Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy HarperCollins, 2007 392 pages On the whole, I'm not much of a fantasy fan. I think Tolkien ruined the genre for me back in middle school, when I first read Lord of the Rings. After Tolkien, run-of-the-mill fantasy novels seemed so, well, run-of-the-mill: dry and derivative. There have been several … Continue reading Skulduggery Pleasant
Matilda
Matilda by Roald Dahl; ill. by Quentin Blake Jonathan Cape, 1988 240 pages A couple of months into our marriage, my husband and I took a 2,000-mile road trip to attend a friend's wedding. As we planned our trip, my husband suggested taking some audiobooks along. I don't enjoy being read to, but I love … Continue reading Matilda
Precocious Princesses: Spindle’s End
This is the fifth (and final) post in my "Precocious Princesses" series, reviews of inspiring alternatives to traditional princess tales. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley Ace Books, 2001 354 pages If "Rapunzel" is progressive as princess tales go, "Sleeping Beauty" is at the opposite end of the spectrum. However embellished, the story usually goes something … Continue reading Precocious Princesses: Spindle’s End
Read Like a Girl 