Nerfreader

Audiobook review: Tar—The Wandering by Helen Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Tár—The Wandering by Helen Sea
Genre: Fable
Length: 53m
Audio publisher: Books Are Loud, 2011
Read by: Julia Franklin
From: Review copy from Books Are Loud through Audiobook Jukebox

Story: Tár wanders the frozen world collecting tears. One day her friend Favnea the bird brings her a strange tear. Tár does not know who it came from, but it is not a human tear. This tear seems special. Tár decides to find out where the tear came from, but the journey is harder and more dangerous than she expects.

Thoughts: Tár is a very dense short story, less than an hour long. I listened to it several times and caught something new each time. Tár is an amazing character. She has an all-encompassing job, and her dedication is inspiring. To help with her tear-gathering, she has several unique tools. I'd love to hear more of Tár's family, adventures, and the other Wanderers. There is a lot going on around Tár outside of the story told here.

Reading: This is my first audiobook read by Julia Franklin, and I was very impressed with her professionalism. Her characters were each unique and the melody of her voice lent mystery to the tale. I really enjoyed her reading and will be sure to seek out other books narrated by her.

Music: I am very apprehensive about music in audiobooks. I don't want it to overpower or distract in any way. Tár contains original music composed by the author consisting of short snippets played on a wooden flute. The music was mostly calm and quiet and fit well with the story. The same few bars were used, and they eventually became repetitive, but only a few times did the music clash with the words. At those times the music was too light for the story's seriousness and the music undermined the developing tension. Aside from these few places, I felt the music added to the story and set a mood of calm determination.

Final thoughts: Tár—The Wandering is an impressive fable suitable for middle grades through adults. Tár's determination is an inspiration to other wanderers.

Audiobook review: Chasing the Dragon by Nicholas Kaufman

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Chasing the Dragon (2009) by Nicholas Kaufman
Genre: Contemporary fantasy
Length: 3h 31m
Audio publisher: Iambik Audiobooks, 2011
Read by: Alex Foster
From: Review copy from Iambik through Audiobok Jukebox

Story: Georgia is the world's last hope. Only she can defeat the ancient Dragon that has been stalking the Earth since the time of St. George. The Dragon is determined to destroyed Georgia and everything she has ever loved. With her guns at the ready, Georgia is resolved to follow the dragon's voice in her mind, that is, when she can fight off the cravings of her body.

Thoughts: There's a good story in here, but it's just too short. I would love a prequel following Georgia before the events in Chasing the Dragon. Some of it is provided in flashbacks, and it would be great to learn more about the person Georgia was before she became so numb. I love how the story starts in the middle of the action, and we learn about Georgia and her motives as it moves along. I was startled by the level of violence and gore, but it seems appropriate for the world Georgia is living in. Since there is so much crammed into such a short novella, I got a little confused by the mythology, but overall I'm glad I met Georgia and would like to see her again.

Reading: At first I thought it was odd to have a man narrating a story with a female protagonist, especially since most of the story consists of Georgia's thoughts. However, I was soon won over by Alex Foster's smooth British accent. He does a great job. His reading is very sympathetic, and his choices emphasize and reinforce Georgia's loneliness and isolation. I have to protest that a character from Detroit has a strange New York/Southern accent, but other than that, the reading is superb.

Final Thoughts:A violent, gory, and short novella in a world much like our own where no one is irremediable and mistakes just might lead to salvation.

Been away a long time

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:55:00 +0000

Wow. I knew I had been gone for a long time, but didn't realize how long it's been.

A quick update on everything that's been happening. I got a new job. I moved across country. I found a place to live. I finally got internet installed yesterday. I am way behind on several reviews and will put those up. I've been listening to a lot of good books and reading some great graphic novels. The library here is fabulous. It has all the graphics I've been wanting to read but had trouble getting my hands on. I joined an all-female science fiction book club. I know. How perfect is that! Things are going great. I just don't have as much time to devote to blogging. So, we'll see how things go once life settles down a bit.

Graphic Novel Review: Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2008
From: Library

Read Tamara Drew on The Guardian's website

Story: A modern update of Far from the Madding Crowd, Tamara Drew tells the story of "incomers," people who come to the country for the views, versus locals who actually have to live there. London columnist and incomer Tamara returns to her childhood home with a new nose and new wardrobe after her mother's death. The writers at the retreat farm next door are all in love with her except Beth who runs the retreat and manages her famous writer husband's affairs. Told over the course of a year, the story shows the routines of farm life as the humans intentionally and unintentionally hurt one another.

Thoughts: Wow. Tamara Drewe is my perfect graphic novel. It's the story of jealousy, self-destruction, rural life, celebrity, writing, and cows. It follows the first-person account of several of the characters, so we really get to know Beth, Tamara, Andy, Glen and Casey. The dialogue is witty and the characterizations realistic as everyone says the wrong thing and annoys everyone else. Pages are set up so the interior thoughts of the characters are written in paragraphs and only the dialogue is framed out in graphics panels. This is a great way to get more of the complex story into the graphic form. Tamara Drewe is definitely for adults as there is quite a bit of nudity and adult situations. I found it funny that the occasional swear words are ****'d out. One character in particular has all of his speech bubbles *****'d. I appreciated this since it made him more pathetic than offensive. These touches really added a lot of meaning into the few things each character says.

Artwork: The art is fantastic, and I loved the washed-out colors. Most of the panels are in blues with only splashes of pink or yellow for emphasis. I particularly liked the inclusion of letters and tabloid articles to fill us in on events going on in London.

Final thoughts: A fabulous novel for anyone who likes Thomas Hardy, soap operas, farm life or writing. If you haven't read graphic novels before, Tamara Drew is an excellent place to start.

Extra note: Tamara Drewe was made into a 2010 movie starring Luke Evens.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:07:00 +0000

Goldfinger (1959) by Ian Fleming
Series: 7th James Bond book, 3rd movie
Genre: Gentleman spy
Length: 8h 28m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2000
Read by: Simon Vance
From: publisher

This review is full of spoilers, so be warned!

