Sarah

Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars

A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1)
by Vernor Vinge

read in January, 2012

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Awesome. Despite all it's foibles, this is one example of my ideal science fiction book. In fact, I could very well read this over again and pop the rating up to 5 stars.

First, a note and a few warnings: Vernor Vinge was a true blue scientist first (...more Awesome. Despite all it's foibles, this is one example of my ideal science fiction book. In fact, I could very well read this over again and pop the rating up to 5 stars.

First, a note and a few warnings: Vernor Vinge was a true blue scientist first (computer science and mathematics), and so perhaps some reviewer complaints about the technical detail and less-than-preferred level of characterization can be explained to a certain extent. I for one prefer science and tech over "drama" and found the concepts flushed out in this text conceivable, imaginative and fascinating, though readers who prefer more "drama" and characterization may find this book to be lacking.

The beginning of the book is somewhat vague, and it takes some time to properly understand the universe Vinge has thrust you into. You will find such "cumbersome" names like Wrickrackrum and Jaqueramaphan in the beginning, but definitely hang in there as there is a very good explanation as to why names like that exist. He does a good job of explaining through his characters the Zones (of Thought) and how time and space operate relative to where one is placed in this universe, but the lag between the outset and the expression of that universe can make the context difficult to understand right away. Vinge's explanations of how his characters use technology can be very technical, and if you can't appreciate such details, will serve as tangents that bog down the overall flow of the story. Also, one of the primary alien races, while interesting and unique in the grand scheme of this universe, is described - and behaves - in a very human way. This description of the Tines' behavior gives the reader context for how they operate, and also makes them Less interesting (but not uninteresting) as an alien species though many of their other characteristics more than make up for the lack.

Some will love it, and some will hate it, but ultimately, I found this book to be imaginative and well worth the read. Humans come up both as a subject and a footnote, and in a "space opera" like A Fire In The Deep, that's how it should be! I fell in love with many of the characters such as Pilgrim and "Amdijefri" (SPOILER ALERT: some of them WILL die), appreciated the dynamics of inter-species relations, and now that I've spent time learning about the universe Vinge created, would be totally interested in reading other books that work within the same universal context.

I've always thought that a good science fiction text - especially one that aims to conceive of a universe rather than simply one world or another - admits the fleeting nature of civilizations and all their issues in the face of time. One quote: "Over the last few weeks, some newsgroups have been full of tales of war and battle fleets, of billions dying in the clash of species. To all such - and those living more peaceably around them - we say look out on the universe. It does not care, and even with all our science there are some disasters that we can not avert. All evil and good is petty before Nature. Personally, we take comfort from this, that there is a universe to admire that cannot be twisted to villainy or good, but which simply is."(less)

Sarah rated a book 5 of 5 stars

1Q84
by Haruki Murakami

read in November, 2011

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Sarah rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2)
by Orson Scott Card

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Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Physics of Superheroes
by James Kakalios

read in September, 2011

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Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)
by Orson Scott Card

recommended for: EVERYONE ON THE PLANET

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I love this series, yet I must say: Ender's Game is good, but Speaker For The Dead is the book that really blew me away. The beginning of EG is kind of "meh," written in a style that I want to chalk up to Ender's character being very young at that ph...more

Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars

March
by Geraldine Brooks

read in September, 2011

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But I should note: objectively, March deserves a 4. Personally, I would give March maybe a 3.5 or less.

4 because it is a well-written, emotional, imaginative piece of historical fiction. Grace Clement, a former slave who appears many times throughout...more

Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars

69
by Ryū Murakami

read in September, 2011

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There are a trillion very concise (and very similar) summaries of Murakami's 69 so I'm going to skip all that and simply say This is a Fun, Fun Book That You Should Read. I was literally on the train laughing out loud as I read this; Ken Yazaki's sma...more

Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
by George R.R. Martin

read in December, 2011

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Didn't love it, didn't hate it, thus the 3.

I definitely feel like this is a made-for-tv book (and clearly it is on tv now). Not a negative comment necessarily! Aside from the length of the text, GoT is a relatively light read with straightforward, un...more Didn't love it, didn't hate it, thus the 3.

I definitely feel like this is a made-for-tv book (and clearly it is on tv now). Not a negative comment necessarily! Aside from the length of the text, GoT is a relatively light read with straightforward, understandable characters, some of whom you (eventually) want to survive - I did find myself rooting a little bit - and making you feel there is something at stake by killing characters that hold the primary third person narratives (note: one of my favorites does NOT make it... le sigh). The character developments for Daenerys Targaryen, Arya Stark, and even Robb Stark (not a primary, but viewed through Catelyn Stark's narrative) were intriguing enough to move me forward, albeit slowly. And as a lover of strategy storytelling, I found myself very interested in the last couple hundred pages or so after the warring actually got started.

But it took way, way too long to get me there. The "something at stake" mostly happened because I forced myself to read the vast majority of the book over a day or two to make it go faster, and that was after struggling through the first couple of narratives over the course of a month. And I am not a slow reader! If it was maybe 300 pages shorter, I may have been amenable toward a higher rating.

I could have done without the bulk of Bran's perspective altogether, and experienced a very definite WTF moment during that last segment with Daenerys. Actually, there were quite a few WTF moments over the course of the book, and I'm saying this as a lover of science fiction and a fan of fantasy writing. I totally believe some plots are just conceptually better on screen than in the confines of a book; not because they are difficult to conceive of in writing, but because when it happens on tv you think "Well hell, it's tv, of course that would happen." I would apply that idea to this book. Someone who has seen the series will have to let me know how it translates to the big screen, and whether those WTF moments still carry over.

In that case, this book may be better for readers who normally aren't into science fiction or fantasy, and can come to this with fewer expectations than I did (and I didn't have many). Perhaps I will take a peek at #2. I have certainly run into #1s that were not as great as the #2+s, and GRRM is setting the stage in Song of Ice and Fire for an extended series of conflicts, which may be better appreciated in retrospect...(less)

Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
by Yukio Mishima

read in September, 2011

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So much to say. You could spend probably two weeks purely on discussion of Mishima's landscape and setting descriptions, let alone the intricacies of his characters.

The plot itself is fairly straightforward: a sailor and a widow who runs a business m...more

Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
by Suzanne Collins

read in August, 2011

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I landed on 3 stars but let me tell you: if 3.3, or even 3.5 were options, I would have clicked one of those instead. I want to give it a 4, but the conclusion was just such a bummer.

The first book - Hunger Games - was AH-mazing. The second book - Ca...more

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Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1) by Vernor Vinge read in January, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Awesome. Despite all it's foibles, this is one example of my ideal science fiction book. In fact, I could very well read this over again and pop the rating up to 5 stars. First, a note and a few warnings: Vernor Vinge was a true blue scientist first (...more
Jan 22, 2012 11:11am · see review
Sarah rated a book 5 of 5 stars 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami read in November, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 11, 2011 12:49pm
Sarah rated a book 5 of 5 stars Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2) by Orson Scott Card	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 17, 2011 07:09pm
Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios read in September, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 12, 2011 08:17pm
Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card recommended for: EVERYONE ON THE PLANET	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I love this series, yet I must say: Ender's Game is good, but Speaker For The Dead is the book that really blew me away. The beginning of EG is kind of "meh," written in a style that I want to chalk up to Ender's character being very young at that ph...more
Sep 12, 2011 05:24pm · see review
Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars March by Geraldine Brooks read in September, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
But I should note: objectively, March deserves a 4. Personally, I would give March maybe a 3.5 or less. 4 because it is a well-written, emotional, imaginative piece of historical fiction. Grace Clement, a former slave who appears many times throughout...more
Sep 09, 2011 10:02am · see review
Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars 69 by Ryū Murakami read in September, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
There are a trillion very concise (and very similar) summaries of Murakami's 69 so I'm going to skip all that and simply say This is a Fun, Fun Book That You Should Read. I was literally on the train laughing out loud as I read this; Ken Yazaki's sma...more
Sep 06, 2011 07:11pm · see review
Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin read in December, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Didn't love it, didn't hate it, thus the 3. I definitely feel like this is a made-for-tv book (and clearly it is on tv now). Not a negative comment necessarily! Aside from the length of the text, GoT is a relatively light read with straightforward, un...more
Sep 03, 2011 09:34pm · see review
Sarah rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima read in September, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
So much to say. You could spend probably two weeks purely on discussion of Mishima's landscape and setting descriptions, let alone the intricacies of his characters. The plot itself is fairly straightforward: a sailor and a widow who runs a business m...more
Sep 03, 2011 09:28pm · see review
Sarah rated a book 3 of 5 stars Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins read in August, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I landed on 3 stars but let me tell you: if 3.3, or even 3.5 were options, I would have clicked one of those instead. I want to give it a 4, but the conclusion was just such a bummer. The first book - Hunger Games - was AH-mazing. The second book - Ca...more
Aug 16, 2011 08:26pm · see review

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