Book reviews while I read for GBA
I'm trying to restrict myself to only spending the mornings reading and judging for Dan Poytner's Global eBook Awards. So now it's afternoon and I can post my book reviews from last week. Of course, the dandelions are growing quite delightfully in the grass--grass growing pretty tall among the flowers too--so there's definitely some yard-work I ought to be doing. Plus some shopping. Plus cleaning. Plus...
Anyway, here are some fun books... As usual, click on the blue links for longer reviews, and treat the coffee stars as flavors, not ratings.
Starting with a children's book that a friend's grandson recommended. Ethan, you continue to have excellent taste. The King in the Window, by Adam Gopnik, blends Alice through the Looking Glass and Harry Potter, with a touch of The Little Prince and fascinating hints of multiverse physics to make a really interesting, intriguing tale of windows, mirrors, and imagination. Enjoy with an elegant, complex 4-star coffee, and a happy child.
Another children's book is The Eye of the Crystal Ball, by T.P. Boje. The language is less fluid and the storyline less complex--enjoy this with a 2-star easy-drinking coffee. The story starts in WWII Germany, but moves quickly to mystic forests and a classic quest across a curious landscape of monsters and myth. T.P. Boje will be on my blog tomorrow with an intriguing post about where her ideas came from in this novel. Don't miss it!
And finally, The Little Wooden Chair, by M.J.A. Ware, is a collection of one long short story and two shorter ones, centering on friendship and loyalty and intriguingly told, with hints of Marcus Zusak's Book Thief and Ray Bradbury. Read with a dark intense 5-star coffee in hand.
Sweet Light, by Jen Wylie is aimed more at young adults and tells of a mystical healer not yet come into her powers, torn between three different loves. While the story's complete, it feels like two parts in a longer series, so hopefully there'll be more. Drink a 3-star smooth balanced coffee with this one.
I didn't spend all week reading children's and young adult books. The Dark Mirror, by G.B. Hobson, is definitely aimed at adults and is a beautifully evocative tale centering on a church in the North of England. The handsome young priest treads a cautious between his own secret love and the unwanted attentions of female parishioners, and the author holds a wise mirror up to the ways prejudice and legalism distort the face of love. A haunting, thought-provoking tale to be savored with a rich elegant 4-star coffee (or a nice cup of tea).
Now to go chase some dandelions...
and I'll post Gladys Hobson's review of my own Black Widow soon. Meanwhile, don't forget to stop by tomorrow for T.P. Boje's post.
GBA books read to date: 3
Anyway, here are some fun books... As usual, click on the blue links for longer reviews, and treat the coffee stars as flavors, not ratings.
Starting with a children's book that a friend's grandson recommended. Ethan, you continue to have excellent taste. The King in the Window, by Adam Gopnik, blends Alice through the Looking Glass and Harry Potter, with a touch of The Little Prince and fascinating hints of multiverse physics to make a really interesting, intriguing tale of windows, mirrors, and imagination. Enjoy with an elegant, complex 4-star coffee, and a happy child.
Another children's book is The Eye of the Crystal Ball, by T.P. Boje. The language is less fluid and the storyline less complex--enjoy this with a 2-star easy-drinking coffee. The story starts in WWII Germany, but moves quickly to mystic forests and a classic quest across a curious landscape of monsters and myth. T.P. Boje will be on my blog tomorrow with an intriguing post about where her ideas came from in this novel. Don't miss it!
And finally, The Little Wooden Chair, by M.J.A. Ware, is a collection of one long short story and two shorter ones, centering on friendship and loyalty and intriguingly told, with hints of Marcus Zusak's Book Thief and Ray Bradbury. Read with a dark intense 5-star coffee in hand.
Sweet Light, by Jen Wylie is aimed more at young adults and tells of a mystical healer not yet come into her powers, torn between three different loves. While the story's complete, it feels like two parts in a longer series, so hopefully there'll be more. Drink a 3-star smooth balanced coffee with this one.
I didn't spend all week reading children's and young adult books. The Dark Mirror, by G.B. Hobson, is definitely aimed at adults and is a beautifully evocative tale centering on a church in the North of England. The handsome young priest treads a cautious between his own secret love and the unwanted attentions of female parishioners, and the author holds a wise mirror up to the ways prejudice and legalism distort the face of love. A haunting, thought-provoking tale to be savored with a rich elegant 4-star coffee (or a nice cup of tea).
Now to go chase some dandelions...
and I'll post Gladys Hobson's review of my own Black Widow soon. Meanwhile, don't forget to stop by tomorrow for T.P. Boje's post.
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