Mini-Review Roundup

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan

Did I like this? Yes and no. 

The yes? I was engaged. I wanted to know what would happen next. I read through it pretty quickly as a result (this was definitely a "just one more chapter" kind of book for me). 

I love stories where you're unraveling past events and this book did a good job with that. The past (1930s) and further past (early 1900s) were well balanced and I didn't have a favorite. They felt different and "of their time." I was satisfied with the Big Reveal (though not astounded) and very happy with the ending. I also liked the time spent in the house and on the property (I love "house" books).

The no? The characters were all just okay. The whole book focuses on post-partum depression and the author did a truly excellent job conveying the impact something like this has on the individual and the family. That is a good thing (so a mark in the "yes"), but it was a hard thing to read about (so a mark in the "no").  All of the goods were solid goods, but none of them really wowed me. I decided not to keep my beautiful hardcover and I imagine in a few years I'll see the book and think, "What was that about again?" and shrug. It's good, I'm glad I read it, but it isn't The One for me.

 

Prisoner of Time by Caroline B. Cooney 

 

This is definitely a book written in the 1990s. Thankfully I went into it with those expectations and so everything was fine. I was even pleasantly surprised. I also haven't read the previous books in the series and that wasn't a problem at all (though I probably got some spoilers for those earlier books, which I don't plan on reading). 

So what do I mean by "written in the 1990s?" It's short. A lot of things get wrapped up very quickly and the characters don't have a ton of depth or backstory. And that's fine. If I know to expect this, I actually am just fine with this easy-breezy approach. I got a quick story with characters that, even though they didn't have a ton of depth and nuance, were easy to understand and feel for. Some I felt annoyance, some hatred, some sympathy, and some liking. But I did feel for them. The male lead was no someone I liked very much, but the female lead was and I liked her character arc and romance.

The shortness of it all also meant that the author didn't so much paint a picture of the time and place but rather info-dumped and factoid-packed to give a sense of the setting. And, again, that works for me. There was a lot in there. This approach meant that while I might not have felt like I was living and breathing in the era, it did make me feel like I came away from the book with a good sense of history. I liked it.

Fanuilh by Daniel Hood

 

I liked it. I didn't love it. I could have almost loved it, but there were a few elements I was looking for that weren't there. Namely, I wanted the relationship between the main character and the dragon to be one of those warm fuzzy bonding friendships and it just never got there. It's not in the dragon's nature. Ok, fine. I accept that, but that would have been the key to making this book a Favorite and not just a solid like. 

Anyway, it is what it is, and what it is is a murder mystery set in a "medieval fantasy village." There's the usual cast of characters, and for the most part I liked them. The main character is likable and tropish (think Geralt in The Witcher but less growly), but I consider that a good thing. The mystery was paced well, and though I never found it gripping, I did find it an enjoyable stroll. I liked it enough that I plan on reading the next book, but I wasn't in love enough that I need to read the next book right now. This ends pretty well as a standalone anyway with a promise of "future adventures" but a completion to this current adventure.

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Mini-Review Roundup

 

 

  Mini-Review Roundup

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I am so blown away by how much I adore this book. I wasn't expecting to love it like this, but this was the kind of book that as soon as I finished reading it I wanted to turn back to the beginning and start reading it all over again. If I hadn't read a single book this year except this one, I would have counted that a win. I don't think I can do this book justice with a full review, so here are some highlights: 

 

The length: Yeah, this worried me and is a big reason why it took me so long to finally pick it up. I didn't need to worry. It's compulsively readable and I flew through it. I wish there were more pages and that it would never end. 

 

The characters: I loved them. I quoted them. I wanted to shake them and hug them and have them in my life. I laughed with them, raged with them, was gripped in terror with them, and cried with them. The character studies alone make this a book worth reading. The movie did an excellent job capturing them, but the book takes them and makes them even more fleshed out, nuanced, and amazing. I can't sing their praises enough.

 

The history: so well told. I was utterly gripped as the yankees were descending upon Atlanta, I felt the elation and glow of the early days of the war and the anger and frustration and despair of picking up the pieces of life after everything has been shattered. The historical value of the book is less in a play-by-play of events (though you do get a good feel for things) and more for capturing the feeling of life during that time and all of the terror, hopes, fears, despair, grit, adaptation, resolve, and soul searching of a time of massive change and disruption. It's a history of people, and regardless of what side of the war resonates with the reader, it's important to remember that there were people on both sides, and this book shines a light on that human element.

 

Catherine of Aragon by Giles Trimlett 

 

Catherine is one of history's characters who has endeared herself to me. I like her. I feel for her. I admire her. Giles Trimlett's linear narrative non-fiction account of Catherine's life is everything I could have hoped for. You know when you find a version that makes you feel like that's it, you're done, you'll never be able to find a version that tops this one? Yeah, that's what Giles Trimlett has done for me with Catherine of Aragon. 

What sets this book apart is how well Trimlett captures the emotion of Catherine's story. Her tenacity and fear during the lean years when Henry VII held her fate in limbo, the elation of her early years of marriage to Henry VIII, her love for her daughter, her fight with her husband over her marriage-- all of these events are told with all of the passion, emotion, and tension found in great fiction stories. That scene when Catherine testifies at the divorce trial, throwing herself at Henry's feet, delivering that astounding speech, and then walking out was an absolutely captivating, mic-drop moment. Yes, Catherine did these things, and yes, even the driest author can't take away the power of that moment, but Giles Trimlett captured every detail and emotion with the skill of a great storyteller. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and still I was enthralled. 

Giles Trimlett has written a book about Catherine's mother Isabella, and I'll read that for sure. I wish he had written more about some of my other favorite historical ladies. I can only imagine how Matilda or Eleanor of Aquitaine, Cleopatra, or Marie Antoinette's stories would unfold in his hands.

Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney

 

Well, it seems a little unfair to review this book after those two Special Shelf Spectaculars, so let's try to give Enter Three Witches a fair shake. 

 

Did I love this book? No. Did I enjoy it a whole lot? Yes. Chapters are moderate size, but there are a ton of little chapter breaks within the chapters and each section shifts focus between different characters. The story spins out at a nice pace and it's easy to follow whether or not you're familiar with Shakespeare's version. There's a sense of doom and dread and while none of the characters were super fleshed out, I ended up invested in each of their stories. There's even a nice sense of time and place.

 

I liked this a lot. It's a creative, engaging take on the tale and I'm glad I read it. I decided to keep my print copy.  

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