out on Tuesday definitely won't be a re-read. Just trying to figure out if I can swing a visit to the bookstore that day or if I have to wait until Wednesday.

>192 alcottacre: Stasia! Lovely to see you back. Mortal Instruments are definitely an enjoyable read.

March Summary

Books read: 8
Fiction: 8
Non-fiction: 0
Pages read: 4205

Favourite book(s): Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (of course!), City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

The Cassandra Clares are wonderful! I might revisit them myself, you make them sound even better than I remember them :)

#193: Thanks, Micky. It is good to be back.

Book 29


Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

In 1878, Tessa Gray has traveled to London from New York to live with her brother, Nathaniel, following the death of her aunt. However, upon her arrival she is taken by the Dark Sisters, a pair of warlocks, who reveal to Tessa that she is a shape-changer and train her to use her power in preparation to hand her over to the Magister. Before she can be given to this mysterious figure she is rescued by the Shadowhunters who vow to help her find her brother but also use her powers to help them investigate the dark plans of the Magister.

The first book in The Infernal Devices trilogy, Clare has not simply reworked the same plots and characters from The Mortal Instruments into the Victorian era. Instead she has created a new cast of intriguing characters. While those who have read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series will get a little bit more out of this book, it is definitely not required. It is particularly fun to see Magnus Bane a couple hundred years younger than he is in the previous books set in this world.

I really enjoyed this book, even more than I had anticipated. The characters are well-developed and have a unique set of flaws and histories. The mystery of the origins of Tessa's power is compelling as is the overall plot of the novel. Clare also includes a multitude of literary allusions in the text as Tessa is an avid reader. I also really enjoyed the extracts from various poems at the beginning of each chapter, which always fit the theme well. While there are large chunks of the plot left unresolved at the end of the book (as is fitting for the first book in a trilogy) and there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end (although not one that leaves weeping and gnashing my teeth for the next book). I do look forward to seeing how the plot will develop when the next book is released in September.

Rating: ****1/2

#197: I already have that one in the BlackHole, but I will wait on it until the entire trilogy is out. I hate waiting!

I have a decent knack for finding series after all of the books are out, but having to wait for books every once in a while is kind of fun. Builds some suspense. Unless of course, there's a Big Cliffhanger.

Saw the book at Chapters today and thought of you. :) I walked out of the store with NOTHING...not because I didn't have anything I wanted to buy, but that I wanted to buy EVERYTHING...so I walked out with nothing...haha

#199: Yeah, those Big Cliffhangers are hateful, aren't they?

>200 jolerie: That's some impressive restraint, Valerie! I have an excursion to Chapters planned for Wednesday. I'm very excited. :)

>201 alcottacre: So hateful. I strongly dislike them in print. I also tend to yell at my tv when they happen in season finales. *grumbles about cruel tv writers*

Went and saw Jane Eyre last night and really enjoyed it. I'm planning on re-reading it later this month *ignores looks of shock at seeing the movie before I read the book* and found it a really good match from what I remembered. A really well-done adaptation worth seeing. Now I'm off to swoon over Mr. Rochester in a corner. :)

I've finally caught up with your thread, and am glad to see that several of the books I have out from the library, you have enjoyed, so I'm definitely looking forward to them.

>203 lunacat: Happy reading!

Hahaha..good luck to you on Wednesday. :) Hey just curious because you know how teachers have a discount at chapters, do you get one once you are a librarian?? That would be sweet and not very helpful with the whole self-restaint issue..hehe
Looking forward to seeing what you get!

>205 jolerie: I wish. Book ordering for libraries is pretty different and we typically get books from specific vendors that sell books exclusively to libraries. I have my irewards card at Chapters for discounts (just like other people can get).

Book 30



Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination - Helen Fielding

Read for: TIOLI Challenge #4 - book from bold tags in tag mirror of person below

Olivia Joules is a freelance journalist who desperately wants to get out of writing style stories and do serious news. Unfortunately, her overactive imagination tends to create stories that have no factual back-up. While working on an article in Florida, Olivia gets pulled into a situation wilder than her imagination could have created.

