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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
|
date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
47
| 
| 0715642936
| 9780715642931
| 3.30
| 214
| Jun 01, 2011
| Feb 16, 2012
|
I really enjoy Max Brooks' stories. I love his insightful way of looking at the zombie culture, what it represents, what it means for us, what we woul...more
I really enjoy Max Brooks' stories. I love his insightful way of looking at the zombie culture, what it represents, what it means for us, what we would, or could, do about it if it were to occur. I recently recommended Max's World War Z to a friend, and loaned him my copy so he could read it. (Don't worry, it's back in my possession now, and unharmed. :D) He returned it with the comment that it was probably one of the best stories about society in crisis he'd ever read, and that the realism was incredible. I completely agree, which is why I recommended it to him in the first place. ;) So anyway, my point in mentioning this is that Max Brooks' books have been on my mind recently, and so when I was browsing Audible last night looking for something to listen to so I could clean the kitchen (What? Like you don't...), I discovered Closure Limited. I'd never heard of it before, so I was kinda excited by the thought of new material. So, I downloaded, listened, and cleaned... in that order. Priorities, people. O_o Overall, I liked this - maybe not AS much as Zombie Survival Guide or World War Z, but close. I think part of what detracted from this a bit was the format and the reading. For one thing, the reader sounded a lot like Max Brooks himself to me. I have heard Max read on the WWZ audiobook (the abridged one - I've yet to listen to the newer unabridged version), and I've seen him on that one zombie documentary show that I can't think of the name of... *IMDBs* "Zombies: A Living History". So for the intro, the reader's voice worked fine for me... but in the stories themselves... it wasn't the best match. That's not to say that the performance wasn't good... It was good, but I am kinda picky when it comes to audiobook readers, and I wouldn't say that Christopher Ragland is among my favorites. The male voices were OK - but the females were... not. And three times he had to do accents: one from The Netherlands (if I remember right?), another from Vietnam, and then a woman from China. Oddly, the Chinese woman's voice distracted me the least, which was kind of contradictory to how I felt about how he read other women - maybe it was the more staccato way in which he read her that helped. Not sure. Before I talk about the individual stories, I'll just mention one other thing that detracted from this book for me, with regards to the audio version. That issue is that each story is headed by a chapter. "Chapter One: Closure Limited". I didn't actually NOTICE this, though, until midway through the 2nd story, when I was wondering what the hell the events I was listening to had to do with where I thought the story was going. I'm used to stories jumping around at chapter breaks. It gives a different perspective, and progresses the story, etc, so I heard, "Chapter Two: Steve & Fred" and didn't think anything of it being a NEW story, but a 2nd chapter in the story I was listening to already. It was a little distracting, the be honest. Probably in print form, this wouldn't be an issue, because I'd know, getting to the next story, that it's not really "Chapter Two". Anyway, so when I eventually realized that it was a different story, it made a LOT more sense. Moving on to the stories themselves, I really enjoyed them. Closure Limited: Think about a zombie apocalypse... You know that the undead are everywhere, and that they are relentless killing, and turning, machines. Think about your loved ones, the ones that are now out of contact with you in your safehouse, or compound, or whatever. You don't know whether they are alive or dead or undead. You hope that they are alive, but the odds are... slim. After a while, the wondering starts to get to you... it starts to be harder to live with NOT knowing than it would be to just mourn. That's where Closure Limited comes in - they allow you to end that uncertainty. They provide a service that gives just what their name says: closure. Granted, there's a certain amount of self-deception that's required, because, after all, you HIRED this company to give you closure... but if you just need the symbolic aspect, you're all set. This one really made me think... It is kind of awful in its way, and extremely risky, but could I really say that I wouldn't want something like this to exist if I was in the situation of needing it? At the very least, it would be cathartic to destroy the hope that just stubbornly hangs on and insists on tormenting us... Steve & Fred: When I listened to this one last night, I was... not impressed. It didn't help that I didn't realize it was a new story (as I mentioned above), but to add to that the story also has a shift of its own. So, to be fair, I listened to this one again this morning, and I've changed my initial opinion. This is a GOOD story. It's like a little polaroid of a story, one that is still working on developing toward the middle. There's not much to this one - it's 22 minutes long, so, maybe I'd estimate a similar number of pages if the reader goes through 1 per minute. Maybe double if he reads slower. I dunno. But either way, the way it expands to show the whole situation is impressive, and enormous in its capacity for dread. And the irony of the story-within-a-story aspect is not lost on me. This is good stuff. The Extinction Parade: This one is probably my least favorite of the lot, and oddly enough for the "unreality" of this zombie story containing vampires. Yes. Really. I mean, it's not that I'm against vampires and zombies in the same story; in fact, usually I'm good with that. But in Max Brooks' universe, zombies invade the normal, everyday world due to a virus. There's nothing paranormal about them. So the insertion of the paranormal here just felt... out of place. That being said, if I put that aside, the story is still a good one. It brings to light the concept of resources - that if suddenly a previously thought continually renewable resource suddenly starts to dwindle, would those who rely on the resource notice in time to stop it... COULD they stop it even if they did? The Great Wall: This story, previous to my re-listen to Steve & Fred, was my favorite of the four. Now, I'd say they are tied. I loved this story for everything that it represented in terms of human resilience and stoicism and courage. It brought tears to my eyes, both of pride and sadness, and I loved every second of it. This one is definitely a keeper for anyone who enjoys zombie lit, or who is a fan of Max Brooks, or both. I definitely recommend it. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Apr 05, 2013
| Apr 06, 2013
|
Apr 05, 2013
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
46
| 
| 0671039725
| 9780671039721
| 3.80
| 143,306
| 1974
| Nov 01, 2002
|
This has never been one of my favorite King novels. It has that feeling of being a first novel- it's rough around the edges, has grammar and punctuati...more
This has never been one of my favorite King novels. It has that feeling of being a first novel- it's rough around the edges, has grammar and punctuation issues, and just feels... Unpolished. But there is something about King that is just compelling. Even with all the issues this book had, I still felt King's hand on it. The characters were not nearly as fleshed out as characters in his later stories, even The Shining written not long after Carrie, but they were still real, and I could identify with them. King's strength has always been his characters. Even the extraordinary ones like Carrie are, at heart, normal people put in a situation beyond reason, and sometimes it's heartbreaking to see where that goes. I felt for Carrie. Despite knowing ehat happens, I still wish for a different outcome. I also noticed, in this reread, that there were a lot of idea precursors in this books. Concepts that King would take away and build on in other books. There's the White Commission which was definitely an early prototype of The Shop, mentioned in a few other notables, like Firestarter and Dreamcatcher. There's the concept of a car having power and influence, a la Christine, and a preview of The Kid. Quite a few ideas to revisit in later books. I also liked the reference to Rage. Nicely done there. There is also the religious fundamentalism, which has been revisited in some other stories, but never as thoroughly as here... At least to my recollection. Margaret White is almost a founding member of the Westboro Baptist Church. Everything is a sin and God is a wrathful punisher. I could not imagine growing up in a home like that, and it makes me feel for Carrie all the more to think of how terrifying her every waking moment had to have been, knowing that home was less a haven than a prison. Overall, this is an OK book, but not King's best. Still as a starting point for the career he has had, he could have done a lot worse!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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2
| Mar 23, 2013
| Mar 26, 2013
|
Feb 25, 2013
| Paperback
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48
| 
| 184416571X
| 9781844165711
| 4.07
| 410
| Jul 30, 2002
| May 20, 2008
|
Alrighty... I'm having a really hard time mustering up any interest in this book, and so I'm calling it quits. This was recommended to me by a friend...more Alrighty... I'm having a really hard time mustering up any interest in this book, and so I'm calling it quits. This was recommended to me by a friend who is really into the game, but it's just not really my thing. I've been told what happens in the second half of the book, and for me, it's not really worth sticking with it. That pretty much sums it up. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Apr 15, 2013
| May 03, 2013
|
Feb 22, 2013
| Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
43
| 
| 0778328791
| 9780778328797
| 3.85
| 12,280
| Jan 18, 2011
| Jan 18, 2011
|
This is another Audible gem. They were having a "Buy One, Get One" sale, and These Things Hidden was my "Get One" book, chosen on a whim. But for that...more
This is another Audible gem. They were having a "Buy One, Get One" sale, and These Things Hidden was my "Get One" book, chosen on a whim. But for that sale, I probably never would have read this. (I've been kind of unofficially avoiding YA lately, being sick of the love triangles and the YAPNR and the blah blah blah.) But had I missed this one, it would have been a shame, because this book is fantastic. I almost don't want to talk about the plot of the story at all, because I'm afraid of ruining it. The way this is written, from four different perspectives, is perfect, and the story evolves in just the right way, at just the right pace. Each chapter reveals just a little more about what happened to land Allison in prison, and each chapter reveals just a little bit more about how one mistake in an otherwise perfect life can cause ever widening effect ripples in Allison's life, and her family's and community's lives. At the point when the crime was revealed, I was shocked and dismayed. Not only for the nature of the crime, but for how early in the story the revelation came. I remember thinking, "Oh no... This is too early! The rest of the story is going to flop now that there's nothing left to wonder about." I was so wrong. Not only did those ripples keep widening and showing us more of the story of That Night, but the story was so compelling, so heartbreaking and so honest that I couldn't stop listening. I had to know what happened, and what would happen next. This is a relevant and gut-wrenching story about mistakes and their consequences, about decisions we make, and how they affect us and everyone around us. It's a story of second chances, responsibility, and how sometimes things go horribly, horribly wrong just when we think that everything is going perfectly, but that life goes on anyway. I feel like this is a book that needs to be read and re-read to really feel the full impact. My perceptions of the characters in the story kept shifting constantly, like mercury, but I never felt manipulated, which is the mark of a great writer, in my opinion. For an author to move me around like a chess piece but make me believe it's the board moving rather than my feet, they've made themselves a fan. This girl, right here. If I had anything to complain about, it was that the readers sometimes sounded a little stiff and choppy, but I'm not holding that against the book, because almost as soon as I'd notice the reader, she'd be gone again and I'd be drowning in the story. This book may not be for everyone, but for me, it was just what I didn't know I needed to pull me out of a summer long reading slump. This book reminded me why I love reading, and why sometimes the best things show up when we least expect them. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Aug 20, 2012
| Aug 21, 2012
|
Aug 20, 2012
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
38
| 
| 1852424672
| 9781852424671
| 4.02
| 44,290
| Jan 01, 2003
| May 09, 2006
|
I've started this review 6 times now, and each time, I've deleted it because it doesn't quite convey the right thing. I think the problem is that I'm...more
