Recommended for 12+ (for an abusive family relationship)
3/5 Stars
2.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy
Lucinda Chapdelaine used to be a happy child with a bright future but all that disappeared when her parents died in a freak carriage accident. Sent to live with her uncle and his second wife, Lucinda leaves her comfortable life as a noble to serve as a maid in her relatives' shop. Her uncle is kind to her but his domineering wife does all she can to make Lucinda miserable. One day, a mysterious woman steps into the shop wanting an enormous jewel reset. It seems too good to be true, which in fact it is. As soon as the aunt realizes that the woman is the Amaranth Witch she refuses to allow her husband to reset the jewel for her and demands that Lucinda return the stone. Of course, simple tasks are never simple in books and Lucinda ends up losing the jewel to an impish street thief. In order to recover the stone, she dances with the very handsome crown prince and, predictably enough, falls in love with him. Enter magic, a large royal ball, an arranged marriage, and an otherwordly realm and you have The Amaranth Enchantment.
I wanted to like this book, in fact, I had high hopes for it after reading the first few chapters. Sure, it was going to be a bit stereotypical, you could see that after the first meeting of the prince and Lucinda as she fell instantly in love with him. However, there is nothing wrong with a conventional strong-maiden/magic filled novel as long as it is done correctly. It wasn't that The Amaranth Enchantment was terrible, it wasn't, it just wasn't that impressive. The impish street thief that steals the jewel from Lucinda is, in my opinion, not a very sympathetic character; he's downright annoying. The twist at the end of the novel involving him is rather a deus ex machina. You find yourself thinking, "Really? Was that necessary?" by the end of the book. The relationship between Lucinda and the prince is OK if a bit melodramatic. The villian is also a little unbelievable. It's really the Amaranth Witch that separates this novel from others in the spunky heroine genre. Her background is intriguing and her great sorrow is moving. I wish the author had spent more time developing that aspect of the plot. I gave this book 3/5 stars because the writing is not bad and it does have some unique concepts surrounding the Amaranth witch, however, I won't be reading it again.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Lost in a Good Book
Recommended for 16+ (for discussion of potentially illegitimate children & possible illicit relations)
5/5 Stars
4/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fiction with a bit of Mystery thrown in.
I cannot fully understand why people choose not to reread books, there is just something about going back to an old favorite (or a new favorite) and rediscovering the characters again. All of Jasper Fforde's books are worth revisiting for their clever and witty dialogue, humorous plot elements, and literary illusions. Lost in a Good Book is particularly amusing as SpecOps agent Thursday Next finds herself spending a lot of time within books. Apprenticed to Miss Haversham of Great Expectations fame, Thursday learns all about the quirky world within books. Miss Haversham teaches her the rudimentaries of being a literary police officer (a Jurisfiction agent) and just how dangerous that can be. As if Thursday doesn't have enough challenges learning the ropes of the literary world, she also must figure out how to earn enough money to pay her rent, look after her soon-to-be-expecting dodo, fight the forces of Supreme Evil, elude the clutches of the Goliath corporation, avoid dying of too many coincidences, and figure out how to get her eradicated husband back. Oh, and did I mention it's up to her to save the world?
5/5 Stars
4/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fiction with a bit of Mystery thrown in.
I cannot fully understand why people choose not to reread books, there is just something about going back to an old favorite (or a new favorite) and rediscovering the characters again. All of Jasper Fforde's books are worth revisiting for their clever and witty dialogue, humorous plot elements, and literary illusions. Lost in a Good Book is particularly amusing as SpecOps agent Thursday Next finds herself spending a lot of time within books. Apprenticed to Miss Haversham of Great Expectations fame, Thursday learns all about the quirky world within books. Miss Haversham teaches her the rudimentaries of being a literary police officer (a Jurisfiction agent) and just how dangerous that can be. As if Thursday doesn't have enough challenges learning the ropes of the literary world, she also must figure out how to earn enough money to pay her rent, look after her soon-to-be-expecting dodo, fight the forces of Supreme Evil, elude the clutches of the Goliath corporation, avoid dying of too many coincidences, and figure out how to get her eradicated husband back. Oh, and did I mention it's up to her to save the world?
January Reads
1) The Knife of Never Letting Go
2) Emma, vol. 6
3) American Born Chinese
4) The Graveyard Book
5) Princess of the Midnight Ball
6) The Eyre Affair
7) Gregor and the Marks of Secret (L)
8) A Company of Swans
9) Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
10) Fawn and the Mysterious Trickster
11) The Amaranth Enchantment
12) Lost in a Good Book
2) Emma, vol. 6
3) American Born Chinese
4) The Graveyard Book
5) Princess of the Midnight Ball
6) The Eyre Affair
7) Gregor and the Marks of Secret (L)
8) A Company of Swans
9) Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
10) Fawn and the Mysterious Trickster
11) The Amaranth Enchantment
12) Lost in a Good Book
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Clocks by Agatha Christie
Recommended for 13+ (for complex plot elements)
4/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Mystery
This Hercule Poirot novel seems to be an unusual one. Poirot barely features in the novel, instead, the narrative mainly follows Colin Lamb, whose interest in marine biology sadly does not feature in his current job. Lamb instead finds himself working for a highly secretive group within the British government which is why he finds himself practically plowed down by the hysterical Sheila Webb on Wilbraham Crescent. But Colin soon learns that things have a way of working out in the most unexpected of ways.
The mystery, like all of Christie's mysteries, is complex, filled with baffling questions and even more characters. The murder ends up involving most everyone who lives on Crescent Lane and Poirot, of course, figures out the whole thing in the end.
-Edna Brent, colleague of Sheila's, finds herself possessing a bit too much information.
-Miss Martindale runs the secretarial company in which Edna and Sheila are employed. It was she who fielded the suspicious telephone call that requested Sheila come to 19 Wilbraham Crescent.
-Sheila Webb was the first one to discover the dead man.
-Mr. R. H. Curry is suspected of having a false name but no one can quite figure out what he is doing in Miss Pebmarsh's house.
-Miss Pebmarsh owns the house in which the victim is found and was not present when he was killed (presumably) as she was running errands.
-Dick Hardcastle, detective inspector and close friend of Colin's, finds himself at a lose to explain Mr. Curry's death.
-Mr. James Waterhouse and Miss. Waterhouse are neighbors to Miss Pebmarsh. It is clear that Miss. Waterhouse is the one in charge, leaving her brother to live in her shadow.
- Miss Hemmings is the epitome of a crazy cat lady.
-Josiah and Valerie Bland seems to live very well off from money that may not be rightfully theirs.
-Mrs. Ramsey cannot may much mind to the murder as she has two rambunctuous boys to look after...at least until they return to school.
-Mr. McNaughton likes his job as a professor and enjoys gardening on the side while his wife promises her full cooperation to the authorities.
4/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Mystery
This Hercule Poirot novel seems to be an unusual one. Poirot barely features in the novel, instead, the narrative mainly follows Colin Lamb, whose interest in marine biology sadly does not feature in his current job. Lamb instead finds himself working for a highly secretive group within the British government which is why he finds himself practically plowed down by the hysterical Sheila Webb on Wilbraham Crescent. But Colin soon learns that things have a way of working out in the most unexpected of ways.
The mystery, like all of Christie's mysteries, is complex, filled with baffling questions and even more characters. The murder ends up involving most everyone who lives on Crescent Lane and Poirot, of course, figures out the whole thing in the end.
-Edna Brent, colleague of Sheila's, finds herself possessing a bit too much information.
-Miss Martindale runs the secretarial company in which Edna and Sheila are employed. It was she who fielded the suspicious telephone call that requested Sheila come to 19 Wilbraham Crescent.
-Sheila Webb was the first one to discover the dead man.
-Mr. R. H. Curry is suspected of having a false name but no one can quite figure out what he is doing in Miss Pebmarsh's house.
-Miss Pebmarsh owns the house in which the victim is found and was not present when he was killed (presumably) as she was running errands.
-Dick Hardcastle, detective inspector and close friend of Colin's, finds himself at a lose to explain Mr. Curry's death.
-Mr. James Waterhouse and Miss. Waterhouse are neighbors to Miss Pebmarsh. It is clear that Miss. Waterhouse is the one in charge, leaving her brother to live in her shadow.
- Miss Hemmings is the epitome of a crazy cat lady.
-Josiah and Valerie Bland seems to live very well off from money that may not be rightfully theirs.
-Mrs. Ramsey cannot may much mind to the murder as she has two rambunctuous boys to look after...at least until they return to school.
-Mr. McNaughton likes his job as a professor and enjoys gardening on the side while his wife promises her full cooperation to the authorities.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence
Recommended for ????
3/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Thieves of Ostia tells the story of Flavia, the bright and inquisitive daughter of a fairly well-off merchant (I think he's a merchant). In solving a mystery Flavia finds herself trapped in a tree surrounded by wild dogs. She is saved by her next door neighbor, a boy named Jonathan. Soon the two become friends. For her birthday Flavia buys a slave girl, Nubia, as she feels sorry for her. Flavia buys Nubia intending to grant her freedom after she becomes acclimatized to Rome. A grusome mystery soon presents itself to the three children and, with the help of a beggar boy named Lupis, they set out to solve it. Of course they get into all sorts of scrapes but they always manage to get out of them as they are resourceful and knowledgable.
Perhaps giving this book 3 out of 5 stars is unfair. It certainly has literary merit and seems to be well researched. The author has no qualms about portraying the Roman world in a probable manner. I suppose what bothers me about the book may not even be the fault of the book itself. I simply don't know to whom I would recommend it. Amazon suggests 9-12 years old would be an appropriate audience and that might be. My reservations lie in how distressing some of the events are in this book: dogs with heads chopped off, a girl who dies from rabies (and the description of her death), and mentions of the slave trade, particularly the mention of the child slave trade. I just don't know what nine year old would be prepared for such a thing, even some twelve year olds would not be. It's clearly intended to be for children but I know I would hesitate to put it in the hands of anyone under 12. However, I doubt many teenagers would find the story of interest (this too may be unfair and inaccurate). I suspect this due to how well everyone seems to get along. Flavia treats Nubia as an equal, Jonathan, a Jewish boy, becomes good friends with Flavia and Nubia even though the Jewish religion was anything but accepted in the Roman world (to my understanding). In addition to this, all three children befriend a beggar boy. Maybe I just don't know enough about Roman history but these friendships seem quite improbable to me. I do, however, like the general plot. The author introduces to the reader to many interesting concepts and facts such as the layout of a Roman houes and town, the slave trade, and social hiararchies. I suppose I should really just suspend my judgment on this book and see what other younger readers have to say about it.
3/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Thieves of Ostia tells the story of Flavia, the bright and inquisitive daughter of a fairly well-off merchant (I think he's a merchant). In solving a mystery Flavia finds herself trapped in a tree surrounded by wild dogs. She is saved by her next door neighbor, a boy named Jonathan. Soon the two become friends. For her birthday Flavia buys a slave girl, Nubia, as she feels sorry for her. Flavia buys Nubia intending to grant her freedom after she becomes acclimatized to Rome. A grusome mystery soon presents itself to the three children and, with the help of a beggar boy named Lupis, they set out to solve it. Of course they get into all sorts of scrapes but they always manage to get out of them as they are resourceful and knowledgable.
Perhaps giving this book 3 out of 5 stars is unfair. It certainly has literary merit and seems to be well researched. The author has no qualms about portraying the Roman world in a probable manner. I suppose what bothers me about the book may not even be the fault of the book itself. I simply don't know to whom I would recommend it. Amazon suggests 9-12 years old would be an appropriate audience and that might be. My reservations lie in how distressing some of the events are in this book: dogs with heads chopped off, a girl who dies from rabies (and the description of her death), and mentions of the slave trade, particularly the mention of the child slave trade. I just don't know what nine year old would be prepared for such a thing, even some twelve year olds would not be. It's clearly intended to be for children but I know I would hesitate to put it in the hands of anyone under 12. However, I doubt many teenagers would find the story of interest (this too may be unfair and inaccurate). I suspect this due to how well everyone seems to get along. Flavia treats Nubia as an equal, Jonathan, a Jewish boy, becomes good friends with Flavia and Nubia even though the Jewish religion was anything but accepted in the Roman world (to my understanding). In addition to this, all three children befriend a beggar boy. Maybe I just don't know enough about Roman history but these friendships seem quite improbable to me. I do, however, like the general plot. The author introduces to the reader to many interesting concepts and facts such as the layout of a Roman houes and town, the slave trade, and social hiararchies. I suppose I should really just suspend my judgment on this book and see what other younger readers have to say about it.
