tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56593907876461995602024-03-06T04:18:23.027-05:00Tales of an intrepid pantsterI'm making this up as I go alongAliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.comBlogger621125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-78177283679838756252017-07-20T22:01:00.000-04:002018-04-20T02:18:23.293-04:00Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuireDown Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book so much, I went back to reread Every Heart a Doorway so I could meet Jack and Jill again, and better understand their choices in the context of where they'd come from. Down Among the Sticks and Bones is a prequel that gives a lot of strong hints about who they become in Eleanor West's Home for Wayward AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-27477149064448913292017-07-20T21:09:00.003-04:002017-07-20T21:09:38.393-04:00Review: Final Girls by Riley SagerFinal Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, which comes with the expectation that I'll review the book. I was not compensated in any way for my review.I'm usually wary of debut novels. There's something of the unpolished about them, some unrealized potential. I should've read more closely. This is the writer's first book under this name.AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-36450593972154459472017-05-29T22:30:00.000-04:002017-05-29T22:30:36.098-04:00Review: Here, the World Entire by Anwen HaywardHere, The World Entire by Anwen Kya Hayward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was written by someone I follow on Tumblr. She had hilarious stories about her cat on her blog, interspersed with Greek mythology. She actually posted a shorter version of this story before she turned it into a novella. So, I was very interested in reading the expanded version.Here, The World Entire is a retelling of AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-90186880983338242122017-05-29T21:49:00.002-04:002017-05-29T21:49:23.880-04:00Review: Magic for Nothing (InCryptid #6) by Seanan McGuireMagic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anyone who's talked to me about books for more than 30 seconds knows I adore Seanan McGuire's books. I fell behind with this one, though. It's been out for over 2 1/2 months, but I'm just getting to my review? Past Me is so disappointed in Present Me.This book introduces the perspective of Antimony ("Annie") Price, the youngest of the AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-57409585455225900432017-05-28T23:14:00.002-04:002017-05-28T23:14:43.985-04:00Review: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik BackmanMy Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a delightful surprise. My sister sent it to me on audio, because she thought I'd like it. She knows my reading tastes well, apparently.Elsa is seven years old, going on 8. Her best friend (and only friend) is her grandmother, 77 and going on 78. The book opens with Elsa and her grandmother at AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-16528974831127315402017-05-28T22:20:00.000-04:002017-05-28T22:20:07.433-04:00Review: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik LarsonIn the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I suspect some knowledge of WWII would've served me well, going in to this book. I know the basics, but a greater knowledge would've supplied a lot of context this book lacked. Larson writes with the assumption a person reading his book has already done a lot of reading about AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-79073109012886863692016-10-18T12:24:00.000-04:002016-10-18T12:24:08.939-04:00Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray BradburySomething Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I reread this book for my book club, as it was this month's very apt pick. I first read it when I was a freshman in high school, so I remembered only the most distinct images and themes. It was a pleasure to reread as an adult.On a dark night in October, at precisely 3 AM, the carnival comes to Green Town, Illinois. Two boys,AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-54670039580060565382016-08-01T02:22:00.001-04:002016-08-01T02:22:41.980-04:00Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel KeyesFlowers for Algernon by Daniel KeyesMy rating: 5 of 5 starsThis is one of those books I was convinced I'd read years ago. The way people spoke of it, it sounded like my school couldn't possibly have overlooked assigning it. But the plot points people spoke of sparked no memory whatever, so I had to read it for myself.There are two versions of this story: a shorter version written for magazine AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-11535153371798865422016-03-04T21:06:00.000-05:002016-03-04T21:06:01.793-05:00Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman CapoteBreakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Of course we're all familiar with Breakfast at Tiffany's: the sprightly, adorable protagonist, her impish ways, and the cast of characters she draws to her like moths to a guttering flame. The movie is adored, revered, had songs written about how it's one thing a fighting couple can agree on. But if you've only seen the movie withoutAliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-69642498160258498522016-02-09T09:00:00.000-05:002016-02-09T09:00:09.340-05:00Review: Why I Jump by Naoki HigashidaThe Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki HigashidaMy rating: 5 of 5 starsSo many of the books about children with disabilities are written by the parents or caretakers. It's difficult to find a variation of the theme of "people with disabilities are so inspiring," which is patronizing and unhelpful if you actually want to learn their perspectives. Thus AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-10666631530031348312015-09-16T18:09:00.002-04:002015-12-16T15:32:53.368-05:00Review: Mysteries of the Middle Ages by Thomas CahillMysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe by Thomas Cahill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It has been SO long since I've reviewed any books. I stalled on this one, so I thought I could start back up here, and chip away at them. And suddenly, I understand why I went on hiatus for so long.
