Publisher: Bantam Books Page Count: 334 Fiction Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Paranormal, Historical Dates Read: September 24-26, 2015 Summary Vampires on a boat! A struggling riverboat captain will do anything he can to keep his boat afloat. When he is offered an odd partnership by wealthy man, he knows something is off. He wants to say no to the offer, but knows that he needs this strange man's money as much as the man needs his boat. How could anyone turn down a promise of riches and a new boat? Now things are starting to look pretty grim and sinister. Review This is my first book by George R.R. Martin, and I guess I expected more. Maybe I should have started with his Game of Throne series, but I was hesitant to start another series. Fevre Dream is just boring. It lulled along, much like Huckleberry Finn and Jim traveling down the Mississippi together. It was hard to get into this book and I just felt annoyed by how predictable the entire thing was. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 5 Pace - 3 Plot Development - 4 Characters - 3 Enjoyability - 3 Insightfulness - 2 Ease of Reading - 5 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 2 out of 5 stars
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Publisher: Old Saltbox Publishing Page Count: 64 Nonfiction Genre: History, Paranormal, American Dates Read: September 25-26, 2015 Summary We all know about the Salem Witch Trials, but how much do we know about the first people who were tried and hanged during this turbulent time? Review This was a very informative book. It was pretty dry and straight forward, much like a typical American History textbook, but it was great to see more specific information about people who were accused of witchcraft and being witches. I found this on my grandparent's bookshelf after they passed away and I've had it for about 9 years, waiting to read it. Well when I started to read A Discovery of Witches, The Salem Witch Trials. I decided to take a peak into this book, and realized that some of the women mentioned in ADOW are in this booklet. It made a nice companion piece to ADOW, but it's not necessary. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 6 Pace - 5 Plot Development - 5 Characters - 5 Enjoyability - 7 Insightfulness - 6 Ease of Reading - 6 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 3 out of 5 stars Publisher: Viking Penguin Page Count: 579 Fiction Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Romance Dates Read: September 24-26, 2015 Summary Diane cares more about her academic research than she cares about her ability to conjure up magic, and who can blame her whens he has spent her whole life believing that it was magic that killed her parents. Now Diane is living in England as a normal human. She spends most of her time on her current research project, Alchemy, the closest she will get to even thinking about magic. Unbeknownst to her, she awakens a long forgotten, very powerful Alchemy book that is going to change her and her world. Review This book started out okay, but I lost all interest once Harkness introduced the romantic element of this story. To begin with, I felt that character development was not Harkness's strong suit, and emotions, thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters were not convincing. Diane was probably the most developed character, and it was in a very surface kind of way. This book was just ridiculous, even for a paranormal romance. The most laughable moment of the book was when Diane falls in love with the mysterious Matthew Clairmont (a vampire) while they are in the middle of doing yoga together. HA! Ratings (based on a 10 point scale)
Quality of Writing - 6 Pace - 4 Plot Development - 5 Characters - 2 Enjoyability - 3 Insightfulness - 2 Ease of Reading - 4 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 2 out of 5 stars Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Page Count: 247 Fiction Genre: Fantasy, YA, Horror, Adventure, Paranormal Dates Read: September 23-24, 2015 Summary Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends what seems like their entire childhood. Now that they are getting older, and things are changing, they feel a force that's dividing their friendship. Suddenly Zach wants to spend less time with the girls, especially since his father threw out all of his toys. Now Poppy believes she is being haunted by a china doll who used to be a key character in their childhood games, and she need Zach and Alice to help her free the doll's child spirit. Review I was expecting a book for a young adult, but not for a children's book. I think had I realized that sooner my review would be better. It is a much needed expectation. I struggled to enjoy this one. The idea of the story was great, and was very reminiscent of R.L.Stine's Goosebumps books. I realize that character development in childrens books is very different than YA or even adult books, and I think that is what was the hardest for me with this one. I wanted to see more of who Zach, Poppy, and Alice are. It left the book seeming lifeless. The few illustrations in the book are delightful and very beautiful. I enjoyed seeing that they were added to the story. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 6 Pace - 3 Plot Development - 3 Characters - 2 Enjoyability - 3 Insightfulness - 2 Ease of Reading - 7 Photos/Illustrations - 6 Overall Rating - 2 out of 5 stars Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Page Count: 247 Fiction Genre: Fantasy, YA, Horror, Adventure, Paranormal Dates Read: September 23-24, 2015 Summary The Younger family is black-American family in Chicago who is just trying to find their American dream. They all have their own ideas of what that means, but they can agree that they just want something greater than what they currently have. With the death of the eldest Mr. Younger, his wife, children, and grandchild can all start to dream. But it's Mr. Younger's son, Walter, who has a scheme in mind, one that will surely result in a happy ending for everyone. Review Words cannot express how beautiful this play was. The character development felt so real and natural, like I had known the Younger family my entire life. Hansberry really tugged on my heartstrings as you could only sit by and watch as the Younger family struggle for basic things, like comfort and acceptance. The most memorable thing about A Raisin in The Sun is the philosophical dialog, a poem by Langston Hughes, that I believe can apply to everyone's life at some point. Though the Younger family has improved their station in life, by just a very little bit, what about everything else they wanted to accomplish? What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 5 Plot Development - 6 Characters - 6 Enjoyability - 5 Insightfulness - 6 Ease of Reading - 5 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars Publisher: Bantam Page Count: 201 Fiction Genre: Fantasy, Philosophy, Horror, Academic Dates Read: September 23, 2015 Summary Gregor wakes up not feeling like himself. Somehow in the middle of the night his body transformed into a cockroach, and he's slowly loosing his ability for human speech. His family and employer do not know how to deal with unbelievable transformation. Review This story was very beautifully written. I had some troubles getting into it at first, but after the first 10 pages or so, I was hooked and could not put it down. I felt so sad for Gregor. The hope he held onto and the family he so desperately wanted to keep. The people he loved and cared for could only see him as a monster now; as an unwanted burden. The ending was heartbreaking. DAMN THE FEELS! Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 9 Pace - 7 Plot Development - 6 Characters - 5 Enjoyability - 7 Insightfulness - 5 Ease of Reading - 7 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars Publisher: Algonquin Books Page Count: 344 Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Fantasy, Feminism, Retelling Dates Read: September 21-23, 2015 Summary Hannah Payne has just woken up in a prison cell. She knew this was coming, but nothing could prepare her for the reality of her dyed skin. She shall now live her life with red skin, a symbol of the crime she has committed; adultery and murder. Hannah had been having a secret affair with her minister, and when she discovered her pregnancy she sought out an abortion, something that is now illegal in The United States. No matter, Hannah refused to name the baby's father, for fear of ruining his marriage, career, and political future. Review If you haven't guessed yet, When She Woke is a retelling of The Scarlet Letter (with a little bit of Handmaiden's Tale and Brave New World). Overall, this story is very well written, though it was a bit more preachy than I expected (not horribly). It reminded me a lot of growing up in the church and hearing that everything you do is wrong and will be the downfall of mankind. In When She Woke there is no longer a line drawn between church and state, and the churches dictate everything. When I look at the current state of America's political climate, I can actually see this becoming a reality, which makes this book a tad terrifying. Most of the characters had a great development, and it was easy to sympathize with them, or loathe them, depending on which character we are talking about. I wish Jordan would have delved more into the backstory, but that is more for my own curiosity. She does a good job of give a decent background and setting the tone for how this present situation came to be. The book had a great start, with an okay middle, and a dull, yet satisfying ending. Given the way it ended I'm curious to see if Jordan expands this into a series. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 7 Plot Development - 7 Characters - 9 Enjoyability - 6 Insightfulness - 7 Ease of Reading - 8 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars |
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