Book Reviews - Page 7

nita-karoliina · 25-07-2011

This is a good thread. I read around 3 books a week so this is like godsend to me. Keep it going!

Jenna-maria · 25-07-2011

^
write reviews from the books you read here too!!!

mint condish · 29-07-2011

I just finished JPod by Douglas Coupland! I really enjoyed it! I love workplace humour, so it was really up my alley. I was worried I wouldn't be nerdy or technical enough to enjoy it (

) But I really did. Thanks to the posters here who recommended it.

Note, I have read other books by Coupland, like Microserfs, and All Families are Psychotic, and I didn't enjoy them, so I was really happy to enjoy JPod!

Belowen · 29-07-2011

The Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham [3/5]

I do love me some apocalyptic fiction, and although this is touted as a modern classic, for me it failed to hit the mark. It was reasonably modern and quite witty, despite being written and published in the early 1950s but despite the potential of the plot (Earth being overrun with man eating giant plants) I didn't find the storyline that interesting or scary.

Recommended for: Those interested in apocalyptic fiction, who like the charm of a 1950s classic.

cover source: bookdepository.co.uk

Belowen · 30-07-2011

Bossypants by Tina Fey [4/5]

I adore Tina Fey and had very high hopes for this book. To be honest, it wasn't what I had initially expected (though I'm still not sure what that was) but I loved it all the same. It was an interesting insight into Tina Fey, her history & her life and had some laugh-out-loud moments for me, which was kind of embarrassing on the train ride home from work each day.

Recommended for: Fans of Tina Fey

cover source: bookdepository.co.uk

kito09 · 03-08-2011

pauabooks

I could not put this book down, not even for a second. The Seamstress kept me up with weary eyes in the middle of the night (and as a result I slept in between classes

). In short, the novel is a tale of two young orphaned sisters Emilia and Luzia, who grow up in a small village in 30's Brazil. Two very different lives await them both as they are both separated with the twist of fate and events, yet their lives intertwine in the most fascinating way. A wonderful mix of criminology, courage, and fate. The Seamstress is a novel you will remember even long after you close the last page of the lengthy novel. Recommended particularity for those who are interested in criminology and/or love a book with a bit of suspense. A beautiful read that not only takes you into the interesting and strange world of the Santos sisters, but also takes you into the entrancing Brazilian scrubland and revolution.

chickadee · 06-08-2011

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Hands down, this is the best novel I have read yet. Toni Morrison is perhaps my favorite author of all time--so prolific, so thought-provoking, and imaginative, and always depressing (but I end up loving it anyway). The book is about a girl named Pecola Breedlove (told from the perspective of her neighbor/friend Claudia) who, at a very young age, endures a tremendous amount of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Her one wish is for blue eyes not only because she thinks they will make her beautiful, but because she also wishes to change the way she sees. She feels as if the world around her will be much better if she could see it through blue eyes. It's a really poignant and moving story that makes you consider not only the devastating effects for ethnic girls who can't fit within the widely touted European standard of beauty, but girls of all races who can't live up to that impossible criteria. Moreover, it's about how women, particularly, minority women had very few choices back then. There's a lot of themes about feminism and what it means to be a woman, especially in relation to a man. Absolutely loved it.

Jenna-maria · 06-10-2011

MR VERTIGO by Paul Auster

faber.co.uk

This is story about Walt rescued from the streets of St. Louis
and taught to fly by Master Yehudi,
Walt soon becomes a national sensation.

I LOVED this book!
The story was great and it
was written so well.
Everyone who likes good books should read this

Belowen · 08-10-2011

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace [2/5]

I wanted to love this book so much, as I am a huge David Foster Wallace fan but I just could not bring myself to enjoy it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a great lover of short story collections or what, but I really struggled to push through this book. There were a couple of short stories that really stood out, and at one point I was absolutely amazed at the skill and genius of David Foster Wallace's writing but the collective as a whole falls slightly falls for me.

Recommended for: Patient readers & fans of DFW

cover source: bookdepository.co.uk

Belowen · 08-10-2011

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins [4/5]

The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire picks up a little while after where The Hunger Games left off. I was immediately drawn back into Katniss' world and this book was just as fast paced as it's predecessor. I was really happy with this book, and powered through it in a few days.

Recommended for: YA readers or those looking for a fast, enjoyable and easy read

cover source: bookdepository.co.uk

Les_Sucettes · 08-10-2011

Just discovered this. Amazing Thread.