I've started this review 6 times now, and each time, I've deleted it because it doesn't quite convey the right thing. I think the problem is that I'm not sure just what that thing is. But one thing I do know is that I love books that make me feel like this... that "I don't know what I need to say but I need to say something, to talk about this with someone because this book won't keep quiet in my mind" feeling. I guess it's lucky that this was chosen for our latest group read then, because I filibustered there with every jumbled, messy, half-formed thought that my tired-because-I-stayed-up-until-nearly-2am-with-this-book-then-worked-a-full-8-hours mind could think of... Because this book won't keep quiet in my mind. I finished it last night around 1:30am, tears streaming down my face, hurting for everyone and furiously heartbroken over something so unnecessary and so seemingly unavoidable as what was depicted. Then I slept, and I dreamed about this book, with hazy, distant figures without names or faces, but bigger than life aspects. It's rare that I dream about books. It doesn't matter if I read it up until the minute I drop off; I only dream about a book I'm reading, or have read if it pulled me into its world first. I dream about the books that touch my soul. *cue dramatic music* This book was just... wow. If I were to nitpick anything, it would be that Eva's pen wandered a tiny bit too much into the outside world. I wanted to see her world, the world of her family, or her lack thereof. It took a little bit to get there, and for a while, there were hints but the narrative meandered along in its own time. But oh my, once it got going, it really got going. I don't think it was just my last minute mad dash to read this the day before my bookclub meeting that helped me to read 75% of this book in one night after work... it was unputdownable. Once I glimpsed this family's world, I couldn't look away. There is... so much to talk about in this book. And I don't think that I could even attempt to do the topics or themes any justice (as I didn't in my bookclub, not for lack of trying). This is a book that begs to be turned around to the beginning again and immediately re-read. It's like one of those optical illusions. At first, the picture is simple, but then once you see the hidden picture within it, you gain a new appreciation for the whole. This book was beautifully written, insightful, questioning and heartbreaking. It was nothing at all like I expected, and even guessing the things that I guessed (which turned out to be true), it didn't make the impact any less. This book was so incredible at making me sympathize and empathize with each person's perspective, though we only see these through Eva's brutally honest memory, that it was impossible for me to lay blame anywhere, even though the potential for assigning blame was huge. This was expertly executed (pun intended), and it is not one that I will forget any time soon. (less) | Notes are private!
| Jen
|
1
| May 21, 2012
| May 22, 2012
|
Apr 25, 2012
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
42
| 
| 0805066691
| 9780805066692
| 4.18
| 25,971
| 1970
| Jan 23, 2001
|
Unlike Fox News, this book doesn't claim to be "Fair and Balanced", though it still manages to come closer to that mark than Fox does. This isn't a bo...more
Unlike Fox News, this book doesn't claim to be "Fair and Balanced", though it still manages to come closer to that mark than Fox does. This isn't a book intended to be fair or show the big picture of the American political climate or whatever, this is a book intended to give voices to those who were victimized and murdered, over and over and over again. As I listened to this book, I kept thinking back to that old adage that history is written by the victors. And it's true. Look at all the old Western movies showing Native Americans as wild, bloodthirsty, unpredictable threats to innocent and defenseless settlers. Look at my Jr. High history class. I kept thinking of how people always try to color that which they don't understand as "the enemy", and try to color their actions against that "enemy" in positive light. And I kept thinking of how pervasive that perception has been. And it's heartbreaking to me. And it's a lesson that we still, over 100 years later, haven't learned. But what's to learn when we're the victors? Nevermind hundreds of thousands of innocent, peaceful lives lost in a show of astounding greed and ignorance and hatred. Nevermind the thousands of years of history and culture lost forever. Nevermind all that. We can haz all the things! We are white! Sometimes I'm so fucking ashamed of America's history (and present, let's be honest) that it's sickening. Needless to say, this book made me angry and sad. I couldn't even take solace in the fact that it's fiction, because it's not. I tried to think of how it could have been different, how we might have learned to live together... but we're unable to be at peace. We don't know how. The events depicted in this book were inevitable from the moment we landed in the New World. I'll step off my soapbox now and talk about the book a bit. I thought that the writing was pretty good, though non-fiction does tend to be a little dry. But my main issue was that it felt a little heavyhanded, whacking me over the head to make sure I get the point. The subject matter is cyclical: Whites need land, whites try to bargain with Indians for it, Indians cede land to whites for trinkets and pennies, whites then decide they need more land, steal the rest of it and massacre the Indians who dare try to fight back... and even those who don't. Move to new land and repeat. And while this does serve to show how relentless the Americans were in lying, stealing from and in general just plain harassing the Indians, and the passages are powerful and heartfelt, I just couldn't help thinking that a bit more skill and subtlety would have served it better. The reading by Grover Gardner was a little dry, and I wish he would have brought a little more to it. But still, overall, it was a decent performance. I definitely think that this is a book that should be required reading. I can't say that I enjoyed this book, because I don't generally enjoy listening to repeated accounts of cold-blooded murder, but it was worth it, if only to remind myself of what we're capable of, and to shore up my resolve to stand against atrocities whenever possible... even if - especially if - my government is the one perpetrating them. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
|
1
| Jul 30, 2012
| Aug 19, 2012
|
Mar 06, 2012
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
35
| 
| 0451160959
| 9780451160959
| 4.30
| 212,941
| 1978
| Jan 01, 1980
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
|
0
| not set
| not set
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Feb 25, 2012
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
34
| 
| 0062077562
| 9780062077561
| 3.76
| 2,438
| Aug 29, 2011
| Feb 07, 2012
|
None
| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| not set
| not set
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Feb 17, 2012
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
33
| 
| 0547225490
| 9780547225494
| 3.79
| 4,196
| Dec 31, 2005
| Apr 20, 2009
|
*sigh* Yet another highly recommended book that I just didn't enjoy. I thought that the beginning of this book, the history leading up to the formatio...more *sigh* Yet another highly recommended book that I just didn't enjoy. I thought that the beginning of this book, the history leading up to the formation of the Republic, was the best part. It was realistic and plausible and real. This is why I'm giving this two stars instead of just one. The rest was, well... just really not doing it for me. The methodology here, telling the story in oral exam format, made for some excruciatingly dry, boring reading. It was just fact/interpretation/philosophy, fact/interpretation/philosophy. There was no LIFE to this story, no humanity (see what I did there?). I felt nothing for Anax, nothing for Pericles, nothing for Adam, nothing for any of the characters at all. There was nothing to really make me care... and so I didn't. Which, of course, meant that the twist at the end (which, really wasn't all that shocking) was ineffective and pointless. I had to force myself to finish all 120 measly pages, and that only because I was hoping that the ending would redeem the rest. It didn't. Speaking of pointless, I have to raise a question here. And this does pertain to the end of the book, and the twist, so feel free to stop reading at this point if you don't want to be spoiled, even though I'll try to keep it vague. Maybe I'm missing something here, I admit to being very tired, and that my mind was practically begging for something shiny to occupy it by the end... but what the hell WAS the point of the Exam? No, really. I want to know. OK, so, there's The Secret That Shall Not Be Spoken. Got it. So, The Academy then sends out scouts to find students with the kind of aptitude for history and analysis that could lead them to potentially stumble onto The Secret That Shall Not Be Spoken. OK. With it so far. Carry on... The scout finds said student candidates... and then tutors them and guides them into a situation where they'd be MORE inclined to discover The Secret That Shall Not Be Spoken, which leads to the Exam, which is a gigantic waste of everyone's time (including mine), because at the end of it, they reveal The Secret That Shall Not Be Spoken, and then just "disconnect". So I ask again... What's the point? Why go through all that trouble? (view spoiler)[Why not just search and destroy? (hide spoiler)](less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 11, 2012
| Feb 11, 2012
|
Jan 09, 2012
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
37
| 
| 0385341008
| 9780385341004
| 4.09
| 215,854
| Jul 29, 2008
| May 05, 2009
|
When I started this book, honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I know that lots of people have loved Guernsey, and a friend of mine raved about it,...more
When I started this book, honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I know that lots of people have loved Guernsey, and a friend of mine raved about it, but I was dubious. I mean... the title just seemed silly to me. But now having read the book, the title makes perfect sense. Not only what it means, but also everything that it represents, and I can't really imagine the book having a different title now. In addition to being dubious about the title, I've also been really impatient with books lately. They have to get to the good stuff quickly, or I find something shinier. Guernsey took a bit of getting used to - the format, being epistolary didn't help that much. The first letter, from someone named Juliet to someone named Sidney about someone named Susan Scott and something called English Foibles and the 'Society to Protest Against the Glorification of the English Bunny'. Right then. I read a couple more letters, and thought, "Maybe later," and tried a couple other books. (Nook ownership encourages book polygamy, I swear it.) But I kept thinking about the letters, and who the people writing them were, and so I came back, and as soon as Dawsey wrote his first letter, I was hooked. I still think that the beginning is a little slow, but it did the job. Overall, I thought that the epistolary style was great. It allows the characters to be themselves, for the reader to get to know them through their own thoughts, rather than an intermediary (a narrator) telling us about them. At times I thought that things were a little one sided, the letters providing responses to things that the reader wasn't privy to, so the reader would need to fill in the blanks, but I didn't mind this so much overall. It's better to pick a style and commit to it, in my opinion, than to try to be all things to all readers. Another benefit of this style is that it's far more personal - written by a real person to be read by another real person. They aren't literature, they are bits of someone's life and thoughts and experiences. And that's exactly what they felt like. I loved how they kind of skittered around the Occupation, while still showing exactly what it had been like. These people weren't whiners. They took the Occupation as another bump in the road and lived their lives around it. Their letters are full of the ways that their lives changed with the coming of the Nazis to Guernsey, but they were just telling someone who hadn't been there what it was like, not fishing for sympathy. That's a fine line, but I think this book walked it, and did it beautifully. All that being said, I can't give this book 5 stars, although I wish I could. I didn't feel that the book was finished when it ended, and I feel a little bad for saying this, but that the book lost a bit of focus toward the end. Granted, the reader can fill in the blanks, but I was truly hoping for a more decisive non-romantic resolution. It's all well and good for the romance to have been wrapped up - but for me that was a side detail. That's not why I felt that we were in Guernsey. I wanted to see publication of the work-in-progress. I wanted to see the GL&PPPS read it, and commiserate over it, and begin to heal the griefs of their losses through it. Especially this last for Kit. As it was, it was a beautiful book. Very quotable and moving and definitely worth reading. But I feel like the end could have come full circle and been much stronger. (less) | Notes are private!
