Tonight is the first event for the new book, and I've spent most of the afternoon at home with curlers in my hair and cucumber circles on the eyes...
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I found this book impossible to get into, or enjoy. The writing style embraces every stale convention (more from the Romance genre than the thriller genre) and cliche, and the characters spend all their time in introspection and self-absorbtion.
The concept is interesting, but the characters and descriptions are hard to take.
If you don't mind this kind of thing (e.g. characters endlessly spotting themselves in reflective surfaces and 'noticing' their appearance as an excuse to describe it to you, characters engaging in long inner monologues to tell you what they're feeling and explain their back-stories, descriptions of LA and NO that could be lifted from any of a hundred other books etc.), then maybe the plot will hold you.
?Bone Doll?s Twin? is an interesting book, taking a dark and different look at the genre. Very well-written with an almost brooding atmosphere, this story is a welcome departure from stock high-adventure fantasy material. (If you are looking for lots of light-hearted sword-swinging, look elsewhere.) The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the plot holds the reader?s attention very well.
A few of the elements seem a bit forced on occasion, however, including some of the internal gender confusion of the protagonist and the sometimes heavy-handed use of foreshadowing. Some of the plot elements resolve themselves a little too neatly, but there is plenty going on overall to keep your interest.
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(1 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
An assembly of Olbermann's 'Worst Person' segments from his television show with occasional brief follow-up pieces, this book is a collection of snippets. His progressive rants against a wide range of targets will appeal (or not) in part based on the political views of the reader, but his writing is always incisive and witty. For calling out the high-and-mighty in government and media, Olbermann is one of the best.
The (very) brief presentation of each topic makes this a great book to pick up and put down if you only have a few minutes. Even if you don't always agree with his take, Olbermann can make you think while still being extremely entertaining.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
'A Place of Greater Safety' is an excellent book, a novelization of the events around 3 central figures of the French Revolution. The book gives a great insight into the characters of these men, their close associates, and their times. The balanced take shows all of these figures -- their good and bad -- as people with depth, rather than the cardboard cutouts they become all too often in history books.
While not graphic, the book does take a more-than-frank look at all aspects of their lives -- definitely some mature themes involved.
All in all it's a wonderful book for learning and thinking a lot more deeply about a turning point in world history from a very human perspective.
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(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
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jfm has commented on (4) products.
Malice by Lisa Jackson
jfm, November 18, 2009
I found this book impossible to get into, or enjoy. The writing style embraces every stale convention (more from the Romance genre than the thriller genre) and cliche, and the characters spend all their time in introspection and self-absorbtion.The concept is interesting, but the characters and descriptions are hard to take.
If you don't mind this kind of thing (e.g. characters endlessly spotting themselves in reflective surfaces and 'noticing' their appearance as an excuse to describe it to you, characters engaging in long inner monologues to tell you what they're feeling and explain their back-stories, descriptions of LA and NO that could be lifted from any of a hundred other books etc.), then maybe the plot will hold you.
I just found there wasn't enough *there* there.
The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling
jfm, April 25, 2007
?Bone Doll?s Twin? is an interesting book, taking a dark and different look at the genre. Very well-written with an almost brooding atmosphere, this story is a welcome departure from stock high-adventure fantasy material. (If you are looking for lots of light-hearted sword-swinging, look elsewhere.) The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the plot holds the reader?s attention very well.A few of the elements seem a bit forced on occasion, however, including some of the internal gender confusion of the protagonist and the sometimes heavy-handed use of foreshadowing. Some of the plot elements resolve themselves a little too neatly, but there is plenty going on overall to keep your interest.
(1 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
The Worst Person in the World: And 202 Strong Contenders by Keith Olbermann
jfm, April 25, 2007
An assembly of Olbermann's 'Worst Person' segments from his television show with occasional brief follow-up pieces, this book is a collection of snippets. His progressive rants against a wide range of targets will appeal (or not) in part based on the political views of the reader, but his writing is always incisive and witty. For calling out the high-and-mighty in government and media, Olbermann is one of the best.The (very) brief presentation of each topic makes this a great book to pick up and put down if you only have a few minutes. Even if you don't always agree with his take, Olbermann can make you think while still being extremely entertaining.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
jfm, April 23, 2007
'A Place of Greater Safety' is an excellent book, a novelization of the events around 3 central figures of the French Revolution. The book gives a great insight into the characters of these men, their close associates, and their times. The balanced take shows all of these figures -- their good and bad -- as people with depth, rather than the cardboard cutouts they become all too often in history books.While not graphic, the book does take a more-than-frank look at all aspects of their lives -- definitely some mature themes involved.
All in all it's a wonderful book for learning and thinking a lot more deeply about a turning point in world history from a very human perspective.
(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)