Take a photo of a barcode or cover
arthuriana's reviews
611 reviews
Trying Not to Love You by Megan Smith
I give up on this book. The lack of contractions, the robotic writing style, the flat characterisation . . . it's way more than I could handle.
Entwined by Heather Dixon Wallwork
3.0
Though an entertaining read that captured my fancy for as long as I read the book, the story is immensely forgettable and quite average.
Three stars for at least managing to entertain me, though. I could have done far worse.
Three stars for at least managing to entertain me, though. I could have done far worse.
Grayson by Lynne Cox
2.0
Though inspirational and quite moving, the way in which the story was told was quite juvenile and, I think, deserved a far more colorful language. True, this book is filled to the brim with descriptions of naval animals, all of which are actually quite enthralling (maybe even more so if I was, you know, actually interested in the subject); but when Lynne Cox isn't describing naval animals, she's going off on this weird metaphysical crap about thoughts and how it attracts positive and negative energy towards a person (which is the exact same premise of [b:The Secret|52529|The Secret (The Secret, #1)|Rhonda Byrne|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347602964s/52529.jpg|2001660] and quite frankly I found that book to be full of shit).
What's completely unforgivable, though, is the fact that this could have been one of the most emotionally moving books I've ever read and it fell short of that due to flaws that could have been corrected from the very start. (See: juvenile writing, the inability to separate thoughts from direct statements to actual dialogue {the bad thing is, this method could be used well, as seen by [b:A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|7588|A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|James Joyce|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309376772s/7588.jpg|3298883]}, and an utterly forgettable reading experience).
What's completely unforgivable, though, is the fact that this could have been one of the most emotionally moving books I've ever read and it fell short of that due to flaws that could have been corrected from the very start. (See: juvenile writing, the inability to separate thoughts from direct statements to actual dialogue {the bad thing is, this method could be used well, as seen by [b:A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|7588|A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|James Joyce|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309376772s/7588.jpg|3298883]}, and an utterly forgettable reading experience).
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
4.0
Enthralling, imaginative, and quite touching, Belle Epoque is a novel about beauty, its worth, and what it takes to achieve it. Its message really resonated with me, being quite a sore subject for me (yes, I'm insecure) and, most probably, a lot of other girls too (let's be honest here: we're all just a touch insecure); the moral quite digestible and shown in a manner that doesn't come off as 'holier-than-thou' preaching. It's honest and to the point, which is definitely a plus.
Themes notwithstanding, the story stands quite well on its own. The characters feel authentic and so real somehow that I applaud Ross' talent for creating character arcs that are not only probable and plausible in turn-of-the-century France, but quite believable in the way that we relate to the characters . . . to their plights, their hopes, their dreams, and their overall personality. Maude reacted to her situation quite believably and, though probably not in the manner that I would have reacted, at least I understood her decisions and her reasoning behind those actions. It might seem like a matter of small importance, but when you can't understand the characters in a book, then you can't understand the book in its entirety. Characters are the foundations upon which a book is laid on; unfortunately, very many writers forget that. They paint portraits of their characters in such careless strokes that the reader is left baffled as to why the character did a certain action or, if worse comes to worst, why a certain character is there at all.
Fortunately, Ross evades that fatal flaw of so many a writer nowadays. She made her characters relatable and sympathetic to the reader, while still maintaining a character arc that is both thrilling and exciting.
It's definitely a must-read--not just for fans of historical fiction--but for the general populace who likes to read books that makes one think, while still maintaining a good flow of events that keeps the reader on the edge.
Themes notwithstanding, the story stands quite well on its own. The characters feel authentic and so real somehow that I applaud Ross' talent for creating character arcs that are not only probable and plausible in turn-of-the-century France, but quite believable in the way that we relate to the characters . . . to their plights, their hopes, their dreams, and their overall personality. Maude reacted to her situation quite believably and, though probably not in the manner that I would have reacted, at least I understood her decisions and her reasoning behind those actions. It might seem like a matter of small importance, but when you can't understand the characters in a book, then you can't understand the book in its entirety. Characters are the foundations upon which a book is laid on; unfortunately, very many writers forget that. They paint portraits of their characters in such careless strokes that the reader is left baffled as to why the character did a certain action or, if worse comes to worst, why a certain character is there at all.
Fortunately, Ross evades that fatal flaw of so many a writer nowadays. She made her characters relatable and sympathetic to the reader, while still maintaining a character arc that is both thrilling and exciting.
It's definitely a must-read--not just for fans of historical fiction--but for the general populace who likes to read books that makes one think, while still maintaining a good flow of events that keeps the reader on the edge.
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories by Nikolai Gogol
5.0
I read this while listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Suffice to say, it was pure bliss.
My reading ambience aside, the book does offer an entertaining read. It's . . . well, it's crazy, to say the least. The main character has such delusions of grandeur that I was honestly stuck between feeling entertained and feeling sorry for the guy. Gogol has, in the span of fifty or so pages, written something that is so deep, so mesmerizing, yet so honest. You could actually feel the main character reach beyond his mediocrity in an attempt to achieve greatness for himself--and, I suppose, that is something that resonates within all of us. Everybody wants to be noticed; everybody wants to be just a little bit more; and everybody just wants to set themselves apart from other people, to not be just some random statistic. This novel has reflected that innate want in all of us so well that, despite being written in the early 1800s, it still strikes a chord with the modern reader; and that is, perhaps, the most wonderful thing of all about this novel.
All in all, a well-deserved five stars. I suppose I have some catching up to do with Gogol and his works.
My reading ambience aside, the book does offer an entertaining read. It's . . . well, it's crazy, to say the least. The main character has such delusions of grandeur that I was honestly stuck between feeling entertained and feeling sorry for the guy. Gogol has, in the span of fifty or so pages, written something that is so deep, so mesmerizing, yet so honest. You could actually feel the main character reach beyond his mediocrity in an attempt to achieve greatness for himself--and, I suppose, that is something that resonates within all of us. Everybody wants to be noticed; everybody wants to be just a little bit more; and everybody just wants to set themselves apart from other people, to not be just some random statistic. This novel has reflected that innate want in all of us so well that, despite being written in the early 1800s, it still strikes a chord with the modern reader; and that is, perhaps, the most wonderful thing of all about this novel.
All in all, a well-deserved five stars. I suppose I have some catching up to do with Gogol and his works.
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Solemn, grave, and darkly romantic, Keturah and Lord Death might be one of the best books that I have read this year--scratch that, it's one of the best books that I've read ever. Everything about it is perfect: the characters, the plot, the theme . . . everything, I tell you. Leavitt has proven himself to be a more than capable writer in this book and I'll try my best to remember to look into his other works later.
Starting off with quite an intriguing prologue, the story's pace is picked up from the very start and doesn't let the reader go. I'm not talking about action-packed scenes here, though; I'm talking about how everything worked together to create an atmosphere that never fails to enthrall the reader. It's a quiet little story, sure, and the closest thing we get to a conflict is some slight worrying tension about the plague and the constant fretting about who Keturah would marry . Still, despite the inaction--or perhaps because of it--the story is quite charming and wonderful.
Not to mention the prose. I could write pages upon pages of praise just for the prose alone. It's so simple yet so . . . so beautiful in its simplicity. It almost has a poetic elegance, really, and, even if one isn't a fantasy fan, I'd still recommend this just for the prose alone. Its descriptions are so mellifluous, the words all flowing together to create this smooth flow; it's just . . . well, there are no words. You just have to read it to believe it.
AND THE ROMANCE! I almost died from squee-ing. It's just so . . . so . . . so sweet and . . . ugh, I'm still in a state of Post-Book-Awe (PBA, for short) to describe it fluently enough. Just suffice to say that, though I'm not really a fan of supernatural romances, the relationship ranks as one of the best that I have ever read--probably the best, since I can't think up of a better couple than them right now . . . but, then again, that might just be PBA acting up again.
All in all, this is a gem that I'm very happy that I discovered. A well-deserved five stars . . . and a round of applause to the author, too, for giving me one of the best reading experiences ever . . . and one of the most beautiful endings I've ever read:
"As for the hart—he lives to this day, as does the story of Keturah and Lord Death, as it is told around the common fires of the great city of Tide-by-Rood."
5.0
"He granted her this wish because—because she was the one he loved."
Solemn, grave, and darkly romantic, Keturah and Lord Death might be one of the best books that I have read this year--scratch that, it's one of the best books that I've read ever. Everything about it is perfect: the characters, the plot, the theme . . . everything, I tell you. Leavitt has proven himself to be a more than capable writer in this book and I'll try my best to remember to look into his other works later.
