I read this with my kid around Dia de los Muertos and it was great. I loved how it treats life and death. I also liked that it didn't pull its punchesI read this with my kid around Dia de los Muertos and it was great. I loved how it treats life and death. I also liked that it didn't pull its punches and is a little more dark or sad than the usual books written for this age group....more
A really cute, inclusive comic about witchy things and feeling comfortable in your own body. The dialog and illustrations were fun. I especially likedA really cute, inclusive comic about witchy things and feeling comfortable in your own body. The dialog and illustrations were fun. I especially liked the attention to facial expressions in this one....more
This was a funny little story in the vein of those movies from the 80s where unsupervised kids go on an adventure. I loved animal characters in here aThis was a funny little story in the vein of those movies from the 80s where unsupervised kids go on an adventure. I loved animal characters in here and the illustrations. My kid also enjoyed reading this, so it's definitely kid appropriate and not too scary....more
Eh, maybe this series isn't for me. There was a little too much fist-thumping and chest hair for me. I was disappointed that taking the higher ground Eh, maybe this series isn't for me. There was a little too much fist-thumping and chest hair for me. I was disappointed that taking the higher ground was only for show and that in the end, the supposedly stead-fast heroine *still* gave up her previously satisfying career to go follow her love interest and help him start his life....more
What a great palate cleanser! This was just the perfect book I needed when I wanted to immerse myself in a fantastical world of airships, battles, tauWhat a great palate cleanser! This was just the perfect book I needed when I wanted to immerse myself in a fantastical world of airships, battles, taut abs, bulging biceps, adventure, and romance.
I had put off reading this for a while because of the awful cover and awful hair. Unfortunately, the awful hair was true to the story. However, I'm glad I overlooked that and still went on with reading. One of my apprehensions was that this book would be too similar to the previous one, Skies of Fire, which thankfully it wasn't. Well...the world is still the same and features the Man O' Wars with their *ahem* advantages and limitations, but the characters are different. The plot was kind of similar in the "let's head straight into an impossible battle and come out alive by the skin of our teeth" way, but aren't all action movies like that?
The only thing that bothered me was something that I noticed in a lot of these types of books I read. The author loves writing "He BLANKED the hell out of her." Now if you replace that with a naughty word, ok, that works in a romance novel in an "oh my" kind of way. But what the author actually wrote instead of "blanked" is usually a word like "respected" or "regarded" which uh...doesn't really work in context. It just comes off as cheesy.
Oh, and my usual complaint about the word "arse."...more
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Meljean Brook
Every book in this series is better than the previous one. Riveted takes place in the same world as Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Meljean Brook
Every book in this series is better than the previous one. Riveted takes place in the same world as The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel but it felt different. Maybe because it's set in another place in the world. Or maybe because it's more about a secluded tribe of people in Iceland. I liked the air ship and the mix of different cultures. The "save the world" type plot was predictable, but that didn't make the ride any less exciting.
I also liked how the book brought up homosexuality even though it's not really *about* it. It wasn't as jarring as I thought it would be in the book's world because it slid nicely into part of the plot.
The romance part was also enjoyable. The male lead was differently-abled and was flawed with self-esteem issues surrounding that. It's refreshing to not have a super alpha male in a romance book. There were also lots of naughty parts. I'd say it was a 4 on the naughtiness scale from 1-5.
I would have enjoyed more swashbuckling and more leading character kicking ass and taking names, but overall, I was satisfied. It even left me a little teary in some parts....more
This book contains airships, blowing crap up, man-o-war's that are part men, part machine, sneaky spies, romance, and some naughty words that would maThis book contains airships, blowing crap up, man-o-war's that are part men, part machine, sneaky spies, romance, and some naughty words that would make your grandma blush. It was a quick, fun read that didn't make me think too hard. Actually, the plot was a little unbelievable in the end in the way that James Bond's explosive escapes are unbelievable.
My only complaint is the use of the word "arse". It is *so* not a sexy equivalent to "ass."...more
I enjoyed reading the first two of this series, and maybe it's my rose-tinted glasses, but I felt that Goliath was not aI dunno about this one guys...
I enjoyed reading the first two of this series, and maybe it's my rose-tinted glasses, but I felt that Goliath was not as good. Nothing was bad about it, but I wasn't as excited for the story or the characters while reading this book.
I was mainly curious for the romance between Alek and Deryn and hoping that finally, FINALLY, she would tell him that she was in fact, NOT a boy. I was going to spoiler tag this, but since this is the last book of the trilogy, it's pretty obvious that Deryn's big secret will be revealed to Alek. And it was. And it was a little disappointing, but only because he acted the way I expected. I guess you can say that about the entire book...everything went as expected.
