An ambitious conclusion to an amazing trilogy, as Sanderson takes the whole notion of "worldbuilding" to another level, and does it on the shoulders o...moreAn ambitious conclusion to an amazing trilogy, as Sanderson takes the whole notion of "worldbuilding" to another level, and does it on the shoulders of an impressive ensemble cast. To say anything more would either spoil the story, or undersell it. Just read it!(less)
I was lucky enough to get a signed copy for my son at ALA this past weekend, and devoured it on the plane before handing it to him today, noting Vaund...moreI was lucky enough to get a signed copy for my son at ALA this past weekend, and devoured it on the plane before handing it to him today, noting Vaunda Micheaux Nelson's inscription that sums it up perfectly: "Hooray for our amazing history!"
I'd heard of Lewis Michaux and his famous Harlem bookstore, but had never visited and didn't know much about him, and No Crystal Stair vividly tells his important story that would likely have otherwise been buried along with him. Unable to gather and confirm all of the details of her great uncle's complete life story, Nelson instead delivers a fascinating "documentary novel" that's arguably more powerful and compelling than a typical biography, and likely to reach more readers thanks to R. Gregory Christie's excellent artwork.
While it's technically a kids book, Nelson doesn't gloss over the realities of black life in post-slavery / pre-Civil Rights America, and adults will find it to be an engaging and inspirational read. "Hooray," indeed!(less)
ETA: Not sure why I haven't been able to formulate a decent review for this one, but two weeks later it's stil...moreA fuller review to come, but I loved it!
ETA: Not sure why I haven't been able to formulate a decent review for this one, but two weeks later it's still lingering and I can't wait to jump into the sequel. A lot has been said about Sanderson's great world-building, and while impressive, it would be meaningless without a great cast of characters, and as much as this is Vin's story, it's also a strong ensemble piece. The pacing, the personalities, the plot; it all just comes together perfectly.
How to describe this book? It's part coming-of-age tale, part father-son drama, part supernatural thriller that recalls some of Stephen King's best wo...moreHow to describe this book? It's part coming-of-age tale, part father-son drama, part supernatural thriller that recalls some of Stephen King's best work in tone, but with more literary pretensions than an A-list collection of poetry. Somehow, it all comes together and works! It's been years since I read any Bradbury, but nothing prepared me for how engaging, thought-provoking, and surprisingly timely this novel would be. Loved it!(less)
Some writers are great at building intriguing worlds, and others excel at creating fascinating characters, but Felix Gilman pulls...moreI. Loved. This. Book!
Some writers are great at building intriguing worlds, and others excel at creating fascinating characters, but Felix Gilman pulls off both in The Half-Made World, a compelling blend of American steampunk and Epic Fantasy Road Trip, that reminded me a bit of Jessica Rydill's Children of the Shaman, another favorite of mine.
The old cliche, "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey," fully applies here as Gilman offers up tantalizing glimpses of an alternative American West that's as familiar as it is wonderfully unique, unfolding a great story that rests comfortably on the shoulders of two believably flawed and engaging characters: John Creedmoor and Liv Alverhuysen. It's a world I want to visit many more times!(less)
I'm not quite sure how I'd never read any John Carter stories, not even the comics, nor do I remember exactly what prompted me to pick up this collect...moreI'm not quite sure how I'd never read any John Carter stories, not even the comics, nor do I remember exactly what prompted me to pick up this collection sometime last summer, but I'm glad I did.
Definitely dated, Burroughs' style is crisp enough to overcome the old school sensibilities, and his pulpy characters and non-stop action make each of these novels legitimate page-turners. From the amazing world-building of Princess of Mars, to Gods of Mars' insane cliffhanger ending, to Warlord of Mars pulling off a globe-trotting, novel-length chase scene, The Martian Tales Trilogy is the most fun I've had reading in years!
If the movie captures even half of its charm and frenetic energy, it's going to be awesome.(less)
An impressive, absolutely beautiful book that lives up to its hype and demonstrates the uniquely tangible aspects of print that can't be replicated di...moreAn impressive, absolutely beautiful book that lives up to its hype and demonstrates the uniquely tangible aspects of print that can't be replicated digitally. It's a fast but substantial read, as Selznick deftly balances words and images like the visual magicians the story celebrates. If the movie captures half its wonder it will be amazing.(less)
I absolutely LOVED this book. It's a laugh out loud funny, poignant, and heart-breakingly heartwarming coming of age story in which Alexie nails the 1...moreI absolutely LOVED this book. It's a laugh out loud funny, poignant, and heart-breakingly heartwarming coming of age story in which Alexie nails the 14-year-old voice and perspective. Similar to Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird, it had me in tears a couple of times.
I'm not quite ready to cover masturbation and untimely erections with my just-turned 11-year-old son, but when I am (or once I'm forced to by Father Time!), I'll be reading this book with him first.(less)
This is one of those books I'm not smart enough to "review," but I highly recommend it for fans of modern noir with a twist. In this case, the twist i...moreThis is one of those books I'm not smart enough to "review," but I highly recommend it for fans of modern noir with a twist. In this case, the twist is a staccato, poetic flow that might take some getting used to, but 25-30 pages in, Rodriguez hits his stride (or, more likely, I finally met his pace) and delivers an intricately layered, literary gut punch of a novel. 25 pages from the end, I missed four trains on purpose this morning in order to finish it before getting to work!(less)
Ned Sublette's subversive and engaging history of the cultural mix that begat New Orleans is a highly enjoyable read that puts its unique origins and...moreNed Sublette's subversive and engaging history of the cultural mix that begat New Orleans is a highly enjoyable read that puts its unique origins and cultural impact in a historic context befitting one of the world's most intriguing cities. He deftly balances the complex history of slavery in the Caribbean and its effects on the development of the United States itself, with a specific focus on the evolution of music and spirituality in NOLA, while eschewing the dry objectivity of academia in favor of letting his passions shine through.
It's a compelling read for fans of HBO's Treme and anyone interested in digging beneath the tourist trap that is Bourbon Street, as well as those who are bored by the typically white-washed, milquetoast histories of the USA.(less)
This book has all the rave reviews it needs, so let me not belabor the point. Nine Lives is an important book, a necessary book, a simultaneously hear...moreThis book has all the rave reviews it needs, so let me not belabor the point. Nine Lives is an important book, a necessary book, a simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming, frustrating and inspiring book. Read it.
Now.
I expected the Katrina section to have the most impact, but Dan Baum does an excellent job of putting it in perspective by focusing on what really makes New Orleans special: its people. By starting with Hurricane Betsy and deliberately following these nine lives over the following 30+ years, he paints an insightful mosaic with poignant vignettes that alternately left me laughing, smiling, shaking my head, and choking back tears, all before he even gets to August 2005.
When it comes to that proverbial fantasy dinner party meme, I have a new answer: Timothy Bruneau, Belinda Carr, Billy Grace, JoAnn Guidos, Ronald W. Lewis, Frank Minyard, Joyce Montana, Wilbert Rawlins Jr., and Anthony Wells.(less)
"We get the media we deserve," declares NPR's Brooke Gladstone in her excellent The Influencing Machine, an insightful graphic manifesto that sits com...more"We get the media we deserve," declares NPR's Brooke Gladstone in her excellent The Influencing Machine, an insightful graphic manifesto that sits comfortably alongside Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business and Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto, both of whom make cameo appearances.
Gladstone, aided by Josh Neufeld's seamless visuals, makes a compelling case that the ills that plague media today -- mass and social -- are nothing new, that "we've been here before: the incivility, the inanities, the obsessions, the broken business models. In fact, it's been far worse and the Republic survives."
What follows is a broad, contextual overview of the history of media, recounted with a healthy sense of humor, and a refreshing undertone of optimism. eg: Near the end of the book, in two pages, she covers Ray Kurzweil and the Singularity, Lanier's skepticism, Planet of the Apes and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs... and it all makes sense!
"Graphic non-fiction" is a tricky format to pull off and not to everyone's taste, but Neufeld does a great job complementing Gladstone without letting the medium overshadow her message, and any student of media, formally or arm-chair, should read The Influencing Machine without hesitation.
Kudos to W.W. Norton for taking a chance on such an innovative book, though it's rather disappointing that the publisher of Frank Rose's excellent The Art of Immersion has zero online presence for it. A missed opportunity, but one that should be easily (and quickly) rectified.(less)
Karl Marlantes juggles a large, diverse cast of complex characters (that sadly narrows over time), while deftly exploring one of America...more"There it is."
Karl Marlantes juggles a large, diverse cast of complex characters (that sadly narrows over time), while deftly exploring one of America's darkest periods from the proverbial fog of war with as close to a matter-of-fact, non-judgmental, nuanced hand as might be expected from an actual veteran. It's a relentlessly gut-wrenching read that absolutely broke my heart on numerous occasions.
Most books you read and review, but some just cut too close, so you simply demand that everyone read them because a review would be too reductive.
Mock...moreMost books you read and review, but some just cut too close, so you simply demand that everyone read them because a review would be too reductive.
Mockingbird is an absolutely wonderful must-read, skillfully combining Asperger's, To Kill a Mockingbird and the ripple effects of a tragedy on a small community; it had me in full-on tears by the end.
I've been a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates via his blog at The Atlantic since '08, and fully expected to enjoy this memoir just based on the commonalities I'...moreI've been a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates via his blog at The Atlantic since '08, and fully expected to enjoy this memoir just based on the commonalities I'd already found in his writing. More than a memoir, it's a prose poem; a non-linear, unapologetically free verse ode to his formative years.
Five years my junior, Coates' childhood had many parallels and intersections with my own, and for me, this book is to memoir as Willie Perdomo's Nigger-Reecan Blues was/is to poetry. In the moments I didn't see myself in these pages, I saw family and friends; I saw the Bronx of the '80s, and my own move to the suburbs. For him, there was the djembe; for me, poetry, the difference being it came much later in life for me. On the question of fathers, and what makes a good one, I'd side with what he seemingly realizes in the end, that being flawed and present is better than being absent.
Love, love, LOVE this book! Johnson's clear-eyed look at one of our most devalued resources, the librarian, is part love letter, part wake-up call. In...moreLove, love, LOVE this book! Johnson's clear-eyed look at one of our most devalued resources, the librarian, is part love letter, part wake-up call. In the digital age, libraries and librarians are more important than ever, and Overdue presents a variety of examples that not only make that case, but illustrate how, in many ways, librarians are WAY AHEAD of the digital curve.
In ZEITOUN, Dave Eggers does an excellent job of weaving Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun's compelling backstories and Katrina experiences together, shad...moreIn ZEITOUN, Dave Eggers does an excellent job of weaving Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun's compelling backstories and Katrina experiences together, shaded by post-9/11 xenophobia, and delivers a powerful documentary of what will most likely be looked back upon by history as one of this country's most tragic eras/errors.
In its final pages, I was most struck by the proverbial banality of evil and the limited resiliency of the human spirit. When I first heard about this book, I fully expected to be infuriated after reading it, but it simply left me feeling something more like a deep, hollow sadness.(less)
YOU ARE NOT A GADGET is the 21st Century's AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH, shining a bright light on the dark side of Web 2.0, "open culture" and the dehu...moreYOU ARE NOT A GADGET is the 21st Century's AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH, shining a bright light on the dark side of Web 2.0, "open culture" and the dehumanizing effects of technology for technology's sake. Jaron Lanier is a thought-provoking genius and his manifesto is a must-read, especially for my digitally minded publishing colleagues.(less)
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