| Felina
|
1
| May 10, 2012
| May 12, 2012
|
Jul 31, 2011
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
32
| 
| 1406310255
| 9781406310252
| 3.97
| 37,589
| May 05, 2008
| May 05, 2008
|
I've heard so many great things about this series, and about Patrick Ness in general, that I was very excited to read this series. After reading the p...more
I've heard so many great things about this series, and about Patrick Ness in general, that I was very excited to read this series. After reading the prequel, The New World, and his standalone novel A Monster Calls (and adoring it), I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I find myself disappointed. Todd lives on New World, which is a relatively new (20 year old) colonization full of people from Earth. In Prentisstown, the settlement where Todd lives, there are no women, and the men hear all the other 164 mens' thoughts, called Noise, constantly. There's no escaping it. He has been taught that the Spackle released a germ that caused the deaths of all the women, and that the same germ caused the Noise, and also allowed animals to talk. So when Todd finds a quiet patch out near the swamp, everything in his life changes and he's ushered out into the greater, supposedly empty, world with only his dog Manchee to accompany him. Of course he then begins to find out that things aren't exactly the way he'd been told. Sounds intriguing... but it just didn't work for me. This book is told in first person narrative. We're inside Todd's head throughout the entire book, and this was a problem for me. Right off the bat, we see that mens' Noise is everywhere, pervasive, unavoidable. Every thought, every nuance, every wish, dream, desire, image, everyone's everything everything everything is jumbled into a huge conglomeration of thought-pollution. So, when Todd is being ushered out into the wild blue yonder, clueless and confused and scared, he's told that he couldn't have been told why it was necessary because it would have been seen in his Noise. Right. Makes sense. But then just a tiny bit later, Todd is given a glimpse of the truth... and that is never revealed to the reader. Or at least not until the last 30 pages of the book or so. How is it that everyone's Noise is everywhere and overwhelming, and yet this kid, who has trouble calming and controlling his own thoughts, is able to hide something so shocking from himself... from the "reader" he's talking to inside his head? And he is talking to us. Whenever he feels embarrassed or awkward, he adds a little aside (shut up) as if he knows we might be judging him for his weakness or whatever. So how is it that we're in his head, his wide open to the world head, and yet vital info is withheld? Well, if it was revealed that early, there wouldn't be a story. Seriously. 90% of this book was stringing the reader along, spooning out little hints, promising explanations that are interrupted at the crucial moment when the speaking starts. Ugh. So frustrating. If all of the interruptions and travel time were removed, this book would be quite a bit shorter. We're gonna have a meeting to explain why things are so weird? Time to leave! You're about to explain everything? Oh, no you don't! This here Then when we FINALLY get an explanation, I was like "That's it?!" It seemed so anti-climactic and obvious. I expected something better, more profound... Something plausible and realistic. For that matter, what is the point of any of it? The "revelation" seems so pointlessly stupid and short-sighted that I can't even begin to comprehend what the point is. (view spoiler)[In his quest for power, and in his insanity, the Mayor, Prentiss, is on a mission to kill off all the women on the planet and create a huge army of men under his command. Great. So... the population of New World will just dwindle down to nothing, then, with no women? Sounds like a perfect plan. Maybe they'll evolve into asexual beings without the need for women? Or maybe they'll all just die. Probably the latter. I mean, come on, at least make it somewhat realistic and make the women slave-breeders or something. Not that I would WANT that, but that's what a crazy despot tyrant would do. You don't KILL your reproducers, you control them. Duh. Didn't this guy read his Atwood?? (hide spoiler)] Regarding the characters, I didn't really care about Todd, or Viola. I didn't really identify with them at all, despite liking Viola in the prequel. The only character I DID care about was Manchee. I loved him. Todd seemed stupid and willfully ignorant, but proud and unwilling to listen, so of course he caused a lot of his own problems by acting before he thought anything through, and by not being willing to listen to anything or analyze a situation. It's just go go go. I mean, he has a BOOK of information that was given to him to help him understand, but he barely looks at it at all until almost the end of the book. Personally, I would want as much information as possible, but I guess I'm just weird. He didn't grow or learn at all, not one bit. What was the point of all of the things he went through if he still does them again and again and never learns? Viola wasn't consistent, and I never really felt like I knew her. She starts out all scared and borderline catatonic, and then almost instantaneously starts to talk and interact with Todd... but never in a helpful, "Let's think about our next move" way. If there's about to be helpful information given, let's avoid it at all costs! This is the same thing that bugged the everlovin' crap out of me about The Death Cure. Why would anyone want to struggle along blindly when they could have more information to go on? I understand that being able to hear all mens' thoughts would be information overload at times, but much of it is misinformation, so why not try to put it in some orderly fashion and get a straight-forward accounting of what's REALLY going on?? I just don't get it. I don't like being strung along like a fish on a line for nothing. If this was a short story, it probably would have been a great one. But it's too long as a novel, and I just don't see it working as a series. I'm sure there will be struggle, and it will be drawn out, because somehow the bad-guys seem to always be a step ahead, but that's annoying. I just didn't get this one. I thought that it had an interesting premise, and a lot of potential to be great, but it didn't work for me. I don't think I'll be continuing this series. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 08, 2012
| Feb 10, 2012
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Jul 02, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
30
| 
| 0679740678
| 9780679740674
| 3.84
| 28,698
| 1962
| Jun 30, 1992
|
Preface: I chose this book for my very first real life bookclub meeting ever. There was also much drinking (by me) at this meeting, so... if my review...more
Preface: I chose this book for my very first real life bookclub meeting ever. There was also much drinking (by me) at this meeting, so... if my review is less than coherent, well, actually, I think that's fitting, isn't it? So, right. I chose this book blindly. Never read PKD before, although I have seen a few of the movies based on his work, and they are all interesting, to say the least. Having just read the amazetastic 11/22/63 by the King, I was in something of an alternate history mindset, and so TMITHC was chosen. Nerves were on edge while I anxiously awaited the meeting to see what people thought. Hell, to see what I thought, even, because I finished it literally minutes before the meeting. Because I'm a slacker procrastinator who barely started it this week and read 90% of it between last night and today. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this quite a lot, even though "enjoy" isn't really the word that comes to mind first... maybe "pondered"? Let's try that one out: "I pondered this quite a lot." Yes. That works. I pondered, and I discovered that I arrived at many more positive feelings than negative, and thus the term "enjoyed" enters into my vocabulary. I'm pleased to announce that my bookclub-mates also arrived at ponder-positive assessments. Bookclub choice #1: Success! I feel like this is the type of book that begs to be re-read. I don't feel like I really "got" very much of it... or maybe I do/did and I'm just overthinking it? I don't know. Parts of it really frustrated and unnerved me, and I found myself angrily typing notes on my nook, like how "Lotze can go screw himself the shit" and "yay!! Baynes - show that shit what fear is!" and "seriously?!??!" (These are actual notes that I made while reading. That last one makes sense in context, I promise.). Parts of it were disturbingly unnerving in a "can't look away from the train wreck" kind of way. Fascinating and horrific at the same time. There were some very interesting concepts in this book, and I thought that PKD did a fantastic job at capturing the different cultural nuances of both the Japanese and Germans. At first I was concerned that I wouldn't like the book because the writing was off-putting. Clipped sentences. No connecting words. Interrupted thought proc--. Then I realized that this was on purpose, after it switched for a bit, and I was actually really impressed. It worked well. The concept of Place was interesting to me, though not because I'd want to live with it. I would be Place-fucked because I can't be bothered to constantly worry about the formality of every single situation. Seriously, who has time to worry about whether the random person on the street is judging you for carrying your own bag, or walking when you could take a cab? Not me. No Place Becky, that's what they'd call me. But hey, at least I know my Place. Zing! Anyway... I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading more PKD in the future. Yes indeedy. :)(less) | Notes are private!