My general reaction to this book is "meh". There were a few funny moments but in comparison with the Bridget Jones books, this one suffers greatly. The book also requires a massive suspension of disbelief from about the mid-point on. I also didn't feel particularly attached to Olivia which made it difficult to really care about the plot development. It was a quick and easy read but not overwhelmingly awesome or funny.

Rating: **1/2

I am about 1/3 of the way through Clockwork Angel right now and loving it. And yes, we have pre-ordered and are anxiously awaiting City of Fallen Angels.

>208 sydamy: It's really good, eh? I'm going to pick up City of Fallen Angels at the bookstore tomorrow! *book geek sounds of joy*

Hope you enjoy your next read more!

#207: Looks like one I can safely skip! Thanks for taking one for the team.

>210 AMQS: I have been so far. :)

>211 alcottacre: I was going to say any time, but then realized that would be bad. So I'll just say, you're welcome!

Book 31


I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

Cassandra Mortmain and her family live in a castle in genteel poverty in 1930s England with little prospect of improvement or alteration in their situation. However, change is slowly wrought by the arrival of the Cottons, the American heirs who live nearby and who are the new owners of the castle. Over the course of several months, Cassandra records the happenings and her transition from childhood to adulthood in her journal.

I picked this book up after having a friend tell me that I HAD TO READ IT NOW!!!! While I'm not quite as passionate about the book as she is, I'm very glad she recommended it. The book is a very sweet coming of age story. Cassandra is a delightful narrator and Smith does an excellent job of describing the changes in Cassandra's life as she grows up, falls in love, and emerges into adulthood. The descriptive passages are beautifully evocative and created very clear images in my mind of rural England. The main cast of characters is relatively small but well-defined and I had sympathy for all of them, even Rose, Cassandra's older sister. The book doesn't show its age too much (it was originally published in 1948) and if want a slower, sweet YA read, I recommend this one.

Rating: ***1/2

I enjoyed I Capture the Castle very much when I read it. I am glad you did not hate it :)

I first read I Capture the Castle when I was about eleven, so I don't think I really understood the transition occurring. I often think I should go back and try it, and your review has put it back in my mind again. Ta for that.

>214 alcottacre: I don't think I could hate such a sweet book.

>215 lunacat: Hope you enjoy it just as much now as you did then.

Oh, I really enjoyed I Capture the Castle! Glad you did, too.

Book 32



City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare

Beginning about six weeks after the end of City of Glass, the next book in the Mortal Instruments series begins to explore the repercussions of some of the actions from the previous books. Simon continues to grapple with his new status as a vampire and also with his Mark. Clary and Jace are finally able to begin a real relationship but soon discover that love does not make everything easy. And a dark power is rising that will bring foes more difficult to face than any of them could anticipate.

Clare does an excellent job of building on the world she established in the first three books and taking some open-ended plot points from City of Glass and developing them. The characters continue to entertain and it is fascinating to watch them as they deal with the new curves that have been thrown at them. Simon gets considerably more space in this book than in previous books and his character is delightful and endearing. It is also wonderful to see Clary and Jace move beyond the relationship issues they had in the first three books and deal with the realities of their decisions. These two have some *steamy* scenes in this book!

There are a few characters that crop up in this book that appear in Clockwork Angel but reading that book in advance of this one isn't necessary although it does enhance enjoyment of the plot. Clare also rewards readers who have paid attention to seemingly minor details in previous books in the Mortal Instruments series as they play a major role in this book. The book was filled with surprises, only one of which I guessed in advance, and packs one heck of a cliffhanger ending. An excellent continuation of the series.

Rating: ****1/2

Glad to see you are still enjoying the series. I liked the first three books, but have not gone beyond them yet.

The fourth one is just as enjoyable as the previous books. Sadly, now I have to wait before I can get my next fix from the series.

I also just finished this, and am starting to understand Stasia and wanting to wait for all the books to be released, I want to curse these books that end with such major cliffhangers!!! I agree with your review, a worthy addition to the series.

I absolutely hate books that end on cliffhangers!

>222 alcottacre: I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers but they are a very effective marketing strategy because you can bet I'll be getting the next book if there is one that I desperately want resolved.

