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.
#18 - Blood Debt by Tanya Huff
Urban fantasy
330 pages
This is the last of a series (although apparently there's a spin-off series that has a couple books that my friend plans to lend to me) so I wouldn't suggest hopping right into it. Having said that, they're fun books, well written for the most part. I prefer Huff's incarnation of vampires more than many other authors, mostly because it's not all about sex.
#19 - Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Canadian lit
238 pages
Even though this is a Canadian classic, I wasn't expecting much. I've read one other Davies book in the past, and I wasn't that impressed. But I am so glad that I read this one despite my misgivings, because I loved it. It's easy to see why it's assigned to so many high school english classes. And it's good enough that I might have even been able to overcome the fact that it was an assigned book, had I been forced to read it in high school, too.
#20 - Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Urban fantasy
337 pages
This is the third in a series, although when my friend borrowed it because we were on a train with nothing else to do, she not only loved it, but rushed out to order the other books as soon as we got home. I agree with her. It's engaging and Thurman has a definite sense of sarcastic humour that shines through in the narrator, Cal.
#21 - The King Must Die by Mary Renault
Historical novel/Myth and legend
353 pages
This is a retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, but from a realistic point of view. She uses historical evidences from Crete to explain the different elements in the legend. And she weaves a wonderful story in the process. The back cover describes it as a spellbinding, and I must agree. I'm really afraid that I'm making this come across as a dry book, but it really was anything but.
#22 - The Pact by Jodi Picoult
General fiction
496 pages
This was a really quick read, considering it was almost five hundred pages. I wish there had been more flashbacks to the lead up to the death, since those were the parts I liked the best, but I really liked the way that Picoult kept me in justifiable suspense, waiting for her to reveal just what had happened the night in question, whether it was a suicide, as was claimed by the main character, or a murder, as the prosecutor's office was claiming. The payoff was worth it, too, when it could easily have been a letdown in the hands of a less skilled author.
Urban fantasy
330 pages
This is the last of a series (although apparently there's a spin-off series that has a couple books that my friend plans to lend to me) so I wouldn't suggest hopping right into it. Having said that, they're fun books, well written for the most part. I prefer Huff's incarnation of vampires more than many other authors, mostly because it's not all about sex.
#19 - Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Canadian lit
238 pages
Even though this is a Canadian classic, I wasn't expecting much. I've read one other Davies book in the past, and I wasn't that impressed. But I am so glad that I read this one despite my misgivings, because I loved it. It's easy to see why it's assigned to so many high school english classes. And it's good enough that I might have even been able to overcome the fact that it was an assigned book, had I been forced to read it in high school, too.
#20 - Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Urban fantasy
337 pages
This is the third in a series, although when my friend borrowed it because we were on a train with nothing else to do, she not only loved it, but rushed out to order the other books as soon as we got home. I agree with her. It's engaging and Thurman has a definite sense of sarcastic humour that shines through in the narrator, Cal.
#21 - The King Must Die by Mary Renault
Historical novel/Myth and legend
353 pages
This is a retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, but from a realistic point of view. She uses historical evidences from Crete to explain the different elements in the legend. And she weaves a wonderful story in the process. The back cover describes it as a spellbinding, and I must agree. I'm really afraid that I'm making this come across as a dry book, but it really was anything but.
#22 - The Pact by Jodi Picoult
General fiction
496 pages
This was a really quick read, considering it was almost five hundred pages. I wish there had been more flashbacks to the lead up to the death, since those were the parts I liked the best, but I really liked the way that Picoult kept me in justifiable suspense, waiting for her to reveal just what had happened the night in question, whether it was a suicide, as was claimed by the main character, or a murder, as the prosecutor's office was claiming. The payoff was worth it, too, when it could easily have been a letdown in the hands of a less skilled author.
Does anybody else find it easier to get around to writing scathing reviews than good ones? If I read a terrible book over the weekend, I can't wait to get on here on Monday and tear it to shreds. If the book was actually pretty good, I inevitably put it off until Friday. Maybe this is why authors are so frightened of critics. Scorn is SO much more fun than praise.
Anyway, here are three pretty good books.
The first was The Harlequin's Dance by Tom Arden. It's fantasy of the sort I like: low on people turning into unicorns and high on human interaction. The story follows a crippled boy living in a castle with his invalid mother and his evil aunt (she's very like the aunts in Saki's stories, if you've read them). The boy is supposed to be special somehow, so we follow his growth with eager anticipation, waiting for him to come into his destiny. Meanwhile, in the background, bad things are happening. This crazy-religious guy is convinced that, by cutting off crippled bits, he'll separate crippled people from evil (which is pretty crappy for the kid, who's learning to walk with crutches). This fat little boy kills cats for no reason and, later, turns on his friends. A girl growing up in the forest pursues a wood-tiger, and an army of blue coated soldiers marches in and starts picking on the gypsies. It's vaguely reminiscent of George R. R. Martin's gigantic books but, since there are only, maybe, three main characters, it's a lot easier to follow and, probably, isn't going to end up being so goddamn long (it's a series, but my library only seems to have the first book). Highly recommended for people who like serious fantasy (as opposed to fluffy fantasy).
The second was called Human Resource by Pierce Askegren. This one was sci-fi, and also pretty serious (once again, more human interaction than aliens and moon-lasers). It takes place on the moon, which is neat, and is mostly from the point of view of (though not in first person) a guy who has been transferred to a post reasonably high-up in a major corporation on the moon. Most of the book is about how much he hates being on the moon, but there are other weird things going on in the background, like a woman that everybody really really likes for no apparent reason. It's the first book in a series and definitely doesn't stand alone well at all, but the writing was pretty good, so I'm going to have to defer judgment until I've read more of the series (if I get around to it).
The third was a Dr. Who book. Which I bought after (I kid you not) an hour's discussion with the guy who works at Borders that I always hunt down when I have nerd questions and, later, another woman who works there that he waved over about Dr. Who and Torchwood (the shows) and which books were worth reading and why nobody seems to ever like the Doctor's girl-sidekicks until they're gone. I left with a whole list of old Dr. Who episodes I was supposed to watch, an order to keep watching Torchwood, even though it won't start to be good for a while, and Dr. Who: Forever Autumn by Mark Morris. The whole point of flagging down my nerd-source was to find out if any of the Dr. Who books were worth reading (I had a coupon and wanted to use it on SOMETHING) and this one, they agreed, was the best.
It wasn't really very good, but I'm not entirely sure that I wasn't being swayed by either trying to envision it as a TV show or my overwhelming distrust of everything that is, or can be construed as, fan fiction. (I don't like fan-fiction because it isn't TRUE. This may sound very weird, and I mostly acknowledge that it's a preference as based in logic as my refusal to eat meat wrapped in another kind of meat (chicken wrapped in bacon? ick) but anything written in a particular author's universe by anyone except the author or someone designated by the author feels to me to be "just writing stories". I understand the author herself is "just writing stories" but, well... it's just one of those things). Anyway, back to the book. Some of the Doctor bits were very good; he acted in ways I'd expect the Doctor to act, but I just couldn't get away from wishing I were watching it as a TV show instead of reading it as a book. Because the books aren't allowed to delve too deeply into Interesting Things (it's probably important for the show to stand on its own), the book just felt like an extra-long and not particularly enlightening show. Don't know if I'll read any more, but I won't hold it against you if you do.
Anyway, here are three pretty good books.
The first was The Harlequin's Dance by Tom Arden. It's fantasy of the sort I like: low on people turning into unicorns and high on human interaction. The story follows a crippled boy living in a castle with his invalid mother and his evil aunt (she's very like the aunts in Saki's stories, if you've read them). The boy is supposed to be special somehow, so we follow his growth with eager anticipation, waiting for him to come into his destiny. Meanwhile, in the background, bad things are happening. This crazy-religious guy is convinced that, by cutting off crippled bits, he'll separate crippled people from evil (which is pretty crappy for the kid, who's learning to walk with crutches). This fat little boy kills cats for no reason and, later, turns on his friends. A girl growing up in the forest pursues a wood-tiger, and an army of blue coated soldiers marches in and starts picking on the gypsies. It's vaguely reminiscent of George R. R. Martin's gigantic books but, since there are only, maybe, three main characters, it's a lot easier to follow and, probably, isn't going to end up being so goddamn long (it's a series, but my library only seems to have the first book). Highly recommended for people who like serious fantasy (as opposed to fluffy fantasy).
The second was called Human Resource by Pierce Askegren. This one was sci-fi, and also pretty serious (once again, more human interaction than aliens and moon-lasers). It takes place on the moon, which is neat, and is mostly from the point of view of (though not in first person) a guy who has been transferred to a post reasonably high-up in a major corporation on the moon. Most of the book is about how much he hates being on the moon, but there are other weird things going on in the background, like a woman that everybody really really likes for no apparent reason. It's the first book in a series and definitely doesn't stand alone well at all, but the writing was pretty good, so I'm going to have to defer judgment until I've read more of the series (if I get around to it).
The third was a Dr. Who book. Which I bought after (I kid you not) an hour's discussion with the guy who works at Borders that I always hunt down when I have nerd questions and, later, another woman who works there that he waved over about Dr. Who and Torchwood (the shows) and which books were worth reading and why nobody seems to ever like the Doctor's girl-sidekicks until they're gone. I left with a whole list of old Dr. Who episodes I was supposed to watch, an order to keep watching Torchwood, even though it won't start to be good for a while, and Dr. Who: Forever Autumn by Mark Morris. The whole point of flagging down my nerd-source was to find out if any of the Dr. Who books were worth reading (I had a coupon and wanted to use it on SOMETHING) and this one, they agreed, was the best.
It wasn't really very good, but I'm not entirely sure that I wasn't being swayed by either trying to envision it as a TV show or my overwhelming distrust of everything that is, or can be construed as, fan fiction. (I don't like fan-fiction because it isn't TRUE. This may sound very weird, and I mostly acknowledge that it's a preference as based in logic as my refusal to eat meat wrapped in another kind of meat (chicken wrapped in bacon? ick) but anything written in a particular author's universe by anyone except the author or someone designated by the author feels to me to be "just writing stories". I understand the author herself is "just writing stories" but, well... it's just one of those things). Anyway, back to the book. Some of the Doctor bits were very good; he acted in ways I'd expect the Doctor to act, but I just couldn't get away from wishing I were watching it as a TV show instead of reading it as a book. Because the books aren't allowed to delve too deeply into Interesting Things (it's probably important for the show to stand on its own), the book just felt like an extra-long and not particularly enlightening show. Don't know if I'll read any more, but I won't hold it against you if you do.
I completed earlier this week a graphic novel by Warren Ellis called Scars; it's a police novel with a bit of horror of a rather visceral sort. Not my typical cup of tea.
Book: Down & Out in Paris and London
Author: George Orwell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 213
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A stark look at poverty in Paris and London at the turn of the 20th century. Orwell does a fantastic job of describing what it is like to survive with only a few shillings to your name.
Book: Menachem's Seed
Author: Carl Djerassi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 192
Rating: 2/5
The widowed Melanie Laidlaw is the director of a foundation that supports research in reproduction. Menachem Dvir is a married nuclear engineer living in Israel. They meet at a conference and are immediately drawn to one another. Djerassi explores the themes of scientific ethics, sex, and nuclear proliferation in this novel about the dilemmas that advancement of science places us in.
This book had a lot of potential. Djerassi's writing style is good, but he weaves too many divergent themes into a novel and barely skims the surface of any of them. I picked this book for my Book A Month challenge theme because one of the themes was the Melanie's desire to become a mother and the lengths that she went to achieve that goal. This theme could have made a great novel, but instead it was compromised by the other avenues that Djerassi chose to explore.
Next up: The Warden
18/50 books read
6600/15000 pages read
(x-posted)
Author: George Orwell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 213
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A stark look at poverty in Paris and London at the turn of the 20th century. Orwell does a fantastic job of describing what it is like to survive with only a few shillings to your name.
Book: Menachem's Seed
Author: Carl Djerassi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 192
Rating: 2/5
The widowed Melanie Laidlaw is the director of a foundation that supports research in reproduction. Menachem Dvir is a married nuclear engineer living in Israel. They meet at a conference and are immediately drawn to one another. Djerassi explores the themes of scientific ethics, sex, and nuclear proliferation in this novel about the dilemmas that advancement of science places us in.
This book had a lot of potential. Djerassi's writing style is good, but he weaves too many divergent themes into a novel and barely skims the surface of any of them. I picked this book for my Book A Month challenge theme because one of the themes was the Melanie's desire to become a mother and the lengths that she went to achieve that goal. This theme could have made a great novel, but instead it was compromised by the other avenues that Djerassi chose to explore.
Next up: The Warden
18/50 books read
6600/15000 pages read
(x-posted)
- Mood:
thoughtful
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
Fiction; Contemporary Literature
This brilliant, stark apocalyptic tale takes the reader on an emotionally harrowing journey through the bleakest and darkest of landscapes, both of the physical and the mental, but somehow never loses the light of humanity and hope that glimmers deep within those who struggle to remember such virtues.
Cormac McCarthy
Fiction; Contemporary Literature
This brilliant, stark apocalyptic tale takes the reader on an emotionally harrowing journey through the bleakest and darkest of landscapes, both of the physical and the mental, but somehow never loses the light of humanity and hope that glimmers deep within those who struggle to remember such virtues.
The world has, literally, turned to ashes, the land charred, wasted, and dotted with skeleton corpses and the dusty remains of civilization. A man and his young son, whose names we never learn, are pushing their way south, consumed utterly by the struggle to stay alive. They are freezing, starving, and sick. Brief glimpses into the past give us precious few details about what happened to the world and to the other people in their lives, but what little we're told is enough to chill the blood. Although the world's population has been largely decimated, the man and boy are not the only ones left alive. There are a few like them - the half dead, hollow-eyed survivors, but there are also roving bands of beings who were once like us but who have no human left in them now, and know only savagery. The father keeps his weakened, questioning son heartened by the mantra that he and the boy are "the good guys", goodness being the only thing to separate from those who steal and kill to stay alive. The father knows better, of course, that no one is 'good' or 'evil' anymore, but he also knows that this spark of salvation is what keeps the boy alive and hopeful. It is that determination to protect the boy from spiritual devastation that makes this story so powerful, as well as the evocative language, which leaps out from the page when you least expect it, like the man's private thought that 'All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain.'
The Road won the Pulitzer Prize for 2007, and McCarthy is also the author of No Country for Old Men.
Book: #8
Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Rating: 5/5
Pages: ?
Genre: Novel - Fiction
Excellent book. I've been wanting to read it for years and regret not picking it up at a Border's Outlet once when I saw it on clearance. Then, once Oprah got her Book Club fingers on it, it was impossible to find. Finally I picked it up used. It's been laying around the house but I decided to give it a look and I didn't put it down until the next morning.
Book: #9
Title: Quest for a Maid
Author: Frances Mary Hendry
Rating: 3/5
Pages: ?
Genre: Children's Historical Fantasy
Written for ages 9-13 based on facts surrounding the death of Alexander, King of Scotland and the fight of right to ascend the throne, eventually falling to Robert the Bruce. This story is about a three youths caught up in the tumultuous events of those years. Magic, shipwrecks, a witch trial, misadventures, misunderstandings, a princess who does not want to be queen tossed in among the day to day living of that time period.
Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Rating: 5/5
Pages: ?
Genre: Novel - Fiction
Excellent book. I've been wanting to read it for years and regret not picking it up at a Border's Outlet once when I saw it on clearance. Then, once Oprah got her Book Club fingers on it, it was impossible to find. Finally I picked it up used. It's been laying around the house but I decided to give it a look and I didn't put it down until the next morning.
Book: #9
Title: Quest for a Maid
Author: Frances Mary Hendry
Rating: 3/5
Pages: ?
Genre: Children's Historical Fantasy
Written for ages 9-13 based on facts surrounding the death of Alexander, King of Scotland and the fight of right to ascend the throne, eventually falling to Robert the Bruce. This story is about a three youths caught up in the tumultuous events of those years. Magic, shipwrecks, a witch trial, misadventures, misunderstandings, a princess who does not want to be queen tossed in among the day to day living of that time period.
- Location:Somewhere West of the Rising Sun
- Mood:
tired - Music:Morning Birds
Books 1-4; Books 5-8; Books 9-12; Books 13-16; Books 17-19; Books 20-22
23. The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle - Catherine Webb
Cute book. After the first two pages I gagged the little over-analytical, ultracritical know-it-all in my brain and sat back to enjoy this book. Horatio Lyle is a ... eh, he likes to blow things up, basically. But now and then and not-so-voluntarily - because blowing things up is more fun - he engages himself as a sleuth, if the police is at a loss that is. Classical detective story setting (in the London of the 19th century!). And one can undeniably say that Ms Webb knows whom to pay respect to. Well, at least she knows, though I'm not so sure about the respect, which the following excerpt quite clearly shows. ( Not for die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans, though. ) Aw, so much glee in that. ;) So Horatio is summoned before Lord Lincoln's 'calculating mind' and is told that he has the 'honour' to serve the Empire by bringing back an ancient plate which has been stolen from the Bank of England recently. Together with Tess, a cheeky ex-thief, and Thomas, a Young Man of Really Important Descent, he pounces on to the investigations, but soon he has to realize that there are dangerous forces at work who don't care about a human life. The book is fun to read. Neither the plot nor the setting is all too imaginative, but it's charmingly written and the characters are loveable, especially Tess. Only Thomas seemed to be a plot-only character, because the only reason for him being there is his Really Important Descent which opens doors normally closed to Normal People Without Really Important Descent. That is negligible and so is the fact that I totally didn't buy the supernatural aspects of the plot. The sheer cuteness makes up for it, as well as the hilarious phrases the authors uses, my favourite being "clouds raced along like frightened fish, trying to pretend they hadn't been there [...]". I love such imaginative, pictorial use of language; it takes guts to use unusual stylistic devices and it doesn't always work, but in this case it definitely did.
24. The Italien or the Confessional of the Black Penitents - Ann Ward Radcliffe
Ellena (the Very Pure Maiden) and Vincentio di Vivaldi (the Very Heroic Hero) are madly in love with each other. Sadly, and to my utter surprise, Vivaldi's parents are against the marriage and want to prevent it at all costs. Which brings the eerie monk Schedoni (the Very Villainous Villain) on the scene, who spins a web of intrigues with his mad villainous villain intrigue skillz. But Ellena and Vincention refuse to give up on each other, so that they are now hunted through 18th century Italy which seems to be cramped with sinister monks, bigoted abesses, unscrupulous assassins and merciless inquisitors. While Ann Radcliffe certainly has a knack for atmosphere, this book didn't work for me. Though I found myself ridiculously amused by it at some parts, it's probably just too old to have another effect upon me than this mild amusement. The setting was beautiful and well done, the landscape as well as the dire dungeons, but nothing more, and of course I couldn't see all those absolutely shocking revelations coming. Not at all. Only from miles away. Schedoni is a pretty amazing villain, though, with his luciferean viciousness. If you're stuck with stereotyped characters, the bad guys are certainly more entertaining than the good guys.
I cheered for Schedoni. :P
25. Brigitta - Adalbert Stifter
Not such a big fan of Adalbert Stifter (Austrian writer of the 19th century). In 12th grade we read a text by him about a solar eclipse; after two passages, I got distracted and started doodling on my notepad. Since my grandma gave me a copy for Christmas and it's her favourite book, I gave Brigitta a go nevertheless, mainly because I didn't want to lie at her if she asked me about it. There's not so much to say about the content of this short novel itself other than it didn't particularly impress nor annoy me. The Romantic narrative provides for a whole lot of atmospheric nature descriptions, the oak tree they used to hang people as the most striking example. About the short novel there's a lot to say however. My copy had to different editions of the book, the original one from 1844 and another one, edited by Stifter himself, from 1847. (Funny story - they were set parallel in my copy, that is, one page, one edition, next page, second edition. I didn't realize that when I started reading and it amazed me greatly that a sentence on one page didn't get continued on the next one. 'Seems like good ol' Stifter had an avant-garde phase back then' ... well, not really.) Even though there's only a three year difference between the two of them, the style greatly differs. While the first takes all his examples and circuitous explanations out of the domestic life, the second prefers reserved abstraction to dominate in the narrative style. It just struck me odd. Why such a radical change? I know that perfectionism can lead to very avid revision, but this seems like, you know, writing a whole new book.
26. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
I seem to have a certain twisted fascination for novels about marriage. Everytime I read one, I swear it will be the last one, but only a couple of months later I find myself reading another one. I'm not sure how to rate this one; on the one hand it wasn't exactly exciting, on the other hand I started secretly rooting for Newland/Ellen. Anyway, the book is set in 19th century New York. Newland Archer is soon going to be happily married to his innocent sweetheart May - or at least he thinks so. But then the unconventional Ellen Olenska suddenly appears, on the run from a desastrous marriage in Europa, and then everything is different. Newland finds himself invariably drawn to Ellen, who shows him a whole new world behind his uptight New York upper class horizon. But when they discover their mutual love for each other, it might already be too late ... At the beginning, the bold irony points out the theme of the book, 'society sucks' that is. Although this was very kind, I think I would have gotten it on my own, thank you very much, and was quite glad when the narrator put down that oh-so-ironical attitude. The main problem, or rather the thing that bugged me through all the 300 or so pages was that nothing ever happened. The characters were always on the verge of doing something, but somehow they never actually did something. That might even be intentional, but after a while it's just annoying. But - call me sentimental and overly romantic - I liked the scenes with Ellen and Newland alone; their relationship is decribed in such a tender, respectful way: ( Hey, I need an equal substitute for not reading Nicholas Sparks! )
23. The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle - Catherine Webb
Cute book. After the first two pages I gagged the little over-analytical, ultracritical know-it-all in my brain and sat back to enjoy this book. Horatio Lyle is a ... eh, he likes to blow things up, basically. But now and then and not-so-voluntarily - because blowing things up is more fun - he engages himself as a sleuth, if the police is at a loss that is. Classical detective story setting (in the London of the 19th century!). And one can undeniably say that Ms Webb knows whom to pay respect to. Well, at least she knows, though I'm not so sure about the respect, which the following excerpt quite clearly shows. ( Not for die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans, though. ) Aw, so much glee in that. ;) So Horatio is summoned before Lord Lincoln's 'calculating mind' and is told that he has the 'honour' to serve the Empire by bringing back an ancient plate which has been stolen from the Bank of England recently. Together with Tess, a cheeky ex-thief, and Thomas, a Young Man of Really Important Descent, he pounces on to the investigations, but soon he has to realize that there are dangerous forces at work who don't care about a human life. The book is fun to read. Neither the plot nor the setting is all too imaginative, but it's charmingly written and the characters are loveable, especially Tess. Only Thomas seemed to be a plot-only character, because the only reason for him being there is his Really Important Descent which opens doors normally closed to Normal People Without Really Important Descent. That is negligible and so is the fact that I totally didn't buy the supernatural aspects of the plot. The sheer cuteness makes up for it, as well as the hilarious phrases the authors uses, my favourite being "clouds raced along like frightened fish, trying to pretend they hadn't been there [...]". I love such imaginative, pictorial use of language; it takes guts to use unusual stylistic devices and it doesn't always work, but in this case it definitely did.
24. The Italien or the Confessional of the Black Penitents - Ann Ward Radcliffe
Ellena (the Very Pure Maiden) and Vincentio di Vivaldi (the Very Heroic Hero) are madly in love with each other. Sadly, and to my utter surprise, Vivaldi's parents are against the marriage and want to prevent it at all costs. Which brings the eerie monk Schedoni (the Very Villainous Villain) on the scene, who spins a web of intrigues with his mad villainous villain intrigue skillz. But Ellena and Vincention refuse to give up on each other, so that they are now hunted through 18th century Italy which seems to be cramped with sinister monks, bigoted abesses, unscrupulous assassins and merciless inquisitors. While Ann Radcliffe certainly has a knack for atmosphere, this book didn't work for me. Though I found myself ridiculously amused by it at some parts, it's probably just too old to have another effect upon me than this mild amusement. The setting was beautiful and well done, the landscape as well as the dire dungeons, but nothing more, and of course I couldn't see all those absolutely shocking revelations coming. Not at all. Only from miles away. Schedoni is a pretty amazing villain, though, with his luciferean viciousness. If you're stuck with stereotyped characters, the bad guys are certainly more entertaining than the good guys.
I cheered for Schedoni. :P
25. Brigitta - Adalbert Stifter
Not such a big fan of Adalbert Stifter (Austrian writer of the 19th century). In 12th grade we read a text by him about a solar eclipse; after two passages, I got distracted and started doodling on my notepad. Since my grandma gave me a copy for Christmas and it's her favourite book, I gave Brigitta a go nevertheless, mainly because I didn't want to lie at her if she asked me about it. There's not so much to say about the content of this short novel itself other than it didn't particularly impress nor annoy me. The Romantic narrative provides for a whole lot of atmospheric nature descriptions, the oak tree they used to hang people as the most striking example. About the short novel there's a lot to say however. My copy had to different editions of the book, the original one from 1844 and another one, edited by Stifter himself, from 1847. (Funny story - they were set parallel in my copy, that is, one page, one edition, next page, second edition. I didn't realize that when I started reading and it amazed me greatly that a sentence on one page didn't get continued on the next one. 'Seems like good ol' Stifter had an avant-garde phase back then' ... well, not really.) Even though there's only a three year difference between the two of them, the style greatly differs. While the first takes all his examples and circuitous explanations out of the domestic life, the second prefers reserved abstraction to dominate in the narrative style. It just struck me odd. Why such a radical change? I know that perfectionism can lead to very avid revision, but this seems like, you know, writing a whole new book.
26. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
I seem to have a certain twisted fascination for novels about marriage. Everytime I read one, I swear it will be the last one, but only a couple of months later I find myself reading another one. I'm not sure how to rate this one; on the one hand it wasn't exactly exciting, on the other hand I started secretly rooting for Newland/Ellen. Anyway, the book is set in 19th century New York. Newland Archer is soon going to be happily married to his innocent sweetheart May - or at least he thinks so. But then the unconventional Ellen Olenska suddenly appears, on the run from a desastrous marriage in Europa, and then everything is different. Newland finds himself invariably drawn to Ellen, who shows him a whole new world behind his uptight New York upper class horizon. But when they discover their mutual love for each other, it might already be too late ... At the beginning, the bold irony points out the theme of the book, 'society sucks' that is. Although this was very kind, I think I would have gotten it on my own, thank you very much, and was quite glad when the narrator put down that oh-so-ironical attitude. The main problem, or rather the thing that bugged me through all the 300 or so pages was that nothing ever happened. The characters were always on the verge of doing something, but somehow they never actually did something. That might even be intentional, but after a while it's just annoying. But - call me sentimental and overly romantic - I liked the scenes with Ellen and Newland alone; their relationship is decribed in such a tender, respectful way: ( Hey, I need an equal substitute for not reading Nicholas Sparks! )
8. Making Waves - David Hasselhoff
Summary from play.com Making Waves follows Hasselhoff's acting career from his early childhood role in Peter Pan to his highly acclaimed performance in Chicago in London's West End, and his new TV triumph in Simon Cowell's America's Got Talent. The wealth of inside information includes untold stories of his first marriage and his life as a TV star in Knight Rider and Baywatch. At times deeply personal, it also reveals his fight against drink that nearly drove him to destruction and the devastating motorbike accident in which his second wife Pamela was badly injured. The conclusion covers the reasons for the breakdown of their marriage. Described as a 'living legend', this fascinating book gives a new and moving insight into what it means to be the most watched TV star in the world.
Ok, I actually only wanted this book because I thought it would be pretty bad and I wanted to see just how bad. Boy, was I wrong. The Hoff really goes into great detail about things, even pin-pointing specific episodes and events down to a tee. He also appears to be a genuinely nice guy, who's calling in life is to help others. I was a bit disappointed that he seemed to come across as a slight ego-maniac and that he didn't really go into a lot of detail about his drink problem, which to be honest is evident throughout the book. I was quite surprised by the amount of religious references he made, as he never strikes me as the type of person to be overly religious. I'd say give this book a go as it is actually quite good (and don't feel too sad that you can remember a lot of the episodes of Baywatch he writes about!)
Summary from play.com Making Waves follows Hasselhoff's acting career from his early childhood role in Peter Pan to his highly acclaimed performance in Chicago in London's West End, and his new TV triumph in Simon Cowell's America's Got Talent. The wealth of inside information includes untold stories of his first marriage and his life as a TV star in Knight Rider and Baywatch. At times deeply personal, it also reveals his fight against drink that nearly drove him to destruction and the devastating motorbike accident in which his second wife Pamela was badly injured. The conclusion covers the reasons for the breakdown of their marriage. Described as a 'living legend', this fascinating book gives a new and moving insight into what it means to be the most watched TV star in the world.
Ok, I actually only wanted this book because I thought it would be pretty bad and I wanted to see just how bad. Boy, was I wrong. The Hoff really goes into great detail about things, even pin-pointing specific episodes and events down to a tee. He also appears to be a genuinely nice guy, who's calling in life is to help others. I was a bit disappointed that he seemed to come across as a slight ego-maniac and that he didn't really go into a lot of detail about his drink problem, which to be honest is evident throughout the book. I was quite surprised by the amount of religious references he made, as he never strikes me as the type of person to be overly religious. I'd say give this book a go as it is actually quite good (and don't feel too sad that you can remember a lot of the episodes of Baywatch he writes about!)
