read: the oracles: my filipino grandparents in america

The Oracles: My Filipino Grandparents in America by Pati Navalta Poblete
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

although i enjoyed the book and related to the story (being a fil-am who also lived in a multi-generational home), i didn't love it. and i really wanted to love it...

but i've read other coming of age books with a similar immigrant theme, and i didn't find this one very original. there wasn't enough there - language, characters, dialogue, the pacing - to compel me to read or feel empathy for the narrator or her grandparents. sadly, i almost felt the urge to read it just to get it over with... :(

i'm always glad to read & support the works of fil-am authors. although this wasn't a hit for me, i think this would make a good intro into the genre for my daughter when she's a little older.

View all my reviews

read: stories: all new tales

Stories: All-New Tales by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All in all, I thought this was a solid anthology of short scifi/fantasy stories. I was really looking for something to read that didn't require too much thought or commitment, but was still entertaining and compelling. This definitely fit the bill. I didn't LOVE every story, but there were definitely stories that I enjoyed and others that are sure to haunt me. Also, I always like being introduced to authors I haven't read yet.

My favorite stories:

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman - It's Gaiman. That is all.

The Stars are Falling by Joe R Lansdale - Loved the dark atmosphere of this story.

Weights and Measures by Jodi Picoult - I'm not a fan of Picoult's work, but I loved this story.

Catch and Release by Lawrence Block - By far the most unnerving story in the collection for me..... *shivers*

Samantha's Diary by Dianna Wynne Jones - Considering what time of year it is, this story was timely, funny and slightly frightening.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy scifi/fantasy and are inbetween novels. :)





View all my reviews