Introverted Reader

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson: Book Review

Jesse Aarons is the class misfit. Something of a dreamer, and a talented artist, he just doesn't fit in with his practical, competitive classmates. But Leslie Burke moves next door at the beginning of their fifth-grade year, and the two eventually become best friends. Leslie shows him that a different life is possible. I'll just say it--this book irritated me to no end. It was crawling with Southern stereotypes. For a book that's trying to show that there's a place for everyone in the world, I just really found that unacceptable. It seemed like most of the characters went by two names: May Belle, Joyce Ann, Wanda Kay. I'm sure there were more. And then there was the fact that everyone, except for Jesse, Leslie, and her family, couldn't speak without throwing a double negative in there. It happens. It's not as bad as this book makes it sound. And then there was the way that all the poor kids were stupid, narrow-minded, and ignorant, and their parents beat them when they weren't in jail. Give me a break. Had I read this when I was younger, I would probably have overlooked all of that and just focused on the story of the beautiful friendship between Jesse and Leslie and how she showed him that there is a bigger world out there and how we should always show each other kindness. That's a great message. But I didn't read it when I was younger and right now I just don't care. Reviewed May 25, 2009 Read an excerpt. Find author Katerine Paterson on her website. Buy Bridge to Terabithia 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…

Introverted Reader Features

Character Connection: Anna Karenina

Don’t you just love larger-than-life characters? The ones who jump off the page and grab you? Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t be indifferent to them. I would love to know about the characters who just won’t leave you! Most of you will probably post about how much you love (or loathe) each character, but this is a great place for the more creative ones among you to let go and have fun! Write yourself into a scene with Anne and Diana. Write a love poem in elvish for Aragorn. Draw a picture of Harry obliterating Voldemort. The possibilities are endless. Be sure to post the book's title and author, and be very careful not to give away spoilers while talking about how much you love your characters. Mr. Linky will be posted here on The Introverted Reader every Thursday.Anna Karenina. The book by Tolstoy is larger than most. The character of the same name is larger than life. There have been very few characters that I've read about that have left me as conflicted as Anna. I admired her for going after what she wanted while I looked down on her at the same time for exactly the same reasons. I think my problem was that she was actually married to an okay guy. Sure, it was an arranged marriage, but he treated her and their son well and he worked hard. I'm sure that Anna had it good compared to a lot of women in arranged marriages. But when she meets the dashing Vronsky, she decides that she wants love and passion at any cost. She throws her reputation to the wind and goes for it. And that's where my double standard came in. One part of me wondered why Anna just couldn't accept "good…

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May 19, 2011

Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach: Book Review

Journalist Alice Steinbach decided that she was going to take a break from the life she was living. She was happy, but she felt that she needed some time to get acquainted with herself now that her two sons were grown. So she planned an open-ended months-long trip to Europe. She had only the vaguest of itineraries and very few travel reservations. She went to Paris, London, Oxford, Milan, Venice, Rome, Siena, and Asolo. I genuinely liked the Alice Steinbach I found in these pages. She is intelligent, educated, and interested. My copy is littered with post-it flags marking books she mentions that I have to read or artists whose work I want to look up. She is curious and she is friendly and she is a traveler, not a tourist. My Post-It Flags Her writing is beautiful. I've had a sort of "I'd like to go to Paris but, you know. That reputation Parisians have" attitude for a while. Within pages, I was dying to go. The city came alive for me as she described it. I want to follow in her footsteps and take the time to just stand in the light in the chapel of Sainte-Chappelle. I want to buy a ridiculously expensive French dress. I want to see the Carré Rive Gauche celebrate Five Extraordinary Days. Ms. Steinbach is a curious, friendly traveler. She strikes up friendships wherever she goes and writes meaningfully about the people she meets. She is willing to learn whatever they teach her either directly or indirectly. Paris was the strongest section, but I enjoyed her other destinations as well. She dislikes Rome, for a very good reason, but I wish she had liked it. I somehow loved the city when I visited. Each chapter begins with a picture from a postcard…

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan: Book Review

Annabeth has finally gotten her own quest. She must lead a group through the Labyrinth to find Daedalus, its creator, and ask for help defending the camp from Luke and Kronos's minions. She's only supposed to ask two people to help her, but she insists that Percy, Grover, and Tyson all come along. Of course the Labyrinth is as confusing as expected, full of traps, pitfalls, and Kronos's monsters. I was glad to have Annabeth back! I really missed her in The Titan's Curse, and this time she was practically the star of the show. But she's crazy-jealous and that did get a little old. I don't blame her. But, still, this is Annabeth. I don't associate insecurity with her. I don't know that I have a whole lot different to say from my reviews of the other books in the series. I still love these characters, I still love Percy's narration, and I still frantically turn pages to get to the end. I did love the way Daedalus and the Labyrinth were portrayed. I had forgotten that he created the Labyrinth in the first place. The emotion in these "kid's books" always surprises me. There's the adrenaline from the battles and humor from Percy being a smartass. But this one had some genuinely sad and bittersweet moments too. Again, highly recommended for "kids" of all ages. My reviews of The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse. Read an excerpt. Find author Rick Riordan on his website, his blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Buy The Battle of the Labyrinth at Malaprop’s | Better World Books I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore, and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links…

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Over the past week, I've Read: Fluke: Or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore, read by Bill Irwin That's the only one! At least I really, really liked it. Reviewed: The House on Tradd Street by Karen White--3.5 Stars Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret George--3 Stars Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop--4.5 Stars Currently Reading: A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin--I am still loving this series Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand--Thoroughly enjoying this non-fiction pick Everlost by Neal Shusterman, read by Nick Podehl--I've barely started this audio, so I don't really have an opinion yet Up Next: If I finish any of these, it will probably be Seabiscuit. My next non-fiction book will probably be First Person America by Ann M. Banks. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore, and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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May 16, 2011

