I've stolen The Temperamental Writer's reviewing format, because I like it, but with the addition of an overall rating. :)
And without further ado...let's get to it!
My Very Informative Summary: A family is living in a falling-down castle, with zero income, and no food. But they're not poor--of course not! They just...happen to like eating biscuits for dinner every day.
When Netherfield Hall is let at last--oops, jk, when the actual owners of the falling-down castle, who happen to be very handsome, show up, things get interesting.
I Am Here For:
-The overall feel that's totally like a mix between E. Nesbit and Hilary McKay, with a bit of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Marie Pope thrown in!
-Cassandra, who reminds me of Vicky Austen and Polly O'Keefe, in the way she thinks about and experiences life.
-The dad, who is ridiculous, and I love him.
-Simon's beard
-NEIL
-A twist that I barely saw coming, which is rare.
-The casual Chesterton references
-THE BEAR SCENE
-The setting! I can practically see it, and I challenge you to possibly tell me a cooler setting for a real-life-ish book than a falling-down castle.
-Characters setting aside heartbreak to lock people in dungeons.
-The discussion of Debussy! Either I or Legolas has played all the pieces that were mentioned.
-An ending that doesn't wrap up super nicely?? I was kind of worried that it would be "and they all lived happily every after", but it wasn't! (I know that doesn't make much sense, but just trust me. It works.)
Not So Here For:
-The weird Midsummer's Day stuff. It is, as Sarah Seele would say, "ihhherhhchh"
-Simon being...dumb. I'm sorry, that entire scenario was dumb. (Says the INTJ. I suppose just because I am very good at killing managing my emotions doesn't mean everyone is.)
-Cassandra pining for far too long.
-The Stephen + Cassandra scene in the middle, which wasn't bad (i.e. not explicit), but was a bad idea.
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: There's a circus. It's kind of magic. Very mysterious. A beautiful piece of theatrical artistry. But wait, there's also a girl. And a boy. And a bunch of other people, but they're less important. But really, it's mostly about the circus. Time does weird things. And you'll probably want to go there, when you're done reading. Be warned.
I Am Here For:
-The sheer aesthetic of the completely black-and-white mysterious, shifting, and magical circus, which smells of smoke and caramel and something you can't quite place.
-All the beautiful descriptions of the different tents of the circus!
-The way time bends in weird but perfect ways.
-That one tent with all the SMELLS! I've been obsessed with the sense of smell for many years, ever since I wrote a paper on "The Sense of Smell and Its Role In Human Relationships" as a sophomore, and that part was just *chef's kiss*
-The mix of magic and construction of the circus.
-The mystery of the whole thing!
-The hard-to-understand, complicated, and unclear magical battle.
-Poppet and Widget <3 <3
-The genius of the second-person bits!
-Celia!
-And also Marcus!
-Marcus answering "very carefully" to someone asking how he's going to do something hard. I thought that was something only our family did!
-The ending! It was beautiful.
Not So Here For:
-The multiple, indeed many, tarot-card scenes. Very ihhherhhchh.
-The inappropriate scene, which was so brief that it could have been left out quite easily. (I skipped it. But its existence irritates me.)
-Tsukiko and the completely unnecessary reference to her previous relationship(s).
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars (I LOVED it! But my not-so-here-fors are necessitating a slight decrease in rating.)
My Very Informative Summary: Jaron's kingdom is attacked from multiple sides, including a very personal side. When he decides to do something unpredictable, it turns out to be something the enemy had predicted (oops.) and catapults him into a world of hurt (double oops). There are a lot of battles. And injuries. And revelations. And gunpowder (who thought giving Jaron gunpowder was a good idea??). And people getting hanged. So there's that.
I Am Here For:
-Mott. Always here for Mott. The sheer amount of tired/frustrated energy makes me smile.
-Also Tobias. Tobias is my boy.
-The plot in this was honestly better than book 2? At least, in my opinion. Although there was still a fair bit of predictability.
-Jaron caring about his people and His People, and being self-sacrificing.
-Jaron having clever and very foolhardy plans. (He has things less figured out than Gen does. Which I both love and hate.)
-Jaron being a sass-meister.
-Jaron growing in his emotional capacities.
-Amarinda being awesome.
-The descriptions of action getting much, much better than in the last book.
-Good, sublime quotes in a couple of places!
-People getting hanged! (Sorry. I did like it. But not for the reason you might think. #spoilers.)
-Can't beat a good war.
Not So Here For:
-Jaron sacrificing himself in totally dumb ways. (Please. You're the king. SEND SOMEONE ELSE TO RESCUE PEOPLE. Except, that also gets you into trouble. Maybe consider staying in a sealed stone room, and then you'll be safe?)
-Jaron's plans just about always working out. Sheesh. C'mon. That's a ridiculous amount of luck, people.
-That one character who *highlight for spoiler* DOESN'T STAY DEAD. Usually I am in favor of character resurrections. Not in this case. It led to so much growth. I wanted her to stay dead pretty dang badly. *end spoilers* But I knew the whole time that the author wasn't going to do that, which was very frustrated. Please. HEAs are great, but maybe make it bittersweet??
-My ship not sailing. Please, can we at some point have a YA book where responsibility trumps "true love"? Please? (The ship that did happen with the character I wanted to ship and the other side character was cute. But I liked my ship better.) Marriage is not powered by fuzzy feelings. Marriage is powered by willing the good of the other, and that's what True Love IS, willing the good of the other. The feelings of love only last 6 months to 2 years, and are not necessarily the most important part of marriage. CAN WE PLEASE STOP LYING TO THE CHILDREN? *cough* (After being the livestreamer for our parish's engaged couples retreat and learning a lot, I may or may not have gotten VERY passionate about this.) (And I'm not saying that the feelings are not important, I'm just saying they're not the most important. Friendship, not warm fuzzy feelings, is the most important basis for marriage.)
Overall Rating: 3 stars
My Very Informative Summary: When Tari gets bonded to a human, she's not expecting to become the Most Important Elf In Awhile because of the way she's suddenly able to talk to him, in a way that's kinda reminiscent of Pentecost, honestly? But suddenly there's issues because they're from different cultures? (Who could have predicted that would cause a problem.) And also people are trying to kill them? (Who'd'a thunk.) And suddenly Tari needs to do better than communicate with her human...she needs to actually understand his quirks, which ends up being harder--and easier--than she thinks.
I Am Here For:
-Arion being a huge taciturn protective angry teddy bear in a very Costis sort of way.
-Arion's headaches. Because yes.
-Arion trying to deal with the fact that Tari doesn't actually think it's an issue for him to be on guard in her quarters overnight. Especially since he does think it's an issue.
-All of the banter and humor and jokes. I was most highly diverted! :)
-How invested I got? I haven't been this eager to get back to a book in a while. Even with a few flaws, it was very enjoyable.
-The differences between elves and humans, which I thought were, for the vast majority of the time, very well done--Shea does a good job making them seem like two different species for real. Also, Tari being on occasion an unreliable narrator because of the differences between elves and humans.
-Arion protecting Tari from herself.
-Tari protecting Arion from himself.
-The idea of the Evening Stars. SO COOL.
-Tari's teacher, who is HILARIOUS and AWESOME.
-The language lessons, and especially the part where *spoiler* Tari walks into the guard's mess, plops herself down, and orders them to teach her a drinking song...and then drinks them under the tables. All of them. Individually. *end spoiler*
-Miscommunication and regard for each other causing cute problems. (Except, I also kind of hated this?)
-The court intrigue! I love court intrigue.
-People who are getting married walking up the aisle together because YES THEY ARE THE MINISTERS OF THE SACRAMENT and this is very niche and Catholic-nerdy, but I love it.
Not So Here For:
-The plot was slightly all over the place? Not so badly that I would say I hated the plot or anything, but wait--there are sort of two villains? Except, are they connected? Maybe not? Gah.
-The writing style was also slightly strange? There were several times where I was jerked out of the book by an awkward dialogue tag, and the description felt a little...blurry at times? If that makes sense? I felt a bit out of it. Idk.
-"For elves, love is forever! It is an emotion we hold for one other person, ever." <<Okay. I get that they're elves. But PLEASE PEOPLE the fuzzy loving emotions don't last forever! Could we have picked another word to go there? (Yes, this again. It's my newest pet peeve. You're welcome.)
-The romance was cute, but there were a couple of parts that were a tiny bit over the top, I think? (Then again, I have very, very conservative standards when it comes to "over the top".)
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars!
My Very Informative Summary: This doctor person has been made a pariah for saving someone's life, and he ends up getting to Mars...whereupon he nearly dies, finds a community to serve, and discovers a deadly disease, nearly simultaneously. Insert medical drama, interpersonal drama, space drama, political drama, and a bit of philosophical drama, just to round things out.
I Am Here For:
-Ahhhh I have such a soft spot for early-ish sci-fi. Like, the absolute dedication to scientific exploration in fiction, with a much lower emphasis placed on...well, the characters. I know that sounds weird, but I read a lot of Isaac Asimov when I was younger, and it was very nostalgic.
-The medical science-y awesomeness! I am a sucker for medical sci-fi (I loved The Andromeda Strain) and this was so very medical sci-fi nerdy, with descriptions of the organisms and what they see in the microscope, and the scientific method, and just YES. (Sarah, how on earth did you know I like this stuff?? I am impressed.)
-"It took a world-wide plague to turn the tide. The plague began in old China; anything could start there, with more than a billion people huddled in one area and a few madmen planning to conquer the world. It might have been a laboratory mutation, but nobody could even prove it." <<Does this sound familiar?? Wow. Prophetic. That's kinda cool.
-The bits of philosophy around freedom and democracy. That was neat.
-The plot was honestly very well-though-out.
-And the idea of the Lobbies? Yes.
-It had that perfect old-medical-sci-fi feel that's kind of creepy and kind of alien, and has you checking yourself for symptoms of the fictional disease for several hours after reading.
Not So Here For:
-I found the relationship between Chris and Doc quite confusing at times. But oh well, that's old-ish sci-fi for you.
-I don't believe there could be an enzyme that could convert the body to functioning on a stereoisomer of its usual nutrients. I'm sorry, but I'm studying that in Chem right now, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief very well.
-I thought that perhaps parts of the setting could have been described a bit better? But that's a very minor quibble.
