received for review
I love this one. I really do.
The story is fun and the art is awesome.
This book is a great choice for any wild child or art lover in your life.
Plus, you can find out more about the book trailer and the cool music in it on Julia Denos' blog.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Lo! Jacaranda: A Spanish Gypsy's Conte Jondo
(Deep Song of the Caves)
by Harry Freiermuth
2 stars for the novella, 4 stars for the illustrations
R-2
novella
received for review
Where to even start?
This novella was strange. Bawdy and disjointed and with a jumpy, inconsistent point-of-view.
I seldom read novellas or short stories, kind of specifically because I come away feeling like they lacked depth, and this was no exception. Also, the coincidences boggled the mind and the completely random conversations (what can a person's gas passing tell us about them?... Let me randomly, out of nowhere, advise you girls to strengthen your vaginal muscles.... Look at how these natives even accept homosexual marriages! [that one REALLY came out of NOWHERE]) didn't do anything for me.
The title makes more sense in terms of the author's inspiration than the actual story, and there were many instances where things characters did or said seemed completely unlikely for the setting/story.
Overall, I didn't love the story and it just felt really odd.
The paintings, however, are an entirely different matter. Freiermuth has illustrated his novella with his own oil and watercolor paintings and they are awesome. If this were just an art book (and I will confess the art was a main reason for requesting it for review) it would get 4 stars.
In fact, the only reason the art wouldn't get 5 is because it felt like some of the art was repetitive-- as though we were looking at a slightly different section of the same painting.
I really enjoyed the art-- I would love to see a book of just art from Freiermuth, or even an offering of cards with the prints or something.
At the end of the day, the writing was a miss for me, but the art was great.
by Harry Freiermuth
2 stars for the novella, 4 stars for the illustrations
R-2
novella
received for review
Where to even start?
This novella was strange. Bawdy and disjointed and with a jumpy, inconsistent point-of-view.
I seldom read novellas or short stories, kind of specifically because I come away feeling like they lacked depth, and this was no exception. Also, the coincidences boggled the mind and the completely random conversations (what can a person's gas passing tell us about them?... Let me randomly, out of nowhere, advise you girls to strengthen your vaginal muscles.... Look at how these natives even accept homosexual marriages! [that one REALLY came out of NOWHERE]) didn't do anything for me.
The title makes more sense in terms of the author's inspiration than the actual story, and there were many instances where things characters did or said seemed completely unlikely for the setting/story.
Overall, I didn't love the story and it just felt really odd.
The paintings, however, are an entirely different matter. Freiermuth has illustrated his novella with his own oil and watercolor paintings and they are awesome. If this were just an art book (and I will confess the art was a main reason for requesting it for review) it would get 4 stars.
In fact, the only reason the art wouldn't get 5 is because it felt like some of the art was repetitive-- as though we were looking at a slightly different section of the same painting.
I really enjoyed the art-- I would love to see a book of just art from Freiermuth, or even an offering of cards with the prints or something.
At the end of the day, the writing was a miss for me, but the art was great.
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Charlestown Connection by Tom MacDonald
3 stars
R- 2
Reader's Choice
Okay, this is going to sound bad and possibly sexist, but I'm just going to come out and say it:
Cozy mysteries should not have male protagonists.
There, I said it.
Okay, so maybe this isn't technically a cozy, but it almost wants to be and the male protagonist and violence just don't work.
Also, the plot meanders around forever. FOR EV ER.
And then, finally, it gets really interesting! lol
Overall, this is one that gets points for some interesting characters and a good idea (which we take more than half the book to really get to) but needed some serious tightening.
(Those that are from back east-- especially the Boston area-- may find the setting to be another bonus.)
R- 2
Reader's Choice
Okay, this is going to sound bad and possibly sexist, but I'm just going to come out and say it:
Cozy mysteries should not have male protagonists.
There, I said it.
Okay, so maybe this isn't technically a cozy, but it almost wants to be and the male protagonist and violence just don't work.
Also, the plot meanders around forever. FOR EV ER.
And then, finally, it gets really interesting! lol
Overall, this is one that gets points for some interesting characters and a good idea (which we take more than half the book to really get to) but needed some serious tightening.
(Those that are from back east-- especially the Boston area-- may find the setting to be another bonus.)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Telling Lies by Cathi Stoler
3 stars
r-1
Copy received for review through Tribute Books
I thought the premise of this book was interesting and compelling.
I think it had a little bit of an identity crisis, though. On the one hand, you have a determined amatuer sleuth of sorts trying to unravel the mystery of her friend's supposedly dead husband. Kind of "cozy mystery" type heroine and all.
On the other hand, though, this is a major international suspense/thriller type, with the cop and the FBI agent and the PI all after a) the supposedly dead man, b) the major art collector who's probably dealing in looted art, and c) whoever's stepping in to buy the $150 million painting involved. Oh, and don't forget the Mossad agent trying to recover the painting.
Given all of that, the stakes are just too high for the kind of stupid things cozy mystery heroines tend to do. Like confront a seemingly harmless bad guy all alone.
And really, I didn't buy the "relationship" between the heroine and the cop. All they did was yell at each other. And half the time it seemed like the anger was for no reason.
It also really reads like a sequel-- lots of references to a previous case which was when/how they all met. But this is the author's first published novel. So no way to read the earlier story.
Overall, I liked the premise and it was an interesting read (but the copyediting was TERRIBLE) but it didn't quite work for me.
r-1
Copy received for review through Tribute Books
I thought the premise of this book was interesting and compelling.
I think it had a little bit of an identity crisis, though. On the one hand, you have a determined amatuer sleuth of sorts trying to unravel the mystery of her friend's supposedly dead husband. Kind of "cozy mystery" type heroine and all.
On the other hand, though, this is a major international suspense/thriller type, with the cop and the FBI agent and the PI all after a) the supposedly dead man, b) the major art collector who's probably dealing in looted art, and c) whoever's stepping in to buy the $150 million painting involved. Oh, and don't forget the Mossad agent trying to recover the painting.
Given all of that, the stakes are just too high for the kind of stupid things cozy mystery heroines tend to do. Like confront a seemingly harmless bad guy all alone.
And really, I didn't buy the "relationship" between the heroine and the cop. All they did was yell at each other. And half the time it seemed like the anger was for no reason.
It also really reads like a sequel-- lots of references to a previous case which was when/how they all met. But this is the author's first published novel. So no way to read the earlier story.
Overall, I liked the premise and it was an interesting read (but the copyediting was TERRIBLE) but it didn't quite work for me.
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