rakusa88
Oakville Public Library
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The Lady and Her MonstersThe Lady and Her Monsters, BookA Tale of Dissections, Real Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece
by Montillo, RoseanneBook - 2013Book, 2013
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
An exciting novel of the coming-of-age-magic-fantasy genre. Fans of Tamora Pierce and Christopher Paolini will find a lot of familiar aspects in the overall storyline (Song of the Lioness Quartet, Inheritance Cycle). Yet, there were also original elements worth celebrating. The story was riveting but easy to read, which was impressive considering the staging and language that fantasy realms typically entail. I'm happy to see that good young adult fantasy series are continuing to be produced and am definitely looking forward to the next instalment.An exciting novel of the coming-of-age-magic-fantasy genre. Fans of Tamora Pierce and Christopher Paolini will find a lot of familiar aspects in the overall storyline (Song of the Lioness Quartet, Inheritance Cycle). Yet, there were also original…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
A pleasant and well-written foray into the quotidian, intersecting lives of a colourful cast of Parisians in the early 20th century. Ideal for patient reading over a short period of time. Slow pacing but packed with culture, history and sentiment.
What this book excelled at was its attention to detail. The descriptions of the beautiful venues, specific tasks (painting, baking), personal stories, thoughts and memories, allow readers to envision and embody the characters with ease. I also appreciated the theme of the importance of storytelling, as a means of connecting people in a fortuitous and meaningful manner throughout the tale.
My misgivings with the novel are mostly directed at its structure. The Emperor of Paris flits between characters and sporadically leaps around in time. I read it continuously over the long weekend and still had a hard time properly immersing myself into the story.A pleasant and well-written foray into the quotidian, intersecting lives of a colourful cast of Parisians in the early 20th century. Ideal for patient reading over a short period of time. Slow pacing but packed with culture, history and sentiment.…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
I enjoyed Kite Runner so was excited but apprehensive about reading more of Khaled Hosseini. Nonetheless, he delivered and it was fantastic! I revelled in the spectacular writing, the complexity of the characters and their relationships, and the depth of sentiment contained within the story. I easily devoured the book, barely putting it down, and it wrung out my emotions at every turn. The only reason this book doesn't earn 5 stars from me (i.e. favourite, to-be-reread frequently) is bc I don't wish to put myself through such emotional turmoil on a regular basis.I enjoyed Kite Runner so was excited but apprehensive about reading more of Khaled Hosseini. Nonetheless, he delivered and it was fantastic! I revelled in the spectacular writing, the complexity of the characters and their relationships, and the…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
Orphaned Rose Baker makes a living as a prudent typist for the NYPD during the 1920's. Despite her reticence, she befriends the new typist and is swept into Odalie's world of extravagance and speakeasies.
An immersive experience from the first page and a page-turner to the end. Rose is an intriguing narrator. She is fastidious, responsible and observant yet she evasively alludes to future details that call her reliability into question. Of course, these hints only makes her tale more compelling.
My qualms with the story, without spoiling too much, are directed at the conclusion. I felt like it was wrapped up in a hurry. To maintain the ambiguity, the author gave up on the details and threads that made the lead-up so riveting. Thus, it ends in style and speculation instead of what I believe is ultimately more satisfying (and more Rose-like), hard facts and closure.Orphaned Rose Baker makes a living as a prudent typist for the NYPD during the 1920's. Despite her reticence, she befriends the new typist and is swept into Odalie's world of extravagance and speakeasies.
An immersive experience from the first…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
A fun fantasy mystery with themes of coming-of-age, independence and gender politics. The fantasy and “talking to cats” elements strongly reminded me of Tamora Pierce’s fantasy series, though the Bhinian Empire has a much stronger Asian influence (which has been steadily trickling into YA fiction recently). The story focused on Nisha’s solitary journey but was rather simple as a consequence. However, there is great potential in this fantasy world that has yet to be explored and additional characters to develop. Hopefully the next in the series will as good or better.A fun fantasy mystery with themes of coming-of-age, independence and gender politics. The fantasy and “talking to cats” elements strongly reminded me of Tamora Pierce’s fantasy series, though the Bhinian Empire has a much stronger Asian influence…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
Rising starlet Rosemary Hoyt arrives at the French Riviera in the roaring twenties and becomes enamored with charismatic psychiatrist Dick Diver and his troubled heiress wife, Nicole. Reading this was infuriating. Were it not for the redeeming quality of Fitzgerald’s exquisite prose, I would have given up within 100 pages. The execution was terrible! Fantastic writing wasted on fragmented storytelling! Don’t get me wrong, there was a substantial and intriguing story contained in the 300+ pages, but it was permeated with inconsequential drivel throughout. The drama highlights the psychology of expat American high society (though this isn’t apparent until book II, 100+ pages in!), specifically focusing on the impact of father figures and their influences on the neuroses of the characters. Read this novel with a deep reservoir of patience and lenience for poor editing.Rising starlet Rosemary Hoyt arrives at the French Riviera in the roaring twenties and becomes enamored with charismatic psychiatrist Dick Diver and his troubled heiress wife, Nicole. Reading this was infuriating. Were it not for the redeeming…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 20, 2013
Comment:
Fowler depicts a vivid (albeit fictional) account of the Fitzgerald’s tumultuous relationship and charts their history; vacillating between fame and ruin, from Zelda’s perspective.
