Hello!
I have been messing around with my blog and rearranging things. I now have a new page for my Review Policy and I have also moved my Rating System to a page of its own. I love feedback, so feel free to tell me if you like it, dislike it, and what else you think would be an improvement. Do you like the new rating layout I have been experimenting with on my reviews? Do you think I should move my list of book reviews and favorite things off the sidebar and into their own pages? Let me know what you think. (I appreciate advice even if I decide not to take it.) :)
Lieder Madchen
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Book Review #57 The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy by Marsha Altman
The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy
by Marsha Altman
by Marsha Altman
Genre: Regency Romance / Historical Fiction
Ages: 15 and up
Sequel to The Darcys and the Bingleys, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, and Mr. Darcy's Great Escape.
Marsha Altman and Ulysses Press sent me an ARC of this book for an honest review.
SPOILER ALERT! Do not read unless you have read the three above-mentioned novels that take place before this one. The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy can technically stand on its own, but it will make more sense and be far more fun if you have read the others. :)
Publisher's Syopsis:
Whirlwind of Pemberley
The comings and goings on their grand estate present endless challenges for Elizabeth and Darcy. Can they avoid scandal given the recent arrival of Mr. Darcy's illegitimate brother Grégoire, Mr. Bennet's advancing years, the younger George Wickham's coming of age, and Dr. Maddox's departure from his position with the Prince Regent even as his many secrets threaten to be discovered?
Courtship of Mary Bennet
After her disastrous trip to the continent resulted in a passionate romance and an unintended child, Mary Bennet finds herself back in England, living with the shameful title of unwed mother. Having given up on ever finding love, Mary is shocked to find herself pursued by a proper gentleman. But are his intentions true, or is Mary being led astray by her heart once again?
Torment of Grégoire Darcy
Leaving his sheltered, peaceful life at a Benedictine cloister, Grégoire enters a world he never imagined. Thrust into Regency England's secular society, Grégoire is overwhelmed. How can an inexperienced, single man stay true to himself while finding his place in a culture obsessed with matrimony?
My Review:
This book was wonderful. Some parts of Grégoire's story were almost painful to read, they were so tragic. He was such an innocent at the beginning, and somehow, through all of his trials and tribulations, he retained that innocence. Despite being wounded and betrayed by those he loved most, his faith stayed strong. (Though he did engage in a couple of spectacular instances of sin.)
I loved the secondary characters in this book, particularly the children. Geoffrey Darcy, George Wickham, and Georgiana Bingley are now young teenagers, about to make their mark on the world. Georgiana has wonderful potential. I loved reading about mild-mannered Jane and Charles being bossed around by their stubborn daughter. I hope that she gets a novel of her own one day.
I enjoyed the Irish accents in the latter half of the book. I had fun trying to decipher the precise meanings, and I still have not figured them all out. What exactly does "fierce quare" mean? Eventually, I googled it to make sure my guess was right. (I was pretty close, it means "extremely strange.")
Elizabeth was witty, Darcy was perfect, Jane was sweet, Bingley was naive, Monkey was....wait, did I just say "Monkey"? Yes, a monkey has descended upon the hallowed halls of Pemberley, and Charles Bingley may never be forgiven. And, to top off a lovely novel, what would a Marsha Altman book be without Darcy rushing to the rescue of at least one of his many relatives?
This is a magnificent addition to my favorite Pride and Prejudice sequel series, and I would recommend it to all lovers of Jane Austen and regency romance.
Watch out for my upcoming giveaway of a copy of The Ballad of Grégoire Darcy, courtesy of Ulysses Press.
There may be some mild spoilers in the reasons for my ratings.
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).
Profanity:
There were several uses of the f-word in this book, though it was always deliberately misspelled, so I give it a 8.10.
Sexuality:
There were multiple fade-aways between an unmarried couple as well as some references and innuendos, so I rate it a 5.10.
Violence:
There were a couple of brief but disturbing instances of violence in this novel, including the murder of a child, so I give it a 6.10.