-Another minor quibble: I wanted MORE philosophy!
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars!
My Very Informative Summary:
Timothy did something
It was the best worst day of his life
And now he has to keep this journal
This stupid court-mandated journal
Which his probation officer and counselor can read
Oh, and also he can't leave the house
Except for school, or if he's with his mom.
A twelve year old kid who can't even hang out with his friends
The only thing more pointless than that is a baby who can't breathe right
Like his brother Levi
Who was the reason Timothy did something in the first place
I Am Here For:
-The format! I love free verse novels, even though, as you can probably tell, they leave me thinking in verse. And the diary format really lends itself to character development and implied development of the characters that Timothy is writing about.
-Timothy himself. He's so...sad and sweet and lovable. He's had to grow up too fast, but he's still a kid also, and he has an extraordinarily biting sense of humor, and I LOVE HIM.
-Speaking of the humor: I laughed out loud MULTIPLE times. Which is rare for me.
-Levi, who is one of the best-described babies I have ever read. Also, Timothy's relationship with Levi, which is beautiful.
-The ASL! That just takes the book to another level of amazing in my eyes! THERE IS ASL!
-James, and the way that you can see that he's growing AND Timothy is growing in his understanding of him. I like James very much.
-Mrs. B, especially the way Timothy sees her.
-"Are you also twelve?" <<The relationship that happens in the middle of the book, and Timothy's take on it.
-Marisol, who is awesome.
-Jose and his family, whose chaos reminded me of our house.
-The turtle car
-The letters to the doctor
-The way the ending was sad-happy-sweet-surprising all at once.
Not So Here For:
-The ending, which I loved the feeling of, did seem a little...quick? Idk. But really, that's it, because I adored this book with a passion, and I am not going to admit to how many things I procrastinated in order to finish it.
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: Nick has moved the East because he's tired of the West, and wants to work in bonds or something. His cousin, Daisy, and her husband and his friend Tom, live nearby, and he visits them on occasion...a social obligation complicated by the fact that he knows that Tom has a mistress. Somewhat later, he meets his neighbor Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties all the time, and seems to be searching for something...
I Am Here For:
-The descriptions! Which are gorgeous. Fitzgerald certainly has a way with words. The part that most impressed me, I think, was when he described the sound of a motorcycle, and it was SO ACCURATE wow.
-Even apart from the descriptions, the writing style! It's just very...very sophisticated Twenties and beautiful.
-The in-depth exploration of human nature.
-Nick. Sort of. (Okay, my feelings on Nick are complicated.) He's very sarcastic in his narration, which I like, but he's also kind of just...there to see the story? I find him interesting, shall we say. (I do like that he actually cares about Gatsby as a person, though.)
-Gatsby. I DID NOT understand Gatsby AT ALL when I read this as a tiny baby scholar. (I was a freshman, I think? And quite naïve for my age.) He came back from the war and built up this dream around Daisy that he thinks will come Exactly As He Imagined It, and he needs that. He's obsessed with it. And when that didn't happen, as it never does... The symbolism of the green light is now much clearer than when I first read it.
-The truthful representation of the hypocrisy of the times. Like Tom, with a mistress, but horribly jealous when his wife starts seeing Gatsby.
-Daisy. Okay, I don't like her a lot of the time, but I LOVE the part where she stands up to Gatsby and tells him that she can't say she never loved Tom. LOVE it.
Not So Here For:
-The stuff with Jordan. I'm afraid I don't understand the ending.
-The amount that my past self relates to the impossible dreams that Gatsby builds up. It's a little scary. XD
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: Jerusha, aka Judy, Abbott, has lived in an orphan asylum her entire life. She's eighteen, and would soon be turned out into the Wide World, except that one of the trustees of the asylum has arranged to pay for her education. He wishes to remain anonymous, and his only stipulation is that she must write to him, so that he can see how her education is going, and as practice, for he wishes her to become a writer. Those letters make up the book.
I Am Here For:
-Judy's naïve optimism about the world, which is far too familiar from my own life. XD
-Her little philosophisms about life...like the necessity of finding happiness NOW rather than later.
-Her distain of the puritanical idea of God. This endeared her to me greatly.
-The little doodles that go with her letters! They're so clever and simple and accurate!
-The way it reminds me of Dear Mr. Knightly (by Katherine Reay). I know, I know, I can already hear everyone: "Samanatha, DMK is based on DLL". Yes. I am aware. But I read DMK first (I may have read DLL before that a very long time ago, but didn't remember it at the time). And so the similarities tickled me, even if my recognition was in the wrong direction.
-The portrayal of college life...I'm always here for a good book about a bunch of girls in college before the modern idea of college took root (Anne of the Island, for instance).
-The realistic view of learning to be a writer...looking at one's work and going "welp, this is no good" and having to throw it away and start over.
-The different styles she tries out for different letters.
-Uncle Jervie
-The wit, both cutting and otherwise, with which she imbues her letters.
-Her attempting to protect the person she loves from herself. <3 That is what I call Willing the Good of the Other. Even if it was slightly unnecessary.
Not So Here For:
-I feel like she goes from being enemies to friends-ish with Julia with very little explanation? And I know she's supposed to be an inexperienced letter-writer, but that seems like something she would have talked about? Also, Sallie gets very little development, probably for the same reason, but it still irritates me.
