lory_enterenchanted's reviews
515 reviews

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead

dark mysterious

2.0

Meh. I think I simply do not like Golden Age style detective fiction.  The premise here did have promise, and I enjoyed Spectors demonstrations of magic, but the execution was lacking. Too many moving parts and too little reality. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

adventurous dark mysterious tense

2.0

Okay, I think I really am done with Agatha Christie now. With this one, because I knew there was a startling twist, it was obvious what that would turn out to be. And aside from that surprise there was nothing interesting about the characters or setting. It also was not believable that this person would be motivated to act as they did. Christie may be good at constructing puzzles but for me that is not enough.  

Gilded Mountain: A Novel by Kate Manning

adventurous emotional informative reflective

3.0

Some lovely writing, interesting time period and setting, but ultimately I felt let down by the turgid love story.

Heal Your Nervous System: The 5–Stage Plan to Reverse Nervous System Dysregulation by Linnea Passaler, Linnea Passaler

hopeful informative inspiring reflective

3.0

I skim-read this because I felt like a lot of the content was unnecessary filler (like telling us repeatedly This is What I'm Going to Say; This Is What I Just Said; This Is What Is In This Book), or I had already read it in better, more substantial form elsewhere. However, I want to go back and read some parts that are more practical more thoroughly and glean what might be useful. In terms of "Self-help" a reader could be disappointed to reach the middle and be told "and now you really need to have therapy." Good advice, perhaps, but not what one buys a book for. Fortunately I got this from the library.

The Marble Staircase by Elizabeth Fair

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective

3.5

A pleasant light novel that skillfully interweaves a "present" story (the main character inherits a house from a woman she met years ago in Italy) with memories of the past, unraveling some old hurts along with encountering new characters and relationships. The subtle, understated romance could have been more developed for my taste, with a few more scenes of the two characters interacting.

The Chalet School in the Oberland by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

adventurous lighthearted

2.0

It was fun to read about the school branch opening in Switzerland, but the main conflict was too easily resolved, and there were other parts that seemed just thrown in for no reason -- I remember a description of a left-over cup of coffee that I thought might have some relevance to the plot, but no. It was like the author just needed to fill pages. The final pantomime was also totally unrelated to character or plot development, an interminable and boring description. I don't think i'll read any more of this series.

The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita

emotional hopeful reflective

3.5

This story can only really be recommended for those with some interest in pianos and music. Some nice, atmospheric writing, but the main character's obsession with his vocation as a piano tuner overwhelms everything else; his background and relationships are only sketchily hinted at, and the actual process of tuning remains rather vague and mystical. 

I never imagined that a tuner could alter the sound of a piano so extremely, and by the end I started to be skeptical about these claims. They seemed exaggerated.

The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

adventurous lighthearted

3.0

I read a couple of the popular Chalet School books - actually started with the Oberland (due to its Swiss setting) but then switched to this as I thought it would be good to see where the saga began. It was fine but nothing so tremendously outstanding.

Far to Go by Noel Streatfeild

adventurous hopeful lighthearted tense

2.5

I wish there weee more in these books about Margaret’s Life in the theatre. It’s all a bit too easy for her there. The evil Matron appears to add conflict but it would be more interesting if this were omitted and the relationships developed more, eg between Margaret and Katie. 

Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfeild

adventurous inspiring

3.0

Nonstop action in this late Streatfeild, with a feisty orphan battling a horrid orphanage Matron, long-lost aristocrats, journeying on a canal boat (this was my favorite part), and ending up in a traveling theatre. I enjoyed it though I wonder why nobody offers to strangle Margaret with her stockings when she keeps on and on about her "three sets of everything, all of the very best quality."