wurd nurd

wurd nurd

I'm finishing up my MLIS this December (fiiiiiinally!), so that rocks. I love reading a little of this, that and the other and really enjoy hearing other people's opinions on what they read.
  • Irvine, CA, USA
  • member since Monday, October 29 2007

Profile: Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
Displaying 1-10 of 224 reviews
  • Little Brother
    • Rated 5 stars

    A paranoid trek through post-terrorist attack San Francisco in a not-so-far-fetched future, with the city is under siege by US forces in the name of Homeland Security. Like The Fourth Realm trilogy, this story is about the battle waged between subversives and a corrupt power, with the battlefield occurring in the streets, in the media and, especially, on the Web. The message is clear: we must take an active stand in our governance, otherwise the power-hungry few will terrorize the conservative many, and completely marginalize the powerless. Taught, suspenseful and completely believable, this will appeal to marginalized, tech-savvy and forward-thinking teens and adults.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 17 hours ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Water for Elephants: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    I can totally see why this book was such a huge a hit a couple of years back. The language is so evocative and compelling, it’s easy to be sucked right into Jacob and Marlena’s world. Personally, I adore historical novels, and this one, with it’s unique setting, heart (and gut)-wrenching dynamics, and satisfying character development, is truly impressive in the best way.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Real Vampires Live Large (Glory St. Claire, Book 2)
    • Rated 4 stars

    I actually really dig this series. While Glory’s constant need for rescue is a little tiresome, her sense of humor and inexplicable bursts of courage make for an interesting and fun read. Perfect for those sleepless nights when you’re too sleep-deprived to concentrate on anything heavy and too awake to try counting sheep.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mistress of the Art of Death
    • Rated 4 stars

    Beautifully evocative and horrifically twisted, this is a whirlwind read for cozy mystery fans. At times funny, horrifying and sexy, Adelia’s earthiness reflects modern-day sensibilities, although she is trapped in a medieval world. Unlike many cozy mysteries, this on isn’t so transparent, allowing for a genuine reveal, without resorting to trite or contrived elements.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Little Friendly Advice
    • Rated 4 stars

    Well-written! Unpredictable! Not cheesy! A wonderful alternative to the Gossip Girl/A-List/Clique crowd, this story of regular middle-class girls suffering the pains of friendship and family is touching, sweet, funny and not completely guy-obsessed. The female characters are complicated and relatable, identifiable to their archetypes and to reality alike. The only glaring issue is that this entire story takes place in ONE week?? Seems like an artificial structure, which is a bit distracting.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years (The Wicked Years)
    • Rated 3 stars

    More like Son of a Witch than Wicked, Lion retains the complicated storyline and epic cast of characters to further flesh out the less prominent histories of the Wizard of Oz. While I was extremely surprised by the choice to focus on the Cowardly Lion (as opposed to the Scarecrow or, my personal favorite, The Tinman), the elaborate storylines are cleanly intercut and even help to better understand the shadowy backstory of Elphaba, Yackle, and even Liir. As usual, I can’t wait to see what Maguire comes up with the next installment of The Wicked Years.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    • Rated 3 stars

    Definitely way too long, but still well-written. The ending, with the battle at Hogwarts, remains one of my all-time favorite battle scenes, full of wrought tension and genuine emotion for the fallen soldiers, making up for the rest of the superfluous prose. Harry, Ron and Hermoine’s blundering should have been better edited, and Ron’s portrayal as being a lagabout a-hole really didn’t help the plot or his own character development (and was entirely detrimental to Hermoine, to be honest). Most disappointing, the Epilogue was confusing, and didn’t really tie much of anything together, such as whatever everyone is actually up to (other than Neville and Percy). A poor ending to what was once a great series.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Alcoholic
    • Rated 4 stars

    At turns brutal, hilarious, heart-breaking and familiar, the author’s fictional alter-ego bends, denies and ignores reality to meet his own psychological needs. His confusion, desperation and heartache breathe through every word and every image. Jonathan’s journey to purgatory and back are documented with searing honesty and touching sensitivity.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Uncle (New York Review Children's Collection)
    • Rated 4 stars

    With the same sense of childlike surrealism exemplified by Roald Dahl, Uncle’s stories are a series of simple morality tales, cleverly disguised as bizarre and hilarious adventures. Uncle’s ever-expansive home, Homeward, provides plenty of opportunities for strange and wonderful characters; and his evil neighbors, the Hatemans, provide a perfect counterpoint by which children can learn humility, generosity and gentleness. Seeing as Uncle was originally sprung from Martin’s imagination as bedtime tales for his children, that old-time contemporizing storytelling is refreshingly preserved in the writing.

    wurd nurd wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • American Widow
    • Rated 4 stars

    A heartfelt and disturbing story of one woman’s experiences in the year after 9-11 told in graphic novel format, the confusion, depression and loss are vividly composed in stark black and white. The constant jumping back-and-forth in time beautifully conveys the author’s thought process as she strives to move forward while being trapped in the what-ifs and joys of the past. Her pain is real, and her anger and confusion over the handling of victim funds and the backlash against victims’ families make the narrative compelling and appropriately uncomfortable.

    wurd nurd wrote this review Monday, September 8 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 224 reviews


© 2008 Tastemakers, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy