#ThrowbackThursday (3) The Looking Glass Wars

Davida at The Chocolate Lady hosts this Throwback Thursday meme monthly and I've decided to participate. The idea is to highlight/share a previously published book review. I've been blogging since 2009, so I have a lot of reviews to revisit (even if I have slowed down in more recent years, I used to be quite a prolific reviewer).

I'm basically going in order of reviews published. I will continue in this vein unless a particular review does not spark my fancy.

This month is a revisit of my first review of an audiobook. It's nice to look back on these reviews because I can revisit books I really enjoyed. This definitely was one of them. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, first in a trilogy series by the same name. I love Alice in Wonderland and this series is a unique twist on the original. 

My review...

This is a newly imagined version of Alice in Wonderland. Don't be expecting the Disney fairy tale because it's far from it. If you thought the Queen of Hearts (Redd in this story) was a monster in the Disney version, wait until you get a load of Alyss' Aunt Redd. When she says off with their heads, she really means it. And the ambiguous Cheshire Cat that we remember...well this one sounds like he might have just stepped out of an X-Men movie! All the other characters are here as well, in different ways, shapes and forms. And there are a few additional characters. Alyss' parents are the Queen and King of Wonderland. And for all the feminists out there, Wonderland is a "Queendom", not a Kingdom. In this story, the Queen holds the power of the realm. So you know what that means...Alyss is next in line for the throne. It all makes for a pretty exciting story that keeps you engaged throughout. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm listening to an audiobook, if it's not an engaging story, my mind tends to wander. My mind did not wander once as I was listening to this book. This is actually the first book in a series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them in the future.

What really enhanced my experience of listening to this book was the reader, Gerard Doyle. One can really tell of his experience in the theatre. He brings every character alive with their own distinct voice. The listener is never at a loss as to which character is speaking. His narration is lively and nuanced. Mr. Doyle is a first rate audiobook reader. I will be looking for further titles with him as the narrator.

I am recommending this book as a great read. Whether you read it in print or listen to the audio is your decision, but I must stress once again that this audiobook experience was highly entertaining.

Original post here.

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#ThrowbackThursday (2) The Time Traveler's Wife

Davida at The Chocolate Lady hosts this Throwback Thursday meme monthly and I've decided to participate. The idea is to highlight/share a previously published book review. I've been blogging since 2009, so I have a lot of reviews to revisit (even if I have slowed down in more recent years, I used to be quite a prolific reviewer).

I'm basically going in order of reviews published (last month I shared the first review I published here on this blog) so this month will be the second review posted. I will continue in this vein unless a particular review does not spark my fancy. 

This month is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (review originally published on August 21, 2009). This book is one of my favorites and I'm so excited there is a series version coming to HBO. I also loved the film, though the book and film are both poignant and heartbreaking.

My review...

I am crying as I write this so let me warn you--when you read this book, you had better be prepared to cry...and to laugh...and to be amazed. How does one describe a book that so seamlessly combines science fiction, comedy, and tragedy?

Henry and Clare have a relationship that transcends time...literally. Henry is what is known as a chrono-displaced person, or CDP. There are no time machines or devices. He just disappears from one time leaving a pile of clothes behind and appears in another time completely naked. He meets Clare when she is a child and they develop a friendship that carries on every time he travels back to her time, as she is growing up. When she finally meets Henry in his present, he doesn't know who she is, but she has known him for years. It all seems very confusing here as I describe it and that's the problem. This book defies description. But I'm not saying this in a negative sense. When you actually read the book, it's not confusing and that, in itself, is the beauty of it. To explain the story further here would give too much away and I do not want to do that, dear reader.

So I will focus on the storytelling. The author has taken a difficult situation (to say the least) and made it both comic and tragic at the same time. Who in life hasn't tried to see the funny side of a grave situation? I know I have. It's human to look on the bright side and Henry and Clare have a love that withstands the obstacles because of their ability to focus on the good. In the end, it has been their love that has seen them through. As Henry says to Clare, "Our love has been the thread through the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire walker, the only real thing in this strange life of mine that I could ever trust." Their love has been the only constant in time.

It is rare for a book to really touch a person to the core. This book does just that in a way that is soul-soaring and heart-wrenching, but also manages to invoke a smile in the back of your mind.


Original post here.

I reviewed the film here. 

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#ThrowbackThursday (1) The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy

Davida at The Chocolate Lady hosts this Throwback Thursday meme monthly and I've decided to participate. The idea is to highlight/share a previously published book review. Since I've been blogging since 2009, I have a lot of reviews to revisit (even if I have slowed down in more recent years, I used to be quite a prolific reviewer. lol).

So, today I'm sharing the very first book review I wrote for this blog. The book was The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater and the review was published on August 6, 2009. 

Without further ado...

For those of us who love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this book is an excellent companion piece to that wonderful novel. This is Pride and Prejudice told entirely from Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's point of view--written entirely in diary form. I liked this book because it gives more insight into the character of Darcy...his inner turmoils and doubts. In his diary, he wears his heart on his sleeve and we are shown an even more caring character than we find in Pride and Prejudice

and, therefore, a more suitable match for Miss. Elizabeth Bennett. We also are treated to a look at Mr. Darcy's friendship with the illustrious Lord Byron. Darcy's propriety and genuine character contrasts nicely with Byron's debauchery, although Darcy is far from being of complete innocence--he is a single man after all. I found the addition of Lord Byron to the story very clever as it gives Mr. Darcy a place, so to speak, in the historical world. Some may be shocked by some of Mr. Darcy's actions in the book, but I find it refreshing as it seems an accurate portrayal of a well-to-do bachelor of the time period. What I do find ironic is the fact that the Bennett sisters are considered "unsuitable" for a high-born marriage because of their lower status in society and yet a wealthy bachelor could visit houses of ill repute, etc. and not fear for a lowering of his reputation. I guess it was certainly a man's world back then! In all, The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy is an excellent read. Ms. Slater has produced a novel that is smart and provocative. Austen enthusiasts should consider reading this, especially after reading the original Pride and Prejudice again.

Original post here.

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Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Jenny at TakeMeAway. It is the time each week to recognize those older books… an older book you’ve always wanted to read, or one that you have read and love; maybe one from your childhood; or review an older book -- how about even a classic!

This is my first time doing this and my pick for this week is:

Queen Of The Damned by Anne Rice

Did you ever wonder where all those mischievous vampires roaming the globe in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles came from? In this, the third book in the series, we find out. That raucous rock-star vampire Lestat interrupts the 6,000-year slumber of the mama of all bloodsuckers, Akasha, Queen of the Damned.
Akasha was once the queen of the Nile (she has a bit in common with the Egyptian goddess Isis), and it's unwise to rile her now that she's had 60 centuries of practice being undead. She is so peeved about male violence that she might just have to kill most of them. And she has her eye on handsome Lestat with other ideas as well. (synopsis from Amazon.com)

Now anyone that knows me knows that Anne Rice is my favorite author and that this is my favorite book. The story behind my discovery of it is interesting. When I was in my late teens/early twenties, I came across this book as a book club selection in one of those mail order book clubs. It sounded good so I bought it. I started reading it and my mom noticed the author. She went to her bookcase and pulled out Interview with the Vampire and said, "That book is actually the third in the series. This one is the first one." Now I had remembered seeing it in mom's bookcase for years, but had never actually pulled it out and read it. So to make a long story short, I still ended up reading Queen of the Damned first and then went back to the beginning of the series. I don't know if it's due to the fact that I read it first or if it's because in this book, Rice really explores the history and the origins of the vampires (I lean toward the latter). All I can say is that I have read it three times and I'm getting ready to revisit it a fourth time as I'm reading The Vampire Chronicles (actually on audio) once again, up to Menmoch the Devil, in preparation of reading The Vampire Armand. I have been too long away from Rice's beloved vampires!