Book Bindings

Drift House: The First Voyage

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:52:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 10-30-08
Author: Dale Peck
Category: Children's fantasy
Published: 2005
Pages: 424
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
In the wake of 9/11, three siblings are sent to live with their uncle on the Bay of Eternity in Canada. But what their parents thought would be safe haven turns out to be a fantastical (and often dangerous) adventure when the Drift House floats out onto the Sea of Time. Susan, Charles and Murray run into pirates, mermaids, talking parrots and extinct species in their quest to return the Drift House back to its original location.

My assessment:
This story is exactly why I love children's fantasy stories. No one thinks a story weird because you can talk to a whale or fly on a carpet. Now, the kids find the Sea of Time a strange place, but they quickly adapt and the reader can enjoy the ride as well. There are all kinds of fantastical creatures to meet and a new world to explore. As is typical with children's fantasy, the adults are either out of the picture, useless or incapacitated, thus requiring the kids to save the day. (I'd like to think with Uncle Farley that it was only the later as I rather liked him and hope he'll have more of a role to play in future installments than just semi-absent caretaker.)

Hey, big surprise - Susan is a practical girl. And Charles is a geek. And Murray is just an annoying little kid. OK, so the characters fortunately prove to have more depth to them than that, and the POV does shift between Susan and Charles nicely, so you get multiple courses of action and thought. These are kids I started to care about and was eager to spend time with.

All in all a great time and I'm looking forward to the next voyage, which is already in my book stack.

Get The Drift House: The First Voyage at Amazon.com.

Wicked

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:07:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 10-25-08
Author: Gregory Maguire
Category: Fantasy
Published: 1995
Pages: 406
Rating: 3/5

Basic Plot:
Dorothy and Toto landed with a boom in Oz, but the real whirlwind in Oz had been going on for years before the pair arrived. Just how did the wicked witch become the wicked witch? Is she even a witch? Is she even evil? It's the "real" story of Oz and the Wicked Witch of the West.

My assessment:
Let's start right here - this is not (not, not, not) a book for children. Don't get fooled by the connection to the Frank Baum books into thinking so. There are adult (very adult) situations and discussions that you don't want to get into with your child. Proceed with caution if you are a prudish reader.

Second caveat - The storyline is only marginally like the Broadway stage production (which has some of the best music ever!), so if that's you're sole exposure to Wicked, again, proceed with caution and make sure your expectations are in line with what will be a new experience.

OK, now that that's out of the way, I had been wanting to read this story long before I ever saw Wicked. (Adore!) And having recently read another book by Maguire, I was eager to tackle this one. Wow. One the one hand, great; on the other, way more than I think I want from my entertainment. The premise of the book arose from discussions Maguire had with others about the nature of evil - where it comes from, what it really is, is it just misunderstanding at the root - and that is a prevalent theme. Reminds me of the children's book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, a reminder that there are two sides to every story and truth is in the eyes of the teller.

That's a lot of philosophy for one piece of literature. So let's ignore that for a minute and just talk story and characters. Maguire gets amazingly creative in building an adult version of the world of Oz - complete with political intrigues and religious confusions. It's fascinating to see him work backwards from the characters and world we "know" (most likely from the movie) and build an explanation for everything. Outside of Boq, I found none of the characters redeeming or even that likeable. They were still intriguing, but very one-dimensional in their selfishness, shallowness or earnestness. Add to that some slightly jarring story-telling at times (wait, how'd we get here?) and it's hard to say it's the bestest thing ever.

My favorite part? The reality of Oz - the unrest of populations, the political takeover of the wizard, the policies around the Animals, the conflicts with religions. The environment proved to outshine the characters, hands down.

Get Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West at Amazon.com.

Declaring Independence

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:11:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: Didn't
Author: Douglas Schoen
Category: Non-fiction, political
Published: 2008
Pages: 272

Basic Plot:
Non-fiction book about the rise of the independent voter and how it can change politics.

My assessment:
Didn't even bother finishing this thing. I _thought_ it was going to be about the rise of a third party since the subtitle is about the demise of the two-party system. But Schoen barely even acknowledges that there are any parties outside of the Dems and Reps. The only reference to the biggest (Libertarians) was a brief mention that Ron Paul was the Libertarian candidate for president in 1988. During a discussion of campaign organizing. Schoen makes sweeping assertions and generalizations with no data or references or footnotes to back him up. All in all, a rather pathetic (and transparent) attempt at political boogeyman tactics. Which, since he's a political consultant, was probably the point.

Don't even want to talk about it more than this. Waste of time. Sigh.

New Moon - The Twilight Saga Book Two

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 10-12-08
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Category: Teen fantasy
Published: 2006
Pages: 563
Rating: 4.5/5

My review of book one

Basic Plot:
After the near-fatal disasters of spring, Edward decides that being with Bella can only cause her harm in the long run. He and his family depart Forks, leaving no trace behind to remind Bella of them. She finally struggles her way out of a zombie-depression, more to please her father than anything else, thanks to the ever-loving patience of her new (old) friend Jacob. She discovers high risk situations bring Edward's voice to life in her head and begins pushing the edges in order to keep him close. One such adventure creates confusion for the Cullen family and puts Edward at risk in the only way possible. Added to the drama are the secrets Jacob is keeping and Bella seems to be in more danger than ever!!

My assessment:
I've been holding off reading this one, hoping that book three would arrive from the library so I wouldn't be left waiting too long. Gave in, so now I'll wait. Sigh.

I think I'm starting to get into Bella's head. The section of the book without Edward - kind of a hole for me, one I was glad to move out of toward the end. Isn't that sad? Because Jacob is a more well-defined character in general than Edward. So why did I find the section where Bella is spending all her time with him so much less satisfying?

Ok, let's talk about the werewolf thing. Granted, in a world where we accept there are vampires, it makes sense that there would/might be other mythical creatures. But really? Was that necessary? It's not like Edward and Jacob were going to be best buds no matter what you did. And now we have unnecessary antagonism there that could keep Jacob away forever. Boo. (I liked him. I really did.) It just seemed a little over the top. On the other hand, the book would have had to have been a couple hundred pages shorter because Victoria would have shown up sooner.

The Volturi have my attention now. Very curious to learn more about them. And thank you for the little reminder that just because the Cullens don't eat humans, the rest of them still do. Ugh.

Still worth reading, I think. Looking forward to the next one.

Get New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2) at Amazon.com.

Recently read but not reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Sorry. Don't have time for full reviews of everything I read. (If you can call the reviews I do full.) Plus, if it's the 14th book in a series, there's only so much I can say about it. But I still want to keep track of what I've read, so here's my recent list.

Judy Moody Goes to College and Judy Moody Declares Independence - sixth and eighth books in this series.
Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs (Minerva Clark) - second book in this series. Still good. Might have to get these for my niece for Christmas.
Forging of the Blade - first in a fantasy series. Tiny book and I couldn't suffer through it. Maybe for a kid who's never read fantasy before it would be worth it. But not me. Wow.

City of Masks

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:57:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 9-28-08
Author: Daniel Hecht
Category: Thriller
Published: 2003
Pages: 438
Rating: 4.5/5

Basic Plot:
There's worse than creepy things going on down New Orleans way, causing a leading family to seek Cree Black's help in freeing the spirits or at least humoring the sister they're pretty sure has just gone plum crazy. Cree's special empathic skills have proven useful in the past in dealing with the supernatural, although she's mostly in it for the scientific research. What Cree discovers might set the house to rights, but put her in danger as the family secrets will be coming out from under the rug as a result.

My assessment:
I had decided it was time to take on an adult book again, so I roamed the stacks and picked this book up at semi-random. Glad I did! Now the family secret and ensuing crimes were probably a bit more intense than I tend to like. I mean, intense. This isn't something for the highly sensitive.

I'm not sure I really knew what to expect when I picked this out. It was a mystery/thriller of sorts, but I somehow missed the supernatural researchers part of the puzzle. Made for an interesting angle and explanation for why Cree would be getting involved with a case like this. I'm not really a ghost story kind of person (although Peter Straub's Ghost Story is pretty amazing) but there was so much to unravel about the living that I didn't find it at all off-putting.

Cree herself I'm looking forward to reading more of. She's a highly sympathetic character, a woman who has to be careful with her emotions because of her empathic abilities, dogged, determined and a heck of a spine. But still very vulnerable, a trait that becomes more evident as you move through the book and learn more about her. Outside of Cree's team and the psychiatrist, the rest of the characters read like they came out of a "stock Southern characters" guidebook. Sigh.

Get City of Masks: A Cree Black Novel at Amazon.com.

Leon and the Spitting Image

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:24:00 +0000

nds Facts:
Date finished: 9-22-08
Author: Allen Kurzweil
Category: Children's
Published: 2005
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
This is a story about a boy in fourth grade. And an ice maker that makes strange noises. And a teacher with a strange fetish for sewing. And a hotel full of animals. And ... spit?

Leon's life is complicated enough before he enters fourth grade and has to face a new and exceedingly strange teacher. His coordination isn't so great, and at a progressive school that prizes nimble fingers, this means scary teacher reports. But slowly things improve with the ice maker, the teacher, the hotel. Then comes the spit and the biggest surprise and lesson of the year!

My assessment:
Fun, fun!! This was a delightful little book, nothing too take to seriously, just the right amount of lighthearted fun. Might make for a good read-along book for bedtime, actually.

Leon and his friends are solid kids, not the best or brightest, but exceedingly normal. Leon proves to be a bit of a leader as the story goes on, coming up with some of the more practical suggestions to the trio's challenges. Leon was quite likable and believable, and I'm looking forward to seeing what his next adventure holds.

The story itself holds all the normal issues of elementary school - un-understanding teachers, difficult lessons, adults who don't tell you everything, bullies. Which made the whole semi-supernatural spit thing a little weird in context. It wasn't a fantasy story by any means, but the spit certainly took it out of the realm of every day. Be prepared for your kids to be hawking some good loogies after reading this one.

Get Leon and the Spitting Image at Amazon.com.

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:23:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 9-21-08
Author: Eoin Colfer
Category: Children's fantasy
Published: 2006
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
Artemis Fowl is at it again, plotting, calculating. Only this time, he's up to no bad. Seems thousands of years ago, rather than take on the humans face to face, the fairy worlds decided to make themselves scarce. Artemis has already encountered the underground world of elves, dwarves and other magical creatures, but the demons? Seems they hied themselves off to another dimension altogether. But something went horribly wrong in the process and now the time spell is unraveling, bringing the lost colony of demons back to the dangerous world of men. Can Artemis figure things out in time to save the demon world? Will puberty distract him from the cause? Will he get his fairy friend Holly killed in the process? And who is the mysterious Section 8?

My assessment:
Artemis and Holly are off on another adventure and it's a joyful ride once again. Holly seems to be the only one skeptical that Artemis is on the side of good, but then again, since she left the force, she hasn't exactly had the equipment to be spying on Artemis night and day. But it's the usual fun romp with these two as they try to preserve the boundaries between the human world and the magical.

I'm feeling a little skeptical of the introduction of a new character (who apparently doesn't stick around according to reviews of the next book) who's supposed to be just as brilliant as Artemis and diabolical as the younger Artemis. Wasn't buying her at all. Artemis is too incredible to believe in and of himself at times, so accepting there's another one? Nah. (No problem accepting the fairies and centaur, though. :-)

However, I did enjoy the demons, particularly No1, whose school troubles will be relatable for almost any child. Well, maybe not the need to bury your warping classmates in dung, but definitely the bullying and being left behind by others physical changes.

It's nice seeing Artemis growing up, changing, developing. Thank goodness his move from evil to good isn't making him less interesting. Although, I have to say, I do miss the battle of brains and struggles between Artemis and Holly. This complete trust she has in him could get a little boring.

Get The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) at Amazon.com.

What-The-Dickens

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 9-9-08
Author: Gregory Maguire
Category: Children's fantasy
Published: 2007
Pages: 295
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
Things aren't looking so great for the Ormsby family. What's left of them at their house that is. Parents are gone and only less-than-useful cousin Gage is left to take care of Dinah, Zeke and baby Rebecca Ruth. The only thing Gage proves successful at is distracting the children from their gloomy predicament with a story of a, well, not a fairy exactly. The children forget about being hungry and missing their parents as the tale of the skiberdeen What-the-Dickens unfolds in a very non-fairy tale way.

My assessment:
I didn't realize when I first picked this up that it was by the same guy who wrote Wicked, which is one of my all-time favorite musicals and has been on my must-read list for a while. Having had a taste now of Maguire's writing, I'm definitely eager to give Wicked a read.

This is a charming story set against a less than charming backdrop. As you follow the story of What-the-Dickens (the story in the story), you are slowly given the pieces of the real story of the Ormsby family. And it's entirely easy to forget that these kids are in the middle of a disaster area with little food, poor sanitation, no communication and no parents. (That part drove me crazy and doesn't get explained until pretty far into the book.) It's a similar situation to the Princess Bride where the story is told to distract and entertain and becomes more real than the "real" situation the book is set in.

What-the-Dickens and the entire skiberdeen world were quite entertaining, although I'm not entirely certain I really got that passionately involved in caring about any of them. Liked Pepper quite a bit. I think WTD would have grown on me given more time. And if I'm reading the end correctly, there's likely to be more time in the shape of another book.

Maguire's writing style is surprisingly literary for a children's book, although I'm sure he'd argue that this book shouldn't be labeled that way. There are a lot of subtle jabs at decidedly adult matters that would go over the head of kids and most adults, but the story itself is quite suitable for children.

Get What-the-Dickens at Amazon.com

The Dip

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 9-2-08
Author: Seth Godin
Category: Non-fiction
Published: 2007
Pages: 80
Rating: 5/5

Basic plot:
Brief discourse on the importance of quitting and knowing when to quit and when to push through "the dip" to reach greatness.

My assessment:
Note that I believe Seth is god, so I love anything he's written. This one is no exception, although I'm a bit late to the party. Turns out, that was for good reason. This book came at a timely juncture for me. Making some choices on a variety things in my life right now where I have to decide about cutting my losses in one area so that I can pursue other options. Seth lays out the guidelines for understanding when something is a dead-end and should be dropped as opposed to something that is just dipping a bit and could be great. Once you figure out whether it's a no-win situation vs. a high-potential, the decision to quit or not is an easy one.

But you also have to make the decision to commit all your resources, all your strength, all your creativity, all your effort to make it to the other side of the dip. To not take it half-heartedly. To not accept mediocre. And there lies the real challenge, I think.

Get The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) at Amazon.com.

Twilight - The Twilight Saga Book One

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:56:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 9-2-08
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Category: Teen fantasy
Published: 2005
Pages: 498
Rating: 4.8/5

Basic Plot:
Bella is moving to Forks, Washington, from Phoenix by choice, but that doesn't mean she's all happy and sunshine about it. Too bad, since Forks is in short supply of the latter. She's just getting settled in to her new life, making friends, realizing she's ahead in all her classes, when her world is upturned by (gasp!) a boy. But not just any boy. No, the incredibly beautiful, perfect, mysterious, slightly bad boy, Edward Cullen. Who turns out to be bad in a way that Bella could never have anticipated.

My assessment:
OK, let's get this out first. Yes, this is a book geared for teenage girls. As a result, there's a lot of teen angst - how do I look, is he looking at me, who are you asking to the dance - that might be a bit much for some people. I'm obviously young at heart as I could just look at it and laugh because I remember being just like that. Scary. I was actually more normal than I realized. Double scary. Back to the point, my hubby just barely made it through all that to get to the action-packed parts in the last third of the book, so weigh carefully before you start whether you can deal with the goop.

That said, it was easy for me to enjoy this guy. Bella was a highly relatable character for me, and I recognized all the other teens from the standard high school crowd. Meyer's writing was easy and enjoyable and suitable for the type of story. (Having tried to write a fiction book before, I greatly admire the ability to get good dialogue down. You always felt like you were right there when people were talking.)

There were a few things that were left hanging for me. Like, what was with the incessant questioning from Edward? He was acting like he only had a few days to get to know her instead of the rest of her life. And - sorry, old lady talking now - I just wanted to thump the two of them upside the head occasionally. I remember being that age and being "in love" and I'm not denying that it is pretty intense, but I don't know. There's no doubt that we were talking about something pretty real and deep by the end, but I'm not sure I felt I saw us actually get to that point. We kind of jumped a lot of it.

I've read a fair amount of vampire stories (oh, did I mention that was why Edward's a bad boy?) in my time - not to mention watched every episode of Buffy and Angel when they were on. My faves are always those that turn parts of the tradition on its ear - like exposure to sunlight and crosses and holy water and so forth. Meyer provides explanations for why some of these have become part of the lore while developing a few of her own rules along the way.

Sadly, given that there's a movie coming out this winter, I kept picturing the actor who plays Edward in my head instead of developing my own picture. I really hate when that happens. I think I also tended to picture Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella, but that was less jarring for some reason. Sigh.

Get Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) at Amazon.com.

Poseidon's Gold

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:57:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 8-27-08
Author: Lindsey Davis
Category: Historical mystery
Published: 1992
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
Falco and Helene return to Rome from Germany to find their apartment a wreck and a thug of a centerion taking up space in the Falco family home. Seems dead hero brother left some unfinished business - business that forces Falco together with his family, including his dearly departed (but not dead) father. It's a case that poses more emotional hazards than physical, a rarity for our intrepid finder.

My assessment:
Yet another fun romp through first century Rome. We watched Falco and Helene's relationship move, if not to a new level, certainly new depths, which Falco and his father, well, I don't want to give that away. Falco has to deal with a lot of his preconceived notions and pride related to his family and comes out with a few healthier relationships in the end. The mystery this time - not that intriguing or mysterious actually, but an enoyable time spent anyway.

Get Poseidon's Gold: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery at Amazon.com.

Landon Snow And the Auctor's Riddle

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:54:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 8-31-08
Author: R.K. Mortenson
Category: Children's fantasy
Published: 2005
Pages: 223
Rating: 2/5

Basic Plot:
On the eve of his 11th birthday, Landon's dream stone opens a new world to him, one with talking books, a riddle to solve and a chess board of potential death. Can Landon get out of this strange world alive, solve the riddle and return to his family?

My assessment:
OK, I picked this up because of the cover - it looked like a promising fantasy story. Instead, I got relatively lame writing, insipid characters and a rehashed story. (Seriously, could Mortenson have taken more ideas from Harry Potter?) Add to that some really unsubtle pushing of creationism (which I believe in, but found distracting in the hamhanded way in which it was dealt with here) and you've got a really unsatisfactory book. Someone must have liked it though since there are more in this series. The only character I liked really was the little Odd girl, whom we barely saw. And I'm fairly easy to please. Fortunately it was short.

One Dangerous Lady

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:56:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 8-22-08
Author: Jane Stanton Hitchcock
Category: Thriller
Published: 2005
Pages: 359
Rating: 2.5/5

Basic Plot:
It should be a lovely time celebrating the wedding of a friend's daughter, but personality clashes, horrible weather and a missing man conspire to make the wedding of the decade for all the wrong reasons. And as Jo Slater is forced to rub shoulders with the missing man's not-so-mournful wife in New York's high society, Jo becomes increasingly convinced that Russell Cole isn't just missing. He's likely dead. Jo finds herself under threat as she seeks to uncover the truth about the missing Russell while hiding her own secrets.

My assessment:
OK, in my defense, I picked this up on the dollar table at Borders. I had no idea it was part of a series and thought I was just getting a (hopefully) decent mystery. Although the cover kind of screams chick lit.

To be honest, it wasn't really either. Yes there was a bit of mystery, but most of it for me was in wondering what Jo was hiding (it's slowly revealed, although I'm not sure if it was part of the first story in the series). I never had any empathy or sympathy or anyathy for these people. They just weren't very relatable to me, although they have issues and problems just like the rest of us despite the fact that they have more zeros in their bank accounts than the national debt. I just never cared much what happened to them. I really probably shouldn't have forced myself to finish the book.

The action picks up toward the end and I was a little curious as to what exactly had happened to poor Russell, but I think I could probably have survived just fine without ever finding out. Oh well.

Get One Dangerous Lady at Amazon.

FISH

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 8-22-08
Author: Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen
Category: Business
Published: 2004
Pages: 115
Rating: 3.5/5

Basic Plot:
The third floor at the company has been called a toxic energy dump, and Mary Jane is determined to change things, starting with herself. She picks up some valuable lessons in the most unexpected of places and begins to see the attitude and energy level change in her department.

My assessment:
This was yet another of those "parable" style business books. While I like them because they're 1) short and 2) fast to read, the style can sometimes make it hard to remember the takeaway once you're done. They tried to help you out by constantly italicizing the key words as you read, but that was more distracting than helpful. Unlike a few others I've read, there was no finishing chapter that summed it up for you. Guess they wanted to make sure you actually read the whole thing. But even if you do, you're left with few tangible ways to actually implement the teachings. (Guess that's why you have to buy the other books or attend the seminars.)

This was one of those books I found languishing in a closet at work and put in my "when I have time" pile. Found some down time at work this week when network issues took me off my computer. Probably about an hour's investment, but uncertain as to the ROI as yet. Will take some pondering.

Get Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results at Amazon.

Minerva Clark Gets A Clue

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 8-2-08
Author: Karen Karbo
Category: Young adult mystery
Published: 2005
Pages: 245
Rating: 4.5/5

Basic Plot:
Minerva Clark is your typical teenager - awkward, self-conscious, overly concerned with appearances. That is, until she gets electrocuted. Suddenly, she's little miss confidence and with a huge sense of curiosity to boot. When her favorite cousin gets arrested, things don't add up for Minerva, who just won't let it go until she has some answers. Answers she may not have really wanted.

My assessment:
I have to admit I really did enjoy this one and look forward to Minerva's next adventure. She's a pretty normal kid from a pretty unusual household (she lives with her three adult brothers) and makes me wish I had gotten electrocuted at 13. Wow. To drop all those insecurities in one whack? Nice.

The cast of characters was quite wide ranging, although possibly a little stereotypical. She had the geek brother, the rebel rocker brother and the sensitive brother. (Hey! It's the new three bears!) You had the mean girls, the evolving friendships, the nasty older kids. They all played off well, but you could tell almost immediately exactly what you were going to get from them.

Still, this might be one I recommend for my 12-year-old niece. She's not that into reading, but this was short and with a kid her age. Might be worth a shot.

Get Minerva Clark Gets a Clue at Amazon.com.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:35:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 7-28-08
Author: Madeline L'Engle
Category: Children's, fantasy
Published: 1978
Pages: 278
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:

My assessment:
I didn't realize when I picked this up that it was part of a series that included A Wrinkle in Time. I remember (vaguely) reading/being read that book when I was a kid, but I don't remember much about the story. Sadly, this is the first time I can remember picking up L'Engle since then. Shame on me! I enjoyed this one, although I now realize that I might enjoy it more if I read it in sequence with the other books.

This really was a slightly eerie fantasy that focused on the ways our decisions and choices impact the future. However, it wasn't ever really clear just what kinds of changes were being made in the past by Charles Wallace that would change the Murrays present. Because the story was often told without him, even though he was "within", you often forgot that he was having any influence. There was also the odd continuity issues where the unicorns didn't realize something would happen and yet, apparently, in the present story, they already had. So why would the unicorns have been surprised? Confusing. But overall worth the read. Just start at the beginning, OK?

Get A Swiftly Tilting Planet at Amazon.com.

Sherlock Holmes Through Time And Space

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:21:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 7-22-08
Author: Multiple - collection edited by Isaac Asimov
Category: Mystery, short story
Published: 1986
Pages: 355

Basic Plot:
Collection of short stories by well known science fiction writers that either build on the Sherlock Holmes cannon or use it as a jumping off point for creating new characters.

My assessment:
Some of these were quite good, some weird and some ... well, they can't all be great. My favorites were the ones that took you further afield from the original stories - making Holmes a dog or a human who became smart by mind-swapping with an alien. It was a bit dated as a collection and that showed occasionally. Many of the stories were by big names in science fiction 30 years ago. Would love to see a more modern grouping.

Get Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Space at Amazon.com.

The Iron Hand of Mars

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:03:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 7-17-08
Author: Lindsey Davis
Category: Historical fiction, mystery
Published: 1992
Pages: 305
Rating: 5/5

Basic Plot:
Despite his best efforts, Falco finds himself on a quest to Germany for the emperor Vespasian in search of a lost legate. Along the way, he discovers a second missing legate, uncovers corruption in a pottery contract and learns more than he ever wanted to about the wilds of free Germany.

My assessment:
Sigh. I had forgotten how much I loved Davis' character Falco. It's been ages since I joined him on an adventure around Rome. Although, we don't spend much time in Rome in this one before he's off tromping around Germany. Falco continues to impress as a generally stand up guy who knows how to handle himself on the street. The great joy in this episode was getting to meet Helena's brother, whom I'm hoping makes more appearances later on in the series.

This is by no means an intellectual pursuit through the empire, but there is some great information about the period, particularly the ups and downs of the Roman army along the borders of the empire. The relationships and tensions along the border with free Germany play a key role in this story, so there are plenty of explanations as to how and why they came about. Generally just a great way to spend some time back in time.

Get The Iron Hand of Mars: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery at Amazon.com.

Weedflower

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 7-8-08
Author: Cynthia Kadohata
Category: Children's, historical fiction
Published: 2006
Pages: 257
Rating: 3/5

Basic Plot:
Sumiko's family runs a flower farm in California, growing beautiful carnations and stock (weedflower) for the local flower market. She dreams of someday running her own flower shop, but life intervenes when Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. Suddenly, Sumiko's world is turned upside down as they're packed off to one of the internment camps. Lifeinside the camp changes Sumiko, her dreams and her view of the world.

My assessment:
I came away from Weedflower fairly unsatisfied. OK, probably quite unsatisfied. I never really got into any of the characters and so much of the "action" just didn't really move me. I've always found the whole internment just deplorable and a huge black mark on our permanent record, but this book just didn't really incite any kind of passion in me about the event. Sumiko just seems to be blithely going along with life, accepting her fate, not really suffering. It was just difficult to care much about her. I found her cousins much more interesting, although we really get one-dimensional views of them.

Just generally a disappointment. Didn't even learn a lot about the period from it.

Muddle Earth

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:27:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 6-29-08
Author: Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Category: Fantasy, Children's
Published: 2003
Pages: 450
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
Joe Jefferson is just trying to escape the chaos of his house when he takes his dog, Henry, out for a walk. But a muttered spell by the greatest (and only) wizard in Muddle Earth takes Joe and Henry to a place where - well, maybe not so much chaos as craziness - reigns and Joe is expected to take up the mantle of a warrior-hero. Three adventures ensue, making for three "books" within the greater work, as Joe and Henry battle wits with an ogre, a dragon and a dark forces within Giggle Glade.

My assessment:
These boys have done it again!! Created an imaginative world where lakes float up in the air, ogres have cuddly-wuddlys and the cutlery has disappeared. (It's important. I promise!) And Chris' artwork is superb as always.

There's a bit more humor in this one (and there's apparently more on the way!) than in The Edge Chronicles series, making it appropriate for a slightly younger audience. My 8-year-old friend was intrigued by the description on the back promising "a great battle between the forces of good, evil and sort-of okay". While the not-so-great wizard in the story is named Randalf and there are three "books" within the main book, that's about all the Lord of the Rings reference you're going to get. Thank goodness. Unless it's a parody, I want something original.

Complaints? Well, Joe is a pretty likeable kid, although possibly not as fleshed out as he could be. Outside of his family, we really didn't get any kind of picture of what kind of kid he was like outside of his warrior-hero gig. The budgie (that's a type of bird for us Americans) Veronica is probably my favorite character, although she was getting a little tiresome by the end. I'm hoping for at least one book with a story of Brenda, Warrior-Princess in the future, but I won't hold my breath. Paul and Chris are definitely writers for boys. That said, I think any 8-year-old boy you know, would love this one, although maybe as a read-a-loud.

Pompeii

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:59:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 6-21-08
Author: Robert Harris
Category: Historical Fiction
Published: 2003
Pages: 274
Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot:
We're in 79 AD, and strange things are happening in the Campania region. There's sulfur in the Aqua Augusta, the wine is vibrating and there are waves, but no wind. The young, newly appointed aquarius sets out to find answers, which lie with Vesuvius.

My assessment:
Thought this was a pretty well done tale, in part because there weren't a whole lot of the "famous" people involved. The other Harris novel I read previously, Imperium, started slow and got better, but Harris definitely does better without the first-person narration style.

The main character, Attilius, is definitely someone you want to root for, particularly as the ending of this story is very well known. As he heads for Pompeii just the day before the volcano erupts, you're a little frantic for his safety. Outside of the girl Corelia, few of the other characters are sympathetic and you don't really care that much about their fate.

Each chapter begins with a small bit of information taken from modern books describing what was happening with the volcano. Just fascinating, albeit rather dry. Which is why this story was such a better way to read about the volcano. Harris does a great job with setting descriptions and in developing his main character. All in all a worthy read.

Under the Eagle

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 6-12-08
Author: Simon Scarrow
Category: Historical fiction
Published: 2000
Pages: 246
Rating: 5/5

Basic Plot:
It's 42 A.D. and the Second Legion is defending the borders of the empire in Germany. Former slave Cato joins the legion and learns what life on the front lines is like for the Roman army in clashes with the Germans. But that could never have prepared him for what lay on the other side of the Channel and the political maneuverings that send him and his centurion Macro on a quest that almost costs them their lives.

My assessment:
Where's the next one? Can't wait to read more in this series, particularly as the ending left us with the hint of more to come. Fabulous characters, lots of action, great setting - this book had it all. Totally loved it. The fully military setting out on the outskirts of the empire made for a nice change from all the stories set in the full political atmosphere of Rome.

As a character, Cato grows on you at the same time as he's growing up and into his role as optio. I'm glad the story didn't turn out to be all about his undeserved promotion, but his youth and inexperience were key facets and a nice contrast to the crusty centurion Macro. This pair was a team you were rooting for all the way.

There was a bit of a mystery in trying to figure out friend and foe, but it wasn't a mystery story by any means. But the conspiracy added flavor to this military tale. Well worth the read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:14:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 6-9-08
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Category: Children's (10-12)
Published: 2007
Pages: 485
Rating: 5/5

Basic Plot:
A classified ad in the paper is all it took to change Reynie Muldoon's life forever. He shows up to take a mysterious test with odd questions and finds himself drafted with three other children into an undercover mission to save the world.

My assessment:
Oh my, how I love kids books!! The stories can be as fantastical as they want to be, and you still believe every word. This fabulous story gets a little out there at time, but at it's core, it's a story about what it means to be brave, what it means to be family and what it means to love the truth. There is plenty of action, and some truly lovely puzzles you can discuss with your young reader for some mind action as well. The story ends satisfactorily, but with a definite opening for a second book (which is out now - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey).

Stewart's foursome of children really do tackle some scary doings by the nefarious Mr. Curtain, and the story might get a little scary at times for younger ones. It would make a good read-aloud book (although it's pretty long) and please boys and girls alike. The quartet has all the trait you'd expect - the leader, the rogue, the scaredy-cat and the obnoxious. Together, they make a good team, although it's not until the end that they truly figure out the role of the obnoxious one!

Women Who Make the World Worse

noreply@blogger.com (lewister) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Facts:
Date finished: 6-6-08
Author: Kate O'Beirne
Category: Non-fiction
Published: 2006
Pages: 199
Rating: 5/5

Basic Plot:
O'Beirne examines how the radical feminists are damaging schools, families, the military and sports. She catalogs the side effects of what people tend to take as being a good thing, looking at the ripple effect through society and the true cost of the feminist agenda.

My assessment:
I picked this book up for a dollar on the table outside Borders one day. Not sure I ever expected to actually read it. But I'm glad I did. O'Beirne puts solid facts behind all the things that make me cringe about the women's movement - the assault on men, rabid devotion to gender neutrality, demands for special treatment and irrational, illogical thought.

Each chapter in the book lays out the case for the real desire of the feminist left (to crush men like little bugs) in a different area. Her strongest case is probably in the areas of the workplace and the military where the statistics have nothing to do with social causes or science. But the other chapters lay bare the root cause for the hubabaloo - pure selfishness. A desire to have what they want, when they want it and damn all men (or children or fetuses) who get in their way. I'm appalled that there isn't more of a stand being taken, but also confused as to what exactly I should do with this information and new indignation. I would have liked to see more of a specific call to action in the conclusion.

Well-written and well-researched. Although, I will admit to a plan to check out some of the references in her notes for my own further education. This is a book every mother of boys at a minimum should read. You will be appalled yourself at the world your son will have to deal with.