Saturday, August 17, 2013

Week in Review: August 11-17

When We Were Very Young. A.A. Milne. 1924. 100 pages. [Source: Library]
The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline. Flora Fraser. 1996/2009. Anchor Books. 560 pages. [Source: Library]
Secrets at Sea. Richard Peck. 2011/2012. Penguin. 256 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
New Lands (Chronicles of Egg #2). Geoff Rodkey. 2013. Penguin. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Frozen: Heart of Dread. Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. 2013. Penguin. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Imperfect Spiral. Debbie Levy. 2013. Bloomsbury. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Love Finds A Home. Janette Oke. 1989. Bethany House. 240 pages. [Source: Owned for decades] 
Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study. D.L. Moody. 167 pages. [Source: Bought]

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Library Loot: Third Trip in August

New Loot:
  • You Wouldn't Want to Be in Alexander the Great's Army by Jacqueline Morley
  • You Wouldn't Want to Be a Shakespearean Actor by Jacqueline Morley
  • You Wouldn't Want to Be A World War II Pilot: by Ian Graham
  • You Wouldn't Want to Be Joan of Arc by Fiona Macdonald
  • Alexander the Conqueror: The Epic Story of the Warrior King by Laura Foreman
  • The Norman Conquest of England by Janice Hamilton
  • Far Traveler by Rebecca Tingle
  • The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer
  • The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
  • A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer
  • The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  • Charlie and the Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
  • How the Barbarian Invasions Shaped the Modern World: The Vikings, Vandals, Huns, Mongols, Goths, and Tartars Who Razed the Old World and Formed the New by Thomas J. Craughwell
  • Becoming Shakespeare: The Unlikely Afterlife That Turned a Provincial Playwright into the Bard by Jack Lynch
  • Captives by Jill Williamson
  • The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer
  • The Armada by Garrett Mattingly
  • How To Create the Perfect Wife: Britains Most Ineligible Bachelor and His Enlightened Quest to Train the Ideal Mate by Wendy Moore
  • How Shakespeare Changed Everything by Stephen Marche
Leftover Loot:
  • The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer
  • Charlotte & Leopold: The True Story of the Original People's Princess by James Chambers 
  • Macbeth: A True Story by Fiona Watson
   Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.   

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Friday, August 16, 2013

Challenge Updates, part 1

Host: Roof Beam Reader
Name: TBR Pile
Dates: Jan - Dec
# of Books: 12
Limitations: Must be from list of 12 +2 alternates; pre-2012 publication date

I've read ELEVEN out of twelve books. That is the good news. This is the closest I've come to finishing Adam's challenge! The bad news? Well, the three remaining books on the list have fallen into the I would rather be reading anything else category. I have zero interest in reading them this year--if at all. How does this happen? Why??? Can I choose one of the three and persevere through it? Perhaps! I do have four months for an attitude adjustment.

1. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter, 1913
2. Pollyanna Grows Up, Eleanor Porter, 1915
3. Brentwood, Grace Livingstone Hill, 1937
4. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer, 1928
5. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer, 1930
6. Party Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, 1946
7. Skating Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, 1951
8. Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer, 1941
9. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout, 1935
10. The Rubber Band by Rex Stout, 1936
11. The Red Box by Rex Stout, 1937  

My three choices: Lord Peter Complete Stories by Dorothy Sayer. The sad thing? I started this one last winter got about halfway through and decided I just didn't care for her short stories. I Will Repay by Baroness Emma Orczy. If I can work past my need to reread Scarlet Pimpernel, this one might not be as intimidating? But my reread of Scarlet Pimpernel--I started in the spring--hasn't gone well. Lighthouse by Eugenia Price. I started this one last spring too. But my paperback copy stinks.

Host: My Reader's Block
Name: Vintage Mysteries
Dates: Jan - Dec
# Target Books: 8 - 16
Limitations: Mysteries published BEFORE 1960

I have to confess that I ADORE this challenge. I've always managed to complete the vintage mystery challenge in previous years, but this challenge just brings me so much joy!!!  It is challenging and rewarding.

