My Personal Reviews of Books I've Read Recently

Pride and Prejudice- *****
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Even though I’ve read it four times already, I couldn’t help going back and reading it again. There is so much to learn from it, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. People just can’t write like Jane Austen anymore. * Sigh *


The Virginian, by Owen Wister- *****
Though I am a very harsh critic, this is quite possibly one of the very best books I have ever read. It is the story of a cowboy from Virginia, who is a gentleman no matter what he is faced with. Even in a wild country, surrounded by vulgarity on almost every side, he sticks to the standards of chivalry and honesty. A great book that everyone should read. Note: This is a western so there is some swearing. I don’t recommend this for children under twelve, unless you go through with some handy dandy Whiteout first.


The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy- *****
Love, love, love this book! It was my Christmas Eve gift a few years ago. I remember unwrapping it and thinking, “Oh great, this will be about as exciting as sawdust.” But my mother insisted that I read the first three chapters, and from there I was hooked. I think I finished it in two or three days. The writing is superb, the plot fantastic, and I really like saying the authoress’ name.


Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer- ****1/2
I enjoyed this book very much, even though I was hesitant to read a book about vampires. The plot is excellent, but I could tell it was her first book. I loved it, but her vocabulary could be improved. Also, I was slightly disappointed that there was some swearing. Not very much, but it was there. Even though there was more swearing in The Virginian, I found that less offending than the swearing in Twilight. It was necessary for the author of the Virginian to show the contrast between the hero and the crude culture of the West. There was absolutely no reason for swearing in Twilight.


New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer- ****
Twilight’s sequel. The writing definitely improved, but the standards regressed. Better words in general, worse when cursing.


Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer- ***
Still a fantastic plot, still slipping standards. Not a book I would let my future children read before they were fifteen. Maybe not even then, and only after I had removed a whole chapter and used the Whiteout lavishly.


Poems of Ralph Waldo Emerson, do I need to say who wrote it? -*****
I am not a big poetry fan, but I fell in love with this. Sweet and simple writing, makes the smallest thing beautiful.



Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke- ****
Love it. Makes you think, high excitement, good writing.


Inkspell, by Cornelia Funke- ***
Sequel to Inkheart, and the lamest excuse for a sequel I ever read. What is the point of a sequel if nothing gets resolved and everything is complicated?


p.s. Please keep in mind that I am a very unforgiving critic, and that all these books are reasonably good or I would not have read them in the first place.