Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts

Friday, March 6, 2015

Book Review of Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

I can finally breathe like normal again, and I've left my comfort cave of blankets for the first time in days… It also explains the lack of blogging as of lately, because I haven't been up for it. Not to mention my taste buds have disappeared temporarily after burning my mouth on hot soups and teas for the duration of sick-ville.
I can't blog about food if I can't even taste what I'm making! God knows I would've been dumping heaps of garlic into it for my own well being, but that doesn't mean everyone wants a garlic bulb in every dish! Or you would if you don't mind not talking all day… The garlic breath would be a social killer. (For sure…)

Moving on though, because I've got blog posts to catch up on! (Three days worth!) You should see my nightmare work pile to catch up on! (Eeek!)

One of the best things that Eragon provided me with though, was being there in bed when I was sick all week. It's a book that's entertaining, and quite frankly I like to keep as a security blanket just like Harry Potter. So will this book review be biased? I'm certain it will to an extent, but I'll try to critique it like any other critic. (No promises though!)

Eragon
by
Christopher Paolini

Eragon

By

Christopher Paolini

     Christopher Paolini became an international best seller with this first novel of his. He was an anomaly in terms of what he had achieved with Eragon, after all he wrote the novel at the age of 15. Eragon is a fantasy novel about a boy named Eragon who comes into the possession of a dragon egg. It depicts his journey, and role in the shaping of the Empire as he also grows into a man. Christopher Paolini does an amazing job at developing characters throughout the novel, and he is able to articulate the characters dialogue quintessentially. 
     The most prominent characters are Eragon, Saphira, and Brom. I find it fitting to begin with the namesake of the book first, and I found Eragon to be a well groomed character. He moves through the book, and grows throughout as well. Yet he always has his self-same faults and virtues, and that is something that sticks with me when delving into reading a book. Eragon doesn’t lose the good of himself even after some extenuating circumstances, and even with knowledge he still has faults that aren’t easily fixable. It makes Eragon seem real, and not a two-dimensional character. Saphira is an exquisite creature, as a dragon she is not quite human in her conversations, however due to the closeness to Eragon she is able to relate. I would say that I regret Saphira’s lack of outlandish qualities though, because it almost makes her seem too tame. The last character that held the most importance to me was Brom, he was a story-teller, teacher, and father-figure. He carried many hats, and yet he always seemed to have a spark to him in all scenarios. Granted he never grew much throughout, but he always lent a sense of calm to both Saphira and Eragon in times of need.  
     I loved the way that Christopher Paolini wrote Eragon. It’s a novel that was written with care, and with love put into it. That appreciation really filtered through the whole book because it never felt neglected. Many novels can begin to feel lost once the author loses it’s infatuation with the story, but throughout Eragon you feel like you’re on a continuous journey and growing with the characters. It’s a style of writing that I happen to miss nowadays in the fantasy genre, and I can’t help but praise the prose and language used throughout. I will admit though that at times Eragon seems to be very similar to Lord of the Rings, and I understand that it can’t be helped. Sometimes though it detracts from the novel though, and makes it seem a little unoriginal. If you ignore those similarities, than it’s a novel that is endearing and captivating.  
     I believe that Eragon is a tried and true novel, and it hasn’t been constantly replicated by other authors trying to fit into that niche market for novels. Christopher Paolini clearly employed an amazing amount of time, and heart into Eragon. It’s something that captured my heart when I first read it many years ago, and it’s a novel that still holds my heart today.

My rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.

If ya'll aren't digging the fantasy genre you may want to just come back for the recipes, because I can't not read the rest of the books by Christopher Paolini. After all it is a series!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Book Review of Flower Net, by Lisa See

I'm sorry everyone, but I feel like all my reviews have been negative as of lately. This one is no different, and that's why I'm going to read something this month that I know I already love. Enough about my, "woe is me" act. All that matters is that Flower Net became (quickly) boring to me. So without further adieu - a review!


Flower Net
By
Lisa See

Flower Net

By

Lisa See

     I’ve read a Lisa See novel before, and I will say that Flower Net is much different than I had thought. I wanted to read this novel as a nice break from the unexpected, and being familiar with See’s work I thought this was the perfect opportunity. Flower Net is centered around a man named David, and a woman named Hulan investigating two murders based in China and the United States. The investigation conducted by David and Hulan reveals a broader story between the deaths.       
     The most prominent characters are David, and Hulan. I think they were perfect spectrums for the novel. David was more forward, outspoken, and a stringent person when it came to order. He reminded me of an individual that would read a manual twice over before actually using an item, whereas Hulan was almost always the opposite. She was more reserved, willing to push forward without order, and jump into a situation than David.  
     I wanted to love Flower Net, I really truly did, but I didn’t. Maybe I put too much faith in See for the other novels I’ve read of hers. The sad thing is though this particular novel reminded me of something that could be made directly into a movie. There are some books that can pull off a novel like that, yet Flower Net doesn’t make the cut. David and Hulan to me were an interesting pair, however I didn’t like them as a couple. To be frank I would’ve enjoyed the novel more had the relationship not been a factor.       
     I don’t know why Lisa See had to make a relationship part of the underlying story as well as the main story. I think sometimes writers use relationships as a crux in story-writing, and unfortunately that focus to me hinders my desire to focus. In addition it almost made me not finish Flower Net, and I found it hard to bring myself to even write I review. I’m glad I’ve read other novels by Lisa See, because with how Flower Net turned out it would’ve put me off from reading another novel. It’s a great book to read for those who want a high-dialogue focused novel, and something that reads like a screen play. If those things aren’t something you like, than I’d give this book a break before opening it. 


My rating: 2.75 out of 5 Stars.

I'm so tired of my less than ideal book picks, and I don't want to delve more into this because I'm already finished with Flower Net.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Book Review of Daggerspell, by Katharine Kerr

Well what a disappointment… I guess the phrase "you can't judge a book by it's cover" is true. It was worth a shot though, and I'll admit I almost didn't make it through this book by Katharine Kerr. I wish I knew what other people saw in it, because I certainly didn't see the same thing. For a novel with almost a full 5 stars on Goodreads I expected something great. I don't know if anyone else has read this, if you have I'd love to hear your thoughts - just shout out in the comment section!

Daggerspell
by
Katharine Kerr

Daggerspell

By

Katharine Kerr

     Katharine Kerr is someone I remember almost reading when I was a younger child, but for some reason I never seemed to pick up any of her novels. I think at the time I was to young to truly understand some of what the books were about, and in this novel Kerr had a very interesting synopsis.      
Daggerspell is a unique phenomenon of a young lord named Nevyn trying to right the wrong caused 400 years past between two lovers as they reincarnate each lifetime. In addition to his quest to fix the order of life, the present day reincarnated lovers must battle a dark magic. In the beginning I was beginning to love this book, however for me Kerr did a poor job uniting the past with the present. It became exceptionally glaring for some of the   character interactions for me.     
Those characters were Nevyn, Jill, Cullyn, and Rhodry. It’s hard for me to explain some of the characters as they predominately demonstrated their past souls as well as their current souls. The most steadfast character of all was Nevyn who doesn’t change through the years because of his mastery of magic casting. Jill was endearing to me through most of the novel because of her steadfast character, of all the characters she was the one whose soul didn’t keep flip-flopping. Jill’s father Cullyn was a rarity in what I would’ve expected in a mercenary, and it made it easier to handle when Kerr finally clued us in to who he was in a past life. Rhodry annoyed me, plain and simple. For as much of a ‘good’ lord as he was supposed to be, almost all of his behavior until the end seemed brash and stupid. Then again, maybe I’m just biased.       
I’m starting to become depressed in these book choices I’ve been making, and maybe it’s because I’m trying too hard to branch out towards different books. I just found Kerr to  be confusing, and lacking direction when she wrote this novel. At one point the book seemed like it was going to redeem itself, but that’s when Kerr threw in a war after a quick skirmish and one mention of possible unrest. In my experience of reading fantasy novels I’ve never had an author just bring about war and not delve into the cause in depth beforehand.      
Lastly I would’ve loved more of a cohesive time jumping sequence than the one in which Kerr gave Daggerspell. It makes it confusing when one jumps from the present to earliest past, to present, to later past, and again. I wouldn’t have been so disappointed with that had I understood the importance of one time jump - which I didn’t. Daggerspell left me tired, bored, and repulsed in some chapters.       
I most likely will not be giving the rest of Katharine Kerr’s books in this series a chance. I don’t know if I’ll be reaching towards another of her books again, or at least for awhile. I’m one of the few that does not love Daggerspell and you never know until you try a book at least once. If you want to judge this novel by the average rating feel free, I did - and I was severely disappointed.  
 My Rating: 1.75 out of 5 Stars.

There's nothing worse then dreading picking up a book, and unfortunately that's the taste left in my mouth after reading Daggerspell
Luckily I'm reading something truly charming (at least to me) for the next month. Needless to say it was picked because my future Father-In-Law wants some homemade Chinese food. Not to mention homemade Chinese food is just simply amazing anyway. 
See you all tomorrow!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Book Review of Midnight Bayou, by Nora Roberts

I feel like I'm starting to sound like a broken record - but here it goes. I'm so glad I'm done reading this book. What a let down… I hate to say it, but sometimes I like judging a book by it's cover. None of those have let me down. The ones I'm trying based more off synopsis than the cover have been my disappointments. If you still want to debate reading this book, and maybe you will - then follow on to read my full review.

Midnight Bayou
By
Nora Roberts

Midnight Bayou 

by 

Nora Roberts


         Nora Roberts is a very well known author, and surprisingly this is the first time I’ve ever read any of her novels. I think the thing that sold me on this book out of all her others was the interesting synopsis on the back. In Midnight Bayou a man named Declan Fitzgerald purchases an old rundown manor in New Orleans, Louisiana. Needless to say Declan finds more than just a rundown manor, he also finds love. Nora Roberts has a beautiful way of describing some of the scenes throughout the book, and I love her management of going in between the past and present.  
The most prominent characters are Declan, Lena, and Manet Manor. I think that Declan was an interesting character, albeit not my type of love interest. He was endearing to me in regards to his limitless sense of caring for everyone in his life - from family to strangers. This doesn’t mean I fell in love with some of his other characteristics such as his overtly flirtatious manner (even though in jest), and his arrogant perception of getting what he wants. Opposite of Declan was Lena, his one love interest throughout the novel. Lena was an enigma to me... One that left me still questioning if I liked her or not. I found her to be a strong, vivacious character - yet she lacked depth. I felt that Roberts didn’t really help paint more depth to Lena’s soul, instead she just gave basics. By far the most interesting character per se was Manet Manor. Roberts did an amazing job giving the manor a depth to it - but not letting it control the story. Manet Manor interacted with everyone, but it didn’t take charge when it didn’t need to.         
I feel enormously disappointed in the time I put into Midnight Bayou... Nora Roberts hooked me right in with her first two chapters, and I ached to read more. Yet after reading the book I felt more like I was reading Interior Designer magazine mixed with ghosts and love. There was almost too much time dedicated to just Declan fixing the manor and describing its work. The amount of time spent on that alone detracted from some of the character development I wish I had seen. As a female I can understand the allure some people would have of Declan’s all-around-good-guy appeal, but I absolutely hated it. He seemed fake, entirely to egotistical, and not at all like what I would’ve imagined.         
I find that some author’s try too hard to throw in sex tromps between the sheets to spice up a novel, and I get it. Yet when the main characters seem too bent on sex, and not enough on building a real relationship I end up feeling cheated. There’s supposed to be more character interlude in these types of romances than those such as 50 Shades of Gray. Therefore I was entirely let down by Lena and Declan, and after all I had endured an entire book to see a relationship bloom into a romance. Instead I felt like I witnessed fake attempts at friendship, interior designing, and sex tromps.
         In the end I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either. I don’t know if I picked the wrong book, or if I just won’t like Nora Robert’s novels. I do intend to at least try a new novel of hers - just not for a long while. If you like a book to be around 70 percent interior design, 20 percent haphazard relationship, and 10 percent ghostly influenced than this is for you. 

My rating: 2.75 out of 5 Stars.

I hope that I won't completely write Nora Roberts out of my life, because I feel that authors that ring so loudly with readers do have great works. I just feel that maybe I picked a bad egg out of Nora Roberts dozens. I can picture myself giving her another shot, but definitely not until Summer. 
I hope you all come back tomorrow and see another book that I'll be picking. This next one I choose will be based off the cover - yep your damn right!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Book Review of And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

I finished And Then There Were None, and I can't believe I used to shun murder mystery books before… Honestly I feel like I was missing out because my mom used to read so many Agatha Christie books in summer when we were camping and the sort. I used to make my poor grandmother bring me to the library every week to check out five books. (Oh yes I'd read all five!) Had I known I would've ventured into my mother's book shelves more often and discovered more authors that I could read. Needless to say I'm sure you can tell that I really loved And Then There Were None - but if you want read my full book review!


