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The Mars Migration
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"The ending of the novel had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through, a purely addictive...
science fiction
The Rosie Effect
2.0
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The Rosie Effect is the charming and hilarious sequel to Graeme Simsion's bestselling debut novel...
Out of Place
10.0
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When twelve-year-old Cove Bernstein becomes the target of a school-wide bullying campaign, she sets...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in Books
Jan 11, 2018
A fun blend of Fairy Tales and Asian mythology.
You know I love my Fairy Tales! Especially re-imagining the villains. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is an Asian take on the evil queen from Snow White. The author is a Vietnamese American, and this is her debut novel. She has quite skillfully woven a new origin story for the wicked stepmother in a fantasy land heavily influenced by East Asian mythology and culture. I don't know enough about the individual countries' mythologies to tell you if the influences come specifically from Vietnam, or more generically from the area. I know that their beliefs can vary pretty wildly by locale.
That said, this is another superb debut novel. I'm eager to read the sequel - it's billed as "A Rise of the Empress novel" so I'm sure there will be one or more. Xifeng is a pretty complex character - she is somewhat single-minded in what she wants, but conflicted in what to do to get it. (It being the position of Empress.) I was intrigued by who was chosen to fill the roles of the traditional tale; Xifeng, of course, would be the wicked stepmother. The Fool is Xifeng's version of Snow White, and Xifeng thought for some time that she knew who The Fool was. The reader, of course, knows the Fool must be Snow White, and so not the people who Xifeng suspected. The one that surprised me was the identity of The Huntsman. I won't spoil anything - but he was unexpected.
There's also more going on than just the Snow White plot. There are gods and goddesses and spirits and an underlying war. I am quite eager to see how those play out.
There is a slow spot in the middle - I set the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again, and that's always a sign I'm not as absorbed in the book as I could be. But I did pick it up again and read straight through to the end, so it's not too bad!
If you like Fairy Tales and Asian mythology, this is definitely a neat blend of the two. I really liked it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
That said, this is another superb debut novel. I'm eager to read the sequel - it's billed as "A Rise of the Empress novel" so I'm sure there will be one or more. Xifeng is a pretty complex character - she is somewhat single-minded in what she wants, but conflicted in what to do to get it. (It being the position of Empress.) I was intrigued by who was chosen to fill the roles of the traditional tale; Xifeng, of course, would be the wicked stepmother. The Fool is Xifeng's version of Snow White, and Xifeng thought for some time that she knew who The Fool was. The reader, of course, knows the Fool must be Snow White, and so not the people who Xifeng suspected. The one that surprised me was the identity of The Huntsman. I won't spoil anything - but he was unexpected.
There's also more going on than just the Snow White plot. There are gods and goddesses and spirits and an underlying war. I am quite eager to see how those play out.
There is a slow spot in the middle - I set the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again, and that's always a sign I'm not as absorbed in the book as I could be. But I did pick it up again and read straight through to the end, so it's not too bad!
If you like Fairy Tales and Asian mythology, this is definitely a neat blend of the two. I really liked it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Idaho in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Read me review here: https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/review-idaho-by-emily-ruskovich/
<i><b>Take your picture off the wall
So I wont have to see your eyes
And maybe soon I wont recall
The painful things that once were nice</i></b>
This is one of those pieces of literature that is so beautiful and so emotional that its hard to get your words out. Im stuck on how to convey the beauty and excellence of this book.
Told through several different perspectives over several different years, this novel is a character study of how one event can affect so many different people. If youre into slow paced, character focused novels with little mystery and action, then this novel is going to become one of your favourites.
Without going through every single character and scene, I feel like its not easy to comment on this novel, but I dont really want to give anything away because I think this is a book you should start off with, not knowing much about it. If Ruskovich wanted you to know more about this piece of work, shed have written a different synopsis.
All I can say about this book is that its a <b>must read</b> debut for 2017. Im looking forward to more of Ruskovichs work.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Vintage Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
<i><b>Take your picture off the wall
So I wont have to see your eyes
And maybe soon I wont recall
The painful things that once were nice</i></b>
This is one of those pieces of literature that is so beautiful and so emotional that its hard to get your words out. Im stuck on how to convey the beauty and excellence of this book.
Told through several different perspectives over several different years, this novel is a character study of how one event can affect so many different people. If youre into slow paced, character focused novels with little mystery and action, then this novel is going to become one of your favourites.
