Fairy Tale

 

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Fiction

2022 Simon & Schuster Audio

Narrated by Seth Numrich

Finished on April 27, 2024

Rating: 2.5/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.

Meh. I have usually enjoyed, if not loved most of the books I've read by Stephen King. Unfortunately, Fairy Tale was a disappointment. It had promise, and I loved the first part, which focuses on Charlie's introduction to Mr. Bowditch and Radar (Bowditch's dog). This section (roughly the first third of the book) felt like a classic King novel (young boy, old man, and a dog), and the audio production pulled me in from the opening lines. However, once Charlie entered the "other" world, I lost interest, and it took me almost two months to finish the book. I don't know if I would've maintained my enthusiasm had I listened at longer stretches, but March was super rainy, so my daily walks were pretty much nonexistent. We were also traveling for a big portion of April, so again, not much listening time. Honestly, it didn't call out to me, and I really didn't care how it was going to end. With that said, I did push through and eventually finished, but it's not a book that I can recommend... unless you love fantasy. I can see how this story would appeal to those who like that genre, but I prefer King's supernatural tales. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Fiction

2020 Macmillan Audio

Narrated by Daniel Henning

Finished on 5/27/2023    

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is another book that I've seen mentioned all over the blogosphere, Goodreads and Instagram. I decided to give the audiobook a try and enjoyed it pretty well, despite the storyline's predictability. I would have bet big money that Steve Rowley (author of The Guncle) was the narrator for the audiobook, but it's actually Daniel Henning. His sense of humor and sarcastic tone sound very much like that of Rowley's. The writing (particularly the humorous dialogue) also reminds me of Kevin Wilson's in Nothing To See Here.

I'm not sure if Klune's book lives up to all the hype, but it's entertaining and I enjoyed listening during my daily walks. The story is filled with numerous (and not-too-subtle) messages and life lessons about prejudice, intolerance, etc., which I feel was a little heavy-handed. Finally, there is some controversy about Klune's inspiration for the book, but I don't care to dive into that here. Feel free to click here and here for more on that issue.

The Hobbit

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fiction - Fantasy

1986 Del Rey Books (first published in 1937)

Finished on July 24, 2001

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar! Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant success when published in 1937. Now, in 1997, this special new edition, illustrated by Alan Lee, commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of a great classic. 

My Original Thoughts (2001):

Anticlimactic! Started off great, but lost momentum toward the end. Easy to put down, but I didn't give up. I'm not sure if I'll read the trilogy--at least not for a while. I thought the Harry Potter books were more enjoyable from start to finish.

My Current Thoughts:

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I had read it after watching The Lord of the Rings film series, which I enjoyed immensely.

The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Fiction

2020 Viking

Finished on December 21, 2021

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

Until now, I had never read anything by Matt Haig, but after reading several glowing reviews for The Midnight Library, I decided to give my mom a copy last year for Christmas. Lucky me, I get to borrow her books once she's finished, so it eventually wound up on my TBR shelf where it remained for many months. My daughter, who has just recently started reading for pleasure, mentioned that she had read Haig's novel, so I decided to move it to the top of the stack and try to get it read before the end of the year. What a thought-provoking and delightful novel! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found myself reflecting on some of my choices in life, trying to imagine where I would be today had I chosen a different path or made a different decision. While I have made a few poor choices over the years (who hasn't?), I wouldn't be who I am, or where I am today, had I taken an alternate path. 

All in all, The Midnight Library is a quick and entertaining read and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. However, it's not one I'll likely read again and I wonder just how memorable it will be a year from now. 

 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Fiction/Fantasy

2020 Macmillan Audio

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Finished on December 1, 2021

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman named Adeline meets a dangerous stranger and makes a terrible mistake.

As she realizes the limitations of her Faustian bargain--being able to live forever, without being able to be remembered by anyone she sees--Addie chooses to flee her small village, as everything she once held dear is torn away.

But there are still dreams to be had, and a life to live, and she is determined to find excitement and satisfaction in the wide, beckoning world--even if she will be doomed to be alone forever.

Or not quite alone--as every year, on her birthday, the alluring Luc comes to visit, checking to see if she is ready to give up her soul. Their darkly thrilling game stretches through the ages, seeing Addie witness history and fight to regain herself as she crosses oceans and tries on various lives. 