Story: Tired of killing people for a living, when his flight is delayed in Miami, James Bond takes some time for himself. At the airport he's recognized by a fellow player from Casino Royale who asks Bond for help in exchange for a night at a swank hotel. Bond is to find how a certain Auric Goldfinger always wins the daily canasta game. Back in England, Goldfinger's name comes up as a matter of national security and M wants Bond to track him down.

Thoughts: The James Bond at the beginning of Goldfinger is a complete departure from the James Bond at the beginning of Dr. No. In Dr. No, James was jumping at the bit and couldn't wait to get back in the action. Now he's been working for awhile, and he's sick of killing. He needs a vacation. He does have a martini, and again it's a vodka martini with lemon. There's even a bit about how vodka has less toxins than other spirits because it's filtered, but James doesn't really care. He just likes the taste.

The solution to the canasta cheating was quite obvious, so it was funny that Junius DuPont kept playing with Goldfinger and keeps losing. Just stop playing! I guess addiction is tough to fight. When James gets back to England, he tracks down Goldfinger at the golf course, resulting in the longest game of golf described in literature. I never thought it would end. I hope James tipped his caddie well.

The plot with the gold went over my head. I mean, Goldfinger buys used gold, so he's not stealing, then he sells the gold somewhere else to make money. Isn't this the basis of the stock market? The gold was in people's dressers before he got it, so how is this national security? I guess is he's not paying enough taxes or something. Anyway, James doesn't like Goldfinger because Goldfinger's short, so that's reason enough for James to track him down. I don't know what James is supposed to do when he finds Goldfinger. Kill him? For being rich? or short?

I really liked Tilly Masterton when she showed up. She doesn't like James and won't put up with his bull. He wrecks her car, but she gets him take her where she wants to go. She should have taken that shot at Goldfinger and not listened to anything James said. After they're captured, Tilly loses all agency and becomes a nothing character, which is unfortunate.

For the amount of exposure the gold woman gets, she never shows up in the book. It's mentioned that Goldfinger likes to paint his women and kills them this way, but it's all in the backstory. James never sees a gold woman.

I lost interest in the story after James was captured. I liked how James' personality came out then. He was prepared to die, and his job was to make it easier for 008 to avenge his death, but the plot became cartoonish, and we could only sit back and see how it played out.

In Dr No, I liked the names that described people, but Pussy Galore is too much. She wasn't much of a character, and the stuff about James converting her with his manliness was over the top. I'll just pretend that James did die at Goldfinger's lair and everything after that was just a dream.

Reading: Simon Vance was professional as ever and made some of the more outlandish parts of this book palatable with his smooth delivery. My very favorite part was the extremely minor character of an American doctor. I think he has one line, but I loved Simon Vance's delivery of the nerdy American. I don't think I've heard Simon Vance do an American accent like that before. Usually the Americans in these books are Texas millionaires or military men. I kept waiting for the nerd to come back, but he never did. Now my goal in life is to find more books where Simon Vance voices a nerdy American male. It was brilliant!

Final thoughts: With Dr. No, I preferred the book to the movie, but with Goldfinger, I'm not so sure. I'm looking forward to watching the movie and seeing how it's different. And to hear the famous lines "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die."

Many thanks to Blackstone Audio for providing this copy of Goldfinger to review!

This post is part of the Shaken, Not Stirred challenge. We'll be watching Goldfinger starting at 9:30 pm Eastern US time on Saturday, January 21 and commenting on twitter at #shakennotstirred. Join us!

Audiobook review: If I Were You by L Ron Hubbard

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

If I Were You (1940) by L Ron Hubbard and L Sprague de Camp
Genre: Fantasy action
Length: 2h 6m
Audio publisher: Galaxy Press, 2008
Read by: Nancy Cartwright and full cast (Lynsey Bartilson, Corey Burton, Bob Caso, RF Daley, Jennifer Darling, John Mariano, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor and Tait Ruppert)
From: the publisher
More information at goldenagestories.com

Story: If I Were You contains two short stories: "If I Were You" is the story of the circus dwarf Little Tom Little who desperately wants to be the master of ceremonies. When he inherits a mysterious book from the fortune teller, his dreams may come true, in a different way than he thinks.

In "The Last Drop," Mac the bartender is on the search for the perfect drink. He thinks he has made it using a new liqueur from Borneo, only there are unfortunate side effects.

Thoughts: Originally published in the magazine Five-Novels Monthly, these stories are pure pulp: over the top, yet so much fun. "If I Were You" has a byline by L Ron Hubbard while "The Last Drop" was written by L Sprague de Camp and L Ron Hubbard. They both have mysterious forces, evil bad guys, and lots of running around. My favorite part is when the bar patrons are discussing the square-cube law, the fact that when something doubles in size, its volume is increased by 8 and weight is similarly affected. This is so often ignored in fiction and in this type of fiction specifically. But in this story they bring it out there, discuss it directly, and the events in the story follow the law. Priceless!

Reading: It was strange hearing Bart Simpson pop up as Little Tom Little in "If I Were You," but Nancy Cartwright and the other actors pull it all together. I normally don't like full-cast recordings since the acting often takes away from the story, but full-cast is how these stories are meant to be read. I especially loved the main narrator and am disappointed I can't tell who it is from the way the credits are listed. His voice is perfect for radio, and his introductions, along with the music, really set the stage and get the action moving.

Final thoughts: A great bit of pulp-fiction nostalgia with Bart Simpson thrown in.

Grade: 4 out of 5

I want to thank Galaxy Press for providing a copy of this book for review.

Foundation discussion continues

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Foundation part 2 discussion is here. See the links to everyone's thoughts at Stainless Steel Droppings and sign up for the group read of Foundation and Empire. The starting questions provided by Carl are at the end of this post. This post contains many spoilers for Foundation but not for the other books in the series.