The Fitzgeralds are undoubtedly a fascinating subject. Their lives appear to be every bit as reckless, extravagant and mesmerizing as the characters they penned. Fowler showcases Scott’s ambition, Zelda’s latent talents and the passion, conflict and excesses of their volatile relationship that led them on the path to success and self destruction. Although I experienced a lag in interest midway through, I appreciated that Zelda’s voice carries strongly throughout the novel such that you are invested in what happens (even though she hints repeatedly that things take a turn for the worse).
I’ve been cycling back to books of this age several times in the past year and Z really hit the spot with a good dose of the roaring twenties. This novel was an interesting companion to “the Paris Wife.” Both books portrayed the experiences of the wives of famous authors. Fitzgerald and Hemingway are fantastic writers but I’ve always struggled with their characters and the pacing of their novels. Though Z and the Paris Wife lack the style of the original authors, they more than make up for it in substance and sentiment.
“Every sort of trouble I can think of, we’ve tried it out – become expert at some of it, even, so much so that I’ve come to wonder whether artists in particular seek out hard times the way flowers turn their faces toward the sun” (142)Fowler depicts a vivid (albeit fictional) account of the Fitzgerald’s tumultuous relationship and charts their history; vacillating between fame and ruin, from Zelda’s perspective.
The Fitzgeralds are undoubtedly a fascinating subject. Their…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Sep 11, 2011
Added Mar 08, 2011
Comment:
A great read but did not live up to it's potential. An intriguing mythology was set up but the characters were shallowly developed and the plot line dragged at some places but was rushed elsewhere. Hopefully, we'll see more to this universe (I can see a prequel working out)A great read but did not live up to it's potential. An intriguing mythology was set up but the characters were shallowly developed and the plot line dragged at some places but was rushed elsewhere. Hopefully, we'll see more to this universe (I can…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Dec 20, 2010
rakusa88's rating:
Added Dec 20, 2010
rakusa88's rating:
Added Dec 20, 2010
The Solitude of Prime NumbersThe Solitude of Prime Numbers, Book
by Giordano, PaoloBook - 2010Book, 2010
rakusa88's rating:
Added Dec 08, 2010
The Book of AwesomeThe Book of Awesome, BookSnow Days, Bakery Air, Finding Money in your Pocket, and Other Simple, Brilliant Things
by Pasricha, NeilBook - 2010Book, 2010
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jul 08, 2010
Comment:
A great feel-good book that you'll recommend to anyone and everyone you know.
And the cherry on top is that you'll find yourself appreciating the little moments of happiness in your own life a little more, maybe even inspiring you to compile your own list of awesome!A great feel-good book that you'll recommend to anyone and everyone you know.
And the cherry on top is that you'll find yourself appreciating the little moments of happiness in your own life a little more, maybe even inspiring you to compile your…
Marry HimMarry Him, BookThe Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough
by Gottlieb, LoriBook - 2010Book, 2010
rakusa88's rating:
Added Jun 13, 2010
Comment:
This is a cautionary tale that is intelligently and humorously told by a single 41-year old mother who has had enough of searching for "the One". After years of passing up many good guys for not measuring up to her unreasonable and unrealistic expectations, she realizes that what she needed was a reevaluation of what she really wanted from a husband and how to look for those few essential qualities while dating (rather than analyzing a man based on lust, looks and how he many points he scores on a checklist of desirable qualities).
The picture Gottlieb paints is bleak (especially for older, single women) but a necessary slap of reality for the mass of females who have been brainwashed with the notion that they are all entitled to the perfect soul mate. Through the stories of several women and her own, she demonstrates the flawed reasoning, successes and key insights that readers will share with their friends. As a younger reader (early 20s), I still appreciated the issues raised by Gottlieb and would easily recommend this fun and intriguing book to friends and family.This is a cautionary tale that is intelligently and humorously told by a single 41-year old mother who has had enough of searching for "the One". After years of passing up many good guys for not measuring up to her unreasonable and unrealistic…
rakusa88's rating:
Added Apr 17, 2009
Comment: