Dead Tree Reading 2016 #2

 Not as many titles for this entry, as I either a) read more Kindle titles and b) discarded a few titles that were not good.

8.  Taking Off (Maryellen) by Valerie Tripp: This is the second of the books for the new American Girl historical doll, Maryellen Larkin, a girl from the 1950s who lives in Florida, and she's pretty likable.  I dont like that AG has started doing less books (although longer) for the dolls, but this one was very readable.  Maryellen has had polio (and recovered), so she does a fundraiser for the March of Dimes at her birthday party, and the book is set during the time period when Salk's vaccine was announced.  She has a case of wanting to "stand out" and be famous, but she learns the usual lessons, without too much pain.  It also features a family trip to Yellowstone.

9. I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec: This is definitely a little kids book, with fanciful pictures of a little girl who wants a cat seeing Kitty everywhere (in the clouds, in a woman's bouffant hairdo) - very cute.  And it has a happy ending.

10. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - I have obviously read this one, but I was reading it aloud to the MiniVixen.  A good time was had by everyone involved, although I'm still not capable of reading the part of the book where Charlotte dies without crying (it's that and the Velveteen Rabbit).  I find my feelings about the book are summed up by this quote: "Well", said Mrs. Zuckerman, "it seems to me you're a little off. It seems to me we have no ordinary spider.”

DV

Dead Tree Reading 2016 #3: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

 I thought this one rather deserved its own entry.  I got it on Tuesday, and although the beginning went a little slowly, around about the middle I hit the "just keep reading" stage.

 Unspoilered review: I really enjoyed it.  Although I loved the step back in time that was Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (letting us say something of a proper, happy goodbye to characters we have loved), I loved this one as well - letting us see not the immediate aftermath of Aral's death, but letting us see people after they have had time to adjust to his death.  I liked where she took it, and I like how the story is left open for more.

I'm seeing some negative reviews on Amazon, wherein people didn't feel like it was really a Vorkosigan Saga novel, because it's not Miles and action focused (I will concede, there are some parts where the Betan conversations got a little rambly) but it seems like some of them have forgotten that while TWA might have been the first book published, chronologically, the Saga starts with Shards/Barryar - and with Cordelia and Aral.  I will plead to not being a Miles fan - I'm not big on him, but I do love all the people that hang out with him.

Giggles at the review that claims LMB made Aral "bisexual" out of the blue because it's IN THE FIRST/SECOND BOOKS.

Spoilered review:
( Here be Spoilers )

All in all, I enjoyed it.