Humor » Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

MINI-REVIEWS: Haint Misbehavin’, The Tail of Emily Windsnap, Pizzicato

Posted by Anastasia on March 26, 2012 No Responses »

Mar 262012

041. Haint Misbehavin’ by Maureen Hardegree
Publication: Bell Bridge Books (June 6, 2010), ebook, 206pp / ISBN 1935661930
Genre: MG (maybe young YA?) Urban Fantasy

Read: February 28, 2012
Source: Freebie

Mini-Review

I liked this one a LOT more than I thought I would, based on that horrible cover. It reminds me a lot of a Judy Blume book for some reason (maybe the fighting siblings/bullying aspect?) only there are ghosts and hauntings and it’s set in the South. Heather is a tough character to like– she’s sympathetic because her sister is so horrible to her and because of the whole “this ghost kid is ruining my life” thing, but she’s also really whiny and awkward in a way that makes you want to cringe. She spends a lot of the book running around denying who she is, hiding from the bullies, and being basically completely clueless. So I can understand why some people didn’t like her! 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 »

MINI-REVIEWS: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, Bridget Jones’ Diary 1 & 2

Posted by Anastasia on October 25, 2011 7 Responses »

Oct 252011

Click on a book cover to go to that book’s Amazon page.

119. Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding
Publication: Viking Pr (June 3, 2004), Hardcover, 320pp / ISBN 0670033332
Genre: Fiction, Thriller (sort of)

Read: October 8-9, 2011
Source: Bought?

Mini-Review

Basically this book went in an entirely different direction than I thought it would based on the first 20 pages or so. And I LOVED it! Before the switch happened I was so sure this would be another of those “oh, look at how silly women are and aren’t they just adorable and forgettable and etc.” sorts of books, something that I HATE. But then! Then! It became a “look at how much this woman can KICK YOUR BUTT and she isn’t even a professional butt-kicker or anything!” sort of book! And that was pretty amazing.

The romance, which showed up really out of nowhere in the last third of the book, threw me off a bit. But I really enjoyed the rest of it, especially how Olivia accomplishes amazing things without even having to go through a lot of character transformation. I mean, I like it when characters evolve from one thing to another in books, but in Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination the point wasn’t that Olivia needed to change. It’s that her circumstances needed to change in order to show her off at her best, and they did!

Rating

Fun and exciting and kind of scary! It’s like a fluffy thriller, if that helps.

122. Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding
Publication: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 24, 1999), Paperback, 288pp / ISBN 014028009X
Genre: Fiction

Reread: October 12-13, 2011
Source: BookMooch

Mini-Review

This is the second time I’ve read this book now. The first time I read it (August 2008), I rated it a 5 bird book. You may notice that it’s been shoved down a bit there. Still, I did enjoy it, and though at first I was annoyed by how it seemed to be saying that all women everywhere were miserable being single and didn’t know what they wanted and were entirely too dependent on drugs, alcohol and self-help books, the more I read the more I realized that…this is actually kind of a satire, isn’t it?

I don’t know which came first, Bridget Jones or everyone telling women they needed to be Bridget Joneses, but it doesn’t really matter, because I think what it’s saying is that a) it’s silly to be like a Bridget Jones but b) if you ARE a Bridget Jones, that’s okay. Either way, you’ll have a fantastic life. Just don’t take it/yourself/self-help books to seriously.

Rating

If you read it like it’s satire it’s about 100x more hilarious, just FYI.

123. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Publication: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 30, 2001), Paperback, 352pp / ISBN 0140298479
Genre: Fiction

Read: October 14-15, 2011
Source: Bought

Mini-Review

I didn’t like the majority of this book because of the plot. It was just all over the place, going way beyond anything I could comfortably believe, and by the time the Thailand plotline happened I was just like “wtf is going on” the whole time. So that wasn’t enjoyable.

I also didn’t really like the characters. In the first book Bridget’s friends were important to both the story and her own life; in this one they were shoved off to the side and felt really flat as well.

However! I really liked the romance (and the whole “who are we really vs who we present ourselves as” thing). I liked that it wasn’t just a continuation of the happily-ever-after that happened in the first book. I like that Bridget and Mark had to wobble around each other, trying to figure each other/what they were doing/etc. out and how they could be together when they were both trapped in a rom-com kind of situation. It made the ending SO much more satisfying, and the relationship so much more real and genuine and lovely.

