Mary > Recent Status Updates

Oh, and then there's the politics. Wilhelmina and her family have their own point of view. It's one that I came close to sharing four years ago, but no more. In one chapter, the young woman is following the election. "The monster was leading in almost every swing state." (pg 203). I asked myself: which monster. They're both monsters; we know that now. Just a thought!

And I have many thoughts. There are a lot of lovely things here: I suspect it may be Cashore's most autobiographical novel. It features a heroine who is not royalty, not gifted with supernatural powers, and not a friend of an incredibly wealthy family. It has the feel of historical fiction even though it's set just four years ago--and I think it's brave of Kristin Cashore to tackle a story set in an ongoing pandemic.

Fascinating, incredibly well-researched, and scarily relevant.

I'm usually a quick reader, and I'm finding this book gripping, illuminating, and relevant--but I'm plowing through it slowly.

Great fun so far--it kept me up till about 1 a.m.! Imagine Downton Abbey with unpredictable magic, and two young boys (Conrad, 12, and Christopher Chant, a young teen) training to be footmen. Both boys also have mysteries to solve. Conrad needs to figure out how to keep from dying in a year--or so his Uncle tells him. Christopher is searching for a friend lost somewhere in the multiverse.

Really smart, really illuminating, and so, so depressing! It's going to take me a while to get through this. What jumps out at me so far is the great harm the British empire did to the Palestinian people. I just did not fully understand how very biased the powers-that-be in Britain actually were. The lack of unity on the part of the Palestinians themselves is also frustrating to read about.

Jean-Luc! Yay!

Also, I love the name of his new ship.

Romulan Warrior nuns FTW!

Picard once more bonds with a feisty, outspoken orphan child. (This is a trope of McCormack's, and I approve!)

Why am I so bothered by Aggie, and still more so by her boss? Is he, or isn't he, a toxic narcissist?

And--oh, no. Something horrible has just happened. Pushing through to the end regardless---

A natural for teens as well as adults because of Yousef's teen pranks and rebelliousness.

Fascinating, but meditative. I'm absolutely loving the biographical sections. Brother David is now in America and has become a hermit; he's starting to explore other faiths.

This is a spiritual biography, so it must be read slowly with time for meditation. But Brother David's voice, in the autobiographical sections, is so lively that I wish it were a straight biography. He came from a blended Jewish-Catholic Austrian family and was a teen during WWII.

A good, well-crafted, old-fashioned fantasy. I reviewed it already in another edition, and I don’t understand why that review didn’t carry over. All Shannon Hale and Lloyd Alexander fans should give this author a look.

A quibble or two, which I'll get to in my full review, but it's clearly written and illuminating. I'm glad I picked it up.

A reread, and I'm still very impressed. I keep thinking: if they are looking for multicultural SF or fantasy to film, why not tackle this one? It would be quite easy to update, and already has a mixed-race young protagonist and a multicultural cast--including a gifted blind young herione!

Very blunt and truthful--and sad. That's why it's taking me so long. Has all the virtues (and weaknesses) of reading a teenager's actual blog, which is exactly what it is. The virtues far outweigh the weaknesses.

Great fun so far!

And I'm not sure I can finish. The story of the mountain lion's extirpation in much of the U.S. is so depressing! And then, I know how this story ends - with yet another cat dead. When will we learn to live with nature, rather than fearing and attempting to dominate it?

Reading on Biblioboard, so I don't know the page number. Just starting chapter 11, and I can't wait to meet the actual lifeform 3. Terrific so far!

Fascinating so far! A lot of quotes from T.H. White, and they are disturbing.