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Book Blog

MIldred Pierce

1/15/2019

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(No, the image did not load sideways. This is exactly what the cover looks like.)
Let me just say, when you turn the last page of the book...then take a moment to fully accept that it is in fact the last page and it is REALLY ending like that... and STILL want to throat-punch one of the characters... THAT'S A GOOD BOOK!!! 

Let me also say, as usual, the book is better than the movie. Don't get me wrong. I loved the movie. I adore Joan Crawford in all of her diva-ness. But the movie is only about 50% like the book. And the book is 100% incredible!! 

No spoilers. Read the book. Do not expect the same plot as the movie. 
And when you too turn that last page and realize EVERYTHING that happened... have a fluffy pillow near by because punching anything else might hurt. And you're going to want to punch something. Trust me. 
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lolita

4/5/2017

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Totally not what I expected. Now that I have finished it, I find it very interesting to compare perception with expectation with current 'reality' with 1955 'reality'. As Vladimir Nabokov himself says, 'reality' is "...one of the few words that mean nothing without quotes."
So true. This entire novel was an exercise in 'reality': Humbert's, Dolores', Charlotte's... The fact that Lolita is Humbert's reality of Dolores... (That won't make sense unless you've read the book.) One of the publishers who refused to print Lolita said it was because the novel had no 'good guys'. Nabokov said the book was without moral. There are no redeeming characters or qualities. It presents itself as its own reality without apology. It exists. It explains. It does not justify. It made me squirm. It fascinated me.
I will read it again.
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Bunnicula

3/20/2017

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Yes, Bunnicula!! Sometimes you just need to hang out with a sweet old friend. But don't judge a book by its target audience. Rereading Bunnicula as an adult gave me a few grins I missed the first time around as well as reminding me of some classic horror novels I need to dust off and revisit. All I can say is that I'd like to hang out with the Monroe family, share a cup of coffee and great conversation. 
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A Taste for Monsters

3/17/2017

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As addicted as I am to all things Victorian, I was as intrigued as I was leery of a story that combined Jack the Ripper and Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man). A quick fact check through my brain proved the timeline possible and by the end of the book I was glad to see how the author, Matthew J. Kirby, paid proper respect to it. Everything he created was totally plausible (as long as you are accepting of a little supernatural business...which was also very Victorian). The setting and characters were well presented and easily imagined in the reader's mind. There were some tense scenes (also easily imagined in detail) but since I am fond of the dark and creepy, the subject matter did not disturb me. Some readers should consider themselves cautioned. ;-)
On a side note, two characters in this story talked about Jane Austin's Northanger Abbey, referring to its 'haunted' passages. Personally, I don't care for Ms. Austin (I know, I know) but not remembering much about Northanger Abbey, I thought maybe I had missed something. I pulled up a LibriVox recording of it and gave it a fresh listen. Nope. Still don't like her. But thanks, Matthew J. Kirby, for refreshing my love of Mary Shelley, the mother of dark fiction. I think she would've appreciated your story. 
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The Quick

3/10/2017

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To spoil or not to spoil.... 
I'll try to not.

On one hand I really enjoyed Lauren Owen's The Quick. Set in the late Victorian era, Lauren paints a beautifully detailed picture of the lonely life of James and Charlotte Norbury, two children left to their own devices due to a widowed father (traveling too much) and rotating governesses with too many other things to keep up with in the too large, too creepy estate.  Eventually the father dies, the children grow up, and life turns into a new normal. James goes off to London to become a man of letters... or a playwright, whatever works. Then... 
Here is where I'm trying not to spoil the big plot twist. But it's also the point where we get to the other hand. The part where I say, Wait... what?! I kept reading and although I truly enjoyed the book as a whole, there were many parts where I had to wade through thick oceans of detail that later didn't seem to mean anything anymore. New characters with heavy backstories that broke you heart but were not referred to again after only few chapters. It's worth the read. But be prepared for the journey. And a BIG plot twist... but not the twist you think it will be.. at first. (Yeah, it's like that.)
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We are villains all

1/23/2017

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Oh Kirsty Stonell Walker, you are my kind of author! (From her Amazon bio, We Are Villians All is "a murder mystery centered on the lives of a Victorian poet and his best friend, a photographer.") While, yes, this is the general story, We Are Villains All is so much more. It does a fantastic job of sucking you into the story and holding you there to the plot-twisting end. Rich in detail and totally livable, you walk along side all of the characters, rooting for them, aching with them, or wanting to scratch their eyes out.
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The Signature of all things

8/22/2016

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Before I get into what a lovely storyteller Elizabeth Gilbert is, let me say it has NOT been since March that I've read a book. Trust me!! But sometimes, what I'm busy reading is not just for entertainment. I read a lot for research when preparing for a lecture (which is also entertaining, yes, but there is an additional motive). I recently read an absolutely adorable Victorian play titled The Woman of the World by Lady Clara Cavendish while preparing for a recent Naughty Women, Lovely Tea presentation. And I read a ton of articles researching a couple of naughty Victorian women. I've looked through a dozen Victorian fashion books to work out my latest costume (then spent a bajillion hours actually sewing the costume). So by the time I finally get around to reading for the entertainment of it, it's usually 10:00 at night, I'm in bed, I get about 3 pages in and my eyelids start drooping. Sigh. There are also some books that I read that I don't post about because I really didn't care for them. Not that they were badly written (well, not all of them) but they just didn't grab me. I'd rather write about books that I truly enjoyed than to use up space for a picture of a book cover and me writing "Meh" about it.
ANYWAY!! As I said, Elizabeth Gilbert is a wonderful storyteller. Alma Whittaker is such a realistic character, even though the book is set in the 1800s, any modern woman could totally relate to her. All of the characters are rich, easily visualized, and as is the mark of any good book, they are all now my friends and are lingering. Love!
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A memory of violets

3/25/2016

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Anything I would say to describe this book would also describe the flower: beautiful, sweet, tender, delicate, powerful, a beautiful memory.
Hazel Gaynor used my favorite writing genre (historical fiction) to bring this lovely story to life. And inspired my own research into the real saga of the 'flower girls' of the Victorian streets. This book was suggested to me by a student and I am so grateful!! (I knew I should take her recommendation; she knows her stuff. She's been on Jeopardy.) ;-)

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Mister B awesome!

1/19/2016

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I bought this book at a used book store. Because it was by Clive Barker, duh!! I didn't know anything about it other than (obviously) Clive Barker wrote it.
I read it.
No spoilers. So I'll just say, "Mr. Jakabok Botch, where's my house on a hill?!"
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The Haunted Hotel

1/4/2016

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I had intended to read Wilkie Collins's work for some time now. I saw a stage version of The Moonstone in Athens (Second Stage Series by Town & Gown) a few months back and it was wonderful. So maybe that re-energized my desire. (Actually it was more likely that my hubby bought me a book of his collections from one of our favorite book stores.) As is the case with most short story collections, there were some awesome ones and some 'ok' ones. But as always, a good read.
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