Tag Archives: speculative

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Thistle

So this book has been big news for the last few months. Unfortunately, I was not really blown away by it the way many people seem to be. The story was fun enough, and creative, but I had quite a … 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: 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 →

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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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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 Leftovers, by Tom Perrotta

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Thistle

The premise: One day, a good portion of the world’s population just disappears. Call it the Rapture, the Sudden Departure, or whatever you want. One moment they are there, the next, they’re gone, and the rest of the world is … Continue reading →

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The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Thistle

The back of my book says this is like a Jane Austen ghost story. I completely disagree with the Jane Austen assessment, but the story itself is really good. Creepy and haunting, with an old-fashioned feel. I quite enjoyed it! … Continue reading →

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Good and Happy Child, by Justin Evans

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Thistle

Aah, my first RIP book, and it was a doozy! I’ve wanted to read Evans’ debut since reading his second book, The White Devil, back in the spring. To get the requisite comparison out of the way, I enjoyed The … Continue reading →

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Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Thistle

I really enjoyed this dystopia. The story developed well over the whole book, ending in a good spot to wait for the sequel. The writing was fantastic and actually reminded me of some of my own experimental writing in my … Continue reading →

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