I'm giving this two stars for the cover.
Getting straight to the point, the writing is so simple that it should've been a quick read but it's just so didactic and filled with ... religious righteousness which ruined the plot for me. And the prose, oh my god the prose is sooooo boooorrrinnggg.
Normally, I like historical fiction and it doesn't matter that I'm not from the continent where the history happened but this just doesn't make sense. Yes, I guess it's kind of cool to be given a chance to see how the world changes 700 years from now and that (apart from the cover) was what drew me in, but the idea of travelling through time here was just thrown in there like ... nothing. Like it isn't a big deal. Like hey-whatever-let's-do-this-because ... nothing.
This should've been written better. Is it interesting, yes? Is it worth your time? I'd say no. I seriously think I wasted mine.
Sometimes I’m glad I (literally) judge a book by its cover because I discover gems like this cover-love-purchase-that-delivered.
I have read The Room and although I liked the story, I also remember it dragged a bit (for a short book). For that I did not expect much from The Wonder despite its mysterious plot (and I do love a good mystery). There are similarities between the two books when it comes to style but for some reason I find I like this better. The author kept the number of characters to a minimum for both books which I suppose is also the reason why a lot of people complain about the seemingly overflowing monologue. That is where good writing comes. Emma Donoghue knows how to keep me engaged even with the “overflowing monologue” so
I’m no Irish but I was born and raised in a mostly Catholic country where, in the early 90s, a teenager claimed the Virgin Mary talks to him. Although the kid in this book does not claim to witness an apparition or carry any message from the silver city, it reminded me of that hullabaloo because of the inclination of the people to blindly believe in something without proof. It’s a very controversial issue. More controversy comes in when the reason for the kid's solemn oath to fast was revealed.
There's only so much my heart can take.
Magic is the genius way of explaining (or not) the effect of music on people. Also why people go gaga over musicians. You might like this book if you love music (thus the five stars). And while music is the antagonist in this book (it has a life of its own!), it also made people -- reflect, at the very least.
"every note was as sharp as a bell and as simple as sunlight so that in the prism of the brain it broke up and flashed into a million colors ... and then the music unfolded in his head ... the fall of the notes conjured up memories of the mine where he'd been born and dwarf bread just like mum used to hammer on her anvil, and the moment when he first realized he'd fallen in love ... and more than anything else he wanted to be home ..."
I love the puns and references to Elvis (or in this case elvish which means elf like), rock music (Music/Band with Rocks In - hah!) and people throwing their underthings on stage. I think this book is brilliant. Wait, I think most Discworld books are brilliant.
I recently went back to listening to audiobooks to catch up on my reading list. I would put my earphones on during my commute to and from work. This, however, is not a book I would listen to in public. It makes me snigger in the most awkward moments and let's face it, anytime you snigger without people knowing the reason why is awkward.
Elijah's Mermaid is about the same as the Essie Fox's first book, The Somnambulist. I know that doesn't sound particularly enticing but I wasn't looking for anything new, really, so it worked for me. The story is still full of intrigue and of juicy, shocking tabloid material scandal. The gossip monger in me wasn't disappointed.
It's not an I-cant-put-it-down sort of book, though. It was only a bit engaging towards the end when all the secrets were coming out. There was even a part where I cried (but I think it was also because I was hormonal, heh). Admittedly, though, there are some pages where I feel like just stopping altogether. And I did, actually. I had to try a few times before I can really get to it.
And I don't get why the title has Elijah's name on it when he played such little role in the development of the story. He was the reason for the biggest conflict in the story but what did he really do other than that? Well, I suppose Elijah's Mermaid is a better title than Pearl.
I always thought great story telling is better than a great plot. I haven't met a book that proved me wrong. Take this book for example. Some parts were told in first person and some in second. Yes, second person. I mean who does that?! In fiction no less! I understand how the book is told in different perspectives and for some books that can work. The story telling has to be full proof, though. And whose voice does the second person story telling belong to? If that's not enough there are a couple of chapters towards the end that were told in third person. I blame artistic freedom. If you can get over the constant switching of voices you might like this.
Or not. Because Love is Red had such great potential if it didn't try to put so many ideas in one book. The birth of Jesus Christ and the alien wise man (I SHIT YOU NOT), some Wiccan tale which didn't really relate to the ... colors (don't even get me started with this), and of course the main mystery. This is the first book of a trilogy, if I might add. I got more questions than answers when I'm done. I'm hoping these will be clarified in the next two instalments, not that I'm holding my breath for those. Okay sorry but the colors ... the colors should've at least been mentioned at the beginning not in the middle with no explanations whatsoever.