-There doesn't always seem to be a whole lot of plot? Not that I don't enjoy hearing what's happening in Judy's life...it just seems a bit aimless at times.
-I wanted more Uncle Jervie!
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
My Very Informative Summary: When the Princess discovers her great old grandmother in a tower in her castle, she sets off a chain of events that involve goblins, a miner boy, a mysterious thread, and subtle meditation on the nature of trust and faith. (This is a horrible summary, in that it makes it sound unutterably boring. It's not.)
I Am Here For:
-The nostalgia! When I was a small girl (not too much younger or older than Irene in this book, though I don't remember exactly how old I was), my grandmother came for a visit and brought this book with her. She read to me for an hour or more every day, and I loved every second. I can still hear her narration in my head as I read, if I concentrate. It's lovely.
-Irene being Irene
-Curdie being Curdie
-Irene's King-Papa
-The many other Good People
-The wonderful mysterious fairy-tale feel...George MacDonald is excellent at this, from what I've read of his work.
-The theme of one-is-royal-if-one-is-good. It could be overdone, I think, in another book, but it isn't here, and the idea of a true princess or prince being one who behaves like a true princess or prince delights me.
-The theme of trust and faith, and how hard it is to be around those who do not have it...I really only noticed this one this time around, but I like it very much.
-The hint of allegory that's not really allegory, but FEELS like allegory, and WORKS like allegory. I don't know how to explain it...but I like it very much.
Not So Here For:
-I'm not sure there's anything to put here? I mean, I do find the pseudoallegory a tiny bit frustrating in places, because I just don't understand what he's getting at and should, but that's not the book's fault, necessarily
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: When Adrian whose-last-name-I-can't-remember develops a tendre for Deborah, a young lady from a gaming house, the only thing for his rich older cousin to do is (obviously) to throw money at the problem. When that doesn't work, the whole thing evolves into a battle of wits to rival even that of The Princess Bride.
I Am Here For:
-Deborah being insulted and proud and stupid.
-Max being Max
-Adrian being such a puppy
-The constant back-and-forth and twistiness of the plot around the battle of wits! Any book that has kidnapping/card games/bribery as strategies for a battle of wits is one that's winning in my opinion. (The plot. Was. Brilliant.)
-Georgette Heyer's ridiculous Regency slang.
-The whole complication introduced by what's-her-face the 18-year-old.
-Max mixing things up and getting SO ANGRY.
-Deborah unmixing things and getting mad as a hornet
-Lucius! Oh my word, Lucius.
-Arabella, especially her relationship with Max.
Not So Here For:
-It started off kind of predictably/boringly? It obviously didn't finish that way, but it took me a bit to get into it.
-Predicting what Max's ending would be after the first 3rd of the book. Maybe it's just because I've read a bunch of Heyer recently, but it was kind of obvious. And wrapped up a bit messily/precipitously. But, then again, I've never read a Heyer that *didn't* wrap up precipitously. XD
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
My Very Informative Summary: The apple tree fell down, to begin with. A father lost a son in WWII, and was subsequently imprisoned and then released on a charge of sabotage. At this point, he's home, and his surviving son has invited his dead brother's fiancé to stay, with the idea of proposing. His mother, who is in denial, resists this idea strenuously, and everything just gets more complicated from there.
I Am Here For:
-Chris. I like Chris very much. He reminds me of Captain America. (Actually, at this point, I think I like him *more* than Captain America.)
-The friendly-neighborhood feeling that pervaded the whole thing.
-The very specific stage directions, which made me smile.
-The complex plot. It goes in all sorts of directions, and made me keep guessing, and guessing, and guessing.
-The exploration of the legacy of sin. It reminded me of that Bible verse where God says (to paraphrase) that he will inflict the sins of the fathers on their sons, down to the seventh generation.
-Also the exploration of the father-son relationship in a variety of ways.
-Also culpability.
-And trust.
-And war.
-And how people are complicated.
-At this point, maybe I should just say that I'm only here for the philosophy? 'Twas excellent.
-The ending. Wooowwwww that hit HARD. (But it was also sort of happy-ish? I am here for that mix of emotions.)
-That part where Chris is talking about losing all his men...<3
Not So Here For:
-The extraneous doctor? I mean, having the neighbors around added to it, but not that much.
-It wasn't that I wasn't here for it, necessarily, but the mom was so cringey! She was perfect for the story, but...poor everyone else.
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: Lucy Carlyle has no idea, when she and her associate Psychic Investigation Agent, Lockwood, go to a small suburban house to investigate a haunting, that she will end up in a chaotic maelstrom of ghosts, murderers, irritating associates, mysterious lockets, and dripping blood. I don't know why she didn't expect that...
I Am Here For:
-Lockwood! He's like a modern-YA-ghosthunter-kid version of Siegfried Farnon, and I love him very much.
-Lucy! She's a powerful ghosthunter who tends to underestimate her abilities, but she knows that she can do a lot, and it drives her nuts when she's underestimated by others. There's one excellent bit where she gets irritated because a bad guy thinks that he can threaten her to keep the others in line...and then he learns a lesson about that. It's excellent.
-George, who may be slappable, but he's hilarious, and I relate to his obsession with research.
