2013 Reviewed Books (book covers)

Hooray for 2013! I exceeded 2012's by one book. Seems like I fulfilled my New Year's Resolution (which is to counter 2012's 47 books).

These are the 48 books of 2013 (click photo for the corresponding review):

                                               

Mistress of the Solstice by Anna Kashina

Happy New Year blogger-verse! The scent of a promising year to encounter great books is wafting through my computer screen.

------------------------------------------

A novel inspired by Russian folklore, Mistress of the Solstice chronicles a story of a young boy named Ivan who attempts to woo Marya (the Mistress of the Solstice herself).

Set out to a journey of magic and peril, Ivan is determined to put the annual virginal sacrifice Kashchey the Immortal executes to a stop. Kashchey, the father of Marya, was confident that the solstice sacrifice will push through as planned until Ivan arrived in the scene.

Together with a talking wolf named Wolf, we get immersed into Ivan's mission in turning Marya into a Mistress of the Solstice no more.

Will he succeed? Let's find out come Solstice night!

-------------------------------------------

I like that there are some Russian dialect injected in the book. I learned words like versts, lapti & izba. The story-line on the other hand can keep a reader. Not slow or fast-paced, just enough to keep someone guessing. But my disappointment were the characters. 

The Ivan and Marya chemistry wasn't built up properly that whatever they said they were feeling about each other seemed unreal. The romance could have been better because the rest is just background. The selling point of Mistress of the Solstice is the love story and so I had higher hopes that upon reading their interaction, a shiver would run down my spine.

There were borrowed characters like Bayun the Cat (obviously the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland) and Magic Mirror (oh you know where this came from!). Also, Marya's lust towards her father was disturbing. I don't know how to feel about it but it's just not supposed to go that way.

All in all, I'd still say it's quite some story! 3 stars if I were the kind who gives them.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Jerusha 'Judy' Abbott is a 17-year-old John Grier Home orphan who was given an opportunity to attend college by an anonymous sponsor. This sponsor is a Trustee of the orphanage. 

He happened upon Blue Wednesday, Judy's feisty essay mocking the system in which John Grier Home is run, and was deeply amused. The only payment he asks of Judy is a detailed letter of her personal and academic life every month.

The sole encounter with the generous mysterious man Judy recalls is from when he was leaving JGH. Strong headlights of his car driven by the chauffeur silhouetted his tall figure. This influenced her to call him Daddy-Long-Legs.

This epistolary novel first published in the early 20th century introduces a loquaciously spirited voice of a very fortunate young lady.

----------------------------------

My very first 'Judy Abbott' experience is the cartoons version that used to be on the television every morning. Of course, I wasn't able to follow through to the end because school started. Also, did you know that I always had this idea that the anonymous sponsor is Judy's father? I was wrong and disappointed it did not turn out that way.

Judy exudes a reckless, honest, aggressive, flawed and vivacious personality. Her letters resonates of youth that is beyond timeless. The narration seemed very authentic that I did not question once if it was really written by a teenager.

My disappointment is mainly on the fact that Judy wasn't set free by the education she received but bought for instead. I know it's a debatable and rather a detestable thought but if you think about how she ended up with a man several years her senior, a man who spoiled her lavishly, a man who tried to control her every choice... you might see my point.

The author (who happens to be the grand niece of Mark Twain, so I heard) styled the story this way, in my opinion, to portray Daddy-Long-Legs as the proverbial knight-in-shining-armor to a gritty maiden in need of someone to belong to.

Although I was taken aback with the ending, I still like it! Also, this book is considered a YA. What a cherry to our cobbler!