On Reviews.
Our current community discussion is on the subject of books reviews: both on-line and in print.
The post can be found here and do feel free to contribute to the discussion of the pros and cons of reviews.
I've decided to start where I'm at with book reviews, and then work in the one's I've fallen behind on in later.
The Subtle Knife
by Philip Pullman
308 pages
__
The Road to Civil War
Marvel Comics
160 pages
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
The Subtle Knife
by Philip Pullman
308 pages
__
The Road to Civil War
Marvel Comics
160 pages
- Location:home - illinois
- Music:The Outfield - Your Love
Starting Date: 5/1/08
Title: All the Kings Men
Author: Robert Penn Warren
# of Pages: 661
Rating: 5/5
Total Books: 1/50 (2%)
Total Books for Summer Challenge: 1/15
Total Pages: 661
Next Up: Angela's Ashes
Thoughts: One of the most life changing books that I've ever read. Definately a must read for anyone who likes Hemingway and/or Faulkner.
Title: All the Kings Men
Author: Robert Penn Warren
# of Pages: 661
Rating: 5/5
Total Books: 1/50 (2%)
Total Books for Summer Challenge: 1/15
Total Pages: 661
Next Up: Angela's Ashes
Thoughts: One of the most life changing books that I've ever read. Definately a must read for anyone who likes Hemingway and/or Faulkner.
Hate to say this, but I'm really falling behind my goal of 50 books this year.
1) Marriage: A Fortress For Well-Being by the National Spiritual Assembly, 01/08/08 78 pages. This is a good book for Baha'is who want to learn more about preparing their minds for marriage.
2) Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey, 03/27/08 365 pages. Fictional, read in the hospital when I feel I was in the observatory mansions just being there.
3) Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon, 03/28/08 272 pages. This is a cute book about two girls who try to make it past their high school bullies.
4) The Science of Self-Realization by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prahupada, 04/22/08 289 pages. This is a book from the Hare Krishna's, and I am not believing in their doctrine.
5) Trick of the Eye by Jane Stanton Hitchcock, 04/26/08 276 pages. A murder mystery novel, this one was kind of slow paced, but it ends up with a surprise ending.
6) Krsna - the Reservoir of Pleasure by A.C. Bhativedanta Swami Prahupada, 04/26/08 30 pages. Another short introduction into the Hare Krishna world. Not for me.
7) Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas, 05/10/08 219 pages. At first I thought it was a little boring to get into, but as it panned out it turned out pretty good.
7/50 books = 14%
1) Marriage: A Fortress For Well-Being by the National Spiritual Assembly, 01/08/08 78 pages. This is a good book for Baha'is who want to learn more about preparing their minds for marriage.
2) Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey, 03/27/08 365 pages. Fictional, read in the hospital when I feel I was in the observatory mansions just being there.
3) Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon, 03/28/08 272 pages. This is a cute book about two girls who try to make it past their high school bullies.
4) The Science of Self-Realization by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prahupada, 04/22/08 289 pages. This is a book from the Hare Krishna's, and I am not believing in their doctrine.
5) Trick of the Eye by Jane Stanton Hitchcock, 04/26/08 276 pages. A murder mystery novel, this one was kind of slow paced, but it ends up with a surprise ending.
6) Krsna - the Reservoir of Pleasure by A.C. Bhativedanta Swami Prahupada, 04/26/08 30 pages. Another short introduction into the Hare Krishna world. Not for me.
7) Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas, 05/10/08 219 pages. At first I thought it was a little boring to get into, but as it panned out it turned out pretty good.
7/50 books = 14%
- Mood:accomplished
I am sooo happy that I've found such a marvellous community... I always wondered how many books can I read in a year, but never had an idea. Now thanks to this community I shal simply count them from this day on. And reviewing is what I adore.
The book I started reading two days ago (and haven't finished yet, in fact) is The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007: Twentieth Annual Collection by Ellen Datlow and Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (ISBN: 9780312369422)
Well, to be honest, I am reading not this very book, but its Russian translation (ISBN 978-5-91181-510-3)
Rating (so far): 3/5
Actually I don't feel like to review this very book. It's okay, and several stories are really fascinating. But reading short stories is not my cup of tea (with several exceptions like Conan Doyle, O. Henry and some others)
The book I started reading two days ago (and haven't finished yet, in fact) is The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007: Twentieth Annual Collection by Ellen Datlow and Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (ISBN: 9780312369422)
Well, to be honest, I am reading not this very book, but its Russian translation (ISBN 978-5-91181-510-3)
Rating (so far): 3/5
Actually I don't feel like to review this very book. It's okay, and several stories are really fascinating. But reading short stories is not my cup of tea (with several exceptions like Conan Doyle, O. Henry and some others)
- Mood:
contemplative
44. Tithe Holly Black (4/5)
This was a re-read, but since I want to read Ironside and Valiant in the near future, I thought I'd re-read Tithe first. As I noticed the first time, it definitely feels like a first novel; there's a certain self-consciousness to parts of the book, particularly Black's tendency to name-drop favorite singers and authors, and the interactions between the characters are sometimes a little stiff. But she gets the amoral (and sometimes malevolent) nature of Faerie down very well, and it's a fun, fast read.
45. Fables: Sons of Empire Bill Willingham et al (4/5)
This Fables volume is mainly a bunch of short one or two-issue arcs, setting things up for the next major plot development. This doesn't make it any less entertaining to read, but it did make me impatient for the next volume.
46. Hellboy: The Troll Witch and Others Mike Mignola, with Richard Corben & P. Craig Russell (4/5)
This isn't my favorite Hellboy collection, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the stories illustrated by Richard Corben and P. Craig Russell. I'm a big fan of both of these artists, but in general I find Mignola's style so distinctive and so enjoyable that frequently I get impatient when other artists illustrate his stories. Not so in this case, however.
