Category Archives: Year

The Likeness, by Tana French (audio)

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Thistle

I had a couple issues with the book, specifically the believability of the premise, and the repetitiveness of a cop getting too obsessed/into the case just like in the first book of this series, but otherwise it was a compelling … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Thistle

Of the four books by Thomas Hardy that I’ve read now, this is my least favorite. There were a lot of good points about it, sure. I liked that in the end, honesty won. I liked the statements it made … Continue reading →

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When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Thistle

I’m in two minds about this book. It’s a dystopian retelling of The Scarlet Letter, so I expected there to be some similarities there. However, some of the similarities were, for me, a little too close: Hester Prynne = Hannah … Continue reading →

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Readathon: Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Thistle

I went into this book with some reservations, having heard other people say it was far too much like Hugo Cabret in style. Honestly, this doesn’t bother me so much stylistically – most artists have similar styles, patterns, and focuses … Continue reading →

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Readathon: The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Thistle

I think I have found my new favorite Maureen Johnson book. Seriously, this book was fantastic. Johnson does everything right. She makes her characters believable and real without glamorizing them. She makes them feel like teenagers without belittling or stereotyping … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011, 2013, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Callback: We

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Thistle

I first read We back in early July 2008. I’ve gone back and read my review from that time, and it’s clear that I had no idea what to make of this book. It’s supposedly one of the three best … Continue reading →

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Habibi, by Craig Thompson

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Thistle

This could have been a really nice story, with beautiful illustrations, all woven together very well. However, the cultural portrayals made me very uncomfortable, and I was very distracted by the constant vomiting and juvenile humor written/drawn throughout. I noticed a … Continue reading →

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The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Thistle

I first read this book in 1999, when I was 20 years old. I’d seen the movie version of it in theatre with some friends and decided to try the book version, because of course I usually figured the book … Continue reading →

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The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Thistle

I didn’t expect to love this one. There was so much hype, so many people loving it. I expected to get it from the library, read a few pages, and return it unread, simply due to my history of not … Continue reading →

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The Lottery and Seven Other Stories, by Shirley Jackson (audio)

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Thistle

The Lottery was a fantastic story, probably the best short story I’ve read in a very long time. It was creepy and foreboding, especially when you couple the end with the innocent beginnings in the children’s actions. I loved it. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment