Reviews » Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

MINI-REVIEWS: Boy Meets Girl, The Wizard, the Witch and Two Girls from Jersey, Stupid Fast

Posted by Anastasia on February 7, 2012 1 Response »

Feb 072012

020. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot
Publication: Harpercollins (January 1, 2004), Paperback, 383pp / ISBN 0060085452
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Read: January 27-29, 2012
Source: Bought

Mini-Review

Sometimes you just want to read something fluffy and silly and easy on the brain, and Meg Cabot’s books are really good for that. I haven’t read many of her adult books, but I think they’re basically like her teen books, only with older characters who have slightly different goals (starting families rather than making prom queen, for instance). Boy Meets Girl is adorable, with adorable characters and an adorable plotline. And as a bonus, it’s written in an interesting way: through emails and phone calls and IMs instead of straight narrative stuff. Continue reading »

MINI-REVIEWS: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Vesper, Dramarama

Posted by Anastasia on February 3, 2012 No Responses »

Feb 032012

017. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Publication: Dell Books for Young Readers (April 26, 2005), Paperback, 352pp / ISBN 0553494791
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: January 26-27, 2012
Source: Bought

Mini-Review

I’ve been meaning to read this book for forever, mainly because it’s one of those generation-defining books that’re so important. I’ve seen bits of the movie and I know vaguely what it/the book is about, so I was expecting something cute and touching and possibly melodramatic. There’s actually not that much melodrama in it, but it IS cute and touching. And kind of boring, to be honest. Continue reading »

REVIEW: ttyl by Lauren Myracle

Posted by Anastasia on February 2, 2012 6 Responses »

Feb 022012

016. ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Publication: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (April 1, 2005), originally published 2004, Paperback, 234pp / ISBN 0810987880
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: January 25-26, 2012
Source: Bought

Review

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that for much of my life I was a Book Snob. I’d see a book like this one, with its bright pink cover, written in IM format, full of pop culture stuff– and I’d think it wasn’t worth my time. That it was silly, or stupid, or most likely both. I’d write it off as a “no way am I reading that” kind of book and that’d be a big mistake. Because ttyl? Isn’t stupid or silly or a book you should ignore. Maybe the cover is a bit over-the-top and maybe some of the pop culture stuff is dated now, but actually it’s a great book in a really clever format. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Posted by Anastasia on January 31, 2012 3 Responses »

Jan 312012

013. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
Publication: HarperTeen (June 28, 2011), originally published 2010, ebook, 291pp / ISBN 0061799319
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: January 22-23, 2012
Source: Bought

Review

I’m a big fan of Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson books (diaries and drama and lots of humor!) and so when I found out that she was starting a new series, one that starred Georgia’s cousin, Tallulah, I was super-duper excited. After reading it…okay, yeah, it’s not my favorite LR book ever, and in fact it just made me miss the Georgia books even more¹. Continue reading »

REVIEW: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Posted by Anastasia on January 27, 2012 11 Responses »

Jan 272012

014. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Publication: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 26, 1993), ebook, 210pp / ISBN 0440237688
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopia

Read: January 24, 2012
Source: Bought

Summary from Amazon:

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Review

I’ve put off reading this book for FOREVER, mainly because I really hate the cover. That old dude? Makes me think of The Cay. And The Cay? Made me cry my eyes out when I was in fifth grade. I hate crying, and I thought The Giver would make me cry, so I stayed away. Simple! Continue reading »

REVIEW: Planet Janet by Dyan Sheldon

Posted by Anastasia on January 25, 2012 2 Responses »

Jan 252012

011. Planet Janet by Dyan Sheldon
Publication: Candlewick (February 1, 2003), Hardcover, 240pp / ISBN 0763620483
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: January 20-21, 2012
Source: Used Bookstore

Review

Diaries-as-books are some of my favorite things, and I especially like reading teenage diaries. Maybe because I find them so funny nowadays? Teenagers can be melodramatic and selfish and very silly– and Janet’s all those things. In a funny way, of course! Well, mostly funny. Continue reading »

MINI-REVIEWS: I Want it Now!, Ghost College, The Art of Money Getting

Posted by Anastasia on January 24, 2012 2 Responses »

Jan 242012

007. I Want it Now! A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Julie Dawn Cole & Michael Esslinger
Publication: BearManor Media / Ocean View Publishing (July 12, 2011), ebook, 252pp / ISBN 1593930747
Genre: Memoir

Read: January 13-14, 2012
Source: Freebie

Review

Memoirs from celebrities are, I think, always hit-or-miss, and this one is sort of between the two. It’s not a bad book, necessarily, it’s just that it’s kind of boring. The writing is bland and though it’s interesting to learn more about JDC and the other people from the movie, it’s not as entertaining a read as, say, William Shatner’s memoir about Star Trek is. The best part of the book is probably the pictures and memorabilia, however. JDC included some letters she wrote her family from the set of Willy Wonka, and they’re adorable and funny and really fun to read.

Rating

It was an okay read.

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009. Ghost College by Scott Nicholson & J.R. Rain
Publication: self-published (year?), ebook, 68pp / no isbn
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Read: January 15, 2012
Source: Freebie

Mini-Review

I don’t think I remembered that this was a novella when I started reading it, which is probably why I was so surprised at how quickly the mystery/action resolved itself! I think this could totally be expanded into a longer book, which might help with the problem I had with the switch from the “is something really happening” part into the “yes, something’s happening” part. It’s abrupt and kinda ruins the suspense.

Besides that, I did enjoy reading it. I loved the protagonists– they’re so cute!– and I like the idea of paranormal investigators actually finding paranormal stuff. It seems like a fun series and the writing isn’t bad, and I’d read more from either author.

Rating

Not bad! I didn’t notice any typos or other weird stuff you sometimes find in self-pub’d books, either.

Buy

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010. The Art of Money Getting by P.T. Barnum
Publication: originally published 1880, ebook, 45pp / no isbn
Genre: Financial advice

Read: January 15-16, 2012
Source: Freebie (it’s public domain)

Mini-Review

I read this merely because I was tired of modern stuff and wanted something different, and this is the first thing I stumbled upon when looking around the iBookstore. Basically? It’s Ye Olde Financial Advice from P.T. Barnum, who I suppose would be the one to go to when wanting to learn more about getting money. The hilarious thing is that the tips he gives– don’t spend more than you earn, keep your debt down– and exactly the same sorts of tips that modern financial advisers tell people. So does that say more about them, or about us?