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop: Book Review

In a society that seems to be loosely based on the habits of black widow spiders, the strong females have eliminated all but the weakest males and females, leaving only a few strong males to strengthen their bloodlines. This has been going on for centuries. But the coming of a female with power that has never even been imagined has been foretold. Daemon and his brother, Lucivar, have endured slavery and unimaginable cruelty by holding onto the hope that they would one day get to serve this Witch. Saetan has endured centuries of a half-life ruling over Hell, holding onto the hope that this Witch, the daughter of his soul, will come to him. She finally appears, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. I loved this. It took me a little while to get into it because I have a very low tolerance for learning a whole new culture just to read a fantasy book. My limits were pushed at the beginning, but I got through it, and I'm so glad I did. Little Jaenelle, Daemon, Surreal, Tersa, Lucivar, and even Saetan were complex, likable characters. Yes, you read that right--Saetan was likable. Think of him as being more like Hades, god of a shadowy underworld, than like Satan, Prince of Darkness and ruler of the fire-and-brimstone-eternal-damnation Hell. And, oh my goodnes, Daemon. What can I say about Daemon? He's hot as hell, and I think I have the beginnings of a full-fledged book crush. *Fanning myself* Okay, moving on. Once I got into the story, I truly could not stop reading, and once I finished, I was exhausted. The plot just kept building and building, and I got more and more tense, waiting to see what was going to happen next. I would recommend…

Introverted Reader Features

Character Connection: Matthew Shardlake

Don’t you just love larger-than-life characters? The ones who jump off the page and grab you? Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t be indifferent to them. I would love to know about the characters who just won’t leave you! Most of you will probably post about how much you love (or loathe) each character, but this is a great place for the more creative ones among you to let go and have fun! Write yourself into a scene with Anne and Diana. Write a love poem in elvish for Aragorn. Draw a picture of Harry obliterating Voldemort. The possibilities are endless. Be sure to post the book's title and author, and be very careful not to give away spoilers while talking about how much you love your characters. Mr. Linky will be posted here on The Introverted Reader every Thursday.My almost-total immersion in George R. R. Martin's world of A Song of Ice and Fire (I'm watching Game of Thrones and reading A Storm of Swords) has me thinking a lot about Tyrion Lannister. I've already written about him though, so I'll move on to another misshapen character I love. Matthew Shardlake from the series by C. J. Sansom. Matthew Shardlake is a hunchbacked lawyer who has gotten tangled up in the very, very, very edges of the Henry VIII drama. Who doesn't love reading about Tudor times, even if it's not really about the Tudors themselves? Matthew Shardlake is a great lawyer with a good heart and a strong sense of right and wrong. As is true in fiction as well as in real life, no one sees past his crooked exterior to see the man inside. He tends to be glum and introspective. He doesn't generally feel sorry for himself, but he does have his…

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May 12, 2011

Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret George: Book Review

This is the story of Mary Magdalene's entire life, from childhood to her death. I enjoyed seeing this controversial historical figure in her own element, with no one sitting in judgment of who she was and her relationship to Jesus. The woman who emerged from these pages was initially very troubled. She was doing her best, but she was literally plagued by demons. She met Jesus when she had given up all hope. He gave her her life back, but her old life didn't want her back. Her family was ashamed of her, partially because of the time she had spent alone with unrelated men, and partly because she believed Jesus's message. With nowhere else to go, she became one of his first followers and traveled and worked miracles in His name. My problem was that it was too long. Had it been about half this size, it would have been perfect. I started to feel like this whole group was wandering up and down Israel without any real idea what they were doing. There are only so many pages of that I can read. I haven't read very many historical fiction books set around Jesus and his apostles, so I liked seeing all of them as "real" people, in language I could understand. I had a much better idea of their individual personalities after finishing this. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Biblical scholar, but I feel that the author stayed true to the sense we get of them in Scripture. I also liked seeing what everyday life was like in those times. I especially liked reading about women's lives. Since I mentioned the relationship with Jesus, I'll say that I thought it was pretty delicately handled. I am pretty open-minded, but it all felt plausible…

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White: Book Review

Melanie Middleton is an excellent Realtor in the exclusive district of Charleston known as South of Broad, yet she hates the houses she sells. She sees the old mansions as termite-infested money pits. Still, the money is good and a girl's gotta eat, right? One day she is summoned to the home of elderly Nevin Vanderhorst at 55 Tradd Street. After a disconcerting meeting in which Mr. Vanderhorst only seems concerned in finding out if Melanie can see the ghost of his mother in the front yard (she can, but only admits it reluctantly), he sends her on her way. Days later, she finds out the old man has passed away and left his historic home to her--if she wants it. He has left behind a letter explaining some family history and asking her to find out what happened to his mother when he was 8 years old. Mrs. Vanderhorst disappeared and was never seen again. Well, who can resist a plea like that, from practically beyond the grave? Certainly not Melanie, who has a big heart that she likes to hide behind her career-woman persona. With some loyal, talented friends, Melanie sets out to restore the house and solve the mystery. Charleston and ghosts are a perfect fit. (There's a very long story that I won't get into here about a ghost tour I went on in the city. Needless to say, my husband will be going on any future ghost tours alone. No, I didn't see a ghost.) One of the first things anyone thinks of in connection with Charleston is the beautiful old homes. So this was a very atmospheric book that had me ready to drive on down to Charleston for another visit. I think my one problem is that the characters were a little...expected? That's…

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for May 9, 2011

Welcome to my weekly update for May 9, 2011! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey [...]

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May 9, 2011