Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

by Carol3 Comments
Isn't that cover great? I don't read many middle school books, but I have to thank whoever wrote the review that made me put Serafina and the Black Cloak on my to-read list. I really enjoyed it. Serafina herself is a charming twelve-year old. She has an odd life, hiding in the basement of the Biltmore Estate where her pa works, but she's adorable and brave and smart. And not quite human, but part of this first story is her discovery of who she is. The narrator does an excellent job, giving Serafina a perfect accent and a very expressive voice, showing her pride, curiosity and fears well. I love Serafina's pa, too. He's not a huge part of the actual plot, but he's a strong, caring man, doing the best he can in an unusual situation. There aren't really any surprises in the story, we see most things coming well before they're revealed, but it's a middle school book, so I'm...
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City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

by Carol2 Comments
The world in City of Stairs is awesome! Deities used to be involved in a close, daily basis with their followers, building and changing the world, allowing one country to rule. The gods have been killed or have disappeared, their people now at the mercy of others, the city itself transformed, the weather changing. It is not surprising that there are some in Bulikov who are not happy living under the thumb of their conquerors, some who are wiling to do whatever they can to make Bulikov thrive again. Into this arena arrives Shara, a woman whose job as an intelligence agent is to maintain the status quo but whose interests lie in the past, in the history of the gods and the miracles they allowed. She has chosen this assignment to investigate the murder of a man she truly admired, but when we're talking about governments and politics and gods, dead or not, it gets complicated. Shara begins to suspect that those closest to...
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Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

by Carol5 Comments
I want to live in Midnight. It's a really, really small town full of really, really odd people, but they are all so friendly toward each other and protective of each other. I'd love to visit Fiji's shop or have dinner with them all at the (only) local restaurant. I guess this is a mystery - who killed Manfred's client, but there is a lot going on in the background. The new hotel in town is questionable. And the new kid in town could be more dangerous than they suspect. As far as the mystery goes though, I was surprised by the whodunit and equally by the "justice" they received. We learn a lot about the characters and who/what they are in this one, it's more about them than the actual plot in some ways. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job. She gives everyone their own personalities, even the visitors to town. The...
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The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan

by Carol6 Comments
I've really enjoyed this trilogy and the finale, The Autumn Republic, was good, but I was hoping for great. It would not stand-alone well, but it does wrap up a lot of the points the first two were leading toward. We see an end to the war and a new government for Adro. I love the world, the magic, the politics, and for some reason military fantasies tend to draw me in. I think it has something to do with all the passions, loyalties, endurance, planning - and treachery. The characters are awesome and the multiple points of view and various subplots give them each a chance to shine. With so many characters and changes in viewpoint, the narrator of the audio has a tough job, but Rodska does well. He differentiates each character, and while the women are maybe not as well performed as the men, it's a fairly male-centered story anyway. To me, he's the voice of Tamas. There is one voice in however,...
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Thursday’s Tale: Cinderella (2015)

by Carol5 Comments
Cinderella is a lovely movie. Cinderella is told by her dying mother to have courage and be kind, and that's the motto she lives by, even after her dad dies and her step-mother and step-sisters are just horrible to her. At least her reason for hanging around makes some sense. It's pretty faithful to the 1950s cartoon version, which on the one hand is nice. It's a sweet story with a happy ending, but I would have liked to see a little something different. I guess I've become used to re-tellings that twist the stories a bit. Lily James is a nice choice for Cinderella. She's not a tough girl, but she's strong, she keeps going no matter what life throws at her and tries to be positive. Yes, she talks to animals. And I loved her first meeting with the prince. They were both sweet and kind and smiling. Cate Blanchett is perfect as the evil step-mother. She's nasty, but at...
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Thursday’s Tale: Into the Woods (2014)

by Carol4 Comments
We all know the danger of seeing a movie after reading the book - the movie rarely lives up to its promise. While Into the Woods is based on a musical, not a book, we did see the musical a couple of years ago and it's impossible not to compare the two. But the musical is based on fairy tales, which comes back to being based on books - all a little confusing really. But the plot, while involving lots of folks pulls it all together well. I liked the movie, even if it didn't quite live up to my expectations when I heard people saying run, don't walk, to see it. It's enjoyable, full of great characters and stories, ones we're familiar with but whose stories don't turn out the way they traditionally do. I think, for me, the live performance is a little better, but the movie is definitely worth seeing. A couple of things: I found the Little Red Riding Hood...
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