. Thanks to everyone that posted reviews, I read an awful lot of books and I'm always on the look out for something interesting. I will try an post reviews of my own.

chickadee · 09-10-2011

We Need To Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver

I actually quite liked reading this book, even if I didn't enjoy it. It's an intense, harrowing read, and not one you should read in an already depressed state of mind. There's very little hope if any until maybe, arguably, the end. The prose is really engaging. Alot of critics have said that it's kind of wordy, but I like wordy so I didn't mind it so much. It's honestly the best thing about the book because despite how lengthy it is, it really is a page-turner.

The story is also engaging, but the character development is awful. All of the characters, including Eva, the narrator, for all her musings and ruminations, are one-dimensional. Kevin's development is the biggest dupe of all. We're supposed to believe the kid is a sociopath, and if that's the truth, then the ending is contrived and most definitely unearned. I know we're seeing it from Eva's point of view, and she's biased, but it just doesn't add up.

Another thing I had a problem with were the racial stereotypes which thankfully did not permeate the book. Maybe it's because I'm still reeling from "The Help" (book and movie both), but I am so sick of this "black woman savior/beacon of hope" bs. And I say this as a black woman. The whole interchange with Eva and this black mother at the jail is not completely unnecessary, but still patronizing. Reading the dialogue made me feel as if Shriver has never spoken to a black person in her entire life. Television doesn't cut it when it comes to that. It's just so unrealistic, completely took me out of the novel, and almost made me return to the library.

Sorry for the long post.
Recommended for: Patient readers who like wordiness, people interested in the nature v. nurture discussion

ChrissyM · 13-10-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belowen

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace [2/5]

I wanted to love this book so much, as I am a huge David Foster Wallace fan but I just could not bring myself to enjoy it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a great lover of short story collections or what, but I really struggled to push through this book. There were a couple of short stories that really stood out, and at one point I was absolutely amazed at the skill and genius of David Foster Wallace's writing but the collective as a whole falls slightly falls for me.

Recommended for: Patient readers & fans of DFW

cover source: bookdepository.co.uk

B this is EXACTLY how i feel about this collection of stories... I literally just skipped one of the stories because I couldn't bear to put myself through the task of reading it...

I'm almost done with it but it really feels like a chore to even read a few pages. It's taken me MONTHS... or years really, considering I bought the book and tried to read it back in 2005/2006 before he died.

I've got to sit down and review some of the more recent books that I've read... there were some good ones in the bunch

ChrissyM · 16-10-2011

Image: goodreads.com

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

[5/5]

This is the first book in Bradley's Flavia De Luce series, and I subsequently read the other two books that have come out since I enjoyed this first one so much.

The main character, Flavia, is a precocious 11 year old (I think... read this a few months back) who finds that she has a knack for solving mysteries (in particular the death/murder of the dead man she discovers in the garden of their estate). She's a really lovable character and the book has great pace.

Recommended for: people who love a series -- it's nice to have a strong, smart, young female protagonist who isn't annoying. For a murder mystery it's surprisingly lighthearted and this was the perfect (easy and enjoyable) read for me at a time where everything else in my life was chaotic. It's not a life-changing book, but it's a fun read.

ChrissyM · 16-10-2011

goodreads.com image

Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

[3/5]

First, Charlaine Harris is kind of a terrible writer and I often found myself rereading sentences or passages to figure out what just happened or to make sure I didn't miss a sentence because things suddenly weren't making sense. There were also moments where she described what Sookie was wearing and it actually sounded TERRIBLE. She had Sookie wearing scrunchies etc. Not remembering any other examples at the moment... oh! She described Sookie's towering high heels as being 2 or 3 inches high I think...!

BUT, the stories were entertaining for the most part, and I'll probably end up reading the rest of the series when the books get published. I tore right through these and it was nice to have an easy mindless read.

Recommended for: Fans of True Blood, fans of vampire/supernatural stories, anyone looking for a quick, trashy, guilty pleasure read.

