Substantial stories from a living Grand Master. The annotations are short and helpful. The editors kindly ease the reader's transition back to reality by closing the volume with three lively speeches.
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Experimenting with this account as Bookwyrm-adjacent TBR with commentary. Main account is on Bookwyrm; both new as of mid-January 2024. #LearningCurve
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TaxideaDaisy2's books
2024 Reading Goal
2% complete! TaxideaDaisy2 has read 1 of 40 books.
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TaxideaDaisy2 rated Battle angel Alita: 4 stars
Battle angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro (Viz graphic novel)
Alita wakes to find that she has been moved into a different cyborg body, as beautiful as ever, but more …
TaxideaDaisy2 rated Amari and the Night Brothers: 4 stars
TaxideaDaisy2 rated We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us: 4 stars
TaxideaDaisy2 rated Nightborn: 4 stars
TaxideaDaisy2 reviewed Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni
Review of 'Puzzle Master' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Hopefully no spoilers here!
Four and a half to five stars – superbly entertaining, interesting & intriguing, neatly crafted fun read. I snapped up The Puzzle Master as a pre-order, trusting the particular power & intensity of Trussoni’s writing, and I was not disappointed. As a native New Yorker (state not city), I found her depictions of upstate prison, repurposed historic buildings, Hudson River milieux, and even thruway rest stops authentic, her prose swift and clear. As with some of her previous works, this accuracy around things I know leads me to trust her descriptions of those I don’t. The narrative moves quickly, pulling the reader along in a torrent both streamlined and peppered with details: very specific antiques, fashion details, architectural details, places, times. As a work of fiction, one knows it’s not all real, but where does the reality leave off and the fantasy begin? The story leaves …
Hopefully no spoilers here!
Four and a half to five stars – superbly entertaining, interesting & intriguing, neatly crafted fun read. I snapped up The Puzzle Master as a pre-order, trusting the particular power & intensity of Trussoni’s writing, and I was not disappointed. As a native New Yorker (state not city), I found her depictions of upstate prison, repurposed historic buildings, Hudson River milieux, and even thruway rest stops authentic, her prose swift and clear. As with some of her previous works, this accuracy around things I know leads me to trust her descriptions of those I don’t. The narrative moves quickly, pulling the reader along in a torrent both streamlined and peppered with details: very specific antiques, fashion details, architectural details, places, times. As a work of fiction, one knows it’s not all real, but where does the reality leave off and the fantasy begin? The story leaves us with a lot of questions, both in terms of potential sequels as well as internet queries and further reading ideas.
I also appreciate the way she creates time context not merely with dates but particular timely details; for example, pandemic issues, the addition of vaccine references to travel and visitation logistics.
If I could ask Ms Trussoni anything about this novel, it would be for clarifications regarding the two versions of a certain artifact, because I’m having trouble sorting out how the “correct” one was apparently applied where it was. (Trying to avoid spoilers.)
I found The Puzzle Master almost “unputdownable,” and am grateful to have read it over a couple of days that happened to be quieter than usual. You know how one can get cranky upon having to stop reading a really engrossing book. This is one of those.
TaxideaDaisy2 rated The Trouble With Jenny's Ear: 4 stars
TaxideaDaisy2 rated Inuyasha Volume 1 Inuyasha Vizbig Edition: 4 stars
TaxideaDaisy2 reviewed Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Review of 'Lord of Light' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
2.5 stars. I feel like this book did not age well, or maybe is best read as an impressionable youth. It felt overly wordy and contrived, trying to be both entertaining and deep. Once it was a classic, and many hold it dear. Some classics stand up to rereading better than others. ymmv
TaxideaDaisy2 rated A Prayer for the Crown-Shy: 4 stars
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (Monk & Robot, #2)
After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent …
TaxideaDaisy2 rated Brown Girl Dreaming: 5 stars
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Newbery Honor Book National Book Award Finalist
TaxideaDaisy2 reviewed Prudence Crandall by Elizabeth Yates
TaxideaDaisy2 reviewed Amos Fortune, free man by Elizabeth Yates (Puffin Newbery library)
Review of 'Amos Fortune, free man' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Rounding up stars
... one could say that Amos Fortune: Free Man is sappy, or overly religious or whitewashed, and that wouldn't be wrong, but it could serve well to spark interest in history and the shaping of our culture, and that's not a bad thing.
Amos Fortune was a real person, and Yates' research into his life story, with the help of the NH state librarian, uncovered details which might otherwise have been lost.
Copyright 1950, Newbery 1951.