-The atmosphere! I love the slightly-steampunk, slightly-creepy London-with-detectives feel. It's kind of Holmesian, almost.
-ALL THE TEA. So British. Love.
-Also: the creepiness was well-done, but not so creepy that, when read during the day, it'll keep me up at night. (I hope.) (Although it was on the edge.)
-The architecture/old maps/old monastery
-The worldbuilding! It's intriguing and well-thought-out and leaves room for expansion in further books in the series.
-The plot! It's twisty and turny and recombine-y in a delightful and refreshing way. It also left room for more books in the series, and a building of the arc. I like it.
-The even balance of brilliance between Lucy and Lockwood...this could easily have turned into a "girl power" book. It didn't.
-"He had a tonsil" "Tonsure" <<AM DEAD
-The brief mention of Pimlico! I'm a nerd, but ever since Orthodoxy, I enjoy references to Pimlico.
Not So Here For:
-For some reason (and this isn't really the book's fault) I kept picturing the main female ghost involved as someone who I like a lot (who I'm not going to name, because I'm hoping to reprogram my brain...) and it was irritating. (Also, for various reasons, the book messed with my head about Endgame. That was fun. Not.)
Overall Rating: 4 stars
My Very Informative Summary: Clay has always lived underground, with the four other dragonets spoken of by the prophecy. They're all just waiting to be old enough for the prophecy to take effect to go out and end the horrible war. But when the prophet decides that the dragonet who replaced the one original dragonet who died is not worthy of life, Clay decides that Something Must Be Done. Preferably escape-related. And what happens next surprises them all...
I Am Here For:
-Clay! I love Clay. The way he just wants to protect his friends, and is constantly worried about them, and doesn't want them to fight, but is worried that something is wrong with him because of his protective instincts...<3 <3 <3
-Tsunami's killer-protective-mom-ness. Idk. I like her a lot.
-Starflight. I see a lot of myself in Starflight. XD
-The part where Glory is like "So, even my closest friends can't tell when I'm fake-sleeping, vs. real sleeping?" XD
-Sunny's constant positivity.
-The way the plot twists! There's a lot going on, and Sutherland is good at not letting things happen that are unalloyedly good. (Which is painful, as a reader, but interesting!)
-The worldbuilding! The different tribes with their different abilities, and the politics of the war.
-Found family!!!!
-The moment when Clay starts playing the song, and everyone starts singing...goosebumps.
-Peril. Her neuroses are far too realist. (And far too relatable, if I'm being totally honest. Her friendship-related ones, at least.)
-The way that dragons show affection by twining tails, hugging wings, etc.! So cute!
-The MudWings! Not all of them--just the group that Clay gets to meet at the end.
Not So Here For:
-The scavengers? Who are not-so-carefully disguised humans? And yet, the dragons are just fine with killing them all the time? I have Issues with this. Issues that are honestly too long to cover in this post. But if you want a mudslide of Samantha-opinion, you can ask me about it in the comments. :)
-There's a lot of telling-not-showing that goes on with Glory. Sutherland tells us that she works really hard, but doesn't show it AT ALL. Quite vexing.
-"Buuuuuuuut". << I was of the opinion that this styling was informal, and not to be used in an actual book? That's probably just me being grammar-picky, though.
-There are a couple of bits that feel kinda repetitive.
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
So. Have y'all read any of these books besides the ones you recommended to me? Have you ever read an adaptation or homage to a book before reading the book itself? What's your opinion on my rants about marriage? XD
So glad you liked The Screaming Staircase. I love all the characters in that one, the setting, and of course the tea. The Night Circus and I Capture the Castle are some of my favorites too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for recommending it! All the tea, all the time. :)
DeleteOkay, I must *have* to read the Princess and the Goblin, one, because it sounds really good, and two, because her name is Irene!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, you *must* read it! Independent of the name, I think you'd really like it. :)
DeleteAhh I'm so glad you enjoyed all of these books! I really must read The Great Gatsby one day but seeing as I know the ultimate spoiler (everyone except daisy dies, haha I don't know how correct that is) i'm not sure if I should😅
ReplyDeleteAnd about the blog's new look - I like this too but having a background looks nice too...
It was almost a little surprising how well everyone knew me to recommend books I'd love!
DeleteYour spoiler is a little off...and even knowing that--sort of--wouldn't take away from the story, I don't think!
Yeah, I'm kind of on the fence about it! I think that maybe asking one of my cousins to design me a cool Bookshire logo might make it better...on the home page, at least...
Oh, this post got me sooooo very excited!
ReplyDeleteI think I liked your blog better before the 'remodel'. It was very hobbit-y, and in my opinion, suited your blog perfectly. It's much more plain now.
Gosh, the Night Circus is such a great book. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love the fact that you're getting irritated about love/duty/emotion balances in books. This is hilarious, and so very Sam. You should add some super legit self-sacrificial Catholic romance to one of your writing projects. (I have always said this.)
Red Rope of Fate sounds really cool. Maybe I'll read it...and also House Arrest...and Lockwood & Co...(you know you just, like, doubled my TBR, right?)
OH MY GOSH SAM. You wrote your summary of House Arrest in free verse? *happy squealing.* I love that so much! You should do poetry more often.