It will be three hundred years before she stumbles into a hidden bookstore [... spoiler removed] and suddenly everything changes again.

In the vein of The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab's genre-defying tour de force.

After reading several glowing reviews for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I took a gamble and recommended it to my book group before I had a chance to read it myself. I listened to the audio, which is narrated by Julia Whelan (a favorite audio reader), who does an outstanding job with each character's voice. Unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations. I liked it, but after the initial plot is revealed, the dialogue and situations involving Addie's encounters with Luc were repetitious and it wasn't until Henry makes his appearance that things pick up again. The constant back and forth dialogue between Addie and Luc is tiresome and as one friend mentioned, that relationship felt like something out of Fifty Shades of Grey (a book I have not, nor do I plan to, read). I also grew weary of the constant reminders of the main characters' features; black curls, seven freckles, emerald eyes, etc. I liked Addie and Henry's storyline, which is what kept me interested (and able to listen to all 17 hours of narration), but certain aspects were too predictable and I was sorry I figured things out so early in the narrative. Maybe I've read too many mysteries this year and expected a big twist or two before the grand finale.

I'm a little bit nervous, but also curious, to see what the others in my book group think of this novel. I went into it blind, as is my usual habit, but something about the cover art and the blog reviews I scanned brought to mind The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which I loved. (Click on the link for my review.) Schwab's novel does not compare to Morgenstern's magical story, which is peopled with likeable characters and beautiful prose. Other than Addie, Luc and Henry, Morgenstern's characters are flat and unremarkable. I'm afraid that with the passage of time, I too will come to forget Addie LaRue. 

Looking Back - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 

Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy

2000 Scholastic

Read in August 2000

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. 

And in his case, different can be deadly.

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Another enjoyable installment in the Harry Potter series, but I don't share the enthusiasm of most readers. I like these books, but I don't think this one's all that great.

My Current Thoughts:

I read this a second time (on audio) in 2016 and enjoyed the audio much better than the print edition. I gave it 4/5 rating. Here's my original blog post for that second reading: 

This was a partial re-read, as I never finished the book the first time around. In an effort to read all the books in the series before the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I decided to listen to the remaining books. This installment was highly entertaining on audio, thanks to Jim Dale. I can certainly see why everyone was so anxious for the next release. Final Thoughts: Another winner! My only complaint is that listening to the details of the World Quiddich Cup became tedious and I found myself zoning out as I listened. Listening to Fred and George's bantering also became a bit tiresome. In spite of these quibbles, I'm glad I finally made time to listen to the book.

Kindred

 

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Fantasy/Time Travel

1979 Beacon Press

Finished on January 2, 2021

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given...

Finally! I first heard about this book from a couple of friends many years ago and always intend to read it, but for some reason, I never got my hands on a copy. A few months ago, I decided to request it from the library and I've finally read it. I wanted to love it, and I did think it was quite good, but near the halfway point, I was getting a little ansty to be finished. The early chapters were pretty intense, but as the story progressed, the pace began to drag. I grew impatient with the strange relationship between Dana and Rufus and would have liked to read more about Dana's time back in her present day world. Unlike other time travel books I've enjoyed (The Time Traveler's Wife, for instance), Kindred is essentially a social commentary with time travel as a literary device.

Published in 1979, it is somewhat dated:

He got up and went to the living room. Moments later, he came back and dumped an armload of books on the bed. "I brought everything we had on black history," he said. "Start hunting."

There were ten books. We checked indexes and even leafed through some of the books page by page to be sure. Nothing. I hadn't really thought there would be anything in these books. I hadn't read them all, but I'd at least glanced through them before.

"We'll have to go to the library then," said Kevin. "We'll go today as soon as it's open." 

Ummm, why not just do search on Google? Oh, yeah. No Internet in 1979.

All in all, Kindred a worthwhile read and one that I'd recommend. 

Looking Back - The Golden Compass

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman
Young Adult Fiction
1996 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers (first published 1995)
Finished in January 1998
Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.


My Original Notes (1998):

Fantasy. Very different! I loved the idea of daemons, but the book ran hot and cold for me. Slow in spots. I got bogged down with a lot of the fantasy details, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't.

I'm not sure if I want to read the sequel. This isn't a book I loved or disliked. Would make a great Spielberg movie!

