Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon by Jane Austen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have now come to the part in my research, which requires me to read Austen’s works, finished and unfinished. I think this was my third or fourth time reading Northanger Abbey and I’m surprised and delighted how every subsequent read is just as entertaining and as fresh as the first read. I have to say, though, that having done as much research on Austen’s life and work, I’m baffled by the harsh critique some critics give poor Catherine Morland. She deserves a lot more credit than I have seen her receive throughout…
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The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
The Wicked King by Holly Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well, it took me a while to recover from this one. I’m still speechless. What can I say about this story without giving anything away or unintentionally preparing the reader for any of the twists that will await them? I like Jude. She isn’t perfect, but I appreciate her attempts at sorting out the epic mess she finds herself in. Although, I’m not sure she knows exactly how serious her troubles really are. The King of Elfham is certainly something else. As cruel and rude as he behaves most of the time, he provides an interesting contrast to…
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Unearthed
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was very excited to read another collaboration of Kaufmann and Spooner’s, I just didn’t have the time to do so until now. I read other reviews saying that the split first-person narration doesn’t work, and I have to agree, it really doesn’t work with this story. Not because the structure itself doesn’t work, but simply because it wasn’t utilized to its fullest potential. The two protagonists each get their time to interchangeably share their side of the story, their inner feelings and thoughts to bring them closer to the reader. However, instead of taking that opportunity, the reader gets…
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Romantics, Rebels and Reactionaries: English Literature and Its Background, 1760-1830
Romantics, Rebels and Reactionaries: English Literature and Its Background, 1760-1830 by Marilyn Butler My rating: 1 of 5 stars Part of my ongoing research in preparation for my graduate thesis. I mostly focused on the section dealing with Jane Austen and her work, regardless, I really have no idea what this author’s point was supposed to be. I noticed slight anger in her writing, unnecessary social and even personal criticism and more than a few times I found the author judging Jane and her literary choices based on modern times and practices. Almost every time the author began a new point it was built up to encourage literary discussion, maybe…
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Jane and Her Gentlemen
Jane and Her Gentlemen: Jane Austen and the Men in Her Life and Novels by Audrey Hawkridge My rating: 3 of 5 stars Part of my ongoing research in preparation for my graduate thesis. This was a fun and cute sort of summary of Jane’s life and works regarding it from the males in her life and the males that made it into her works of fiction. The author used a lot of quotes from her correspondence, sometimes taking over most of the page with the author’s own contribution limited to one sentence to provide context. For someone, who has done as much research on Jane as me in the…
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The Gentleman’s Daughter: Womens Lives in Georgian England
The Gentleman’s Daughter: Womens Lives in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery My rating: 4 of 5 stars Part of my ongoing research in preparation for my graduate thesis. This is the second book by Vickery I have read during my research. Sadly, both books did not contain anything that could help me with my research, but that does not mean the books were not good. Just like the last one, this one contained a wealth of information that was presented in a very interesting and personal way. I was invested in what the author had to share, and it was engaging. Regardless of the fact that I can’t use specific…
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The Georgian Gentleman
The Georgian Gentleman by Michael Brander My rating: 3 of 5 stars Part of my ongoing research in preparation for my graduate thesis. Even though my research focuses on women in the Georgian era, I thought it might be beneficial to learn a bit about the male side of things as well. There might be useful information that could help me along the way during my analysis of Austen’s works. Unfortunately, I had no such luck, which truthfully frustrated me. Actually, that is not quite true. There was one point the author makes that could help me with my argument. So, I should make sure I make a note of…
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You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction–from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between by Lee Gutkind My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was the only book I kept from my creative nonfiction course and it is the only book I read during the entire course. I kept it for reference purposes and in case I experience another writer’s block. The examples, instructions and exercises are very beneficial and are well enough designed to return to again and again. I appreciated the author’s use of extensive excerpts to truly showcase the point he was making instead of vaguely outlining his point and…
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Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies)
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies): Amazing Women on What the F-Word Means to Them by Scarlett Curtis My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was reading The Art of Fact for my course when this book became available for pick up at my local library. If you haven’t read my review on the former, it might explain a lot as to way I chose to ignore my homework and read this one in less than 24 hours instead. I was angry at the way racial minorities and women were represented in The Art of Fact and Feminists Don’t Wear Pink turned out to be a very welcomed source…
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Gold Rush Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Nellie Cashman
Gold Rush Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Nellie Cashman by Thora Kerr Illing My rating: 1 of 5 stars * Last semester I took a creative non-fiction course; the last course I needed for my double major and before I started research for my thesis. In this course, the prof wanted us to read a “creative non-fiction” book, i.e. a biography/memoir, and write a review on it. Below is the review I handed in for marking, with only minor changes. I admit, this may not be my best work, but my prof was of the opinion that my writing was sloppy, unclear, unfocused and in need of major editing. I…