47. Promises to Keep Charles de Lint (3/5)
On the jacket copy, Charles de Lint mentions that this short novel began as a short story and grew into a novel. This is very obvious in reading the novel, unfortunately. Despite its reliance on de Lint's stock characters (Jilly Coppercorn, Geordie Riddel, etc.), this would have been a pretty strong short story. Instead, it's padded out with still more flashbacks to Jilly's terrible early life, and in general feels repetitive and overly long. Also, not to be totally nitpicky, but some of it doesn't quite mesh with the early Newford stories. In all, this was diverting for a couple hours, but I probably won't re-read it, and I definitely am glad I didn't pay the $35 Subterranean Press price tag.
48. The World Below Paul Chadwick (2/5)
Ugh, this was just awful. I haven't read any Chadwick, but I'd heard his Concrete books were excellent, so when I saw he'd done a pulpy "Journey to the Center of the Earth"-esque series of comics, I figured the collection was worth checking out. Sadly, the plots are stupid and pointless, and not just in a pulp-stupid way, they're quite simply directionless and frequently bizarre for the sake of being bizarre. The artwork was also sub par. For one, the anatomy of the creatures that the travellers encounter doesn't make any sense, which really bothered me (probably more than it should have) -- there were all these grotesque creatures that were misshapen in nonsensical ways. The action scenes feel weirdly static, and the way the frames were constructed tended to obscure rather than explain what was actually supposed to be going on. Big disappointment.
This was a re-read, but since I want to read Ironside and Valiant in the near future, I thought I'd re-read Tithe first. As I noticed the first time, it definitely feels like a first novel; there's a certain self-consciousness to parts of the book, particularly Black's tendency to name-drop favorite singers and authors, and the interactions between the characters are sometimes a little stiff. But she gets the amoral (and sometimes malevolent) nature of Faerie down very well, and it's a fun, fast read.
45. Fables: Sons of Empire Bill Willingham et al (4/5)
This Fables volume is mainly a bunch of short one or two-issue arcs, setting things up for the next major plot development. This doesn't make it any less entertaining to read, but it did make me impatient for the next volume.
46. Hellboy: The Troll Witch and Others Mike Mignola, with Richard Corben & P. Craig Russell (4/5)
This isn't my favorite Hellboy collection, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the stories illustrated by Richard Corben and P. Craig Russell. I'm a big fan of both of these artists, but in general I find Mignola's style so distinctive and so enjoyable that frequently I get impatient when other artists illustrate his stories. Not so in this case, however.
47. Promises to Keep Charles de Lint (3/5)
On the jacket copy, Charles de Lint mentions that this short novel began as a short story and grew into a novel. This is very obvious in reading the novel, unfortunately. Despite its reliance on de Lint's stock characters (Jilly Coppercorn, Geordie Riddel, etc.), this would have been a pretty strong short story. Instead, it's padded out with still more flashbacks to Jilly's terrible early life, and in general feels repetitive and overly long. Also, not to be totally nitpicky, but some of it doesn't quite mesh with the early Newford stories. In all, this was diverting for a couple hours, but I probably won't re-read it, and I definitely am glad I didn't pay the $35 Subterranean Press price tag.
48. The World Below Paul Chadwick (2/5)
Ugh, this was just awful. I haven't read any Chadwick, but I'd heard his Concrete books were excellent, so when I saw he'd done a pulpy "Journey to the Center of the Earth"-esque series of comics, I figured the collection was worth checking out. Sadly, the plots are stupid and pointless, and not just in a pulp-stupid way, they're quite simply directionless and frequently bizarre for the sake of being bizarre. The artwork was also sub par. For one, the anatomy of the creatures that the travellers encounter doesn't make any sense, which really bothered me (probably more than it should have) -- there were all these grotesque creatures that were misshapen in nonsensical ways. The action scenes feel weirdly static, and the way the frames were constructed tended to obscure rather than explain what was actually supposed to be going on. Big disappointment.
29. Crimson Joy, by Robert B. Parker. 292 pages. (1988)
Grade: B
The "Red Rose" serial killer is stalking Boston, may be a cop, and Lieutenant Quirk wants some "outside" help from Spenser.
A lot of fun, as are all Spenser novels, and this is a good one.
Grade: B
The "Red Rose" serial killer is stalking Boston, may be a cop, and Lieutenant Quirk wants some "outside" help from Spenser.
A lot of fun, as are all Spenser novels, and this is a good one.
- Mood:
calm
Book # 16. Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire (197 pages// 0-06-056419-9)
This is a book of retold fairy tales written by Gregory Maguire: the author of Wicked. These stories are written for children though. Sleeping Beauty is actually frog princess doomed to be Weeping Beauty forever. Instead of three bears, there are three chickens who have to outwit Goldifox. Very cute book.
Book # 17. Alfie's Home by Richard A. Cohen (24 pages)
The most disturbing children's book ever. I found it while surfing the internet at work. Don't even ask.
Book # 18. Atonement by Ian McEwan (480 pages// ISBN: 978-0-307-38884-1
I liked it, but it doesn't end well. The only characters I liked consistently were the twin boys.
Book # 19. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (309 pages// ISBN: 0-590-35340-3
No point in reviewing this one.
( Books 1-15 )
19 / 50 books. 38% done!
5029 / 15000 pages. 34% done!
Cross-posted in![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
15000pages, bookish, and booktards
This is a book of retold fairy tales written by Gregory Maguire: the author of Wicked. These stories are written for children though. Sleeping Beauty is actually frog princess doomed to be Weeping Beauty forever. Instead of three bears, there are three chickens who have to outwit Goldifox. Very cute book.
Book # 17. Alfie's Home by Richard A. Cohen (24 pages)
The most disturbing children's book ever. I found it while surfing the internet at work. Don't even ask.
Book # 18. Atonement by Ian McEwan (480 pages// ISBN: 978-0-307-38884-1
I liked it, but it doesn't end well. The only characters I liked consistently were the twin boys.
Book # 19. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (309 pages// ISBN: 0-590-35340-3
No point in reviewing this one.
( Books 1-15 )
Cross-posted in
15000pages, bookish, and booktards
Title: Death in Holy Orders
Author: P.D. James
Pages: 429
Rating: 3/5
From the back of the book: On the East Anglican seacoast a small theological college hangs precariously on an eroding shoreline and an equally precarious future. Then, the body of a student is found buried in the sand, and the boy's influential father demands that Scotland Yard investigate. Adam Dalgliesh, the son of a parson, once spent happy summers at the school. A detective who loves poetry, a man who has known loss and discovery, Dalgliesh is the perfect candidate to look for the truth in a remote, rarified community of the faithful - and the frightened. For when one death leads to another, Dalgliesh finds himself steeped in a world of good and evil, of stifled passions and hidden pasts, where someone has cause not just to commit one crime, but begin an unholy order of murder...
My thoughts: I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. It was interesting, and I wasn't ever really bored with it. It was a good storyline, though I feel it lacked that "aha!" moment where everything suddenly came together for me. I found the priests (most of them) to be lovable old men, caught up in events that they couldn't possibly have foreseen. I honestly didn't care about ANY of the students at the school, and none of the deaths made me sad. I was struck by the callousness of a couple of the characters - their utter dismissal of the faith, and of the lives that the faithful had chosen. In their minds, that wasn't important, and wasn't to be respected. They saw them as foolish choices of vocation and a waste of time. But I guess that just showed what little heart they had - because if you care about someone, you don't dismiss something that encompasses their entire life. So...it was an interesting murder mystery, but there were no real shockers for me. The end picked up when all the loose ends were being tied up, but I also found the little bit of romance at the end a little forced. I mean, I could see it coming, but I didn't really think there was enough character interaction in the book to warrant it.
Title: (Not That You Asked)
Author: Steve Almond
# of Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5
Started: May 4, 2008
Finished: May 9, 2008
Total Books: 22/75 (29%)
Total Pages: 6,878/20,000 (34%)
Next Up: Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman)
From Barnes & Noble: How does Steve Almond get himself into so much trouble? Could it be his incessant moralizing? His generally poor posture? The fact that he was raised by a pack of wolves? Frankly, we haven’t got a clue. What we do know is that Almond has a knack for converting his dustups into essays that are both funny and furious. In (Not that You Asked), he squares off against Sean Hannity on national TV, nearly gets arrested for stealing “Sta-Hard” gel from his local pharmacy, and winds up in Boston, where he quickly enrages the entire population of the Red Sox Nation. Almond is, as they say in Yiddish, a tummler.
Almond on personal grooming: “Why, exactly, did I feel it would be ‘sexy’ and ‘hot’ to have my girlfriend wax my chest? I can offer no good answer to this question today. I could offer no good answer at the time.”
On sports: “To be a fan is to live in a condition of willed helplessness. We are (for the most part) men who sit around and watch other men run and leap and sweat and grapple each other. It is a deeply homoerotic pattern of conduct, often interracial in nature, and essentially humiliating.”
On popular culture: “I have never actually owned a TV, a fact I mention whenever possible, in the hopes that it will make me seem noble and possibly lead to oral sex.”
On his literary hero, Kurt Vonnegut: “His books perform the greatest feat of alchemy known to man: the conversion of grief into laughter by means of courageous imagination.”
On religion: “Every year, when Chanukah season rolled around, my brothers and I would make the suburban pilgrimage to the home of our grandparents, where we would ring in the holiday with a big, juicy Chanukah ham.”
The essays in (Not that You Asked) will make you laugh out loud, or, maybe just as likely, hurl the book across the room. Either way, you’ll find Steve Almond savagely entertaining. Not that you asked.
( My thoughts )
 |
Author: Nicholas Freeman, 2007.
Genre: Non-Fiction. History. Literary Studies.
Other details: Oxford University Press, 256 pages.
A couple of months ago I was reminded of a presentation I heard at a 2002 academic conference. The paper was titled: 'A longing for the wood-world at night': the Influence of the Literature of the Occult Revival on Modern Paganism. I wondered if Dr. Freeman had developed this material further. While it seems that this particular research is still ongoing I found that he had recently published the above title and managed to secure a copy through the inter-library loan system. As it is an OUP academic book, its price is one to have most folk reaching for the smelling salts. (£50/$110).
Its focus is upon art and literature dealing with London as subject in the period following the death of Charles Dickens to the beginning of the Great War; broadly the period in cultural history of the Fin de siècle. The book was broken down into three sections. The first, Empiricist London, dealt with realist writing of the period looking at both non-fiction accounts of conditions in London and 'slum novels'. This section also included the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle as well as the on-going fascination with true crime and crime fiction. The second section, Impressionist London, focused mainly on art of the period; especially that of James McNeill Whistler and Claude Monet. It also included the way in which London's shadows and fog was used in fiction and poetry to convey aspects of its character.
It was the final section that held the most interest for me, which was Symbolist London. Here I found myself scribbling notes and quotes. One quote that stood out was: "The unknown world is, in truth, about us everywhere ... the thinnest veil separates us from it; the door in the wall of the next street communicates with it." While I forgot to note down which writer of the period was responsible for this quote, it did evoke memories of both Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and the way in which J.K. Rowling effectively used the idea of the door in the wall to conceal her wizarding world's Diagon Alley. Other writers cited the symbols of the maze and labyrinth for London, which again reminded me of Gaiman's writing. A theme that linked this section with that of Empiricist London was the 'From Hell' symbolism, in which London and especially the East End was portrayed as part of Hell. This address was famously used in a letter believed to be from Jack the Ripper and later used by Alan Moore as the title for his graphic novel about Jack the Ripper.
While this book was quite heavy going, I came away from reading it with a sense of how my own experience of London during the years I lived there compared to that of writers and artists of this particular period. It also placed into context material presented at Eastercon 2008 by Neil Gaiman and others on Fantastic London on the way the city has been portrayed in fantasy fiction. I found it gave me a greater appreciation of the literary and artistic trends of the period, noting the contributions made by a wide variety of writers; some whose names and works were familiar to me such as Oscar Wilde, William Morris, H.G. Wells, E.M. Forster, Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen as well as others unknown. Dr. Freeman did touch lightly on the involvement of a number of leading writers with organisations such as the Theosophical Society and the Golden Dawn. However, I expect that given his interest in the literature of the 19th century Occult Revival that this theme will be developed more fully in future works.
Overall it provided me with much food for thought and a number of avenues that I plan to follow up when time allows.
( Books 1-33 )
34. Expert Testimony: A Guide for Expert Witnesses and the Lawyers who Examine Them by Steven Lubet
35. Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas Issue 1 by Jon Favreau and Adi Granov
36. Serenity: Better Days Issue 1 by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen
37. Serenity: Better Days Issue 2 by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen
38. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 1 by Drew Goddard
39. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 2 by Drew Goddard
40. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 3 by Drew Goddard
41. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Vol. 9 by Laurell K. Hamilton
42. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Vol. 10 by Laurell K. Hamilton
Expert Testimony was for a class in the Spring. There's really not too much to say for it. It took subject matter which might've been interesting and made it unbearable. As I have little interest in civil proceedings, I disliked the fact that the repeated examples of expert witnesses were involved in civil litigations.
I've been reading Season 8 of Buffy and Guilty Pleasures since they came out. I'm glad to see Buffy continued, and I really enjoy the format. For that matter, I'm loving the story itself and can't wait to find out who the Big Bad actually is. Guilty Pleasures is just that. I enjoyed the book when I read it years ago, and I miss the series having character depth and plot in place of poorly written smut. It helps that the illustration is so nice as well.
I'm also enjoying the Serenity prequel. I'm glad Whedon chose to set the comics between the series and movie, as there's a lot missing between the two and more characters.
And last but not least, Iron Man. I admit, I've not been one for traditional comics. My main reads have been TV shows and books converted to the format. That said, I'm definitely taking an interest in Marvel. (Most of what I read is either Marvel or Dark Horse.) This particular arc is being written by the film's director. I enjoyed the first issue, and I'm glad to find something fresh rather than having to go back through 40-some years of stories.
34. Expert Testimony: A Guide for Expert Witnesses and the Lawyers who Examine Them by Steven Lubet
35. Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas Issue 1 by Jon Favreau and Adi Granov
36. Serenity: Better Days Issue 1 by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen
37. Serenity: Better Days Issue 2 by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen
38. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 1 by Drew Goddard
39. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 2 by Drew Goddard
40. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 3 by Drew Goddard
41. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Vol. 9 by Laurell K. Hamilton
42. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Vol. 10 by Laurell K. Hamilton
Expert Testimony was for a class in the Spring. There's really not too much to say for it. It took subject matter which might've been interesting and made it unbearable. As I have little interest in civil proceedings, I disliked the fact that the repeated examples of expert witnesses were involved in civil litigations.
I've been reading Season 8 of Buffy and Guilty Pleasures since they came out. I'm glad to see Buffy continued, and I really enjoy the format. For that matter, I'm loving the story itself and can't wait to find out who the Big Bad actually is. Guilty Pleasures is just that. I enjoyed the book when I read it years ago, and I miss the series having character depth and plot in place of poorly written smut. It helps that the illustration is so nice as well.
I'm also enjoying the Serenity prequel. I'm glad Whedon chose to set the comics between the series and movie, as there's a lot missing between the two and more characters.
And last but not least, Iron Man. I admit, I've not been one for traditional comics. My main reads have been TV shows and books converted to the format. That said, I'm definitely taking an interest in Marvel. (Most of what I read is either Marvel or Dark Horse.) This particular arc is being written by the film's director. I enjoyed the first issue, and I'm glad to find something fresh rather than having to go back through 40-some years of stories.
12. Atonement, Ian McEwan: 3/5, Read this for my book group. It was okay. There were some parts I thought were great, but other parts I had trouble believing.
13. King Dork, Frank Portman: 3/5, This was interesting. I liked it, but didn't love it like some people have.
14. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Marina Lewycka: 2/5, Yuck. I just did not enjoy this one at all.
15. Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck: 5/5, I just loved this. Made me want to read everything the man ever wrote.
13. King Dork, Frank Portman: 3/5, This was interesting. I liked it, but didn't love it like some people have.
14. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Marina Lewycka: 2/5, Yuck. I just did not enjoy this one at all.
15. Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck: 5/5, I just loved this. Made me want to read everything the man ever wrote.
Oh man, still so behind. School is out now, so I'll probably have more time to read.
5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
I finally got around to reading this. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and said it was one of her favorite books of all-time. I actually liked it, after hearing really negative feedback from a lot of people who had previously read it. The format of the bulk of the book being a retelling was something I enjoyed rather than it being a present moment type of telling. The Lintons made me want to slap things and I ended up liking Heathcliff far more than I think the reader was meant to. The ending was completely enraging for me, though. All in all, I'm glad I gave it a fair shot. I absolutely loved the involvement of the children and using them to fuel Heathcliff's fire against everything the Lintons stood for and his never ending need to somehow still have a connection to Catherine.
6. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
I was kind of really stoked to read this book after hearing all the hype about it. I love the concept of the idea of zombies, and to be honest, the hardest part about the zombie war would be having to pretend I'm not excited. This book is a perspective from all different kinds of leaders and civilians from all over the world and how the epidemic got started, how it was fought, maintained, and then cleared. The only drag about this book would be the repetitiveness of the military stories, but they all involved different strategies and technology. Seeing how all the different countries might deal and come up with plans with millions of zombie onslaughts was a great comparison to America. The zombie description itself was as realistic as it could be, and it was fun to debate the things they may or may not be able to do.
5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
I finally got around to reading this. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and said it was one of her favorite books of all-time. I actually liked it, after hearing really negative feedback from a lot of people who had previously read it. The format of the bulk of the book being a retelling was something I enjoyed rather than it being a present moment type of telling. The Lintons made me want to slap things and I ended up liking Heathcliff far more than I think the reader was meant to. The ending was completely enraging for me, though. All in all, I'm glad I gave it a fair shot. I absolutely loved the involvement of the children and using them to fuel Heathcliff's fire against everything the Lintons stood for and his never ending need to somehow still have a connection to Catherine.
6. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
I was kind of really stoked to read this book after hearing all the hype about it. I love the concept of the idea of zombies, and to be honest, the hardest part about the zombie war would be having to pretend I'm not excited. This book is a perspective from all different kinds of leaders and civilians from all over the world and how the epidemic got started, how it was fought, maintained, and then cleared. The only drag about this book would be the repetitiveness of the military stories, but they all involved different strategies and technology. Seeing how all the different countries might deal and come up with plans with millions of zombie onslaughts was a great comparison to America. The zombie description itself was as realistic as it could be, and it was fun to debate the things they may or may not be able to do.
- Music:Jimmy Pardo - Never Not Funny Podcast
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), 1884, 251 pages.
Genre: adventure, American lit, classic, humour
Basic Overview: Huckleberry Finn, friend of Tom Sawyer, leaves his Missouri home to escape his drunken, abusive father, and heads downriver on the Mississippi, having many adventures along the way. His companion on the journey is Jim, a runaway slave, whom Huck tries his best to protect.
( My review here: )
Too Late the Phalarope by Alan Paton, 1955, 200 pages.
Genre: international, fiction
Basic Overview: The novel tells of Pieter van Vlaanderen, lieutenant in the South African police force, beset by illegal temptation, and his struggles with his yearnings, his family, and his faith. The theme of apartheid in general and the treatment of one particular black woman in specific provide a background for this story.
( My review here: )
The Whispering Land by Gerald Durrell, 1961, 217 pages.
Genre: animals, non-fiction, British, adventure
Basic Overview: Naturalist and owner of his own zoo on the Channel Island of Jersey, Gerald Durrell, accompanied by his wife Jacquie, make an animal-collecting and filming trip to Argentina, where they encounter seals, penguins, guanacos, peccaries, and rather magnificently do not manage to encounter any vampire bats, despite the author’s baiting the trap with his own big toe.
( My review here: )
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman, 1998, 346 pages.
Genre: short stories, poetry, fantasy, British
Basic Overview: Gaiman’s subjects are varied – his stories are about H.P. Lovecraft’s fictional New England town, about Lucifer in Los Angeles, wholesale contract killers, Penthouse magazine, teenage fans of Michael Moorcock and their fantasy lives, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Holy Grail, to name a few subjects in Gaiman’s anthology.
( My review here: )
| |
38 / 100 (38.0%) |
( Review here.... )
- Mood:
pessimistic
Jubilee
Author: Margaret Alexander Walker
Pages: 512 pages
Genre: African-American historical fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Synopsis: Jubilee is a work very similar to Roots by Alex Haley (FYI Margaret Alexander Walker tried to sue Alex Haley claiming he stole her idea, but they settled out of court). It tells the life story of Vyry, daughter of the houseslave and the "master," from "slavery-time" through the Civil War. Dr. Margaret Walker heard this story as a child from her own grandmother, Vyry's daughter, and vowed to write it so the world could know. Vyry is intelligent, strong, honest, brave, enduring: heroic qualities common to many "ordinary" African-American women but still painfully scarce in literature.
Review: I enjoyed this book, but honestly, not as much as I enjoyed reading Roots in 6th grade. It had a few boring parts that I had to push myself to read, but it is very well put-together overall.
Shinju
Author: Laura Joh Rowland
Pages: 448 pages
Genre: Japanese historical fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Synopsis: In seventeenth century feudal Japan, Sano Ichiro, a newly appointed Senior Police Commander in the Edo district, discovers two bodies in the river that seemed to have committed Shinju, the suicide committed by star-crossed lovers. However, something rings false and he must battle his higher-ups, important noblemen, sumo wrestlers, and many other obstacles to find the truth about what really happened.
Review: This started off a little slow, but it picked up really well. I've always had a thing for feudal Japan and Rowland depicts it beautifully. It was very entertaining.
A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess
Pages: 192 pages
Genre: cult fiction/classical literature
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: Told by the central character, Alex, this brilliant, hilarious, and disturbing novel creates an alarming futuristic vision of violence, high technology, and authoritarianism.Anthony Burgess' 1963 classic stands alongside Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World as a classic of twentieth century post-industrial alienation, often shocking us into a thoughtful exploration of the meaning of free will and the conflict between good and evil. In this recording, the author's voice lends an intoxicating lyrical dimension to the language he has so masterfully crafted.
Revi ew: Alex is MESSED UP. What the government tries to do to combat is messed-upness is even more messed up. Once you get a hang of the slang, you'll enjoy this novel.
The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 192 pages
Genre: Young adult
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.
Review: I've been meaning to read this book since 2nd grade (I don't understand why it's listed as young adult; it's so short!) and I'm glad I finally read it. I feel like it should've been a little longer, but oh well.
Dante's Inferno
Author: Dante Alighieri
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Epic
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: The "Divine Comedy" was entitled by Dante himself merely "Commedia," meaning a poetic composition in a style intermediate between the sustained nobility of tragedy, and the popular tone of elegy. The word had no dramatic implication at that time, though it did involve a happy ending. The poem is the narrative of a journey down through Hell, up the mountain of Purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God. In this aspect it belongs to the two familiar medieval literary types of the Journey and the Vision. It is also an allegory, representing under the symbolism of the stages and experiences of the journey, the history of a human soul, painfully struggling from sin through purification to the Beatific Vision. Contained in this volume is the first part of the "Divine Comedy," the "Inferno" or "Hell," from the translation of Charles Eliot Norton.
Review: Wow. I really hope Hell is nothing like Dante's Hell, but he does weave an interesting interpretation of God's Divine justice. Every person's sin corresponds with an equal punishment. I can't wait to read the rest of the comedy.
10 / 50 books. 20% done!
Author: Margaret Alexander Walker
Pages: 512 pages
Genre: African-American historical fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Synopsis: Jubilee is a work very similar to Roots by Alex Haley (FYI Margaret Alexander Walker tried to sue Alex Haley claiming he stole her idea, but they settled out of court). It tells the life story of Vyry, daughter of the houseslave and the "master," from "slavery-time" through the Civil War. Dr. Margaret Walker heard this story as a child from her own grandmother, Vyry's daughter, and vowed to write it so the world could know. Vyry is intelligent, strong, honest, brave, enduring: heroic qualities common to many "ordinary" African-American women but still painfully scarce in literature.
Review: I enjoyed this book, but honestly, not as much as I enjoyed reading Roots in 6th grade. It had a few boring parts that I had to push myself to read, but it is very well put-together overall.
Shinju
Author: Laura Joh Rowland
Pages: 448 pages
Genre: Japanese historical fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Synopsis: In seventeenth century feudal Japan, Sano Ichiro, a newly appointed Senior Police Commander in the Edo district, discovers two bodies in the river that seemed to have committed Shinju, the suicide committed by star-crossed lovers. However, something rings false and he must battle his higher-ups, important noblemen, sumo wrestlers, and many other obstacles to find the truth about what really happened.
Review: This started off a little slow, but it picked up really well. I've always had a thing for feudal Japan and Rowland depicts it beautifully. It was very entertaining.
A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess
Pages: 192 pages
Genre: cult fiction/classical literature
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: Told by the central character, Alex, this brilliant, hilarious, and disturbing novel creates an alarming futuristic vision of violence, high technology, and authoritarianism.Anthony Burgess' 1963 classic stands alongside Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World as a classic of twentieth century post-industrial alienation, often shocking us into a thoughtful exploration of the meaning of free will and the conflict between good and evil. In this recording, the author's voice lends an intoxicating lyrical dimension to the language he has so masterfully crafted.
Revi ew: Alex is MESSED UP. What the government tries to do to combat is messed-upness is even more messed up. Once you get a hang of the slang, you'll enjoy this novel.
The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 192 pages
Genre: Young adult
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.
Review: I've been meaning to read this book since 2nd grade (I don't understand why it's listed as young adult; it's so short!) and I'm glad I finally read it. I feel like it should've been a little longer, but oh well.
Dante's Inferno
Author: Dante Alighieri
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Epic
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Synopsis: The "Divine Comedy" was entitled by Dante himself merely "Commedia," meaning a poetic composition in a style intermediate between the sustained nobility of tragedy, and the popular tone of elegy. The word had no dramatic implication at that time, though it did involve a happy ending. The poem is the narrative of a journey down through Hell, up the mountain of Purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God. In this aspect it belongs to the two familiar medieval literary types of the Journey and the Vision. It is also an allegory, representing under the symbolism of the stages and experiences of the journey, the history of a human soul, painfully struggling from sin through purification to the Beatific Vision. Contained in this volume is the first part of the "Divine Comedy," the "Inferno" or "Hell," from the translation of Charles Eliot Norton.
Review: Wow. I really hope Hell is nothing like Dante's Hell, but he does weave an interesting interpretation of God's Divine justice. Every person's sin corresponds with an equal punishment. I can't wait to read the rest of the comedy.
- Mood:accomplished
1) White Oleander by Janet Fitch- this has been my 4th time reading this book and as always I find something new about it. The characters are just so vivid, but it's the story's or should I say Astrid's (main character) raw narrativeness that captures the book essence, quality. It's the story about a girl's own self- discovery/ journey into different foster care homes and her manipulative mother whos behind bars.
2) How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz - a quick read of a young man's adolecense, the music that pretty much changed his life, for the better or worse, The Smiths- it's very humorous, perverted, and sad at the same time but it plays along well in the book. I recommend it!
2) How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz - a quick read of a young man's adolecense, the music that pretty much changed his life, for the better or worse, The Smiths- it's very humorous, perverted, and sad at the same time but it plays along well in the book. I recommend it!
- Location:my house
- Mood:
lazy - Music:"Mexican Radio" - Kinky
Here we have two character studies with very different settings -- and I think one puts the other firmly in the shade.
28. One Story, Issue 101: 'Familial Kindness' by Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum (2008)
Alma and Sara were sisters who led very different lives: Sara married Charlie, moved to Indiana, and severed most of her ties to Alma, who stayed in the family home even after their parents died. Now Alma's daughter Lovisa (the father is a nameless fling from years before) is getting married; Sara has died from cancer, but Alma invites Charlie (whom she hasn't seen for thirty years and is not too bothered about seeing again) out of courtesy. The story begins as Charlie arrives at Alma's house, and the subsequent thirty pages are essentially them (particularly Alma) reflecting on the choices they've made in life.
I haven't much else to say about 'Familial Kindness', unforturnately. It's not a bad story by any means; but it didn't really grab me, or stay in my mind. The characterisation is fine; the story just doesn't... say as much (overtly or otherwise) as I;d have liked.
29. One Story, Issue 102: 'What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us' by Laura van den Berg (2008)
Perhaps the best explanation is a comparison, because I found this story to be much richer. Celia (who must be in her late teens or thereabouts as the story begins) has ambitions to be a professional swimmer; but her mother June, a primatologist, keeps dragging her off on her study expeditions. The latest is to Madagascar, to test June's ideas about the relationship between lemurs and reforestation -- but the relationship between mother and daughter will also be tested, and to the limit.
Van den Berg's depiction of the two women is acutely observed: June is a larger-than-life character, whose life is so dominated by her work that everything else comes second -- including Celia and, ironically, the real point of the work; June seems to care more about using her work to validate herself than about the fate of the animals she studies. As for Celia, it's no surprise that she doesn't share her mother's passion for science when June insists on drumming into her pointless lists like famous scientists who committed suicide ('she said I needed to understand the toll answering important scientific questions could take on a person' -- and, oh, how June demonstrates that toll in her own way). It's great to see the daughter break free and start finding her own way over the course of the story.
I read in the back of the magazine that Laura van den Berg has a story collection coming out next year. If only it weren't such a long time away.
28. One Story, Issue 101: 'Familial Kindness' by Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum (2008)
Alma and Sara were sisters who led very different lives: Sara married Charlie, moved to Indiana, and severed most of her ties to Alma, who stayed in the family home even after their parents died. Now Alma's daughter Lovisa (the father is a nameless fling from years before) is getting married; Sara has died from cancer, but Alma invites Charlie (whom she hasn't seen for thirty years and is not too bothered about seeing again) out of courtesy. The story begins as Charlie arrives at Alma's house, and the subsequent thirty pages are essentially them (particularly Alma) reflecting on the choices they've made in life.
I haven't much else to say about 'Familial Kindness', unforturnately. It's not a bad story by any means; but it didn't really grab me, or stay in my mind. The characterisation is fine; the story just doesn't... say as much (overtly or otherwise) as I;d have liked.
29. One Story, Issue 102: 'What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us' by Laura van den Berg (2008)
Perhaps the best explanation is a comparison, because I found this story to be much richer. Celia (who must be in her late teens or thereabouts as the story begins) has ambitions to be a professional swimmer; but her mother June, a primatologist, keeps dragging her off on her study expeditions. The latest is to Madagascar, to test June's ideas about the relationship between lemurs and reforestation -- but the relationship between mother and daughter will also be tested, and to the limit.
Van den Berg's depiction of the two women is acutely observed: June is a larger-than-life character, whose life is so dominated by her work that everything else comes second -- including Celia and, ironically, the real point of the work; June seems to care more about using her work to validate herself than about the fate of the animals she studies. As for Celia, it's no surprise that she doesn't share her mother's passion for science when June insists on drumming into her pointless lists like famous scientists who committed suicide ('she said I needed to understand the toll answering important scientific questions could take on a person' -- and, oh, how June demonstrates that toll in her own way). It's great to see the daughter break free and start finding her own way over the course of the story.
I read in the back of the magazine that Laura van den Berg has a story collection coming out next year. If only it weren't such a long time away.
SMALL FAVOR by Jim Butcher (10th Dresden Files novel)
This is one of my favorite series featuring my all-time favorite male main character, Harry Dresden. Harry Dresden is the only wizard you'll find in a Chicago phone book (probably any phone book since most wizards tend to be cranky and paranoid). Through Harry I have learned that being a wizard is less about magic and more about how much pizza you buy the little people, how well you take a beating, and how many wiseass comments you can throw at the bad guys. Who needs Hogwarts?
In this book pretty much everyone is after Harry for one reason or another except the mob boss Harry is actually trying to save. The Winter Court has come to call in a favor which has almost the same outcome as if they had tried to kill him. The Summer Court is trying to kill him before he can carry out the favor. Oh yea, and the nickelheads (Denarians) are back in town. Lots of fun, lots of action, but the book does end on a sad note so be prepared.
Highly recommended for urban fantasy fans and those looking for a strong series where every book is just as good, if not better than the last.
KISS OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian (1st in The Midnight Breed series)
Another paranormal romance series featuring big, bad vampire alpha males. Nothing new except these vampires originate from an alien species that crash landed here a millenia ago. Wasn't that covered in bad B horror movies from the 40's or 50's? I've read over and over in reviews of this series that the story does get better with each book and after reading this book I have to say they're right. The next book can't be any worse (Now I've jinxed myself. I'm doomed!). I'll give the second book a try, but if the heroines don't improve I'm dropping this series.
The heroine of this book is Gabrielle Maxwell. She's a photographer who's always felt a little out of place and alone even in a crowd. She's also always had a deep dark fear of ending up crazy like her birth mother so when she witnesses a horrendous attack outside a nightclub she instantly puts the word "vampire" right out of her mind. Of course the police don't believe her, they see nothing in her blurry cell phone pictures of the attack, and there is no crime scene to be found, so is she crazy? Just when she's about to give up hope a Detective Lucan Thorne arrives on her doorstep to see the photos, but that's not all he's there for.
If you really really love vampire paranormal romances give it a try otherwise, skip it.
2008: 26/100
19.The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle, read by Lily Rabe - Aryn Kyle has set herself a very high bar with this book, her first novel. It is a story of a family going through some tough times, nothing too extraordinary, told by the twelve year old youngest daughter. Of course our narrator sees herself at the center of this family, that's how twelve year olds think. But the reader will see how all the lives are falling apart, coming back together, and sometimes stagnating, while staying true to a young girl's voice. The sense of place (a small horse ranch in the desert) is so strong you can just about smell the leather saddles, the characters are fully fleshed out, even those that only appear on a few pages, and the plot takes some surprising, but very believable turns. The only negative was Kyle's female chauvinism. The women of this story act while the men react. The women are the instigators, the men are manipulated. There are a few exceptions to this, but it was noticeable enough I found myself wondering how the father could be so weak and oblivious and have raised daughters who think so well for themselves.
20. Speaking With The Angel, Edited by Nick Hornby - A collection of short stories written by friends of Nick Hornby at his request to raise money for an autism education program in England (and in the US if you buy the published in America version). The only requirement Honby gave his friends was that the stories be told in first person. With that broad of a brief, you're bound to get a variety of tone, plot, and of as in any anthology, quality. Colin Firth, for one, should never quit his day job. And Dave Eggars reminded me that writing as an animal will cause an immediate disconnect with the reader that is very difficult to overcome. On the positive side, a few of the stories are just down right good short fiction: Roddy Doly writes "The Slave", a sneaky little story that examines the difference between maturity and age; Giles Smith brings us "Last Requests", about person with a very unique job - preparing the last meals for death row inmates; and Irvine Welsh writes in the voice of a homophobe who finds the afterlife exactly what he wants it to be. It wasn't a surprise to learn Walsh was the author of "Trainspotting". Of all the pieces, my favorite was "NippleJesus", by Hornby himself, a "what is art?" story that shows that the question is more important than the answer.
21. Twilight by William Gay - This is a Southern Gothic horror story with the emphasis on people and place over action. That's more than enough to make this story a page turner of the highest calibre. A young man who probably thought his childhood was the worst thing that could happen to him finds himself mixed up with some truly evil men as a result of a question about his father's internment. In an attempt to find justice, he crosses paths with a county full of those sort of characters that make Southern Gothic stand apart from any other genre. The story cuts back and forth, not always smoothly, but when you get to the part that meets up with the beginning of the book, it's all too clear - and perfectly gruesome. Gay goes all out with the dialect and social customs of the region he's writing about, and they add to the "other worldy" aspect of this dark and violent tale. I can't wait to read more of what he's written!