My Current Thoughts:

I remember when an online book group that I belonged to read this young adult novel. So many people seemed to love it and the rest of the books in His Dark Materials trilogy, but I was lukewarm about the story and didn't go on to read anymore by Pullman. For the most part, I tend prefer science fiction and post-apocalyptic books over fantasy.

Looking Back - The Princess Bride

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Fiction - Fantasy
1994 Del Rey (first published in 1973)
Finished in January 1998
Rating: 5/5 (Excellent!)

Publisher's Blurb:

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.

My Original Notes (1998):

Excellent! So much better than the movie. I loved all the asides that Goldman makes. I laughed so hard. Wonderful book. Wonderful entertainment.

My Current Thoughts:

I've read this book a couple of times now and it really is a classic and highly entertaining. If you've only seen the movie, you really need to read the book. It's delightful.

Favorite Quotes:

Inconceivable!

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

and

My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!

and

As you wish...

and

The Impressive Clergyman: Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva… So tweasure your wuv.
Prince Humperdinck: Skip to the end.
The Impressive Clergyman: Have you the wing?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, #7
Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
2015 Audio Pottermore from J.K. Rowling (Originally published in 2007)
Read by Jim Dale
Finished on June 23, 2016
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

It's no longer safe for Harry at Hogwarts, so he and his best friends, Ron and Hermione, are on the run. Professor Dumbledore has given them clues about what they need to do to defeat the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, once and for all, but it's up to them to figure out what these hints and suggestions really mean.

Their cross-country odyssey has them searching desperately for the answers, while evading capture or death at every turn. At the same time, their friendship, fortitude, and sense of right and wrong are tested in ways they never could have imagined.

The ultimate battle between good and evil that closes out this final chapter of the epic series takes place where Harry's Wizarding life began: at Hogwarts. The satisfying conclusion offers shocking last-minute twists, incredible acts of courage, powerful new forms of magic, and the resolution of many mysteries.

Above all, this intense, cathartic book serves as a clear statement of the message at the heart of the Harry Potter series: that choice matters much more than destiny, and that love will always triumph over death.

I feel like this final installment was better than the previous two in the series, but the first two were by far the best. I'm glad to have read all seven books, but I can't say that I'm a huge fan. As usual, Jim Dale is an outstanding reader and without his superb narration, I doubt I would have continued with the audio books.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, #6
Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
2015 Audio Pottermore from J.K. Rowling (Originally published in 2005)
Read by Jim Dale
Finished on June 9, 2016
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The war against Voldemort is not going well: even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of The Daily Prophet looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet …

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to apparate, and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Harry struggles to uncover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the past owner of a potions textbook he now possesses that is filled with ingenious, potentially deadly, spells. But Harry's life is suddenly changed forever when someone close to him is heinously murdered right before his eyes.

With Dumbledore's guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, and thereby attempts to find what may be his only vulnerability.

There's really not much to say about this series that hasn't already been discussed. I thought this installment was better than Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but not as good as the first two in the series. Jim Dale is a marvelous reader for the audios, so I was entertained. I was also very sad to learn that another beloved character had died. Yes, I lived under a rock, ignoring all the chatter about the details of this character's demise. ;)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, #5
Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
2015 Pottermore from J.K. Rowling (Originally published in 2003)
Read by Jim Dale
Finished on May 31, 2016
Rating: 2.5/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...

Suspense, secrets and thrilling action from the pen of J.K. Rowling ensure an electrifying adventure that is impossible to put down.

Boring! I was really not interested in this installment at all, but decided to keep going since I wanted to finish the series. The book was ok, but I didn't love it like the first in the series. I did go on and read the remaining books, though. I had to see what happened next.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, #4
Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
2015 Pottermore from J.K. Rowling (Originally published in 2000)
Read by Jim Dale
Finished on April 9, 2016
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Harry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards.

And in his case, different can be deadly.

This was a partial re-read, as I never finished the book the first time around. In an effort to read all the books in the series before the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I decided to listen to the remaining books. This installment was highly entertaining on audio, thanks to Jim Dale. I can certainly see why everyone was so anxious for the next release.

