One of the problems I often have with non-fiction is that it has a tendency to wander, get bogged down in minutiae, and/or come across sounding like a...moreOne of the problems I often have with non-fiction is that it has a tendency to wander, get bogged down in minutiae, and/or come across sounding like a textbook. David Newman is an excellent writer who manages to get his points across in an engaging manner. "Hippocrates' Shadow" is a quick, informative read that doesn't get bogged down in a lot of techno-babble. I would give it four stars because I think people really should read it, but my personal rating is three stars because I had already come to many of the conclusions that Newman did based on my own encounters with the medical system. I think people need to know the information this book contains, but I also think it doesn't go far enough. Here is what I think is missing or shortchanged:
1. The current insurance system in the U.S. has made it practically impossible for modern doctors to practice medicine they way doctors did in the past. (Newman spends about 3 pages in the last chapter talking about how the system is broken, but doesn't go into much detail.) Today, a doctor spends somewhere from 5-10 minutes with each patient. That's just not enough time to get to the bottom of the patient's complaint, much less get to know more about the patient and their lives. Heck, they don't even have time to review patients' charts before entering the examining room.
2. Newman talks about how doctors like tests. What he misses is that there are many times that tests that could be beneficial are not given because they need to keep costs down for the insurance companies.
3. Newman doesn't talk about the patient's role in health care, or when he does it's negative. He does mention that a patient could ask for a test or a treatment, but in the context he uses it, the patient is mis-informed. In my experience, a patient HAS to now the possible diagnoses and treatments for his/her condition. He or she may be wrong, but they have to be well-informed before going into the doctor's office so they can discuss the situation intelligently. When doctors (even specialists) only spend 5-10 minutes with each patient, things are going to be missed. Newman misses that modern medicine needs to be a partnership between doctors and patients. Doctors a human and subject to the same limits of knowledge and experience as any other humans.
4. Newman doesn't offer any suggestions for the reader to help overcome the problems he sees with modern medicine. He makes everything sound really hopeless. He doesn't offer examples of doctors doing things right. It just seems like everything about medicine is broken and there's nothing that can be done about it. While it's true that the system is broken, I have found that being an informed patient makes a world of difference. Knowing that doctors don't know everything and are fallible helps the patient take proactive steps in their medical care. Knowing that doctors are human allows the patient to change doctors without guilt when they don't connect on a human level with that doctor.
I thought "Hippocrates' Shadow" was very good in what it did cover. However, it was incomplete and should have covered a bit more. (less)
In "Forced Mate" and "Insufficient Mating Material", the character that most interested me was Djrhett, the brother of Djinni Vera. Unlike his fellow...moreIn "Forced Mate" and "Insufficient Mating Material", the character that most interested me was Djrhett, the brother of Djinni Vera. Unlike his fellow djinn, this guy is not ruled by his hormones. He's not susceptible to rut-rage. That makes him a much more believable character. In this book, he is paired unwillingly with Tarrant-Aragon's sister, Electra. She was a marvelously complex character who goes through a lot of changes in the course of the story.
Ah, heck, I can't really review this book. Face it, this is mindless entertainment. We all need mindless entertainment sometimes. It's the kind of book that my daughter calls "literary crack". It has absolutely no redeeming values, but you keep coming back for more anyway. It's the kind of book that you keep face down on the nightstand and hope that no one asks what you're reading because it's embarrassing to admit that you're caught up in it. It gets five stars for fun factor, but my conscience will only allow me to give it 3 stars overall.(less)
"Sheep and Wolves: Collected Stories" by Jeremy C. Shipp is not for those with weak stomachs or who are easily offended. This little collection of sho...more"Sheep and Wolves: Collected Stories" by Jeremy C. Shipp is not for those with weak stomachs or who are easily offended. This little collection of short stories and flash fiction is full of blood, piss, vomit, pus, and every bodily fluid imaginable. The stories deal with masochism, cannibalism, torture, and other dark topics.