20. Speaking With The Angel, Edited by Nick Hornby - A collection of short stories written by friends of Nick Hornby at his request to raise money for an autism education program in England (and in the US if you buy the published in America version). The only requirement Honby gave his friends was that the stories be told in first person. With that broad of a brief, you're bound to get a variety of tone, plot, and of as in any anthology, quality. Colin Firth, for one, should never quit his day job. And Dave Eggars reminded me that writing as an animal will cause an immediate disconnect with the reader that is very difficult to overcome. On the positive side, a few of the stories are just down right good short fiction: Roddy Doly writes "The Slave", a sneaky little story that examines the difference between maturity and age; Giles Smith brings us "Last Requests", about person with a very unique job - preparing the last meals for death row inmates; and Irvine Welsh writes in the voice of a homophobe who finds the afterlife exactly what he wants it to be. It wasn't a surprise to learn Walsh was the author of "Trainspotting". Of all the pieces, my favorite was "NippleJesus", by Hornby himself, a "what is art?" story that shows that the question is more important than the answer.
21. Twilight by William Gay - This is a Southern Gothic horror story with the emphasis on people and place over action. That's more than enough to make this story a page turner of the highest calibre. A young man who probably thought his childhood was the worst thing that could happen to him finds himself mixed up with some truly evil men as a result of a question about his father's internment. In an attempt to find justice, he crosses paths with a county full of those sort of characters that make Southern Gothic stand apart from any other genre. The story cuts back and forth, not always smoothly, but when you get to the part that meets up with the beginning of the book, it's all too clear - and perfectly gruesome. Gay goes all out with the dialect and social customs of the region he's writing about, and they add to the "other worldy" aspect of this dark and violent tale. I can't wait to read more of what he's written!
About a week ago, as I was struggling through the most recent book (The Last Legends of Earth by A.A. Attanasio) and complained to my boyfriend thusly:
"It's... I know this sounds weird, but it's TOO science-fictiony"
"How do you mean?" asked the boyfriend.
"Well," I said, "It takes place billions of years in the future. The human race died out of natural causes ages ago and even the earth exploded a couple of billion years ago. It's about this alien whose race lives inside a black hole, generally peacefully, until they're attacked by Evil Space Spiders who are basically, I think, mining for energy. So this alien gets sent into outerspace to set a trap for the space spiders, and she does this by creating planets and peopling them with DNA and souls she finds floating about. So she recreates the human race to act as bait for these evil space-spiders, and the story spans millennia. Some of the humans remember earth, because their souls were plucked out of space, but their children are new, so they don't. It's just... very weird. It's too distant and alien for me to really get into the story, and it's got this weird Buddhist thing going, which I don't really like."
"I hate books like that," said the boyfriend "They're all about spreading some stupid new-age propaganda."
I flipped the book over and read the blurbs on the back. "Oh dear," I said.
"What?"
"It says "A.A. Attanasio's most accessible work to date".
"Uh oh," said the boyfriend.
And that, I think, pretty much sums up the book. I DID finish it, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's just TOO weird.
30/75
"It's... I know this sounds weird, but it's TOO science-fictiony"
"How do you mean?" asked the boyfriend.
"Well," I said, "It takes place billions of years in the future. The human race died out of natural causes ages ago and even the earth exploded a couple of billion years ago. It's about this alien whose race lives inside a black hole, generally peacefully, until they're attacked by Evil Space Spiders who are basically, I think, mining for energy. So this alien gets sent into outerspace to set a trap for the space spiders, and she does this by creating planets and peopling them with DNA and souls she finds floating about. So she recreates the human race to act as bait for these evil space-spiders, and the story spans millennia. Some of the humans remember earth, because their souls were plucked out of space, but their children are new, so they don't. It's just... very weird. It's too distant and alien for me to really get into the story, and it's got this weird Buddhist thing going, which I don't really like."
"I hate books like that," said the boyfriend "They're all about spreading some stupid new-age propaganda."
I flipped the book over and read the blurbs on the back. "Oh dear," I said.
"What?"
"It says "A.A. Attanasio's most accessible work to date".
"Uh oh," said the boyfriend.
And that, I think, pretty much sums up the book. I DID finish it, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's just TOO weird.
30/75
People of the Book
Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks
Fiction; Contemporary Literature
The latest offering from the Pulitzer-winning Brooks has rare book conservationist Hanna Heath working on the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, the oldest and rarest known Haggadah in the world (a ‘Haggadah’ being a sacred Jewish text used in Passover rituals). The Sarajevo Haggadah first appeared in Spain in the 14th century, making it the oldest surviving such work. During the numerous wars betweens Muslims, Jews and Christians the book had been passed from hand to hand, usually secretly, and hidden by various people intent on saving it from the book burnings that were so prevalent when it came to the religious books of one religion or another. The based-on-factual accounts of the many people who risked their lives to save it, including a Muslim cleric who would have suffered a horrific execution had he been discovered, are fascinating. During the siege of 1992 it briefly disappeared again, and this is where Brooks picks up the tale and invents her own story around its re-discovery.
The narrative takes us back and forth in time, from Hanna’s present, told in the first person, and different points in the distant past where we readers get to experience the incredible journey and survival of the Haggadah as it passes through many hands and countries. In Hanna’s narrative, she’s trying to navigate this path herself and uncover the mystery of the book’s travels, and she does so by examining miniscule hints contained in the pages: a grain of salt, a tiny insect’s wing, a wine stain. The narrative will then switch back to the past again, and as the reader we get the omniscient view and know exactly where it goes and under what circumstances, so we know what Hanna does not. The stories told in these narratives – often children and women fleeing rape and murder – are the shining light of this book and not to be missed. There is an eloquence and haunting quality to these portrayals that truly transcend the story.
The true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah can be found on Wikipedia. It is currently considered one of the most valuable books in the world, worth about $700,000,000 U.S. dollars, and is on display at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
- Mood:busy
- Music:Beat It - Michael Jackson
8) The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
This is the fourth Aston novel that I have read and I am an advocate for her Darcy stories. She doesn't meddle into Elizabeth and Darcy's life but creates her own characters that dwell in their life, except for the fact that she gives them children in Mr.Darcy's Daughters which is the first in this not series but chronological books.
I have to say that I enjoyed this one far better then I did the last two that I have read. Great read! Simple historic/austen type romance.