Rating

The plot and characters are completely ridiculous, but the love story was worth reading and I was SO happy at the end.

MINI-REVIEWS: Jack’s New Power, Villain School, Decline & Fall

Posted by Anastasia on August 2, 2011 4 Responses »

Aug 022011

Click on a book’s cover to go to its page on Amazon.

50. Jack’s New Power by Jack Gantos
Publication: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 30, 1997), Paperback, 214pp / ISBN 0374437157
Genre: MG Fiction

Read: May 30-31, 2011
Source: Library Book sale

Review

This is less like a novel and more like a short story collection of vaguely related events, and unfortunately it’s kind of boring. After the greatness that was Dead End in Norvelt I wanted to really like this one, too, but for the most part I was, well…bored. Oh, it’s got some funny bits in it, and some sad bits and some “oh that was clever” bits, but on the whole, when I think back on it, I remember a sort of bland gray color. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book if you’ve never read a Jack Gantos book before, although you might like it if you like JG’s other books.

Rating

Just okay.

58. Villain School: Good Curses Evil by Stephanie S. Saunders
Publication: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (August 30, 2011), ARC Paperback, ? pp / ISBN 1599908484
Genre: Children’s/MG Fantasy, Adventure

Read: June ?-25, 2011
Source: BEA 2011

This title will be released on August 30, 2011.

Review

I think if I was younger I’d like this book more. It’s got a magical school where vampires and werewolves and monsters from Scooby-doo movies learn about being “villains,” and there’s a quest and a princess (who is actually pretty wonderful) and it’s kind of funny, but in a way that comes off as trying too hard. It’s not a bad book, it’s just one that severely tests my powers of ignoring things that don’t make sense (why must vampires/werewolves/etc. be villains? Because they just are, apparently). I’m sure if I was younger– more in the range of readers it’s targeted for– I wouldn’t have a problem just going along for the ride. But as an adult reader, I was disappointed.

Rating

It’s not bad for what it is, but I wanted it to be something more.

61. Decline & Fall by Evelyn Waugh
Publication: Dell (1972), originally published 1928, Paperback, ~270pp
Genre: Fiction, Satire

Read: July 1, 2011
Source: Free book box

Review

The bad thing about reading so many books in one month is that one tends to forget things about the books you read at the beginning. Decline & Fall was the first book I finished during my July book-a-day plan, and I’ve almost forgotten everything about it. That’s not a good thing! I can’t remember anyone’s name, I barely remember the plot, and all that’s left is a vague impression that I enjoyed reading it. I had to read the summary on its Wikipedia page to refresh my memory, and even then I was like “oh, did that really happen?” I feel really bad about this, as I do like Waugh’s books and considering that I rated this one 4.5 birds I must have really liked this one. Unfortunately I keep getting bits of it mixed up with A Handful of Dust; I guess it’s a good thing this is a mini-review instead of a full one.

Anyway, despite my memory problems, I did really like Decline & Fall. It’s got that same sort of hard-edged satire that AHOD has, only without the downer ending (although I did like AHOD’s ending). It’s also kind of more surreal than AHOD, which was a lot of fun, and though I don’t think I laughed out loud I did smile widely for a large portion of it. After reading three of Waugh’s books I think I’m getting a feel for his type of humor, which is good, and I think also I’m starting to see a pattern with the characters, which is less good. I prefer it when authors mix up their tropes and whatnot, and Waugh doesn’t seem to be doing that. Then again, I’ve only read three of his books– maybe the fourth one will have more variety.

Rating

An excellent book, despite my having almost entirely forgotten it.

REVIEW: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Posted by Anastasia on July 13, 2011 2 Responses »

Jul 132011

46. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Publication: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 13, 2011), ARC, ~400pp / ISBN 0374379939
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: May 27, 2011
Source: BEA 2011

This title will be released on September 13, 2011.

Summary from Amazon:

Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is the story of an incredible two months for a boy named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation adventure are suddenly ruined when he is grounded by his feuding parents for what seems like forever. But escape comes where Jack least expects it, once his mom loans him out to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore—a chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, obituaries, Hells Angels, and countless bloody noses. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative about a small western Pennsylvania town is the author at his very best, making readers laugh at the most shocking things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.

Review

When I picked this up from a booth at BEA, I recognized Jack Gantos’ name but couldn’t recall where I had heard it before. Turns out I had another Gantos book waiting to be read back home– Jack’s New Power, part of the same series that Dead End in Norvelt belongs to (at least I think it’s part of the same series).

I pretty much powered through Norvelt on the plane ride back from BEA. I ended up reading Jack’s New Power once I got home, but I’m glad I read Dead End in Norvelt first, actually. It’s got better writing, funnier characters, and a more interesting story. I’m a sucker for YA books set during the summer, probably because it reminds me of my own childhood summers. Of course, I never did any of the things Jack does in this book, not only because the book is set in the 1950s but also because I’ve never been in the middle of a murder spree, the friend of a fiesty old lady, or grounded for more than a day.

I have, however, lived in a town that was slowly dying, and that was one of the most interesting parts of the book for me. Books set in dying towns always seem to have an edge of bitterness to them, but Norvelt never did. It was more like a tribute to Norvelt (and small town America) than an obituary, and I really appreciated that. The history of a town is an important thing, and just because a town is slowing falling into the abyss doesn’t mean it’s suddenly less interesting or special. That applies to (old) people as well– and I think Norvelt showed that pretty well, too.

The only downside to Norvelt was the ending. It fit in with the rest of the book in that it was an oddball and strange ending, but at the same time it was a little bit TOO lighthearted. Norvelt is a funny book, but it’s also serious in parts that needed to be serious, and I think the ending should have been a bit more serious than it was.

Rating

Really and truly enjoyed it. Recommended for anyone who likes summertime books!

And

Get your own copy @ Amazon and support Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog!

Other reviews:
Good Books and Good Wine: “I really enjoyed Dead End In Norvelt. It’s quite witty and of course, gave me nostalgia for a time when things were simpler, never mind that my mom wasn’t even a twinkle in anyone’s eye when this book takes place (1962, she was born 1963).”

A Fuse #8 Production: “Some folks will be turned off by the less than enticing details surrounding the book. The dead bodies, the blood that pours from Jack’s nose like a faucet, etc. Others will be fine with that but will find the ending of the story a bit darker than they’d expected. I had no problems with any of these, and I don’t think most kids will either. What I did have a small problem with was the fact that though the book is set in the post-WWII era, Jack is one heckuva forward thinking guy. The kind of kid who sides with the Aztecs when he reads about their slaughter at the hands of the Spaniards. I’d like to think that the kid would be that liberal in his history reading, but frankly I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s not like he has that many influences in his life that would inform such thoughts. His father, sure as heck, wouldn’t be encouraging Jack to think that way. Dunno. Seemed a bit out of place in an otherwise consistent novel.”

MINI-REVIEWS: Love Among the Chickens, The Explosionist, The Warrior Heir

Posted by Anastasia on May 31, 2011 1 Response »

May 312011

36. Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse
Publication: originally published 1906, ebook published 2003
Genre: Fiction, Humor

Rating: Borrow it
Read: April 13-15, 2011

Source: Project Gutenberg

Review

I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed by a Wodehouse book, and I’m not really disappointed with this one. But I AM underwhelmed. This is, I feel, one of his more lackluster books, with more fluff than wit and entirely forgettable characters. It’s a funny story and it’s a good book to read if you’re bored on a train somewhere, but it’s definitely not up to the level of Mr. Wodehouse’s other, more popular books.

40. The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
Publication: HarperTeen (July 1, 2008), Hardcover, 464pp / ISBN 0061239755
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy, Action

Rating: Borrow it
Read: April 20-30, 2011

Source: Borrowed

Review

This book is so interesting. I love alternative histories, and stories that mix science with magic (or spiritualism, I guess). This one is particularly good because it’s got so many important parts of history running around inside it: the battle of Waterloo, spiritualism, women’s rights, the Industrial Revolution, and so on. I also loved the protagonist, Sophie, and the mystery/thriller bits were very entertaining. However– the end. The ending killed it for me. The last two chapters or so were just so boring and obvious and blah, and it really left me with a sour impression of a book that really deserves more. I understand those chapters setting up the plot for the second book, but I wish it had done it in a more vibrant way.

