One of the characteristics of a blog that I love is change. I know that five years down the road, my current blog may have evolved in a completely different direction and it's exciting to know that I can tweak and hopefully perfect what I'm writing.
That being said, I've realized that while I personally love reading, writing book reviews hasn't been very inspiring for me the way that writing about my craft and cooking projects has been.
I can trace this reluctance to my school days. I loved learning about new authors and classic literary works through our summer reading program, but I balked at the idea having to write papers about what I'd read.
So for now I'll put away my regular book reviews and reserve them for those books that inspire me enough to write about it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
BB: Seer of Sevenwaters
Disclaimer: I cheated -- I've really enjoyed this series so I bought this book with some of my Christmas money.
Seer of Sevenwaters, by Juliet Marillier, is the fifth book in a series about the noble family of the titular location.
The Sevenwaters family lives in ancient Ireland (they say Erin) and the forest that is part of their holdings is one of the last bits of territory held by the gods of the old pagan religion. The Sevenwaters family are not only devout adherents of that religion, but advocates for it abroad. The gods also like to use the family to their own ends, which is a catalyst for much of the action in the series.
Enter Sibeal, the fourth daughter. She has traveled to Inis Eala, an island where her cousin runs a training school for warriors. Two of her sisters live there with their husbands and she is spending the summer with them before she dedicates her life to the druidic order.
Not long after she arrives, a ship is wrecked on the reef near Inis Eala and there are only three survivors. Sibeal rescues one of them herself, a young dark-haired man that she names Ardal. A breath away from death, Ardal cannot remember anything from before the wreck. It becomes clear that one of the survivors doesn't want Ardal to reveal what he knows.
When the truth is revealed, Sibeal must accompany Ardal on a dangerous journey (enter meddling gods) and then make a terrible decision: choose between her growing love for him and her calling to serve the gods.
I enjoyed the other four Sevenwaters novels very much, and I think my high expectations hurt the reading of this one. The biggest issue I have with the novel is the pacing. It feels like an eternity before the characters catch onto the weirdness of the relationships between Ardal and the other survivors. I think part of the problem is that Marillier is working to set up the next novel within this story.
Another thing that irked me is how the characters dealt with one of the survivors, a woman named Svala. It's pretty obvious that something is really not right her. While the others think that she's just severely traumatized, it was painfully obvious to me what her true origins were.
Marillier has drawn on many Irish story traditions to shape her novels; these Irish legends are intertwined with rich characters that face similar journeys and tragedies, and I think that's what kept me interested in the series.
I won't give this one up because I like the series as a whole, and I think my opinion would approve after a second read. But in light of my criticism, I'm going to give it a new rating that reflects its potential, but you shouldn't go out of your way to purchase a copy.
Library Pick
Seer of Sevenwaters, by Juliet Marillier, is the fifth book in a series about the noble family of the titular location.
The Sevenwaters family lives in ancient Ireland (they say Erin) and the forest that is part of their holdings is one of the last bits of territory held by the gods of the old pagan religion. The Sevenwaters family are not only devout adherents of that religion, but advocates for it abroad. The gods also like to use the family to their own ends, which is a catalyst for much of the action in the series.
Enter Sibeal, the fourth daughter. She has traveled to Inis Eala, an island where her cousin runs a training school for warriors. Two of her sisters live there with their husbands and she is spending the summer with them before she dedicates her life to the druidic order.
Not long after she arrives, a ship is wrecked on the reef near Inis Eala and there are only three survivors. Sibeal rescues one of them herself, a young dark-haired man that she names Ardal. A breath away from death, Ardal cannot remember anything from before the wreck. It becomes clear that one of the survivors doesn't want Ardal to reveal what he knows.
When the truth is revealed, Sibeal must accompany Ardal on a dangerous journey (enter meddling gods) and then make a terrible decision: choose between her growing love for him and her calling to serve the gods.
I enjoyed the other four Sevenwaters novels very much, and I think my high expectations hurt the reading of this one. The biggest issue I have with the novel is the pacing. It feels like an eternity before the characters catch onto the weirdness of the relationships between Ardal and the other survivors. I think part of the problem is that Marillier is working to set up the next novel within this story.
Another thing that irked me is how the characters dealt with one of the survivors, a woman named Svala. It's pretty obvious that something is really not right her. While the others think that she's just severely traumatized, it was painfully obvious to me what her true origins were.
Marillier has drawn on many Irish story traditions to shape her novels; these Irish legends are intertwined with rich characters that face similar journeys and tragedies, and I think that's what kept me interested in the series.
I won't give this one up because I like the series as a whole, and I think my opinion would approve after a second read. But in light of my criticism, I'm going to give it a new rating that reflects its potential, but you shouldn't go out of your way to purchase a copy.
Library Pick
Friday, February 4, 2011
BB: The Glassblower of Murano
The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato first caught my eye because of it's location. I traveled briefly to Venice and Murano in 2008 and I was entranced by both islands. It's humbling to explore a city as old as Venice and it's hard not to be drawn into the mystique, even when you're overwhelmed by tourist kitsch off St. Mark's Square.
When folks talk about Venetian glass, most of those products come from the island of Murano, which is a few miles north of Venice proper. There are still active fornace there today and dozens of tiny glass shops line the canals.
In ancient Venice glassmakers held a very high position in society and they were the sole practitioners of this mysterious art for centuries. Unfortunately the Venetian Republic held a monopoly over the artisans by forbidding them from leaving the Republic or sharing glassmaking methods, particularly those that involved mirror-making.
Glassblower starts with one such ancient artisan, Corradino Manin. He is one of the Republic's great glassmakers, and he has betrayed his homeland and his fellows to protect someone he loves.
The novel speeds forward to the present day where we meet Corradino's descendant, Leonora. She's come to Venice to start a new life after a difficult divorce, and to try and convince the male-dominated glassmaking industry to let her study with them.
As the book flips back and forth between the two family members, Leonora struggles with the fallout of Corradino's actions 400 years later, and in turn we learn the truth from Corradino's perspective.
When folks talk about Venetian glass, most of those products come from the island of Murano, which is a few miles north of Venice proper. There are still active fornace there today and dozens of tiny glass shops line the canals.
In ancient Venice glassmakers held a very high position in society and they were the sole practitioners of this mysterious art for centuries. Unfortunately the Venetian Republic held a monopoly over the artisans by forbidding them from leaving the Republic or sharing glassmaking methods, particularly those that involved mirror-making.
Glassblower starts with one such ancient artisan, Corradino Manin. He is one of the Republic's great glassmakers, and he has betrayed his homeland and his fellows to protect someone he loves.
The novel speeds forward to the present day where we meet Corradino's descendant, Leonora. She's come to Venice to start a new life after a difficult divorce, and to try and convince the male-dominated glassmaking industry to let her study with them.
As the book flips back and forth between the two family members, Leonora struggles with the fallout of Corradino's actions 400 years later, and in turn we learn the truth from Corradino's perspective.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Bookshelf Bookstore: The Final Solution
Today's review is of the short novel The Final Solution by Michael Chabon.
According to Chabon's page on HarperCollins, this novel is an homage to 19th century detective novels, particularly the Holmes stories. You'll soon see why even if, like myself, you've never read such a story.
The story opens in southern England, 1944. A boy is walking along a set of train tracks and upon his shoulder sits an African gray parrot. This amazing sight catches the attention of an elderly man of 89, who is known in the village as an eccentric beekeeper and a formerly world-famous detective.
The boy is Linus Steinman, a Jewish refugee recently arrived from Germany. He doesn't speak and he seems afflicted by both a physical and emotional illness. The old man notes upon their first meeting that he has "a face as wan and empty as the bottom of a beggar's tin cup."
But even more amazing is that his parrot, Bruno, almost constantly recites a string of jumbled numbers in German, among other bits of poetry and mimicry. There is no clue as to what these numbers mean -- are they a secret Nazi code? Bank account numbers? Or, considering Linus's situation, something more horrifying?
According to Chabon's page on HarperCollins, this novel is an homage to 19th century detective novels, particularly the Holmes stories. You'll soon see why even if, like myself, you've never read such a story.
The story opens in southern England, 1944. A boy is walking along a set of train tracks and upon his shoulder sits an African gray parrot. This amazing sight catches the attention of an elderly man of 89, who is known in the village as an eccentric beekeeper and a formerly world-famous detective.
The boy is Linus Steinman, a Jewish refugee recently arrived from Germany. He doesn't speak and he seems afflicted by both a physical and emotional illness. The old man notes upon their first meeting that he has "a face as wan and empty as the bottom of a beggar's tin cup."
But even more amazing is that his parrot, Bruno, almost constantly recites a string of jumbled numbers in German, among other bits of poetry and mimicry. There is no clue as to what these numbers mean -- are they a secret Nazi code? Bank account numbers? Or, considering Linus's situation, something more horrifying?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bookshelf Bookstore: The Tenderness of Wolves
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney is a novel that I originally read last fall, but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to share with you here.
In 1867, Canada is a sparsely populated wilderness. Immigrants from the United Kingdom and France fight the elements to survive, and the Hudson Bay Company (know as "the Company") controls all trade in region.
In Dove River, a small town on the northern edge of Georgian Bay, Laurent Jammet, an independent trapper and Frenchman, lies dead in his cabin, his throat cut. Mrs. Ross, his neighbor, discovers him while looking for her son Francis and is the one who alerts the town elders of the horrible act.
She will soon regret this because she realizes that her son, Francis, has disappeared around the time of Jammet's murder. This suspicious timing convinces some in the town that Francis must in fact be the murderer.
Determined to bring Francis home and learn whether he did kill Jammet, Mrs. Ross sets out with William Parker, a trapper and another suspect in Jammet's murder, to find him and learn the truth. Talk about gutsy!
Meanwhile, news of Jammet's death spreads and attracts all types of folks like Thomas Sturrock, a con man with ties to another Dove River tragedy, and representatives of the Hudson Bay Company. Whether they are interested in solving Jammet's murder is uncertain.
As Mrs. Ross and Parker march further into the wilderness, their discoveries reveal that Jammet's death was just one tiny piece in very large puzzle. It's as this point I do feel that the plot could have used a little more editing -- at my last count there are four major mysteries introduced during the course of the book. Thankfully I didn't find it that hard to follow and amazingly, they do all intersect and finally emerge as one crazy truth in the last twenty pages of the novel.
Though the plot could use some edits, the language Penney uses to shape the people and places is lovely. When Mrs. Ross arrives at Jammet's cabin just before the fateful discovery, she sees "walls [that] have faded over the years until the whole thing looks gray and woolly, more like a living growth than a building."
Despite some plot issues, this is a beautifully detailed story I couldn't wait to finish.
Keep it
Friday, January 7, 2011
Bookshelf Bookstore: Annie's Ghosts
This is the first post in a series I’m dubbing Bookshelf Bookstore. I’m a bibliophile with a book buying problem, and as the new year starts, I’ve decided that instead of heading to my local Borders or even the library, I’m going to look first at my own bookshelf for a "new" tome to read. The Bookshelf Bookstore posts will include a short review, sans spoilers, for those also interested in finding a "new" read and rating of one of the following:
Keep: A book that I’ll re-read regularly
Pass it On: good enough to recommend to friends, but not to keep
Donate: This is for the books I can’t finish and/or don’t find worthy to pass on
Keep: A book that I’ll re-read regularly
Pass it On: good enough to recommend to friends, but not to keep
Donate: This is for the books I can’t finish and/or don’t find worthy to pass on
The company that I spent the last year at, by virtue of being a media company, is always receiving books from an assortment of folks hoping that we would feature their titles in one of our publications or on one of our websites.
Since the majority of these books are unsolicited, they usually get put away in office corners and eventually moved to our giveaway bookshelves. I loved browsing the latter, because we did get an interesting range of titles.
The most recent find is titled, Annie’s Ghosts, written by Steven Luxenberg, a Washington Post associate editor. Luxenberg uses secondary and tertiary sources as well as historical documents to weave the history of his family.
Luxenberg’s family knew that Beth, Luxenberg’s mom, had a sister, but she had never been a topic of conversation because Beth had told them her sister had been institutionalized at a very young age. In fact, Beth introduced herself as an only child to all she met. But as Beth’s health declined in the late 90’s, several pieces of information came to light that her lifelong stories were fabrications. This previously unknown sister had been institutionalized as an adult, that she’d died in 1972, and their mother had known everything.
It’s hard to imagine how I would personally take this kind of news, especially in a family where deceased siblings, parents, and grandparents are still talked about today. I probably would have reacted the same was as Steve Luxenberg -- with lots of questions rolling around in my head and the need to know why.
Why did his mother create this secret, let alone allow it to take on the proportions it did? What societal and cultural mores were in place to affect both his mother’s subterfuge and his aunt’s life? And what about this mysterious aunt -- what was her condition for being institutionalized? What was her life like?
It can be difficult at times to follow the story because Luxenberg doesn’t arrange this history using a novelistic form. He tells his story chronologically, and any dialogue he uses is pulled directly from recorded conversations and historical documents. Many of his sources are old friends of his mother, and he has to comb through 60-year-old memories to find the truth.
There are also chapters interspersed within that delve even further into Luxenberg’s family history that can be distracting from the main story line of Annie and Beth. However, these chapters are important because they give insight into the older Luxenberg’s actions and context to the external forces that affected the family.
In finding these answers, Luxenberg maintains an interesting degree of objectivity and doesn’t share too many details about how he and the members of his family felt about his mother’s deception. I think that even if his family had been willing to share their full opinions, this story is about Steve's journey.
Luxenberg eventually comes to terms with his mother’s deception, but one question haunts him: how would his mother and aunt’s lives have been different if they’d been born at the end of the 20th century instead of the beginning? Throughout the book Luxenberg alludes to the answer, and I think that is the real tragedy of this family history.
Pass it On
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Mysteries on Hump Day
Okay, so it's been a while since I finished the Tamara Siler Jones books, but you know how it is. Finish one book, move on to the next...and so on.
"Ghosts in the Snow" was well-written, and I thought the plot was well done. I don't read many mysteries, so it takes me a little longer to figure things out sometimes, but I really liked trying to keep track of all the clues and put them together. And not be thrown off by the red herring(s). You'll know what I mean if you read the book.
But besides the plot and mysterious fun, Jones takes the time to shape her characters. They show their true colors in their actions and you understand why they act the way they do. I think that I like Lars and Dubric the best.
The next book in the series, "Threads of Malice" is much more intense and darker than the first book. If that's possible. Dubric, Lars, Dien and Otlee have to leave their home this time and travel north into a deeply rural area. There are ties to the mage wars mentioned in the first book, and the area is where Dubric defeated one of said mages.
"Threads" deals with incredible violence against young boys, and that's the part of the evil Dubric has to stop. Some person is kidnapping, torturing and killing boys in the area, and Dubric has to relive some of his past to stop the killings. There's a lot of growing up to do for the main guys.
They all change in reaction to the events of this installment and I'll have to read the third book, "Valley of the Soul," to find out how much. It's interesting to look at Dubric a little more closely, and to see how the events open old wounds and heal others.
I highly recommend these books, but why? Well, I've never seen anything similar to them. I would categorize them as forensic fantasy. Set in a totally original world, and Dubric uses rudimentary forensic skills to solve murders. Footprint, fibers, etc., are what interest him. He likes science, but also has a difficult past with religion.
I also like the interesting history with the mages that has had a profound impact on the country. Hints of a technologically advanced society taken over by evil mages, and now basically operating in an equivalent Dark Ages where magic in shunned. A nice commentary on science, technology and too much power.
Another series I recently started is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden, wizard/P.I. is the main character, and he's most of the reason I'm reading the books. I like his humor, his chivalry, his ingenuity and the hints of a sordid family past. I've only gotten through the first two books -- pretty tidy mysteries with lots of subplots -- and now I'm left hanging.
Basically I'm short on cash and the library is missing the Dresden Files 3-6 and 12. Bleh. Maybe when I get a real job, I can get the rest. Or, request them from the library.
So now that I've gone gushy on two series, I have to break your heart. "The Snow Queen" is the fourth in Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series. I couldn't get enough of her Valdemar series as a teen, and I ate up the Kingdoms books. But "Queen," well, I just can't love. I want to, really, but the climax killed it.
I know, I know, it's a fairy tale and that's how things work under the influence of "The Tradition," but it doesn't make for a very realistic reading. I feel as though everything was tied off too neatly, and sometimes where it wasn't warranted.
Like Aleksia's feelings for Ilmari, Lemminkal and Veikko. She only knows about them from afar, which doesn't make for a close relationship, but Aleksia is on the verge of tears over their misfortune because she feels so close to them. What? And then at the end they're best buds! Feels like too much "Tradition" at work.
To give credit, Lackey's characters are well-developed and dynamic as they often are. You want to hear their stories. And her creative use of traditional fairy tales in this series is both entertaining and informative. Overall, "Queen" was worth it for those facets, but the first three were much better.
"Ghosts in the Snow" was well-written, and I thought the plot was well done. I don't read many mysteries, so it takes me a little longer to figure things out sometimes, but I really liked trying to keep track of all the clues and put them together. And not be thrown off by the red herring(s). You'll know what I mean if you read the book.
But besides the plot and mysterious fun, Jones takes the time to shape her characters. They show their true colors in their actions and you understand why they act the way they do. I think that I like Lars and Dubric the best.
The next book in the series, "Threads of Malice" is much more intense and darker than the first book. If that's possible. Dubric, Lars, Dien and Otlee have to leave their home this time and travel north into a deeply rural area. There are ties to the mage wars mentioned in the first book, and the area is where Dubric defeated one of said mages.
"Threads" deals with incredible violence against young boys, and that's the part of the evil Dubric has to stop. Some person is kidnapping, torturing and killing boys in the area, and Dubric has to relive some of his past to stop the killings. There's a lot of growing up to do for the main guys.
They all change in reaction to the events of this installment and I'll have to read the third book, "Valley of the Soul," to find out how much. It's interesting to look at Dubric a little more closely, and to see how the events open old wounds and heal others.
I highly recommend these books, but why? Well, I've never seen anything similar to them. I would categorize them as forensic fantasy. Set in a totally original world, and Dubric uses rudimentary forensic skills to solve murders. Footprint, fibers, etc., are what interest him. He likes science, but also has a difficult past with religion.
I also like the interesting history with the mages that has had a profound impact on the country. Hints of a technologically advanced society taken over by evil mages, and now basically operating in an equivalent Dark Ages where magic in shunned. A nice commentary on science, technology and too much power.
Another series I recently started is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden, wizard/P.I. is the main character, and he's most of the reason I'm reading the books. I like his humor, his chivalry, his ingenuity and the hints of a sordid family past. I've only gotten through the first two books -- pretty tidy mysteries with lots of subplots -- and now I'm left hanging.
Basically I'm short on cash and the library is missing the Dresden Files 3-6 and 12. Bleh. Maybe when I get a real job, I can get the rest. Or, request them from the library.
So now that I've gone gushy on two series, I have to break your heart. "The Snow Queen" is the fourth in Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series. I couldn't get enough of her Valdemar series as a teen, and I ate up the Kingdoms books. But "Queen," well, I just can't love. I want to, really, but the climax killed it.
I know, I know, it's a fairy tale and that's how things work under the influence of "The Tradition," but it doesn't make for a very realistic reading. I feel as though everything was tied off too neatly, and sometimes where it wasn't warranted.
Like Aleksia's feelings for Ilmari, Lemminkal and Veikko. She only knows about them from afar, which doesn't make for a close relationship, but Aleksia is on the verge of tears over their misfortune because she feels so close to them. What? And then at the end they're best buds! Feels like too much "Tradition" at work.
To give credit, Lackey's characters are well-developed and dynamic as they often are. You want to hear their stories. And her creative use of traditional fairy tales in this series is both entertaining and informative. Overall, "Queen" was worth it for those facets, but the first three were much better.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I love Hump Day
First, because, really, someone came up with that awesome name! Second, I only have one more day of work this week. And last, it's my free day.
I sent off my (re)application packet for the Southern Progress fellowship today. I'm pretty nervous about reapplying so soon, since I haven't had the chance to write any more clips or do any more tangible work. Yeah, I fact check for Atlanta but it's not the same as a final product.
I found out that Amy, one of the other Atlanta interns is also applying to SP. I thought, man, maybe I could have snuck by, but nope. Pretty sure even more people will apply now than did this past spring. In any case, wish me luck, and God willing+my great resume, etc. = an interview!
Also, my uncle put me in touch with a really nice guy who works for a publishing company. The company is H&A Media Group and they do a lot of things that I would love to get experience in. Kudos to my uncle Lynn for going out of his way to get in touch with said media guy!
I'm in the midst of reading a new book, Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones. It's like a medieval murder mystery with a taste of the supernatural. It's set in an original world where a older gentleman, Dubric, can see the ghosts of the murdered. Not coincidentally, he's in charge of security for his castle and someone is murdering young women. And his motivation, other than morals? Their gory ghosts haunt him, and they won't move on until he's solved their murder.
I really like it but gosh darn if Jones isn't leading me on a goose chase! My only complaint is that the world's history and the social network of the castle comes out in bits and pieces in conversation, so it can be hard to catalog past events and characters. Another update coming as soon as I finish!
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! I went over to Bath & Body Works today. They're having their fall scents sale. Room sprays are $3 instead of $5 and I got Leaves (my favorite!), Autumn Apple, Spiced Cider and Fresh Balsam. Leaves is spicy, musky and really reminds me of the holidays. AApple is very much a crisp, clean apple scent; I'm not sold yet on Spiced Cider but I liked it better than some of their other scents. Fresh Balsam is, in my opinion, better that last year's Tree (also by Slatkin). It's less harsh that Tree, and more complex. I think the card in the store said it had pine, musk, apple and cedar scents blended in.
Their big candles are also on sale (2 for $20) and I got my mom the Vanilla Caramel (rich and sweet) and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. I like this one better than their Pumpkin Patch, which I really have no words to describe. I just think it's kind of bland and not pumpkiny or spicy at all. The other stand outs were the Ginger Vanilla and Harvest Berry. They're something unique, yet appropriate for the holidays, than the classic pumpkin, vanilla and spice based scents.
I sent off my (re)application packet for the Southern Progress fellowship today. I'm pretty nervous about reapplying so soon, since I haven't had the chance to write any more clips or do any more tangible work. Yeah, I fact check for Atlanta but it's not the same as a final product.
I found out that Amy, one of the other Atlanta interns is also applying to SP. I thought, man, maybe I could have snuck by, but nope. Pretty sure even more people will apply now than did this past spring. In any case, wish me luck, and God willing+my great resume, etc. = an interview!
Also, my uncle put me in touch with a really nice guy who works for a publishing company. The company is H&A Media Group and they do a lot of things that I would love to get experience in. Kudos to my uncle Lynn for going out of his way to get in touch with said media guy!
I'm in the midst of reading a new book, Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones. It's like a medieval murder mystery with a taste of the supernatural. It's set in an original world where a older gentleman, Dubric, can see the ghosts of the murdered. Not coincidentally, he's in charge of security for his castle and someone is murdering young women. And his motivation, other than morals? Their gory ghosts haunt him, and they won't move on until he's solved their murder.
I really like it but gosh darn if Jones isn't leading me on a goose chase! My only complaint is that the world's history and the social network of the castle comes out in bits and pieces in conversation, so it can be hard to catalog past events and characters. Another update coming as soon as I finish!
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! I went over to Bath & Body Works today. They're having their fall scents sale. Room sprays are $3 instead of $5 and I got Leaves (my favorite!), Autumn Apple, Spiced Cider and Fresh Balsam. Leaves is spicy, musky and really reminds me of the holidays. AApple is very much a crisp, clean apple scent; I'm not sold yet on Spiced Cider but I liked it better than some of their other scents. Fresh Balsam is, in my opinion, better that last year's Tree (also by Slatkin). It's less harsh that Tree, and more complex. I think the card in the store said it had pine, musk, apple and cedar scents blended in.
Their big candles are also on sale (2 for $20) and I got my mom the Vanilla Caramel (rich and sweet) and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. I like this one better than their Pumpkin Patch, which I really have no words to describe. I just think it's kind of bland and not pumpkiny or spicy at all. The other stand outs were the Ginger Vanilla and Harvest Berry. They're something unique, yet appropriate for the holidays, than the classic pumpkin, vanilla and spice based scents.
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