Witches? Toronto? a Grandmother Granddaughter buddy comedy? Taking down the Patriarchy? Fuck yeah, I'm in.
I was certainly able to figure out the reveWitches? Toronto? a Grandmother Granddaughter buddy comedy? Taking down the Patriarchy? Fuck yeah, I'm in.
I was certainly able to figure out the reveal but I was still happy when it was revealed. I bought this book, in hardback, because i was so excited to read it and I was not let down. I think this is the start of the series and I can't wait for the second book. What will those two get up to next? ...more
I tried to watch the Branaugh movie but gave up half way through, something was missing. So i decided to read the book and i whipped through it in 2 dI tried to watch the Branaugh movie but gave up half way through, something was missing. So i decided to read the book and i whipped through it in 2 days and Christie does a much better job explaining who the characters are which makes the whole story make much more sense. I was able to figure out whodunit from the movie and I don't know if I would have just from the book. Anyway, would recommend. ...more
I had not read David Copperfield prior to listening to this audiobook and I don't think it's absolutely necessary, especially if you find Dickens too I had not read David Copperfield prior to listening to this audiobook and I don't think it's absolutely necessary, especially if you find Dickens too wordy (yes, i know, serialized). I do think that i might enjoy David Copperfield now that I've read Demon Copperhead though, so there's a plus.
overall the book was ok, a downer without being too down, you never felt that Demon felt sorry for himself, you know? He was able to find brightness in all the darkness and I can relate to that....more
**spoiler alert** This was a trek. I listened to the audio version as i don't have it in me to read massive fantasy books with my own eyes anymore. I **spoiler alert** This was a trek. I listened to the audio version as i don't have it in me to read massive fantasy books with my own eyes anymore. I really liked this book - the social context especially. I read a bunch of upset reviews because it's 'Woke', which just makes me think of Letta and how ALLLLL of that is still happening. Just deal with it and ignore it ok, it doesn't matter. well, no that's exactly the point because it's not happening to you it doesn't matter.
anyway, all around great book. Definitely for fans of Jonathan Strange + Mr Norrell, another looooooong, moody book that is written beautifully and allows us to imagine great big institutions and structures hoarding secrets. ...more
I really shouldn't have been so surprised that this book was good, it won the inaugural World Fantasy Book award and it was well earned. I loved 3.75!
I really shouldn't have been so surprised that this book was good, it won the inaugural World Fantasy Book award and it was well earned. I loved the sparseness of the dialogue and the disdain Sybel embodies. I wish she didn't fall in love but I suppose it's bound to happen. Would have loved to see more of her and the "local witch".
**spoiler alert** Abandoned. I don't mind an unlikeable protagonist, but I can't stand a stupid one. How are you going to claim that your shadow is fi**spoiler alert** Abandoned. I don't mind an unlikeable protagonist, but I can't stand a stupid one. How are you going to claim that your shadow is fine when you've literally just seen shadows do all kinds of things? How did you not realize that your mystery man was probably hiding a LOT of stuff. Some stranger with no background and has to work under the table, that's not suspicious to you? I mean, clearly he was the 'missing' grandchild (or whomever), yet that's a big reveal almost half way through the book. Not really a big reveal. I did think that the concept was neat- shadows and all that - but the writing was...i mean you can tell that the author is used to writing YA, which isn't a bad thing at all, I love YA, but this was hyper marketed as adult and these people be acting like 18 year olds. ...more
**spoiler alert** what an amazing book, and to think this was written in the late 1600s! I was totally into it from start to finish, and I'm so so so **spoiler alert** what an amazing book, and to think this was written in the late 1600s! I was totally into it from start to finish, and I'm so so so glad that "Moll" had a happy ending. I love that none of her husbands nor children had names...or anyone come to think of it. I love that she would get knocked up, have the kid, and get rid of the kid and the reader did not have to hear about it at all. What I did find a little funny was that when she meets up with her imbred kid, she doesn't ask about her other imbred son, it's just not important.
While extremely wordy, still thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely a good snapshot of the time and place and the ridiculousness of women's lives, expectatiWhile extremely wordy, still thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely a good snapshot of the time and place and the ridiculousness of women's lives, expectations, and how those gendered expectations can ruin lives.
I appreciate a good, sad ending. I deffo hated Byrony, as we are likely supposed to, stupid meddling children. You can tell how the story is going to I appreciate a good, sad ending. I deffo hated Byrony, as we are likely supposed to, stupid meddling children. You can tell how the story is going to go, or at least, who is telling the story which is fine, I don't think it was supposed to be a surprise at the end.
I would rate this a 3.5 really. And I'm excited to watch the movie now. ...more
I didn't know what to expect, which is always great because then I can't be let down. I loved the noir of this book, and the language. I had to stop pI didn't know what to expect, which is always great because then I can't be let down. I loved the noir of this book, and the language. I had to stop part way through to read up on the divergence from history to see what the alternate history meant.
4 stars not because i loved loved loved the book, but because it was let me into a culture that I rarely get to see, and that's why I read. ...more
I really wanted to like this, but the stories were so boring. I'm sure they weren't boring for the time they were written, and I certainly liked heariI really wanted to like this, but the stories were so boring. I'm sure they weren't boring for the time they were written, and I certainly liked hearing the speech of the time (even ironically), but I got about 4 stories in and just lost interest. I appreciate that Wodehouse, like Bowie, influenced many of my fave artists today, and I'm glad for it, but this particular book was not for me.
I wonder if the later ones get better? I'll let some time pass and try a later one. ...more
I'm glad I listened to the audio version read by the author. Short and sweet (not-sweet) history of the gagging of women and how it continues to affecI'm glad I listened to the audio version read by the author. Short and sweet (not-sweet) history of the gagging of women and how it continues to affect us today. ...more
**spoiler alert** I tend to like characters with ambiguous parentage and ethnicity. I guess I do like to see myself in characters. I was not a fan whe**spoiler alert** I tend to like characters with ambiguous parentage and ethnicity. I guess I do like to see myself in characters. I was not a fan when Alex had her tattoos magically removed but was happy to see her set them free towards the end. Another way for me to see myself. Course, I'm not stick thin and beautiful, but Alex can't be perfect :)
So I like her, even though I'm tired of the drug addict because of trauma trope and it does work for Alex given she can see ghosts and that they can harm her in some way. I hope some effort goes into describing why pot would allow Alex to not see them, but I do not have high expectations.
I like Dawes, and I hope she gets more book time in the series. I think I may like Michelle as well. I can tolerate Darlington, and I still hope he stays gone.
I like that the next book will likely be a main cast of 3 powerful women, trying to find a man, yes, but I'm sure they will do other stuff as well. It should pass the Bechdel test unless something goes horribly wrong.
The plot of this book was predictable, I knew right away that Sandow and Belbalm were the big bads, but I was pleasantly surprised at the Belbalm situation (Wheelwalker), and happier that it was woman vs woman without a dude between them. I also enjoyed Alex telling Belbalm to shove her feminist manifesto, because sometimes that needs to be said, just because X doesn't mean you have the right to do Y. I would have enjoyed more Belbalm in the book, but that probably would have taken away from the ending.
anyway, hopefully, the second book will be about more than just the great finding of the Darlington Demon and I suppose it will have to be now that Lethe has no Dean and thus no leader that we've been introduced to yet, and the St. Elmo will need some kind of comeuppance. So a new governance will have to be established OR Lethe will lose its status and the Houses will go haywire and the University will see the need for Lethe and they will not have financial issues any more.
**spoiler alert** yeah, this was OK I guess. It was short, and the ending was kind of a downer, but I think I've been spoiled by more recent books whe**spoiler alert** yeah, this was OK I guess. It was short, and the ending was kind of a downer, but I think I've been spoiled by more recent books where the endings are REALLY HUGE DOWNERS (like all of Canlit), and this is like, downer-lite.
Midway through this book I read Wharton's wiki page and was able to draw connections between her life and the characters in this story, which definitely adds a layer of sorrow but at the same time the sorrow is being relayed by the author, and so I take the sorrow with a grain of salt. I do feel bad for Zeena though, I know we're not really supposed to be sympathetic towards her, but life handed her just as much crap as the other two, and some young thing comes waltzing in, stealing the (albeit tenuous) affections of her husband. At first, Zeena is unsympathetic but we're seeing this from Ethan's eyes, looks like she's fucking bored and in need of attention. Anyway, it was an OK book. I look forward to reading Age of Innocence and House of Mirth. ...more
Well this was fucking fun. Now I have to go read more of Atkinson's books. Well this was fucking fun. Now I have to go read more of Atkinson's books. ...more
**spoiler alert** Listened to this mainly on lengthy car rides with my BF. We both liked it for different reasons, I preferred Anna's tragic story, wh**spoiler alert** Listened to this mainly on lengthy car rides with my BF. We both liked it for different reasons, I preferred Anna's tragic story, while he preferred Levin's story and snapshot of Russia at that time (he is also Russian so this makes a lot of sense). Going in the only thing I knew was that Anna gets hit/commits suicide by (a) train, and something about a love affair, really, all I knew was that there was a lady and a train and this is still after I saw the Keira Knightly version of the movie (in my defense, I probably wasn't giving the movie my full attn), so it was very surprising to me that this book has two distinct story lines rather than being all about Anna, as the film suggested. but i get that filming the Levin storyline is likely not to be as engrossing as watching a woman basically fall to pieces. The social commentary on the status of women in Russia (sorry, I mean the status of aristocratic women, obvs) is very interesting esp coming from a dude who clearly saw how outrageous the trajectory of women's lives were at this time. Anyway, i won't go into details because who cares but suffice to say that Anna's story is probably about half the book (although she doesn't die until very close to the very end) and the other half is about Levin (I read that this character is modeled after the author) and Levin's thoughts about: Politics, Farming/Agriculture, Society, and many other things that I tuned out because I found it extremely boring, then I found out that this book was published in serial format and it all made sense. I wonder now what, if anything, Tolstoy would have not put in if he wasn't producing this book in serial format. ...more
This book was way better than I had expected it to be, the poor monster! he doesnt even have a name. Now there are 4 books written in the 1800's that This book was way better than I had expected it to be, the poor monster! he doesnt even have a name. Now there are 4 books written in the 1800's that I really like: Treasure Island Three Musketeers Wuthering Heights Frankenstein
The biggest thing to pop out of this that seemed weird is that murders follow this dude, and yet, he's not a suspect? Oh no, magistrate, it wasn't me, it was this monster i created that came to life and was mad and me and stuff. honest. ...more
Loading...
