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Search tags: deweys-24-hour-readathon
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review 2018-09-19 07:11
Review: Slade House
Slade House: A Novel - David Mitchell

Wow!  This was a pretty creepy and twisted tale.  This book was beautifully written and very interesting.  The whole time I read it, Hotel California was playing on a loop inside my head.

 

But what to say about it?  It's kinda of the age-old tale of a man being too stupid or stubborn--or both-- to listen to the woman in his life.  If Jonah had just listened to his sister Nora, things could have turned out so, so differently for both of them.

 

This is basically a Hotel California type situation.  A person with the right type of...psychic energy I guess, is lured into Slade House by the Grayer siblings, where they are treated to all sorts of fantasies--or hallucinations--and once they succumb, they are never seen again.  But each victim is warned by the previous victim until finally one of them is strong enough to fight back, which is the beginning of the end for the Slade House.

 

It was pretty spooky and kind of sad.  Enough of he victims' backgrounds were revealed that you felt real sympathy for most of them.  Anger, even, at siblings for what they were doing to innocent people.  It was a very good series of interconnected vignettes and while it wasn't completely an 'open ending', I feel like there is a door left open for a sequel.  I'd be very interested in reading.

 

 

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review SPOILER ALERT! 2017-11-07 03:25
Review: It
It: A Novel - Stephen King

So it only took me forever, but not because the book was bad (obviously).  I'm just a slacker.

 

I don't know what to say about it other than it is another gem from the master, Stephen King.  It was well written and had the right amount of creepiness, horror and humor.

 

There are some triggering scenes with animal abuse that were discomforting to me.

 

And am I the only one who felt bad for It in the end?  I think it was the mom in me feeling a little softhearted as It begged for it's life and for the life of it's progeny.  But, of course, I know It couldn't be left to survive, nor could it's young.  But for a brief moment, I felt It's pain; the need to save itself and it's children.

 

All in all, it was quite the roller-coaster ride.

 

 

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review 2017-04-30 02:29
Parnassus on Wheels - Christopher Morley

I don't even know what to day about this. It was fantastic. It seems I say that about a lot of my reads, but I guess I just have good taste!

Helen, the protagonist is sick of her brother the Andrew. He's living the life of a farmer when suddenly he gets it into his head to write a book, which of course got published. This lead to publishes beating down the door, and Andrew going off for weeks and months at a time leaving Helen to handle things on the farm.

Needless to say she tires of it quickly, so when Mr. Roger Mifflin arrives at the farm with his bookstore on wheels, proposing to sell it to Andrew, Helen buys it instead. She'll be damned if Andrew goes off on another months long adventure and stick her with all the farm work. This is the beginning of a ridiculous, fabulous adventure for the forty-year-old woman who hadn't had so much as a vacation in fifteen years.

Andrew's in a right state when he finds out about it and ends up chasing down Helen and Mifflin, who was staying on only long enough to show her the ropes of Parnassus, the rolling bookstore. There are fights, robberies, deception, visits with book enthusiasts, actual book sales, and all along it turns out to be a love story.

It was really quite beautiful and a must read for all bookish people. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, The Haunted Bookshop!

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review 2016-10-22 23:50
Review of "Witchstruck" (Tudor Witch Trilogy, #1) by Victoria Lamb.
Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb

This should have worked for me.  Paranormal set in Tudor times during Elizabeth I's banishment to Woodville.

 

Ugh.  Such petty, mean-spirited entitled characters.  

 

Cannot believe was published in U.K. first as a Random House Children's book (in U.S. by Harlequin).  It's pretty dark with the type of witchcraft that uses bloody entrails and suspected witches are tortured and put to death in probably more detail than should be in a children's book.

 

Cruel magicks deemed "harmless" ... nope.  I realize M.C. was a girl in a misogynistic world, servant class, etc.  But still often petty and unthinkingly self-involved; an unlikable and often hypocritical bunch of unsympathetic characters.

 

The time period is an interesting one, as are some of the rare glimpses of Elizabeth (who here condones and even participates in witchcraft).  But that's more because I find that setting interesting than because this book made it interesting.  

 

I should have DNF'ed.  What kept me going:  a quick enough read, reading during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, a library borrow meaning I read first, with unbelievably high reviews and recommendations from friends.  Seriously, what were they thinking to praise this? 

 

ETA:  I should add that M.C. also keeps the (pretty much do everything for her even if against own beliefs and best interests) love interest dangling.

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review 2016-04-27 21:54
Review of "Midnight Blue-Light Special" (InCrypid, #2) by Seanan McGuire aka Mira Grant
Midnight Blue-Light Special - Seanan McGuire

This reader's personal opinion, ©2016, all rights reserved, not to be quoted, clipped or used in any way by Google Play, Penumbra Publishing, amazon.com or other commercial booksellers* 

 

This was as fast-paced and frequently hilarious as the first book in the series, Discount Armageddon.  I hadn't been in a hurry to continue the series (despite loving the Aeslin mice) just because knew series didn't keep same main characters throughout. This one was still Verity's tale. And story arc wrapped up nicely for her, no cliffhanger ending here.

 

A perfect read for last Saturday's Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon plus Bookshelf BINGO's Urban Fantasy shelf.  

 

Kinda worth reading this one just to see Istas and the Aeslin mice bonding over carcasses.

 

 

I will be pursuing the series. Next book is brother Alex's and with any luck may find out if last male dragon William's

eggs hatch boys or girls and if they get him out of the subway/city that built around his hibernation.

(spoiler show)

 

A couple of quotes:

“Verity didn’t mind bogeymen—they were pretty nice, mostly, if you didn’t let them talk you into doing anything you weren’t supposed to do—..."

"Cryptid, noun:
1. Any creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven scientifically. Term officially coined by cryptozoologist John E. Wall in 1983.
2. That thing that's getting ready to eat your head.
3. See also: monster"

 

These books are so much fun -- and so utterly not what I expected from Hugo-award-winning [author:Seanan McGuire|2860219] aka [author:Mira Grant|3153776].


*©2016. All rights reserved except permission is granted to author or publisher (except Penumbra Publishing) to reprint/quote in whole or in part. I may also have posted on booklikes, goodreads, Leafmarks, and may have cross-posted to other book sites including kobo and Barnes and Noble. Posting on any site does not grant that site permission to share with any third parties.  

 

Ratings scale used in absence of a booklikes suggested rating scale:

★★★★★ = All Time Favorite 
★★★★½ = Extraordinary Book. Really Loved It.
★★★★☆ = Loved It.
★★★½☆ = Really Liked.
★★★☆☆ = Liked.
★★½☆☆ = Liked parts; parts only okay. Would read more by author.
★★☆☆☆ = Average.   Okay. 
★½☆☆☆ = Disliked or meh? but kept me reading in hopes would get better.
★☆☆☆☆ = Loathed It. Possibly DNF and a torturous read.
½☆☆☆☆ = So vile was a DNF or should have been. Cannot imagine anyone liking.  (Might also be just an "uploaded" word spew or collection that should not be dignified by calling itself a "published book." If author is going batshit crazy in the blogosphere over reviews -- I now know why they are getting bad reviews.  Or maybe author should take remedial classes for language written in until basic concepts like using sentences sink in. Is author even old enough to sign a publishing contract or do they need a legal guardian to sign for them?)

 

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