The whole goal of psychohistory is to reduce the "time of barbarism." The people from Foundation believe this will be achieved by keeping the Foundation intact, technology functioning, and expanding to take over the universe. These aren't things that Hari Seldon told them to do. He told them to write an encyclopedia, and then admitted that the project was a ruse. So are they still writing the encyclopedia? It seems so. Are they doing the right things according to psychohistory? No one knows. It seems so, but in Hari Seldon's second appearance, he told them not to bother spreading their religion, and they went ahead and did just that. Hari didn't make a third appearance, so we don't know if this last was a Seldon crisis or if they are on track.

It makes sense that the power would shift from being religious to being economic & religious and then just economic. This seems to follow Earth's history. The Foundation planets look like they are already be coming out of the barbarism. They have plenty of durable goods and spaceships to get around. They only fight non-Foundation planets. It was hard to tell how many planets were in the Foundation. Half? More? It seemed like the non-Foundation planets were in the minority.

Mallow's plan of leaving technology that people become dependent on is a common practice. It reminded me again of development work. It's very easy to give a refrigerator to a clinic for vaccines, but in order for the vaccine to stay cold there has to be electricity, someone able to fix it when it breaks down, the availability of parts, money to buy parts and pay the technician, transportation to get the technician and parts to the broken machine, and on and on. I also liked the changes to the Foundation's technology over time. Because they had few resources, they made things smaller using limited metal. Their new innovations surpassed the original, older designs.

I did like the ending of the Salvador Hardin section, but it seemed to be an awful lot of planning and effort when psychohistory is supposed to function without these things. Mostly psychohistory seems to be a way to lull your opponent. You say you're not doing anything because you don't want to mess up the timeline, when in fact, you've got all kinds of plans and schemes in motion. Hardin and Mallow both functioned this way. Seldon is their religion and like all religions is being used for personal ends. So far these people have been able to convince us that following their interests is the same as following the Foundation's interests, but it could all be a lie.

I was struck by how vain and bitchy the one female character was, and I don't believe that she or anyone else would be so taken in by those new clothes. In the last post I was surprised by how quickly the Seldon religion was absorbed by the planet's population. Here again it seems that the fashions that were given to the planet were very quickly adopted. Just because something is new doesn't mean it's going to be in demand. Both religion and fashion are firmly placed in precedent. The things that are desirable as "innovation" are only slightly different than the current standard. Even if the President's wife or whatever his title is shows up in the new alien style, it doesn't mean it's going to catch on. I found it far more realistic that changes in the factories could be done quickly and lead to problems later on. The kitchen gadgets could be adopted faster than the fashion styles, but it would still take longer than it does in this book. It just seemed strange that a book that deals with millennia feels the need to accelerate the other slow ways that society changes.

This second half was even more difficult to do in audio. With all new settings and characters, it was hard to find something to hold on to through the reading.

Overall, I didn't remember much about this book, and I'm sure it will soon leave my memory again. Since each short section is heavy on plot and light on characters, Foundation is more of a thought exercise than a fun read.

Salvador Hardin was the first character in the book that we got to spend any significant time with. What are your thoughts on the grande finale of his plotting, scheming and maneuvering to get the Foundation through to the next Seldon crisis?

What are your thoughts on the way in which control/manipulation to achieve Foundation ends began to shift with The Traders?

One of the interesting things about Seldon's psychohistory is how much one man can actually affect it. In Foundation we see characters like Hardin and Mallow as key figures for positioning things just right to work towards Seldon's later predictions. Do you see this as a contradiction to what Seldon said about psychohistory at the beginning of our story or part of an overall plan? Discuss.

Did you see similarities or differences between the way in which Salvador Hardin and Hober Mallow operated and what are your thoughts about this final section of Foundation? Would you have been content as a reader back then with how everything played out?

Has your concept/thoughts of what Seldon was trying to do changed at all since the book began?

Any final thoughts on the story as a whole, its structure, what it did or did not accomplish, how it worked for you, etc?

Graphic Novel review: Jellaby by Kean Soo

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Jellaby by Kean Soo
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
From: Library

Read the first two chapters and Jellaby shorts on The Secret Friend Society

Story: Portia's bored. Her elementary school classes are too easy. Her mom's always working. There's nothing to do. Until one night Portia has a strange dream. She wakes up and sees something out in the woods. It's a monster! But the monster is more scared than she is, so she takes it home.

Thoughts: I loved this book. Portia is too smart for her own good. She has no friends. The teachers don't understand her. Only Jellaby and her mom accept her for who she is. Is Portia really good at hiding the huge, purple monster, or are Portia and her friend Jason, aka carrot boy, the only ones who can see him?

The comparison of Jellaby to Calvin and Hobbes can't be avoided. The art style is even similar. But having another person interact with Jellaby makes him much more real. In fact, there's no indication that he's imaginary. When Portia and Jellaby first meet and they are just having fun together, it made my day. But the story quickly progresses to the quest to find Jellaby's home. This is only the first book, so there's more to come.

Art: Jellaby's black and white drawings with purple shading lend a muted and surreal feeling to the panels, especially the scary ones at night. There are some splashes of carrot boy orange to provide a pop of color.

Final thoughts: Read it now! But make sure you have Jellaby: Monster in the City nearby because you won't want it to end.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: The Apothecary by Maile Maloy

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

The Apothecary by Maile Maloy
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Length: 7h 35m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2011
Read by: Cristin Milioti
From: Library

Story: In 1952, Janie moves from Los Angeles to London. The cool guy at school, Benjamin, also happens to be the son of the neighborhood apothecary. When the Benjamin's dad is kidnapped, he and Janie must keep safe his ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia. That doesn't mean they can't try out some of its secrets...

Thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of kids trying fit in and learning about a mysterious magic world right under their nose. Set in 1952, it takes place in a very realistic London where there are no sock hops or poodle skirts but instead food shortages and ration cards. Everything is backwards and grey in London after sunny Los Angeles, and I really felt for Janie as she adjusted to her new school and life. Then Benjamin catches her eye with his non-conformist ways and the story takes off with kidnappings, chases, murder, and magic.

Reading: Cristin Milioti's young-sounding voice works well for 14 year-old Janie. I liked all of the British accents she was able to put into the story, especially dreamy Benjamin.

Final thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of magic and growing up that stands well on its own while still leaving some room for sequels.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Foundation Group Read part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings is kindly hosting a groupread of Isaac Asimov's Foundation. You can still join!

Here are my spoiler-filled thoughts on the first half of Foundation (parts I, II, and III chapters 1-4). I've included Carl's groupread questions at the end of the post.

This is my second time reading Foundation. The first was when I was in the Peace Corps. I'd brought a stack of books with me that I'd heard about but never read including Lord of the Rings and Northanger Abbey. I had always thought reading Isaac Asimov was like reading Albert Einstein: esoteric and way over my head, so when I read Foundation I was glad it was neither. I had to laugh when I went in search of a copy for this read and found it shelved in the Young Adult section of the library. Ouch!

This time I listened to an audio version read by the fabulous Scott Brick and have the paper version for reference. I remember almost nothing about the book from my first read: Hari Seldon, psychohistory, and that's about it. Foundation is hard to follow on audio because there's not much to hold on to. It's more a description of psychohistory than a cohesive story. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, and we don't stay on any character long enough to build up a rapport.

I still don't understand psychohistory. It's neither psychology nor history but a type of statistics to predict the future. I thought it strange that the Emperor was so upset about Seldon's prediction. If the Empire will fall in 500 years, that means it will last for 500 years. That's long enough for this Emperor. Or just ignore Seldon. Bringing Seldon to trial just gives creditably to his predictions. The point of psychohistory seems to be that most people have no power so can be removed from the equation. There are only certain points in time when action makes a difference in the long view, and the people who will be in power at those times tend to be predictable.

I'm having a hard time engaging with Foundation because no one has any agency. Hari Seldon set up his chessboard before the book started and now the galaxy is just playing the game out. Hari's dead, so he can't affect anything. He purposefully didn't teach anyone psychohistory, so they can't affect anything. Salvor Hardin's job is to do nothing. And no one will know if Seldon was right until 1,500+ years in the future. By then no one will have any idea who he was, so who cares?

My favorite part of the book is the religion that controls science. This is such a fabulous idea and so incredibly patronizing. It keeps the copyright on science for trade to neighboring planets, and also keeps science secure during the Years of Barbarism to come. Limiting access to science is preventing new inventions, but since the neighbor planets live in medieval times, they don't have the technology to invent. It highlights one of the key issues in development work. Do you give people the most up-to-date, best technology you have or do you give them something that fits with their culture that can be sustained with local resources? Here the religion is changing and taking over the culture. Fascinating. I'm surprised the religion has caught on so quickly. It's only been two generations that it's been in existence. Didn't the planets have their own religions before this? And what about technology? All of these planets were settled and have spaceships. Why are they so afraid of nuclear power? It is strange that one government could control so many planets. They must have a vast army or some rare material that the other planets need.

What's keeping me reading now is I've forgotten how this one ends, and I want to get to the Mule in the next book. What are your thoughts?

Group read starting questions:
- For the purpose of satisfying curiosity, is this your first time reading Foundation or have you read it before?
- For those who have read it before, how has it held up to your memory/feelings about previous reads?
- For those reading Foundation for the first time, what expectations did you have going in and has it met them or surprised you in any way?
- What are your thoughts about the structure of the novel thus far? (I am referring to the brief glimpses of different parts of the history of the Foundation with big time gaps between events in the novel)
- What are your initial thoughts on the field of psychohistory?
- What, if anything, is holding your interest thus far, what are you enjoying about Foundation?
- What, if anything, are you not enjoying about Foundation?
- You may have covered this in answering the other questions, but if not, what are your thoughts/feelings about the Galactic Empire. Is it a practical thing to have a galaxy spanning government? Can you imagine such a thing and do you think it would work?
- What are your thoughts on Hardin's creation of a religious system in which to house scientific ideas and technology while keeping the users of that science and technology in the dark?

Graphic Novel Review: The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:10:00 +0000

The Last Dragon
Writer: Jane Yolen
Artist: Rebecca Guay
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Dark Horse, 2011
From: Publisher through NetGalley
Check out the beautiful images in this preview

Story: It's been 200 years since dragons have been seen, but something's been taking the village's sheep and cows. Can they find a hero in time or will it be up to the healer's daughter to save the day?

Thoughts: The Last Dragon isn't written like my usual graphic novel. There are several pages of text at the beginning providing background on the dragon wars and the rest of the story relies heavily on description and dialogue. Luckily, most of the words can be ignored in favor of the gorgeous pictures. Just look at the cover. The images are amazing. They seem to be colored in pastel and watercolor, and the hues are beautifully muted. On my first pass through, I just gazed at the pictures. It took some effort to buckle down and concentrate on the words. I liked the story of Tansy the healer's daughter, but the focus quickly shifts to other people in the village. I wish there had been more on Tansy since she's a great character: feisty, intelligent, and willing to leverage other people's strengths to make up for her weaknesses. But really, the story is secondary to the fabulous images.

Final thoughts: The amazing pictures in this novel more than make up for the weaknesses in the story.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Audiobook Review: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

"In one respect at least the Martians are a happy people; they have no lawyers." -- John Carter, A Princess of Mars

A Princess of Mars (1917) by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Genre: Science fiction romance
Length: 7h 26m
Audio publisher: LibriVox, 2008
Read by: Marc Nelson
Download audiobook from LibriVox
Download ebook from Project Gutenberg

Story: After ending the War of Northern Aggression on the less than victorious side, Captain John Carter of Virginia traveled West to look for gold. In Arizona he found a strange cave where he passes out and later wakes up on what must be Mars. John is then taken captive by its mysterious green inhabitants. Luckily, due to the limited Martian gravity, John possesses extraordinary strength, speed, and the ability to leap tall buildings. John spends his time learning the language and customs of the green Martians until the day they take another prisoner, this time a red Martian who looks almost human and happens to be a princess.

