I loved it....
Plausibility aside, I loved this book for a few simple reasons:
(1) it is a wonderful "guilty pleasure" or great escapism;
(2) it is extremely fast-paced and fun/easy to read;
(3) I found it much more interesting than "DaVinci Code" and "Angles and Demons"; (4) it had the perfect amount of twists and turns, one of which completely shocked me;
(5) the ending truly satisfied me; and
(6) I walked away from it feeling I learned something new.
While at times I'll admit there was a little too much "teaching" for my taste, and I felt the author tried too hard to impress with the tremendous amount of research he had done, I really can't complain because of the six reasons I listed above. (And because I respect the fact that so much research and thought went into writing the novel.)
I highly recommend the book and am a bit surprised so many people didn't love it like I did. Therefore, I would recommend approaching it with an open mind and remembering its a work of fiction.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Red River by Lalita Tademy
Not in the same ballpark as "Cane River".....
While I loved "Cane River" and looked forward to reading "Red River" I was terribly disappointed. I thought the writing lacked depth and fluidity and the character development was weak. I had such a hard time getting into the novel and admit I had to put it down, something I rarely do. I unfortunately can't recommend this book, although I highly recommend "Cane River."
While I loved "Cane River" and looked forward to reading "Red River" I was terribly disappointed. I thought the writing lacked depth and fluidity and the character development was weak. I had such a hard time getting into the novel and admit I had to put it down, something I rarely do. I unfortunately can't recommend this book, although I highly recommend "Cane River."
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
In every way as wonderful as "The Tea Rose".....
I usually lower my expectations when reading a sequel, especially when it comes to a book where I LOVED the original. However, "The Winter Rose" not only exceeded my expectations in every way, but I liked it even more than "The Tea Rose" - if that's possible.
Jennifer Donnelly has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors with these two epic sagas set in London in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The characters are so lifelike and well-developed, you can't help but feel like you understand their motives and feelings and actually know them. In particular, I am eternlly thankful to the author for having written such strong female characters: Fiona Finnegan and India Selwyn Jones are such remarkable, intriguing and multifaceted characters, and certainly as interesting as their male counterparts.
The streets of London literally come to life in both novels and I certainly felt like I could see, hear, touch, taste and smell their every square inch and hidden passages. Ms. Donnelly is a master story-teller so the plot seemlessly moves forward in unpredictable yet completely satisfying ways.
I can not recommend this book highly enough to all readers and am eagerly awaiting the third installment hopefully coming out in the next year or two.
I usually lower my expectations when reading a sequel, especially when it comes to a book where I LOVED the original. However, "The Winter Rose" not only exceeded my expectations in every way, but I liked it even more than "The Tea Rose" - if that's possible.
Jennifer Donnelly has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors with these two epic sagas set in London in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The characters are so lifelike and well-developed, you can't help but feel like you understand their motives and feelings and actually know them. In particular, I am eternlly thankful to the author for having written such strong female characters: Fiona Finnegan and India Selwyn Jones are such remarkable, intriguing and multifaceted characters, and certainly as interesting as their male counterparts.
The streets of London literally come to life in both novels and I certainly felt like I could see, hear, touch, taste and smell their every square inch and hidden passages. Ms. Donnelly is a master story-teller so the plot seemlessly moves forward in unpredictable yet completely satisfying ways.
I can not recommend this book highly enough to all readers and am eagerly awaiting the third installment hopefully coming out in the next year or two.
The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogredis
Eh...
I loved "The Borgia Bride" and "I, Mona Lisa" and was excited to read "The Devil Queen" but was rather disappointed. While the earlier two books kept me on my toes and excited to read right up to the very last page, this one failed to keep my attention and I must admit I skimmed the last hundred pages just to get through it. While the author is indeed an excellent writer and her attention to historical detail is supurb, I would only recommend this one to those with specific interest in Catherine De Medici's life; I believe those who like a broad range of historical fiction topics, like myself, may be a bit bored. That being said, I highly recommend "The Borgia Bride" and "I, Mona Lisa" and would certainly read future novels by this gifted author.
I loved "The Borgia Bride" and "I, Mona Lisa" and was excited to read "The Devil Queen" but was rather disappointed. While the earlier two books kept me on my toes and excited to read right up to the very last page, this one failed to keep my attention and I must admit I skimmed the last hundred pages just to get through it. While the author is indeed an excellent writer and her attention to historical detail is supurb, I would only recommend this one to those with specific interest in Catherine De Medici's life; I believe those who like a broad range of historical fiction topics, like myself, may be a bit bored. That being said, I highly recommend "The Borgia Bride" and "I, Mona Lisa" and would certainly read future novels by this gifted author.
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