|
|
Content by Rhea
Commentateur n° : 29,598
Votes Utiles:
2
|
|
|
Reviews Written by
Rhea (Canada)
|
Reviewer Rank:
29598 |
Page : 1 | 2 | 3
|
|
|
|
|
Madapple
|
de Christina Meldrum
Édition : Hardcover |
| Price: CDN$ 15.32 |
|
| Availability: In Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
One warped story, Jul 31 2009
Madapple was not at all what I thought it would be. Even after reading the book's summary I was not prepared for the way in which the story unfolded. There are a number of twists and turns that remain undisclosed until the very end of the novel. My response to the story ranged from intrigued, repulsed and then shocked. All in all, Madapple reminded me of a twisted religious version of Flowers in the Attic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A long-winded, pointless tirade, Jul 20 2009
After reading other reviews of this novel, I was eager to start reading. The premise sounded intriguing; Lucifer is given the opportunity to return to heaven but first, he has to spend one month in human form. Sounds promising right? That's what I thought until I started reading. The plot was next-to-non-existent and Lucifer laments continually about his fall from heaven. The descriptions were over-done and unneccessary. I had to force myself to continue reading, only to be disappointed with the ending. While some may find this novel hilarious and witty, I found it dull and incredibly boring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Children's Hospital
|
de Chris Adrian
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 14.24 |
|
| Availability: Usually ships in 3 to 5 weeks |
|
|
|
|
|
A long and involved story, Jun 18 2009
The Children's Hospital, by Chris Adrian, is a massive under-taking which examines several issues such as faith versus skepticism, religion versus science, right versus wrong. The premise of the story hooked me - God has again flooded the earth, only this time there's no Noah's Arc filled with animals. All that remains is a nine story children's hospital floating 7 miles above a drowned world. We are introduced to a number of characters through out the book: Jemma, an intern who has the ability to heal the sick, Pickie Beecher, a six year old who drinks blood and mourns the loss of his brother, a preserving angel who lives within the walls of the hospital looking after its occupants, the recording angel who was once human and a swack load of parents, doctors and patients that each come with their own back story that unfolds as the book goes on.
Many of the concepts of the novel are original and downright fascinating. For example, whoever heard of a floating hospital? Or replicators that turn shoes into food? Adrian also examines how a culture steeped in technology and science views the end of the world. Science and technology clash throughout the novel, especially when Jemma's ability to heal the children flies in the face of everything physicians and nurses are taught. Not even the presence of angels is enough to get a buy-in. Rather than being revered, the preserving angel is reviled and often told to "shut up" by the inhabitants of the hospital. John Grampus, the architect charged with creating the children's hospital, describes his relationship with his angel as sexual, rather than spiritual. After all, how spiritual is an angel that creates porn-on-demand and sex toys? Even the recording angel is less than "angelic" and laments over the boredom associated with his work.
That said the author's attempt at using humour flopped in many places, leaving the story morbid rather funny. While I guessed the ending (I won't mention it here as I don't want to ruin it for anyone), I still found it very depressing. Perhaps, if the author hadn't tried so hard to be funny, the ending would have felt more dramatic and less abrupt. As it was, I closed the book and felt that I had missed something. I re-read the last chapter, but was still left with the same empty feeling.
