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_michelle_'s reviews
977 reviews
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
1.0
Had to read this in highschool. I like classics, but survivalist isn't my style. I had to write a paper on it and ended up getting an A, pretty good since I skimmed over the last 3rd and read the end; anything to get this book over with.
Tam O'Shanter by Essex House Press Bkp Cu-Banc, William Randolph Hearst, Robert Burns
5.0
Read for my Brit Lit class in college. Very funny!
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
4.0
We had to read this for my English II class. My professor, being who he is, included a 'stoning' in our discussion; we had to draw slips of paper and 'stone' the person who got the black spot with balled up pieces of paper.Then he scolded us for being his quickest class to 'stone' our classmate. You learn new things everyday.
Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John
I read this about 15 years ago and just loved it. I still remember it fondly, though I don't know how well it would hold up if I read it as an adult. 5* because that's what I thought of it when I first read it, which is what matters.
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
2.0
This isn't The Stomlight Archive, and that's fine; TSA is a masterpiece. But I just don't connect with any of the characters, except Sazed, and then that's still only somewhat. So much time is bizarrely spent on Elend and Vin being in love but NOT being in the same room together, even though they live in the same mansion; and then they don't communicate on the rare times they are. So many misunderstandings!!! I also don't feel drawn to them. Like, at all. Their whole personalities can be summed up as Vin punches things, Elend talks a lot.
Don't get me wrong, I'm far from ditching Brandon Sanderson. I haven't been so excited for a non-manga book release (Rythym of War) since Cinda Williams Chima's conclusion to the Shattered Realms series in early 2019. I'm just not feeling this particular series.
Don't get me wrong, I'm far from ditching Brandon Sanderson. I haven't been so excited for a non-manga book release (Rythym of War) since Cinda Williams Chima's conclusion to the Shattered Realms series in early 2019. I'm just not feeling this particular series.
Lirael by Garth Nix
3.0
I did like Lirael, overall, but it's definitely a step down from Sabriel. This book features dual POVs, and Prince Sam is just not compelling enough for MC status. Lirael is interesting, but she takes well over half the book to be set on the path that moves the plot forward. Because, unlike Sabriel, Lirael isn't a standalone that just shares a world with its predecessor; its resolution is directly contingent on you reading the next book, so this book takes all the time in the world to develop anything resembling a plot. And boy, does it TAKE ITS TIME!
I just feel cheated because I loved Sabriel and its MC, but that was just one book. Why couldn't Sabriel have multiple books to herself (instead of jumping to the next generation)? Because in retrospect, she needed them. Sabriel and Touchstone got married and were cranking out kids less than 5 years after they met. Nope. Not a fan of that. (BTW, I'm not trying to shit on anyone who gets married and has kids very early in the relationship...it's just not a plot point I thought I'd be reading in a book/series where Abhorsens are fighting hordes of the dead.)
I just feel cheated because I loved Sabriel and its MC, but that was just one book. Why couldn't Sabriel have multiple books to herself (instead of jumping to the next generation)? Because in retrospect, she needed them. Sabriel and Touchstone got married and were cranking out kids less than 5 years after they met. Nope. Not a fan of that. (BTW, I'm not trying to shit on anyone who gets married and has kids very early in the relationship...it's just not a plot point I thought I'd be reading in a book/series where Abhorsens are fighting hordes of the dead.)
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
3.0
An enjoyable read. I didn't love it as much as some readers, but I can't deny Pratchett is clever. I do intend to finish Tiffany Aching's arc sometime soon (knock on wood), and perhaps dive further into Discworld, pending my opinion after I finish Tiffany's cycle.
The Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing by Allen C. Kupfer
1.0
God, this was stupid. It's like the author only has pop culture knowledge of Dracula, which is not a bad thing...unless you're trying to write a prequel story.
Van Helsing is such a nincompoop in this story that I will not accept it's the same character. Vampires keep trying to enter through windows, and every time someone or thing appears at the window, he's surprised, like it's a totally harmless bat just banging on a window and it's totally not even capable of rabies; or an unknown, wailing child in a tree outside his window just innocently climbed several stories for no reason. There's nothing weird about that! /sarcasm
Vampire bites have an immediate effect in this book, placing it at odds with the very book it's based on (it requires 3 feedings for a person to turn into a vampire in Dracula).
The vampire seductress being evil and Van Helsing's good little wife being pure came across as so on the nose that it was obvious the author was trying to allude to female sexuality topics mentioned in Dracula, but there were many layers to that original novel, including Victorian views on sexuality, buried just below the surface. This book beats you over the head with it.
This has none of the great writing or layers that Dracula did. I don't recommend it.
Van Helsing is such a nincompoop in this story that I will not accept it's the same character. Vampires keep trying to enter through windows, and every time someone or thing appears at the window, he's surprised, like it's a totally harmless bat just banging on a window and it's totally not even capable of rabies; or an unknown, wailing child in a tree outside his window just innocently climbed several stories for no reason. There's nothing weird about that! /sarcasm
Vampire bites have an immediate effect in this book, placing it at odds with the very book it's based on (it requires 3 feedings for a person to turn into a vampire in Dracula).
The vampire seductress being evil and Van Helsing's good little wife being pure came across as so on the nose that it was obvious the author was trying to allude to female sexuality topics mentioned in Dracula, but there were many layers to that original novel, including Victorian views on sexuality, buried just below the surface. This book beats you over the head with it.
This has none of the great writing or layers that Dracula did. I don't recommend it.
The Hammer and the Blade by Paul S. Kemp
3.0
3 stars is a good rating; it was a fun read. It just felt like a lot of things boiled down to dumb luck and magically possessing/finding whatever tool saves the day in any given situation.
On a side note, this is physically one of the oldest books on my TBR (either 7 or 8 years) at the time of finishing it, so yay for progress in completing my backlog!
On a side note, this is physically one of the oldest books on my TBR (either 7 or 8 years) at the time of finishing it, so yay for progress in completing my backlog!