The scavengers in Wings of Fire bothered me too. Like, what's with that? Does the author enjoy having her dragons kill people? Seems a bit odd.
-Legolas
Hi Legolas. :)
DeleteOkay, okay, okay! I was just worried that the background tacky and weird! (Maybe I'll see what Megan thinks, and go with that...)
I'm glad I enjoyed it, too!
I know, I know, it's so very me. But how do you know I haven't added self-sacrificial Catholic romance to my writing project? *pops eyebrows up and down*
Haha, doubling TBRs is what I do best, you know. :)
Aww, thanks! I had fun with that part. I don't generally think I'm great at poetry, but I do enjoy it.
I know, it's weird! And it kind of lends credence to the argument against "okaying" dragons in books, because they're a symbol of evil...
So glad you liked I Capture the Castle! and The Screaming Staircase! I've been excited for you to talk about a few of these but those might have been the two I was most excited for. I could talk about both of them for awhile.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had fun with all of these, I loved your thoughts! Did you have an overall favourite? or are they about the same?
I'm so glad I liked them too! Thank you so much for the recommendation--that was a great one to start off with, and I never would have found it on my own!
DeleteIt was definitely a lot of fun to read all of them! Oooohhhhh I honestly don't think I can pick an overall favorite! They're not all the same, but the real problem is that they're all *different*...I like them all different ways!
This was great fun to read! All of your things you like and dislike are so you. Especially all the marriage thoughts. I wouldn't expect any different, INTJ. ;) Quite wise beyond your years, m'dear!
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on All My Sons please me tremendously. :D Yes, I love Chris! That guy is in desperate need of a hug. I knew the ending before reading, but it still was SO GRIPPING. And THE PHILOSOPHY. I had chills. I will for sure talk about it more in a little bit. ;)
The only other ones that I've read are The Great Gatsby (you read that as a freshman?? I am impressed! I tried and didn't make it past the first chapter. This year, though, was perfect for it) and The Dragonet Prophecy (which I have no memory of XD). House Arrest catches my attention as well as so many others! We didn't make you read a five star, but hey, we also didn't go below three! ;)
I'm glad it was fun to read! It was certainly fun to write... Haha, I didn't realize I was so predictable! I guess you do probably know me pretty well at this point. ;)
DeleteI'm so glad! I was a little nonplussed at the recommendation (it for some reason didn't seem like the kind of thing you'd typically read?? Idk), but ended up loving it! Oh, Chris really does need a hug...I shall add him to my list of characters who need one. :) YES THE PHILOSOPHY!! I can't wait to hear your further thoughts on it!
Yeah, I read Gatsby as a freshman, and I wouldn't have gotten farther than the first chapter either, only, it was required reading. XD I didn't have a whole lot of memory of The Dragonet Prophecy before reading it this time, either, haha. I do think you would enjoy House Arrest!
Well, considering how very hard it is to get me to rate a book five stars...it's not *totally* surprising that none of these were five stars! But yes, everything was good!
I Capture the Castle sounds excellent! (I mean, let's be honest--anything that can be described as having Elizabeth Marie Pope vibes thrown in is enough to excite me XD) *adds it to TBR*
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I recently read The Night Circus too! And had...a very similar reaction. You hit all the points that I was really not here for (whyyyyyy *frustrated sounds*), but the rest of it??? The AESTHETICS. *melts* I so want to visit this circus. Poppet and Widget are darling. And the second person bits! I love the way they bookend the whole story--beginning with the circus arriving and ending with you leaving the circus.
Ack, I love your free verse description of House Arrest! (I re-read the book recently and, directly after finishing it, went and wrote four pages of free verse for one of my books...except the book I wrote it for isn't in free verse so now I'm trying to figure out how I can still include it XD) I love Timothy SO MUCH. He's so funny but so sad and so sweet and ahhhhhhhh. And his mom and Levi and James and Mrs. B and EVERYONE. I have...many feelings. So yes, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
There's this part in The Great Gatsby where a phone book falls and "splashes" to the floor and I am STILL freaking out about it (wow, I'm such a nerd). (But phone book pages ABSOLUTELY DO SPLASH AND I CAN'T GET OVER IT)
I have not yet read a Georgette Heyer book, but I've been meaning to for a while. Do you have a favorite?
My opinion on your rants about marriage? *applauds* My sister and I have had many passionate discussions on the subject, and it annoys me to no end when the "warm fuzzies" are supposed to be the most important, powerful element in a relationship. *sighs*
[By the way, there is a sequel to House Arrest called Knockout, if you're interested (I wanted to try something else from that author and literally got it from the library without even realizing it was a sequel XD). It's not as good as House Arrest (and there were some...annoying things), but TIMOTHY. It takes place eleven or twelve years after House Arrest, but Timothy is still Timothy and he's all grown up and I have feeeeelings.]
It was really fun! And I do think you'd like it! (Honestly, same. XD)
DeleteOh, twins! *high-fives you* THE SHEER AESTHETIC WONDER AND HOW DID SHE GET THAT DOWN ON THE PAGE? I honestly thought seriously about trying to *recreate* the circus when I finished, buuuuut...it wouldn't be the same. YES, the way the second person bits work are so perfect!
(What is it about reading free-verse books that makes one want to write in free-verse? So weird.) Timothy is another one of the characters who just REALLY needs a hug! So many feelings!
YES that description!!! I remember freaking out about that, too! It's SO PERFECT! (Don't worry--you're in good nerdy company. XD)
My favorite Heyer right now is probably tied between Frederica, The Grand Sophy, and The Masqueraders, but I would recommend Frederica as the best "gateway Heyer". :)
Yay! I'm so glad someone else feels the same way, and I'm not just ranting to a bunch of total romantics. XD (I get the impression that we have similar feelings when it comes to romance in books...)
(I saw that one! I heard about the annoying things, and that put me off a bit, but if Timothy is still Timothy...I may have to try it. :))
Someone else who freaks out about the splashing phone book?? I've been freaking out about it for YEARS, but I feel like most of my friends and family have just been like, "....umm, okay." But you GET IT. (Also, I'm pretty sure there was a part where the apartment buildings were described as looking like slices of cake which is just beautiful because cake)
ReplyDeleteOoh, my cousin has read The Masqueraders! I'll have to check out that one and Frederica :)
(The annoying things are indeed off-putting :/ You can really take it or leave it--especially since House Arrest is SO good and stands well on its own--but if you do ever decide to read it, there are some excellent Timothy moments :) )
YES! It was just such a perfect description!! (#literaturenerdsunite) (I remember that description, too! Fitzgerald just has SUCH a way with words.)
DeleteI hope you enjoy it/them, if you try them out!
(I guess I'll see what happens. :))
Wow, I'm so articulate. (I mean, I'm laughing at you quoting me in your I Capture the Castle review, but wow I'm so articulate. XD)
ReplyDeleteOoooh, The Shadow Throne. (SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH) I totally didn't realize that Imogen wasn't dead and gosh I was ANGRY when she was resurrected. Like, FURIOUS. Thank you for understand me. xD
Haha YES! I knew you'd like that stuff in Badge of Infamy. You're honestly making me want to reread it. Because the plot and the philosophy are just COOL and...yeah, I'm really happy you liked it. And now that I know a bit more about chemistry than I did when I was thirteen, I'd love to see if I too am skeptical of the chemistry. XD (Also, high five for growing up reading Isaac Asimov! Same. I never really thought I liked him ((except Foundation and Empire, because, brilliant plot twist)), but it HAS given me such an appreciation, almost a nostalgic fondness?, for that classic sci-fi.)
Man, Faro's Daughter is so fun. Lucius Kennet tickles me to death. Plus, I don't know why, but how there was this whole long scene where Max just wins Ormskirk's entire fortune from him in one long, intense, smoky night of picquet just....I don't know but it was AWESOME?!!??
I've heard of Lockwood & Co but I did NOT know Lockwood was Siegfried Farnon. I will be reading this posthaste. xD
(And, oh my gosh. I thought grinning stupidly over random references to Pimlico because of Orthodoxy was just a weird thing I did. That's awesome.)
Okay, opinions on marriage rant. (You asked, lol.) I kind of think that while, yes, people swing too far to "fuzzy feelings are EVERYTHING, you must marry that person and no other!" (literally to the point of not batting an eyelash over adultery), it's also possible to swing too far the other way? And act as if, well, you're good friends, you should get married, that's what really matters in marriage after all!
Like, Eros is a real type of love. It's a God-given thing that we have, and I don't see the point of ignoring it because convention. As Michael Moon says in Manalive, there are no marriages but imprudent marriages. You love someone, so you marry them. And that's a commitment. And...I don't think you need to make yourself sad by going with the prudent option when the other option (where Eros is) isn't wrong or horribly imprudent, you know? Like, I have a tendency myself, because I'm not a romantic, to roll my eyes at romantic love, but it's a REAL THING and can be a beautiful thing and...I dunno, I think it would be a good thing if we didn't COMPLETELY subjugate it to prudence and responsibility. Because those are goods but so is love.
(I'm not saying you're saying that. I'm just saying what I think, which I'm not sure if you think or not.)
Anyway....now that I'm done blathering, this was delightful to read, and I may have to read some of these books now!
Look, "ihhherhhchh" is a perfect word for that particular feeling. XD
DeleteIT JUST TOTALLY INVALIDATES EVERYTHING and GRRR.
I'm still impressed about how you knew me well enough to know I'd like Badge of Infamy! (It's not that long to reread. Just saying. ;)) Yes, the plot is great, and the philosophy is laid on perfectly! (Yay, high-five! I never really thought I liked him either (except for Norby the Mixed Up Robot, because YES) but the sheer amount of nostalgia I've been left with is astonishing.)
UM YES that scene was hilarious! And awesome. And just...the guts of that man.
He really is Siegfried, though, and I do very much think you'd like it!
(Wait, you do that too?? (Okay, now laughing at myself for having a word-for-word C. S. Lewis moment about this. XD) That's fantastic!)
(I did ask. XD) Okay, TRUE! Eros is not inherently bad, and I don't think that people should always marry their best friends (although the person they marry should, at that point, be their best friend, if that makes sense.) Attraction is a thing, and it's not something that necessarily should be ignored--it's a data point. As long as it's prudent, if one is making a choice between two sides, choosing the side of Eros makes sense. But I do think that prudence, virtue, and responsibility are MORE important than an Eros relationship.
