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Brenda Z. (clinozoisite) - Reviews

1 to 8 of 8
101 Things You Never Knew About Walt Disney World: An Unauthorized Look at Tributes, Little Touches, And Inside Jokes
Review Date: 9/8/2009
Helpful Score: 3


While one might believe this book to contain all sorts of inside jokes and hilarious tidbits about Disney World, in fact it is a rather dull book about Disney World, Disneyland, EPCOT, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom. It relates facts such as #31 - The Liberty Belle steamboat was originally named the Richard F. Irvine. And rather than having 101 Things, it only has 100. Numbers 25 and 29 are identical.


Be still my beating heart. The number of actually interesting facts in this unofficial book are very slim. You would need to be a SERIOUS Walt Disney fanatic in order to enjoy this book.


Conquered by Love (Bantam, No 48)
Conquered by Love (Bantam, No 48)
Author: Barbara Cartland
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 9/8/2009


While slightly outlandish, in typical Barbara Cartland fashion, this particular novel is quite enjoyable. And, like many early B.C. novels, it is written in such a fashion as to educate the reader via excellent vocabulary while still indulging their need for idealized romance.


Lost
Lost
Author: Gregory Maguire
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
 298
Review Date: 3/19/2012


The title of this novel is eerily accurate, for the average reader will certainly feel lost while navigating this text!

Normally, I am an avid reader and finish a novel in a single sitting. With this book, I found myself reading only a chapter or two before putting it down for several days. I was not invested in the plot or the characters, and honestly couldn't have cared less if I never finished. Only through shear force of will did I slog my way through this interminable book. I would not recommend this particular novel to fans of Gregory Maguire, as I feel it is not nearly so well-written as his earlier works.


Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues
Author: Linda Berdoll
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 269
Review Date: 9/2/2009
Helpful Score: 1


This novel is a belabored, poorly edited attempt to write a sequel for Pride and Prejudice. I have never seen so many parentheses inappropriately used before. And the author seems to favor the term "howbeit", since it is used on almost every page, which I find peculiar, since it not a phrase favored by Jane Austen. At approximately 500 pages, I was disenchanted after the first twenty. While the interaction between Elizabeth and Darcy is adorable at points, the rest of the "plot" will bore the reader to tears.


Pantheon High Volume 1 (Pantheon High)
Pantheon High Volume 1 (Pantheon High)
Author: Paul Benjamin, Steven Cummings
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 6
Review Date: 3/30/2011


If I were to review this manga in a single word, I'd have to go with "ugh."

There is very little to recommend this series. The dialogue reads like it was written by a middle-aged person trying to speak as they imagine a pre-teen would. The sheer amount of slang used in this book makes it incredibly dated and an unpleasant read. If anything, it is laughable.

The character designs are rather mediocre and it can often be difficult to tell two similar characters apart.

Character development is minimal, leaving the reader with no appreciable connection to ANY of the protagonists. A small amount of their back-story is thrown in your face when you first meet them (in the form of a school report card), but that is all.

In addition, this series is just too close in nature to Rick Riordan's novels. I've been told that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case...I think not. With Riordan's incredible popular novels pre-dating this series by two years, it is not difficult to see the blatant derivation.


Undead and Unfinished (Undead, Bk 9)
Undead and Unfinished (Undead, Bk 9)
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 49
Review Date: 2/8/2012


Of *all* MaryJanice Davidson's novels, this is my least favorite. The author appears bereft of ideas, so has resorted to a time-travel induced alternate universe. If this were a television series, I'd pinpoint this as when it "jumped the shark."


Also, why write an epilogue when the book isn't the last in the series? To me, it didn't add any value to the story and actually dissuaded me from purchasing any more novels in this series.


Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation
Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation
Author: Regina Jeffers
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 2.2/5 Stars.
 11
Review Date: 3/14/2011


The author composed this novel at the behest of her publisher, not because she WANTED to write it. And it shows.

The best word to describe this novel is "meh." The prose is relatively bland, the plot borders of mediocre, and the arrogant author's preface at the beginning is very off-putting.

It is patently obvious that Regina Jeffers knows little about writing in the supernatural genre. Her handling of vampire lore and mythology is very heavy-handed and awkward.

I am glad I only paid $1 for this novel from a local thrift store. If I'd paid the $14.95 list price, I would feel robbed.


Vanity and Vexation : A Novel of Pride and Prejudice
Vanity and Vexation : A Novel of Pride and Prejudice
Author: Kate Fenton
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 12
Review Date: 5/27/2021


I'm usually someone who finishes a novel within 1-3 days. This book took me almost a month to finish because I kept getting bored and putting it down. There are some entertaining sections, to be sure, but over-all, I'd say this is a 3/5. It was worth reading once, but it won't end up in my permanent collection of Jane Austen pastiches.

For a modern retelling with a twist, this novel misses the mark. People in modern society are unlikely to behave in the way the characters in this book do. I also do not like that the character named Mary was supposed to be the Mr Darcy-esque figure in this book. At least choose a name that ~wasn't used by Jane Austen for one of Lizzy's sisters..


[spoiler alert:]


Mary was unbelievable as a modern, well-traveled, rich woman. I've never met a woman who had 3 conversations and a one night stand with a guy, and then was seriously considering inviting him to move in with her. Much less a woman with a seriously high net worth.
While I'm not super confident in my knowledge of modern British law, I'm pretty sure a teenager cannot just get on a flight to Thailand without parental permission, even if they do have a passport...


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