Belle by Cameron Dokey (Once Upon a Time series)
Recommended for 11+ due to thematic elements (love, focus on physical appearances)
3/5 Stars
4.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy
It is hard for me not to enjoy this book simply because this is one of my favorite fairy tales. On top of that, Cameron Dokey is the best out of all the authors writing for the Once Upon a Time series. Although Belle may have similarities to McKinley's book, Beauty, it should not be dismissed. While McKinley is a master when it comes to re-telling "Beauty and the Beast", Dokey adds her own elements to the story. While the author does not fully describe certain aspects of the original fairy tale, such as the magical element, I do feel she has added her own twist upon the tale in the form of the heartwood tree. There is just something that rings true about wanting to see your true love's face. The book deals with the idea of true beauty in a unique way. By not being able to see what the heartwood branch holds, Belle starts to question herself and the world around her. She learns that she has to have patience and see the people around her in a different light than she is used to. Of course, this transformation does not start when she joins the Beast in his castle. All the members in her family (except perhaps her father) start to change as soon as they move into the country. Still, the symbolism found throughout the castle serves to further her realization. I suppose what I like best about this book is how deftly the author has interwoven the theme of true beauty. She doesn't waste any words, she doesn't have any unnecessary side plots. And it's a tale that needs to be heard. After all, don't we all need to learn how to see true beauty in both ourselves and others?
3/5 Stars
4.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy
It is hard for me not to enjoy this book simply because this is one of my favorite fairy tales. On top of that, Cameron Dokey is the best out of all the authors writing for the Once Upon a Time series. Although Belle may have similarities to McKinley's book, Beauty, it should not be dismissed. While McKinley is a master when it comes to re-telling "Beauty and the Beast", Dokey adds her own elements to the story. While the author does not fully describe certain aspects of the original fairy tale, such as the magical element, I do feel she has added her own twist upon the tale in the form of the heartwood tree. There is just something that rings true about wanting to see your true love's face. The book deals with the idea of true beauty in a unique way. By not being able to see what the heartwood branch holds, Belle starts to question herself and the world around her. She learns that she has to have patience and see the people around her in a different light than she is used to. Of course, this transformation does not start when she joins the Beast in his castle. All the members in her family (except perhaps her father) start to change as soon as they move into the country. Still, the symbolism found throughout the castle serves to further her realization. I suppose what I like best about this book is how deftly the author has interwoven the theme of true beauty. She doesn't waste any words, she doesn't have any unnecessary side plots. And it's a tale that needs to be heard. After all, don't we all need to learn how to see true beauty in both ourselves and others?
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Recommended to 14+ due to a rape scene
2.5/5 stars
3.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy
Impossible tells the tale of Lucy who has a relatively normal life except for the fact that her mother lives on the streets. Soon after Lucy's birth her mother seems to go insane, leaving Lucy to the loving care of Soledad and Leo. When the former next-door neighbor returns from college for the summer Lucy starts to realize just how good looking he really is. Still, he is older than her and Lucy has a slight crush on the slightly nerdy guy taking her to the prom. Lucy's life quickly falls apart after she is raped by said guy who turns out to be more than he would first appear. Lucy's life quickly turns into a sort of nightmare once she realizes that she is pregnant and that she has more in common with her mother than she first believed. Soon Lucy finds herself faced with three impossible tasks, the only things that can spare her from being cursed with the same fate as her mother.
This wasn't a terrible book by any means, it simply wasn't a great book. I found the romance implausible. Zach sacrifices much more than he needs to for Lucy and, despite her recent rape, Lucy doesn't mind getting physically close to another man. I do not claim to know anything about rape and the horrors rapists inflict on their victims but I thought that it took a lot of counseling and work before a rape victim was able to get physically close (in a romantic way) to another person again. One thing I do like about this book is the portrayal of the wicked elf king. He is extremely devious and he is just as I always imagined an elf king would be.
2.5/5 stars
3.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy
Impossible tells the tale of Lucy who has a relatively normal life except for the fact that her mother lives on the streets. Soon after Lucy's birth her mother seems to go insane, leaving Lucy to the loving care of Soledad and Leo. When the former next-door neighbor returns from college for the summer Lucy starts to realize just how good looking he really is. Still, he is older than her and Lucy has a slight crush on the slightly nerdy guy taking her to the prom. Lucy's life quickly falls apart after she is raped by said guy who turns out to be more than he would first appear. Lucy's life quickly turns into a sort of nightmare once she realizes that she is pregnant and that she has more in common with her mother than she first believed. Soon Lucy finds herself faced with three impossible tasks, the only things that can spare her from being cursed with the same fate as her mother.
This wasn't a terrible book by any means, it simply wasn't a great book. I found the romance implausible. Zach sacrifices much more than he needs to for Lucy and, despite her recent rape, Lucy doesn't mind getting physically close to another man. I do not claim to know anything about rape and the horrors rapists inflict on their victims but I thought that it took a lot of counseling and work before a rape victim was able to get physically close (in a romantic way) to another person again. One thing I do like about this book is the portrayal of the wicked elf king. He is extremely devious and he is just as I always imagined an elf king would be.
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