Mysteries of the Middle Ages tells of an era of historyAliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-24536056122246523262014-11-03T23:26:00.002-05:002015-01-12T10:33:40.401-05:00Review: The Masqueraders by Georgette HeyerThe Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'd never read any Georgette Heyer, but I kept running across her name in various contexts. I finally combed through her books at my local library to find one that was unlikely to make me throw it across the room. Turns out I needn't have worried. Heyer wrote her books before modern romance tropes were established. No alpha males here; AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-89453609282300005832014-11-03T23:00:00.000-05:002014-11-03T23:00:04.884-05:00Review: Coraline by Neil GaimanCoraline by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'd read this book years ago. Then it was picked as the October read for my book club, and I leapt at the chance for a reread. This is a delightfully creepy read.Coraline has just moved to an old house, divided up into apartments, where she feels ignored by her parents and generally bored out of her skull. While exploring, she discovers a door that AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-61520885676199848802014-11-02T23:07:00.000-05:002014-11-02T23:07:01.995-05:00Review: Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne JonesFire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the tenth book in my 2014 TBR Pile Challenge. I always enjoy Diana Wynne Jones' writing, but, for some reason, I've been putting off reading more of her books. Can't imagine why.Fire and Hemlock is a modern retelling of the Tam Lin tale, with some Thomas the Rhymer tossed in. Polly takes the role of Janet, who rescues Tam Lin AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-75128632694998144362014-11-02T19:54:00.003-05:002014-11-02T19:54:32.495-05:00Review: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington IrvingThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who could resist an audio of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, read by the actor who plays Ichabod Crane on the TV series? I certainly couldn't, especially because Audible was giving it away for free.I thought I'd already read this story, but it turns out I've seen so many adaptations, I thought I had. There's no substitute for AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-19168410582259661792014-11-02T19:28:00.002-05:002014-11-02T19:28:29.037-05:00Review: Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlisterBlow Me Down by Katie MacAlister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
By the description, this had all the potential to be like Vicki Lewis Thompson's Nerds series. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the need to shove an alpha hero mold onto its potential beta, thereby watering down a lot of character development that could've been so much more interesting.Amy Stewart is a buttoned-up financial analyst when herAliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-67123986057265573502014-11-01T21:51:00.002-04:002014-11-01T21:51:43.468-04:00Review: The Martian Chronicles by Ray BradburyThe Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ah, if only someone told me what to expect from this book. The way people described it, it sounded like any other space opera about human settlers on a fictional Mars. Had someone told me it was more Twilight Zone than Star Wars, I would've snapped it up a lot sooner.The Martian Chronicles follows a series of short stories about the AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-32517640866069381772014-11-01T21:14:00.003-04:002015-02-01T16:14:13.526-05:00Review: Shattered Pillars (Eternal Sky #2) by Elizabeth BearShattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in a trilogy that's turned out to be a real treat for me. I didn't know what the expect from the start, and it continues to be full of fun surprises. I have no idea what might happen next, but I'm going to enjoy finding out.
The Eternal Sky trilogy's mythology takes a departure from traditionally European AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-61106850962650958632014-11-01T20:41:00.003-04:002014-11-01T20:41:52.439-04:00Review: Kitty Takes a Vacation (Kitty Norville #3) by Carrie VaughnKitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the Kitty Norville series. As much as I appreciate that the books don't fall into a convenient formula, it makes for some uneven quality of the books.In this installation, Kitty is taking a break while she works on a memoir about her life and how she became a werewolf. Only, she's stuck, and doesn't know AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-18321309486643941842014-10-17T01:31:00.002-04:002014-10-17T14:47:06.400-04:00Review: Lock In by John ScalziLock In by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the John Scalzi's latest book. It's a bit of a departure from the other books I've read of his, but he was visiting Saratoga Springs on his tour to promote it, so I thought I'd give it a listen. Audible gave me copies narrated by Wil Wheaton and Amber Benson with my pre-order, and I decided arbitrarily to listen to Ms. Benson's version.
AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-85942128073554454502014-10-15T22:33:00.001-04:002014-10-15T22:33:12.468-04:00Review: The Hot Zone (Rainshadow, #3; Harmony, #11) by Jayne CastleThe Hot Zone by Jayne Castle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is another book read for a book club, and quite possibly the straw that broke the camel's back. I can't keep clogging up my reading time with this tripe. My to-read is 773 items long, for crying out loud.This is the third book in a series, the eleventh in a larger series. It follows Sedona Snow, recent kidnapping escapee, and Cyrus Jones, AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-34940240317091632152014-10-15T21:51:00.002-04:002014-10-16T13:25:40.028-04:00Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules VerneJourney to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry by Jules Verne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another of those classics you almost don't have to read. The main points are already such a part of popular culture that reading it is mostly a matter of waiting to see when each part will come up. Still, when I saw it was narrated by Tim Curry, I thought it worth a shot.
The AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-10194089335780325472014-10-07T14:30:00.002-04:002014-10-07T14:30:49.283-04:00Review: Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth HoytThief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is the latest in my quest to find a romance novel that doesn't make me roll my eyes. While it had promise, the idea behind it is silly, and it was determined to take away everything I liked about it.The premise of the book is that the Ghost of St. Giles runs around in a harlequin costume by night, protecting the weak and AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-52672435191599268712014-10-02T18:22:00.000-04:002014-10-02T18:22:10.183-04:00Review: The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuireThe Winter Long by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the eighth book in Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. I think I say every time that they get better with each installation, but, well, it's true. McGuire does her homework, building intrigue and tension into earlier books that pay off handsomely with each new installment.The Winter Long opens with the Winter Solstice ball, and AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659390787646199560.post-71122185415931797182014-09-24T13:31:00.002-04:002014-09-24T13:31:46.023-04:00Review: Fun Home by Alison BechdelFun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Alison Bechdel is best known for the Bechdel test, which a movie passes if it has two named female characters who speak to each other about something other than a male character. It's a low bar for gender representation, and yet a minority of mainstream films pass it. Bechdel introduced the test in her webcomic.Fun Home AliceTheWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03165971792584595229noreply@blogger.com0