Thoughts: A Princess of Mars follows John Carter through his various Martian adventures. The beginning spends a lot of time describing the green Martians' way of life: their social structure, class system, methods of reproduction, manner of education. Even though these digressions are pretty dry, I came to enjoy them since they're very detailed and well thought-out. The group of Martians that finds John Carter is well described, but the other types of Martians, especially the red Martians, are not as well-formed. The red Martians look like humans and are more technologically advanced than the green, but I wasn't sure how their social structure differed. Mars is a very violent place. Everyone is obsessed by war, and all conflicts are solved by killing. Sometimes John Carter comes up with a clever instead of a violent solution, but these are few and far between.
Usually he just uses his fists. And his superpowers.

My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the Martian technology, especially their oxygen creation system. I would have liked to learn more about those aspects and less about hand-to-hand combat.

I wasn't prepared for the very dense writing style in A Princess of Mars, but I loved it. Here's an example:

I do not believe that I am made of the stuff which constitutes heroes, because, in all of the hundreds of instances that my voluntary acts have placed me face to face with death, I cannot recall a single one where any alternative step to that I took occurred to me until many hours later.

The whole book is written like that. It's fun to listen to, but I could only handle it for short stretches. I missed a lot of the beauty of the phrasing by listening to the audio since I was focused on the words' meaning instead of their placement, but I don't know if I'd have been able to power through the visual version. I can barely get through that sentence.

I also had a few issues with continuity. There are said to be no mammals on Mars, but everyone sleeps on furs. More confusing was John Carter's ability to read minds, which came and went. He's also the only person who can lie, but then meets up with other liers, so maybe it's only green Martians who tell the truth. I did like how they were all vegetarians.

Reading: Marc Nelson did a fabulous job. I can't imagine reading some of that text silently, never mind aloud. He flawlessly delivered every run-on sentence and compound prepositional phrase in a way that brought out the meanings of the words and made them fun.

Final thoughts: While I'm glad I listened to A Princess of Mars, I'm not clamoring to listen to its many sequels.The story is interesting for historical value, and it has a lot of great ideas scattered through, but the emphasis on mindless violence turned me off.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book qualifies for several challenges as a science fiction classic:

Graphic Novel Review: Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

"As it did every morning...with spiteful inevitability...the sun rose."

Britten and Brülightly by Hannah Berry
Genre: Detective noir
Publisher: Metropolitan Books, 2008
Check out some sample pages
From: Local library

Story: There's not much sun in the noir city where Fernández Britten makes his living as a "researcher." He's tired of telling jealous and vengeful lovers what they already know, so now he doesn't get out of bed for less than murder. He doesn't get out of bed much. But today he has a case. With his partner, Stewart Brülightly, who happens to be a talking teabag, Britten is off to meet a lady of mystery and talk about murder.

Thoughts: Mysterious death. Long silences. Rain. Britten and Brülightly has it all. This isn't a kid's book but instead a noir mystery with violence, murder, and even swearing. I think this is the first graphic novel I've checked out that's shelved in the adult section. Instead of hard-boiled, Britten is world-weary. He's seen more than his share of deceit and cares too much to let it go. His partner, although a teabag, has managed to stay upbeat. Stewart adds some levity to the bleak existence that's weighing Britten down. The plot moves swiftly, and Britten is swept along. He wants to help people, but the truth only makes things worse. And he's too intelligent to go after anything but the truth.

Art: The artwork in Britten and Brülightly is amazing. Each panel is painted with just the faintest touch of color creating a washed-out image that adds to the bleak atmosphere. The city is populated with the most beautifully drawn details. A desk. A fish. A shoe. The never-ending rain and angles looking down on Britten from a height only emphasize his insignificance. My one criticism is some of the lettering is hard to read. I love how the narration is written out in cursive, but it takes a couple of passes to get the whole gist. The story is well-done, and the art that makes this book.

Final thoughts: If you like noir or detectives or graphic novels or tea, you should read Britten and Brülightly. Well, maybe not tea. I wouldn't want Stewart in my cup. But it's an excellent choice for any graphic novel fan and mystery buffs who want to give graphic novels a try.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This review is part of the Graphic Novels Challenge.

Winners in the Happy New Year Giveaway Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on the Happy New Year Giveaway Hop sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Bab's Book Bistro.

The winners have both gotten back to me, and the prizes are ready to be shipped.

Brenna from Blisfully Brenna won the ARC of Cinder, and
Michelle from Book Briefs who won the Audible 3-month membership.

Congratulations to them both!

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison
Genre: Gothic historical romance
Length: 12h 22m
Audio publisher: Iambik audio, 2011
Read by: Ruth Golding

Story: Isabel Hart is almost twenty-one and has lived a very sheltered life. She has debilitating fears of the lake and the maze at her family's country house. She is also afraid to acknowledge the many secrets her family keeps: her mother's illness, her father's way of coping, why her fiance wants to marry her, her sister's early life. As she begins overcoming her fears, Isabel starts to see her family as they really are, and the true secrets of Trencarrow are revealed.

Thoughts: Trencarrow Secret could be described as Gothic, but it doesn't take place in the traditional Gothic setting. Trencarrow is an open and airy mansion filled with the Harts' friends and relations all congregating for Isabel's twenty-first birthday. The Gothic moodiness is in Isabel's mind, where her fears cast a shadow over everything and everyone. Isabel is naive and acts young for her age, although this could be a realistic portrayal of a sheltered gentleman's daughter of the time: dutiful, docile, and a slave to propriety.

Romance is on the sidelines as Isabel thinks about what she wants from life and from marriage. As the story progresses, more and more people reveal their true selves to Isabel, and she tries to come to terms with the unwelcome changes around her. The book moves fairly slowly as each person's secret is revealed. Mystery is downplayed as the secrets are plain to everyone except Isabel, and she wants to keep them hidden.

I enjoyed this book more in hindsight than while listening to it. At the time I didn't quite know what to think. Some of the secrets were not secret at all while others were too well hidden. I wish the hidden ones had come out a little sooner so I could have enjoyed them more at the time.

Reading: Ruth Golding does a fabulous job. Her older-sounding voice lends a feel of nostalgia to the story, as if Isabel is thinking back to her time in Trencarrow. The voice for Isabel is childish and whining, fitting the character. Sometimes the younger female voices started to sound a little similar, especially Isabel and Laura, but I enjoyed her male voices immensely.

Final thoughts: Not quite a romance and not quite a mystery, Trencarrow Secret is more Gothic in hindsight than it appears at first glance.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to Iambik and Audiobook Jukebox for providing an audio copy of this book for review.

Graphic novel review: The Arrival by Shaun Tan

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:58:00 +0000

The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2006
Awards: Many, including the Locus Award for best art book (2008)
From: Local library

Story: Told without words, The Arrival is the story of a father who leaves his family to find work in a new country. The language and customs of his new home are strange and hard to comprehend, but with the help of his adopted animal, the man learns to communicate and discovers how his neighbors came to this place.

Thoughts: This book is beautiful. It's huge, with each page a full 8 1/2 x 11. The art is in brown pencil, like the drawing on the cover, and the designs are fancifully amazing. I especially liked the strange alphabet. The images are so moving, I cried throughout most of the book. The man has a lot of difficulties finding his way around and understanding how things are done, but he is determined to succeed and keeps at it no matter how many mistakes he makes. He never gets disheartened and eventually meets others who help him and share their enjoyment of life.

Final thoughts: This is such an inspiring book for the start of a new year. Although things can be difficult, if we help others and persevere, we all become stronger.

Happy New Year Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:39:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Thanks to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Babs Book Bistro for hosting this hop with 200+ stops.

I wasn't going to do another giveaway so soon, but I received these great items I wanted to share.

For readers in the US, I have an ARC of Cinder by Marissa Meyer from MacMillan. Cinder comes out on January 3, so I'll get this in the mail ASAP so you can read it fast. I really liked the beginning of Cinder. It reminded me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, only in a future shantytown of Beijing. They even speak Chinese with the tones and everything. And making Cinderella a robot mechanic? Priceless. This giveaway is for US mailing addresses only.

For both US and international readers, I have a 3-month membership to Audible.com. How surprised I was when I got an e-mail from Audible with a free gift membership. It's one credit per month that you can use on any of the many, many Audible audiobooks. And they have free e-mail and phone help to get you set-up. I've e-mailed them several times, and they're always very quick to respond. Due to copyright, some books might not be available in some countries. When I was in China, my membership was under my US address, and I was able to download books with no problems.

To enter, just fill out this form. You don't need to be a follower of Nerfreader to participate. Happy New Year!

Farthing by Jo Walton

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Farthing (2006) by Jo Walton
Series: First in the Small Change trilogy
Genre: alternate reality mystery
Length: 9h 46m
Audio publisher: Audible, Inc, 2011
Read by: John Keating and Bianca Amato

Story: In a 1949 where Hitler retains control of Europe and England has withdrawn from the war, the Farthings are the well-connected family who orchestrated this "Peace with Honor." When one of the Farthings is found dead at their country estate, Scotland Yard inspector Peter Carmichael is on the case. Who did it? Was it Jews? Bolsheviks? Or someone more connected to the family?

Thoughts: Wow. In addition to being a fun cozy mystery worthy of Ms. Christie, Farthing shows life in a world where democracy is eroding and persecution is tolerated. The point of view alternates from daughter of the house Lucy to Inspector Carmichael, and this dichotomy is inspired. Farthing is the first mystery I've read to use this convention, and it allows the reader to get an inside view into the family machinations and prejudices while also learning about events back at Scotland Yard. Does anyone want to solve this mystery, or do they only want use it for their political advantage? You don't need to like science fiction to love this book. It's real and chilling on a personal level in a setting that could be our history.

Reading: I haven't listened to either Bianca Amato or John Keating before, and I really enjoyed their interpretations. Ms. Amato has a very light, refined voice that perfectly captured the naive young wife, while Mr. Keating lent a world-weariness to Inspector Carmichael as his illusions are removed one by one the further he gets into the case.

Final thoughts: I started Farthing not knowing what to expect and left amazed. I'm so glad this book is out in audio.

Grade: 5 out of 5. One of my best 5 audiobooks of 2011!

TimeSplash winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who participated the Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop!

100 people entered to win a copy of Graham Storrs' time travel audiobook TimeSplash and short story "Party Time."

The winners, chosen by random.org, are: Irene, Krysta and Paula. They have all been notified and responded.

For those of us who didn't win, TimeSplash is still available from Iambik.com and Audible.com.

Thanks again to Graham Storrs for his book and Iambik for providing these great prizes.

Top Five AudioBooks of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:31:00 +0000

I've had a great time listening and writing reviews since starting Nerfreader in September. I can't believe I've listened to 42 audiobooks and read 9 graphic novels so far. And those are just the reviews I posted. My goal in 2012 is to keep track of everything I read and listen to, even the ones that don't get reviewed.

Here are my favorite audiobooks released in 2011:

I haven't posted my review of Farthing yet, so that image doesn't link anywhere, but I was so excited to get my list up I couldn't wait. Farthing is a fabulous alternate-reality cozy mystery. Review coming soon!

Most of the graphic novels I read weren't published in 2011, so I want to give a shout out to Hereville, (2010) for introducing me to Mirka, an Orthodox girl who both sword fights and knits.

What were your favorites this year?

Winter Blogger Exchange arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:37:00 +0000

This year I participated in two Book Blogger swaps and had a blast! I recently received my package from the Winter Holiday Book Blogger Exchange hosted by Gwenyth at Rants n Scribbles.

My swap partner is the fabulous Maria at Flair. Maria sent me a copy of Abandon by Meg Cabot.

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite writers, and I've been looking longingly at this book for some time. I can't wait to read it. I just found out it's the first of a trilogy. Yeah! Thanks so much, Maria!

Audiobook review: Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Music to my tympanic membrane. - Otto, Space Captain Smith

Space Captain Smith (2008) by Toby Frost
Series: First in the Chronicles of Isambard Smith series
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 7h 6m
Audio publisher: Iambik Audio, 2011
Read by: Clive Catterall

Story: In the 25th century, the British Space Empire is threatened by evil aliens. bungling Captain Isambard Smith is keen to be sent on his first mission, ferrying a secret envoy from the hippy colony of New Francisco. However, his ship is falling apart, his pilot is still reading the manual, and Smith doesn't seem to have any crew. With a stiff upper lip and plenty of tea, Space Captain Smith takes on androids, flying sharks, Martins, and headhunters in an effort to to fulfill his mission.

Thoughts: A pastiche of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars, Moby Dick, Blade Runner, Casablanca, War of the Worlds, and many more, Space Captain Smith is a space farce like no other. While listening, I had to throw out all expectations and just go along for the ride. There are a lot of funny moments as Captain Smith races into the fray with no skill or forethought. Although I felt some parts tried a little too hard with body function jokes and innuendos. The story is set in the distant future, but the characters are taken from historical eras or books. Captain Smith is a purely Victorian explorer who gets off at the sight of an ankle, his friend is a headhunter alien in the vein of Queequeg from Moby Dick, the hippies of New Francisco are living in the 60's with sex and drugs, while the Martins are from HG Wells' War of the Worlds. The narration follows several of the characters as each pursues a different agenda, and the vastly different points of view add a lot of unexpected tangents to the story. My favorite was Rick Drecket who, in a send up of Blade Runner, tries to determine if his companion is an android. I'll be sure to try those questions on my next date.

Reading: Clive Catterall's smooth, limber voice was sent through its paces in Space Captain Smith, and he delivered. Each character was energetic and distinct. It sounded like he was having a lot of fun, and his enjoyment was infectious.

Final thoughts: A space farce to out-farce the rest, Space Captain Smith has a lot of good sections loosely tied together.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This audiobook was provided by Iambik Audio through the Audiobook Jukebox Solid Gold Reviewer program.

Graham Storrs Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:02:00 +0000

Graham Storrs is the author of the time travel adventure TimeSplash, which I reviewed back in November. He's recently put out a short story prequel to TimeSplash called "Party Time" describing events leading to the discovery of time travel, and even better, he narrates it himself.

You can enter to win a copy of TimeSplash and the short story "Party Time" through December 27 at my Midwinter's Eve Blog Hop stop.

Graham was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some of my questions about TimeSplash and his new short story "Party Time."

Chris: I enjoyed your reading of “Party Time.” How did you decide to record it yourself? What did you find to be the hardest part of the recording process?

Graham: Thanks, I'm very glad you liked it. I wrote the story because the idea came to me while I was writing the novel and I thought it didn't really fit there. Then I wondered what to do with it! It didn't seem like the kind of thing a magazine would be interested in - it really only comes alive if you've read the book, I think. Then the idea of an audiobook was mooted. My friend, Emma Newman, who narrated the novel is always recording her own stories and it inspired me to have a go. Technically, it turned out to be very easy, but I'm not a great speaker (like Emma) and I tend to stumble over words. So the hardest part by far was reading it all the way through without tripping over my own tongue. I almost, almost managed it, and the kind folks at Iambik Audiobooks edited out the last few stammers.

“Party Time” reminds us that side effects can be more important than the original action. While listening, I thought of the movie Primer, which also follows brilliantly destructive PhD students. Can any good come from time travel or is it something students should be dissuaded from pursuing? Its discovery doesn't seem to have improved the TimeSplash world.

In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well. You'd think that would be a warning to us all, yet people keep on trying to make it happen! There are physicists who believe that the Universe must somehow forbid paradoxes from happening, even if time travel was allowed (no matter how hard you try, when you pull that gun on your grandmother, something will stop you). I'm sure there is a great comedy novel in there somewhere. But, even if Stephen Hawking now believes that time travel might just be possible, the mind-bending technologies and staggering energies involved mean it won't be happening any time soon - unless somebody comes back and shows us how. The thing is, humankind has explored just about everything within reach and we crave that next big adventure. The only places left to go now are Time and Space. And I don't think any amount of dissuading will stop people trying to go there.

In most time travel stories, the ability to travel is either a fluke or part of the military-industrial complex. However, in TimeSplash, it is a relatively simple underground activity. What about the Timesplash world do you find most fascinating?

When that idea first struck me - that time travelling could be an underground movement and the basis of a worldwide party scene - I was bowled over by it. I love time travel stories myself but, you're right, it's almost always in the hands of The Man. The world of TimeSplash is one struggling back to its feet after these decades of endless growth we've been living through have come to a shuddering halt. Big science is gone, the military-industrial complex has disintegrated across most of the globe, but, just before the end, there was a breakthrough... I really love the idea that the inventors of something as monumentally important as time travel feel the need to exploit it in the most mundane way because they're sick of poverty and scared they don't have the money for the dentist.

I was glad to hear Doctor Who mentioned in both TimeSplash and “Party Time.” Who is your favorite Doctor?

I grew up on Doctor Who. I still watch it avidly. I must say, though, I'm not keen on the latest crop of Doctors. I liked the second, third and fourth Doctors (Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker). More than that, I liked the way the show emphasised the triumph of intelligence and reason over brute force and superstition. I remember one show (can't remember which Doctor) where, to save the day, the Doctor had to solve the Towers of Hanoi problem. This might be considered a little dull for modern audiences, but it really impressed me and has stayed with me for decades! And that's what I call good television. I'm such a fan-boy I once wrote a Doctor Who screenplay - for my own amusement.

You are very active online with your blogs and Twitter account. How has participating in social media influenced your writing?