"Sheep and Wolves" is a collection of nightmares. Frankly, they're much more scary than my nightmares. My favorite stories were "The Hole", "Sin Earth", and "Flapjack" which were all excellent science fiction/fantasy stories that were pretty bizarre. I think "Sin Earth" would make an exceptionally good novel. The scariest things were the doll locked in a bird cage in "Watching" (I hate stories about dolls coming to life.) and the carnivorous van in "Baby Edward". Like I said, "Sheep and Wolves" is the stuff of nightmares. It's very creative and very well-done. (less)
I absolutely loved "In the Woods". It started a bit slow, but the tension and suspense built steadily until the floodgates of discovery opened. The ch...moreI absolutely loved "In the Woods". It started a bit slow, but the tension and suspense built steadily until the floodgates of discovery opened. The characters were so well written and the plot was fantastic. The psychological aspect was intriguing. I had to force myself to put it down in the last 1/3. The ending surprised me, but it fit. (less)
"Bel Canto" may be one of the top ten books I've read this year. It is absolutely beautifully written and very gripping. I really felt like I was ther...more"Bel Canto" may be one of the top ten books I've read this year. It is absolutely beautifully written and very gripping. I really felt like I was there and that I was getting to know the characters as they got to know each other. I felt like one of them. Without giving anything away, I was totally surprised and shocked by the ending. However, in retrospect, I realized that it really couldn't have ended any other way. I recommend "Bel Canto" for everyone.
_____________________________________________________ Added August 28, 2009:
I was listening to the radio today. The local talk show hosts were interviewing a man who deprograms cult members. (This was in regards to the Jaycee Dugard case.) He was talking a bit about the Stockholm Syndrome. It suddenly struck me that Ann Patchett managed something quite extraordinary with this book. She made the reader experience the Stockhold Syndrome. We go right along with the hostages in identifying with the terrorists that are holding them hostage. How very sneaky of her.(less)
I found the hardcover edition "Dark Side of the Moon" for $5.99 on the Borders bargain books rack. Sherrilyn Kenyon has a lot of books in print and se...moreI found the hardcover edition "Dark Side of the Moon" for $5.99 on the Borders bargain books rack. Sherrilyn Kenyon has a lot of books in print and seems to be quite popular. I'm not into the whole vampire lover genre, but for $5.99, I figured I could at least see what made Kenyon so popular. I must now shamefully admit that I really enjoyed "Dark Side of the Moon". I could have done without the whole gods/daimons/Dark Hunters/Appolites/etc. back story, but I loved the character of Susan. I loved her sarcastic, spunky attitude. I liked how she reacted to the weirdness around her much like I would have. The romance between her and Ravyn was good too. It was entirely predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I rarely like sex scenes in books because 99% of them are so poorly written, they're both awkward and funny. However, the scenes between Susan and Ravyn were very well done. I blush to even say that.
In some ways, "Dark Side of the Moon" reminded me of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series. It was sexy, funny and had girl-power. I don't know if the rest of the Dark Hunter books are anything like this. Frankly, I really don't want to read anything more about Acheron. I would like to read stories about Zoe or Belle, two Dark Hunters who appear only briefly. I'd like to know more about what happens to Erika. I'd like to follow up with Cael and Amaranda. I wonder if there's anyway to pick and chose the characters I'd like to learn more about.
By the way, I gave this only 3 stars because it's not particularly original and it's pretty trashy (in a good way). It would get another half star if we had them. (less)
I'm going to start with a disclaimer: I haven't really finished this book.
I think it's a real shame that "A Rose by Any Name" isn't being released unt...moreI'm going to start with a disclaimer: I haven't really finished this book.
I think it's a real shame that "A Rose by Any Name" isn't being released until February. It would make a beautiful gift book for any rose lover. It's chock-full of rose trivia and little true stories about the origins of various rose names. I'm sure it's going to be an absolutely gorgeous feast for the eyes with all the illustrations.
That said, I was disappointed in the ARC of this book. "A Rose By Any Name" isn't the kind of book you really read. It's a book you look at and maybe read a snippet here or there. As a reader, I didn't find it to be organized very well. The chapters are the names different roses, such as Helen Keller and Barbara Streisand. Each chapter starts out with a story about how that rose got its name then it devolves into a litany of similarly named roses and anything of interest kind of gets lost in the naming of the roses. The writing just didn't seem very focused and the alphabetical chapters didn't work well at all. As a reader, I would have preferred a different format. Perhaps a chronological history of the rose would have worked.
