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« Previous Entries Tuesday, June 17th, 2008Jacob Two Two’s First Spy Case
Poor Mr. Dinglebat was in a state. He had, he told Jacob Two-Two, recently invested a good deal of money in buying Canadian military secrets, and now he was stuck with them. “No customers,” he said.
This clever children’s book by Mordecai Richler was written for his children and modeled after the same, and it was just simply a delight to read. Featuring not only Jacob Two-Two, but also I.M. Greedyguts, Miss Sour Pickle, and Perfectly Loathsome Leo Louse, this third installment of the Jacob Two-Two series made me laugh out loud at several points. I really, really enjoyed it. (It’s also a good short book for the Canadian Challenge — or if you need a ‘J’ title!)
1995, 144 pp.
Rating: 
Popularity: 12% [?]
Thursday, June 12th, 2008Review: The Road Past Altamont
I have always thought that the human heart is a little like the ocean, subject to tides, that joy rises in it in a steady flow, singing of waves, good fortune, and bliss; but afterward, when the high sea withdraws, it leaves an utter desolation in our sight. So it was with me that day.
Written in French by Gabrielle Roy and translated by Joyce Marshall, The Road Past Altamont captures a sweet young girl’s thoughts and feelings perfectly. I also enjoyed Roy’s descriptions of the vastness of the Manitoba prairie.
The book is really four interconnected stories more than a novel. The first story, “My Almighty Grandmother,” tells of Christine’s love and awe of her matriarch. The second story, “The Old Man and the Child,” is about Christine’s relationship with an elderly neighbor and their visit to Lake Winnipeg. This one was my favorite as I found so much sweetness in the pair’s friendship. In “The Move,” Christine discovers that not everyone lives as she does, and in “The Road Past Altamont,” an adult Christine deals with her mother’s increasing age and unrealized dreams.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Willa Cather or L.M. Montgomery. I would definitely read another book by Gabrielle Roy.
1966, 146 pp.
Rating:
Popularity: 13% [?]
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I was shocked at the ending and thought it was another senseless death until I read Deathly Hallows. I never believed, though, that the ‘murderer’ was a death eater. I kept my hopes up that the person in question wasn’t really dead — just like I did with the murdered one in Order of the Phoenix. Alas, it was not to be…
2005, 652 pp.
Rating: 4
Popularity: 7% [?]
Saturday, May 31st, 2008Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I listened to part of this on an 11 hour road trip, and it was a great way to spend the time. I actually didn’t mind the length of the book, but I did mind the death in the end. It just didn’t seem right to me. I wasn’t ready for that character to leave the scene just yet. Another thing I didn’t care for was Sirius’ whinyness. It really started getting on my nerves. I envisioned him as a noble character, not an overly whiny one.
I’m writing this review after completing all seven books, and I think this is where the series started to break down for me. I didn’t mind that the story was getting darker, but the death at the end just seemed senseless.
2003, 896 pp.
Rating: 4
Popularity: 8% [?]
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Which cover do you prefer? I strongly prefer the UK version (the one on the left) as the US version doesn’t seem to fit the outcome of the story now, does it?
I really liked this one, especially Dobby. He’s such a great character — it’s a shame he had to be left out of the movie. I loved those parts!
Snuffles?
Next up is Order of the Phoenix. That one was my favorite movie, so I’m really looking forward to finding out all the details in the book.
Hugo Award, 2001
2000, 734 pp.
Rating:
Popularity: 65% [?]
Saturday, May 17th, 2008Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Another Harry Potter crossed off the list! I enjoyed this on CD as I took a couple of trips last week. I had already listened to about 1/3 of it earlier in the year, but the trip was a perfect time to complete it.
As I’ve read/listened to all the Harry Potters so far, I’m really struck by J.K. Rowling’s naming ability. Quality Quidditch Supplies. The Marauder’s Map. The Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall. I love the names she gives things and people. I was really interested in the detail not in the movie about the Marauder’s Map and the Shrieking Shack. Of course, they can’t include everything, so it’s great to know the background of these aspects of the story.
I really love Jim Dale’s narration in the CD’s, but if I have one criticism, it’s this: He makes Hermione way too whiny. I don’t like how he portrays her at all. “Harreeeeeeeeeeeee” Ugh. Otherwise, he’s perfect.
I’m looking forward to the other books.
1999, 435 pp.
Rating: 4/5
Popularity: 63% [?]
Saturday, April 26th, 2008Review: The Mayor’s Tongue
Eugene is a mover in New York City whose favorite author is Constance Eakins. While doing a job one day, he runs into a biographer of Eakins who also happens to have a beautiful daughter, Sonia. Everyone else in the world believes Eakins is dead — that he just disappeared in Italy quite a few years back and never showed up again. He’s legally declared dead by the Italian authorities. Sonia’s father, the biographer, demands that it isn’t so — that his daughter speaks to Eakins regularly. But, no one has heard from her after her latest trip to Italy. Eugene decides to look for Sonia.
Meanwhile in a parallel story, an elderly Mr. Schmitz, also a New Yorker, is grieving the loss of his friend Rutherford who has just moved to Italy. He receives lucid letters from Rutherford at first, but then they become more and more incomprehensible. Schmitz also decides to take off for Italy to look for his friend.
This was a bizarre story that was unique enough to keep me reading and wanting to find out more. The book has quite a few fantasy elements too, and that was unexpected, but it certainly added to the story. It’s definitely a different book.
This is Nathaniel Rich’s first novel. It was released on April 17.
2008, 310 pp.
Rating: 3.5/5
Popularity: 41% [?]
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008Anthem by Ayn Rand
Anthem is a great introduction to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. A dystopian novella, it is much less intimidating than The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. I guess it’s considered science fiction as well, so I also counted it for Carl’s Sci-Fi Experience.
It was extremely fascinating reading this book after having read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin and The Giver by Lois Lowry last year, both of which were in my 2007 Top 10. Anthem definitely borrows from We, and The Giver most definitely borrows from Anthem. In Rand’s book, the main character even refers to himself as ‘We’ because in his society individuality is highly suppressed, and the goal is for it to be eliminated. Everything must be done for the brothers in the collective and nothing for the individual.
While I agree with Rand’s philosophy to a point, I believe she takes it just a bit too far. I very much enjoyed this book, but at the end it just felt too preachy to be rated the same as We and The Giver, which both received 4.5 stars.
1938, 105 pp
Rating: 
Popularity: 29% [?]
Friday, February 8th, 2008Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was just as good as the first book, and once again, I didn’t guess the ending, which made me very happy. Moaning Myrtle and Gilderoy Lockhart were great and funny additions to the storyline. As in The Sorcerer’s Stone, I watched the movie right after reading the book. I did enjoy the film, but it was a little anti-climactic after just finishing the book so soon before.
For books 3-5, I decided I’m going to watch the movies first and then read the books. Then with 6 and 7 I’ll read the books first again. My husband and kids are listening to the audio CD’s and enjoying the series as well.
1998, 341 pp.
Rating:
Popularity: 22% [?]
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’m wondering if I am the last one on earth to start this series?! At least I won’t have to worry about spoilers!
This first Harry Potter was delightful, and though I won’t be fanatical about it like most people are, I did enjoy it quite a bit. It was a much better book than I was expecting, and I really liked the fact that I didn’t expect Professor Quirrell at all. I saw the movie a few days after reading it and I thought they got the casting of Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape just right. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
1997, 320 pp
Rating:
Popularity: 20% [?]
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