books that have little in common

[snugglekitty]

Behind the cut, read all about:

Beauty's Release by Anne Rice writing as AN Rocquelaire **
The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Treasury by Betty MacDonald ****
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell *****
The Hour Before Dawn by Charles de Lint ***



Beauty's Release by Anne Rice writing as AN Rocquelaire is, of course, the last of the Beauty trilogy. It was pretty much more of the same. Lots of pony stuff, people getting buggered and humiliated. Good for titillation but not realistic and the quality is pretty low. Two stars.

The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Treasury by Betty MacDonald was a childhood favorite, or rather, the individual books were. I was inspired to re-read it by The Wand in the Word, in which the interviewer asks each author what books made an impression on them as a child. It dates itself somewhat (all the nice white middle-class families, stupidity being shown through a speech impediment, gender roles with the boys and girls) but is still charming. No one is presented as perfect, not even the parents or Mrs PW herself. Four stars.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell was simply fabulous. It was a recommendation from starkeymonster. I loved every minute of it. I felt like the author was someone we knew. Anyone who can make the experience of finding maggots under your dishpan hilarious deserves full marks in my book. Five stars.

The Hour Before Dawn by Charles de Lint was three short-ish stories set in Newford. I enjoyed it pretty well. The title story was my favorite. It wasn't his best work, though. Three stars, and that was book fifty-nine for the year.

Comments

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

I reread the Piggle Wiggle treasury a few months ago, and had about the same reaction. Though, sadly, I think my favorite of the stories was in MPW's Farm, which isn't included in the treasury.