#223: True, and I am sure that is why publishers are so in favor of cliffhangers. Unfortunately if something happens to the author, that leaves the reading public still hanging.

Yep, that's why I try not to start a book series unless I know the whole thing is published. And continuous never-ending-series authors be damned. :)

I got the first three of these out of the library and was about to read them when I discovered that it wasn't a trilogy as I had originally thought! So back to the library they have gone.

Book 33



Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

The classic story of Jane Eyre an orphan who goes from boarding school to being the governess for the mysterious Mr. Rochester and their ensuing romance.

I re-read this for the group read and also as a follow up to seeing the newest film version. I last read it when I was still in high school and wasn't overwhelmed by it. This time around, I have a much greater affection for the novel.

Jane is a wonderful heroine. She has tremendous strength of will and despite the often horrible circumstances she is in, she maintains her equilibrium. I particularly enjoyed her biting repartee with Mr. Rochester and her fortitude in opposing such a strong (both physically and emotionally) man. I also now have a much greater appreciation for the many Gothic elements of the narrative and recognize them as vital element of the genre.

I also admire Charlotte Bronte's excellent writing. Her characters are wonderfully crafted and maintain a surprising relevance to a modern audience. She also writes beautiful descriptive passages that evoke the varying scenes of England she includes. A brilliant first novel.

Rating: *****

I am looking forward to starting Jane Eyre for the group read. It has been a long time since I read it, too.

I was just browsing threads when I came upon yours. You've done some great reading this year, some of which I've read (Sara Zarr, Dodie Smith) and some of which is going on the wishlist (Susanna Clarke). Have a great weekend!

Just dropping by to say HI! :)

I've been distracted for so long that I will be lucky if I finish one book for April. But on a happier note, we are hopefully Springing away with the last snowfall we had last week.

>228 katiekrug: Hope you enjoy your time with Jane as much as I did. :)

>229 RosyLibrarian: Thanks for dropping by. Just went through your thread and starred it. Looks like we have some similar reading tastes.

>230 jolerie: Hi Valerie! Hope things get less busy for you soon. We had a spring blizzard this week so the patches of bare grass have once more disappeared under snow. *blergh*

This week I completed my Master of Library and Information Studies. It's kind of weird to be done school and looking for a "grown-up job" but kind of spectacular too. Now I have to remind myself that I'm no longer a student...

Congrats on finishing your Masters! That's quite an achievement! My sister actually just applied to do a Masters in Information Studies next year as she just finished a college diploma in Museum Studies.
Good luck on the job hunt!

Congratulations! That is quite a life milestone.

Wow -- congrats to you! What a huge accomplishment. Are you planning to celebrate?

Many thanks for the congratulations and well wishes!

>234 AMQS: Our school throws a party at the end of term every year with dinner and dancing which was this past Friday. That was a lot of fun. There will also be some celebrating after the convocation ceremony in June.

Book 34


A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf's classic essay on women and writing.

I am not a big fan of Virginia Woolf. I had to suffer through studying Jacob's Room during my undergrad and abhorred it. The only thing that saved me from completely writing off Virginia Woolf was my knowledge that she highly respected Jane Austen, and I just can't hate anyone who appreciates my favourite author. After reading this essay, I may succumb to all of those suggestions to give Woolf another try.

Her prose and her arguments are seductive. In just a little over 100 pages, Woolf discusses the immensity of the topic of Women and Fiction and reaches her very famous conclusion that in order for a woman to be able to write, she must have £500 a year and a room of her own. In the process of reaching this conclusion she explores the position women have held in society, their role in poetry and fiction, and the writing of women. What I found most appealing in Woolf's argument was that writing should not be done solely from a single gender perspective but rather that writer's should strive to be "man-womanly" or "woman-manly." Woolf's essay is definitely feminist but not one of the man-hating variety. Instead, in her conclusion, she exhorts her audience of women to simply take advantage of the opportunities now available to them that women in the past have not had. They have the chance to possess the £500 a year and a room of one's own and should exercise that privilege to share their unique genius with others.