Lieder Madchen
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Book Review #56: Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis
Raising Dragons
by Bryan Davis
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy
Ages: 10 and up
Book 1 in the Dragons in Our Midst Series.
Billy Bannister has lead a fairly normal life, except for the fact that his breath is impossibly hot, which sometimes gets him into trouble and led to the nickname of "Dragon Breath." But what if it isn't just a nickname? Billy is shocked when his father reveals that he is a dragon, making Billy a half-dragon.
Bonnie Silver has led a less than normal life. At school, she constantly wears a backpack. No matter how much the other students tease her, she never takes it off. If she did, they would see her wings.
The dragons changed into human form centuries ago in order to escape the slayers. Now, the slayers are back and targeting the Bannister family and Bonnie.
This book is a bit predictable, but still good. Billy and Bonnie are likeable, interesting characters. I like that they do not have the modern, exaggerated teen-age attitude of so many books. Billy is the doubtful one, always questioning, while Bonnie's faith is so strong you can almost taste it. The secondary characters were also good, particularly Professor hamilton and the Foley family.
This is the second time I have read this book, and I actually like it better now than I did then. The first time, I thought it was a little stiff, but on my second read-through I noticed no such thing.
I am a huge Arthurian fan, so I liked that this book had some of those legends mixed in. I cannot resist a book that has both Merlin and dragons.
I would recommend this book to kids who like fun, adventurous, wholesome reads. Raising Dragons is the first in a long series and you will have to read them all. You are warned.
Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality, and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).
Profanity:
There is no profanity in this book.
Sexuality:
There is the tiniest hint of sexuality, so I give this book a 1.10.
Violence:
There are several scenes of violence in this book, including murder, attempted murder, and serious injuries. I rate it a 6.10.
Lieder Madchen
by Bryan Davis
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy
Ages: 10 and up
Book 1 in the Dragons in Our Midst Series.
Billy Bannister has lead a fairly normal life, except for the fact that his breath is impossibly hot, which sometimes gets him into trouble and led to the nickname of "Dragon Breath." But what if it isn't just a nickname? Billy is shocked when his father reveals that he is a dragon, making Billy a half-dragon.
Bonnie Silver has led a less than normal life. At school, she constantly wears a backpack. No matter how much the other students tease her, she never takes it off. If she did, they would see her wings.
The dragons changed into human form centuries ago in order to escape the slayers. Now, the slayers are back and targeting the Bannister family and Bonnie.
This book is a bit predictable, but still good. Billy and Bonnie are likeable, interesting characters. I like that they do not have the modern, exaggerated teen-age attitude of so many books. Billy is the doubtful one, always questioning, while Bonnie's faith is so strong you can almost taste it. The secondary characters were also good, particularly Professor hamilton and the Foley family.
This is the second time I have read this book, and I actually like it better now than I did then. The first time, I thought it was a little stiff, but on my second read-through I noticed no such thing.
I am a huge Arthurian fan, so I liked that this book had some of those legends mixed in. I cannot resist a book that has both Merlin and dragons.
I would recommend this book to kids who like fun, adventurous, wholesome reads. Raising Dragons is the first in a long series and you will have to read them all. You are warned.
Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality, and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).
Profanity:
There is no profanity in this book.
Sexuality:
There is the tiniest hint of sexuality, so I give this book a 1.10.
Violence:
There are several scenes of violence in this book, including murder, attempted murder, and serious injuries. I rate it a 6.10.
Lieder Madchen
Monday, May 2, 2011
Book Review #55: The Resurrection: The Disciples in the 21st Century by Henry Parker
The Resurrection: The Disciples in the 21st Century
by Henry Parker
Though criticisms from the religious and scientific communities persist, both groups use this project as an opportunity to advance their agendas. In the midst of division, Clark shies away from discussion, hoping that the fierceness subsides and won’t deter his workaholic life. However, those mixed feelings change.
While some have characterized the disciples as primitive, others like Clark notice the abnormal behaviors and uncanny intellect. As more time is spent living with the disciples, a realization comes to mind: perhaps there is more truth to the New Testament than some thought.
I found the premise of this book to be interesting. Not the idea of resurrecting biblical figures, but rather the way those biblical figures would react to the modern world if they were to find themselves here. What would they think of us? What would they say?
This is one of those rare books where both the plot and characters are secondary to the conversations. It was fascinating to read the interactions with between the modern characters and the resurrected disciples. I found it particularly interesting how they responded to such subjects as evolution, art, tolerance, and the Catholic Church. I also found it especially interesting how simple and straightforward the disciple's beliefs were compared to the complicated and sometimes confusing ideas in modern theology.
The one problem I had with this book is that the characters could have been developed a bit more. The disciples seem more like a group than individuals, and you don't really get to know Clark as well as you might like.
There are several loose ends and a rather irritating cliffhanger ending (grr), so I am looking forward to Book 2. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for an interesting and thought-provoking read.
This is not a book for those seeking an action or sci-fi story. The explanation behind the resurrection of the disciples was vague and unlikely. I, personally, did not mind that. When it comes to sci-fi, there are times when the less things are explained the better. There is little by way of "action" in this novel, but that in no way makes the story boring.
Check out the Resurrection Blog for more information about the series and the author.
Profanity:
There was some mild swearing in this book, so I rate it a 2.10.
Sexuality:
by Henry Parker
Genre: Christian Science Fiction
Ages: 14 and up
This book was sent to me in an advance, uncorrected PDF by the author for an honest review.
Author's Synopsis:
Nothing stops Bancroft Enterprises from developing the best in scientific technology, despite the harsh competition. At the height of its power, biomedical technician Clark Ravensdale performs the nearly-impossible: raising six New Testament figures.Though criticisms from the religious and scientific communities persist, both groups use this project as an opportunity to advance their agendas. In the midst of division, Clark shies away from discussion, hoping that the fierceness subsides and won’t deter his workaholic life. However, those mixed feelings change.
While some have characterized the disciples as primitive, others like Clark notice the abnormal behaviors and uncanny intellect. As more time is spent living with the disciples, a realization comes to mind: perhaps there is more truth to the New Testament than some thought.
I found the premise of this book to be interesting. Not the idea of resurrecting biblical figures, but rather the way those biblical figures would react to the modern world if they were to find themselves here. What would they think of us? What would they say?
This is one of those rare books where both the plot and characters are secondary to the conversations. It was fascinating to read the interactions with between the modern characters and the resurrected disciples. I found it particularly interesting how they responded to such subjects as evolution, art, tolerance, and the Catholic Church. I also found it especially interesting how simple and straightforward the disciple's beliefs were compared to the complicated and sometimes confusing ideas in modern theology.
The one problem I had with this book is that the characters could have been developed a bit more. The disciples seem more like a group than individuals, and you don't really get to know Clark as well as you might like.
There are several loose ends and a rather irritating cliffhanger ending (grr), so I am looking forward to Book 2. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for an interesting and thought-provoking read.
This is not a book for those seeking an action or sci-fi story. The explanation behind the resurrection of the disciples was vague and unlikely. I, personally, did not mind that. When it comes to sci-fi, there are times when the less things are explained the better. There is little by way of "action" in this novel, but that in no way makes the story boring.
Check out the Resurrection Blog for more information about the series and the author.
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme)
There was some mild swearing in this book, so I rate it a 2.10.
Sexuality:
There was a scene where a guy gawked at a woman's legs, so I give it a 1.10.
Violence:
There were multiple threats of violence in this book, so I give it a 2.10.
Lieder Madchen
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Great giveaway on Evie-Bookish!
Check out this chance to win The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, Chaos Walking or Modern Faerie Tales trilogies: http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/2011/04/200-followers-celebration-giveaway-open.html?showComment=1304309838501#c1774338396944873757
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
Giveaway at Budding Books!
Check out this fantastic multiple-book, multiple-winner giveaway! http://www.locketstories.com/2011/02/budding-books-march-giveaway.html
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