- Mood:
happy
 |
Author: Peter Ackroyd, 2008.
Genre: Biography. Literature History.
Other details: London: Chatto & Windus, 170 pages.
I sought out this book after reading
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
brisingamen's recent review. As she had provided a very comprehensive summary of its contents, I won't repeat here but direct others to her review and only share my thoughts on it below. I hadn't really been aware of the details of Poe's life before reading this short biography. As with other of Ackroyd's 'Short Lives' series he manages to provide a comprehensive life sketch without becoming so bogged down in the minutia of the subject's life that it became boring for the casual reader. Poe enthusiasts probably wanted more but there are undoubtedly many longer biographies existing that fulfil this need.
I came away from this biography feeling much as
brisingamen had. That is, some surprise that Edgar Allan Poe had managed to survive to the age of 40. Yet with Melancholia as his Muse perhaps this was to be expected. I had to wonder if he had not been so tormented would he have burned so bright? Without those inner demons that led him to drink himself into oblivion he might not have made the impact he subsequently did upon literature and other arts. His personality and the themes of his works seem so wedded together that his name has become synonymous with the macabre and gothic.Aside from the biographical aspects, Ackroyd briefly explores the impact Poe had upon other writers; being hailed by Arthur Conan Doyle as the 'Father' of the detective story and cited by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells as an important influence upon their writings. Due to my studies in art history I was already aware that the French poet, Charles Baudelaire, was obsessed with Poe and that Stéphane Mallarmé held his poetry in high esteem. Poe's engagement with themes of love, death, melancholia and decadence made him perfect to be hailed as a prophet by the Symbolists and also embraced by the Surrealists. I found it poignant that Ackroyd pointed out that it was in these later writers and thinkers, who recognised Poe's genius and were inspired by his writings, that he had at last found his true family.
A worthwhile read though slightly disappointed that while it did have a bibliography that there were no footnotes. Still as it was marketed as a popular biography and not an academic work this is understandable. Overall I found that I was more interested in the influence of Poe's writings than in his life and so have requested a copy of The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe from my local library.
24) Dead Silence by Brenda Novak
I don't read romantic suspense, and I don't think I will again. I don't like the feeling of waiting the entire book for something bad to happen. As for the setting of this book - Stillwater, Mississippi? It has a lot annoying, unpleasant people in high concentrations. Something must be in the water. Probably the body of the reverent who has been missing for over a decade.
The book follows Grace and her return to Stillwater, a town that abused and traumatized her. Even with a successful career, she can't get over the demons of her past. Namely, a night when she was thirteen when her stepfather, the reverend, vanished. No one else in town can let that go because they suspect Grace's family had something to do with it. They are right. But the exact circumstances of that night remain a mystery for most of the book.
The romance in the book is straightforward. The widowed and wealthy Kennedy falls for Grace, but she rebuts him, thinking that her associating with him will hurt his political career. They do make a decent couple, mainly because they are the only intelligent and decent people in the entire town. The sex scenes are very light and not graphic at all, which is fine. But there is something really aggravating when after two times in bed together - sneaking around - Grace speaks of how they shouldn't use protection because she wants his baby. Brain... cells... rotting. I hate it when women do that in books! It's just stupid and cliche and unrealistic! I know it's supposed to emphasize their true wuv and how they are destined to be together forever, but at that point I pretty much lost the remaining respect I had for this book.
Someone, please annihilate the little fictional town of Stillwater. It clearly did not pass the existence litmus test, and should be destroyed.
I don't read romantic suspense, and I don't think I will again. I don't like the feeling of waiting the entire book for something bad to happen. As for the setting of this book - Stillwater, Mississippi? It has a lot annoying, unpleasant people in high concentrations. Something must be in the water. Probably the body of the reverent who has been missing for over a decade.
The book follows Grace and her return to Stillwater, a town that abused and traumatized her. Even with a successful career, she can't get over the demons of her past. Namely, a night when she was thirteen when her stepfather, the reverend, vanished. No one else in town can let that go because they suspect Grace's family had something to do with it. They are right. But the exact circumstances of that night remain a mystery for most of the book.
The romance in the book is straightforward. The widowed and wealthy Kennedy falls for Grace, but she rebuts him, thinking that her associating with him will hurt his political career. They do make a decent couple, mainly because they are the only intelligent and decent people in the entire town. The sex scenes are very light and not graphic at all, which is fine. But there is something really aggravating when after two times in bed together - sneaking around - Grace speaks of how they shouldn't use protection because she wants his baby. Brain... cells... rotting. I hate it when women do that in books! It's just stupid and cliche and unrealistic! I know it's supposed to emphasize their true wuv and how they are destined to be together forever, but at that point I pretty much lost the remaining respect I had for this book.
Someone, please annihilate the little fictional town of Stillwater. It clearly did not pass the existence litmus test, and should be destroyed.
- Mood:
cranky
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
Second time around. It felt like a much lighter read this time as I had first read this a few years ago – not surprising really. I still enjoy Brennan’s writing, so I’m looking forward to re-reading the rest in anticipation of the final book in the series: Faerie Lord
Purple Emperor by Herbie Brennan
As stated above, this is also the second time I’ve read this book. I felt that I needed a refresher on the series before I read the final book.
If you haven't read Brennan's stuff before, and you're into Faerie stories, I recommend giving this series a go.
Second time around. It felt like a much lighter read this time as I had first read this a few years ago – not surprising really. I still enjoy Brennan’s writing, so I’m looking forward to re-reading the rest in anticipation of the final book in the series: Faerie Lord
Purple Emperor by Herbie Brennan
As stated above, this is also the second time I’ve read this book. I felt that I needed a refresher on the series before I read the final book.
If you haven't read Brennan's stuff before, and you're into Faerie stories, I recommend giving this series a go.
16. Such a Pretty Fat, by Jen Lancaster. She has three books out and I've enjoyed all of them. They're basically humor books, but each one has some kind of storyline/theme. This one is about losing weight and coming to terms with adulthood. Definitely light reading I'd recommend to anyone. A lot of funny women fill their books with little jokes about how fat or ugly or awkward they are, but Lancaster always makes it clear that even while she pokes fun at herself she has great self-esteem. I especially appreciated this in a diet memoir.
17. God on Trial, by Peter Irons. This one's obviously more serious than book 16. Irons specializes in constitutional law, and this book discusses six recent cases dealing with separation of church and state. Irons is definitely for separation, but really doesn't talk about his own opinions much. He tells us the facts in each case, details the various judgments and appeals, explains the basic arguments of each side, and has people on each side of the debate tell their stories. Most of the cases were exciting if you're into courtroom drama, and I liked reading the stories and opinions of actual people involved in the court cases. This book deals with a really controversial subject in a mostly uncontroversial way--I went in really agreeing with one side of this debate and ended up with a lot more understanding and sympathy for the other side than I thought I would.
17. God on Trial, by Peter Irons. This one's obviously more serious than book 16. Irons specializes in constitutional law, and this book discusses six recent cases dealing with separation of church and state. Irons is definitely for separation, but really doesn't talk about his own opinions much. He tells us the facts in each case, details the various judgments and appeals, explains the basic arguments of each side, and has people on each side of the debate tell their stories. Most of the cases were exciting if you're into courtroom drama, and I liked reading the stories and opinions of actual people involved in the court cases. This book deals with a really controversial subject in a mostly uncontroversial way--I went in really agreeing with one side of this debate and ended up with a lot more understanding and sympathy for the other side than I thought I would.
- Mood: impressed
After all the hype I had heard about this novel, it honestly didn't impress me that much. I pride myself on the fact that I read a lot of South Asian fiction, and so I feel pretty familiar with the genre. This one seemed too generic - it had a storyline that I feel like I've essentially read before.
Ali's writing was nice, but I found myself constantly wanting more out of her characters. It wasn't a bad read, but it didn't really end up impressing me.
3/5
4,766/15,000 = 31.77% of the pages
21/50 = 42% of the books
36.98% of the way through the year
Ali's writing was nice, but I found myself constantly wanting more out of her characters. It wasn't a bad read, but it didn't really end up impressing me.
3/5
4,766/15,000 = 31.77% of the pages
21/50 = 42% of the books
36.98% of the way through the year
21 is All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris. I finally caught up with this series, which I recommend to anyone who is into the vampire/were thing, and found that the next book came out this month. Fortunately, I received it yesterday as a gift, and now am able to completely catch up.
So I am halfway through my goal of the year of 60 books. I finished books 29, 30 and 31 over the weekend...with lots more to come. So over the last week and a half I have finished...
29.) Love's Long Journey - Janette Oke...207 pages.
I loved this book. There is such a contrast from the movie that it was nothing like I what I expected it to be like. Like the rest of the series it follows the religious theme and it follows Missy and new husband Willie through their travels and their first few winters in the west alone. Touching indeed. New friends, new family and new life make up this book.
30.) Love's Abiding Joy - Janette Oke...217 pages.
I am still ovewhelmed by the contrast these books have to the movies but I love them all the same. In this book Clark and Marty visit Missy and Willie in the west. Tragedy strikes and delays their journey home. I laughed out loud and cried through out this book. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I highly suggest this eight book series as I am growing to love them more than any other series and I am only halfway through the series.
31.) Atonement - Ian McEwan...351 pages.
Ok so honestly, I loved the idea of the book but I wasn't thrilled with reading it. I don't like books with a ton of monotonous details in them so it kind of drug on for me. I loved the beginning but then it got into the war and all that and I kind of lost interest. I loved the book don't get me wrong but I would rather see the movie any day.
Anyways, here is what I am currently reading and what I plan to read next...
Currently...
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (still on hold for now)
Anthony & Cleopatra - William Shakespeare (literally just started this book).
Next...
Isaiah for Airheads - John Bytheway
Othello -William Shakespeare
Mermaids in the Basement - Michael Lee West
Books Read: 31
Pages Read: 11490
29.) Love's Long Journey - Janette Oke...207 pages.
I loved this book. There is such a contrast from the movie that it was nothing like I what I expected it to be like. Like the rest of the series it follows the religious theme and it follows Missy and new husband Willie through their travels and their first few winters in the west alone. Touching indeed. New friends, new family and new life make up this book.
30.) Love's Abiding Joy - Janette Oke...217 pages.
I am still ovewhelmed by the contrast these books have to the movies but I love them all the same. In this book Clark and Marty visit Missy and Willie in the west. Tragedy strikes and delays their journey home. I laughed out loud and cried through out this book. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I highly suggest this eight book series as I am growing to love them more than any other series and I am only halfway through the series.
31.) Atonement - Ian McEwan...351 pages.
Ok so honestly, I loved the idea of the book but I wasn't thrilled with reading it. I don't like books with a ton of monotonous details in them so it kind of drug on for me. I loved the beginning but then it got into the war and all that and I kind of lost interest. I loved the book don't get me wrong but I would rather see the movie any day.
Anyways, here is what I am currently reading and what I plan to read next...
Currently...
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (still on hold for now)
Anthony & Cleopatra - William Shakespeare (literally just started this book).
Next...
Isaiah for Airheads - John Bytheway
Othello -William Shakespeare
Mermaids in the Basement - Michael Lee West
Books Read: 31
Pages Read: 11490
- Location:My room
- Music:Across the Universe Soundtrack --Dear Prudence
Every once in a while I feel an urge to do a little write-up celebration of a favorite book, series or author, and right now I feel compelled to pay homage to ‘cozy’ mystery author Carolyn G. Hart and in particular, her ‘Death on Demand’ series. It’s one of my very favorites and I love to go back and re-read them over and over again.
For those who don’t know what a ‘cozy’ is, the term defines a sub-category of the mystery genre and refers to mysteries in which the sleuth is not a professional – i.e., not a police / homicide detective, investigator, etc. Mystery queen Agatha Christie made the ‘cozy’ mystery most popular with her Miss Marple series.
For those who don’t know what a ‘cozy’ is, the term defines a sub-category of the mystery genre and refers to mysteries in which the sleuth is not a professional – i.e., not a police / homicide detective, investigator, etc. Mystery queen Agatha Christie made the ‘cozy’ mystery most popular with her Miss Marple series.
There are currently 18 books in the DoD series,
( Read more... )
BOOK 2:
Title: Chuck Palahniuk - Fight Club
Genre: Satire
Published: 1996
Summary: Rule number one: you don't talk about Fight Club.
My thoughts: I saw the movie a few years ago, and now that I finally got my hands on the novel, I decided to read it. I also enjoyed Palahniuk's Choke very much; he's one of my favourite authors. Fight Club didn't let me down, and I think I might have to watch the movie again, as well.
4/5
BOOK 3:
Title: Karin Slaughter - Faithless
Genre: Crime/Suspense
Published: 2005
Summary: The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods -- then killed in a horrifying fashion.
My thoughts: I've loved Karin Slaughter's work since I first read Blindsighted; I love her portrayal of the characters and the detailed descriptions of the murders. I didn't enjoy this title quite as much as Blindsighted or Faint Cold Fear, but this was excellent as well.
4/5
BOOK 4:
Title: Steven Pressfield - Gates of Fire
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 1998
Summary: At Thermopylae, the allied Greek nations deployed a small force of between four and seven thousand Greek heavy infantry against the invading Persian army of two million.
My thoughts: Having read the Frank Miller comic 300 and seen the Zack Snyder movie made of it, this book was a must-read for me. The novel tells the story of a Greek man called Xeones, who ends up fighting with Leonidas and his 300. Despite being fiction, Gates of Fire is of course based on true events. Since I'm very interested in ancient Greek culture and history, I found this book very interesting.
5/5
Book One - Rules of Attraction
Title: Chuck Palahniuk - Fight Club
Genre: Satire
Published: 1996
Summary: Rule number one: you don't talk about Fight Club.
My thoughts: I saw the movie a few years ago, and now that I finally got my hands on the novel, I decided to read it. I also enjoyed Palahniuk's Choke very much; he's one of my favourite authors. Fight Club didn't let me down, and I think I might have to watch the movie again, as well.
4/5
BOOK 3:
Title: Karin Slaughter - Faithless
Genre: Crime/Suspense
Published: 2005
Summary: The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods -- then killed in a horrifying fashion.
My thoughts: I've loved Karin Slaughter's work since I first read Blindsighted; I love her portrayal of the characters and the detailed descriptions of the murders. I didn't enjoy this title quite as much as Blindsighted or Faint Cold Fear, but this was excellent as well.
4/5
BOOK 4:
Title: Steven Pressfield - Gates of Fire
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 1998
Summary: At Thermopylae, the allied Greek nations deployed a small force of between four and seven thousand Greek heavy infantry against the invading Persian army of two million.
My thoughts: Having read the Frank Miller comic 300 and seen the Zack Snyder movie made of it, this book was a must-read for me. The novel tells the story of a Greek man called Xeones, who ends up fighting with Leonidas and his 300. Despite being fiction, Gates of Fire is of course based on true events. Since I'm very interested in ancient Greek culture and history, I found this book very interesting.
5/5
Book One - Rules of Attraction
30. The Elizabethan Renaissance: The Life of the Society, by A. L. Rowse. 304 pages. (1971)
Grade: B+
This book meanders through such topics as the court, the gentry, sex, astrology, sport, and food. It covers the entire reign of Elizabeth I, with occasional looks back at the times of her father and peeks forward to the days of James I.
A fun read.
Grade: B+
This book meanders through such topics as the court, the gentry, sex, astrology, sport, and food. It covers the entire reign of Elizabeth I, with occasional looks back at the times of her father and peeks forward to the days of James I.
A fun read.
- Mood:
cold
20. Christopher Isherwood - Lions and Shadows (1938) (312 pp)
This first volume of Isherwood's autobiography deals with his school days and university years, culminating with his decision to leave England for Berlin. Isherwood's engaging prose and charming personality makes this compulsive reading, though he is coyer in this one than the second volume. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was who, given his pseudonyms for people like Auden and Spender who figure prominently. By the publication of the much-later volume any hints of homosexuality, or association with homosexuals, presumably makes discretion less necessary.
21. Christopher Isherwood - Christopher and His Kind (1976) (359 pp)
In the second volume, Isherwood discusses the years in which he truly "found himself", both as a writer and an openly gay man. His years in Berlin are cut short by a nasty failed artist with a small black moustache, and he wanders around Europe with his lover Heinz, spending much of his time trying to find Heinz a new nationality that will allow him to avoid German conscription or possible internment. His encounters with W.H. Auden, E.M. Forster and Stephen Spender make for fascinating reading for anyone interested in literature. This was an engrossing story, and I felt so drawn in by Isherwood's honesty and determination.
22. E.M. Forster - The Longest Journey (1922) (274 pp)
The jacket of this book can trumpet all it wants that this was Forster's personal favourite of his own novels, but this is the second time I've read this and while I will admit it improved on a second reading it is by no means a good Forster novel. The main character, Rickie, is weak and annoyingly idealistic, the plot creaks with sudden deaths and long dull stretches, and one longs for the "longest journey" to stop. (On the other hand, I should note that Forster as he appears in Isherwood's books was an absolute sweetheart!)
22/50=44%
6258 pp.
This first volume of Isherwood's autobiography deals with his school days and university years, culminating with his decision to leave England for Berlin. Isherwood's engaging prose and charming personality makes this compulsive reading, though he is coyer in this one than the second volume. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was who, given his pseudonyms for people like Auden and Spender who figure prominently. By the publication of the much-later volume any hints of homosexuality, or association with homosexuals, presumably makes discretion less necessary.
21. Christopher Isherwood - Christopher and His Kind (1976) (359 pp)
In the second volume, Isherwood discusses the years in which he truly "found himself", both as a writer and an openly gay man. His years in Berlin are cut short by a nasty failed artist with a small black moustache, and he wanders around Europe with his lover Heinz, spending much of his time trying to find Heinz a new nationality that will allow him to avoid German conscription or possible internment. His encounters with W.H. Auden, E.M. Forster and Stephen Spender make for fascinating reading for anyone interested in literature. This was an engrossing story, and I felt so drawn in by Isherwood's honesty and determination.
22. E.M. Forster - The Longest Journey (1922) (274 pp)
The jacket of this book can trumpet all it wants that this was Forster's personal favourite of his own novels, but this is the second time I've read this and while I will admit it improved on a second reading it is by no means a good Forster novel. The main character, Rickie, is weak and annoyingly idealistic, the plot creaks with sudden deaths and long dull stretches, and one longs for the "longest journey" to stop. (On the other hand, I should note that Forster as he appears in Isherwood's books was an absolute sweetheart!)
22/50=44%
6258 pp.
54. The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton
I've hoped for some time that Hamilton would get back to the roots of this series and return to a more supernatural mystery style of story rather than the metaphysical pornfest that the last few books have been.
This book may not quite fulfil that hope, but I'd definitely call it a step in the right direction. There's still a fair amount of sex, but it's all relevant to the plot and there's a lot more actual plot going on this time too.
Richard starts off this book by actually being more reasonable than he has for several books but ends up reverting to being a total arse. He's easily the most annoying character in the whole series, and it's a pity that Hamilton has effectively written herself into a corner when it comes to killing him off.
On the whole though, this is the best book in this series for some time and hope we get more in this vein...
I've hoped for some time that Hamilton would get back to the roots of this series and return to a more supernatural mystery style of story rather than the metaphysical pornfest that the last few books have been.
This book may not quite fulfil that hope, but I'd definitely call it a step in the right direction. There's still a fair amount of sex, but it's all relevant to the plot and there's a lot more actual plot going on this time too.
Richard starts off this book by actually being more reasonable than he has for several books but ends up reverting to being a total arse. He's easily the most annoying character in the whole series, and it's a pity that Hamilton has effectively written herself into a corner when it comes to killing him off.
On the whole though, this is the best book in this series for some time and hope we get more in this vein...
The Bishop at the Lake, by Andrew M. Greeley
I'm not sure if I'm getting more demanding or if these aren't as good as they used to be - or maybe it's got more to do with the circumstances under which I was reading this one ... but even still, it was a fun, quick read, very good for shutting out the last couple of very stressful days in 15-30 minute snatches. Even when I'm a little frustrated with certain aspects of his writing, I still feel very happy reading it.
(76/300)
I'm not sure if I'm getting more demanding or if these aren't as good as they used to be - or maybe it's got more to do with the circumstances under which I was reading this one ... but even still, it was a fun, quick read, very good for shutting out the last couple of very stressful days in 15-30 minute snatches. Even when I'm a little frustrated with certain aspects of his writing, I still feel very happy reading it.
(76/300)
- Mood:tired and charmed
- Music:"I Like to Move It Move It"
Books 1-4; Books 5-8; Books 9-12; Books 13-16; Books 17-19
20. The Museum of Silence (Chinmoku hakubutsukan) - Yôko Ogawa
An old woman who steals memorabilia of recently deceased. A young man who gets hired to create a museum out of these memorabilias. A book which takes you into a world so strange, frightening and at the same time intriguing that I can't really put it into words. Reading it feels like dreaming, as if you were at a peaceful place and then you make the unsettling discovery that you can't even control your own actions anymore. I felt thoroughly, but subtly manipulated by this book, and loved every minute of it. Rather curious considering the narration is very matter-of-fact, almost impersonal (none of the characters has a name), but pays great attention to details, to colours, odours, the shape of things, small movements, wordless messages. I could picture the huge and lonely villa where the story takes place, hear the old woman telling the young man the stories of people who died long ago, and feel the subtle force drawing him deeper and deeper into this enchanted world of memories and silence. As you have probably guessed from this review, this book is not recommendable for people who seek plot and action, but for those who appreciate the beauty of language and the magic of words.
Apparently there is no English translation yet. The title is a translation from German and behind it in the brackets there is the romanized original title.
21. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
I read that book because I wanted to know about what everyone was making such a fuss - and honestly: it's overrated, in my opinion. I mean, a novel that "challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil"? "A punchy allegory that alludes to everything from Nazi Germany to Nixon's America"? ... Come on. This is clearly one of those cases where the high praise leads to you having such high standards that you can't appreciate the book even if it is, in fact, good. Just not that good. So there's a thin line between good and evil; good intensions don't invariably lead to good deeds; 'evil' has its reasons, and 'good' can be shallow and vane. Now that's astonishing news. And where exactly was the challenge again? There is too much common consent about that to really make you think, even if or precisely because you kind of agree on that matter.
Despite of this consensus bug, I fairly enjoyed Wicked, though the repeatedly abrupt change of the point of view and the setting was annoying. It impeded the reading flow and prevented you from getting to know a character you were interested in or could relate to better. Which is a shame because especially Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was a character I could greatly sympathize with. She's strong, opinionated, socially awkward, and in a very brambly way charming - what's not to love about such a woman? Though I can definitely see some people complaining how the author put the whole children's book world of L. Frank Baum in an adult context - but I must admit that I never liked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as much as to be bothered by that. (And the movie gives me the creeps.) For my first shot at fantasy in a long time - Terry Pratchett doesn't count, I read him for other reasons - it was entertainingly enough. I even got this feeling I had back then when I read almost only fantasy, that feeling to delve into another world full of strange and unknown creatures, magical and wondrous places and a sheer endless amount of possibilities.
22. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
I think there's no need to explain the plot, because I feel as if I'm the last person on earth to read this book. I was surprised by how much I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's, considering that I was not really into Capote's work so far. Though, come to think of it, I'd probably like him better now anyway than when I was fifteen. I can definitely see different ways to look at this book, but I'm tired and will be content with mentioning only that which is the most important to me: Holly. There are few fictional characters of whom I have a vivid picture in my mind the moment they appear, and whose pictures will stay with me for years and be probably the only thing I remember about the book. Mind you, this is not something bad, the books I like most are those who later make me feel something or see a picture when I think of them. I think Holly will definitely stay with me. She reminded me somehow of Maude ('Harold and Maude'), though those two women couldn't be more different in every aspect of their respective characters. But there is one thing which connects Holly to Maude, and that is the fact that we all need at a certain point in our life a Holly. At least I do. But I also think I've found my Holly already. :P I'm not talking about Audrey Hepburn in a slinky dress - though that would be welcome, too - but about the Holly type, the fun-loving, outgoing and yet searching person whose mere presence makes you in love with life again: ( 'See?' she shouted. 'It's great!' )
20. The Museum of Silence (Chinmoku hakubutsukan) - Yôko Ogawa
An old woman who steals memorabilia of recently deceased. A young man who gets hired to create a museum out of these memorabilias. A book which takes you into a world so strange, frightening and at the same time intriguing that I can't really put it into words. Reading it feels like dreaming, as if you were at a peaceful place and then you make the unsettling discovery that you can't even control your own actions anymore. I felt thoroughly, but subtly manipulated by this book, and loved every minute of it. Rather curious considering the narration is very matter-of-fact, almost impersonal (none of the characters has a name), but pays great attention to details, to colours, odours, the shape of things, small movements, wordless messages. I could picture the huge and lonely villa where the story takes place, hear the old woman telling the young man the stories of people who died long ago, and feel the subtle force drawing him deeper and deeper into this enchanted world of memories and silence. As you have probably guessed from this review, this book is not recommendable for people who seek plot and action, but for those who appreciate the beauty of language and the magic of words.
Apparently there is no English translation yet. The title is a translation from German and behind it in the brackets there is the romanized original title.
21. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
I read that book because I wanted to know about what everyone was making such a fuss - and honestly: it's overrated, in my opinion. I mean, a novel that "challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil"? "A punchy allegory that alludes to everything from Nazi Germany to Nixon's America"? ... Come on. This is clearly one of those cases where the high praise leads to you having such high standards that you can't appreciate the book even if it is, in fact, good. Just not that good. So there's a thin line between good and evil; good intensions don't invariably lead to good deeds; 'evil' has its reasons, and 'good' can be shallow and vane. Now that's astonishing news. And where exactly was the challenge again? There is too much common consent about that to really make you think, even if or precisely because you kind of agree on that matter.
Despite of this consensus bug, I fairly enjoyed Wicked, though the repeatedly abrupt change of the point of view and the setting was annoying. It impeded the reading flow and prevented you from getting to know a character you were interested in or could relate to better. Which is a shame because especially Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was a character I could greatly sympathize with. She's strong, opinionated, socially awkward, and in a very brambly way charming - what's not to love about such a woman? Though I can definitely see some people complaining how the author put the whole children's book world of L. Frank Baum in an adult context - but I must admit that I never liked The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as much as to be bothered by that. (And the movie gives me the creeps.) For my first shot at fantasy in a long time - Terry Pratchett doesn't count, I read him for other reasons - it was entertainingly enough. I even got this feeling I had back then when I read almost only fantasy, that feeling to delve into another world full of strange and unknown creatures, magical and wondrous places and a sheer endless amount of possibilities.
22. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
I think there's no need to explain the plot, because I feel as if I'm the last person on earth to read this book. I was surprised by how much I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's, considering that I was not really into Capote's work so far. Though, come to think of it, I'd probably like him better now anyway than when I was fifteen. I can definitely see different ways to look at this book, but I'm tired and will be content with mentioning only that which is the most important to me: Holly. There are few fictional characters of whom I have a vivid picture in my mind the moment they appear, and whose pictures will stay with me for years and be probably the only thing I remember about the book. Mind you, this is not something bad, the books I like most are those who later make me feel something or see a picture when I think of them. I think Holly will definitely stay with me. She reminded me somehow of Maude ('Harold and Maude'), though those two women couldn't be more different in every aspect of their respective characters. But there is one thing which connects Holly to Maude, and that is the fact that we all need at a certain point in our life a Holly. At least I do. But I also think I've found my Holly already. :P I'm not talking about Audrey Hepburn in a slinky dress - though that would be welcome, too - but about the Holly type, the fun-loving, outgoing and yet searching person whose mere presence makes you in love with life again: ( 'See?' she shouted. 'It's great!' )
6) Small Favor - Jim Butcher - 420 pages
New book - 7 out of 10 ( My Review )
Total for the year:
Book count = 6/50, 12% of goal
Page count = 1700/15,000, 11% of goal
Days passed = 134/366, 37% of total
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15000pages and sterlingspider- Mood: sore
- Music:(mentally) Emerson Lake and Palmer - Still You Turn Me On
Title: The Whole Truth
Author: David Baldacci
Rating: 3/5
Book: 21/50 (42% completed)
Pages: 401
Total Pages 7,433/15,000 pages(49.55% completed)
Next up: Sunday's at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Well.....what can I say about this one. Definately not Baldacci's best. I found about three quarters of the book was boring. There were several parts that got really good and I thought the book was finally getting better but then it got boring again. All the action seemed to happen in the last 50 pages. Definately not my favourite.
xposted to
Author: David Baldacci
Rating: 3/5
Book: 21/50 (42% completed)
Pages: 401
Total Pages 7,433/15,000 pages(49.55% completed)
Next up: Sunday's at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Well.....what can I say about this one. Definately not Baldacci's best. I found about three quarters of the book was boring. There were several parts that got really good and I thought the book was finally getting better but then it got boring again. All the action seemed to happen in the last 50 pages. Definately not my favourite.
xposted to