And Then There Were None
By
Agatha Christie
         I’ve never read an Agatha Christie novel before, and I’ve never read a murder mystery book either. Needless to say I couldn’t have been happier than when I chose to read this novel by Christie before any other of the same genre. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is a story in which ten individuals are brought to Soldier Island off the coast of Devon, England. One by one those same individuals are being murdered - and one of which is the killer themselves. Christie follows the viewpoint of each individual throughout the book, therefore as a reader you get to view it from different perspectives. 
I would love to mention the most prominent characters, but I don’t want to give away to much information - after all there’s ten characters and one is a killer. I do want to say though that Christie did an amazing job swapping from one person’s viewpoint to another. The different viewpoints were all distinct, and never forced. As a reader I got a distinct impression of the characters and felt that I was getting to know them in the way that Christie introduced them throughout the book. I will say that none of the characters seemed forced or faked - and that is something I will always appreciate. 
I find that Agatha Christie did an amazing job in writing And Then There Were None, there really wasn’t much in the way I can critique this work. And Then There Were None led me to believe one thing, only to leave me guessing until the very end. In one sense I guess the second to last chapter would be my only gripe about her work, and it was only because the dialogue seemed forced as opposed to realistic. However one small chapter doesn’t diminish the whole of a book - especially one in which it was strong throughout. 
In the end I loved this book, and I can’t wait to indulge in another Agatha Christie novel down the road. I will say that this book will shock you with the ending, and you’ll actually sift through the whole thing over again trying to pick up on something that could have clued you in from the get go. I guess for anyone looking to try a new genre like this, then there’s a good chance this should be the book you start with.  
My rating: 4.75 out of 5 Stars. 
I really liked this book, it reminded me of the board game/movie Clue. (Although not remotely humorous.) I think this is a great book to start with for those of you who have never read a murder mystery book - because it's very easy and straightforward. Yet And Then There Were None isn't so easy and straightforward that it becomes boring. It's a book that makes you want to keep reading to find out the big answer of -whodunit!?

I hope to catch you all tomorrow as I introduce my next book! It's gonna be takin' place somewhere in the South ya'll - I want me some spicy food!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Book Review of The Clearing, by Thomas Rydder

I've finally finished The Clearing this month, and I must say it was a good little read. I wouldn't put it at the top of thriller writing, but it Thomas Rydder has great potential moving forward in his career.
I also want to mention how great it was to cook for this book, and that's because it opened my tastebuds to some truly good American food. (A rarity since most is based off other countries.)
I also enjoyed the change of pace that this book delivered for me - it's way off what I normally read.

The Clearing
by Thomas Rydder
(Thriller)

         This was a nice reprieve from the previous book I read, and it was also a quick one. Thomas Rydder’s The Clearing is a story that is centralized on a small Pennsylvanian town’s problem in which werewolves are the culprits. Rydder focuses the majority of the book on Sheriff Frank Cutlip’s expeditions trying to repress the werewolf killings. 
         The four most prominent characters in this book are Frank Cutlip, Adam Cutlip, Beth and the werewolves. I found that some of the characters fell a bit short of fully developing, however there was still enough development to make them worthwhile. Frank Cutlip I found endearing because he reminded me of a true old-fashioned gentleman. (A rarity nowadays if I can be so blunt.) It really showed through too because of his interactions with other individuals throughout the book, which Rydder truly showed how much he was true to character. I was a tad disappointed in how Beth was sort of tossed aside from any further development, and instead reverted from strong to dependent upon Frank. In some circumstances I can understand the reasoning, but not when Rydder spent the beginning part of the book on her independence. I suppose though that the feature of the werewolves had much to do with her growing dependency. 
         In focusing on the werewolves the way Rydder did, he gave them depth without taking too much space. In a way I’m glad they were more of an object than characters when mentioned, and yet their obvious desires were clearly portrayed without being overly done. I especially love the way Rydder tied Adam Cutlip into the revolutions from himself to that of victim, and from there his character established itself well. 
         There are however some flaws in the ways that Rydder wrote The Clearing, he had moments that shone through in some passages - however in others he fell short. I find that he started this book with the intention of following Beth and then became more interested in Frank Cutlip, therefore following him without properly trying to create more of a link. Granted he did try, but I would’ve appreciated a further effort on his part to show more development between the two characters first. 
         In the end The Clearing was written well, it could’ve done with a few changes before it hit the shelves however it was a great read for the season. To be honest it reminded me of a crossbreed between Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and Stephen King’s Cujo. (Never quite a bad thing.) This is a book that I’m glad I read, and I’ll be likely to read it again on a blustery fall day. 
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

I hope you all give this book a chance! It's worth the time to read, and it truly is a fun one as well.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Book Review of The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard Morais

I've been in-between the pages of The Hundred-Foot Journey now for a month, and I've cooked anything it's inspired for me. So today I bid goodbye (finally, and without remorse) to this novel by Richard Morais…

Below you will find my book review, and rating of this novel.