You know, I don't think it's influenced my writing at all. However, I've had a lot of fun, met some great people, and had some intense discussions on subjects I love. The thing that I think has most influenced my writing is reading. I read a lot of sci-fi, from H. G. Wells through Asimov, Windham, Aldiss, le Guin, Vonnegut, all the Bs (Bradbury, Ballard, Bear, Bova, Brin, Baxter, Benford), Egan, McAuley, Tepper, Gibson, Reynolds, and a hundred more. And I also read the classics (I'm a big Jane Austen fan), crime fiction, thrillers, and even a little fantasy. I like to think I soak up a little from this ocean of goodness. I like to read popular science books too - especially physics and cosmology. It is just so inspiring. I think a lot of writers - even sci-fi writers - find real science either too daunting or too restrictive. I just find it all awe-inspiring.

Having said that, while social media has not necessarily influenced my writing, it has definitely influenced the direction my career has taken. For example, I met Emma Newman through her blog and it was through her that I became involved with Iambik Audiobooks. I met Jodi Cleghorn and eMergent Press online, and they will be bringing out the print edition of TimeSplash next year. It's not the only influence - I meet people in the flesh too, sometimes! - but it has been a big one.

In the movie version of Timesplash, where would you put your cameo appearance?

Ha! Like XXX you mean? Oh there are so many cool places! Maybe the waiter that Sniper and the team spook at that cafe in Ommen. Or how about the one-time brick, who has rebadged himself as a small-time gangster who Sandra tracks down while hunting for Sniper? Holbrook himself is too big a part (although I can do the accent) but maybe one of the SAS guys in the team that goes back to try to stop the London splash would be about right. I can look cold.

What can we expect to see from you next?

Good question. I recently found myself a literary agency, and my agent has a number of books of mine which she is using to approach a number of publishers. One is a near-future thriller in which the unlucky hero is trying to stop a terrorist virus that might enslave the world, while at the same time fighting a powerful and ruthless group of transhumans who want the virus for their own ends. Another is a present-day story about a group of information-based alien parasites who live in the brains of other creatures and have come to colonise the Earth. The hero in this story is one of the parasites who finds his people have been deceived and that there is something very fishy about the colonisation. The third is a comedy - also about an alien invasion - but a very inept one. The invaders crash-land here, knowing nothing about the place, but decide to conquer it anyway in the name of their goddess. But humans all look alike to them so they choose a body-form at random from the Internet and all end up looking like a famous movie star. The fourth is another time-travel book about a guy with a lot a problems who is visited by an immoral jerk from the distant future who says he wants to study our hero. Sadly, although the visitor seems to be helping at first, it all goes very badly wrong. Bad things start happening and then escalating towards a complete catastrophe.

I have no idea which might sell first - if any of them do. Thankfully, I don't have to do the selling part myself any more.

Thank you very much for your time. I’m looking forward to your next work.

Thank you, Chris. It's been great fun chatting. Anyone who wants to keep in touch can follow my blog http://grahamstorrs.cantalibre.com/ or talk to me on Twitter http://twitter.com/graywave/

Timesplash has it's own website. It's available at through Iambik or Audible.com

Giveaway: TimeSplash by Graham Storrs!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:03:00 +0000

The Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Oasis for YA. Check out all 200+ hop blogs.

Happy mid-winter!

I am very excited to be giving away three copies of the audiobook Timesplash by Graham Storrs, each with a bonus download of the prequel short story, "Party Time," read by the author, courtesy of Iambik. This giveaway is open internationally.

Here's my review of TimeSplash. It's a great action story with an interesting and different view of time and time travel.

Here's an interview I just had with Graham Storrs where he talks about TimeSplash and Party Time.

From the publisher: Once, timesplashing was an extreme sport and an excuse for a big party. Then Sniper took it too far. People started dying. Sandra and Jay are two people whose lives were shattered in a timesplash that went badly wrong in 2047. Now, each in their own way, they are hunting the timesplashers. And if they don't find them, millions could die.

TimeSplash is read by the talented Emma Newman, but the short story "Party Time" is read by the author, Graham Storrs. I'm skeptical when authors narrate their own work since they're usually not professional voice artists. Luckily, Graham Storrs has a great voice. His British accent reminds me of Stephen Briggs, who narrates the Terry Pratchett Discworld books and is one of the top audiobook narrators out there. I was suitably impressed. I hope the winners enjoy the "Party Time" as much as I did!

To enter, fill out the form below. Giveaway terms are here. The audobooks can be downloaded in either mp3 or m4b (for ithings) format through the Iambik site from anywhere in the world. Thanks to Iambik for these copies to giveaway!

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:11:00 +0000

Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Series: First in the Hereville series
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy
Publisher: Amulet Books, 2010
From: Local library
Here's a 15-page preview from Barry Deutsch

Story: Mirka's goal in life is to fight dragons, but instead her stepmother makes her learn "womanly arts" like knitting. One day while outsmarting bullies, Mirka finds a strange house in the forest. Afterwards, an evil pig starts following Mirka and won't go away. How can she find a sword when she can't even keep her homework safe?

Thoughts: I picked up this book because of its cover, and I'm glad I did! Mirka is an excellent heroine who's smart and brave yet still has things to learn. I especially liked Mirka's step-mother who's a little wicked, but in a good way. The action stops a couple of times to describe Mirka's Orthadox school, her classmates, and the Saturday Shabbos celebration. These parts got a little teachy as the narrator talks directly to the reader, but the action soon picks up again. My favorite part was the visual description of Mirka's word problems, and Mirka's solutions. Mirka's so fun I could have read a whole book just of her doing math!

The art is grayscale on an orange background. I love this style. The mostly black and white drawings let the action jump right out, while the addition of one color allows for unexpected touches. I especially liked Mirka's striped socks. When it turns to night, the background switches to blue, giving the perfect midnight feel. It's such a great effect, the perfect compromise between the visual interest of color and clarity of black and white.

Final thoughts: A great girl adventure with a window into Orthodox Jewish life for middle grade readers or anyone who had to resort to their brain because they didn't have a sword handy. The second book in the series is in the works. Can't wait!

Grade: 5 out of 5