Starting off with quite an intriguing prologue, the story's pace is picked up from the very start and doesn't let the reader go. I'm not talking about action-packed scenes here, though; I'm talking about how everything worked together to create an atmosphere that never fails to enthrall the reader. It's a quiet little story, sure, and the closest thing we get to a conflict is some slight worrying tension about the plague
Spoiler
(though it never does escalate beyond that)Spoiler
(which is, you know, quite obviously stated by the blurb, the cover, and the title itself)Not to mention the prose. I could write pages upon pages of praise just for the prose alone. It's so simple yet so . . . so beautiful in its simplicity. It almost has a poetic elegance, really, and, even if one isn't a fantasy fan, I'd still recommend this just for the prose alone. Its descriptions are so mellifluous, the words all flowing together to create this smooth flow; it's just . . . well, there are no words. You just have to read it to believe it.
AND THE ROMANCE! I almost died from squee-ing. It's just so . . . so . . . so sweet and . . . ugh, I'm still in a state of Post-Book-Awe (PBA, for short) to describe it fluently enough. Just suffice to say that, though I'm not really a fan of supernatural romances, the relationship
Spoiler
between Keturah and Lord Death (. . . let's be honest here: does this even need to be marked as a spoiler? I mean, it's right there in the freaking title, but it's better safe than sorry, I suppose)All in all, this is a gem that I'm very happy that I discovered. A well-deserved five stars . . . and a round of applause to the author, too, for giving me one of the best reading experiences ever . . . and one of the most beautiful endings I've ever read:
"As for the hart—he lives to this day, as does the story of Keturah and Lord Death, as it is told around the common fires of the great city of Tide-by-Rood."
Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough
4.0
Touching and quite a quick read, Don't Expect Magic offers a lighthearted, yet still very entertaining and true to life (despite, you know, the whole magic thing) read that would resonate with nearly everybody. It has themes of friendship, love, duty, and, the most important of all in my opinion, how to be true to yourself and that--maybe, just maybe--we don't need fairy godmothers to fulfill our hopes after all.
Boy21 by Matthew Quick
4.0
There are too few books out there about friendship nowadays. Luckily, Boy21 is here to add to their numbers, however small that might be.
To start with, the idea behind Boy21 is promising. A book just about friendship--and true friendship, too!--is not, as I said above, quite common, which is kind of puzzling when you think about it in regards to the number of romance books nowadays. Is romance, ultimately, better than friendship? Is finding a boyfriend ultimately more rewarding than gaining a lifelong friend? The message that this gesture seemingly sends is quite alarming, and it's of my opinion that there should be more books about friendship. The world will be a better place.
Sadly, though, while Boy21 does focus on friendship, it focused on other things too--a great deal of other subject matters that limited the book's focus on its true message and made the journey a bumpy one, instead of the smooth one that it should have given to the readers. The characters' conflict with the Irish Mob was problematic in regard to the development and growth of the friendship between Boy21 and Finley. Perhaps, if the book had a few more pages, then the Irish Mob could have been used as something that made the relationships of Finley with everyone else around him richer and stronger; but it didn't, in here--the whole thing just detracted from the reading experience, you know?
But, all in all, the book succeeded, and that's all that matters.
To start with, the idea behind Boy21 is promising. A book just about friendship--and true friendship, too!--is not, as I said above, quite common, which is kind of puzzling when you think about it in regards to the number of romance books nowadays. Is romance, ultimately, better than friendship? Is finding a boyfriend ultimately more rewarding than gaining a lifelong friend? The message that this gesture seemingly sends is quite alarming, and it's of my opinion that there should be more books about friendship. The world will be a better place.
Sadly, though, while Boy21 does focus on friendship, it focused on other things too--a great deal of other subject matters that limited the book's focus on its true message and made the journey a bumpy one, instead of the smooth one that it should have given to the readers. The characters' conflict with the Irish Mob was problematic in regard to the development and growth of the friendship between Boy21 and Finley. Perhaps, if the book had a few more pages, then the Irish Mob could have been used as something that made the relationships of Finley with everyone else around him richer and stronger; but it didn't, in here--the whole thing just detracted from the reading experience, you know?
But, all in all, the book succeeded, and that's all that matters.
Break Her by B.G. Harlen
3.0
I—well, how could I comment upon such a strange little book? It's definitely dark, though it's not that dark as other readers are making out (trust me, I've read far, far worse than this in the dark, dark boundaries of . . . fan fiction) and the psychological aspect wasn't really that psychologically thrilling. Still, it's an a-okay read.