by Leon Garfield
Grade: All right
I felt I needed an "All right". I haven't had one in ages.
This one wasn't bad, but it was hard to finish. Some stories I loved, like "Rosy Starling" and "The Valentine", but some were kind of boring.
I hope it hasn't discouraged my interest in Leon Garfield, because I looooved Black Jack.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
Grade: Good
Despite being terribly romantic, I actually graded it "Good"! Wow, there must be something to it!
Actually, mostly it was because it was one of those books that I read in a day, without wanting to stop. And vampires are cool! True, this one was incredibly handsome...But you know, it made it better that his family was all incredibly handsome too.
I've ordered the sequal. Let's see if they end up as bad as Bookshelvesofdoom made them out to be.
Grade: Good
Despite being terribly romantic, I actually graded it "Good"! Wow, there must be something to it!
Actually, mostly it was because it was one of those books that I read in a day, without wanting to stop. And vampires are cool! True, this one was incredibly handsome...But you know, it made it better that his family was all incredibly handsome too.
I've ordered the sequal. Let's see if they end up as bad as Bookshelvesofdoom made them out to be.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
Grade: Good
Of course, the Chesterton quote at the beginning made it automatically a cool book. Even besides the quote, though, it was rather Chestertonian, although a bit more spooky and modern than Chesterton. The black button eyes were incredibly creepy.
Really, just an awesomely told fairy tale, with a Chestertonian moral. I think Breann might even like it.
Grade: Good
Of course, the Chesterton quote at the beginning made it automatically a cool book. Even besides the quote, though, it was rather Chestertonian, although a bit more spooky and modern than Chesterton. The black button eyes were incredibly creepy.
Really, just an awesomely told fairy tale, with a Chestertonian moral. I think Breann might even like it.
A Sudden Wild Magic
by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: Unfinished
Read: To page 76
I dunno. I just don't like her adult books as much. It had potential...The magic was creative as always, I almsot really liked Mark. But the adult content and the confusion--it seemed just too detailed, with not enough plot advancement--just lessed my enjoyment enough that I didn't finish it.
Grade: Unfinished
Read: To page 76
I dunno. I just don't like her adult books as much. It had potential...The magic was creative as always, I almsot really liked Mark. But the adult content and the confusion--it seemed just too detailed, with not enough plot advancement--just lessed my enjoyment enough that I didn't finish it.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
INSERT: Wild Robert
by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: Good
Inserted: Somewhere in the September/October Diana Wynne Jones spree.
Really, really, good for such a short book. Wild Robert was awesome, the setting was perfectly lovely, the hint of Romance was just of the sort I like, and the magic was of Diana Wynne Jones. Lovely.
Grade: Good
Inserted: Somewhere in the September/October Diana Wynne Jones spree.
Really, really, good for such a short book. Wild Robert was awesome, the setting was perfectly lovely, the hint of Romance was just of the sort I like, and the magic was of Diana Wynne Jones. Lovely.
Stopping for a Spell
by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: Good
The worst of the three books of short stories I've read by her. They were all kind of gross. The villains were annoying instead of cool, or savage, or all-powerful, or anything interesting. Although I liked the four grannies as villains--but not the supergranny. It seemed to short a story to have something like that.
Still, it was Diana Wynne Jones, and that almost automatically earns it a "Good".
Grade: Good
The worst of the three books of short stories I've read by her. They were all kind of gross. The villains were annoying instead of cool, or savage, or all-powerful, or anything interesting. Although I liked the four grannies as villains--but not the supergranny. It seemed to short a story to have something like that.
Still, it was Diana Wynne Jones, and that almost automatically earns it a "Good".
Warlock at the Wheel and Other Stories
by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: Good
Typical Diana Wynne Jones. Nothing as good as Archer's Goon, and not even quite as good as Mixed Magics. "Dragon Rserve, Home Eight" was different. It could probably have been much longer--the charcters were unique and the story was typically creative. I liked "Carruthers" too, but I thought he was better as a "he". "The Fluffy Pink Toadstool" ended too soon.
Grade: Good
Typical Diana Wynne Jones. Nothing as good as Archer's Goon, and not even quite as good as Mixed Magics. "Dragon Rserve, Home Eight" was different. It could probably have been much longer--the charcters were unique and the story was typically creative. I liked "Carruthers" too, but I thought he was better as a "he". "The Fluffy Pink Toadstool" ended too soon.
The Black Book of Secrets
by F. E. Higgins
Grade: Good
I liked it quite a bit, but not quite enough "To Own" or even "To Re-read". Joe Zabbidou was cool, but I imagined him a bit younger. I saw the frog twist a bit before it happened, but I think one was meant to. I liked the twist at the end, and I LIKED that Polly didn't become his love interest or anything, but left to go to the awful City.
Grade: Good
I liked it quite a bit, but not quite enough "To Own" or even "To Re-read". Joe Zabbidou was cool, but I imagined him a bit younger. I saw the frog twist a bit before it happened, but I think one was meant to. I liked the twist at the end, and I LIKED that Polly didn't become his love interest or anything, but left to go to the awful City.
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
by Eoin Colfer
Grade: Good
It wasn't as good as The Lost Colony, but it was better than the other ones (not including the first). I was disappointed that Artemis didn't keep his magic. That was what I was most excited about--I mean, Artemis Fowl with magical abilities? How cool would that be? How super-powerful would he be then?
But I actually quite like the young Holly-old Artemis subplot. It was new and different, and not the blonde curly genius girl. She seemed too...convenient...for my taste.
Grade: Good
It wasn't as good as The Lost Colony, but it was better than the other ones (not including the first). I was disappointed that Artemis didn't keep his magic. That was what I was most excited about--I mean, Artemis Fowl with magical abilities? How cool would that be? How super-powerful would he be then?
But I actually quite like the young Holly-old Artemis subplot. It was new and different, and not the blonde curly genius girl. She seemed too...convenient...for my taste.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Eight Days of Luke
by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: Good
I love books like this. I might want to start a whole collection some day of gods and goddesses books. Eight Days of Luke and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul for Norse, The Lightning Thief series for Greek gods, and The Game by Diana Wynne Jones for Roman. I could also include The God Beneath the Sea, but that's more retelling of the legends.
This one's best parts were Luke, who was really cool and Thor, who's my Gawain of Norse mythology. I just wish that Astrid didn't end up having to leave her husband.
Grade: Good
I love books like this. I might want to start a whole collection some day of gods and goddesses books. Eight Days of Luke and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul for Norse, The Lightning Thief series for Greek gods, and The Game by Diana Wynne Jones for Roman. I could also include The God Beneath the Sea, but that's more retelling of the legends.
This one's best parts were Luke, who was really cool and Thor, who's my Gawain of Norse mythology. I just wish that Astrid didn't end up having to leave her husband.
The Night of the Comet
by Leon Garfield
Grade: Good
Lot's of fun. Rather Shakespearian in the love matches and comedy of errors. Bostock reminded me of Ron a bit.
Nothing much else to say, except it was so much fun it is almost a "To Own" book.
Grade: Good
Lot's of fun. Rather Shakespearian in the love matches and comedy of errors. Bostock reminded me of Ron a bit.
Nothing much else to say, except it was so much fun it is almost a "To Own" book.
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