The Hundred-Foot Journey
By Richard Morais
(Non-Fiction)

       This was the first book I’ve read in this category, and it’s also the first book I’ve read based so heavily upon food. Richard Morais’s The Hundred-Foot Journey is a story greatly centralized around the burgeoning growth of Hassan Haji - a budding young chef in his family’s clan. Morais focuses heavily for the first half of the novel upon the Haji family’s relationship with that of Madame Mallory a Michelin star chef 100 feet across from their newly established Indian restaurant.

       The three most prominent characters in this whole novel are Hassan, Abbas, and Madame Mallory. Hassan is by far the most centric character in The Hundred-Foot Journey as this book is largely taken from his first-person narrative, and we get to experience his journey as a young teen to an older man in the end. Abbas is the true old-fashioned patriarch, and he truly plays the part through every bit of his interactions. By far the one character that really led me to believe that hey were real was Madame Mallory. The insight that Morais gives us into Madame Mallory’s life is insightful, and totally relatable for those of us that have lost out time and again on something we hold dear. It also highlights the nature of our own personal beasts that we tend to harbor and grow like a cancer when we are not at peace with our own selves.

       Madame Mallory is also relatable in regards to how she is willing to admit wrongs done, and the capability of making amends in her own way. It is through her development as a character that we see Hassan develop from a fledgling chef in his own family’s restaurant to Madame Mallory’s student of traditional French cuisine. As Hassan grows more with his skill as a chef, it becomes more prominent that he has now outgrown the teachings of Madame Mallory and a new direction for him becomes clear. This change from Lumiere to Paris however is where I found The Hundred-Foot Journey to begin its lapse from engaging, to tepid.

       The spice of The Hundred-Foot Journey was with characters back in Lumiere, from Madame Mallory, Abbas, and the rest of the Haji clan. Unfortunately Morais took Hassan and stopped developing him personally as a character - instead focusing on his development as a chef. Morais treated Hassan more like a kitchen instrument that cooks the food, as opposed to a character in his own right. Or that at least is how I felt. To be honest I felt so disappointed, like I had been in a spicy relationship, only to have it’s flavor cooked out as opposed to honed.

       The other thing that really killed this novel for me was Morais poor execution of narrative. The Hundred-Foot Journey starts out as a first-person narrative, but then becomes a third-person narrative when needed. Sadly the third-person narrative of Madame Mallory is truly the only real character development he was able to execute through the novel. To me it was a shame because I’ve read novels before based on first-person narrative in which the character is amazingly developed, as well as any other characters they interact with. I could just be biased, but character development for me is the number one thing that I find important in a novel.

       At most an author could have poor grammar, some crappy clichés, and dead sections but as long as the character is engaging it covers up such basic errors. Instead Hassan’s lack of character only accentuates Morais’s constant run-on sentences, and poorly chosen sexual innuendos.
       In the end, I still can’t shut out how much I liked the first half of this novel. It was engaging, colorful, and vibrant. In the end though a strong start doesn’t finish out a novel, it’s really every aspect that makes or breaks you. Richard Morais is a talented writer I’m certain, but for me this novel really didn’t do it for me. If you want a novel that is entertaining at parts, an easy read for those boring days, and something that makes you want to cook - then pick up a copy of The Hundred-Foot Journey. To me it’s been shelved in my “Not to Read Again” list...


My rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars.

If any of you have read this book, I'd love your thoughts. Do you feel that I'm way off the mark in my review? Or did I touch upon some of the things that you may have found lacking as well? 
I'd love anyone's thoughts and feelings on this book, as I love to see what other people caught that I didn't.

If any of you haven't read the book, and don't think you will then you can get some aspect of it in the movie's rendition of The Hundred-Foot Journey. 
After I finished this novel, Ricky and I went to see the movie (come on it's Steven Spielberg!) Like most movie adaptations of books - it was different, but highly enjoyable all the same. 
I'll leave you all with a trailer just in case! (Sometimes it's never bad to skip a book and just go to the movies.)