I've read the Help. It was an amazing book. But at the same time, it seemed a little clean cut after reading Midnight Without a Moon. I won't even pretend to think that I totally understand what was happening in Mississippi during the 50's, but at least I caught a glimpse of a little more of the struggles during the time of Emmett Till's murder, the inception of the NAACP, and the continued perceptions of lighter skin being more beautiful than the darker skin. I also found it interesting the parallels of that day with today.
4/5 stars
I've read the Help. It was an amazing book. But at the same time, it seemed a little clean cut after reading Midnight Without a Moon. I won't even pretend to think that I totally understand what was happening in Mississippi during the 50's, but at least I caught a glimpse of a little more of the struggles during the time of Emmett Till's murder, the inception of the NAACP, and the continued perceptions of lighter skin being more beautiful than the darker skin. I also found it interesting the parallels of that day with today.
0 Comments
4/5 stars A sort of James Bond crossed with Bridget Jones type of book. It starts out brilliantly- "the person whose body you're in is mine". An elite spy who has super powers has amnesia. She re-emerges with a stronger personality and when given the choice to flee for safety or continue in her secret job, she chooses the job. There are some very funny parts, some very unique twists, and the classic "who dunnit" scenario. It's a long book, and unfortunately it's been a while since I've read it, so I'm going solely by my memories of fondness for the book rather than specifics. So, for 4 stars, that must mean something. 4/5 stars
I was told to read Seraphina a long time ago by a student who is an avid reader. I have no idea why I waited so long. In fact, I was able to suggest it to another student this week and she is hooked! A dragon/human treaty has made sure that the war between the two entities is no longer. But when a young girl, Seraphina, finds that she is a product of dragons and humans, her loyalties are split. With her unusual talents and friends she begins to trust, she and a soon-to-be prince try to figure out who is going to sabotage the royal visit of the lead dragon. Artfully written with much adventure as well as scenes sure to produce empathy for the unusual race of dragons, this is a great book for all ages. 4/5 stars This book was not what I thought it would be. My first impressions: it's about a young couple in Nigeria who vow to be monogamous in a polygamous society. If there aren't enough children, then marry another woman who will bear those kids. And when the couple are strongly coerced to bring in another wife by the family due to the fact that they have no children, things start to go in a very different direction than what I was expecting. This is not a book like fifty shades, but I would definitely not suggest it to just anyone. There is nothing written for the sake of shock, but rather for the sake of explanation (although I don't think that I'm explaining it very well). It characterizes what people will be willing to do to have children, and the heartbreak of losing a child. Going back and forth between the characters was fairly confusing, but not detracting from the story overall. Oh, and Sarah Jessica Parker, who is a book club aficionado, recommended the book. 3/5 stars Provided by NetGalley As a young girl and boy work parallel yet unknowingly with a missing persons detective, they realize that their detective work to save a young boy is not of the CSI route, but more of a spiritual realm. A haunted playground makes young people turn geriatric, fears are realized in the sandbox, and thoughts are heard on the swings. As two young children try to figure out how to free the "boy in the mask", the detective is frustrated with unsolved missing children crimes. In a very poignant way, Antoine Revay portrays the thoughts and perspectives of all characters vividly and creatively. Each stroke is purposely created to give the reader the ability to feel as though he is in the frames with the characters. This book will definitely be on our hold list at our library! 4/5 stars
I wanted to read this book (I mean, look at the cover! How intriguing!), and when one of my book clubs suggested the book, I was all down with it. So, never mind that I'm the only one that read the book. It was great, and I think I might have to actually read the second one. Triplet sisters are separated at the age of 8 (I think) and each has a certain gift to make her the queen of the hidden island. They aren't all up to this tradition, and one even tries to run away with her two friends. They each are supposed to have a gift of either poisoning, the elements of nature, and being able to control the animal kingdom. But aside from the fact that if they lose, they will also be tossed into a long, dark pit, now there seems to be even more players in the game who all have a strategy to place a certain queen on the throne. But, ooh, the ending...I gotta read book #2! 4/5 stars As a huge fan of A Gentleman in Moscow, I was skeptical that I would enjoy this book, as I just assumed GIM was the apex of his writing. But, while I can’t say the two are equal in plot or characterization, they are equal in amazing writing. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book, which I did, but some of the time I just didn’t really cling to some of the characters. Some may have been a little forgettable only to pop up later in the story as though they’ve been waiting behind the curtain. But overall, many characters were perfectly flawed and perfectly wise in their own ways. Set in the years 1938-1939, we meet Katey Kontent whose life goes in varying directions based on her acquaintances and circumstances. Reminiscent of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this book give insight to what makes us kontent (I did that on purpose) and what we let drive us. 3/5 stars It took a while for me to get into the book, but once I did it was pretty good. For one thing, when expecting a twisted fairy tale of Cinderella, one would think that he/she would be able to discern which character is what. However, that wasn't the case and there were some fairly long introductions just to get to the story itself. In which case, why even get to the point of it being Cinderella? Either way, it was worth it to stick with the book, but I can't say it is my favorite. However, it was clean, it was appropriately dark and twisted (meaning there is good interest, but not drastic for shock value), and while there was some confusion as to why it needed to be tied to Cinderella, it was an interesting take on how the story formed. I think I'm convincing myself to make this a four star as I write this review... |
AuthorI'm a high school librarian. I love to read. Really. Love. To. Read. Archives
December 2023
CategoriesThis website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of Cookies |