But one also has to realize that the *feelings* of Eros don't last forever, and that's why it's important to marry prudently as well as for Eros, if one is marrying on the side of Eros. If that makes sense.
I think I just swung a little too far to one side in my reaction, now that I know a little more about how long the literal feelings of Eros last. XD
(Don't call it 'blathering'! I really enjoyed your comment! :))
I. NEVER. COMMENTED ON THIS???
ReplyDeleteI think I did that thing where I read it, and squealed over it, and closed the computer so that I could properly compose a comment in my head? Only I never actually got to the commenting part????
AGGHHH MEGAN FOR SHAME. *whacks self over the head multiple times with the nearest handy object, which is probably a book...but an umbrella would be more satisfying so let's say an umbrella. or actually let's do a flamingo. somehow i want to whack myself over the head with a flamingo for this*
Anyway. The Princess and the Goblin is one of my favorite books, and The Night Circus sounds intensely aesthetically pleasing, and I say, I Capture the Castle doesn't sound ANYTHING like I thought it would and I actually really kind of want to read it now? It doesn't happen to take place in Ireland by any chance, does it? Cuz it's really reminding me of the Big House trope that my college course on Irish Literature last semester talked about until we were beating a dead horse, but the dead horse was still really interesting.
AND YOU READ GATSBY AGAIN AND YOU LIKED IT BETTER AND I AM SO HAPPY. *dances around with joy* (You read it when you were a freshman? Oh my gosh, I would have HATED this book with a BITTER BURNING PASSION if I had read it as a high school freshman. I was scandalized enough at Norse mythology, for crying out loud! I could barely handle Augustine's Confessions!!) I so love that you...love Daisy? Or at least like her? Appreciate her for standing up to Tom that once? I, personally, pretty much am utterly disgusted with Daisy, but I can see her as sympathetic once in awhile. Kind of like there's exactly 1 sentence in the book where I sympathize with Tom. 1 sentence. But anywho. You now have me wanting to reread the book and work out a Philosophy of Jordan. Because I think she's really interesting, but I've never asked the question "What's she all about?" very seriously. Like, she obviously works as an important plot device on a basic level, cuz she's kind of the glue holding the whole messy foursome or fivesome or whatever it is together. Nick wouldn't be interested enough in Tom's and Daisy's and Gatsby's lives without the bonus points of "oh Jordan's along." But on a stylistic and thematic level...
...Hm. What is up with Jordan Baker?
...I think I will do a Gatsby month in August. Thanks, Sam. :)
Oh, Megan, don't beat yourself up about this! Seriously. Stopitwiththeflamingo. *takes flamingo away using karate gun takeaway, which somewhat works* Seriously, stop. XD
DeleteP&tG is so good! I'm not surprised it's one of your favorites. Night Circus was indeed aesthetically pleasing in the full sense of the phrase! I Capture the Castle wasn't anything like I expected, either! And I do think you might enjoy it... I don't *think* it took place in Ireland? But it was somewhere in Great Britain, so it *might* have been Ireland? I don't actually remember, lol. (Irish Literature class? Dang, you English majors have it good.)
I'm honestly happy too! I like liking books more than hating them. XD (Yeah. That was not my literature curriculum's brightest moment.) Yeah, "appreciate her for standing up to [actually, I think it was Jay? Because he wanted her to tell Tom that she had never loved him?] that once" is probably where I'm at with her. Because she's kind of loathsome, but at least in that one place, she recognizes that the truth is more important than doing what Jay wants. Dare I ask which sentence makes you sympathize with Tom?
I think we really do need a Philosophy of Jordan. She's an enigma, I think, in many ways.
You're very welcome! I'll look forward to it. :)
I have read a few of these ones, and I have to point out some of my issues for them... (Well, WOF is an entire humongous series now, and it doesn't have a Catholic vies. :( it could be much better)
ReplyDeleteJust have to point out that The Screaming Staircase wasn't so good because you were brought into the story knowing nothing at all, whereas most of the characters knew what was going on at the beginning. Not the best way to make a story, I've learned.
See ya soon!
Faramir
I've heard from Legolas and Eomer that the newest WOF books are not the best, but the first ones are still pretty good!
DeleteI honestly liked that about The Screaming Staircase! One thing about writing and books in general is that certain things work for certain books, and others for others. There's no universal formula.
I have to agree with them, WOF is going the wrong direction. Doesn't stop me from reading them, though. But I have to say that 6-10 are the best. And 3-5 after that. And I don't really reread 1-2... *hides* But hey! I have the graphic novels so I sorta reread them, right?
Delete(ALSO THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMMENT. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO COMMENT BACK, IF YOU DO I WILL BE ANNOYED.)
Well, your opinions are different than mine, and I don't like the "you know nothing" strategy. I prefer to have things my way. (My way, with 0 total characters killed off. *cheeky wink over in your direction*)
Faramir
P.S. DON'T COMMENT BACK!
P.P.S. Yes, it's true, I kill off as few characters as possible. (I kill characters, but for a purpose. :P)
Imho, replies are the best part of comments. ;)
DeleteI happen to agree. Commenting back is part of the blogosphere etiquette! ;)
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