cdel1313's reviews
1685 reviews

Eh. I read it to help out our middle school librarian so I could recommend/not recommend.

Too dry, the kids won't like it. Good story, about a servant who has to follow her mistress on a pilgrimage to Rome, but it didn't hold my interest.

Want a book about a kid who travels through medieval Europe? Pick up
[bc:Crispin: The Cross of Lead|353342|Crispin The Cross of Lead (Crispin, #1)|Avi|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174014123s/353342.jpg|1374812] instead. Female heroine? [bc:The Midwife's Apprentice|15595|The Midwife's Apprentice|Karen Cushman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166674150s/15595.jpg|168119]. Or even [bc:Catherine, Called Birdy|24137|Catherine, Called Birdy|Karen Cushman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167520363s/24137.jpg|25037].

Much better reads.

I liked this book. The main character was likeable. I enjoyed the setting and the secondary characters. If I could, I would probably give this a 3.5. I have this desire to keep saying words like "like" and "nice" and "good". It kept me reading, the Christian stuff wasn't overpowering, as sometimes it can be. It was just a nice little story. I'd probably read more of Julie Klassen's books, but I don't know that I would pay for them, or rush out to get them as soon as they're on sale.

I don't know how I've missed reading this - my favorite era of history and it's certainly not that it's not well-known! I loved this. Great characterization - to the point that the characters stayed with me even when I wasn't reading. I carried the book everywhere with me in the hopes that I'd be able to grab a few minutes here and there to read it. It's one of those books that I couldn't put down, even though I was putting other things aside to finish it.

I can't wait to read the sequel.

Delaney is actually reading this right now - she picked it up at a book swap. I wish I could still find these - I loved them!

I love epics. I love following a family through their trials and tribulations, meeting children and grandchildren and seeing what happens to them. Now I can't wait to see the movie/miniseries, whatever it is. How did I miss this for so long?

I learned that it's not an appropriate book to read with sixth grade students.

I, however, enjoyed it.

I loved this book. The reviews said it might be a let-down after Pillars of the Earth but it wasn't, at all. You know how when you're reading a book and you get so invested in the characters that even as you're living your life, you walk around in a fog, waiting to get back to the book? That's how I feel. I spent two weeks reading Pillars and World, over 1800 pages. I stayed up way too late and maneuvered my way through middle school hallways reading. I literally could not put it down. And now it's finished. They both
are. I feel a little lost.

On to the next, right? Goodbye, Caris and Merthin.

I delayed reading [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282778933s/7937843.jpg|9585076]for a long time because the subject matter concerned me. As a mother, would I be too emotionally drawn in? Would it be too heartbreaking?

I loved it.

Jack tells his story with such honesty and empathy and insight, it's impossible not to love him. The way his mother creates a happy childhood for him in the midst of the horror she's living through makes me want to cry with her and bring her tea and ice cream and award her with every possible mothering medal on the planet. Room was all he knew, and even though there were some scary times (When Old Nick came, mostly) for him, they weren't dwelled on, the author didn't sensationalize them, it was simply a part of Jack's day and he addressed it in his story, and moved on. There are so many lovely little pieces of this story that come together to make a picture of a beautiful mother/son relationship, in spite of, or maybe because of, everything they went through together.