Some St Patrick’s Day Reading Suggestions

Way way back in 2011, in honor of Bloomsday (even though I couldn’t actually finish Ulysses) I listed three examples of good Irish books to read.  Well, I figure it’s about time I expanded that list a little.  There are probably hundreds of Irish books I could recommend for the occasion, and even more which are

Archived Review: My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me

(I originally wrote this little review for a magazine at my University, back in Feb 2012.  I’m cross posting it here because I’ve been thinking about fairy tales a lot, lately, and seriously recommend this collection.  It’s still in print, too, unlike some of my other favorite anthologies.) I was a little wary when I

Archived Review: Book Review: Rescue, or, Royer Goldhawk’s Remarkable Journal by Amy Leigh Strickland

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on May 31, 2013.   Star Ratings Characters: ****(4 Stars) Character Development: **** (4 Stars)
 Plot: **** (4 Stars)
 Writing: ***** (5 Stars)
 Overall: ****1/2 (4 1/2 Stars)
 Age recommendation: 13 + This is the first novel I’ve ever read entirely on an e-reader, and while I was a little

Archived Review: The Earth Hums In B Flat by Mari Strachan

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on April 16, 2013   Characters: *****(4 Stars) Character Development: **** (4 Stars)
 Plot: *** (3 Stars)
 Writing: **** (4 Stars)
 Overall: **** (4 Stars)
 Age range recommendation: 16 + I read this book in two sittings, so it’s clearly got plenty of excellent qualities. I love child-detective stories,

Archived Review: The Curiosities by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on March 26, 2013.   Since this is an anthology of short stories, the star ratings will be slightly different. Star Ratings: Writing: *** (3 stars. The authors chose to present their stories in their raw and largely unedited forms: notes in the margins point out what they would

Archived Review: Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on January 16, 2013 Star Ratings Characters: ***** (5 Stars) Character Development: **** (4 Stars) Plot: ***** (5 Stars) Writing: **** (4 Stars) Overall: ***** (5 Stars) Age range recommendation: 13 + This is the sort of novel I want to read all day, every day. This is the

Archived Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on November 6, 2012 Apologies for the short review and the brusqueness of tone, I originally reviewed the book on Amazon, because I wanted other readers of my interests to know that The Raven Boys is better than the cover and blurbs make it out to be. Star Ratings

Archived Review: Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Originally posted on The Saint’s Arts and Culture page – St Andrews’ independent student newspaper – on October 16, 2012   As an avid fan of Pratchett’s Discworld series and of Mr. Dickens’ novels I spent a torturous few days staring longingly at Dodger as I passed Waterstones before I finally gave in and bought

Archived Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on February 12, 2012 Star Ratings Characters: *** (3 Stars) Character Development: ** (2 Stars) Plot: *** (3 Stars) Writing: *** (3 Stars) Overall: *** (3 Stars) Age Range Recommendation: Young Adult I have very mixed feelings about Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The concept of the novel

Archived Review: Mr Toppit by Charles Elton

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on February 3, 2012.   Star Ratings Characters: **** (4 Stars) Character Development: **** (4 Stars) Plot: *** (3 Stars) Writing: *** (3 Stars) Overall: ***1/2 (3 1/2 Stars) Age Range Recommendation: 15+ The cover art and title of Mr Toppit proved to be slightly deceitful, I learned, for I