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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated My Life with Bob in Books
Sep 13, 2018
I need to read more books about books, because the few that I've read, I've really enjoyed! Earlier this year I read Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, and loved it. I have holds on Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books and The World Between Two Covers: Reading the Globe. (I also have a hold on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, but I'm not sure that quite counts.) And, in looking up the links for those books, I just put holds on three more books about reading, since this is a genre I apparently enjoy!
My Life with Bob is about the author's reading life. Bob is a notebook she uses to keep track of what she's read. Just title and author, and whether or not she's finished it. Very simple. But in looking back through what she's read, she recalls where she was, and what she was doing or going through at the time. So the real story is how her reading choices fit into her life, and how being a bookworm affected her life.
I enjoyed the book, with the slight irritation (in the latter part of the book) of her insistence on calling Young Adult literature, Children's Lit. Children's books are picture books and books for young readers, not The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games. Those are Young Adult, and there's a pretty big difference in my opinion. Maybe not in the professional world; she is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. But it's frustrating to hear her talk about Kid Lit and lump Harry Potter in with a 36-page autobiography of a teddy bear written for kids under 10.
I was also a little shocked to learn (in the book!) she wrote a book about how porn is destroying the American family, and testified before Congress about it, sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback. I normally don't have a problem reading Republican authors - I often don't know the exact political leanings of authors - but I'm reading about her reading choices, and suddenly they are all suspect. (She disliked Ayn Rand, at least, so that's something.) The book was published in May of last year, so after the last presidential election. Anyone who acknowledges working with the GOP at this point, and isn't embarrassed by it, immediately gets a black mark in my book.
So ultimately I'm torn on this book. I liked reading it. I dislike the author. (I will never even try to be non-political on this blog. Sorry-not-sorry.)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
My Life with Bob is about the author's reading life. Bob is a notebook she uses to keep track of what she's read. Just title and author, and whether or not she's finished it. Very simple. But in looking back through what she's read, she recalls where she was, and what she was doing or going through at the time. So the real story is how her reading choices fit into her life, and how being a bookworm affected her life.
I enjoyed the book, with the slight irritation (in the latter part of the book) of her insistence on calling Young Adult literature, Children's Lit. Children's books are picture books and books for young readers, not The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games. Those are Young Adult, and there's a pretty big difference in my opinion. Maybe not in the professional world; she is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. But it's frustrating to hear her talk about Kid Lit and lump Harry Potter in with a 36-page autobiography of a teddy bear written for kids under 10.
I was also a little shocked to learn (in the book!) she wrote a book about how porn is destroying the American family, and testified before Congress about it, sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback. I normally don't have a problem reading Republican authors - I often don't know the exact political leanings of authors - but I'm reading about her reading choices, and suddenly they are all suspect. (She disliked Ayn Rand, at least, so that's something.) The book was published in May of last year, so after the last presidential election. Anyone who acknowledges working with the GOP at this point, and isn't embarrassed by it, immediately gets a black mark in my book.
So ultimately I'm torn on this book. I liked reading it. I dislike the author. (I will never even try to be non-political on this blog. Sorry-not-sorry.)
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Merissa (12654 KP) rated Marella (Wraidd Elfennol 1) in Books
Jun 24, 2017
Marella (Wraidd Elfennol 0.5) by Morgan Sheppard
Marella is the prequel novella where we meet her for the first time. You find out a bit more about her childhood, her relationship with her parents, Daren, and also you are with her when she meets Nixie for the first time. This novella shows how important some things are to Marella, giving her the basis for the woman she becomes in Water Weaver.
I would recommend that you read this one first, before Water Weaver, just so that you get the rounded picture of Marella. Saying that, if you haven't, I don't think it would spoil anything. Definitely recommended for all fans of Wraidd Elfennol.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I would recommend that you read this one first, before Water Weaver, just so that you get the rounded picture of Marella. Saying that, if you haven't, I don't think it would spoil anything. Definitely recommended for all fans of Wraidd Elfennol.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated The Hobbit in Books
Jul 21, 2017
Timeless favorite.
I loved The Hobbit from first sentence to the very last word. The World that Tolkien created is just so beautiful and massive the amount of detail he wrote really just makes middle earth feel like such a real place that you can easily picture every tree and mountain.
The Characters are all just as equally wonderful and through out the book you meet a great many of them and that saying something since the dwarves alone make up thirteen characters. Bilbo really was my favorite(besides Gandalf who is my favorite through out the whole series)he such a reluctant protagonist but you really see him grow brave as the story progresses.
This book has without a doubt because one of my favorite books of all time.
The Characters are all just as equally wonderful and through out the book you meet a great many of them and that saying something since the dwarves alone make up thirteen characters. Bilbo really was my favorite(besides Gandalf who is my favorite through out the whole series)he such a reluctant protagonist but you really see him grow brave as the story progresses.
This book has without a doubt because one of my favorite books of all time.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I love, love, loved this book! This is my first Mercedes Lackey book and it most definitely won't be my last! If all - or even most - of her other books are as good as this one, I'll be a fan for life! I do think the synopsis is a bit misleading, it's not exactly how everything happened, especially since the prince doesn't enter the picture until halfway through the book. Maybe hardcore fantasy readers won't enjoy it as much as those who love both fantasy and romance, but I thought it was a very smart and interesting twist on the usual fairy tales. I loved the epilogue and thought that added to the whole 'moral' of the story. I can't wait to get to the others in the series. :)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2314 KP) rated If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't! in Books
Mar 9, 2018
It’s nature day at show and tell, and Magnolia has come up with the perfect thing to bring – an alligator. However, when he misbehaves and gets her into trouble, she begins to wonder if it will be worth it in the end.
This is a delightful picture books filled with fun and laughs. Some of those laughs are in the pictures themselves, so be sure to look closely at them. While the book has a main character, the narration is second person, which you don’t see too often but seems to work here. I certainly enjoyed this debut by a new author and am looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-it-you-ever-want-to-bring.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a delightful picture books filled with fun and laughs. Some of those laughs are in the pictures themselves, so be sure to look closely at them. While the book has a main character, the narration is second person, which you don’t see too often but seems to work here. I certainly enjoyed this debut by a new author and am looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-it-you-ever-want-to-bring.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
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