Favorites

American Ghost

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

TW raved about American Ghost and I kind of rolled my eyes at her assuming her rave review was based only on the setting of the book. (North/Central Florida.) (And I can understand why that kind of thing can cause one to have an over-inflated love of a book. Happens to me quite often, too.)

But, turns out, the book is just pretty darn good all around. Good characters. Good story. It keeps a nice pace, all the way through — never too fast or too slow. I wasn’t sure when we got to the part that brought the Frazier brothers to Florida but I loved both of those guys. Loved the way they came into town and how they interacted with the community while looking for the “fangers”.

I never thought I’d say I’d love a book about exhibition lynchings. But I did.

PS. Nothing good can come of going to a fish camp. Or a hunting camp. Do not go. I’ve been saying this for years. Can’t say it enough. Do. Not. Go.

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Etiquette & Espionage

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Steampunk, Young Adult /

I’ve been waiting for the new YA series from Gail Carriger since, forever. OK not forever but it felt that way. Now that I’ve read Etiquette & Espionage I’m back to counting the days (months!) until the next book is out. Grrr. I hate waiting for books.

Sophronia is more Flavia de Luce than Alexia Tarabotti — probably, in part, due to the age of Sophronia and her friends as well as the lack of supernaturals. Oh there are supernaturals, just not so many or so frequent as in the P.P. series. I wonder if we’ll get more supernaturals in future books — and more characters to help us connect the dots to the P.P. series. (the dots we were able to connect in this book were excellent. Well done, Carriger, well done.

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The Secret of the Fortune Wookie

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction /

Hard to believe but I think The Secret of the Fortune Wookie ended up being my favorite in the series, so far.  I wasn’t sure that was going to be the case since Dwight wasn’t in much of the book – but nope, I loved it. I really did. I am appalled by the “Fundamental” program starting at their school in the next quarter but confident that THE FORCE will be with them. 

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Dangerously Funny

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I’m so glad KissChronicles posted her review of Dangerously Funny — if she hadn’t, I may never have read it and that would be a shame.

This was one of the best books I’ve read in forever — but there were two problems. First, I kept stopping to look at old clips from The Smothers Brothers or from Bob Newhart or from Harry Belafonte or… the list of videos I watched, well, it was long. Very long. Second, I really want to re-watch all three seasons of The Smothers Brothers but they aren’t available on Netflix. Wah!

It’s funny — I was only 4 when their show went on the air and it ended when I was 6 but I definitely remember watching it and really liking it. (Also interesting, I didn’t like Laugh In nearly as much but I did like Hee Haw quite a bit.)

Since I was so young, I had no idea how… different… this show was and how important. I’m glad I know, now.

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Princess Elizabeth’s Spy

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

I think I liked Princess Elizabeth’s Spy more than I liked Mr Churchill’s Secretary.  I liked the little princesses. I like Maggie (mostly) without a man – too bad she doesn’t seem to be able to keep from entering relationships with so many of them. Sheesh. The next book is going to be awfully complicated and I’m a little disgruntled about Maggie’s mom… I knew it was coming but still, I’m not loving that. I hope I like it better as it plays out.

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The Last Nude

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Queer, Women /

In my quest to read my lesbian fiction, I sometimes stop and grab recently reviewed or mentioned titles from The Lesbrary feed in my feedreader. The Last Nude is one that I added to my library reserve list after seeing it on that blog. I’m glad I did. It was even better than I expected it to be, part one, in particular. Part two… well, I didn’t hate it but it was somewhat unsatisfying but that’s probably the best way to leave a story about Lempicka’s life.

Tamara de Lempicka was fascinating, in this book and in everything I’ve ever read about her… it would have been fascinating to meet her.  Here’s the page that shows her work, during the primary period of the book. La belle Rafaëla  in red is better than the green.

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Mr. Churchill’s Secretary

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Queer /

The first few pages of Mr. Churchill’s Secretary made me nervous because I wasn’t feeling the instant love. I kept plodding along because EVERYONE I know really liked it. By the time I was 75 pages in, I was hooked  and I must find  out what happens to Maggie Hope next! (I sure wish Aunt Edith wasn’t stuck in the USA, because I’d like more of her. I’m not so taken with Edmund, but maybe he will grow on me?)

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Girl of Nightmares

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I did that thing that I always do at the beginning of the year – I went through my reading list from last year and reserved a few books from series or sequels to books that we’ve read, to try and keep up/catch up. Girl of Nightmares was one of those – the sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood (one of the best kids horror books I’ve read.)

Girl of Nightmares wasn’t as creepy as Anna  Dressed in Blood – not enough scary stuff, too much talking about scary stuff that might or might not happen. And I guess watching an already dead and gone to hell ghost die over and over again, in horrible ways, is not as creepy, scary as reading about very scary ghosties attacking people.  The suicide forest wasn’t even as creepy as I thought it would be – maybe I’ve always pictured the suicide forest differently?

So while it wasn’t nearly as creepy, it was still good. I really liked the addition of Jestine and how it all played out at the end – Anna went where she was supposed to go, I think … now we just have to see what happens with the Order and its asthame…

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The Clockwork Three

2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Young Adult /

I reserved The Clockwork Three, on audio, last year – after we finished listening to the author’s book, Icefall. Two completely different books, both very good – I really enjoyed every single character in The Clockwork Three. The kids, the adults (even the bad adults) – fabulously done. (I’m sorry he doesn’t have another book for me to reserve because I’m pretty darn sure we’d enjoy it, whatever it was about.)

(The epilogue and the reading of the news stories, from the late 1800s, that inspired him to write this book was interesting, too.)

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