Week 8

    
    My first impression of the characters was fairly negative and the plot didn't seem particularly inspired, yet for some reason I just couldn't put the book down. Gaiman manages to evoke a really interesting world despite telling what is at first a pretty ordinary story with unremarkable characters. My opinion of Gaiman has gone up by witnessing this first hand. In addition to the engaging tale, it's also quite funny! By the end of the book I was ready to praise it. The characters really evolve before your eyes and the story takes off. I'm glad I read it despite my initial hesitation. Anansi Boys is set in the same universe as American Gods, but it is a completely different style of story. The only things these two books share is the way gods, magic, and spirits are portrayed, and the character Mr. A. Nancy, also known as Anansi. The main premise is, quite simply, that gods are real and hanging out on the Earth. They have great powers or miracles that they can use to change things according to their nature. These gods are generally secret with respect to most of the world, but certain cultures or groups of people are more sensitive to their spiritual natures and know about the gods and magic.  This book, as well as the two others I've read, have convinced me that Neil Gaiman is an excellent writer and one to keep reading. I personally found the book to be more accessible than American Gods and would recommend it over that one. Despite the initial hesitation given the main character, things quickly sped up and became very enjoyable.

week 7

    So when I was a kid I didn’t enjoy reading one bit so I missed out of the crazy hype that came along with this book. I just was afraid of the size of the books because they appears to be too long and I was not interested. Looking into it now the read was very easy of course but had to admit it was good. I can read this book over and over again. From the very beginning until the end J.K. Rowling has me gripped! There is never a dull moment, whether it's battling with trolls, a three-headed dog, or Harry facing Lord Voldermort. I would definitely recommend this book because it keeps you reading without ever wanting to put the book down. By the end of the book you come to love the characters and you want to read more. You won't be disappointed because the second book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is just as great! If you haven't read any of the Harry Potter books. I started reading the second one and I probably will read the rest.

Week 6

    This is one of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that have appeared in many a long day. Like "Alice in Wonderland," it comes from Oxford University, where the author is Professor of Anglo-Saxon, and like Lewis Carroll's story, it was written for children that the author knew (in this case his own four children) and then inevitably found a larger audience. n interesting book, and a sadly disappointing one, in a Harry Potter kind of way. The book seems to drag on and parts of it seem pointless, useless even, and adds little to the story line or the characters. Though there were attributing parts of the of the story that makes it more bearable to read. For example, at the beginning it was quite humorous in a way that today’s readers might find funny, rather than being old-fashioned. Though, I guess this is almost always exactly the same in all of Tolkien’s work. The Hobbit is one of the longest short books I have ever read in my life, because though it is relatively not that long it feels very long and over drawn. When reading this book it can feel difficult because of all of the facts. Definitely not the best book I have ever read and has many flaws and issues but is still a good piece of well structured writing and does deserve some credit at least.

Week 5

   At first, Aunt Maria seems to be a demure old woman, cuddly as a teddy bear and oozing forbearance and patience. But there is a hard, iron side to Aunt Maria that can hardly be believed at first because it is cushioned so sneakily between layers of fluff and sweetness. But gradually the Lakers realize that they are expected to keep house, look after Aunt Maria, and provide the cakes (home-made, not store-bought, mind!) for the tea parties that Aunt Maria has every day with other women from the village. Aunt Maria is not very exciting or riveting; it’s mostly dull with a few bright spots here and there. I think Jones’ point ran away with her a little bit and really just overshadowed the entire book. Mig’s mother was fantastic, though. It’s better than a lot of other Middle Grade stuff out there, but Jones has written better books. The whole male/female magic thing was just…weird. It was all, “No, men and women are the same, really! It’s when they’re treated as different that things go wrong! See, look, we shut away all the men’s virtue in this box because that’s not manly! And all the women dress like they’re from the Victorian era because patriarchy rant rant!” First, that’s just a bad way to make that argument. Second, it really just overshadows the entire book. Third, what do the characters even learn from this, anyway? Nothing! Everything remains the same. If you want to make the point this obvious, then at least show some change.