Without going through every single character and scene, I feel like its not easy to comment on this novel, but I dont really want to give anything away because I think this is a book you should start off with, not knowing much about it. If Ruskovich wanted you to know more about this piece of work, shed have written a different synopsis.
All I can say about this book is that its a <b>must read</b> debut for 2017. Im looking forward to more of Ruskovichs work.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Vintage Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Deborah (162 KP) rated Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
For a debut novel, Quinn's 500 page Roman epic impresses. The blub describes it as 'aimed squarely at the female market' but I'm sure men would find something to enjoy in here too; on reflection I think I'd be more likely to lend it to be brother than my mother!
The narrative in the book is a bit odd and it took a little while for me to get used to it. Large chunks are in the first person, mainly from one of the two main female characters. This sometimes would get confussing when switching between the two, especially when these two characters are together, early in the novel. The text will then switch back into a third person narrative. Overall I think Quinn has made this narrative device work quite well, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
The character of Lepida is through and through nasty, with not a single redeeming characteristic, so while one is happy to see her meet Nemesis (did the Roman's have an equivalent?!) she is really a bit of a one-dimentional character.
There is a note at the end of the book which explains a little more about what is historical fact and what is taking a bit of a liberty; that's the sort of thing that I do like in an historical novel - I think it's helpful.
I found this a gripping, hard-to-put-down read, although it's pretty violently, both in the fighting and the sexual stakes; not one for the squeamish!
The narrative in the book is a bit odd and it took a little while for me to get used to it. Large chunks are in the first person, mainly from one of the two main female characters. This sometimes would get confussing when switching between the two, especially when these two characters are together, early in the novel. The text will then switch back into a third person narrative. Overall I think Quinn has made this narrative device work quite well, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
The character of Lepida is through and through nasty, with not a single redeeming characteristic, so while one is happy to see her meet Nemesis (did the Roman's have an equivalent?!) she is really a bit of a one-dimentional character.
There is a note at the end of the book which explains a little more about what is historical fact and what is taking a bit of a liberty; that's the sort of thing that I do like in an historical novel - I think it's helpful.
I found this a gripping, hard-to-put-down read, although it's pretty violently, both in the fighting and the sexual stakes; not one for the squeamish!
SummerLGrant (185 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books
Aug 20, 2017
The writing (3 more)
The sincerity
The understanding
Everything
Powerful, truthful, emotional
I've just finished it and mulling it around my head. The fact that the reactions and the outcome of the story wasn't surprising and is a reflection of what goes on today is awful and heart-rending but Angie Thomas is using her weapon, her voice, to make sure it gets heard.
Starr is an absolutely beautiful character with a beautiful family and is put in an ugly situation when she witnesses her best friend shot and murdered by a police officer. He was unarmed, unaggressive and terrified of what the officer eventually does do.
An astoundingly well written debut novel that explores a lot of important topics offset by the support and love of family. It's relevant today and will be for a very long time.
Starr is an absolutely beautiful character with a beautiful family and is put in an ugly situation when she witnesses her best friend shot and murdered by a police officer. He was unarmed, unaggressive and terrified of what the officer eventually does do.
An astoundingly well written debut novel that explores a lot of important topics offset by the support and love of family. It's relevant today and will be for a very long time.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Fallow in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I have been a big fan of cross-country, road-trip type novels ever since reading The Talisman, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. Fallow was some trip! The details of the incident that landed Mikey in jail are fed to the reader bit-by-bit, and the more you start to realize what happened, the harder it is to put this book down. Once I spotted the twist headed my way, I had to keep reading until I got to the end. I just had to know what exactly happened years ago, and how it would all end up in the present. This was a thrilling debut novel, and Ill be watching for more from this author.
<i>NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book.</i>
<i>NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book.</i>
This is not for the feint hearted. Joe Goldberg outwardly seems like an average guy who works in a bookstore but after a visit from a beautiful, aspiring writer, Guinevere Beck, he obsesses about the encounter and starts obsessing over her and trawling through her social media accounts. Written from his point of view, this is a disturbing but totally absorbing insight into the fractured mind of a stalker. The prose is rapid, candid and visceral, so much so that it’s hard to believe it’s a male point of view written by a woman. This was Kepne’s debut novel and released in 2015 but it’s still hovering around the top twenty bestsellers. If you need a reason to cut back on tweets and Facebook updates, this book will make you think twice before you post any updates.