Book report
Apr. 3rd, 2009 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormkeeper_lovedorisIt's Friday evening, so I must be doing a book report.
Witch Child by Celia Reyes – I always enjoy a novel that holds my attention and keeps me turning the pages. I have to give credit to any book that does that, and this novel definitely belongs in that category. It’s about a teenage girl living 400 years ago, whose grandmother is killed for allegedly being a witch and who might face the same situation as well, even though she flees from England to America. The main thing I liked about it was the page-turning aspect. But too much of the plot was predictable and hard to swallow, and the ending was totally unsatisfying. Grade: C+
Society’s Child by Janis Ian – I read a review that said basically that this autobiography might not hold your interest if you’re not already a fan of Janis Ian’s music. I totally disagree. I’m not at all a fan, but this really was a page-turner; I found Ian’s life so interesting. She really had a rollercoaster: fame, obscurity, fortune, debt, coming out, getting married, relationships starting and ending. It was all a thrill to read. The autobiography is not without its negatives either, though. Sometimes Ian’s prose is clichéd or melodramatic. She’s also blunt, a bit jaded, and more than a little arrogant. Also, another problem kept surfacing in the narrative - Janis interacted with and knew many, many people and she would mention someone once, and then they’d show up again 50 pages later with no reminder of who they were. Maybe my memory ain’t what it should be but a few reminders to jog our memories on who is who would have helped, especially when there are so many names in this book. She also uses points of ellipses too many times – I think they are fine for someone’s LJ post but look too casual for a published book. Wow, that’s a lot of griping about this book! But like I said, I still loved it; it’s really written in a way where you’re eager to see what comes next. I’m not a fan of folk music and I even You Tubed some of Ian’s stuff while reading this book. I still don’t care for it, but her life story is intriguing. Grade: B+
More behind the cut.
Branded Ann by Merry Shannon – I should be embarrassed to have enjoyed this novel so much, but I can’t muster up too much regret. “Branded Ann” is historical fiction and, even worse, it doesn’t even aspire to be much more than a romance, albeit one between two women instead of a man and a woman. It centers around a bloodthirsty pirate and the woman she can’t get out of her mind or get enough of. I was really won over by it because the plot was so good. I was really on the edge of my seat as Ann deals with a stowaway child, fights bad weather, battles a potential mutiny, and searches for hidden treasure. It was just really fun to read. Grade: B+
Doing It: Real People Having Really Good Sex by Isadora Alman – This was a fast (and sexy) read; Alman runs a website and an “Ask Isadora” column. The topic - sex. She compiled suggestions from those who have emailed her or posted on her webpage, and grouped them into categories. I can’t say that I fully believed that every snippet was honest (Alman herself admits she has no way to verify the accuracy of the contributions), but the book was still hot and I bet there’s a piece of advice or two in here for everyone. Grade: B
Walk With Us: Triplet Boys, Their Teen Parents & Two White Women Who Tagged Along by Elizabeth K. Gordon – This was an engaging memoir written by one of the “two white women” mentioned in the book’s subtitle. She and her partner, both Quakers involved in anti-racism and justice work, decide to open their home to an African American teenage girl who is pregnant with triplets. The book explores racism in depth. And it’s a fascinating story too. I liked reading how these two women tried to practice their faith and do the right thing at all times, despite the many challenges of the roads they took. Gordon’s prose is elegant too. Grade: B+
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
None
Witch Child by Celia Reyes – I always enjoy a novel that holds my attention and keeps me turning the pages. I have to give credit to any book that does that, and this novel definitely belongs in that category. It’s about a teenage girl living 400 years ago, whose grandmother is killed for allegedly being a witch and who might face the same situation as well, even though she flees from England to America. The main thing I liked about it was the page-turning aspect. But too much of the plot was predictable and hard to swallow, and the ending was totally unsatisfying. Grade: C+
Society’s Child by Janis Ian – I read a review that said basically that this autobiography might not hold your interest if you’re not already a fan of Janis Ian’s music. I totally disagree. I’m not at all a fan, but this really was a page-turner; I found Ian’s life so interesting. She really had a rollercoaster: fame, obscurity, fortune, debt, coming out, getting married, relationships starting and ending. It was all a thrill to read. The autobiography is not without its negatives either, though. Sometimes Ian’s prose is clichéd or melodramatic. She’s also blunt, a bit jaded, and more than a little arrogant. Also, another problem kept surfacing in the narrative - Janis interacted with and knew many, many people and she would mention someone once, and then they’d show up again 50 pages later with no reminder of who they were. Maybe my memory ain’t what it should be but a few reminders to jog our memories on who is who would have helped, especially when there are so many names in this book. She also uses points of ellipses too many times – I think they are fine for someone’s LJ post but look too casual for a published book. Wow, that’s a lot of griping about this book! But like I said, I still loved it; it’s really written in a way where you’re eager to see what comes next. I’m not a fan of folk music and I even You Tubed some of Ian’s stuff while reading this book. I still don’t care for it, but her life story is intriguing. Grade: B+
More behind the cut.
Branded Ann by Merry Shannon – I should be embarrassed to have enjoyed this novel so much, but I can’t muster up too much regret. “Branded Ann” is historical fiction and, even worse, it doesn’t even aspire to be much more than a romance, albeit one between two women instead of a man and a woman. It centers around a bloodthirsty pirate and the woman she can’t get out of her mind or get enough of. I was really won over by it because the plot was so good. I was really on the edge of my seat as Ann deals with a stowaway child, fights bad weather, battles a potential mutiny, and searches for hidden treasure. It was just really fun to read. Grade: B+
Doing It: Real People Having Really Good Sex by Isadora Alman – This was a fast (and sexy) read; Alman runs a website and an “Ask Isadora” column. The topic - sex. She compiled suggestions from those who have emailed her or posted on her webpage, and grouped them into categories. I can’t say that I fully believed that every snippet was honest (Alman herself admits she has no way to verify the accuracy of the contributions), but the book was still hot and I bet there’s a piece of advice or two in here for everyone. Grade: B
Walk With Us: Triplet Boys, Their Teen Parents & Two White Women Who Tagged Along by Elizabeth K. Gordon – This was an engaging memoir written by one of the “two white women” mentioned in the book’s subtitle. She and her partner, both Quakers involved in anti-racism and justice work, decide to open their home to an African American teenage girl who is pregnant with triplets. The book explores racism in depth. And it’s a fascinating story too. I liked reading how these two women tried to practice their faith and do the right thing at all times, despite the many challenges of the roads they took. Gordon’s prose is elegant too. Grade: B+
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
None
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no subject
Date: 2009-04-05 05:42 pm (UTC)It sounds like an interesting batch of books. Thanks for sharing (and glad to read that you're feeling better too!)
no subject
Date: 2009-04-06 12:26 am (UTC)(Dear god, did I just write "a hoot"?)