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Deborah (162 KP) rated Remarkable Creatures in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I've only read one of Chevalier's previous novels and there I found her style to be extremely readable. The same is very much true of Remarkable Creatures - a title which can emcompass the fossils and the women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpott, who find and are fascinated by them.
I suspect that most of us at one point or another have had some interest or curiousity about fossils. I admit that mine was ovbiously never a very indepth curiousity as I had never heard of any of the characters in the novel (with the obvious exception of the passing reference to Jane Austen of course!) but all the characters were real, historical figures as Chevalier explains at the end of the book.
Chevalier has evidently researched her fossils and her characters extensively for this novel, which I found impressive. The novel though it not at all dry! It was intriguing to see how the characters tried to reconcile the evidence of the fossils with that of conventional religious belief and how difficult it was for these two women to make any sort of recognised impact on the male-dominated scientific world.
I suspect that most of us at one point or another have had some interest or curiousity about fossils. I admit that mine was ovbiously never a very indepth curiousity as I had never heard of any of the characters in the novel (with the obvious exception of the passing reference to Jane Austen of course!) but all the characters were real, historical figures as Chevalier explains at the end of the book.
Chevalier has evidently researched her fossils and her characters extensively for this novel, which I found impressive. The novel though it not at all dry! It was intriguing to see how the characters tried to reconcile the evidence of the fossils with that of conventional religious belief and how difficult it was for these two women to make any sort of recognised impact on the male-dominated scientific world.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein in Books
Jan 23, 2020
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White is a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written to commemorate the novel’s 200th anniversary. The novel follows Elizabeth Lavenza as she is first introduced to Victor Frankenstein and taken in by his family to manage his temper.
Elizabeth is a crafty protagonist who, over the years under the care of the Frankensteins, is constantly plotting and scheming. Regardless of how messed up Victor’s actions may be, White gives glimpses of moments in Elizabeth’s relationship with him where she entertains him and covers up his actions. Her survival depends on Victor, and her plots are twisted and manipulative to make sure she survives.
Kiersten White’s novel is a solid retelling that incorporates elements from Mary Shelley’s story. Although it is not necessary to read the original novel to enjoy White’s take, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is dark and disturbing and perfect for those who enjoy a horror story with a cunning female lead.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-the-dark-descent-of-elizabeth-frankenstein/">This review is originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
Elizabeth is a crafty protagonist who, over the years under the care of the Frankensteins, is constantly plotting and scheming. Regardless of how messed up Victor’s actions may be, White gives glimpses of moments in Elizabeth’s relationship with him where she entertains him and covers up his actions. Her survival depends on Victor, and her plots are twisted and manipulative to make sure she survives.
Kiersten White’s novel is a solid retelling that incorporates elements from Mary Shelley’s story. Although it is not necessary to read the original novel to enjoy White’s take, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is dark and disturbing and perfect for those who enjoy a horror story with a cunning female lead.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-the-dark-descent-of-elizabeth-frankenstein/">This review is originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
David McK (3377 KP) rated Blood's Revolution in Books
Feb 8, 2020
Second entry in Angus Donald's Holcroft Blood series (that started with Blood's Game) and, in many respects, you could be forgiven for thinking that this had a different central character.
Since the events covered in that novel, the young Holcroft Blood has grown up, and is no longer quite as naïve, perhaps, as he was before. The 'Merry Monarch' (Charles II) has also passed on, with his crown passing to his Catholic brother James II, as his Holcroft's father Colonel Thomas Blood (who attempted to steal the Crown Jewels in the previous novel).
The majority of this novel thus concerns itself with Holcroft being caught up in the events surrounding James II increasing alienation of Britain's Protestant political elite, while being hunted by a brutal French spy for his time doing the similar for Charles II in France.
I'm interested in seeing where this goes, and how Holcroft gets caught up in the later events, especially since The Battle of the Boyne (in which William, the Prince of Orange, defeats King James II) is still remembered every July 12th here in my homeland of Northern Ireland!
Since the events covered in that novel, the young Holcroft Blood has grown up, and is no longer quite as naïve, perhaps, as he was before. The 'Merry Monarch' (Charles II) has also passed on, with his crown passing to his Catholic brother James II, as his Holcroft's father Colonel Thomas Blood (who attempted to steal the Crown Jewels in the previous novel).
The majority of this novel thus concerns itself with Holcroft being caught up in the events surrounding James II increasing alienation of Britain's Protestant political elite, while being hunted by a brutal French spy for his time doing the similar for Charles II in France.
I'm interested in seeing where this goes, and how Holcroft gets caught up in the later events, especially since The Battle of the Boyne (in which William, the Prince of Orange, defeats King James II) is still remembered every July 12th here in my homeland of Northern Ireland!
AT (1676 KP) rated Angel Catbird, Volume 1 in Books
Feb 12, 2020 (Updated Feb 12, 2020)
I had no idea what to expect when I started to read Angel Catbird. Before running across this graphic novel, I wasn't aware that Margaret Atwood had written a graphic novel. (I just ran across another one that I'll also have to check out.) Of course, I am familiar with Margaret Atwood's novels being about various, interesting things. A source of vivid imagination. So when I read Angel Catbird, I wasn't surprised by the imagination. However, it's also definitely not her best work by a long shot. Angel Catbird is full, and I mean, **FULL** of cat puns. Some were okay, some were too much, and some were downright terrible. There were also cat facts added at the bottom of some pages, in reference to actions that had taken place on that page. I think those were unnecessary. It was silly, but also violent in some parts. Overall, the story was okay. It passes. It does the job. This is exactly what you'd expect to read if a crazy cat lady decided to try her hand at writing an action-type graphic novel. Not terrible, but not phenomenal. Get ready for some cat puns.
TT
The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman
Book
The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman is an eponymous novel purportedly written by a midshipman left...
ClareR (5686 KP) rated Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation in Books
Sep 8, 2020
Kindred is the story of a black woman who is repeatedly transported from her 1970s apartment to Antebellum Maryland - and it’s not a place where any black person would really want to be.
I haven’t read the original novel, so I can’t compare them - but this is really good in its own right. It’s rich in both dialogue and artistry - the pictures are at times graphic (when Dana, the lead character, is whipped and her ensuing injuries), and there is talk of the white plantation owner raping ‘his’ slaves. Dana learns that her purpose is to keep the plantation owners son, Rufus, alive - which isn’t easy when he seems set on doing things that put his life in danger. Dana learns that Rufus is in fact her great great (great?) grandfather, and he has yet to sire the child that will ensure Dana’s existence.
This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, and I’m so glad I’ve read it - all thanks go to my local library, who have started providing graphic novel ebooks. A graphic novel habit is an expensive one, so it’s great that they’re able to do this!
I haven’t read the original novel, so I can’t compare them - but this is really good in its own right. It’s rich in both dialogue and artistry - the pictures are at times graphic (when Dana, the lead character, is whipped and her ensuing injuries), and there is talk of the white plantation owner raping ‘his’ slaves. Dana learns that her purpose is to keep the plantation owners son, Rufus, alive - which isn’t easy when he seems set on doing things that put his life in danger. Dana learns that Rufus is in fact her great great (great?) grandfather, and he has yet to sire the child that will ensure Dana’s existence.
This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, and I’m so glad I’ve read it - all thanks go to my local library, who have started providing graphic novel ebooks. A graphic novel habit is an expensive one, so it’s great that they’re able to do this!
Erika (17788 KP) rated Shuggie Bain in Books
Jan 30, 2021
I don't typically read bildungsromans, I find them tedious, and I can't really relate to them. I decided to give this one a try, after it won the Booker Prize.
I don't think I ever need to read another coming of age story ever again, this one was so good. Now, this is a 'novel', but I think it's pretty obvious that it may be pretty close to the author's life.
This was the second book I read in 2020 that was named after the child 'Shuggie', but, in truth, it was about his alcoholic mother. It was mostly focused on her, which really made me think.
This book stuck with me because as I read it, it made me wonder if some of this was what my own father went through. He was the youngest, left by all his siblings, to care for his alcoholic mother after his father cheated on her and left her (exact story line of the novel). I have to thank Douglas Stuart for this novel, it really helped me understand my father's family dynamic and situation.
Damn, it was so good.
I don't think I ever need to read another coming of age story ever again, this one was so good. Now, this is a 'novel', but I think it's pretty obvious that it may be pretty close to the author's life.
This was the second book I read in 2020 that was named after the child 'Shuggie', but, in truth, it was about his alcoholic mother. It was mostly focused on her, which really made me think.
This book stuck with me because as I read it, it made me wonder if some of this was what my own father went through. He was the youngest, left by all his siblings, to care for his alcoholic mother after his father cheated on her and left her (exact story line of the novel). I have to thank Douglas Stuart for this novel, it really helped me understand my father's family dynamic and situation.
Damn, it was so good.
Becs (244 KP) rated Saving Beck in Books
Oct 2, 2019
This novel was so fast-paced and Saving Beck is such a well-written book. I was fully invested in the entirety of the novel and couldn’t wait to find out more about what happened with Beck when he was AWOL for two (2) months. I truly loved the fact that the author did flashbacks (past and present) for both Natalie and Beck. It helped to get a better understanding of what was truly going on. The switching of POV’s was also very interesting.
The whole novel is not only action-packed but also has tons of twists and turns that will leave you wanting just a tad more. The multiple of POV’s work very well with this storyline and it actually ends up helping the reader get a better understanding of what each character is feeling. It also allows the reader the opportunity to get the story and character background that is much needed.
Questions asked while reading:
What caused Beck to start using heavy drugs?
What was going with him and his girlfriend?
Why didn’t Natalie seek out help after her husband passed?
“Because I killed my father.”
The whole novel is not only action-packed but also has tons of twists and turns that will leave you wanting just a tad more. The multiple of POV’s work very well with this storyline and it actually ends up helping the reader get a better understanding of what each character is feeling. It also allows the reader the opportunity to get the story and character background that is much needed.
Questions asked while reading:
What caused Beck to start using heavy drugs?
What was going with him and his girlfriend?
Why didn’t Natalie seek out help after her husband passed?
“Because I killed my father.”
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader in Books
Oct 10, 2019
Fair to middling Star Wars tie-in novel, dealing with the aftermath of Episode III. For a novel named after Vader with his mush all over the cover, much of the novel deals with Palpatine (which was fine by me) and much with a band of rather bland fugitive Jedi (which unfortunately wasn't). Vader himself doesn't turn up until well into the book, giving it a slightly lopsided feel; the new characters aren't as interesting as the ones from the movies.
Luceno writes quite capably and the book does have a certain Star Warsy feel to it; some of the cameos from well-known characters do feel a bit laboriously contrived, though, and it almost feels as though it's pandering to that desire to have every last detail of the galaxy far, far away's history explained in detail. More seriously, it never feels like it gets a grip on Anakin/Vader as a character in the middle of a psychological transformation - at least not to the point that you really care about it. Easy to read, some good bits, but nowhere near the standard of (say) Matthew Stover's Episode III novelisation.
Luceno writes quite capably and the book does have a certain Star Warsy feel to it; some of the cameos from well-known characters do feel a bit laboriously contrived, though, and it almost feels as though it's pandering to that desire to have every last detail of the galaxy far, far away's history explained in detail. More seriously, it never feels like it gets a grip on Anakin/Vader as a character in the middle of a psychological transformation - at least not to the point that you really care about it. Easy to read, some good bits, but nowhere near the standard of (say) Matthew Stover's Episode III novelisation.
Gisell Middleton (189 KP) rated The Furies in Books
Oct 11, 2019
This novel may be better than expected, simply due to the disservice done by comparing it to The Craft. Inevitably, one begins reading this story actively looking for likenesses and parallels with the movie which most likely masks the true plot that, in my opinion, is much more realistic and powerful than witchcraft and “friendships”. The need for adolescents to belong, especially those who feel left out or different is so strong that they often forgo their own identities and end up with a “mob mentality” of sorts which contributes to actions they may not otherwise engage in on their own. As an adult reading this novel, I had to remind myself of my own adolescence and the possibilities portrayed in this novel, every time I began to roll my eyes at the thought of people behaving this way. The “academics” depicted were a bit unnecessary for me, dragging the story into a lull more times that advisable. The slight element of the supernatural or the hint of it enhances the minutiae people will cling to in order to believe and belong. Not my favorite read but certainly more layered and real than some others.