Joan Kessler

A fun idea with some lovely imagery.

I only wish it were illustrated.

The opening was a bit slow for me. Suddenly I was halfway through the book, never noticing when the story washed over me and pulled me under. It took me places I didn't want to go, brought me up for air, pulled me back, then left me quietly on shore.

So happy to have finally read this book! It was difficult not to read in the movie character voices, so I didn't try. I love the framing of the story, and the illustrations for this 30th anniversary edition. I'm always interested in the way books are translated for the screen. There's more information in the book, natch, which just adds to the delight of the story as a whole.

This book had really great pacing, but the ending was disappointing.

If you like the dark and grotesque, this book is for you. I picked this up at an airport while waiting for a flight, wanting to expand my reading choices. Turns out it is not the sort of story I like, or the sort of character I like to read about. I found the opening confusing and the narrative difficult, but on the whole, Moshfegh is a skilled writer and the book, for what it is, is well done.

I always enjoy a visit in Flavia's world, although the plot was a bit convoluted this time. (And I don't know why the film she mentions is referred to as “That Hamilton Woman”, when in England it was released as “Lady Hamilton”.)

Being tucked into bed with your teddy bear on a blustery evening and being told your favorite bedtime story for the 97th time, setting the reset button in your mind so you can hear it again for the first time; it's that sort of feeling. Despite already knowing the ending, having seen the many film iterations, I still enjoyed the ride. Some will cry about its lack of action or character development, but I couldn't help playing all the character parts in my mind as I read it because the story is, as Poirot says, theatrical, and that's just pure fun!

This first book by eleven-year-old Wilcox is a quick and entertaining read. It's well-paced with elements of magic, danger, and humor. The settings and characters are solid and believable. I particularly liked meeting the character Granite. Kids who like fantasy and adventure stories will like Phoenix Feathers.

Verbose, but enlightening.

For years, I've been watching Doctor Who hoping to see the TARDIS kitchen, if only to confirm that the TARDIS galley cook is science-nerd chef Alton Brown. Meanwhile, I've got the cookbook, an Xmas present from my sister (who, serendipitously, received the same present from me). There are full color photographs for almost every recipe (though I could have done with a fork or teacup in the background for scale in some of them). Some recipes are straight forward (Pasta Bow Tie Salad, Banana Party Pops) and others are more labor-intensive (the TARDIS and Pandorica cakes). Some are instantly appealing (A Pizza Cassandra, Fish Fingers & Custard, and Jammy Dodgers), but not everyone will be tempted to tuck into an “Inside a Dalek” Salad. The cookbook also features photographs from the series. It's a delightful book for fans and adventurous cooks.

I so loved this book when I was a little girl. My little copy has a blue cover, and it sits out on my book shelf. Just seeing it reminds me of how magical it was to me, how much I wanted to go to the island with the kittens and have pearls of my own.

All the science and technical details make it easy to get swept up into the story. The typos are annoying, but it's a credible and fun read.

3.5 stars. I do like quick-witted, flamboyant, quirky Jacqueline Kirby, and this story has plenty of wit and fluff, taking place at a romance writer's convention. Not my favourite Kirby mystery, but well done for what it is.

I loved this book when I was a child. The relationship between Mildred and Harvey was so honest and real, it was instantly relatable. I loved especially the color illustrations and I remember wanting to be in the book's world so much!

This book goes beyond the craft of writing. It not only presents an articulate structure of the heroine's journey (as well as the hero's journey), it also delves into the subversive nature and subsequent effects of storytelling in society, and the inherent dangers and opportunities therein. While the heroine's journey isn't new, it is a narrative usually regarded as less valuable than the hero's journey. And honestly, there is no good reason for that. Broader parameters of archetypes and story structure allow for a reassessment (in stories and in culture) of what it means to be strong, powerful, and smart. Carriger's book is witty, deep, enlightening, and completely absorbable.

Both personal and informative, this memoir takes us through more than three decades of island life in Greece, from primitive yet idyllic living conditions to the eventual mass tourism sprawl years later. Full of colorful characters, native customs, scenic delights, and tensions from civil unrest and war, the character of Greece shines through this fish-in-new-water story. This is historical armchair travel with a personal tour guide.

2.5 stars.

Having loved E. Peters' Amelia Peabody series, I looked forward to a modern return to Howard Carter's Egypt. (I'm delighted that my copy has a modern cover design, too.) I liked this story overall, although it was about 100 pages before the story took off. It has humor and armchair travel highlights, and Deal has more than a passing knowledge of Egyptology. She tends to stray into the territory of information for its own sake, and over-explains instead of just getting on with the story. The book could easily be tightened. The typos and 1.5 spaced typesetting were off-putting. But it could be a promising series.

Really good introduction to squirrels for kids (or anyone who just wants to know). Well organized, color photos, and a glossary.

Such clean, uncluttered prose (translated by Stuart Gilbert).

I wish this hadn't been the first time I read this book. I wish I'd had this book in my childhood.

A book for all ages about the importance of dreams and the importance of discerning and understanding their meanings. Includes a usage guide in the back. A lovely, easy read with beautiful illustrations.

When I began writing this book, I thought it was going to be a picture book. Nineteen hand-written pages later, I realized a bigger story was unfolding, and I was brave enough to go on the journey. I am so glad I did! I love this story, and more to the point, I still love it! I love inhabiting the delightfully quirky world of the Pinetails, with pine-needlepoint, Grandpa Hickory's stories (Uncle Ned's House is based on a true event), and the madcap Nut Gig. A particularly favorite day of writing was the day I wrote the songs. I was living in California at the time and had the pleasure of sitting pool-side one afternoon while I wrote the lyrics at an umbrella-covered table. That was the berries, and how!
I still enjoy the antics of squirrels, watching them conquering the anti-squirrel bird feeder (as if there is such a thing!), or leaping off our garage roof onto a tree that is just a wee bit further away than they thought.
This is a peachy-keen read for squirrel watchers, kids, or kids at heart!

Colorful characters and scenery. I like the charmingly weird aspect of it, tea with werewolves and vampires, etc. Not having read the Parasol Protectorate, a number of references were lost on me. Otherwise, a fun read!