I'm not saying the writing isn't good.
It is ... for the most part. I wouldn't finish it if not. And I also kind of understand why this is in first and second person because there are a couple of chapters written in 3rd person and this is how one sounded like:
Chapter 28: The woman opens her eyes. Her eyes are open in the darkness. It is too dark in here.
I rest my case.
Reading this felt like I'm eavesdropping on the family's life. I felt dirty but satisfied at the same time.
While some stories lack character development, this is like a whole book of character development. It is THAT slow. Imagine describing each member of the family in one book. This is what Instructions for a Heatwave did. So since the pace is very leisurely, the reader has to be very patient to be able to appreciate the story. It's a pretty standard family drama story and each character were pretty ... standard ... family members as well. I think what I'm trying to say is this book will not blow your mind. It's something that will take your mind off something else, though.
This is my second Maggie O'Farrell novel (the first one was The Vanishing of Esme Lennox) and although I felt the same way I did when I read the first one, I find I like this book better. It's much lighter and much more engaging (hashtag juicy gossip).
Also, from the look and feel of it, it seems her trademark is an engaging story with an open ending? A VERY open one.
Three stars.
I love books about books and bookstores. I don't like that they almost always end up snobbish and even pretentious. This isn't one of the pretentious and snobbish stories even though the main character is a literary snob himself. The story is not unlike other books of its genre but the story telling and prose was easy to get into. I thought at first this is a feel-good read but there's too many deaths in it. It's more a 3.5 but I read it under 12 hours with a ton of interruptions and that counts for something. I also only realized now that this isn't the first book of the author that I have read. I liked both her books.
Ironically, the reason why I bought this book is also the reason why I found it annoying.
If the main character grew up in a library/bookstore surrounded by expensive first editions and classics, has a father who taught her the importance of books/stories, and writes biographies of her favorite dead authors, why is there a need to dedicate half of the book trying to establish the fact that little-miss-biographer loves to read? You love to read, get over it. (I wonder if this is how people on my social media list feel like when they see another book post from me on their feed.)
There also seem to be a lot of ... misplaced words throughout. Like a kid trying to put a new word he just learned about into a sentence.
In all honesty this book sounds like an elaborate fanfic. If you can get past all that then maybe this is the book for you. It's a good mystery notwithstanding the delivery.
Two stars.
Here's my first Mary Higgins Clark book. The antagonist's, Ned Cooper, character was pretty weak. There wasn't much oomph in it. I would classify it as a mystery but it's nowhere near thriller or suspense. The last couple of pages was heartwarming, though. But it didn't make up for everything else.
Two stars.
Halfway through the introduction I was so sure I'd give this book a 5-star rating. It made me nostalgic, it made me laugh, it made me cry (hard) ... it made me remember how it was when I started writing hardcore (in highschool). In short, I was able to relate to the author's story. My father is not a writer but he introduced me to the wonderful world of literature. I thought this book was gold! A couple of pages into the first chapter I had to take down 2 stars. By the end of the book I had to take down another one. It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good (and I'm not saying that just because I was able to relate). I get the self-deprecating humor that the author is apparently known for. I, too, have my insecurities growing up and until now. What I didn't like was the part where humor had to be at the expense of other people. There are a number of them throughout. Some are subtle, some are not. But even when they were subtly implied I felt like it was screaming at me. There were chapters that made me forget that I was put off by the supposedly funny and sarcastic remarks but then another one would come and I'd remember how annoying it is.
If I had to be specific I am referring to the examples and descriptions where the author had to use autism, harelip and children of parents with marital issues. The description using autism was the one that really pissed me off. Clearly the author does not know what it means.
If anything, this book reminded me why I rarely read self-help.
Two stars.
It's hard to touch controversial issues when writing fiction. I don't know if the story was trying to make any point other than entertain but I found the whole thing so judgmental so if it was, then everything that the characters did inside the story defeats its purpose. Yes, it talked of how people should empathize with people with disabilities and how they can function in the society. It talked about how they are judged but I think the book itself was judging. Even the people who were trying to help the people who needed help were judgmental.
If one tells a lie that one cannot support then the cover is blown. I think this would've been a great plot if enough research was made. It's like putting one issue over another without the right foundation. It will eventually fall apart. It's so muddled with emotions that doesn't make sense. One might argue emotions rarely do but emotions do have a source. Every bit of reaction is a cause of a previous action. The story puts one issue over another and a pile like that just won't stand.
All that being said, I would like to congratulate myself for finishing this book.
1 star.
Rainbow Rowell remembers high school ... and mix tapes! It was mid 90s when I was in HS but we still made mix tapes. I still have some of them lol. I think that was what made me finally read it and when I did I couldn't stop. I couldn't put it down. It made me feel so much sadness and gushiness and a lot of other stuff I don't want to name anymore. Most of the time I was just like omg-poor-eleanor.
I loved the romance part, of course, but it's not because of the gushing and kissing and Park being romantic, it was how they didn't even like each other at first. It was how things just fell into place without them even noticing. Okay maybe they noticed lol. But it's not always love-at-first-sight in high school. Or any other era of your life. So that was so relatable. Erm ... moving on.
Park had a regular teenage life with supportive parents and a close extended family and regular teenage problems he learned to deal with. Having a parent you think you can't please is pretty normal for a teenager. That may be a teenager over analyzing things. That may be a parent not knowing how to deal with a teenager. Or a parent having favoritism ... that's not far from reality either. Eleanor's life is full of things so wrong in so many levels. I think the sweetest thing about their relationship was how they were both (okay mostly Park) trying to understand each other because things are different in their own home.
There may be a ton of issues in here that may be overwhelming and incomprehensible but isn't that how teenagers are like sometimes? They try to carry the the whole world on their own. Or they tend to make a big deal out of everything. Every insecurity and every other thing they can't comprehend. every pimple and freckle. They tend to over analyze. Sometimes they don't and adults can't even tell what's worse. It gets better kids. Take it from your loving aunt.
P.S. I was a mess in that part when Park's mom finally understood ...
Five stars.
As much as this book's characters are filled with emotional turmoil, the only thing it stirred is my rationale (I do have that sometimes). I'm still loving the political and scheming bits of the second book but I can't give it a five because both main characters seem to have ran out of common sense.
Let me break it down. Kestrel was written to be a strategist. She's supposed to be good at making decisions, cutting losses, picking the perfect solution out of varied options. Her flaws are: 1) her father and 2) Arin. When a strategist decides on a solution that is the lesser of evils, the strategist will then move on. This is not to say that the strategist lacks emotional and moral judgment but putting the idea out there knowing that it will be carried out because it will benefit the empire the most (but still save a lot of lives!) and then whining about how it's all her fault and self destructing because of it doesn't follow. So I guess my issue is her character is inconsistent?
I kept waiting for the how-much-their-crimes-will-cost-them twist and when it came it was a bit of a disappointment. Not because it's a hanger. It just is. Where do you think all this spying and treason will lead? Especially because, from the very beginning, the emperor and all of the empire knows about their supposed relationship.
Also, what is up with Arin's suicidal attitude? I'll leave it at that because I can't even --
Err ... I still can't wait for the last installment. Heh.
PS: They used the word "foodstuffs" in this book. It doesn't have anything to do with my rating. I swear to God. It just really bothers me ... I'm just saying.
3 stars.
I haven't read a book I wanted to stay up late for in a long time. Here's one. I was devastated to find out the last of the trilogy won't come out until next year so now my problem is do I read the second book or do I wait a few months and suffer. Tough decisions.
See, it's books like this that got me into YA. The last YA trilogy I read wasn't so much of a much so I stopped reading YA for a bit. I mean, it was good but I didn't as excited about it as this one. I think this book just killed my YA reading slump. I like the story telling and its prose best. As far as the made-up world, clan wars and forbidden love, it's all been done before. It's the story telling and writing that makes a difference.
Okay I think my EQ is low today so I'm gonna go read the 2nd book and then suffer longer until the last installment comes out.
Five stars.
Any book that makes me look like a lunatic in a corner of a tea shop deserves five stars from me. I wanted to finish the book in the shop but I kept getting annoyed/curious/scared/worried stares from people when I got to the twist and started whispering "what? ... what?!! ... what the f--?!!". I wasn't embarrassed, instead I wanted to look back at them and say "can you believe this?!!" while pointing at a book looking incredulous with one eyebrow raised. But I didn't want to be banned in there. I like their tea. It was then I knew I had to finish the book within the confines of my bedroom. There I can be free.
