Emily C

Emily C

I'm a mom. That covers a lot. Got two kids, and am homeschooling the oldest starting this year. Yeah, I probably am crazy, but right now we're all enjoying it. I'm also a lapsed artist having a go at getting reenthused, at least while I'm between pregnancies. Currently that would be sumi ink painting, with the occasional stab at some very...more »
  • Severn, MD, USA
  • member since Tuesday, February 19 2008

Profile: Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 26 reviews
    • Rated 3 stars

    I'm all for Ursula LeGuin here. She's an intelligent writer and does not skew toward the twee. But she is really ruddy depressing to read - the story's climax is the central character's realization that life may be worth living, then the story closes with reasons it might not be worth living after all. It's a theme in the entire series: exposition depressing, action depressing, climax vaguely even-keel or maybe timidly optimistic, denouement depressing.

    She gives great world, but everyone could use some Prozac.

    Emily C wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Wizard of Oz
    • Rated 3 stars

    Awkward pacing, and rather plodding - I read this expecting something either revolutionarily satirical (as advertised) or creatively written, something a bit more like Lewis Carroll. Instead, this is written more like a book intended for eight-year-olds, written by someone with a very dim view of the intelligence of eight-year-olds. I'll assume I missed something, but I'm not sure I could be persuaded to reread the book to discover what it was.

    I suppose the best parallel I could come up with would be memories of my Uncle Agne reading the phone book (he had a funny accent, which entertained the audience).

    Emily C wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Where's My Cow?
    • Rated 3 stars

    Yeah, this could have been better. Two things really bothered me about the book: the artwork and the plot. Yes, I know, that sounds like the entire book. It wasn't bad, as such, just...not what I was hoping for. The art looked like something from an editorial cartoon, which is fine, except it's in a children's book meant to convey warmth and coziness. And the plot - well, I was hoping this would be the *actual* "Where's My Cow?", not a book that follows a man and his son reading the titular story together (because we already did that in "Thud!"). So it's okay...just don't expect to discover the mysteries of the "Hruuuuugh!"

    Emily C wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Anna Karenina (Barnes & Noble Classics)
    • Rated 0 stars

    Okay, I know this is supposed to be a classic, full of intrigue and character development, but it's one of a very small number of books (like, two or three) that I just couldn't be bothered to finish reading. I found it depressing and boring, unrelieved by any comic elements or even a spot of hope or interest. And don't think this is me being shallow, either - I *majored* in Russian language and literature, and sure Russian literature is overall lacking in hope or bright spots, but most of the others I read at least boasted a little action...

    I think this is the *only* assigned reading I declined to finish. I faked my way through the quiz. If you want a story about forbidden love and passion that's a classic and will leave you non-suicidal, for heaven's sake read Shakespeare.

    Emily C wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • American Gods
    • Rated 5 stars

    "This is a bad land for gods." The greatest con game ever written! Also a fascinatingly deep treatise on the nature of the ailing American spirit, particularly if you've ever been a fan of world mythology and comparative religion. This book follows the adventures of Shadow, a former convict looking to turn over a new leaf, who certainly discovers a new world with the help of a mysterious one-eyed employer who takes him on a road trip across the back roads of America on a strange yet compelling mission. As an interesting intellectual challenge, see how many gods and spirits you recognize as Shadow meets them on the road.

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Anansi Boys (Unabridged)
    • Rated 5 stars

    I have a new tool to get me through anytime I'm feeling the weight of sibling troubles - and that would be Anansi Boys. Nothing makes me feel better about my own petty squabbles than watching Fat Charlie's life get turned upside down, sideways, inside out and backward as he tries to take in two simple truths: his father was a god, and Fat Charlie has a twin brother. I hate to admit it, but this book actually might be more of a favorite than its predecessor, the exquisite American Gods, which I have considered an ardent favorite for years. It helps if you know me, but suffice to say I have a terrible spider phobia - and thanks to Anansi Boys, even I think spiders can be pretty damn cool.

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Wintersmith
    • Rated 5 stars

    This is quite probably the only young adult fiction I've read (unless Harry Potter counts) that doesn't absolutely patronize the intended audience. I remember when I actually *qualified* as a young adult giving up in disgust when everything aimed at my age group and gender basically consisted of a period setting and a young woman's choice between two equally desirable young men. YAWN. THIS book doesn't do that. Well, it does, but in a way that isn't cookie-cutter and ridiculous. It poses the simple question: what do you do if you accidentally manage to attract the romantic attention of a god? And can you accept the consequences while, at the same time, attempting to learn a craft? With the bonus question: what on earth do you do with an animate cheese that hums at you? The thirteen-year-old girl in me wants to hunt Mr. Pratchett down and give him a grateful hug. Now I'll have something good to offer my daughter to read when she turns 13 herself.

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook
    • Rated 5 stars

    Although it started out a bit dry and seemed somewhat condescending, as I read deeper the authors really warmed to their subject and gave some rather valuable advice. In fact, I'd say it has been profoundly helpful in aiding and clarifying my approach to homeschooling. One of the best things it teaches? Relax! Your kids will learn as long as you're all enjoying the approach - they'll tie up in knots if you wax obsessive.

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Pillars of the Earth
    • Rated 4 stars

    I was interested in reading this one because it's the self-proclaimed magnum opus of an atheist, and it's about Kingsbridge Cathedral. It's easy to see why this work has become such a watermark success. Featuring lush images, powerful emotional appeal, and actually rather more (although sadly reasonably realistic) violence than I'd hoped, I spent many nights depriving myself of much-needed sleep just trying to get in one...more...chapter. It's a riveting treatise on the tenacity of the human spirit. Oh yeah, and it examines some of the how-to's of cathedral construction, which is really rather interesting on its own. Now all I have to do is visit Kingsbridge cathedral to see the finished masterpiece...

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    • Rated 5 stars

    "Where your heart lies, there your treasure is also."

    Emily C wrote this review Friday, May 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 26 reviews


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