Monday 26 July 2010

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Romance
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 383
Gender: Female
Publication Year: 1981

Plot: 8/10
Description: 10/10
Characters: 6/10
Pacing: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Interest: 8/10
Other:  10/10
Cover: 2/5
Memorable: +0

Total: 63/75
Percent: 84%
Grade: B

   I thought this book was going to be great, it didn't turn out that way. I am not saying it was bad, but there was a few things that bothered me. Mostly the characters, but other then a few things, it was a decent read.

   A Countess Below Stairs was about a Russian countess names Anna. After the Russian Revolution leaves her family in ruines, Anna, her mother, and her brother move into her governess's house in England. After a little while Anna decides to get a job to earn her family money. So she goes to work at Mersham. After a short bit of time she becomes widely accepted among the other servants. The reason why she was hired was because the new master of the house was coming home from WW1 with his fiance who happens to have a pretty nasty attitude. This book is pretty much about her life in this house and at the very end her love life with the Rupert. When I picked it up it sounded like a pretty good plot. So I gave it a 8/10.

   The description in this book was just spectaculor. The best part of the book in fact. One of my favorite descriptions used in this book is this: "Mersham was honey-colored, graceful, light. There was a central block, pillared and porticoed like a golden temple plucked from some halcyon landscape and set down in the hollow of the Wiltshire hills." Isn't that just great? Since this book was such beautiful description in it I gave it a 10/10.

   The characters were my real problem with this book. The main character Anna, is in my opinion, one of the most boring characters in literature. She is just way to perfect. Characters are supposed to have flaws. She has absolutely none, except maybe not being drop dead gorgeous. She was just so unreal. You couldn't relate to her at all. Other then her all the other characters weren't that bad. So I gave characters a 6.

  The pacing was good. But at times, mostly when they were focusing on the side characters it got a little slow.

  The author's writing skills were really good. Everything about it was good. All the author needs to do is work on her characters a little bit.

  My interest level in this story was pretty high, since I love reading books based around the time of WW1.

  I had no other problems with this book.

  I think the cover is just horrible. There is nothing on it that would make me want to pick up this book. It looks like they only spent a few minutes making it.

  The book was not really memoreable at all.

  This book was a pretty good read if you like romances and historical fiction. But if you like a good interesting main character. I would not suggest this book to you.

Monday 12 July 2010

We Hear the Dead by Dianne K. Salerni Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction and Romance
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 422
Gender: Female
Publication Year: 2007/2010

Plot: 9/10
Description: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Pacing: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Interest: 10/10
Other: 10/10
Cover: 4/5
Memorable: +2

Total: 71/75
Percent: 95%
Grade: A

   Sorry for the temporary break. But I'm back with a review about a book I read while I was in England. I must say, I'm impressed with it. It totally drew me in.

   The plot was very interesting. The story is about the Fox sisters, who are said to have created Spiritualism. The story started with Maggie and Kate Fox playing a prank on their family to get their neice (who was way older then them) to leave. Their prank starts becoming very serious and before long the sisters become entwined in it. Eventually, they end up practically making a new religious. The story mostly followed Maggie. For the first half of the book it described how they became stuck in a hoax. In the last half it describes Maggie's love for Dr. Elisha Kane and how she thinks of quiting her Spiritualism business. It is really quite a great plot. (Though I think my description is a little lacking.)

   I don't remember anything quite exceptional about the description, but it was not bad. I remember thinking that they should of described the characters appearences. So I gave it a 8.

   The character were really well done. In other books with real people as main characters, I find that the characters are as flat a cardboard. But not with this. The characters had depth. I loved reading the story from Maggie's eyes. I also liked the few chapters where Kate talked. They were just so insightful. Even though I loved Maggie's character, I think if they made the book from Kate's point of view it might of even been more interesting. The character Dr. Kane was also very good, but sometimes he was quite annoying, his family just seemed to be controling him way to much.
  
   The pacing was great. The story just flowed perfectly, absolutely sucked you in. Nothing else you can say about it.

   The writing was good as well. I don't remember much about it, but I don't remember having any complains about it.

   My interest level was very high. 1800s, spiritualism, those two just go so well together. Since I have already heard of the Fox sisters it was even more interesting. I recommend this for people who like Historical Fiction and romance, but also like their stories to have a dark twist.