Seriously, though. This one came as a surprise from the very second I found it on my office table (thanks, Bart!). Heh. I always say I like a good mystery so this falls under that category. Another thing I like is culture. I know people always say we should be free from culture that constricts the society (and this book is filled with it since it's about some Romany gypsies living and thriving to keep their traditions in the retro era) but I always believed the only way we can free ourselves of anything is to understand it. Not hating it and running away from it. But let's not get off topic. When I read this I realized I don't know much about gypsies except ... well, Esmeralda's of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and her people ...erm ... sorry yeah, ignorant, I know. It's an interesting setting with sympathetic characters. Too bad about Tene, though.
So anyhoo, the twist. It was kinda ridiculous, I know, but it worked for me. I've read stuff with more ridiculous plots they should be classified as fantasy. This one is realistic enough for me. Now please excuse me while I hunt her other book down.
Five stars.
This is a fast read (if I hadn't been busy) and an uncomplicated one but the way I feel about it is a bit -- contradicting. I like the genre and the writing should be easy for anyone to follow but it's still just -- not a page-turner. I liked the old New York setting and I'm in love with old circus and old magic concept but for some reason I couldn't connect with this one. I have to admit I expected more from it so maybe there lies they problem? I'm also getting tired of the love triangle thing in YA so there's another star off the rating. I'd still like to read the second book and see how it turns out. I think I would give this a 3.5 at most.
I liked this book. It was fast to read because the prose was easy. It was told through different perspectives/mediums but it wasn't confusing. I gave a lot of smothered laughs and maybe got a little teary-eyed somewhere. But for a book that I really liked, this doesn't leave a lasting ... feeling. I don't even remember which part I got teary-eyed for, I just knew I did. I knew I hated the gnats when I was reading it and I loved Bernadette and totally feel for her but ... writing this review a few days after I read the book, I feel like I've already moved on. I guess this is one amazing in-betweener?
3.5 bordering on 4?
I grew up reading my dad's books because 1) there are no bookstores in my hometown, 2) even if there was I probably won't have the money to buy books, and 3) there are libraries at school but why risk paying for overdue books when there's a ton at home? Erma Bombeck was one of the authors my dad read. She's an American humorist and columnist whose works were published from the 60s to the 90s. A former boss told me he didn't think I'd be into her because she wrote stuff about the rants of a housewife/mother in a 60s-80s American household ... none of which I can relate to. I don't know why but, in a gist, she's super funny and I love her.
Now, I very rarely see Erma Bombeck on the shelves of any bookstores so imagine how excited I was to see this hardbound copy under one of the piles at Booksale Makati Square for only 60pesos. Turns out my happiness would be short lived. This is not a review of the book. I haven't read it. I will try, though.
I said try because it has at least 10 leaves missing. As in ripped off, literally. Case in point:
This makes me want to cry. My first reaction was a few seconds of nothingness. I was speechless. After that came the question: Why would anyone do thisssssss??? Whyyyyyy? Then I got depressed.
The only reason I can think of is the person who previously owned this had kids in the house because if not ... there's no excuse for this.
Ugh. Excuse me while I go drown my sorrows in a venti latte.
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| COVER LOVE!!! |
This is one of the books I got for the cover and in that aspect I don't regret buying it for the full price which is almost the same as a hard cover. For the cover and overall packaging alone I'd give this a five-star rating. Alas, you should never judge a book by its cover. Lol.
I'm not saying this is not a good book. It is. I liked that it was ambitious in a way that it talked about religion and that it's a historical fiction but I thought it had a weak ending. I suppose it was my fault because the plot and the blurb (and the cover!!!) was so promising I expected way too much from it. Especially when John's mother said ... "there's more." I waited (!!!) for that more! Lol. John and Lucy's love story dragged too. I get the whole it's a family thing but ... Yeah. Haha! I also thought there were too many characters here and I can understand the part that the story ran for years but some were probably unnecessary?
Overall, the book had a good start ... and that was it. The most I can give this is a 3.5.
I like Fermin's character and I love that this book is mostly about him. I also love that it answered some of the questions I had. I didn't like that I still didn't know the significance of sugar cubes to David Martin's case. Heh. The ending of the book implies that there is another book after the 3rd installment because it leaves a lot of questions (about Sofia, about Isabella, about Valls, etc ... and don't forget the sugar cubes lol). On one hand, the sort-of hanger was annoying, on the other hand, I love the idea that there will be a 4th Cemetery of Forgotten Books installment.