The Children's Hospital is an epic read but it is not an uplifting one, so please don't read this book expecting a feel-good story. Ending not withstanding, it is an interesting novel and certainly worth picking up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A fun family movie, May 23 2009
Simon Pegg is back with another comedic hit. Run Fatboy Run is the story of a down and out Dad with committment issues. Content to run away from life's difficulties, he is spurred into action when the wife he left pregnant at the alter is set to marry a marathon runner. In a desperate attempt to win back his wife and son, he vows to finish the London marathon. Simon Pegg is hilarious and unlike Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, this movie is safe for families.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the best British tv series EVER, May 23 2009
I too, got hooked on the comedic genius that is Simon Pegg through Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I saw a few episodes of Spaced on youtube and was immediately hooked. This is a great series that saluts pop culture such as zombies, Star Trek and Robot Wars. In fact, Simon Pegg said that his inspiration for Shaun of the Dead came from the zombie episode of Spaced. This series manages to be both hilarious and heartfelt without coming off as contrived or cheesey. My only complaint is that this series only has two seasons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Sugar Queen
|
de Sarah Addison Allen
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 11.32 |
|
| Availability: In Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
another magical read, May 17 2009
After having read "Garden Spells," I waited with baited breath for the "Sugar Queen" to be released. I wasn't disappointed. Like her first novel, the "Sugar Queen" is a magical tale of three women and their quest for more. Della Lee, a hard, unstoppable force who has taken up refuge in Josey's bedroom closet; Josey, a young woman tangled up in her past who yearns for her mailman, Adam and Chloe, a woman who attracts books and is in the midst of an emotional break-up with her boyfriend. The story itself is predictable, but the characters are vivdly written and the magical elements of the book are sweet and unintrusive. For anyone interested in an uplifting, happy read, then the "Sugar Queen" should fit the bill nicely. I read this in under an hour; once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I absolutely love Sarah Allen's writing. I can't wait for her next one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diminished Capacity
|
de Sherwood Kiraly
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 10.19 |
|
| Availability: In Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
An absolutely fun read!, May 15 2009
I actually saw the movie before I read the novel. I enjoyed the movie and so figured that the book must be better - I wasn't disappointed. The zany characters of Sherwood Kiraly's "Diminished Capacity" are so real that they seem to jump from the pages. Sauncy Uncle Rollie's increasing dementia and his family's attempt to deal with it are simultaneously hilarious and touching. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a pick-me-up. And if you're looking for a family friendly movie - rent the DVD too.
|
Mots-clés du commentateur:
comedy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Late Nights on Air
|
de Elizabeth Hay
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 14.59 |
|
| Availability: In Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
The beauty and violence of the North all rolled into one., May 14 2009
Late Nights on Air is not a page-turning, breath-taking, unable-to-put-down book. Rather, it is a book meant to be read slowly and leisurely, much in the same way the story itself unfolds. Hay introduces us to the North, where days and nights blur together and people come and go. Her characters are rich and her descriptions of the North are vivid. This is not a book with intricate plots or a lot of action; rather it is a portrait of common people living their lives the best they can in a world that is both insular and isolated. I enjoyed this book and found Hay's descriptions of Yellowknife and the Barrens powerful. If you enjoy novels that are character driven and in which the land itself becomes a prominent character, then I think you'll enjoy Late Nights on Air.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And you thought your family was screwed up, May 11 2009
The Monsters of Templeton is an enthralling novel with just a hint of the supernatural. When Willie Upton returns in disgrace to her town of birth, a sea monster is found dead in the local lake. These two seemingly unrelated events provide the framework of the novel - a story of family history, friendship and small town scandals that will leave the reader enthralled from start to finish. Groff skilfully combines real history with fictional accounts that intertwine to create a flowing narrative that is both vivid and real. I highly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone looking for a good read
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gods Behaving Badly
|
de Marie Phillips
Édition : Paperback |
| Price: CDN$ 14.56 |
|
| Availability: In Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
A rollicking tale of gods and goddesses trying to navigate the modern world., May 11 2009
Gods Behaving Badly is a hilarious account of the trials and tribulations of the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus as they attempt to exist in a world that no longer believes in them. It's difficult to run the world when your powers are fading and you're forced to live in a run-down London house with your fellow gods and goddesses. Even worse, how do you navigate the doldrums of endless days and nights? Marie Phillips addresses this and more with a fast paced wit that seamlessly takes the reader from one `godly' escapade to another. Once you start reading Gods Behaving Badly you won't be able to put it down. I eagerly look forward to more writings from this author.
|
|
|
|