While this book didn't work for me as a reader, it would absolutely work for me as a rose lover in the final version. I've always liked Workman Publishing for the quality of their illustrations and if "A Rose By Any Name" is up to their usual printing standards, it will not disappoint. It will look lovely on the coffee table and will be a delight to pick up and sample through. And, I did learn a few new things about roses in the chapters that I did read. I learned that Helen Keller loved roses because of their fragrance and their feel. I learned that Barbara Streisand insisted on testing the four finalists for the rose that was to bear her name in her enormous rose garden for two years before deciding which one it would be. She wanted to make sure it would work well in real gardens.
"A Rose By Any Name" will be coming out too late to give to your favorite rose lover for this Christmas. However, keep it in mind for Mothers Day and for next Christmas. Your favorite rose lover will love you for giving it to them.(less)
I liked "The Gunslinger" well enough to read straight through in a couple of days. However, it really seemed too hard to be something, but I couldn't...moreI liked "The Gunslinger" well enough to read straight through in a couple of days. However, it really seemed too hard to be something, but I couldn't figure out what. I'm sure it's meant to be enigmatic, but a good enigma should never be pointed out. There were several points in the novel where the gunslinger wonders if he's really dead. I, for one, couldn't figure out whether this was a post-apocalyptic novel, a religious allegory, a fantasy quest or what. Why is there a dead kid from New York City in it when the gunslinger is clearly from some sort of medieval-style fantasy world? What the heck is that setting? Can anyone talk straight?
This book was engaging and the writing style was good. I just thought it was trying too hard to be too many things and it ending up being nothing.(less)
"The Anubis Gates" is a terrific time travel fantasy. I never quite knew where the story was going or what was going to happen next. Tim Powers is one...more"The Anubis Gates" is a terrific time travel fantasy. I never quite knew where the story was going or what was going to happen next. Tim Powers is one of those writers who packs meaning and significance into every scene. I found myself having to backtrack several times to see if I had missed something. In the last third of the book, there's so much body switching and name changing that I had trouble telling who was who. I really liked the challenge though, it kept me on my toes and it was unlike anything else I've ever read.(less)
"Something Rotten" is easily the best of the Thursday Next series so far. (I still have to read "First Among Sequels") The pacing is perfect and it ha...more"Something Rotten" is easily the best of the Thursday Next series so far. (I still have to read "First Among Sequels") The pacing is perfect and it has many laugh-out-loud moments. It didn't rely on literary references as much as the previous volumes. I really had a great time reading it. (less)
**spoiler alert** I finished this book in one day. I guess that tells you something about how well it sucked me in. The basic premise is that Lily is...more**spoiler alert** I finished this book in one day. I guess that tells you something about how well it sucked me in. The basic premise is that Lily is a young woman who sees dead people. She's a lot like the little boy in "The Sixth Sense", but she's grown up and she's learned to talk to the ghosts and help them. Darby is an English documentary producer who wants to make a movie about her, but he has an ulterior motive. He's living in a haunted church.
As enthralled as I was with the story, I found it ultimately disappointing because it never answers the question of who the corpse bride in Darby's house is. We don't even find out if he goes back there. In fact, the ending seemed really rushed and left a lot of loose ends. It didn't exactly end in a cliffhanger, but it didn't resolve some of the important story lines either.(less)
I jumped right into "The Well of Lost Plots" after finishing "Lost in a Good Book". I think I'm ready for some other reading for a while.
"The Well of...moreI jumped right into "The Well of Lost Plots" after finishing "Lost in a Good Book". I think I'm ready for some other reading for a while.
"The Well of Lost Plots" was a pretty interesting book, and it was fun. But, there wasn't a lot of plot to it and it jumped around a lot. Once again, Thursday's primary problem remains unresolved. I hope it gets taken care of in the next volume.
Oh, and I think I need to read "Great Expectations".(less)
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" really gets 4-1/2 stars from me. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who likes a linear story, a well-de...more"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" really gets 4-1/2 stars from me. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who likes a linear story, a well-defined plot, and easily comprehensible English. Probably the hardest thing to do when reading this book is not trying to translate all the Spanish in it. Trying to translate just slows you down and keeps you from really feeling the rhythm of the text. Fortunately, I have lived in Southern California my whole life and have studied a little Spanish. As a result, I'm always hearing bits and pieces of the language that I only half understand. To me, the melange of language that I'm exposed to regularly is music and this book captures that mix very well.
This book has a lot of big ideas, but they're kind of buried in a terrific, creative narrative. It was very well done.
To me, the difference between is a good book and a great book is whether you have to suspend disbelief or whether you just believe. I became curious a...moreTo me, the difference between is a good book and a great book is whether you have to suspend disbelief or whether you just believe. I became curious about “The Secret Life of Bees” when I saw the preview for the upcoming movie in the theater. It looked mildly interesting and overly sugary. You know, one of those feel good stories about people coming together despite racial differences. It’s been done a gazillion times and the stories are usually trite and maudlin. (I will say that the movie looks like it’s going to fit into the trite and maudlin mold.) Imagine my surprise when I found the novel to be so great. It’s absolutely beautiful. It exceeds every expectation. I had to force myself to put it down to do the things I needed to do. I didn’t need to suspend disbelief; I believed.
I think this is a book for every girl and woman to read. I’d much rather see teen girls reading this than most of the books I see on the young adult shelves. It’s one of those books that lifts you up and makes you believe in ideals. I didn’t think anyone was writing books like this anymore. Fortunately, I was wrong.
One more thing; having read the book, I have absolutely no desire to see the movie. I cannot imagine Dakota Fanning as Lily and all those famous actresses as Rosaleen and the Boatwright sisters. And, I cannot imagine the movie adding anything to the richness of the novel. Maybe I’ll be wrong, but I’ll never know. (less)
I give "Blindness" four stars simply for the artistry of its creation. The story itself is unbelievably depressing until the very end. But, it's so po...moreI give "Blindness" four stars simply for the artistry of its creation. The story itself is unbelievably depressing until the very end. But, it's so poetic and dreamlike. It's rich in symbolism. I can't say that this is one of the very best books I've ever read, but it is very good.(less)
I have a lot of books to read. As a result, it is not unusual for me to have 2 or 3 books going at once. I’ll usually have one that I read at lunch, b...moreI have a lot of books to read. As a result, it is not unusual for me to have 2 or 3 books going at once. I’ll usually have one that I read at lunch, break and when I have to wait around for something. I’ll also have one on my nightstand to read before I go to sleep. “Web of Deceit” by Anthony Toro landed in my mailbox while I was in the middle of “Water for Elephants” and “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier”. I actually finished “Water for Elephants” before starting “Web of Deceit”, but “A Long Way Gone” ended up languishing as I got caught up in the tale of a teenage girl who attracts the attention of an internet stalker.
“Web of Deceit” starts off with a bang. Annette, a fifteen year old whose family has just moved from San Diego to Tucson, is sitting at her computer when she gets a creepy instant message. It becomes clear from the message that she is being watched. She even hears typing from her parents’ computer in another room. Days later, after a couple of creepy incidents and some paranoiac false alarms, she is kidnapped at gunpoint by her stalker. He’s a bit delusional and thinks he can have a relationship with her. The scenes that take place while she is being held captive are gripping and convincing. However, the deus ex machina ending is a bit rushed and not very believable. That said, I think it is an ending that young adult readers would like and expect.
I believe that “Web of Deceit” is best suited to a teen audience. Unfortunately, I don’t think many boys will be interested in it because of the female protagonist and all the relationship stuff. I think it would be terrific for parents to read it along with their teens to use as a jumping off point for discussing internet safety. In fact, I think it would have been really good to include an appendix that discussed internet safety, how to protect privacy and what to do when you think you’re being stalked online and/or in real life. Resources would be a big plus.
I think there were a couple of things that could have made “Web of Deceit” stronger. First, I think the e-mails and chat would have been better if they had been written the way teens actually write them. There is a whole online language that young people use and it doesn’t involve proper spelling and good grammar. Also, the teenage characters talked the way I talked as a teenager. I used “neat” and “cool” a lot as a teenager, and I still do. I’m middle-aged. Using just a little twenty-first century slang would have made the dialogue a bit more realistic. Other than that, I think “Web of Deceit” is a terrific first novel and I look forward to seeing what Anthony Toro does next.
I have to say that I agree with much of what Sommers has to say in "The War Against Boys". However, not much of it was new to me. This book was publis...moreI have to say that I agree with much of what Sommers has to say in "The War Against Boys". However, not much of it was new to me. This book was published eight years ago. In those years, I've seen many articles that state the same things and have come to many of the same conclusions from observing my children and their friends. (less)
About halfway through "Rollback" by Robert J. Sawyer, I had a scathing review all ready to go. I hated the first half. There were way too many brand n...moreAbout halfway through "Rollback" by Robert J. Sawyer, I had a scathing review all ready to go. I hated the first half. There were way too many brand names used. There were way too many Star Trek references. There was this horribly long exposition about the movie "Contact" starring Jodie Foster. The couple around whom the story centers were born a year before me and I had a hard time relating to their thought processes. If I were reminiscing about a pizza dinner from 40 years earlier, I certainly wouldn't be thinking about it being from Pizza Hut and remembering that the crust was really bad for you. I know that hard science fiction has a tendency towards exposition, but Sawyer takes that exposition to an extreme by explaining things we already know about. I mean, really, what was the point of recalling that Mr. Rogers started on Canadian television? Was it worth a whole paragraph?
Just past the halfway mark, the story picked up a bit. Sawyer dropped much of the name dropping and got into his characters a little bit more. The twist ending was very good and the epilogue made the book.
Frankly, I felt like I had to sift through a lot of junk to get the the good stuff in this book. The good stuff was very good, but it could have been adequately covered in a 100-150 page novella rather than a 320 page novel. I was really disappointed. I was really looking forward to enjoying this book. It was nominated for the Hugo award and I loved "Hominids" by this same author. At least it was a fast read.(less)
Curses! About 40 pages from the end, I had to run out and get the next book in the Thursday Next series, "Well of Lost Plots." This book doesn't have...moreCurses! About 40 pages from the end, I had to run out and get the next book in the Thursday Next series, "Well of Lost Plots." This book doesn't have an ending! Even worse, I got sucked up into it and had to keep going.
"Lost in a Good Book" is the sequel to "The Eyre Affair" starring spec ops officer Thursday Next. To say that Thursday's life is complicated is an understatement. I'm not going to get into the plot or characters of this book. To do so would spoil this book, the preceding book, and the following book. I will say that, unlike "The Eyre Affair", "Lost in a Good Book" does not stand on its own. You must have read the first book to understand it. Then, you will have to read the next book to get any resolution. (I rather suspect that there won't be any resolution in the next book either.)
Now, I rarely read series. It's even more rare for me to read books in a series back to back. But, Jasper Fford is such a compelling writer with such a weird imagination, that I'm breaking my usual rules.
If you like weirdness and literature, and don't mind spending a lot of time on a series, go ahead and read the Thursday Next series. They are a lot of fun.(less)
I’m not really sure what to say about “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. It was a thoroughly charming and entertaining novel. It was well written an...moreI’m not really sure what to say about “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. It was a thoroughly charming and entertaining novel. It was well written and well researched. It really brought a bit of American history to life. I really loved all the old circus photos that were included between chapters. The ending made me feel warm and fuzzy, and I closed the book at the last page with a smile on my face. When I started, I thought it would be kind of depressing. And, to be honest, it should have been. The prologue, which is re-told in the last chapters, is shocking. I’m not saying that the happy ending should have been sad. I just think that the parts that should have been sad or horrifying somehow didn’t come off as sad enough or horrifying enough. That doesn’t mean that I thought the book was bad. I actually thought it was quite good. However, I think it could have been so much more. It was a delight for the hours that I held it in my hands, but I think it will stay with me about as long as cotton candy.
So, now that I’ve made absolutely no sense whatsoever, what is my conclusion? I don’t think “Water for Elephants” is a must-read book, but it’s good if you just want to be entertained. It’s the perfect book to read if you are weary of heavy, depressing literature.
**spoiler alert** This is the true story of a boy who is recruited into the Sierra Leon army after a year of hiding in the forests of his country. He'...more**spoiler alert** This is the true story of a boy who is recruited into the Sierra Leon army after a year of hiding in the forests of his country. He's given a gun, drugs and trained how to kill people. More than two years later, he's inexplicably selected to go to a rehabilitation center to become "normal" again. Unfortunately, the war follows him, both literally and spiritually.
The whole time I'm reading this book, my mind is saying, "This boy is the same age as my son." I try to picture my son and his friends hiding from rebels in the forest, starving and stealing to live. I try to picture my son and his friends with AK47's, shooting anyone that doesn't wear a green headband and taking drugs to numb the pain and allow them to continue killing. I can't imagine it and I am outraged that this is being done in other countries. I also hate what is done to the boys to turn them into killers. As Ishmael Beah describes his life before the war comes to his village, he is a typical young teenage boy. He hangs out with his friends, listens to music, sings and dances, wants to go to secondary school (even though dad won't pay), and has plans for his future. He's an ordinary boy, very much like my ordinary boy and his friends.
I can't help but thinking that this story might have been better told by someone else. When Beah writes about his experiences in the army and rehabilitation, he distances himself from the narrative. He states what happened, but there's no emotional connection to it. Now, I do understand that. For his own sanity, I can understand that he needs to distance himself from those atrocities and to write as if they were done to and committed by someone else. However, I would like to have seen some sort of outrage expressed over what happened to him and others. This story could have been so much more powerful than it was. I had to fill in the emotional blanks and there wasn't that much to work with.
At some point, I hope my son takes to reading. I would like to have him read this so he would understand how lucky he is to be living in America.(less)
**spoiler alert** There’s a lot to like about “Singer of Souls” by Adam Stemple. It’s a well-paced narrative with an engaging story. It has a likeable...more**spoiler alert** There’s a lot to like about “Singer of Souls” by Adam Stemple. It’s a well-paced narrative with an engaging story. It has a likeable protagonist who is determined to do what it takes to overcome a heroin addiction. It’s an old-fashioned novel, told simply. The cover looks like something from the Fifties or Sixties. Yet, the problems and issues are very contemporary. I was really enjoying this book until the end.
I was ready to give this book 4 (actually 3.5) starts. However, the ending ruined the book for me. The formerly likeable protagonist became someone twisted and ugly inside. He threw away his humanity for vengeance. He discovered his power only to use it to become a mind-controlling, evil dictator. Within one chapter, he went from being a hero to being a villain. I really could have given this book a good rating if it hadn’t been for the ending.
I also have to say that I didn’t like that every character except Zack and Grandma McClaren turns out to be bad. Even when you think there’s hope for someone or when you think that someone who seems bad is really good inside or when someone seems nice, they are bad to the bone. This story takes such a dismal view of both humans and fae folk that it’s downright depressing.
I had heard good things about the Thursday Next series and had picked up a copy of the latest installment on Border's Buy One, Get One Half Off table....moreI had heard good things about the Thursday Next series and had picked up a copy of the latest installment on Border's Buy One, Get One Half Off table. After I got it, I learned that you really have to read the preceding novels to understand it. The last two books I read left me really depressed, so I decided to pick up the first of the Thursday Next books, "The Eyre Affair."
This book provided me with the literary escape I needed. It made me laugh out loud with lines like "My name is Schitt. Jack Schitt." Jack Schitt appears quite a lot and I couldn't help giggle every time I read his name.
This book is absolutely packed with literary and historical references. Don't worry if you dozed through literature and history classes though; Fforde pretty much ignores anything you might have learned about those subjects in school. "The Eyre Affair" works best if you just go with the flow and don't try to figure out the background.(less)
"Halting State" by Charles Stross was the last book on my 2008 Hugo Nominees List. While I still think "Brasyl" by Ian McDonald should have won instea...more"Halting State" by Charles Stross was the last book on my 2008 Hugo Nominees List. While I still think "Brasyl" by Ian McDonald should have won instead of "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" by Michael Chabon, I do think this comes in a very, very close second.
I was pleasantly surprised by "Halting State". I read "Accelerando" by the same author last year and absolutely loathed it. "Halting State" really grabbed me and I read huge chunks at a time. I was amazed at how Stoss managed to maintain a second person present tense narration throughout the book. It was a bit jarring at first because it is so unusual, but it didn't take long to get used to it. Once characters started interacting and there was some dialogue going on, the unusual syntax was barely noticeable.
"Halting State" was confusing at times as the real world and the virtual world merged and collided. However, it never once stopped being fascinating. It was an action thriller set ten years in the future in a world that is very, very different from what it is today. As different as it is, it's plausible based on today's technology. While I never warmed to the character of police officer Sue, I did like Jack and Elaine a lot.
I'm still not sure if I really know what happened in this story, but that's okay. It was an exciting ride.(less)
Short story collections can be hit or miss. Some stories may be wonderful, others may be clunkers. Every story in “20th Century Ghosts” is wonderful,...moreShort story collections can be hit or miss. Some stories may be wonderful, others may be clunkers. Every story in “20th Century Ghosts” is wonderful, some are even superlative. While Hill is a horror writer, not all of the stories in this book are horror. And, some of the ones that deal with the typical subjects of horror are not horrific. To me, the best stories in this collection are:
“20th Century Ghost”, a touching story about a haunted movie theater.
“Abraham’s Boys”, a tale about teen-age rebellion in unusual circumstances.
“Better than Home”, a sweet story told from the perspective of the autistic son of a baseball coach. It really tugged at my heart.
“My Father’s Mask”, a very creepy warped, fairytale-like story that left me with the shivers.
“Voluntary Committal”, an indescribable fantasy/horror story about brotherly love.
Be sure to read the acknowledgments at the end. Hill throws in a terrific little story as an encore.
I have to admit that I am now a Joe Hill fan and will be on the lookout for his next book. His work isn’t formulaic; and, as some of his short stories prove, he leans more towards psychological horror than blood & gore. His work is rich and complex. His characters are multidimensional and realistic. I highly recommend Joe Hill’s work for anyone who wants a good read.
"The Graveyard Book" a novel that reads like a collection of interconnected, chronologically-ordered short stories. The scariest parts aren't the ghos...more"The Graveyard Book" a novel that reads like a collection of interconnected, chronologically-ordered short stories. The scariest parts aren't the ghosts and ghouls in the graveyard, but the dangers that lurk outside the gates. I hesitate to recommend this for anyone younger than middle-school age. It is an easy read that most children over 8 or 9 could easily comprehend, but the first chapter is very disturbing. It starts out with the murdering of a father, mother and child as they sleep. The second child, a toddler, crawls out of his crib as his family is being murdered and makes his way to a cemetery. The murderer tracks him, but the child is offered the protection of the graveyard when his mother's ghosts asks the ghosts of the graveyard to take care of him. Needless to say, the child has a very interesting childhood and learns many unusual things.
I loved the relationship between the boy and the ghosts. It was very touching. And, the story resolved itself nicely. Altogether, this was a very enjoyable book.(less)
“Farthing” by Jo Walton is an engaging murder mystery with a style and setting that reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel. The twist is that it’s set...more“Farthing” by Jo Walton is an engaging murder mystery with a style and setting that reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel. The twist is that it’s set in a 1940’s Britain that negotiated a peace treaty with Hitler in 1939 to stop the Blitz. Hitler agreed to leave Britain alone and Britain agreed to let Hitler have the entire European continent. Now, it would be very easy for this alternative history novel to fall into a “Gee, look how different this is!” mode. However, “Farthing” works because it treats the alternate history as normal. It also works because it takes place in England, not the Continent; because it takes place only a few years after the novel’s history diverges from real history; and because the mystery surrounds the people who were responsible for the treaty with Hitler. Because of the involvement of the characters with the setting’s history, the divergent setting can be revealed without a lot of awkward exposition.
As engaging as I thought the story was, I did have a couple of issues with “Farthing.” First, this novel seemed to have a lot more homosexual characters than you would find in a typical real population. There were at least 4 major characters that were gay or lesbian out of approximately 20 characters. (I am counting Lucy’s brother, Hugh, because he is mentioned frequently.) The homosexual angle probably wouldn’t have bothered me if it really had anything to do with the plot. It was pointless, but it was brought up over and over again. I also found Lucy’s silly euphemisms for the other character’s peccadilloes to be tedious and off-putting. For the record; gay males are Athenians, gay females are Macedonians. Committing adultery is going to Bognor, but two women going to Macedonia aren’t going to Bognor even if one of them is married. (???) The whole thing gets quite ridiculous.
If we had half stars, this book would be a 3-1/2. I really enjoyed it with the exception noted above. And, the ending surprised me a little. Carmichael does solve the murder case, but the outcome was unexpected. Sadly, it probably went down the way it would have in the real world. I would really like to read about Lucy and David’s life after this story ends and I think Inspector Carmichael is one of the finest detectives since Hercule Poirot. (less)
If I didn't know that "Brave New World" was written in 1932, I would have thought it was written in the late Fifties or early Sixties. It was that far...moreIf I didn't know that "Brave New World" was written in 1932, I would have thought it was written in the late Fifties or early Sixties. It was that far ahead of its time in both theme and style. It's easy to see how this book became such a highly regarded literary work. It questions everything and doesn't hand the reader the answers.
Unfortunately, I cannot give the book 5 stars. As good as it is, it has some serious flaws. There really isn't a main character. The characters that appear to be the main characters become secondary about half way through the book when a new main character shows up. There is a lengthy and somewhat contradictory philosophical expository section about 40 pages from the end that tries to explain everything but ends up being stilted and not fitting the rest of the book. One character just vanishes. Actually, all of the characters seemed more like symbols than like people.
Despite the narrative flaws, Huxley did an excellent job of creating a "Brave New World". He is descriptive enough without being too wordy. He shows the reader many aspects of the society depicted, the good and the bad. And, he doesn't tell the reader what to think.
I think anyone who has an interest in the future, in science fiction, or in politics should read "A Brave New World." I'm really not sure how I missed it in the course of my education, but I'm glad I've now made up for it.(less)
I admit it, "Land of a Hundred Wonders" is probably only worth four stars. But, I gave it five stars because it made me cry. I had tears streaming dow...moreI admit it, "Land of a Hundred Wonders" is probably only worth four stars. But, I gave it five stars because it made me cry. I had tears streaming down my checks and it wasn't from any cheap, cheesy manipulation. I rarely cry over books, but this one got me.
I'm not going to write a synopsis of this book, the back cover and the blurbs here and on Amazon sum up the story pretty well. What I am going to say is that this book is really well written. I heard Gibby's voice in my head, not my voice reading the story. The language was a convincing rendition of a young woman from Kentucky who has suffered a brain injury that affects her memory and speech. The characters and their relationships were authentic. The mysteries were suspenseful and kept me reading.
"Land of a Hundred Wonders" is a wonderfully charming book that has a lot to offer in surprisingly few pages. I'm not much of a re-reader, but I can see myself picking this up of the shelf again in a few years.(less)
I picked up a copy of “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” by Michael Chabon purely out of curiosity. This novel was nominated for, and won, the prestigiou...moreI picked up a copy of “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” by Michael Chabon purely out of curiosity. This novel was nominated for, and won, the prestigious Hugo Award. The Hugo Award is for outstanding science fiction and I have never seen “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” on the science fiction/fantasy bookshelves in any bookstore. It’s only been in the mainstream fiction section. Now that I’ve read it, I still don’t understand how it won the Hugo. True, it is an alternate history; but it’s a socio-political alternate history rather than a technological one. Any differences in science and technology due to the events that veer off from real history aren’t covered in the course of this novel. In addition to it not being science fiction, I’m surprised it won the Hugo because it’s really not that good. I know that saying this book is not good, or is merely okay is heresy, but I’m saying it.
My problems with this book stem mainly from the semantics and the fragmented storytelling. I liked that Chabon implemented Yiddish into the telling of the story. I liked that he used sentence structure that mimicked Hebrew/Yiddish sentence structure. I thought the use of present tense was unusual and interesting. I know that in Hebrew, present tense is often used in storytelling to make it more immediate. What I disliked about the semantics of this novel was they way it went back and forth between present tense and past tense. I figured out that the present tense was used when the story was focusing on Landsman and what he was doing. The past tense was used for telling about things that were happening. That sounds pretty straightforward, but it isn’t. There were a few times when Chabon would be telling about something that happened to Landsman in past tense then pick up on the present and switch to present tense. The tense would change from one paragraph to the next.
Now, just the fact that I was analyzing verb tenses should tell you how tedious I found the story. It had so much potential. The murder mystery was a good one. Landsman had a lot of potential as a protagonist. The alternate history of millions of Jews being relocated to Alaska in 1948 because of the failure of the Jewish state in Israel was intriguing. The impending reversion of the Jewish territory to the United States and the uncertainty of what would happen to the Jews in Sitka added dramatic tension. However, none of the individual element gelled into a compelling narrative. It seemed like a lot of great ideas strung together with no real connection. The language had the potential to enhance the story, but ended up detracting from it. The characters seemed to be two-dimensional symbols rather than three-dimensional people. The author would go of on expository tangents that had nothing to do with the story. Towards the end, solutions to different aspects of the mystery came out of the blue. A heretofore-unseen character would show up and hand Landsman and the reader a huge piece of the puzzle, no deduction necessary.
For me, “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” was a book that had a heck of a lot of potential and a lot of great ideas. It just failed to put it all together in a way that was compelling and/or comprehensible. (less)
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