alicedrinkwater Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I don't keep a list of what I am going to read each year, as I just pick up whatever book strikes my fancy at the moment. But I would like to try giving thoughtful reviews on the books I have read, as I see others have done here. Currently I am reading The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey, a re-telling of Swan Lake. I am enjoying it, and will give my thoughts when I finish, which will be soon. I do know what my next few reads will be, so I will list them here. Endangered Species by Gene Wolfe Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu Happy reading, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I plan to read Leaving Time soon too! That's what I think I might do, at least. I hope you enjoy all the books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I hope you have fun with your reading log! I love your avatar, by the way, what is it a picture of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hello Alice. Looking forward to following your book blog! Have you read anything else by Le Fanu? I read Carmilla a few years back and loved it. Actually, we did a comparison reading circle on the forum of Dracula and Carmilla (said to have inspired Broker's Dracula) several years ago. I have his short story collection called In a Glass Darkly on my TBR pile, and I've had Uncle Silas on my wish list for a while, so I'll be awaiting your thoughts with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 I plan to read Leaving Time soon too! That's what I think I might do, at least. I hope you enjoy all the books . Thank you, Athena. If you read Leaving Time before me, I would love to hear your thoughts. I hope you have fun with your reading log! I love your avatar, by the way, what is it a picture of? Thank you, frankie. It's a picture from an illustrated version of my favorite book; Little, Big. Hello Alice. Looking forward to following your book blog! Have you read anything else by Le Fanu? I read Carmilla a few years back and loved it. Actually, we did a comparison reading circle on the forum of Dracula and Carmilla (said to have inspired Broker's Dracula) several years ago. I have his short story collection called In a Glass Darkly on my TBR pile, and I've had Uncle Silas on my wish list for a while, so I'll be awaiting your thoughts with interest. Hi, Kylie. I haven't read any of Le Fanu's work yet, but besides Uncle Silas, I do have a book of his best short stories, which includes all of In a Glass Darkly. I will definitely tell you what I think of Uncle Silas. I love a good chilling ghost story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Happy reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I'm a moody reader as well, picking up what strikes me at the time. I find it practically impossible to plan much what I'm going to read. Too many good books. I look forward to seeing your blog grow! Happy reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 A new Book Blog! Always like to read reviews and opinions. Great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Happy reading! Thanks, Anna! I'm a moody reader as well, picking up what strikes me at the time. I find it practically impossible to plan much what I'm going to read. Too many good books. I look forward to seeing your blog grow! Happy reading. I try to plan what I'm going to read, but it usually never works out, because I'll go to grab the book I'm planning to read, and see another one that had slipped my mind. A new Book Blog! Always like to read reviews and opinions. Great stuff! You may be disappointed. My reviews are usually pretty sketchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I'm also a 'mood reader' too . Happy reading Alice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Welcome Alice ! Happy Reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 (edited) Thank you, Marie and Little Pixie! A few words on my rating system. I rate books on a scale of 1 to 5, using asterisks. I won't rate a book that I didn't finish. 1 = It was so horrible I'm not even sure why I finished it. 2 = It was an okay read, but left a lot to be desired. I won't read it again. 3 = Light, easy read that had moments that kept my interest. I will probably read it again. 4 = A book worth pondering, or one that emotionally surprised or touched me. Flaws are few and is worth a re-read. 5 = A work of great literature, with all the elements I enjoy; compelling characters, ideas to ponder, and that ripped me apart emotionally. A book that I will NEVER give away. The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey: My rating: *** My thoughts: Mercedes Lackey, I know, has been around as a fantasy writer for many years now. Even so, I had no expectations to speak of when I read this book. I purchased it on whim. I love fairy-tales, and re-tellings can be so much fun. I didn't really know the story of Swan Lake, so this was really a new story for me. I'm pretty sure Odile, the central character, was portrayed as evil in the original tale. In The Black Swan, she is a victim of her evil father, the sorcerer that has turned women that he finds dishonorable into swans by day. This was an easy, light read. The characters were not well-developed over all, but I did feel a bit of compassion for Odile, so there was something real about her. She is why I continued with the book and would read it again. It did feel like a fairy-tale, so I couldn't help but enjoy it. I don't like to give the plot away when I talk about a book, but a few cautions. If you are troubled by cruelty to women or animals, there are one or two scenes that you might find disturbing. Some of the resolutions in this story were too easy, but sometimes I just want to enjoy a read, and not think too much. This fit the bill. I already changed by mind about my next read. I know, I'm terrible. Endangered Species is a book of short stories and I'm not in the mood for that, so I am reading the first two volumes of The Book of the New Sun instead, called The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator. They are by the same author as Endangered Species, though; Gene Wolfe. Edited July 17, 2015 by alicedrinkwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Thank you, frankie. It's a picture from an illustrated version of my favorite book; Little, Big. Ah! I'm off to google the synopsis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Ah! I'm off to google the synopsis If you like ethereal stories that leave you feeling you are in a dream, you should love it. In other news, I've changed my mind again. I'm going to read Endangered Species. The Book of the New Sun series is daunting, and I'm not ready for it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 I only read half of Endangered Species (short stories) so I won't review until I read all of it. Yeah, I decided to read that instead of The Book of the New Sun, which is a read that will require my full attention. Finished Leaving Time. I have mixed emotions about it. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult My rating: *** My Thoughts: Oh, dear. The best parts of this book were observations of elephant behavior. That was fascinating and kept me reading. I think Jodi Picoult did an excellent job of researching this topic. Unfortunately, the actual story was tough to get into. The characters did not feel or act like flesh and blood human beings. Therefore, I didn't care that much what happened to them. A spunky teenage girl (Jenna), a facts and figures detective (forgot his name), and a psychic (Serenity) who has lost her powers work together to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Jenna's mother (Alice). Sounds somewhat intriguing, and it might have been, if I didn't feel as if the author created the characters as an after-thought to the story she wanted to tell. The story should fit the characters, not the other way around. It really felt like Jodi wanted to talk about elephants in this story. Well, then write a book about elephants! Get inside their heads. That could have been an excellent novel if done well. The twist ending was rushed (it wasn't even a twist, I figured out what was going on halfway through the book), and I was disappointed because I wanted to know more about Maura (the elephant). Also, I found Alice to be an unsympathetic character. She rushed into relationships, but it was never fully explained why she did so. Some of her actions pissed me off. A modern woman should have more intelligence or at least the author should give a full explanation as to why she made the poor choices she did. Ugh! However, there were a few moving sections to the book, so it was not a complete waste of my time. As I said, I loved the elephants and the stories about them moved me to tears quite often. I am currently reading Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami. I loved After Dark and Kafka on the Shore by the same author. I hope I will enjoy this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I am loving 'it was so horrible .. I'm not even sure why I finished it' :lol: .. brilliant! I know exactly what you mean about an author picking a subject and then trying to shoehorn a story into it somehow .. obviously this can work well for some writers but when it doesn't it's glaringly obvious. I love elephants though .. my fave animal so I'm half tempted. I've never read anything by Jodi Picoult .. not quite sure why. I haven't been avoiding her on purpose Welcome and Happy Reading Alice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) Yeah, I sometimes finish books that I can't stand and I am not sure why. Maybe it's so I can have a chance to rant about how much I hated it. And yes, that is what Jodi Picoult did with Leaving Time. It was a mess. She could have written the same exact plot and left elephants out of it. The only problem is the elephants were what made the book interesting. I never thought about elephants until reading this book, and I am now quite interested in them. They are beautiful, intelligent, compassionate individuals. And thanks for the welcome, poppyshake! I am still reading Dance Dance Dance and will post a review soon. I have changed what my next few reads will be. (I know, I'm terrible!) The next three should be Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon, The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey, and An Evil Guest by Gene Wolfe. Edited July 26, 2015 by alicedrinkwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's a shame you didn't like Leaving Time so much. I have to say that a lot of her other (older) books, I like a lot better! I agree with you that the bits about the elephants were some of the best bits, I thought she described that really well. This book is, I thought, quite different from a lot of her older work (in a less good way). I didn't guess the twist though until it happened . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Don't worry about not guessing the twist. I only got it because of a certain movie with a similar twist that I completely missed and told myself that will never happen again. I liked some of her newer books that I've read like House Rules and Lone Wolf, so I'm guessing that some are just better than others for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ah that makes sense . I loved House Rules too! I liked Lone Wolf a lot as well. That could well be, it's a pretty normal thing I'd say . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Ah that makes sense . I loved House Rules too! I liked Lone Wolf a lot as well. That could well be, it's a pretty normal thing I'd say . House Rules was truly excellent! I finished Dance Dance Dance today by Haruki Murakami, but I'm not ready to review it yet. I loved it, like the other two I read by him, but I have difficulty explaining why I love his books. They are surreal, although this one was actually more "normal" than the other two I read. I'm starting on Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon today. Maybe when I finish that one (it's short) I'll write a review of both books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami My rating: 4/5 My thoughts: In typical Murakami fashion, he tells a story about ordinary people that have extraordinary events happen to them. Stepping into a Murakami novel is like stepping into an abstract painting, one in which there are solid shapes, but no right angles or completeness. Imagine your most bizarre dreams written as if they are reality, as if they are not bizarre but blase or commonplace. That's what a Murakami novel is like, although this one was almost "normal". The story is told in the first person by an unnamed narrator, who believes he is being contacted with a message from a past lover named Kiki. While he searches for her, he meets some colorful characters along the way; a shy hotel clerk, a psychic 13 year old with absentee parents, and he also reunites with a long lost friend from high school, who is now a struggling actor. This book feels like a dance, one in which you are not sure where the next reeling turn will take you. In the end, things seem to come full circle. But did the dance end? An excellent read, and my favorite thus far by Murakami. Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon My rating: 4/5 My thoughts: Sturgeon is more of a short story master than a novelist, so I kept that in mind when I read this short, but sweet, novel. This is a re-telling of the Christ story, one that would probably offend puritan Christians. A naked man shows up in a small American town who calls himself "Godbody". He touches some people's lives and bodies while he is there, and they will never be the same. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, and Sturgeon excels at this. There is quite a lot of explicit sex in this book, but I wouldn't call it pornography. Sex, or physical intimacy, in it's highest form, is Love. That is what this book illustrates, in Sturgeon's always poetic voice. I loved it, but my ideas of "God" and "Jesus" are similar to Sturgeons'. It's not what I think of as a "religious" book, although I would call it preachy. It's just my type of preaching. My next read is The Doll, a book of short stories by Daphne Du Maurier. Obviously, I can't keep to my projected reading order. Also, I'm no longer using stars for my ratings. It's too annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Nice reviews ! Also, I'm no longer using stars for my ratings. It's too annoying. I think you should rate (or not rate) however you want . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Dance Dance Dance sounds like a great read. I loved The Wind Up Bird Chronicle when I read it earlier this year, so I must make more time for more Murakami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicedrinkwater Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) Nice reviews ! I think you should rate (or not rate) however you want . Thank you! Oh, I meant that I found using stars annoying, that's why I switched. Dance Dance Dance sounds like a great read. I loved The Wind Up Bird Chronicle when I read it earlier this year, so I must make more time for more Murakami. It was a great read, as was Kafka on the Shore and After Dark. I haven't read The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, but I have heard great things about it, so I will some day. Edited July 31, 2015 by alicedrinkwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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