Final Thoughts:

Another winner! My only complaint is that listening to the details of the World Quiddich Cup became tedious and I found myself zoning out as I listened. Listening to Fred and George's bantering also became a bit tiresome. In spite of these quibbles, I'm glad I finally made time to listen to the book.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Children's/Fantasy
2015 Pottermore by J.K.Rowling Audio (Originally published in 1999)
Read by Jim Dale
Finished on March 24, 2016
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

"'Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go.'"

When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it's the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run - and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry's tea leaves.... But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss....

It's been years since I've read this series, and since I stalled at book 5, I decided to start listening to the remaining books before the new one was released in July. The first books in this series are by far my favorites. I love Jim Dale and this was an especially entertaining listen!
 
Final Thoughts:

Well worth a third reading! And, this pretty much sums up my feelings:

"To call Dale a 'reader' of books is like saying Monet was a Sunday painter." (Los Angeles Times)

The Magicians

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Magicians Series #1
Science Fiction
2009 Penguin Audio
Read by Mark Bramhall
Finished on March 1, 2016
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

“The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. … Grossman’s sensibilities are thoroughly adult, his narrative dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.” —George R. R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones


Publisher's Blurb:

Quentin Coldwater is a high school senior, but he’s still secretly obsessed with a series of fantasy novels he read when he was little, about the adventures of five children in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, everything in his real life just seems gray and colorless. That changes when Quentin finds himself admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the practice of modern sorcery.

But magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure and meaning he thought it would—until he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. The Magicians is a grand, glittering fantasy that reinterprets the grand tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling in a brilliant novel for adults.


I can't remember the last time I vacillated so much while reading a book! One minute I was falling in love with the story and the next I was ready to throw the book across the room. Such a roller coaster! And while some may say it's a nod to Harry Potter and Narnia, I thought it was more of a ripoff, especially of J.K. Rowlings' series.

A school for magicians. Check.

Separate living quarters based on your magical abilities. Check.

"Send me an owl." Check.

A game called Welters, which sounds vaguely familiar. "Hang on," he said. "Gotta get my quidditch costume. I mean uniform. I mean welters." Check.

I discovered the following while reading other reviews and had to laugh because it's spot on:

I felt like I was doing peyote buttons with J.K. Rowling. (Mickey Rapkin, GQ)

The book pulled me in right away, but then my interest began to wane. Things picked up again when the group went to Brakesbills South in Antarctica, and the ending was great, but over all the pacing is uneven and the characters are flat and tiresome. I have no desire to read the next two books in this series and after watching about 20 minutes of the first episode of the series on DVD, my husband and I both agreed to call it quits. 

Final Thoughts:

While entertaining and somewhat imaginative, this mash-up of Harry Potter, The Night Circus and Ready Player One left me wishing for something more.

Mailbox Monday

Only one new book this week and I'm not sure if I should read it now or wait for Carl's R.I.P. Challenge later this year. It certainly sounds creepy!

Neil Gaiman meets Joe Hill in this astonishingly original, terrifying, and darkly funny contemporary fantasy. ~ Amazon 

From the publisher:

A library with the secrets to the universe, a woman with the power to claim it—and a struggle that may cost her everything.

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She's sure of it. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. She even remembers what clothes are for. 

After all, she was a normal American herself once.

But she and the others aren't really normal. Not anymore. Not since their parents were murdered. Not since Father took them in.

Father was not like them. He could call light from darkness. Once he crumbled a mountain with just a glance. Sometimes he raised the dead. And when he was disobeyed, the consequences were terrible.

Now, Father is missing—maybe even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded.

The battle for this prize will be fierce, but Carolyn can win. She's sure of it. What she doesn't know is that victory may come at an unacceptable price--because she's already sacrificed far more about being human than she realizes.

Scott Hawkins lives in Atlanta with his wife and large pack of foster dogs. The Library at Mount Char is his first novel. 

Publication date: June 2015

What arrived in your mailbox this past week?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Fantasy
2013 Harper Audio
Reader: Neil Gaiman
Finished on 2/16/14
Rating: 4.5/5 (Terrific!)




Publisher’s Blurb:

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys. This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real...

Move over, Jim Dale; I think I’m in love. Neil Gaiman has such a rich, smooth voice; I would happily listen to him read a Subaru service manual. What a fabulous performance (because, quite honestly that’s really what this experience felt like; not simply an author reading his book, but one who is telling you his story). I enjoyed it so much that I found myself listening to a track a second time, and I even considered listening to the entire book once again. I’ve only experienced one other book by Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) and now I’m eager to sample more from his backlist, especially if the audio books are narrated by the author.

Final Thoughts:

In a word, enchanting. This slim novel (a fairy tale for adults, really) is worth your time. Read it. Listen to it. Just don’t miss it!

The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Fiction
2011 Random House Audio (Unabridged Edition)
Reader: Jim Dale
Finished 1/4/12
Rating: 4/5 (Terrific!)




Publisher’s Blurb:

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves: Within these black-and-white striped tents lies an utterly unique experience, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, and stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination.

But when Celia and Marco innocently tumble headfirst into love, their masters intervene with dangerous consequences.

I wound up with the ARC of The Night Circus last summer, but of course, it was relegated to one of the many stacks in my office. After the novel’s release, I read a few glowing reviews and knew it was something I would eventually read. I’ve been enjoying audio books so much, and as it turned out, I found the audio in my library’s online database, so I promptly added my name to the queue. I figured I’d either get to the ARC or the audio version whenever the mood struck. I was very happy when the audio became available and I was able to start listening right after Thanksgiving. What an outstanding presentation of Erin Morgenstern’s debut novel! Jim Dale (whom readers will recognize from the audio editions of the Harry Potter series) is superb! I was quickly drawn into Celia and Marco’s story, eager to get back to the book every morning, falling deeper and deeper under the spell of this remarkably imaginative tale. Morgenstern’s novel is rich with detail and filled with wonderful characters. I don’t know whose story I loved more—Celia & Marco’s or Poppet, Widget and Bailey’s.

My only complaint with the audio is that the chronology of the book is not linear, and thus I was often confused, unsure if my Nano had skipped a track. I found myself checking the ARC to make sure I hadn’t missed a chapter. I’m pretty sure I didn’t, but I do plan to read the book (eventually), now that I’ve finished the audio. It’s very rare that I listen to a book either before or after reading the printed edition, but this was such an outstanding experience, I can’t wait to return to Morgenstern’s world. The Help turned out to be amazing in both formats and I enjoyed the movie just as much. I’m hoping The Night Circus turns out to be another novel that is just as enjoyable in all three mediums. Summit Entertainment (the production company behind the Twilight film franchise) has optioned the film rights and, although I was not impressed with the film version of Twilight, I am still excited about the possibility for a fabulously magical adventure.

SuziQ says:

This was a beautiful, exciting, sad, happy and altogether elegant story. The author created a world in which I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself. I intentionally waited to read it until I had time to read it in just a few sittings. I’m glad I did. This is the kind of book that wraps its setting around you as you read. The imagery is both delicate and strong and always beautiful even in the darker parts of the story. At its heart a love story, the book is about a competition between magicians that takes place within a mysterious circus that seems to appear and disappear and is only open at night. Its storylines weave in and around each other and forward and backward in time in a way that feels almost like a dance. There is a distinct elegance to the writing and the story that takes the reader on a wonderful journey. (Whimpulsive)

Go here to read her complete review.

Andi says:

Beyond the novel's structure, the detail in the writing is just stunning. I felt as if I was experiencing the look and feel of The Night Circus. I could imagine the tents, each of the acts, the bonfire that serves as the heart of the circus, the food on sale to the patrons, the way the various acts dressed and conducted themselves. Hardly ever do I read a novel that makes me feel so thoroughly immersed in the fictional world. (Estella's Revenge)

Go here to read her complete review.

Wendy says:

The Night Circus is a feast for the senses, conjuring up beautiful scenes and luscious scents. It twists and turns and leaves the reader wondering what is real and what is illusion? Morgenstern shifts the narrative back and forth in time, a technique which adds to the unsettled feel of the novel. I will admit that this time shifting felt confusing to me at first. But eventually, I stopped paying attention to the dates, and simply allowed the story to sweep me forward…and it was when I did this that the novel captured me. (Caribousmom)

Go here to read her complete review.

So have I (and my friends) convinced you? This is definitely a winner!

And did I mention the ever-so-wonderful Jim Dale? Here is a sample of him reading from The Night Circus. Close your eyes and listen.




Final thoughts: Enchanting. Magical. Unforgettable.