join now| sign in| help
Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:

Request Friendship
Send Request Cancel

monig

monig

Anglophile
Indophile
a postcolonial-literature nut (of sorts)
in love with Victorian literature (despite myself)
love a good quality nonfiction
like a good bit of fantasy (a la Rowling or Tolkien)
love strong female characters (of any age or period)
love detective fiction and mysteries (American gumshoe and the... more »
  • bordertown, borderland
  • member since October 11 2006

Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
1 2 3 4 5  | Next » Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 51 reviews
  • The Welsh Girl
    • Rated 3 stars

    “It was entertaining, but I felt the ending was abrupt and the epilogue unsatisfying. Told from the POV of three characters whose lives intersect in WWII Wales, the story isn't fleshed out the way I would have liked. Of the three characters, Esther is the most intriguing. The entire novel could have focused on her and I think it would have been a better read. I appreciated the POV of the two remaining characters, Karsten and Rotheram, and what they added to the story; but I felt that too much was trying to be achieved in too few words.”

    monig wrote this review Wednesday, January 21 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Black Hand: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel
    • Rated 3 stars

    “A must-read if you're following the Barker & Llewelyn novels ... but it's not the best. Thomas develops some characters that the reader knows from previous novels in the series, so my feeling is that you probably have to be already invested in the characters to really get into the story. Still ... a good, entertaining read. I especially liked the development in the relationship between Barker and Llewelyn.”

    monig wrote this review Friday, August 8 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Hellfire Conspiracy: A Novel
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Another good "Barker & Llewellyn" mystery. This one is a little more predictable than its predecessors, but that doesn't detract from how well Thomas weaves the thread of this story. He, yet again, places the reader in the midst of the social upheaval of Victorian London's seedier side.”

    monig wrote this review Friday, August 8 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I thought this was a good book and worth the read if you're an Indophile, but I do have some criticism.

    Collingham gives us a quick and dirty history of curry, which ends up of being the history of India, the spice trade, imperialism and colonialism (particularly the British colonization of the region), as well as the immigration of Indians to Britain and the Americas. Obviously, that's much to cover in one 250+ page book ... too much to cover.

    I felt like I was being whisked through a historical timeline, only allowed the bullet points.

    There are some nice anecdotes, particularly early on and later on in the book, but there was no real connection. Though Collingham obviously knows her stuff, she doesn't make you feel India.

    Still worth a read, though. Loved the addition of recipes!”

    monig wrote this review Wednesday, August 22 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is the best book yet! I can't say that I didn't find elements that were too neatly wrapped up (nearly every denouement, much less one to a seven-book plot this layered and complex, will seem to be too nicely, too conveniently wrapped up, but there you go).

    Still, this book is brilliant in its essence! Harry's journey has brought him more sorrow and heartache than any child should have to endure, yet here he finds more; and through it all, he maintains his humanity.

    Magic is not what solves this "riddle"; it is Harry's willingness to sacrifice what humans hold most dear that saves his world.

    He finally lets go of the past, of his demons, and looks to a future (even one in which he may have no part) for salvation. And he finds it.”

    monig wrote this review Wednesday, December 19 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Wuthering Heights
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I love Heathcliff. I hate Catherine.”

    monig wrote this review Thursday, November 8 2007. ( reply | view 6 replies | permalink )
  • My Antonia
    • Rated 4 stars

    “In general, I'm not a fan of "frontier" stories ... but Willa Cather creates a character in Antonia that takes everything thrown at her. She's a strong female who's life is far from easy, even in the end, but one who finds a happiness in knowing that the hard life she's lived has been worth it. ”

    monig wrote this review Tuesday, June 19 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean (P.S.)
    • Rated 4 stars

    “A nice nonfiction read! Only rarely muddied with statistics or scientific terminology, Corson's writing is engaging, drawing you into the lives of the lobster, the lobsterman (and woman!), and the lobster scientist ... simultaneously!”

    monig wrote this review Tuesday, June 19 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Emma
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I'm a big Austen fan, but I had never read "Emma." I can't say that I liked it as much as other works of hers, but Emma has redeemable qualities. She can admit when she's at fault ... eventually, anyway.

    Austen's knack at placing no-nonsense characters (here, Mr. Knightley) in juxtaposition with Victorian foppery is what really pulls me in. His ability to see through the foolishness and call Emma out is worth a recommendation alone!”

    monig wrote this review Tuesday, June 19 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Angela's Ashes
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Heartbreaking.”

    monig wrote this review Wednesday, May 16 2007. ( reply | permalink )
1 2 3 4 5  | Next » Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 51 reviews

Missing a review?



© 2006-2009 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close