| Me
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1
| Jan 23, 2012
| Jan 26, 2012
|
Jun 26, 2011
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
24
| 
| 0385199570
| 9780385199575
| 4.30
| 212,941
| 1978
| May 01, 1990
|
This has always been one of my favorite books. There's just so much to it... so many characters that I love, so much uncertainty and fear and hope. I...more
This has always been one of my favorite books. There's just so much to it... so many characters that I love, so much uncertainty and fear and hope. I don't think that I'll really be able to do it justice in my review, so this will just be a quickie. This is one of my comfort books. The characters are like family to me, and I feel like I know them all as well as I know myself. There is something magical in the way that King writes that allows his characters to just step right off the page and into reality. He creates these 3D characters that are identifiable and understandable, even when they do the most awful things. There's a lot of commentary in this book. About technology, society, group-think, individuality and choice, religion and faith, and of course, the biggie: good vs evil. There's a lot to think about if one is inclined - or one can just enjoy the story for the story. I could say a lot more, but it all boils down to this: I love this book. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jun 15, 2011
| Jul 02, 2011
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May 20, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
22
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| 0061161535
| 9780061161537
| 3.82
| 9,087
| 2006
| Nov 07, 2006
|
3.5 Stars This is my second book by Allende, and I can understand why people love her writing so much. She is a beautiful storyteller and her writing i...more 3.5 Stars This is my second book by Allende, and I can understand why people love her writing so much. She is a beautiful storyteller and her writing is so evocative and lovely and honest without being flowery or overdone. I love that quality in a writer - it's one of my favorite things about Colleen McCullough as well, especially in Tim. That book was my introduction to McCullough and it made a deep impression on me and instantly became one of my favorite books. Crap. Now I want to read it again! Anyway, I was talking about Allende. The first book I read of hers was The House of the Spirits, and I really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought that I would. You see, I don't really care for magical realism and generally steered clear of it whenever I could. I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that, like anything else, there's good and bad magical realism, and I'd only read astoundingly bad examples of it... or read good examples of it and didn't recognize them as MR. But it took Allende and my friend Jackie recommending her books for me to see it. Allende's books are beautifully written, and whatever mystical or magical or ethereal otherworldliness there might be is subtle and adds a little "Did you see that?" nudge in the ribs, but doesn't overtake the story, doesn't throw the narrative into confusion like some magical realism books I've read and hated with the fires of a thousand suns. I'm not going to name titles. You know who you are. >_> Beloved. So, this was another Jackie choice, and again I really enjoyed it, although I feel that this one lost something in the audio version. I wish that I had read this rather than listening to it. *sigh* Blair Brown did a passable Spanish accent, but quite often it was distracting. It just seemed to lack a fluidity and smoothness that native speakers have. Quite often, she'd hesitate for just a moment before pronouncing a word. It might actually only be a half second, but to me, it was a distraction. This is the kind of story that you need and want to just climb into and live for a while - and every one of those stutters pulled me out of it. I may not pronounce the Spanish correctly in my head, but reading for myself would have been smoother, since I probably wouldn't know it was wrong. The second reason that I wish I'd have just read the book myself was that there were a whole lot of Spanish names in this one. People names, place names, historical names and Chilean native tribe names, and honestly, it was really hard to keep track of who was who when I had no visual link to the sound of the words being spoken. It didn't help much that, being told as a memoir type story, the narrative was less than linear. Wikipedia helped a lot here, and Google for being a good guesser at what I was misspelling. For instance, I'd type "Atawapa" and it would return "Did you mean Atahualpa?" Yes. Yes I did. THANK YOU GOOGLE! (And before any of you break out the ladder to get on your high horse, it's been a while since World History class, OK?) So anyway, Wikipedia helped a lot to keep the names and places and tribes and so on straight, so that I could enjoy the story and actually know who was being referred to. I found this story fascinating. I don't really know much about Chilean history, but I feel like I know quite a bit more now. Because I was on Wikipedia and Google so much, I feel like I actually may have learned something. This was a story about Spanish conquests and it was appropriately brutal. There were massacres and tortures and mutilations and subjugation of the indigenous people. All of that was to be expected. But there was also a softer quality to this story, a kind of empathy and understanding that Ines lent it. She claimed to not understand the 'indians' of Chile, but her description of them, and their customs and ceremonies and beliefs said otherwise. I thought several times while listening to this that she was confusing understanding with agreement. I think she understood them just fine. They wanted to live and be free and content in their lives just as she wanted to live and be free and content in her own. She could have said to the Mapuches "We're not so different, you and I." Too bad she wouldn't have gotten the Austin Powers reference. *sigh* I really appreciated the religious aspect of the story, both from the Catholic standpoint and the Native standpoint. Allende represented both fairly, I think. Although, it seemed that there was a bit of the mystical on the side of the Christians, at least in Ines's eyes. I love that there was a little bit of that here, but also that it's interpretable. Was it a miracle that broke the rope and saved the man from hanging, or was it simply that the rope was frayed or weak? A comet, or a sign? One thing I particularly loved regarding the religious aspect of the story was Ines, at 70, talking about how she sometimes forgets and calls God "Ngenechen", which is the Mapuche's name for their god or sometimes prays to the Earth Mother rather than the Virgin. It's such a throwaway reference, an old woman confused and mixing things up, but to me it signifies how similar beliefs can be, and how silly it is to try to force a "right" religion on someone else. What's in a name? Isn't what you believe and how you live and act more important? I think so, and I think that Ines did too. She worked for her people all her life, striving to make sure that they were as well looked after as it was in her power to do. She founded churches and hospitals and helped feed the poor and hungry, and defended the defenseless. She was definitely an awesome, if underappreciated, person. I enjoyed this one, and might just have to read it for myself one day. I think it is a book that definitely deserves my full attention, and I couldn't give it that with the audio. But regardless, this was very good, and I'd definitely recommend it. (less) | Notes are private!