So far, I've definitely finished 18 books. I will probably keep adding books in the various categories. There are several easy categories that I haven't used up just yet. But my goal was 16 and I've matched that!!! The 18th book will be reviewed later this month.

What I read:

1. Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh (1947) qualifies as #4 leave it to the professionals
2. The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1931) qualifies as #3 amateur night
3. Why Shoot a Butler by Georgette Heyer (1933) qualifies as #23 the butler did it...or not
4. The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham (1948) qualifies as #8, dangerous beasts
5. Hamlet, Revenge by Michael Innes (1937) qualifies as #13 staging the crime
6. Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (1932) qualifies as #33 international detectives
7. Lord Edgware Dies (aka Thirteen at Dinner) (1933) qualifies as #11, a book with a man in the title
8. Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers (1928) qualifies as #14 scene of the crime
9. The Daughter of Time. (Inspector Grant #5). Josephine Tey. 1955 qualifies as #35 authors who wrote under a pseudonym
10. The Red Box. Nero Wolfe. (Nero Wolfe #4) 1936. qualifies as #1 a book with a color in the title
11. Envious Casca. Georgette Heyer. 1941. qualifies as #16 a locked-room mystery
12. Strong Poison. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1930 qualifies as #27 as psychic phenomenon*
13. The Five Red Herrings. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1931. qualifies as # 2 murder by the numbers
14. A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer (1938) qualifies as #12 murderous methods
15. The Case of the Cautious Coquette by Erle Stanley Gardner (1949) qualifies as #10 a book with a woman in the title
16. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937) qualifies as #18 murder on the high seas
17. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (1935) qualifies as #19 planes, trains, and automobiles
18.The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (1929) qualifies as #17 country house murder

Host: Turning the Pages
Name: 2013 pre-1960 Classic Children's Books
Dates: Jan- Dec
# of Books: my goal is 52

What I Read:

1. Thomas the Tank Engine Collection--512 pages; 14 picture books published as one story collection, 1945-1960.
2. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery, 1908
3. Pollyanna, Eleanor Porter, 1913
4. Racketty-Packetty House, Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1906
5. Heidi, Johanna Spyri, 1880
6. The Real Mother Goose, 1916
7. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911
8. Anne of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery, 1909
9. Pollyanna Grows Up, Eleanor Porter, 1915
10. Elsie Dinsmore, Martha Finley, 1867
11. The Story Girl, L.M. Montgomery, 1911
12. Daddy-Long-Legs, Jean Webster, 1912
13. The Golden Road, L.M. Montgomery, 1913
14. Anne of the Island, L.M. Montgomery, 1915
15. Understood Betsy. Dorothy Canfield Fisher. 1916.
16. Anne's House of Dreams. L.M. Montgomery. 1917.
17. Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 1919.
18. Rilla of Ingleside. L.M. Montgomery. 1921
19. Party Shoes. Noel Streatfeild. 1946. Oxford Children's Classics. 320 pages.
20. Skating Shoes. Noel Streatfeild. 1951. 224 pages.
21. Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1883. 311 pages.
22. The Little Prince. Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 1943/2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 112 pages.
23. A Little Princess. Frances Hodgson Burnett. 1905.
24. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis. 1950.
25. The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1937.
26. Little House in the Big Woods. Laura Ingalls Wilder. 1932.
27. Little House on the Prairie. Laura Ingalls Wilder. 1935.
28. Pinocchio. Carlo Collodi.  1883.
29.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1900.
30. The Marvelous Land of Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1904.
31. Ozma of Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1907.
32. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1908.
33. Emily of New Moon. L.M. Montgomery. 1923.
34. Emily Climbs. L.M. Montgomery. 1925.
35. Emily's Quest. L.M. Montgomery. 1927.
36. Mary Marie. Eleanor H. Porter. 1920.
37. The Belgian Twins. Lucy Fitch Perkins. 1917. 124 pages.
38. The Jungle Book. Rudyard Kipling. 1894/1895/2012. Random House. 320 pages.
39. Magic for Marigold. L.M. Montgomery. 1929. 274 pages.
40. The Magic Pudding. Norman Lindsay. 1918. 144 pages. [Source: Bought]
41. Half Magic. Edward Eager. 1954. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
42. Mary Poppins. P.L. Travers. Illustrated by Mary Shepard. 1934/2006. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
43. I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book. Iona and Peter Opie. Illustrations by Maurice Sendak. 1947/2012. Candlewick Press. 160 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
44. The Road to Oz. L. Frank Baum. 1909. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
45. When We Were Very Young. A.A. Milne. 1924. 100 pages. [Source: Library]

Host: Doing Dewey
Name: Book to Movies
Dates: Jan - Dec
# Books & Movies: Movie Lover, 9

What I Read & Watched:

1. Book review: Anne of Green Gables  movie review: Anne of Green Gables
2. Book review: Heidi movie review: Heidi
3. Book review: Pollyanna movie review: Pollyanna
4. Book review: Pygmalion movie review: Pygmalion
5. Book review: English Governess at the Siamese Court; movie review: King and I
6. Book review: Les Miserables; movie review: Les Miserables
7. Book review: Stardust; movie review: Stardust
8. Book review: Invention of Hugo Cabret; movie review: Hugo
9. Book review and movie review: Death on the Nile.
Just realized I finished this one!!! 

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Imperfect Spiral (2013)

Imperfect Spiral. Debbie Levy. 2013. Bloomsbury. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Imperfect Spiral is a novel about finding your voice, and finding courage and strength to take a stand. Danielle Samuelson doesn't think she has much courage, ever since her huge panic attack the day of her bat mitzvah, she has doubted herself and her ability to ever be in public without making a fool of herself. (Specifically talking in public). Her best friend, Becca, wanted her to be a camp counselor with her. But Danielle was hesitant; instead she chose to babysit one kid for the summer. His name was Humphrey. The first chapter reveals the tragedy: Danielle and Humphrey were walking home from the park one evening when Humphrey was hit by a van. He died in Danielle's arms. His death upsets a community; neighbors are calling for change and reform. They want sidewalks. They want street lights. They want stronger immigration laws. (The driver of the van was an illegal immigrant.)

What I loved most about Imperfect Spiral was the depth of the characterization. I loved Danielle and her family. I especially loved Danielle's older brother, Adrian. I love how there he is for her during this. I also loved her best friend, Becca. I thought the author did a great job establishing Danielle in relationships. Danielle was a character I cared for. And I wanted her to succeed, to find the strength to speak up.

If the novel has a weakness, it may be in a series of coincidences that are revealed toward the end of the novel. To speak of these coincidences would be to spoil the book.

I liked this one. 

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Frozen: Heart of Dread (2013)

Frozen: Heart of Dread. Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. 2013. Penguin. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I love Frozen for many reasons. I love it for the world-building. It is a fantasy novel with post-apocalyptic themes. So there are magical/fantastical elements to this dark dystopian society. I like how everything is not explained all at once, there is some mystery as well. It is a hard world to live in, survival doesn't come easy or without sacrifice. I love it for the characterization. All our characters--major and minor--have some issues, have some flaws. This makes things interesting! Nat, our heroine, is looking for a way to escape. It is not safe for her where she is, though she has made some friends in New Vegas, but her escape is just as dangerous, if not more so, than staying would be. She is, when she admits it, in search of the mythical Blue, a mysterious, legendary place unaffected by the new Ice Age. She hires one man, Ryan Wesson, and his crew to take her. From the start this is a difficult journey. I loved getting to know Ryan, and some of the crew as well. I liked some of the quirkiness to these characters. In a way, the characters were predictable, but in other ways, they were complex too. Nat and Ryan's relationship may be obvious, but, it wasn't rushed either. I definitely appreciated that it was just the one romance and there wasn't a hint of a love triangle!!! I liked the strangeness of some of the characters, and the magical elements of the story. I thought the storytelling was good. I liked the journey aspect, the dangers along the way, the chance to see the world--bleak and harsh and strange as it may be. I liked the different glimpses of society and community on land and at sea.

If you like dark fantasy OR dystopias OR post-apocalyptic fiction, then this one may be just right for you.

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews