4 stars Archives - Page 21 of 39

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig: Book Review

Laura Grey is tired of her life as a governess, so she joins forces with The Pink Carnation. After the requisite training, she is sent to work as a governess for Andre Jaouen, a high-ranking official in the French Ministry of Police. She's also tasked with finding out any information that might be of use to the Pink Carnation and her league of British spies. I consistently love this series and rate them around 4 stars but this is one of my favorites. But maybe I say that about all of them--I wouldn't be surprised. They are full of intelligent women who don't need men to protect them but they like to keep the guys around anyway. I grin like an idiot at the witty dialog as I read and I hate to turn the last page. What more can you ask for? I love the chemistry between Laura and Andre and I love that it is impossible to guess exactly what he's up to. He's a good father who genuinely cares for his children and grieves for his dead wife. He's doing his best to navigate the tumultuous politics of Napoleonic France while staying true to his ideals and protecting his children. Laura is beautifully flawed and full of contradictions that work. She's the archetype of a strait-laced governess but it's easy to see that there's much more to her than that. She's learned to tame any desires and wishes that she has and just be glad that she's able to support herself and keep a roof over her head. She's scared when she finds herself in dangerous situations but she handles them beautifully and ingeniously. She's probably one of my favorite heroines in the Pink Carnation series. But I probably say that after I read every book too.…

Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer: Review

Jacky Faber finds herself working for the Royal Navy again after being mistakenly pressed into service. The ship she finds herself on is in bad shape, with a sick, evil captain who reigns with an iron fist and who has let his boat and his crew get into bad shape. Nothing can keep Jacky down for long though and she's soon making friends and plans in equal measure. I cannot express how much I love listening to Katherine Kellgren narrate this series. She doesn't hold anything back and narrates in a larger-than-life tone that is completely in keeping with Jacky's character. Kellgren sounds like she is having the time of her life reading these books and that makes me love them all the more. I would love them anyway because Jacky is such a great character. Why do we tend to love girls who dress up as boys and live the life they want? I probably just answered my own question. She's loyal and fierce and sly and intelligent and greedy and too big for her britches. She's a big mess of contradictions and that makes her feel so darn real. My one complaint about this book is that we have to travel down the road of an older man trying to prey on attractive young Jacky again. It's a different man, but, really. Teenage girls of any era do have things to worry about other than lecherous old men trying to have their way with them. It didn't take up as much of the book as I was afraid it would but as soon as it came up I rolled my eyes and thought, "Here we go again." Jaimy is starting to get on my nerves too. He's as fussy and as much of a stickler for the rules…

The Wild Trees by Richard Preston: Book Review

I find it hard to describe this book without making it sound dull and boring. I've tried to tell my husband and he just looks at me blankly. "It's about trees?" "Well, yes, but it's interesting and it's about...trees." Sometime in the late '80's, a few people who didn't even know each other decided to start exploring the remaining stands of redwoods. Michael Taylor believed that the biggest redwood had yet to be found, despite a National Geographic statement to the contrary made decades earlier. Steve Sillett became the first biologist to really explore and attempt to describe the redwood canopy. They each had friends who helped them and they eventually met each other and joined forces as they attempted to understand these ancient living things. I was fascinated from the beginning. I do have that old biology degree that I mention every single time I read something even remotely scientific, but I am more interested in mammals than plants. I was so interested in the lives of these guys who were/are climbing 30 stories on some ropes in a freaking tree. I panic if I get above the second or third rung on a ladder. The descriptions of the canopy, their progress and trial and error as they tried to figure out how to do what no one really had done before, their personal setbacks and triumphs, I liked it all. The author starts climbing with them and adding his own perspective maybe two-thirds of the way through the book. I was a little turned off by this at first. I don't know if the part of me that had "Don't ever use I in an essay" drilled into her head was horrified that a published author was breaking that cardinal rule or if I had a little bit…

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: Book Review

Louie Zamperini was a little bit of a punk as a young teen, staying in trouble all the time. But then he discovered running and pretty much turned his life around. People were taking notice of his times and the Olympics were in his future. He made it to the Berlin Olympics in a distance that was not his specialty. He didn't medal but at least he gained some experience. He started training in earnest for the next Olympics but then WWII broke out. He was soon flying in bombers over the Pacific Ocean. And then his plane went down. Wow. I am in awe Louie's survival instincts. I read this on vacation in Jamaica and I have to say that I was not paying attention to the beautiful beach around me; I was fully present with Louie in his life boat. I periodically read bits from the book to my husband and at one point I looked up and said, "If I'm ever in a life boat in the middle of the ocean, I want this man to be with me. You won't believe what he just did!" and launched into that story. I won't spoil it for you but I remember it vividly. I was thinking that this would make a good gift for my dad but by the time I finished, I wasn't so sure. Louie just goes through so stinking much. I got so frustated! "Why can't this guy get a break?!?!" was on a constant repeat in my head. It was one thing after the other and just when I thought he was going to be okay, things actually got worse. And worse. And worse. I'm not so sure that my dad would handle it all that well. I thought I would like this because…

Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer: Book Review

Synopsis from GoodReads: After being forced to leave HMS Dolphin and Jaimy, her true love, Jacky Faber is making a new start at the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a fine lady. Everything she does is wrong. Her embroidery is deplorable, her French is atrocious, and her table manners--disgusting! Then there's the small matter of her blue anchor tattoo. . . . Despite her best efforts, Jacky can't seem to stay out of trouble long enough to dedicate herself to being ladylike. But what fun would that be, anyway? I loved Jacky Faber when I read the first book in the series, Bloody Jack. Then I listened to the second book on audio. Holy cow! I'd heard these audiobooks were awesome but I really didn't understand until I picked one up for myself. Katherine Kellgren brought Jacky to life for me. Narrating in a Cockney accent that I loved, she crowed in triumph, cried in sadness, and took her with me on every emotion in between. It was amazing and a joy to listen to. I already felt this was a strong start to a series, but I will definitely be continuing in the audio format. I can't imagine separating Kellgren and Jacky now! I've waited too long to review this book, but from what I can remember, this second entry is darker than the first. Yeah, the more I think about it, parts got downright dark and creepy. I was seriously worried for Jacky. It was huge fun to see her in a group of proper young Boston schoolgirls. They don't know what hits them when Jacky walks in! We can all…

Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Book Review

4 Stars. I had my reservations about this. I love me a retold fairy tale, don't get me wrong. But it's all science-fictiony. Cyborgs? Androids? Not my thing. And then it's set in a future that sounds a little post-apocalyptic? Definitely not my thing. And yet, searching around for something mildly dystopian to read for a reading [...]

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: Book Review

This is the story of Jeannette Walls's childhood growing up with a father who adored his children but who also neglected them shamefully and became downright scary when he drank. Her mother was a carefree spirit who couldn't be bothered to take care of her children. She thought it was good for them to learn to take care of themselves. The first story we get from Jeannette's childhood involves the horrible burns she sustained while cooking hot dogs for herself at the age of three. Childhood doesn't really get any better from there. I'm torn on rating this book. I read it in one day. I really couldn't put it down. But at the same time, this isn't the normal kind of book I read and I can't really say that I enjoyed it. I know that's not really the point with this kind of memoir, but I do typically choose to read for enjoyment. I don't really have much to say about it. I'm not a fan of non-fiction, but this did "read like fiction." I feel like I've read a memoir somewhat similar to this in the past. I know everyone's story is different, but I really think that reading the story of a charming alcoholic's daughter one time was enough for me. This was one time too many. I'd give it three stars except for the fact that I really did rip right through it. Reviewed November 30, 2008 Note: I read much more nonfiction these days, I'm proud to say! Read an excerpt. Buy The Glass Castle at Malaprop’s | Better World Books Friday Flashback Reviews are a weekly feature here on The Introverted Reader. These are old reviews I wrote on GoodReads. Thanks to Angieville and her Retro Friday Reviews for the inspiration and encouragement!…

Magyk by Angie Sage: Book Review

The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus? The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart. Another book I've waited too long to review... Magyk was a lot of fun to read! Funny and suspenseful, I kept turning the pages right through to the end. That means a lot when you consider that I read it while striding away on the elliptical machine at the gym. The Heap family reminded me a lot of the Weasleys--there were about a million of them, they were talented, and they were poor. But they loved each other a lot and that made everything okay. I guessed pretty early what was going on but this is a book written for the middle grades; they might not guess as quickly. I've had a lot of practice at this kind of thing! I need to track down the rest of the series soon. I need to see what's going to happen next! I recommend this for boys and girls from around the age of 10 and up. They should all tear through it the same way I did! Read an excerpt. Find author Angie Sage on Twitter and…

Coldwater by Mardi McConnochie: Book Review

Author Mardi McConnochie imagines what the lives of the Brontë sisters would have been like if they had grown up on a remote island/penal colony off the coast of Australia. In this fictional tale, their father is the warden of the colony, paranoid to the point of madness and with a giant God-complex. He makes life hard for everyone on the island, including his daughters. Charlotte is the sensible one, Emily is overly sensitive with a large streak of the fey in her, and Anne is caught somewhere between them. The girls realize after their father is shot (it happens on the first page) that they need to try to take control of their own lives, and so they set about trying to earn money the only way they can--by writing. They know it's not a very practical plan when they live in Australia and all the publishers are in England, half a world a way, but what other hope do they have? Their father won't be around forever. I really don't know why this is rated so poorly on Goodreads because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe people are upset that the lives of these classic authors are so very fictionalized? I haven't read reviews yet to see what's going on. I love Jane Eyre and I tend to love Gothic stories. Seeing Charlotte Brontë in her own Gothic story was a treat for me. Emily irritated the heck out of me, but Wuthering Heights irritated the heck out of me too, so I thought she was well-represented. I haven't read any of Anne's work although I intend to. The island is so gloomy and atmospheric that it becomes a character in its own right. I felt so very bad for these sisters. Growing up alone like they have, they…

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn: Book Review

Chet and his human, Bernie, are a private investigating team. When a missing teen case comes their way, Bernie is initially reluctant to take it. He eventually does and the girl shows up under her own steam hours later. But then she goes missing for real. Bernie can just feel that something is really wrong this time. He and Chet go on the hunt, knowing that the more time passes without a ransom note, the worse things look for the missing girl. What a cute book! Chet just cracked me up! Unlike Enzo, the wise canine narrator of The Art of Racing in the Rain, Chet is all dog. His attention span is short. He loves a good steak. He loves treats and the people who hand them out. Unless that person is a perp. Then he'd rather have a bite of their pant leg. And he definitely wants to meet the lady dog he hears barking down the street... I had a good idea from pretty early on what was going to happen because Chet stumbles into it. The suspense comes from wondering if Bernie's going to figure it out in time. Bits of the story seemed implausible, but there are amazing animal stories in the news all the time. Who am I to say what Chet could or couldn't do? I read this on the treadmill at the gym, and it was great for passing the time. I was so caught up in Chet and Bernie that I didn't spend too much time watching the clock. I don't think I ever laughed out loud, but it was a close thing. I know I was grinning like an idiot a few times. Don't expect classic literature here, but if you're intrigued by the idea of a funny mystery told…