Tag Archives: book review
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It would be difficult to overstate the creepiness of [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|861577|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269310843s/861577.jpg|847007]. [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1196262589p2/13388.jpg] brilliantly weaves a story of three recluses who are all frightening in their own way. The book begins with the knowledge that something terrible has happened and something terrible is going to happen. The steady pacing and consistent revelation of just how terrible the lives of the Blackwoods are is countered by the arrival of a greedy, disruptive cousin. Despite knowing that the reclusive way the characters Mary Katherine, Constance, and Julian live is extremely unhealthy, I could not help hating their cousin for the way he behaves. The event for which you wait is traumatic to read, particularly for someone who cannot bear for beautiful things to be destroyed. Overall, while [b:The Lottery|6219655|The Lottery (Creative Short Stories)|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266579353s/6219655.jpg|15161007] is also excellent, I found this to be more powerful.
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, book review, books, creepy, gothic fiction, horror, review | posted in Words
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Delightful! My mother recommended this to me, and it’s just as fun and pretty as she said. I recommend it for children of any age. 😉
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, book review, books, children, picture book, review | posted in Pictures, Words
The Man Who Couldn’t Eat by Jon Reiner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Ugh. The amount of self-pity Jon Reiner displays throughout this book made it nigh unreadable. When I entered the giveaway for The Man Who Couldn’t Eat, it was based on descriptions of the book as unique, compelling, and a very real depiction of what it is like to have Crohn’s disease, from the point of view of someone with a special relationship with food. Instead, I received a book which seems to have been written from the point of view of a man who feels he is unique in having what is actually a sadly common disease. There are references to how hard it is for others to cope with his illness, but they seem to still be in light of how it makes him feel. Overall, this is not a book about a disease, this is a book about a man wallowing in self-pity.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program.
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Leave a comment | tags: 0.5 star, book review, books, Crohn's disease, review | posted in Words
Watchmen by Alan Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pretty much brilliant.
That was the first review I wrote of Watchmen when I read it a few years back. I still feel that way, for all it is not my favorite of Alan Moore‘s works. A postmodern view of the 1980s that still feels relevant, this graphic novel is truly a literary work. Based on the concept of washed up superheroes, the book builds a sense of dread and questions the very concept of life and its worth. The discovery of a megalomonomaniacal figure pulling the strings of the world leaves a fair amount of uncertainty as to whether he is a hero or a villain. Ultimately, the question of whether or not the ending is good or bad remains. I have my own opinion. What is yours?
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, book review, comics & graphic novels, review | posted in Words
Watchmen by Alan Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pretty much brilliant.
That was the first review I wrote of Watchmen when I read it a few years back. I still feel that way, for all it is not my favorite of Alan Moore‘s works. A postmodern view of the 1980s that still feels relevant, this graphic novel is truly a literary work. Based on the concept of washed up superheroes, the book builds a sense of dread and questions the very concept of life and its worth. The discovery of a megalomonomaniacal figure pulling the strings of the world leaves a fair amount of uncertainty as to whether he is a hero or a villain. Ultimately, the question of whether or not the ending is good or bad remains. I have my own opinion. What is yours?
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, book review, poet laureate, poetry, review | posted in Words
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is more of the same delightful fun with which J.K. Rowling filled the first two books of the series, but with a darker bent and twice the pages. In it we again see Harry, Ron, and Hermione embarking on a new school year. The have yet another new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher. They learn why having Hagrid as a Care of Magical Creatures teacher is not an entirely good idea. Malfoy continues being a jerk. The main difference is the combined subtlety and darkness of the villains. The danger felt more real and the suspense was artfully built. I’m looking forward to the next one!
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, book review, books, fantasy, Harry Potter, review, young adult | posted in Words
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Recommended as “steamalicious.” A very accurate description. Surprisingly fun.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, book review, books, fantasy, review | posted in Words
We live in a society where fear and ideology are the basis for many of the decisions made regarding children and sexuality, from the ever present panic about sexual abuse to the prevalence of abstinence only education despite the predominance of evidence that it does not work. This is underlying message Judith Levine describes in Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, a thought-provoking and intense work chronicling how we got to the place we are today and how these attitudes are dangerous and can damage our children. She discusses how both left-wing feminism and right-wing religious ideology created this environment and have helped it flourish. Thoroughly researched with extensive documentation, this is a work well worth reading attentively and carefully. Continue reading
Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, abstinence, book review, books, children, review, sex, sex education, sexuality | posted in Words
Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex by Judith Levine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
We live in a society where fear and ideology are the basis for many of the decisions made regarding children and sexuality, from the ever present panic about sexual abuse to the prevalence of abstinence only education despite the predominance of evidence that it does not work. This is underlying message Judith Levine describes in Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, a thought-provoking and intense work chronicling how we got to the place we are today and how these attitudes are dangerous and can damage our children. She discusses how both left-wing feminism and right-wing religious ideology created this environment and have helped it flourish. Thoroughly researched with extensive documentation, this is a work well worth reading attentively and carefully.
You can read a more comprehensive review on my blog.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, abstinence, book review, books, review, sex, sex education, sexuality | posted in Words
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After enjoying Oryx and Crake so much, I had high expectations of The Handmaid’s Tale. They were largely fulfilled. Margaret Atwood weaves a horrifying image of a society in which religious fundamentalism and fear of Caucasian infertility are taken to their furthest extremities. The rights of women are a particular area of focus. While reading this book, I began to think about the similarities between it and The Children of Men. Both deal with the concept of infertility and a totalitarian, terrorizing state. Additionally, both are written by women and were released within a small time span. Based on this, I am planning to write a piece comparing and contrasting the two books. Obviously, this is truly a thought-provoking work.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, book review, books, dystopia, fundamentalism, infant inconveniences, infertility, religion, review, totalitarianism, womens' rights and affairs | posted in Words