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25-07-2011	91
nita-karoliina V.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Helsinki, Finland Gender: femme Posts: 5,795	This is a good thread. I read around 3 books a week so this is like godsend to me. Keep it going! __________________ https://www.instagram.com/nitakaroliina

25-07-2011	92
Jenna-maria V.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2007 Gender: femme Posts: 6,608	^ write reviews from the books you read here too!!! __________________ Daria Werbowy, Mila Kunis, Eva Green, Angelina Jolie

29-07-2011	93
mint condish fashion elite Join Date: Dec 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 2,570	I just finished JPod by Douglas Coupland! I really enjoyed it! I love workplace humour, so it was really up my alley. I was worried I wouldn't be nerdy or technical enough to enjoy it () But I really did. Thanks to the posters here who recommended it. Note, I have read other books by Coupland, like Microserfs, and All Families are Psychotic, and I didn't enjoy them, so I was really happy to enjoy JPod!

29-07-2011	94
Belowen ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Design Team Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Australia Gender: femme Posts: 26,089	The Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham [3/5] I do love me some apocalyptic fiction, and although this is touted as a modern classic, for me it failed to hit the mark. It was reasonably modern and quite witty, despite being written and published in the early 1950s but despite the potential of the plot (Earth being overrun with man eating giant plants) I didn't find the storyline that interesting or scary. Recommended for: Those interested in apocalyptic fiction, who like the charm of a 1950s classic. cover source: bookdepository.co.uk __________________ the belle lumiere Last edited by Belowen; 29-07-2011 at 11:57 PM.

30-07-2011	95
Belowen ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Design Team Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Australia Gender: femme Posts: 26,089	Bossypants by Tina Fey [4/5] I adore Tina Fey and had very high hopes for this book. To be honest, it wasn't what I had initially expected (though I'm still not sure what that was) but I loved it all the same. It was an interesting insight into Tina Fey, her history & her life and had some laugh-out-loud moments for me, which was kind of embarrassing on the train ride home from work each day. Recommended for: Fans of Tina Fey cover source: bookdepository.co.uk __________________ the belle lumiere

03-08-2011	96
kito09 the echo of silence. Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The beach Gender: femme Posts: 2,643	pauabooks I could not put this book down, not even for a second. The Seamstress kept me up with weary eyes in the middle of the night (and as a result I slept in between classes ). In short, the novel is a tale of two young orphaned sisters Emilia and Luzia, who grow up in a small village in 30's Brazil. Two very different lives await them both as they are both separated with the twist of fate and events, yet their lives intertwine in the most fascinating way. A wonderful mix of criminology, courage, and fate. The Seamstress is a novel you will remember even long after you close the last page of the lengthy novel. Recommended particularity for those who are interested in criminology and/or love a book with a bit of suspense. A beautiful read that not only takes you into the interesting and strange world of the Santos sisters, but also takes you into the entrancing Brazilian scrubland and revolution. __________________ Sometimes you couldn't face the sadness of being forgotten, until you felt the comfort of being remembered again .♥. Last edited by kito09; 03-08-2011 at 08:46 PM.

06-08-2011	97
chickadee tfs star Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern United States Gender: femme Posts: 1,938	The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Hands down, this is the best novel I have read yet. Toni Morrison is perhaps my favorite author of all time--so prolific, so thought-provoking, and imaginative, and always depressing (but I end up loving it anyway). The book is about a girl named Pecola Breedlove (told from the perspective of her neighbor/friend Claudia) who, at a very young age, endures a tremendous amount of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Her one wish is for blue eyes not only because she thinks they will make her beautiful, but because she also wishes to change the way she sees. She feels as if the world around her will be much better if she could see it through blue eyes. It's a really poignant and moving story that makes you consider not only the devastating effects for ethnic girls who can't fit within the widely touted European standard of beauty, but girls of all races who can't live up to that impossible criteria. Moreover, it's about how women, particularly, minority women had very few choices back then. There's a lot of themes about feminism and what it means to be a woman, especially in relation to a man. Absolutely loved it. Last edited by chickadee; 06-08-2011 at 02:30 AM.

06-10-2011	98
Jenna-maria V.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2007 Gender: femme Posts: 6,608	MR VERTIGO by Paul Auster faber.co.uk This is story about Walt rescued from the streets of St. Louis and taught to fly by Master Yehudi, Walt soon becomes a national sensation. I LOVED this book! The story was great and it was written so well. Everyone who likes good books should read this __________________ Daria Werbowy, Mila Kunis, Eva Green, Angelina Jolie

