15feb2011 ~ The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
I'd say the movie stays true to the book and the book is a lovely bedtime story type.
15feb2011 ~ When My Name Was Keoko - Linda Sue Park
This book seemed familiar as I read it, and after finishing it I'm almost sure I've read it before. But I couldn't predict what was coming either. Definitely felt different reading those Korean phrases after just watching a few Korean dramas.
07feb2011 ~ Many and Many A Year Ago - Selçuk Altun
I picked up this book because its title reminded me of my favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem: "Annabel Lee." The story ended up not being a parallel of the poem, and yet was still somewhat related. Originally written in Turkish, the book was a rambling surprise. I never quite knew where it was going, which was both good and bad; it kept me wondering, but it also felt unfocused.
03feb2011 ~ Stardust - Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
Neat story with lovely illustrations. I wonder at it's connection with the novel of the same title?
28jan2011 ~ Idaho - Cort Conley and John Marshall
This is what I'm really looking for when I pick up an oversized book on Idaho. A brief and relevant history, an explanation of current-ish events. And then a gratuitous number of large, beautiful photographs with descriptive, informative captions.
26jan2011 ~ Tell-All - Chuck Palahniuk
This author was recommended to me by a friend. And I have to say that it fits my concept of her personality. The boldface was very distracting for the first fifty pages or so, but gradually I was able to get more into the story. I have to say it surprised me. I'm willing to try another of Palahniuk's novels. I hope the typeface isn't one of his trademarks...
24jan2011 ~ So Incredibly Idaho! - Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes
I definitely thought this would be a book of full-page landscapes and was disappointed to find it was not.
14jan2011 ~ The Heretic Queen - Michelle Moran
I don't think this book felt as urgent as Nefertiti, but I think it's nearly at the same level. The two books are obviously related and I think Michelle Moran did a good job not making them too similar while still holding the common threads together.
13jan2011 ~ Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
I definitely thought this was going to be one of those love stories that had some odd metaphorical connection to the title. Turns out it's about an old man looking back on his past when he worked for a circus! I liked the story, the characters, and the relationships. I wish he had expanded a bit more on his work in the menagerie, but I wasn't dissatisfied with what was given either.
12jan2011 ~ The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion - L.J. Smith
I thought perhaps the way the third book ended was a little too neat, but I was satisfied with it. But then the end of the fourth book was a complete facepalm. There are some things you can allow, suspended disbelief. A book with vampires can have ghosts and werewolves and other supernatural beings. But somehow they still have to fit in with the world we know. And I think Smith went a bit too far in the last book.
11jan2011 ~ The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle - L.J. Smith
Quick read, more traditional of a vampire story than "Twilight." Quite different in its detail than the TV series, but the same sort of vibe. You know, I never really know how to classify these new teen-romance vampire novels. They're not really horror, but they're not just normal YA either. Got the next volume from the library too, so may say more about the story itself later...