| 1
| Jun 10, 2011
| Jun 12, 2011
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Apr 14, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
20
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| 0140277447
| 9780140277449
| 4.03
| 7,340
| 1997
| Nov 01, 1998
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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0
| not set
| not set
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Mar 23, 2011
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
18
| 
| 0810984172
| 9780810984172
| 3.87
| 6,063
| May 01, 2011
| May 01, 2011
|
I've never read any of Lauren Myracle's other books. I'm not much into the whole "txt-spk" thing, so those books have never sparked my interest. Not m...more
I've never read any of Lauren Myracle's other books. I'm not much into the whole "txt-spk" thing, so those books have never sparked my interest. Not my cup of tea. Other than those, I couldn't have named another book Myracle had written before today. But this... this book called out to me. Not only because of the absolutely gorgeous cover, but because of the premise, and because it's set in the South. I love me some books set in the South. And because it has Issues. Issues with a capital 'I'. And boy, did this deliver. If it hadn't been written with such grace and honesty, and a light touch and sense of innocence, it could have gone so very, very badly wrong. The Issues in this book are the kind that outsiders abhor and denounce, while those living in and around and with them are almost oblivious to their existence as an 'Issue' at all. To those people, it's just life. Normal. Everyday. This book touched on a lot of things. Poverty, addiction, class division, alcoholism, abuse, homosexuality and homophobia, fear and hatred, small-town politics, friendship and loyalty, etc. So many things that some could have easily gotten lost and confused. But even with all of these issues entwined throughout the story, I never felt that it forgot what it was. I loved the way this story was written. I love the way it was parceled out, little by little, edging closer to the truth and the consequences and the brokenness, like a hungry mouse sneaking closer to a crumb not far from the cat's bed. The mouse knows that rushing will cause it to lose its chance, to be hurt -- but caution and stealth may win it a chance to survive. This book was like that. It crept along, building momentum, until it reached where it needed to be. I instantly fell in love with these characters, especially Cat and Patrick. My heart broke for the things that they lost, both before and after Patrick is beaten and left for dead. I loved their friendship, and the simple acceptance of it. I loved Mama Sweetie, Patrick's Grandma, and her kindness and wisdom and faith. I usually find it hard to accept religion in books, because so very often it comes across as preachy. That was not the case here. It was less religion and more a matter of faith - a simple knowledge that there's something and someone there for us. No judgment, no fire and brimstone, no recriminations for every little thought, just a sense of "If you want, you can - if not, that's OK too." I liked that. This book is gorgeous and amazing from cover to cover, and I was so wrapped up in this community and these lives that I almost didn't want to see, but I couldn't look away. I found one thing, one little thing, about the very end to be a bit unbelievable, but I understand it, and I wasn't disappointed. All in all, I loved this book and I think it's one that I will need to own, to re-read and absorb and love. It's that good. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Mar 04, 2011
| Mar 05, 2011
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Mar 03, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
36
| 
| 0060733497
| 9780060733490
| 4.27
| 6,799
| 1995
| Jun 28, 2005
|
This book has come highly recommended by almost all of my friends, and so naturally, I was very excited to read it. This was my first experience with...more
This book has come highly recommended by almost all of my friends, and so naturally, I was very excited to read it. This was my first experience with Kay, and the consensus seems to be that this is his best work. Certainly the Goodreads average rating bears that up. Lions of Al-Rassan currently has a an average rating of 4.27 of 5. Pretty impressive, and the highest of all of his books. It just didn't quite get there for me. Maybe it was the expectation of greatness that let me down, but I don't know. Maybe the fact that I don't have much knowledge of the history of the Iberian peninsula, but again, I don't think so. By all accounts, it's not really necessary to have external knowledge prior to reading Lions. It's not that this was bad, or that I didn't like it... In fact I'm having a hard time putting my finger on just how I'm feeling about it, now that I'm finished. On the one hand, I liked it quite a bit, but on the other, I felt like there was just something missing or off about it, and I had several issues that I can't ignore. So this is going to be something of an itemized review... Characters: This was by far my favorite thing about this book. I am a character reader, and I need characters that I can identify with in order to enjoy a story. This one was full of brilliantly real characters. There was quite a cast, as shown by the full character list at the beginning of the book, but I never felt confused by who was who. I loved the four main characters: Ammar, Rodrigo, Jehane and Alvar. (I also loved Rodrigo's wife Miranda, who was awesomely bad-ass. I would have loved to see much more of her.) Ammar and Rodrigo kind of represent their people and cultures in the book, although not well at all. Most of their respective cultures are caricatures of pious intolerance and hatred, whereas Ammar and Rodrigo are both good, honorable, and open-minded men, who are willing to accept and trust based on character, not purely on belief in the "right" god. So while Ammar is an Asharite and Rodrigo is a Jaddite, they still find a way to work together. There were quite a few emotional moments while reading this, and though I feel like they could have been better written (which I will get to in a bit), I still felt for the characters and the things that happened to them. I did feel like some of the follow-up with some characters left something to be desired, but the characters themselves were well done and fleshed out and real. Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding here was one of the aspects that I struggled with the most. At times it was overwhelming in the amount of information given at once, but still I felt like there was still more I wanted to know. There were places named that we never got to see, but were clearly important to the history, like Aljais, or Soriyya. The descriptions were gorgeous, and I could see everything clearly, but I wanted to know more about the places that were important but never shown. Religion: The religious aspects of this book were well done, and the dividing lines between the three different religious groups were drawn clearly, but I wanted to know more about what each believed in, not just who they hated and wanted dead because they believed in something different. Not knowing what they actually believed in, it was hard for me to identify with either the Asharites' or the Jaddites' beliefs. Are these gods so bloodthirsty that the only valid form of worship is saying that you do and then killing those that don't? Was there no other form of worship? The Asharites abstain from alcohol, but unless I missed it, I don't see anything at all that differentiates them other than the name of the god they worship and whether or not they'll have some wine with dinner. The Kindath were different though. I don't know much about their beliefs either, but it seems to me that they were to be equated with Jews, at least in the way that they were treated and persecuted. They at least seemed peaceful, wanting nothing more than a place to live peacefully. This apparently equates to baby-killing monsters to the bloodthirsty Asharjaddites, who both hate the Kindath. Because who better to persecute than the people who aren't allowed weapons? That being said... it was realistic and believable that different religious sects would want to kill each other. Not logical, but religious belief rarely is. Writing: For the most part, I liked the writing. I thought that it was readable and in general, the prose was beautiful. There were some unexpectedly funny parts, and overall I liked it. But I did have a big problem with the writing in one aspect, which was that anytime there was a moment of suspense, Kay would write the scenes in such a way as to draw it out to unnatural lengths. For instance, the one that bothered me the most was a scene in which a character died. For nine pages, we were left wondering who it was, theorizing, trying to determine who it could be. By the time the name was finally given (and it was an unexpected one), I was more annoyed with the delay tactics and manipulation than I was distressed about the character's death. I was upset about the death, but it was kind of overshadowed by a feeling that I was being manipulated. I felt that it cheapened the loss, and took away from the emotional impact it should have had. This was done in different ways and in different situations all throughout the book, and it was incredibly frustrating. Another issue that I had was Kay's tendency to skip action, and then tell us about it later. I can sort of understand the decision for doing this. It allowed him to not only tell us what happened in condensed form, but gave us insight into some of the characters as well. I just didn't like it. I want to see the action. I want to be part of the story, not an outsider being filled in on the details later. Pacing & Plot: At around the 75% mark, I started wondering where this story was going and how it would possibly be resolved in the remaining pages. We've been with these characters for a while, and there's been a lot of build-up and pieces moving into position, little battles and maneuverings, but nothing has really happened yet. The huge campaign (view spoiler)[to reconquer the disparate peninsula lands and reunite them into one large kingdom of Esperana (hide spoiler)] hasn't even started. Of course, the epilogue sorts out what happened and fills us in on the important details. All the build-up and then the climax felt rushed and almost like an afterthought. Disappointing. I wanted to love this book. Maybe if I'd read it before reading some of the amazing epic fantasy I've read in the last year, I would have. But the writing here just felt like it got in the way of the story. Yes, it was beautifully written at times, but the need to be mysterious and drag out the suspense, and circle back to tell us about the action or important events rather than just showing them to us to begin with really didn't work for me. TL;DR Review: I liked it, but thought parts could have been better. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Feb 26, 2012
| Mar 10, 2012
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Feb 20, 2011
| Paperback
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27
| 
| 0061558222
| 9780061558221
| 3.76
| 12,431
| Jan 01, 2010
| Sep 21, 2010
|
Low to mid 3 stars. This continuation of the story from The Strain definitely provided more insight into a lot of different aspects of the story, and,...more Low to mid 3 stars. This continuation of the story from The Strain definitely provided more insight into a lot of different aspects of the story, and, if one extrapolates a bit, explains some things that were left unexplained in the first book. There was a lot of action, and a lot of gore and a lot of tension, and a whole lot of things-not-going-well-for-humanity-in-general, but all that being said, I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one. I felt like some things were very... inconsistently convenient in this book. Things mainly pertaining to Z. I like the kid, but by the end of this book, I kind of feel like he's a big ol' plot device. I feel like he's there to move certain pieces of the story into place, and pull at our heartstrings at the same time. Since when did he have asthma? Never. But in this book, because it would make him more vulnerable, he did. The knife he carries explains a certain quirky naming convention in the books as well. It just kind of felt convenient, rather than realistic or true to the character. And then this book, seemingly because I said in my review of the last one how I liked that this was a scientific and plausible virulent event, is now heading in the other direction... *sigh* Why couldn't it just be evolution, that some creepy little leech found out that hijacking a human makes for a much bigger feast than just latching onto one? I guess I'll have to see what the next book holds, to see where this goes, but right now, I'm disappointed in this causality shift. BAH! But then, I liked it... I like the big-picture views we get from Eph's journal entries, and I liked the concept of the Ancients, and their role in this book. It didn't annoy me (well, other than the slight annoyance due to the stuff listed above), and I had no desire to throw it at the wall (not like I would, my Nook is my Precious!) and I finished it pretty quickly, so it did hold my attention and my curiosity, so that's a plus. I just feel like... so far, overall, this trilogy could be a stronger story than it is... Horror October 2011: #7(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Oct 15, 2011
| Oct 16, 2011
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Feb 20, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
17
| 
| 0399254129
| 9780399254123
| 4.33
| 21,838
| Jan 01, 2011
| Mar 22, 2011
|
This is a beautiful, but heartbreaking story of a teenage girl who is dragged from her home in the middle of the night and deported to Siberia. I read...more This is a beautiful, but heartbreaking story of a teenage girl who is dragged from her home in the middle of the night and deported to Siberia. I read this in one afternoon. It was so well written and compelling that I needed to know what happened. I needed to know whether Lina and her brother and her mother made it through. I could really identify with the characters in this story. They were all incredibly real and honest, and even when I disliked them, I felt that they could have easily stepped off the page and started walking around. I loved Lina's mother, Elena, most of all. I loved how she refused to give up hope, how she refused to let the situation change her or make her bitter or cruel. She was able to see the humanity in people who treated her as if she was less than garbage, and I admired her for that. I would have really liked to find out more about what happened at the end, in the epilogue, since the ending was rather abrupt. But even for that, this story is amazing. I would definitely recommend it. Read with tissues handy. And be forewarned, the writing is beautiful, but the things that are shown are not. Just like in real life. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 13, 2011
| Mar 13, 2011
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Feb 10, 2011
| Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
14
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| 0142800392
| 9780142800393
| 4.18
| 63,241
| Jan 01, 1991
| Jun 23, 2003
|
This is not my favorite book of the series by a long shot, and yet, it's such an intriguing book that even as a not-favorite, I still love every minut...more
This is not my favorite book of the series by a long shot, and yet, it's such an intriguing book that even as a not-favorite, I still love every minute of reading it. So much happens in this book, we learn so much and get to know the characters so much more, that it doesn't feel like a middle-of-a-series book at all, but rather a part of the whole, which is exactly what it is. The Dark Tower series isn't a series really, but one enormous story that encompasses much more than can be conveyed in 7 books + outliers and connected novels. It's an entire universe, and what we see is just a small part of it. This book finally combines all of the ka-tet: Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy. They have to go through quite a bit of trouble to get together (like the hillbilly instructions to a supposedly really awesome woods party some guy gave you after he drank a 5th of moonshine... "Past wur tha ol' redd truk usta B afor Hugh-Bob kict it n cut a yoowee at dem rabid dogs n den a raht nexta the big barn'n the left'rd side..." If you can figure it out, that's half the battle. Getting there is the other half. And our poor ka-tet don't even have half-cracked directions like that to go by. My favorite thing about Waste Lands is Roland, and the sides of him that show themselves for the first time (to us anyway) here. I love Roland the diplomat, Roland the polite society master, Roland the father-figure, Roland the insult-hurler, Roland the unsure. It's the first time that we really see him as a person, one who has a past and didn't just pop into existence as this inevitable rolling stone. The little bits of his past, and the doubts and the fears that he has in this book make me love him more than ever. I really enjoy Eddie and Susannah's deepening relationship, and their sort of foster family formed with Jake and Oy. Roland is a little outside this, but a part of it because he brought them all together. It does make me sad that he's separate... but that's Ka. I also really like how The Waste Lands introduce cross-over between worlds WITHOUT doors. I love this concept, and there's so much it can mean. What ARE the waste lands? Are they similar to the Blasted Lands from The Talisman? Who was Quick? Mysteries, mysteries. I've read all of these several times, but I have no idea... I love thinking about it though. These books are amazing for being able to draw me in and keep me there until the very end. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Nov 28, 2010
| Dec 06, 2010
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Nov 28, 2010
| Audio CD
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13
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| 158243719X
| 9781582437194
| 3.36
| 405
| 2010
| Nov 01, 2010
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This review also posted on my blog. I really enjoy reading stories about the Holocaust and about the people who have lived through it. I suppose that...more This review also posted on my blog. I really enjoy reading stories about the Holocaust and about the people who have lived through it. I suppose that in a way, it helps me to gain perspective in my own life, and reminds me that there is goodness to be found in everything. The suffering of the Jewish people during WWII was immense, yet they continue to hope and live. That means something to me. Heidegger's Glasses takes a different path, a surreal and philosophical and almost mystical one, and is a very different, but no less moving or beautiful story, because of it. We are told in the beginning that the leaders of the Reich were believers in the occult, and felt that winning the war hinged on answering letters to the dead. To do that, the Compound was formed underground, and multi-lingual Jews were placed there as Scribes to answer the dead's letters. When a letter comes in from a well-known person close to the Reich to a close friend who is currently in Auschwitz, the order comes down to answer the letter, even though the recipient is still alive -- the Final Solution must be kept secret, so the letter must not come from Auschwitz. This throws a huge wrench in the lives of the Scribes, and the people assigned to run the Compound. Elie Schacten is close to the Reich, and has the ability to move freely throughout Germany as few do, and uses this freedom to help people as she can. Gerhardt Lodenstein the Oberst, is a good-hearted man who finds safety for the Compound in flying under the radar. Stumpf, the former-Oberst of the Compound is a believer in the occult and takes the letter writing to the dead very seriously, but is a bit of a fool, and so tends to bungle everything he touches. The letter is written, delivered... and goes very badly wrong. I think that what I enjoyed most about this book is that we get to see the war and the Reich from people inside it that hate it. They don't believe and they live in fear and uncertainty that they will be found out. The Compound is a mostly-safe haven for the Scribes under Lodenstein, and a temporary refuge for Jews in hiding, but after Heidegger's letter fiasco, you can cut the tension with a knife. They aren't sure if the Reich will come crashing down on their heads, or if they've forgotten, or if they don't care... there are a million ifs, but life must go on and there's very little that can be done either way. I felt like I was there, and was worried for this group of people who had lost nearly everything already. I really enjoyed the writing in this book. It felt simple, almost surreal without quotation marks for the dialogue. The prose was straightforward, but contained some beautiful quotes that I wish I'd have marked. The sections were very short, for the most part, and separated by the letters that the Scribes were answering. These letters told the story of the "outside world" almost as well as any full book would have done, so that by the end, we can see the danger that the Scribes have managed to avoid, mostly, but they still have reason to fear. There were some funny sections in the book as well, which surprised me, since I didn't expect it at all in a novel about Nazi Germany. This helped the surreal feeling as well, but also provided the story with a kind of false-lightness above the seriousness and fear. The ending was a little abrupt for me. The time shift and the unresolved whereabouts of one of the characters was a bit sudden and and disappointing. I'd hoped for this character to find what they were searching for and to find happiness, so the shift to an entirely new character jarred a little bit. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the story, and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a WWII story scene through a different lens. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Oct 30, 2010
| Nov 05, 2010
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Oct 25, 2010
| Hardcover
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12
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| 0385737637
| 9780385737630
| 4.06
| 12,648
| Oct 12, 2010
| Oct 12, 2010
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This is the second of Donnelly's books that I've read, the first being A Northern Light (or if you're in the UK, "A Gathering Light") which I loved. I...more
This is the second of Donnelly's books that I've read, the first being A Northern Light (or if you're in the UK, "A Gathering Light") which I loved. I loved the wordplay and the characters and the story... it was just beautiful to me, with a bit of innocence almost. This story is nothing like that, but if anything, I like it more for it. There are some similarities between the two stories, though. Each features a girl who stumbles upon a link to the past that is surrounded by mystery. Each features a girl struggling to find herself and happiness against all odds. And each features a girl who shares an intense love of something with a boy who understands that love completely. In "A Northern Light" it was words and language and writing, and in "Revolution" it is music. It seems to me that lately there have been a lot of new books, particularly YA books, which feature music in such a way that it is almost an extension of the character as well as a character itself. Music featured as not only something to enjoy, but as a necessary component to life, like water or air or food. If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one of these books, as is Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly (although I've only discussed this book with a friend so far, I haven't read it myself), and Horns by Joe Hill, which is not YA, but features music in the way I'm talking about. These books show beautifully how important music is as a method of communication, as art, as life. "Revolution" is no different in that aspect. The main character, Andi, is in pain due to the death of her brother, and nothing helps except for music. It's her lifeline, her one passion, her air. Without it she has nothing and no reason to go on from day to day. But it's more than just a life-preserver, it's who she is. I'm a reader. I can't pass a word without reading it. Andi is a musician. She finds music in everything, and feels and understands music in a way that most people probably never will. When she's in danger of flunking out of school and of not graduating, her absentee father makes her go with him to Paris, thinking that the change of scenery would give her a new outlook and help her to focus. While there, she begins work on her thesis, which is about the composer Amade Malherbeau and how his work has influenced music to this day, and during the course of that research, she stumbles on a mystery that goes all the way back to Revolutionary France. I don't want you to think that this book is only about music, because it is not. It's about so much more. It's about understanding who we are, and where we came from. It's about heeding our past to prevent it from recurring. It's about making mistakes and surviving them. It's about being willing to give everything for what you believe in, even if it we don't succeed. It's about learning to live again. It's about the parallels between the past and the present. It's about the value of someone who takes the time to care and be there for someone who needs it. It's about all of these things and more. This is a beautiful, layered, and intricate story that I could not stop thinking about. When I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. It seemed to suck me in almost from the very first page. I wanted to know more about Andi, and why she is hurting as badly as she is, what makes her so jaded and bitter and angry. I hoped for her to find that something in life that makes it worth holding on to. There's a running theme in the story of being haunted by our pasts, both in the present day story line and the Revolutionary story line. It reminds me of a song by Paramore, off of their "Brand New Eyes" album. It's a beautiful song, and I think it fits the story as well, especially considering the music theme. If you'd like to hear it, here's a link to a YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP53i8... Misguided Ghosts by Paramore: I am going away for a while But I'll be back, don't try and follow me 'Cause I'll return as soon as possible See I'm trying to find my place But it might not be here where I feel safe We all learn to make mistakes And run From them, from them With no direction We'll run from them, from them With no conviction 'Cause I'm just one of those ghosts Traveling endlessly Don't need no roads In fact they follow me And we just go in circles Well now I'm told that this is life And pain is just a simple compromise So we can get what we want out of it Would someone care to classify, Of broken hearts and twisted minds So I can find someone to rely on And run To them, to them Full speed ahead Oh you are not useless We are just Misguided ghosts Traveling endlessly The ones we trusted the most Pushed us far away And there's no one road We should not be the same But I'm just a ghost And still they echo me They echo me in circles Overall, I loved the story. I loved the dual storylines, and the parallels and the small details that Donnelly included that made the story that much more tangible. I highly recommend this one. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Aug 17, 2010
| Aug 21, 2010
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Aug 17, 2010
| Hardcover
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21
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| 014034893X
| 9780140348934
| 3.73
| 56,414
| 1976
| Oct 01, 1991
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3.5 stars Having just finished The Help for the 2nd time, I was already in a place to appreciate this book, and for the most part, I did appreciate it....more 3.5 stars Having just finished The Help for the 2nd time, I was already in a place to appreciate this book, and for the most part, I did appreciate it. The Help takes place in the early 60's in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early stages of the Civil Rights movement. It's a very personal story about 3 women struggling with who they are, both in general and in the environment in which they live. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry takes place in the 30's just outside of Jackson, MS, and deals with a lot of the same issues... Roll of Thunder focuses on the Logan family and their land. Paul Edward Logan bought their land in two parts during hard times after the Civil War, and ever since, the man who used to own it has been trying to get it back in an effort to remake the South how it used to be. Things are not pleasant in 1930s Mississippi. There's a definite imbalance of power with white people having almost all of it, and black people having almost none. This story is about the Logans trying to make a change to that imbalance, even though it is a small one. It's also about finding ones identity, and taking pride in it regardless of what others think or say about you. Mostly, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me, and it was brutal and thought provoking. But in a way, it fell short of my expectations. It never really moved me in the way I had hoped to be moved, and even the brutality and the shame and the hurt felt by the characters didn't really affect me in the way that I had hoped it would. I love nothing more than to be heartbroken by these kinds of books, to be left kind of empty and hurting... but I didn't feel that with this one. Perhaps that is due to the fact that this was told in first person by Cassie Logan, who is 9. On the one hand, this worked in the book's favor because it allowed for a sort of innocence and naivete. Cassie doesn't understand the dichotomy of equality in the South. She thinks that the mistreatment and rudeness are due to forgetfulness and a "grownups vs kids" thing, or just a greediness, in the case of some. She blithely underestimates the fact of skin color in the equation. To her, the hate and the meanness aren't due to the fact that she is black and they are white, it's due to the fact that they just want what her family has (the land) and will do anything to get it back. Which is true, partially, but the fact that they are black gives them less legal ground to stand on, and makes the fight that much more dangerous. But where I felt that the 1st person lacked was in the rest of the story. It worked well for the innocence and the idealism, but I didn't feel that the family or their neighbors or the story was all that well fleshed out. There were times when I read sections and didn't know how we got there. One minute Cassie is thinking that she needs to do something about the girl who was mean to her, and the next we're in the middle of a protracted plan of action, with no bridge getting us from there to here. This is Cassie's story, so I would expect to at least have a hint of her plans, but instead it felt like it lapsed into a different story for a bit there. I also felt that some of the things that Cassie saw were unrealistic, and there was a kind of inconsistency regarding when the parents tried to shield her and the other kids and when they didn't or forgot that little ears might be listening. And to add to that, at times I felt that Cassie was kind of annoying in her demands and talkbackitude to be able to tell the story, and that kind of grated on my nerves. At 9, she was both intuitive enough to know when she'd get in trouble for something, but stubborn and oblivious enough to ignore the real potential danger of running off at the mouth... So Cassie heard, and thus told us, a lot more than I think she should have been able to realistically. Finally, I thought that the ending was a bit of a letdown as well. There was no resolution about the land, or about the secondary plots. There's an ending, a realistic one, likely - but it's unsatisfying. Things come to a head, and then it just ends. This is part of a series, and that probably has a large part to play in the way the ending ended, but I just feel that there was a big something missing, and I'm not sure that I was invested enough in the story to continue on with the series. I will give kudos to Taylor for telling as honest and brutal a story as she did, and for not softening the blows or the cruelty or the hatred for her readers. At least I didn't feel that she did. There was a palpable feeling of fear and anger throughout the story, as well as menace and a cruel calculation and manipulation on behalf of the men who have the power. A surety that they will win because the law is on their side. I thought that this aspect was very well done. I am not sure if I will continue on with the series. But I am glad that I read this. It was good, and I feel like if I had read it in school or when I was younger, it would have had a huge impact on me. Reading it today, I can appreciate it for what it is, but I feel like it's missing the impact I wanted it to have. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jun 05, 2011
| Jun 06, 2011
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Jun 25, 2010
| Paperback
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23
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| 0547501951
| 9780547501956
| 3.74
| 1,980
| Sep 01, 2010
| Oct 04, 2010
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None
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0
| not set
| not set
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Jun 05, 2010
| Hardcover
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25
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| 1449526284
| 9781449526283
| 3.60
| 693
| 1911
| Sep 25, 2009
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1.5 stars? Okay... well. This one didn't do very much for me. I had expected something different, and what this was was boring. Here's your story: An...more 1.5 stars? Okay... well. This one didn't do very much for me. I had expected something different, and what this was was boring. Here's your story: An old man, who is all that is left of a bygone civilization, tries to tell 4 young boy-savages about it. The boys and the old man don't understand each other because they are from two different worlds. The old man tells the story of what the Scarlet Plague and its aftermath was like. I just couldn't really drum up any interest in this one. Yeah, that's about it. Disappointing. At least it was short. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Jul 23, 2011
| Jul 24, 2011
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Apr 23, 2010
| Paperback
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7
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| 0375813748
| 9780375813740
| 3.98
| 9,325
| Sep 09, 2003
| Sep 09, 2003
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I hope that nobody will look at me funny when I say that I love reading WWII/Holocaust stories. I do. I'm drawn to the stories of the people - I want...more
I hope that nobody will look at me funny when I say that I love reading WWII/Holocaust stories. I do. I'm drawn to the stories of the people - I want to know what it is in us that makes us so cruel to others. I'm fascinated by people's stories- real or fiction. I don't think that they should be ignored or forgotten, and acknowledging them makes me more thankful for the good things that I have in my life. Milkweed is a story of an orphan in 1930s Poland who knows nothing but survival. Not who he is, who other people are, nothing of the world around him. He knows only that he is small and fast and able to snatch food right from under the noses of the people it belongs to. He is eventually taken in by a gang of orphan kids, and becomes the special ward of one in particular, Uri. I really loved Uri's character. He's generous, kind, wise beyond his years, in tune with the world around him, and street smart. He teaches, or tries to teach our main character orphan (who he later names Misha), about life and how to keep it. His character is almost that of a mentor, or older brother to clean-slate Misha, and I loved that he was stern with Misha when Misha obliviously ran dangerous risks that would endanger both Uri's and Misha's lives. He makes sure that when they have a surplus of food, that other orphans receive it. When Misha ends up branded as a Jew and living in a ghetto in Warsaw, the tables turn a bit and he begins to act the "older brother" role for a young girl named Janina. Janina's family was once wealthy and well-to-do, and living in the ghetto is a hard adjustment for her. Her father, Tobiasz, takes in Misha as one of the family, and Misha smuggles food in from outside the ghetto to help feed the family, and a house of orphans in the care of another man. Janina takes to following Misha on these trips, which is frustrating to me as a reader, because she's the epitome of a spoiled brat. She refuses to do what she's told, or to stay inconspicuous. She willfully causes a scene to get her way, and refuses to accept that her situation has changed. I could not understand why Misha stuck by her. I understand that he now considered her and Tobiasz as his family, but I'd have probably beat her to a pulp in that situation. Her father is a kind man, and next to Uri, the only character that I cared for. He tries to make sure that his daughter is safely away from the ghetto when he finds out that they are being "resettled" elsewhere - a concentration camp - but she stubbornly and selfishly refuses. I couldn't stand the little brat. It's hard for me to enjoy a story where so much focus is put on stupid or annoying characters that I cannot relate to. Every decision that Misha or Janina made was contrary to the one that I'd have made in their place. Janina ended up right where I thought she would in the end, but until then, every time that she wasn't caught by the patrols, it was unrealistic and aggravating, because she was essentially doing everything she could to be caught, and just got insanely lucky time after time. On top of that, I felt like the writing was just... off. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt simplistic to me, even for a YA book. But at the same time, it felt like it was supposed to be imparting some great truths, and while there were a few good quotes, I didn't think that there was anything especially profound here. So, this was OK. Not anywhere close to the best book I've read on this subject, but not terrible. I just expected a bit more, I think. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 30, 2010
| Mar 30, 2010
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Mar 23, 2010
| Hardcover
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15
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| 0439023513
| 9780439023511
| 4.03
| 844,263
| Aug 24, 2010
| Aug 24, 2010
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I'm really torn on what to rate this book. I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars a few times, but I ended up going with 2 stars for a variety of...more
I'm really torn on what to rate this book. I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars a few times, but I ended up going with 2 stars for a variety of reasons that I hope I'll be able to convey. I don't think that it was terrible, I was disappointed and irritated by quite a lot of it. I will try not to spoil the plot, but if you haven't read the book, read the following at your own risk: First things first... In The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I cared about Katniss and Gale and Peeta. They were just these kids who were unlucky enough to live in this society that puts on this horrific event every year. They were born into hard lives of hunger and uncertainty and fear and control, and then victimized and picked off annually for the entertainment of the nation. I felt like I understood Katniss in HG (Hunger Games) and CF (Catching Fire). She didn't have a choice how to live, but she did her best to make a place for herself and do what she could to survive and not become a monster. The same went for Gale and Peeta - they did what they could do and tried to be decent. But in Mockingjay (hereafter called MJ), I didn't feel like I knew the characters at all! I know that there had been a lot of changes and a lot of hard choices and pain and all of that, but in a matter of 6 weeks from the end of the Quarter Quell that ended CF to the beginning of MJ, it's like ALL of the characters that I loved and knew had changed into cruel, angry and unrecognizable goblin versions of themselves. I was really hard pressed to find anything redeeming in any of them quite a lot of the time. Katniss is aloof, angry, consumed by self-loathing and guilt, and just shuts down and shuts everyone out. Gale has become this cold, calculating tactician who has none of the warmth that he had before - not even when it comes to his best friend who is clearly struggling. They argue and fight all the time, even when Gale is supporting Katniss - and even during these times (because he DOES stand by her), she is horrible to him and everyone else. Selfishly acting like she's the only one to have suffered or feared anything. And that's not even to mention Peeta. He is nothing, NOTHING, like the Peeta we knew in HG & CF. Granted, he has valid reasons (more valid than Katniss's selfish ones) for this change, but it was frustrating all the same - and even more so because of the way that Katniss reacted to him. Again I will stress that I understand the pressure that they were all under, and the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty and impending war and all that. I understand it, and even appreciate it, but I felt like the way Collins handled it stripped Katniss, Peeta and Gale of their humanity. These are teens who have had to live through situations that most adults have never lived with - the pressure is intense. But I couldn't really care about any of that because these characters seemed so robotic and cold and unreachable. All of them. And that's incredibly disappointing to me. Even when Katniss and Gale were allowed special privileges to go hunting together as they used to, there was not really any closeness or friendship or support between them, no vulnerability. You'd think that they would rely on each other for support, but the relationship was completely one-sided, with Gale supporting Katniss and Katniss acting like the world is on her shoulders alone. I wanted her to rely on him - ANYONE - and let go a little... to not hold everything inside. To be human. But even when she did break down, it was so clinical and sterile I just couldn't care. Buttercup the cat, who had, at best, bit parts throughout the series, evoked much more emotion from me than any of the major players. Yes... A cat. And Prim is her usual, wise-beyond-her-years, caring, bundle of goodness and strength. I loved her. She is really the only human character next to Finnick, who I came to really like in this one. He was vulnerable and human. So, yeah. My main complaints were regarding the characters themselves. Many times they would act completely out of character, Katniss especially, and I found it frustrating. =====================SPOILER======================== ==================================================== For instance... After wallowing for the entire book and keeping a running list of all the people who have died or been hurt by her actions, Katniss votes YES to hold one last Hunger Games with the Capitol's children, so that they know how it feels. WHAT??? After going through two of them herself, trying to save as many as she could, after becoming the Mockingjay to END the regime that forces the Hunger Games on the people of Panem, she would vote yes to send more innocent kids to slaughter? That makes no sense to me at all. ==================================================== =====================END SPOILER==================== And then I have to say that the way the end was resolved didn't make sense to me. The twists, yes, they made sense and weren't unexpected. But I didn't really feel that Katniss was A) given enough information to lead her to the conclusion she came up with or B) clever or shrewd enough to get there on her own. And if she was, which again would be out of character, then why was this not conveyed? Katniss is telling this story - we get her every thought - even when all that entails is a refusal to think of something. I wasn't disappointed by the relationship aspect - or lack thereof - in this story. Considering that I didn't really like or care about any of the characters, I wasn't exactly sitting on the edge of my seat with fingers crossed hoping for a certain outcome. It was not what I'd expected, but I was OK with it. Regarding everything else, I thought that the dystopian themes and the events in the story (almost all of them) were good, and the pacing was great. Not everything was wrapped up how I would have liked, but it is a definite end, and for that I'm glad, because I don't see how another book in this series would be an improvement for me. I can see why some would really like this, but all in all, I was not thrilled with it. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Dec 14, 2010
| Dec 18, 2010
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Mar 07, 2010
| Hardcover
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29
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| 0307346612
| 9780307346612
| 4.08
| 112,298
| Sep 12, 2006
| Oct 16, 2007
|
This is going to be a really short review. There's a lot that I could mention regarding this book, but really, it's the kind of book that is best expe...more
This is going to be a really short review. There's a lot that I could mention regarding this book, but really, it's the kind of book that is best experienced first hand. Max Brooks makes this book so incredibly believable and real and plausible, that based simply on that, this book would be a 5 star read for sure. But, that also translated into some... less than thrilling reading at times, and I found myself stalling out on the book during some sections. It was really GOOD, but sometimes I just wanted more action and less technical gun and MRE and BDU and M-1117 description. But then again, this is a book of interviews about peoples' experiences before, during and after the zombie war... so that stuff is important to them, and important to why they are here to tell it. So there you go. I thought that the audiobook version, while abridged, was not "better", but more focused on the horror aspects and therefore more enjoyable on those terms. But I still gave it the same 4 star rating I'm giving this edition... just for a different reason. This book is expertly written, amazingly detailed and very, very believable. That's worthy of 4 stars even if the pure horror aspect is slightly less enjoyable because it's slightly more buried under the rest of the stuff that MAKES it believable. If that makes sense. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Oct 16, 2011
| Nov 03, 2011
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Mar 06, 2010
| Paperback
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28
| 
| 0749952539
| 9780749952532
| 3.81
| 2,037
| Jan 01, 2010
| 2010
|
Hmm... I should probably review this or something, eh? I actually really liked this, but at the moment I find myself having very little to say in a re...more
Hmm... I should probably review this or something, eh? I actually really liked this, but at the moment I find myself having very little to say in a real review. (Or a Becky review, which isn't the same thing.) Most of the stories were very good, with a couple gems and a few stinkers. Some I just didn't get at all, and one failed to convey why it was part of a zombie anthology in the first place. Shooting Pool, I'm lookin' at you. Otherwise, a really good and varied collection of stories. Some with unique and interesting spins on the genre, which was nice. And just for giggles, because I feel like this review is too short, my status updates for most of the individual stories: "First story: Lazarus by John Connolly. Really liked this one. Different perspective and really kind of sad. Very short story with short paragraphs and almost bleak writing, but I think it was perfect for the story being told. 5 stars." "What Maisie Knew: Great story, different and unique. It's hard to know who to sympathize with in this one, and every new revelation in the story kept tripping me up. I'm really enjoying this collection so far! 5 stars" "Copper: Didn't much care for this story. Too choppy, too repetitive, too vague. I got bored with it really quickly, and didn't really see why it was in this collection. Ended up skimming over 1/2, and then when I saw how it fit, was just... blah. 1 star." "In The Dust: Another good story, different and intriguing, and a little sad. 4 stars" "Life Sentence: Pretty good story. A little sparse, but I liked the concept and the two main characters, although for different reasons. Their interaction and relationship was interesting. 3 stars" "Delice: Good story of voodoo and revenge. I liked it, but would have liked it to be longer, too. The Wind Cries Mary: Another good story, very short, and sad. Would have liked it to be longer, and have a bit more background info, but still good." "The Zombie Who Fell From The Sky: Did not like this one. I thought the writing was juvenile and the characters and zombies unbelievable and unrealistic. 1 star." "My Dolly: I think that this story really had potential, but failed because it had no point. The background situation was much more interesting than the actual story in the forefront. Shame. 2 stars." "Second Wind: I actually liked this story a lot. Interesting perspective on zombies, and also an interesting take on what we are willing to live and die for. 4 stars" "Ghost Trap: This was a pretty good story. There was nothing really fantastic about it, but it was good. Except for one detail that annoyed me, which was one man hearing another's "screams" underwater. Perhaps ONE scream, but as he'd have no air for a second, that's all he'd get. Details and plausibility are important!" "The Storm Door: I really liked this one. I think I will have to read more of Tad Williams' stuff. Very interesting and creepy and good! 5 stars" "Shooting Pool: Umm... Not sure what this had to do with zombies at all, actually. And it wasn't really all that great a story either. 1 star." "Circus of the Dead: Pretty good, not my favorite Joe Hill story. 3 stars." Halloween October 2011: #10(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Oct 2011
| Oct 25, 2011
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Mar 01, 2010
| Paperback
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6
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| 0340938277
| 9780340938270
| 3.37
| 1,919
| 2007
| 2007
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This was a lovely story set in the Welsh countryside during the end stages of WWII. The story centers around two main characters, 17 year old Esther a...more
This was a lovely story set in the Welsh countryside during the end stages of WWII. The story centers around two main characters, 17 year old Esther and German soldier Karsten, and gradually and beautifully shows how their lives intersect. The story alternates between Esther's and Karsten's points of view. Each little section gives us more and more insight into the characters and their lives and their hopes and dreams. Esther is a miner/sheep farmer's daughter, so her life isn't exactly luxurious. She works hard, and bears a great deal of responsibility after the death of her mother. Karsten, who is my favorite character, is a fatherless German who, being raised by his mother in their inn, is very naive and innocent when it comes to men. He doesn't understand the way that men think or act, although he is among them and one of them. I loved the inverted perspective that we get from Karsten, and his sense of honor and virtue and truth, even when it causes him pain at the derision of his peers. There was a running theme in this book of courage and cowardice, and what those things actually mean to us. How they make us who we are. Also, a theme of home, nationality and indentity, and that who we think we are isn't necessarily who we REALLY are. I very much enjoyed this book, even though the war itself and the Nazi atrocities were far in the background, which isn't the usual WWII book I go for. I loved that this was a story about people, and felt personal and intimate and real. There were some unrealistic things, to me, but those come down to the behavior of people, and nothing in that is ever unrealistic, as people are unpredictable and strange, sometimes. I enjoyed the ending as well, and the openness that it left us with, so that we can end it in the way that the reader finds appropriate, whatever will give the reader closure. :)(less) | Notes are private!
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| Feb 07, 2010
| Feb 12, 2010
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Feb 09, 2010
| Paperback
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