The Bearskin Rug - Jennifer Stevenson

one sentence summary
sex demon freed from his bonds vs good guy cop, which will she choose?

review
an entertaining smutty read. not "well written" but not terrible.  Apparently this is book 3 in a series, I will be going back and reading the first two if I happen to ever find them used for cheap. The plot is a bit wishy-washy and the characters feel stale (but that might be because I missed the first books... but it should be better). It is fluff, a brainless read with an adequate amount of smut.

5/10

 

Bleak House - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
Possibly the best look at Victorian England a modern reader can take.

review:
like all of Dickens work (god, I am starting to feel like a parrot with this string of reviews on the classics), the characters are all brilliantly developed, the plot is clever and the prose and language alone make it worth reading. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a wonderful novel with beautiful language unlike anything that is written now a days.

7/10

David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
follow David Copperfield as he lives out the dream of every impoverished writer.

review:
Dickens was one of the greatest writers in the English language, this novel is no exception (in fact he said it was his favourite). The characters are all brilliant and the prose, as always are gripping. The plot is well designed and the setting is perfectly flawed. Copperfield is the every-man of those who think of themselves as artists. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a poignant story of a man raising himself up by the bootstraps and making something of his life.

6/10

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
there is a revolution going on in France.

review:
Again Dickens hits it out of the park with his descriptive ability. This is a beautiful work about the flaws of man and the hideousness of humanity. Every thing is connected but as you are reading it you do not necessarily see that it is even possible for the characters to be connected, but in the end they are.  The writing is beautiful and unforgettable. So much description that often it is called "wordy", that, however, is the beauty of Dickens, each of the plethora of words has a purpose. I recommend this for people who call themselves readers.

8/10

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
an orphan grows up

review:
Dickens proves once again that he is brilliant at making characters who the reader loves and/of hates. The plot flows without any glitches and it is easy to get drawn in to. The prose are a beautiful treat to read and because of this the  novel has become a classic that every lit class reads. Dickens uses what we now think of as stereotypical orphan plots in the original and unique ways that today's authors only wish they could. I recommend it to any one who enjoys reading good writing.

7/10

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
an exclusive club report the details of their personal adventures and the people they meet to each other.

review:
This is one of those books that you can keep around and read over and over. You can pick it up on a shitty day, open it randomly and read a few pages of genius. I may be too much of a fan of this but I honestly think it is the best character study ever written. It is hilarious in its attention to detail, the details of the people and the things they do. It is all so perfectly written that even a few pages of it is sure to wash even the worst story telling off your brain. It is like a palette cleanse for the readers soul. I recommend this to people who consider themselves readers.

8/10

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

One sentence summary:
Another story where a poor girl finds herself in love with a wealthy man.

review:
This is often called one of the most beautiful love stories ever written, I agree. The writing is superb and the characters are both (there are only two that matter) unforgettable. It is the story of finding the bravery to follow your heart. There is a lesson in it for everyone and I think almost every one should read it (or see one of the movies if books aren't your thing).

7/10