  There was nothing else that really bothered me about this book. So I gave the other section a 10.

  The cover is really nice, but I really don't think it fits the book. I think it fits more with a book about a circus, not one about spiritualism. It was also not really accurate, since the real Maggie Fox doesn't really have red hair. The first edition of the cover first this book it really good though.

  The book is semi-memorable. I will remember it since it was a great interpretation of a true story.

   In all this book was an outstanding piece of Young Adult literature and a definite read for people who like young adult books with Spiritualism in it.

Friday 2 July 2010

Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance
Age 12+
Pages: 518
Gender: Female and Male
Publication Year: 2005

Plot: 9/10
Description: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Pacing: 8/10
Writing: 10/10
Interest: 10/10
Other: 6/10
Cover: 5/5
Memorable: +4

Total: 69/75
Percent: 92%
Grade: A-

    The third edition in the Bloody Jack series thrilled me. It was a perfect mix and history, romance, and adventure. I first started reading the Bloody Jack series about 2 years ago. I absolutely loved the first two, but after I read them I never seemed to have the time to read a series book, but finally I did. I enjoyed it immensely. 
  
    The plot was wonderful. After Jacky leaves Boston she goes to London in search for her love of her life, Jaimy. But when she gets there she sees holding the hands of a beautiful maiden. Jacky immediatly thinks that he is not smitten for her anymore. So she runs off, but right after she runs off she get pressed into the navy. You think the captain would let her go immediatly after he found out she was a girl. But no, he decides to keep her on for vulgar intentions. Soon Jacky figures out that the ship is a mess and she decides she is going to fix that. In this book she has many adventures and the story is utterly satisfying.

   The description in the book is good. I really have few complaints, but I sometimes had a hard time figuring out what was happening on the ship because I don't really know what all those ship words mean, but that is completely my fault. Other then that I love Jacky's descriptions of things.

   I adore the characters in the Bloody Jack series. They are all so unique and interesting. I think the character Jaimy is just charming. But sense he was not in this book for the most, I had to choose another character to adore. So I chose Georgie, he just acted so cute. But the end was just so sad! There is one single reason why I gave characters a 9/10, it is because Jacky, don't get me wrong I love her character, but she just did so many reckless things, yes, her doing reckless things is what makes the story interesting, but it just makes me so worried!

   The pacing was pretty good. There were times when it went a little slower then needed, but in all it was pretty good.

   I love the writing in this book series. Exspecially the first book. I love all the written accents. I jsut love everything about the writing.

   My interest level for this book was very high. Everything in it was interesting. The historical facts, the romance, the whole plot was interesting!

   There was only one other thing that does not fit in the other sections that bothers me. Near the end of the book Jacky says the world crap, this bothers me because this takes place during the early 19th century. And the word crap didn't enter the dictionary until 1846. I know it is not anything horrible, but it still bothered me.

   The cover for this book is just beautiful. I have always been fond of Cliff Nielsen's work.

   I think this book is very memorable. So I gave it a +4.

   This book was just so good. I would recommend it to anyone who liked the Napolean War and to anyone who likes adventure stories.

  

Blogger Hop!

It is time for another Blogger Hop hosted by the wonderful blog Crazy for Books. If you haven't heard of it go and check it out now. Hope you have a nice Friday! Oh yes, I am also going to try to write my two book reviews right after I am done typing this.

Thursday 1 July 2010

News

Sorry I haven't posted a review in a while. The reason why is because that I was in England for for 6 days. Since my last post I finished two books. So I should have those reviews up soon. I also made a new grading system I am going to test out and hopefully like. I was trying to make it add up to a hundred, but I could only think of enough to add up to 75 if you have any ideas just post it is the comments. I would highly appreciate it. I also plan to make a color scheme for my blog that is much lighter colored and I also want to make little pictures to put with the letter of each grade. But that might take a long time.Thank you for reading.

New Grading System:
Plot: 10


Description: 10

Characters: 10

Pacing: 10

Writing: 10

Interest: 10

Other: 10

Cover: 5

Memorable: +_

Total: _/75
Percent: _%
Grade: _