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spookynorvegan's reviews
588 reviews
Reader, I Married Him by Patricia Park, Namwali Serpell, Jane Gardam, Elizabeth McCracken, Esther Freud, Sally Vickers, Joanna Briscoe, Kirsty Gunn, Linda Grant, Elif Shafak, Lionel Shriver, Emma Donoghue, Evie Wyld, Francine Prose, Tracy Chevalier, Helen Dunmore, Sarah Hall, Tessa Hadley, Audrey Niffenegger, Susan Hill, Nadifa Mohamed
3.0
I give this a 3.5 stars. As with most multi-author anthologies, this collection is a mixed bag. Upon completion, I counted nine of the 21(?) to be ones that I really enjoyed. A handful of others being decent, and the rest not my cup of tea.
That being said, I did enjoy reading this collection. It made me feel like a part of an international community of literati; being privy to what Jane Eyre means and inspires in such a diverse body of authors.
That being said, I did enjoy reading this collection. It made me feel like a part of an international community of literati; being privy to what Jane Eyre means and inspires in such a diverse body of authors.
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
4.0
Though it took me a while to get hooked, I definitely enjoyed this new ya venture from Cecelia Ahern. Looking forward to, and disappointed by how long readers will have to wait for the announced sequel. Would recommend if you can get through (re: appreciate) a ya level novel in general, and if you enjoy a dystopian reality with a similar vibe to the Hunger Games, or Bone Season series.
The Little Ochre Book Of Occult Stories by Karl Edward Wagner
3.0
'Sticks' blew my mind, and was worth the purchasing price alone. I'm not a huge high-fantasy fan, but also appreciated the classic Kane piece. This was a great intro to Wagner's body of work, in the form of a very aesthetically pleasing (signed) volume from Borderlands Press publishing.
Copy 488 of 500.
Copy 488 of 500.
This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab
4.0
I inadvertently ended up sitting down and reading this book in one setting.
Late hour be damned, I just didn't want to put it down.
The book has a great pace and a narrative that manages a great unexplained, slow reveal; one that makes the reader work a bit to unravel the nuances/rules of the created world, without being exasperating or convoluted. I appreciated the lack of romance between the two principle characters, and the ability of the author to create viable character arcs without the need for that cheesy, over-played paranormal romance aspect which unfortunately seems to be standard within the genre. A large chunk of the book is action-packed, and very exciting to read, offering up well-executed twists and turns for both the principle and their supporting characters.
The conclusion of the book being especially interesting and poignant; without divulging too severe of a spoiler, Schwab manages to both split her action-packed previously intertwined principal narrative (again, joyously without the need for a romantic element), and give her reader a shocking final page spread.
This appears to be the beginning of a series, one I will definitely continue to make my way through.
Late hour be damned, I just didn't want to put it down.
The book has a great pace and a narrative that manages a great unexplained, slow reveal; one that makes the reader work a bit to unravel the nuances/rules of the created world, without being exasperating or convoluted. I appreciated the lack of romance between the two principle characters, and the ability of the author to create viable character arcs without the need for that cheesy, over-played paranormal romance aspect which unfortunately seems to be standard within the genre. A large chunk of the book is action-packed, and very exciting to read, offering up well-executed twists and turns for both the principle and their supporting characters.
The conclusion of the book being especially interesting and poignant; without divulging too severe of a spoiler, Schwab manages to both split her action-packed previously intertwined principal narrative (again, joyously without the need for a romantic element), and give her reader a shocking final page spread.
This appears to be the beginning of a series, one I will definitely continue to make my way through.
Saturday by Ian McEwan
2.0
This is the second piece of McEwan's fiction I have read, the first being 'Atonement', which immediately went onto my favorites list. That being said, I went into this read very eager to love...and was a bit disappointed.
McEwan is a very talented writer, and I really enjoyed the characters portrayed in this piece, but the giant chunks of narrative dedicated to the game of squash (yawn), and now outdated middle eastern politics (exhausting) were awful and a huge chore to get through. Though I personally found it interesting, it should also be noted that a large chunk of this slim novel was also dedicated to and filled with super detailed, technical neurological language and procedures. Those over-dominated, significant portions of the book really bogged down the narrative and soured the entire experience. Finally, without giving away too much, the really tense, conflict build towards the conclusion of the novel that literally had me breathless ended up really disappointing in the ultimate resolution. A total letdown to an entirely underwhelming tome.
McEwan is a very talented writer, and I really enjoyed the characters portrayed in this piece, but the giant chunks of narrative dedicated to the game of squash (yawn), and now outdated middle eastern politics (exhausting) were awful and a huge chore to get through. Though I personally found it interesting, it should also be noted that a large chunk of this slim novel was also dedicated to and filled with super detailed, technical neurological language and procedures. Those over-dominated, significant portions of the book really bogged down the narrative and soured the entire experience. Finally, without giving away too much, the really tense, conflict build towards the conclusion of the novel that literally had me breathless ended up really disappointing in the ultimate resolution. A total letdown to an entirely underwhelming tome.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
2.0
I enjoyed previous reads in Allen's body of work far greater than this one.
It was a decent enough chic lit / popcorn read in the magical realism world, but I couldn't get over how alike yet far inferior it was to Hoffman's 'Practical Magic' piece...something that really impeded me from getting too fond of the narrative.
It was a decent enough chic lit / popcorn read in the magical realism world, but I couldn't get over how alike yet far inferior it was to Hoffman's 'Practical Magic' piece...something that really impeded me from getting too fond of the narrative.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
3.0
I picked this book up as it was highly recommended to me by multiple sources. And while I definitely was not disappointed with the overall narrative or characters, it confirmed to me that westerns aren't really my cup of tea. If you're looking for an ice - breaker into the genre yourself, or just want to dip your toes into the old west setting, then this is a great story with which to do so.
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Non-fiction by Neil Gaiman
5.0
One would be hard-pressed to find a more solid and simultaneously eccentric collection of non fiction pieces by a single author. A wonderful piece to add to any Gaiman fan's library.
Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe
5.0
If you're interested in the human behind the iconic presence of Marilyn Monroe, you must get your hands on this book. I've been a huge fan for my entire life; familiar with her work and life details in general, and even so this book was profound to experience. Seeing photos of her journals and her handwriting copied on to each page revealed a side to her that I've never before been privy to. Heart breaking and beautiful, deep, intimate and pensive. Just like her. So glad to have this in my personal library.