Review:: Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Title: Glamour in Glass

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Series: Glamourist Histories, #2

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★☆

Previously:

Shades of Milk and Honey

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.

Review:: Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett

Title: Wyrd Sisters

Author: Terry Pratchett

Series: Discworld, #6

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★★★☆

Previously:

The Colour of Magic

The Light Fantastic

Equal Rites

Mort

Sourcery

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.

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.

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:

A Wizard of Earthsea

The Tombs of Atuan

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.

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.

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.

Review:: Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett

Title: Sourcery

Author: Terry Pratchett

Series: Discworld, #5

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

The Colour of Magic

The Light Fantastic

Equal Rites

Mort

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.