I liked that there were historical figures in this book. I liked that Deryn didn't have to revert to wearing skirts or acting girly. I liked what happened in the end. But the book just didn't wow me. I guess I just wanted more oomph....more
I wanted something easy breezy to read and this fit the bill. It was nothing new for the genre and the adventure itself reminded me of some(2.5 stars)
I wanted something easy breezy to read and this fit the bill. It was nothing new for the genre and the adventure itself reminded me of some budget video game. I had problems with how obsessed the main character was with gender equality and how many times the author brought up how the love interest super really respected our heroine. A little too much of "telling" and not "showing." For having such an inferiority complex and trying to be super modern woman, I felt the heroine let her love interest carry her around (literally and figuratively) too much. She didn't kick as much ass as she should have....more
A grand adventure! One man is mistaken for the king of a small country he visits. A kidnapping happens. A love triangle. And a wacky fight involving aA grand adventure! One man is mistaken for the king of a small country he visits. A kidnapping happens. A love triangle. And a wacky fight involving a tea table.
The Prisoner of Zenda is a charming little story that harkens to the good ol' days when kingdoms were small, men were gallant, and duels were commonplace....more
After the end of Catching Fire, I, like most readers, said, "Nooooooo" because it would be months before Mockingjay would be released. Luckily, the moAfter the end of Catching Fire, I, like most readers, said, "Nooooooo" because it would be months before Mockingjay would be released. Luckily, the months-long wait for the final book of the trilogy is definitely worth it. The ending was satisfying and it's interesting to see how each character grew through the books.
My only complaint is that some of Katniss's traits seemed too idealized, like she wasn't a real, human person. An example of that is her sense of right and wrong. It never falters. Are there really people who are that good?
The third book was an emotional rollercoaster and a ride that I'd happily take again....more
The first half of this book, which introduced the protagonist, Gen, and supporting characters, was incredibly dull. I didn't particularly like Gen thrThe first half of this book, which introduced the protagonist, Gen, and supporting characters, was incredibly dull. I didn't particularly like Gen throughout most of this book. He was selfish, arrogant, whiney, and didn't seem pleasant to be around at all. Because of him, I wasn't sure if I was going to finish the book at all.
When I got to the temple part was when I was hooked. The temple reminded me of some brain teasing puzzles in video games. After the temple, everything started getting much more exciting and when the twist (which I had a hint of but didn't really expect after-all) I finally had an inkling of respect for Gen.
The Thief could almost be classified as historical fiction for young adults except for the whole deux ex machina part of the plot. I'm usually annoyed by stories where the main character gets divine intervention at just the right time to avoid some dilemma, but it kind of worked in here. Kind of. I did like the stories of the creation of the world according to their old religion even if it seemed very Mother-Earthish, but the more direct ways the gods interfered was a splinter in my side.
Reviews say that the next books in this series are much better, but I can't see the old gods and their meddling going away anytime soon in the story, so I'm probably going to skip them unless I run out of things to read....more
Is it possible to feel nostalgia for a place in the future? The crowded, multi-factioned, multi-leveled city of Shanghai and nearby Pudong made me misIs it possible to feel nostalgia for a place in the future? The crowded, multi-factioned, multi-leveled city of Shanghai and nearby Pudong made me miss my hometown terribly. Stephenson's descriptions of brightly lit Nanjing Road and small, dim, alleys of hawkers was so spot on. The mix of high technology, the sophisticated neo-Victorians, and the Confuscians made a confusing but ultimately satisfying story.
I came to The Diamond Age with a vague idea of what the book was about. Like previous steampunk books I read, there was a combination of neo-Victorian sensibilities, technologies different than what we're used to, and a huge disparity between classes. While that may be what gets the book labeled as 'steampunk' by some people ,it surpasses that label and has so much more.
It has cyber-punk technologies. It has dystopian characteristics. It's part adventure story, part riddle, part allegory, part detective story, and best of all, it feels epic without losing its main characters in too wide of a scope.
Reading Stephenson is always hard for me but I always enjoy it. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that his books are not easy to skim through. Go too quickly in The Diamond Age and you end up in an underwater rave wondering what the heck just happened.
The book was definitely worth reading for any fan of the author. It certainly is my favorite book of his so far. My only complaint was that Nell was too perfect. While it could be said that it the Primer had something to do with that, if I take a step back and look at the character, her lack of faults is unbelievable.
Other than that one little complaint, I loved every part of the book from the heart-wrenching stories in the Primer to the action-packed lead up to the Mouse Army. I also liked all the mentions of tea.
Protip: Fountain pens were mentioned at least nine times in this book!...more
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