read | The Barefoot Queen

When I first heard of The Barefoot Queen by Ildefonso Falcones, its premise drew me in immediately. The story of a freed slave and a gypsy befriending each other seemed different from anything I'd read before, as did the fact that it was set in the middle of the eighteenth century in Spain.This book features cultures and locales that I have had minimal exposure to, and I was excited to explore a historical novel to which I brought virtually no prior knowledge.

This book includes everything from feuding to murder to political persecution. Caridad, a slave, is freed by her dying master as they sail from Cuba to Spain, and she is left completely alone as she arrives in a new land. She soon falls in with young gypsy Milagros and is soon swept up in the tense relations between gypsy families. Everything is shaken up when the king orders a roundup of all gypsies, and those who are not captured and imprisoned scatter across Spain. This book is the story of the struggles several characters endure while they try to find their way back to each other.

I have to admit, the size of this book had me putting it off for a long time. At 641 pages, it's a great investment if you're trying to fill your bookshelf. When I did finally get around to it, the book kept calling me back. Though it took a long time, I was reading it consistently all the way through. The book is divided into six parts, though I don’t think that was necessary. I don’t know if this was the publisher’s way of making the book seem less daunting, but for the most part the extra blank pages just threw me out of the otherwise seamless story for a few seconds. While the book is definitely near the cap of readable length for a standalone novel, there were sections of this book that I felt could have had much more detail. It’s a testament to how much I enjoyed the writing and the story that I wanted to read more since the book is already so long.

The Barefoot Queen is a great historical novel with a refreshing setting and compelling characters. My one warning is that it does involve several scenes of rape, both graphic and implied, and they are throughout the book. If you can handle the heavy subject matter (and the heavy weight of the 600 pages), definitely give this one a try.

4 out of 5 stars

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Hour 9 | Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon

Snacking is, of course, an integral part of every readathon. And when you can come up with snacks that tie into what you're reading, it's so much better (unless we're talking about Hagrid's rock cakes). One of my favourite literary snacks comes from Agnes and the Hitman, and it's - brace yourself - sour cream and pecan pancakes. Actually the best thing ever. Fortunately my mom read this book and mastered the recipe before I got to the mouthwatering descriptions, so when the cravings hit she was ready to go. I don't think I ever do find the same recipe twice, but here's one posted by a fellow Agnes reader: http://www.dazzledish.com/blog/recipes/breakfast/pecan-sour-cream-and-buttermilk-pancakes/

Hour 3 | Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon

 

4 Seasons 4 Books
Starting at the top left and going clockwise:
Winter - Leafless tree from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Spring - Sun rays (at least from this angle) from The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Summer - A rose from The Barefoot Queen by Ildefanso Falcones
Fall - House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewsi. Because... you know, leaves.

Hour 2 | Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon

 

This quotation isn't from as big a classic as Catch-22, Joseph Heller's best known work. Catch As Catch Can is a collection of short stories, but I think it could still find a home in the classic section of a bookstore. I remember when I first came across this line I immediately sent a photo of the page to my brother to share in my excitement in finding my personality summed up in one line. This is probably the part where I should show that this is true by breaking into sarcasm, but I've gone there with text before and I usually come across as a lunatic or an idiot. So I won't do that. Sorry*.

*there it is!

read | Empire of Sin

Empire of Sin is a snapshot of history that often gets overlooked. While the 1920s are certainly not forgotten, it's rare to hear about them in a setting outside of New York City. This book provides an interesting view of part of US history from a refreshing new perspective.

I don't read as much nonfiction as I probably should, and I find that when I do I have trouble establishing a strong narrative. Nonfiction often reads like bullet points from a presentation, which is understandable given that the author doesn't have the freedom to elaborate beyond what history confirms. This book, while held together by the glue that is the city of New Orleans, feels disjointed. It was much easier for me to approach this book as a collection of short stories about the city than as a continuous novel. As far as the history is concerned, this is a fascinating look at unique stories. For anyone interested in the 1920s, old-school gangsters, or jazz this book is an interesting representation from a new perspective.
3 out of 5 stars

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

read | Draw-A-Saurus

Draw-a-Saurus
by James Silvani

This is amazing. This book is actually really effective. It's not just a gimmick to sell you a three-step drawing "tutorial" where the picture jumps from a marshmallow to a mighty dino. I definitely don't consider myself an artist, and when I tried to draw a T-rex to test out the book, it turned out surprisingly well if I do say so myself. One bit of advice - NEVER draw a dark line. Ever. I made this mistake only to turn the page and see that I needed to erase it completely. If you're going to make a feature so dark it's permanent, make sure you look ahead to see if it actually sticks around.


My dino partly finished

In addition to the surprisingly effective tutorials, this book is adorable. It's filled with fun facts about anatomy and the dino lifestyle in general, and they aren't just the typical "Tyrannosaurus Rex was the King of the Lizards." The illustrations are wonderful, of course, and the book is great quality. This book is packed with color and the paper is almost velvety. This is a book that appeals to kids and grown-ups alike. I can't recommend it highly enough.
5 out of 5
More Info

Author Bio


The finished product!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.



Hour 24 | Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
1,025 pages later, it's that magical moment - wrap-up time!

The Aftermath

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
   Hour 3, when I realized I'd fallen back asleep after about 30 minutes. That plus knowing I had other stuff I had to do during the day was a disheartening start.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
   I powered through Anatomy of a Misfit at the end, it's an easy read and I really enjoyed the narrator's voice. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - pretty much the same type of story, and I liked it for the same reasons. And Ready Player One and Heir Apparent for some YA virtual reality - how's that for a genre?
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
   I loved it, brutal though it was. It would be cool if for photo-related challenges there were a gallery where you could see them all in one place instead of jumping from tumblr to Twitter, but now that I think about it that cuts down on exploring everyone's blogs so never mind I'm tired.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
   The mini-challenges are awesome. I love the excuses to take a break, and they're a great way to keep you engaged with the community, which is kind of the whole point of doing an event with other people. I did not know there were that many book-themed activities, and I was definitely impressed by them all.
5. How many books did you read?
   Three, and I listened to a smidge of an audiobook.
6. What were the names of the books you read?
   Horns, The Eternal Ones, and Anatomy of a Misfit, and I listened to The Cuckoo's Calling.
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
   I enjoyed reading Anatomy of a Misfit the most, but looking back I think Horns was the better book.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
   The Cuckoo's Calling. I think I'll try it again in print form.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
   I wasn't a Cheerleader. :( Maybe next year?
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
    Very! My level of dedication depends on my schedule / morning after, but this is a really cool experience. I would definitely like to get more involved where I can - Cheerleading here I come!