08-10-2011	99
Belowen ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Design Team Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Australia Gender: femme Posts: 26,089	Brief Interviews With Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace [2/5] I wanted to love this book so much, as I am a huge David Foster Wallace fan but I just could not bring myself to enjoy it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not a great lover of short story collections or what, but I really struggled to push through this book. There were a couple of short stories that really stood out, and at one point I was absolutely amazed at the skill and genius of David Foster Wallace's writing but the collective as a whole falls slightly falls for me. Recommended for: Patient readers & fans of DFW cover source: bookdepository.co.uk __________________ the belle lumiere

08-10-2011	100
Belowen ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Design Team Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Australia Gender: femme Posts: 26,089	Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins [4/5] The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire picks up a little while after where The Hunger Games left off. I was immediately drawn back into Katniss' world and this book was just as fast paced as it's predecessor. I was really happy with this book, and powered through it in a few days. Recommended for: YA readers or those looking for a fast, enjoyable and easy read cover source: bookdepository.co.uk __________________ the belle lumiere

08-10-2011	101
Les_Sucettes fashion elite Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Netherlands Gender: femme Posts: 2,940	Just discovered this. Amazing Thread.. Thanks to everyone that posted reviews, I read an awful lot of books and I'm always on the look out for something interesting. I will try an post reviews of my own.

09-10-2011	102
chickadee tfs star Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern United States Gender: femme Posts: 1,938	We Need To Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver I actually quite liked reading this book, even if I didn't enjoy it. It's an intense, harrowing read, and not one you should read in an already depressed state of mind. There's very little hope if any until maybe, arguably, the end. The prose is really engaging. Alot of critics have said that it's kind of wordy, but I like wordy so I didn't mind it so much. It's honestly the best thing about the book because despite how lengthy it is, it really is a page-turner. The story is also engaging, but the character development is awful. All of the characters, including Eva, the narrator, for all her musings and ruminations, are one-dimensional. Kevin's development is the biggest dupe of all. We're supposed to believe the kid is a sociopath, and if that's the truth, then the ending is contrived and most definitely unearned. I know we're seeing it from Eva's point of view, and she's biased, but it just doesn't add up. Another thing I had a problem with were the racial stereotypes which thankfully did not permeate the book. Maybe it's because I'm still reeling from "The Help" (book and movie both), but I am so sick of this "black woman savior/beacon of hope" bs. And I say this as a black woman. The whole interchange with Eva and this black mother at the jail is not completely unnecessary, but still patronizing. Reading the dialogue made me feel as if Shriver has never spoken to a black person in her entire life. Television doesn't cut it when it comes to that. It's just so unrealistic, completely took me out of the novel, and almost made me return to the library. Sorry for the long post. Recommended for: Patient readers who like wordiness, people interested in the nature v. nurture discussion Last edited by chickadee; 09-10-2011 at 03:42 PM.

16-10-2011	104
ChrissyM girl who fell to earth Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Boston Gender: femme Posts: 18,762	Image: goodreads.com The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley [5/5] This is the first book in Bradley's Flavia De Luce series, and I subsequently read the other two books that have come out since I enjoyed this first one so much. The main character, Flavia, is a precocious 11 year old (I think... read this a few months back) who finds that she has a knack for solving mysteries (in particular the death/murder of the dead man she discovers in the garden of their estate). She's a really lovable character and the book has great pace. Recommended for: people who love a series -- it's nice to have a strong, smart, young female protagonist who isn't annoying. For a murder mystery it's surprisingly lighthearted and this was the perfect (easy and enjoyable) read for me at a time where everything else in my life was chaotic. It's not a life-changing book, but it's a fun read. Last edited by ChrissyM; 16-10-2011 at 10:06 AM.

16-10-2011	105
ChrissyM girl who fell to earth Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Boston Gender: femme Posts: 18,762	goodreads.com image Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris [3/5] First, Charlaine Harris is kind of a terrible writer and I often found myself rereading sentences or passages to figure out what just happened or to make sure I didn't miss a sentence because things suddenly weren't making sense. There were also moments where she described what Sookie was wearing and it actually sounded TERRIBLE. She had Sookie wearing scrunchies etc. Not remembering any other examples at the moment... oh! She described Sookie's towering high heels as being 2 or 3 inches high I think...! BUT, the stories were entertaining for the most part, and I'll probably end up reading the rest of the series when the books get published. I tore right through these and it was nice to have an easy mindless read. Recommended for: Fans of True Blood, fans of vampire/supernatural stories, anyone looking for a quick, trashy, guilty pleasure read. Last edited by ChrissyM; 16-10-2011 at 10:21 AM.

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