Rating: ****

Congrats on finishing up your degree!! It must be super exciting to complete that milestone and I know what you mean because while we are in school, each step is already planned out but now you are stepping out on your own and the possibilities are endless! :)

>237 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie!

Congratulations on getting your Masters!

>239 Tanglewood: Thanks!

This post on Bookshelf Porn made me chuckle and say, "True story."
http://bookshelfporn.com/post/4742106295

Oh good grief....guess what is falling right now as we speak. It starts with an "S" and ends will with a "W" as in Will you please just go away for this year...>.

>241 jolerie: Much sympathies. Still sunny where I am thankfully but we've been getting dashes of the white stuff off and on for the past week or so.

I only just, in catching up on your posts, realized that Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Claire are not spelled the same way!

I've seen fansites that insinuate they are the same author - do you happen to know (having read several)??

I've avoided them out of having heard so much about the plagiarism scandal (first regarding her fanfic, but apparently there's some concern regarding the published works???) but now wonder if I've gotten two separate authors confused in my only briefly seeing either mentioned....

>243 YoungGeekyLibrarian: I have to admit, I had not heard about said scandal until you mentioned it and I then googled it. I have absolutely no reliable info as to whether they are the same person or not. However, I do quite enjoy her books so whatever the verdict, I'll still be reading them. :)

Book 35



Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband in Scotland in 1945 following the end of World War II. While walking in the hills, she touches an ancient stone which pulls her back into the past to 1743 where she is pulled into a clash between the Scottish clans of the Highlands and English troops.

The Outlander series had been on my radar for a while now, but I have only just gotten to it and I was thoroughly impressed by what I found. Gabaldon has created a wonderful heroine whose reactions to being hurled from post-war Britain into 18th century Scotland are realistic and gripping reading. Claire's relationships with her husband, Frank, in 1945 and Jamie in 1743 are compelling and Gabaldon ensures that the two men in Claire's life are not interchangeable.

While time travel is the catalyst for the narrative, it is not the main point of the novel. This element is included rather, in my opinion, in order to provide a more relevant heroine for the modern reader to relate to. It also adds a unique spice to the historical novel. And Gabaldon's historical fiction is already a potent mixture. The books is obviously well-researched and she has an excellent grasp on her subject. She also has fantastic descriptions that in turn can be beautiful or gruesome. I plan to seek out the next books in the series but with breaks in between each of them as her novels are rich and I know an overload of them could cause reading fatigue.

Rating: ****1/2

Micky, my message of congratulations must have been when my isp was totally wonky. So, belated but no less heart-felt, congratulations on a terrific achievement and best wishes for the future!

I read the first Outlander and loved it. Then forgot the whole series. May be time for anohter look.

So happy you enjoyed Outlander. I was so worried since I was super 2 thumbs up about the book that you wouldn't like it or it wouldn't be your cup of tea! Good idea on the spacing out the books because it really could get a bit much if you try to plow through the entire series in one shot and really what is the rush since she isn't even done the series yet... >.

I only just heard of the Outlander series - maybe because it's on the April ER list for some kind of anniversary? - and it sounds right up my alley. I'll have to track down a copy sooner rather than later!

>246 Matke: Thanks for the congratulations! The tremendous upside to LT is you often end up with reminders about books you've meant to get around to. Now if only you could limit the number of new books you end up adding to that list. ;)

>247 jolerie: Worries were totally unnecessary. I have pretty wide-ranging tastes in books but Outlander falls squarely into a category I anticipated I would enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation and the vindication of my reading plan. :)

>248 bymerechance: Hope you enjoy it! I definitely did.

Time for a new thread.

#244 - I don't remember where I heard about it - I wasn't even reading fanfiction in that genre at the time it happened - I think I likely heard about it later or saw it linked in reference to some other plagiarism scandal in fanfiction land =D

Am going to try and track down some more info myself - I'm just leery of supporting someone who has plagiarized (being an academic librarian and pushing for proper citations and all that with our students), but at the same time, I don't want to be penalizing the woman if its indeed a different person!!! But all the reviews I've read make her books sound good - so I need to find out an answer =D

Interesting review of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I think I'll have to add it to my list of books to read.

>252 labrick: I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it. :D