Saturday, March 26, 2016

Review:: Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal


Title: Glamour in Glass
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
Series: Glamourist Histories, #2
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Previously:

Wow. I was really unhappy with how Shades of Milk and Honey turned out, but it seems Glamour in Glass is more my taste. Mary Robinette Kowal seems to come into her own with this novel; rather than seeing a Jane Austen homage, I feel like I can really see her own writing shine through. Glamour in Glass deals with all sorts of issues, while being an easy and quick read. Some spoilers towards the end of the review.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Review:: Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett


Title: Wyrd Sisters
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld, #6
Format: Kindle
Rating: ★★★★☆

Previously:

At first I was going to give this one three stars, but then I realized that I'd been laughing aloud throughout the entire book. Even if I have some quibbles, those have to be overridden by legitimate lols.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review:: The Garden of Marvels, by Ruth Kassinger


Title: A Garden of Marvels: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of the Way Plants Work
Author: Ruth Kassinger
Format: Kindle
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Considering the subtitle, I expected to learn a lot from A Garden of Marvels. Instead, I ended up only learning a little, as the bulk of the book (which isn't very long) was anecdotes about Kassinger's gardening and how she came to learn what she's teaching us. In some contexts that could have been done well, but in this instance, I found it tiring.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Review:: The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. LeGuin


Title: The Farthest Shore
Author: Ursula K. LeGuin
Series: The Earthsea Cycle, #3
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

I can't exactly put a finger on why I didn't enjoy The Farthest Shore as much as I enjoyed the first two Earthsea books, but I think it has nothing to do with the plot, and rather the introduction of a new character.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Review:: Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut


Title: Slaughterhouse-Five
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Format: Kindle
Rating: ★★★★☆

They say Kurt Vonnegut is a love him or hate him kind of author, and I have to admit that while I haven't extensively read him, I fall into the former category. Last time I read Slaughterhouse-Five I was in high school, but I didn't read it for high school. Coming back to it as an adult, it wasn't like I remembered at all (I remembered it being more like Catch-22), but it was a delight to read.

Well, maybe delight is the wrong word.

Monday, March 21, 2016

News and Stuff:: Where Have I Been?

Well, I have been reading. But not a lot.

Depression hit me pretty hard. No, let's not censor this. Depression hit me right out of the game.

I really, really love reading and I love writing my reviews, too. Which makes it so unfair that depression gets to take them away from me.

The good news is, I'm starting to feel better. Things are moving forward. I've got a review scheduled for tomorrow and all will be good.

I just have to keep telling myself that.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Review:: Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett


Title: Sourcery
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld, #5
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

Sourcery returns us to Rincewind, which really isn't a bad thing. The book is funny, gathering a few out-loud chuckles here and there. This one also had more of a plot than the previous Rincewind novels, which is definitely a plus in my book. However, it still didn't quite stand out or on its own. It was an enjoyable read for sure-I liked it-but it didn't feel phenomenal.