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January 01
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Drew
gave
   
to:
Endymion (Mass Market Paperback)
by Dan Simmons
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: fans of His Dark Materials
read in August, 2006
Drew said:
"This book and its sequel, The Rise of Endymion, are remarkably similar to Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. If you liked Pullman's work, you'll probably like this as well. Endymion is a much more adult look at many o...more
This book and its sequel, The Rise of Endymion, are remarkably similar to Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. If you liked Pullman's work, you'll probably like this as well. Endymion is a much more adult look at many of the same themes explored by Pullman. (For reference, Simmon's books were written in '96 and '97, while Pullman's were writting in '95, '97 and 2000. Seems that these were very popular themes in the late '90s. Who knew.)
I have to recommend that you read Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion before you start in on Endymion, if you want to get the full experience. (Trust me, you want the full experience.) Because all four of these books are brilliant, I don't feel bad about recommending them. In fact, I can't encourage you to read them enough.
Read. Read read read them all. Thank me later....less
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Drew
gave
   
to:
His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
by Philip Pullman
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my rating:
   
Added to my books!
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recommended for: fantasy fans
read in December, 2007
Drew said:
"First things first: Anybody who has read and loved these books should read Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons. Run, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore. Start reading now...more
First things first: Anybody who has read and loved these books should read Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons. Run, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore. Start reading now. Call me when you're finished so that you can thank me. The similarities between the two series are uncanny, to the point that they both end up quoting John Keats!
On to my reviews...
Golden Compass: I wasn't terribly impressed. The book seemed to lack focus. The main character didn't have any reason for doing anything. Lyra just sort of wandered from place to place with only the vaguest of motivations. Sure, "Dust" is the driving force behind everything, but I didn't even know what it was until halfway through the second book, so I didn't care about it. The best parts of the book are when Lyra is finally captured, and when Lyra visits the bears, because she has a clear goal to work toward.
Contrast this book to A New Hope, which is also the opening episode of a fantastic trilogy. In A New Hope, Luke's goals (i.e. THE PLOT) are clearly defined. (1) Get the robot to Obi-Wan and help the princess. (2) Go with Obi-Wan to save the princess, become a Jedi, and fight the empire that killed his Aunt and Uncle. (3) Escape from prison, after rescuing the princess. (4) Stop the empire from blowing up a planet.
The book could have been better. It took me about a week to read it, which is pretty ridiculous. When I love a book of this length, it gets done in a day.
Subtle Knife: MUCH BETTER than Book 1, and probably my favorite of the three. We have some characters with some goals. (1) Save mom. (2) Escape from the mystery men who want to capture you. (3) Steal back the althieometer. These are the types of adventures that I can get behind. Hooray for the plot!
Additionally, we find out what the hell Dust is, and why everybody cares about it. Whoohoo! Yet another victory for the audience members who want to know what the hell is going on.
Amber Spyglass: Pretty much makes everything worth it. I really enjoyed this book. Finally, I understood why everybody was doing what they were doing, which made my reading experience quite a bit more enjoyable.
The pacing was wretched at the end, however. Much like the third Lord of the Rings movie, this book had a half-dozen endings before the author got around to writing the last page....less
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December 29
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Drew
gave
   
to:
The Shadow of the Wind (Paperback)
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: anybody
read in July, 2006
Drew said:
"This is a pretty amazing novel. Beautifully written, even though it is translated from the original Spanish. It came recommended by a friend in law school, and it lived up to the recommendation.
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Drew
gave
   
to:
So You Want to Be a Wizard (digest): The First Book in the Young Wizards Series
by Diane Duane
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: Harry Potter fans.
read in June, 1994
Drew said:
"This is one of my long-time favorite novels from my childhood. The easiest way to describe this book is, "American Harry Potter."
Quick plot summary:
The book opens with the main character, Nita, hiding from bullies in a children's...more
This is one of my long-time favorite novels from my childhood. The easiest way to describe this book is, "American Harry Potter."
Quick plot summary:
The book opens with the main character, Nita, hiding from bullies in a children's library. While there, Nita is looking through a series of books... So You Want To Be A Fireman, So You Want To Be A Pilot, So You Want To Be A Wizard...
Nita opens the strangely titled book, and discovers a wizard's manual. She takes the wizards oath, and soon finds herself immersed in a world of wonders and magic. But all too soon, Nita finds herself confronting an ancient evil so terrible that even the most powerful wizards are afraid to invoke its name.
Sound familiar?
This book predates Harry Potter by about 10 years. It isn't as polished as Rowling's Harry Potter novels -- the writing isn't quite as good, and the plot isn't as clean -- but it is enormously fun. If you're the type of person who likes young adult fantasy fiction, take a chance on this book and its sequels....less
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December 20
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Drew
gave
   
to:
I Am Legend - Hell House
by Richard Matheson
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: anybody who's remotely interested in the movie.
read in May, 1997
Drew said:
"The movie: good.
The book: incredible.
One of the most important horror novels of all time. When Stephen King was a kid, he read Richard Matheson to get scared.
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Drew
gave
   
to:
Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, Book 1)
by Orson Scott Card
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: everybody
read in June, 1998
Drew said:
"I've never met a person who disliked this book. It lacks a bit in the "theme" department, but it makes up for it in the "this is one of the most fun books I've ever read" department.
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Drew
gave
   
to:
Hyperion (Mass Market Paperback)
by Dan Simmons
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my rating:
   
Added to my books!
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recommended for: science fiction fans
read in August, 2000
Drew said:
"One of the most important science fiction novels of the last 50 years. The first hundred pages were so good that I closed the book and stopped reading it. I was convinced that the rest of the novel would only be able to disappoint me.
Eventually...more
One of the most important science fiction novels of the last 50 years. The first hundred pages were so good that I closed the book and stopped reading it. I was convinced that the rest of the novel would only be able to disappoint me.
Eventually, I realized that I was being stupid, and I finished the book. I didn't think it was possible, but the book actually got BETTER. Absolutely amazing....less
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Drew
gave
   
to:
House of Leaves (Paperback)
by Mark Z. Danielewski (Goodreads author!)
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my rating:
   
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recommended for: people who like awesome things.
read in January, 2007
Drew said:
"This is the book that made me afraid of my walk-in closet. Probably the most innovative horror novel I've ever read. It isn't a "mosters coming to eat you" book. It's more... unsettling.
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