Saturday Mini-Reviews: A Catch-up Post

Evernight by Claudia Gray (Evernight Series, Book 1)

When I read this book I admit I got a little excited by it. For a moment I thought it was different and that maybe it was better than the teen vampire books that everyone loves and I mostly hate. It was at least better written than a certain series about sparkly vampires... Anyway, I did enjoy this book. It was a fresh approach to the vampire stories AND it takes place at a boarding school. I am just not very interested in the romance aspect of the novel and it is quite apparent that it is important. It is also a coming of age book, but maybe a bit different than what is normally labelled as that. I am really not sure what to think about this book. On the one hand I did like it, but on the other I could do without it. Sort of recommended.

Skellig by David Almond

I was going to review this book on its own, but so much time has passed that I don't know if I could think of enough to talk about to give it its own review. It's unfortunate because I really liked this book! It was the first Almond I had ever read, but I have read two more since. It was a different sort of read. I can safely say that it will not be for everyone, but it is still worth taking a chance on. I really don't want to say a lot because I enjoyed the bit of mystery to the story, but I am sure that spoilers abound and people are well aware of the basics to the story. I am just not going to add to them and it is hard to say what is a spoiler with this book. I think, anyways. The best thing to say is just read the book! Strongly recommended!

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

I need to read more books of essays. Especially books of essays that are about books! I have heard of this book over and over again, so I am glad that I can finally say that I have read it. I really enjoyed it. It is nice to know that there are people that are obsessed with books as you are. Some of the essays were not as good as others, but overall it was a good read. I wish my library had her other book... Recommended!

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

I was standing in the line at the library one day when my eyes fell on this book. Carrie Fisher is actually a pretty good author. I have read a couple of her novels. Add to this that she was in Star Wars and When Harry Met Sally and I knew I was going to have to see what she had to say. It was actually an interesting read. Fisher has lived a very varied life and she writes about it with humour. Normally I am not a big fan of celebrity memoirs, but I am glad I made an exception with this one. She actually turned it in a one woman play, which I wouldn't mind seeing if the chance presented itself. Obviously, this book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard

This book could be about itself! Wow, was it ever boring. I could not get into it at all. Interesting title and idea, but the execution could use some work. Obviously some people have read and enjoyed this book, but I don't know how it is even possible. I think I prefer muddling through on my own in pretending that I have read books and wish I had never wasted time trying to read this! This was a total fail! I should also mention, though, that this is a translation. Maybe the original is really good and the translation is just really bad... It's a possibility, anyway.

Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

This is my first buddy review/read with Darren from Bart's Bookshelf. Hopefully there will be more in the future. Below you will find my answers to his questions, while on his blog you can see his answers to my questions.

The Watson family moves to Stoneygate, an old coal-mining town, to care for Kit’s recently widowed grandfather. When Kit meets John Askew, another boy whose family has both worked and died in the mines, Askew invites Kit to join him in playing a game called Death. As Kit’s grandfather tells him stories of the mine’s past and the history of the Watson family, Askew takes Kit into the mines, where the boys look to find the childhood ghosts of their long-gone ancestors. Written in haunting, lyrical prose, Kit’s Wilderness examines the bonds of family from one generation to the next, and explores how meaning and beauty can be revealed from the depths of darkness.

So, to start with, what did you think of Kit himself, did you like him?
I wasn't sure about Kit in the beginning. By the time that the book got over with, though, I didn't mind him. He was an interesting character, actually. He grew on me. I liked him by the end of the book. He didn't really know who he was, but he knew that he had a very detailed history that he has to live up to. As you start to learn about the history of his town and how it relates to him it makes him more of a character to learn about. I didn't love Kit, though. I found him hard to relate to and I didn't really care about him. I guess it is possible to find a person interesting without really caring enough about them to say you like them or hate them.

My dad's family come from an area not very many miles from where the book is set, so I think this could be one of the reasons I may have enjoyed the book better than you did, as it was instantly recognisable to me, what did you think of the world in which it was set?
Well, I have not been there, but it was easy to recognize the geography. I think it worked really well for the story, though. I wouldn't mind visiting there and seeing all the history that I was represented by the geography and the careers that were created as a result. It is land that leads to the lifestyle of the inhabitants and the story would not have worked without it. I liked the world.

Okay, lets look at the positives, tell me about something you did particually like about the book?
The history of the town. I really liked it. It all related to Kit's grandfather and the men that he worked with. It's really why I read it. His grandfathers' story was interesting. The mining life was the lifestyle of the town and involved with the progression of the story. It was really good how what happened in the past relates to what is happening to Kit in the future. His grandfathers' story is his story, too. Almond weaves the story together really well. He is a good writer, this novel just didn't work for me as well as others.

Well, I've got to admit what you liked, so it's only fair to let you explain what you think caused it to drag so much for you?
I think I have related a few of my problems by answering the other questions. I couldn't really relate to Kit. He just didn't interest me all that much. I found the weaving of his grandfathers' history and his present interesting, but I didn't really feel anything for Kit through the course of the book. If the history of the mines and his grandfather were not included, I probably wouldn't have read the entire book. I just couldn't get engrossed enough in the story to appreciate it, I guess. I had a hard time getting into it and staying interested.

Lastly, have you read any Almond before? Has this one made more or less likely to read him again?
This is actually the third Almond novel I have read this year. While it is not my favourite book by him, I do enjoy his writing overall and I hope to read more from him in the future.