41. The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Publication: Disney Hyperion (September 23, 2009), ebook, 448pp
Genre: YA (Urban) Fantasy

Rating: Borrow it
Read: May 1-2, 2011

Source: Bought

Review

I so wanted to love this book. Instead I’m left feeling like I just stepped in cow poop after a fun day at the county fair. You know what I mean? I like CWC’s writing voice and I like the world The Warrior Heir resides in, but it’s just so full of the same ol’ fantasy tropes I’ve seen over and over again that I couldn’t stand it. If I hadn’t been focusing on those (or if this was my first ever fantasy book) I probably would have enjoyed the book more, but all I could think the whole time I read it was “and then I bet THIS is going to happen”– and it did.

At least it had plenty of strong female characters! And I also really liked the friendship element running heavily throughout, and how Jack actually learns more than just how to swing a sword (I mean emotional stuff, yeah). I just wish it had tried to do more new things than just doing the same old things everyone else already did. Still, I’ve got the next book already and that one might have something going for it, so I’m going to go ahead and continue the series.

REVIEW: Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Posted by Anastasia on February 4, 2011 14 Responses »

Feb 042011

08. Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster
Publication: originally published 1912, ebook published ?
Genre: Fiction, Humor

Rating: Buy it!
Read: January 16, 2011

Source: Girlebooks

Summary from Girlebooks:

First published in 1912, this young adult novel is comprised mostly of letters from orphan Jerusha “Judy” Abbott to her anonymous benefactor whom she names “Daddy Long Legs”. The letters chronicle her departure from the orphanage through four years of college. Judy makes new friends, slowly gains knowledge and independence, but also struggles with her humble past and unfixed future.

Review

I love this book. And like all books I love, I’m having a hard time actually writing a coherent and, I hope, persuasive review. Oh, the irony. I love this book to BITS and yet how do I convince y’all to read it and love it as well?

So, okay– I can’t convince you to love it, but can I convince you to read it? Let’s give it a shot.

The author

Here’s what I love about Daddy Long-Legs:
1. It’s funny! It’s delightfully snarky, especially about woman’s place in society during that time. The humor almost reminds me of Cold Comfort Farm, with the subtle prodding at irritating things.
2. It’s so well written! Look at this, for instance:

It seems to me that a man who can think straight along for forty-seven years without changing a single idea ought to be kept in a cabinet as a curiosity. I hope he is enjoying his harp and golden crown; he was so perfectly sure of finding them! There’s a new young man, very consequential, in his place. The congregation is pretty dubious, especially the faction led by Deacon Cummings. It looks as though there was going to be an awful split in the church. We don’t care for innovations in religion in this neighbourhood. (somewhere)

3. The characters are great! I loved all of them, but especially Judy, who is a real firecracker (somewhat along the lines of Jo from Little Women). She’s intelligent and lovable and independent-minded and I adore her.

From start to finish, I had a great time with Daddy Long Legs, and I want to thank whoever it was that wrote about it first. I don’t have you down in my TBR wishlist for some reason, but it was definitely a book blogger and I’m forever in your debt, whoever you are. (Probably it was Jenny, now that I think about it. Thank you, Jenny!)

My only niggle? While I liked the happy ending and the romance, it did creep me out a little. It’s like the situation in You’ve Got Mail, if you’ve seen that? Where it’s sort of romantic and YAY, the couple got together at the end. But how they got together, with Tom Hanks knowing all about Meg Ryan without her knowing anything about him, except what he wanted her to know…if you think about it– it’s a little creepy. Yes/no? Maybe it’s just another weird thing I have, like with large age differences between love interests (which this book has as well, but it didn’t bother me as much as it normally does).

Basically: Super adorable, super funny, and should be read by everyone!
If you like: Stella Gibbons, P.G. Wodehouse, or epistolary novels, you’ll like Daddy Long Legs.

The first Wednesday in every month was a Perfectly Awful Day–a day to be awaited with dread, endured with courage and forgotten with haste. Every floor must be spotless, every chair dustless, and every bed without a wrinkle. Ninety-seven squirming little orphans must be scrubbed and combed and buttoned into freshly starched ginghams; and all ninety-seven reminded of their manners, and told to say, `Yes, sir,’ `No, sir,’ whenever a Trustee spoke. (first paragraph)