Alex C. Telander's Blog, page 51

Book Report: Book Gift Suggestions, Best of 2013, Problems For Barnes & Noble and More

Clear Gifts for Book Lovers 

Looking for that perfect gift for a book lover? Here’s 24 choices for you.

B&N Problems 

Barnes & Noble is being investigated by the SEC. And their problems are continuing.

Yang Wins Out

Gene Luen Yang tops 2013 PW World Critics poll with his Boxers & Saints.
Harper Voyager 
Find out how you can become a Harper Voyager and get the in on some great titles.

Guest Post: Top Five Novels That Make Great Holiday Gifts This Year

A book can make a heartfelt present – it is not only a thoughtful extension of your likes and interests, but also an invitation for the gift’s recipient to join in on the adventure of the book you love.

So, for this holiday season, no matter what genre you are looking for or who you are shopping for, one of these five best-selling books will be sure to impress that special someone.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (4 stars)

Genre: Horror and Paranormal

In September, Stephen King finally released his much-anticipated sequel to the 1977 The Shining and boy, is it good. We are brought back to the terror and madness introduced in the original and meet a much older, middle-aged Dan Torrance (the son, and “redrum” Danny in The Shining).

Years after the events that occurred in The Shining, Dan has followed in his dad’s footsteps of alcoholism and cynicism. Eventually, he settles down and takes a job in a nursing home, comforting the elderly and becoming known as “Doctor Sleep”. There is a traveling group of psychic vampires called the “True Knot,” who feed on children with “the shining.” Dan meets a 12-year old girl named Abra Stone, who possesses similar powers, and the demons he once repressed come back to haunt him as he tries to protect Abra from the True Knot.

This book is sure to impress friends and family who are fans of Stephen King’s past work, and other horror-genre lovers who aren’t already King aficionados. For those who want to enjoy the film adaptation of King’s story, The Shining is now streaming on DirecTV, and there are talks of a Shining prequel film in the works called The Overlook Hotel.

The Cider House Rules by John Irving (5 stars)

Genre: Coming-of-age

An oldie but a (classic) goodie, the 1985 novel The Cider House Rules by John Irving is a great gift to give this season. Featuring well-developed characters and covering heavy topics, this novel is perfect for the teenager you just can’t figure out what to get.

It is a classic and beloved coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Homer Wells, an orphan who never was adopted, and Dr. Wilbur Larch, a saint and obstetrician at the orphanage. We watch Homer grow up and learn under Wilbur, as Wilbur learns to love Homer as a son. When Homer finds out a dark secret about Wilbur, he leaves the orphanage and starts a new life on an apple orchard. In the end, we watch Homer fill the shoes of Wilbur and handle the issues of abortion, relationships and love.

This is a case of “read before you watch,” as the 1999 film adaptation starring a young Tobey Maguire does not live up to Irving’s writing.

The Circle by Dave Eggers (4 stars)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

One of my favorite authors, Dave Eggers, also responsible for What is the What, just released this new thriller, which reads like the prequel to George Orwell’s 1984. The Circle is perfect for the Sci-Fi fans, tech buffs, and Dave Egger enthusiasts like myself.

We are introduced to Mae Holland who has just been hired to work for the Circle, a tech company that’s eerily reminiscent of Google which creates one online identity and a new form of transparency for web users. The Circle believes that “Secrets Are Lies and Privacy is Theft”. However, the Circle has its own secrets and Mae is forced to confront the challenging issues of privacy and the ever-increasing power of technology over our society. The novel encapsulates a modern technology and social media centered dystopia and reflects the fears of today’s society over technology.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (3.5 stars)

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Gone Girl is a surprising and fresh tale for the person on your list who loves to solves a good old fashioned mystery. The novel follows a married couple, Amy and Nick, as Amy disappears and Nick becomes the main suspect. Flynn alternates between Nick and Amy’s points of view, and we are strung along by lies and twists by both parties. It is not your conventional thriller; we have untrustworthy protagonists and are led away from the average love stories that are commonly mingled into crime novels.

S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst (5 stars)

Genre: Action, Adventure

For Lost enthusiasts, and fans of J.J. Abrams other works, S. is a fantastic addition to any book collection. It is not only a good read, but also quite the adventure. When you take the book out of the slipcase, you will find a book inside titled Ship of Theseus, filled with pages that are highlighted and notes in the margins, postcards, letters and news clipping, similar to Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. S. forces the readers to become a part of the mysteries inside and chronicles two readers, one author and lots of numbers and codes.

So, for the bookworms you still have on your holiday shopping list, get them one of these five best-selling novels for the holidays and you can’t lose.

Kate Voss

@kateevoss

Book Report: Amazon Drones, Unpublished Salinger, Encyclopedia of Nerds & More!

Amazon Drone Delivery

No, this is not an April fools joke. Apparently Amazon hopes to deliver packages to your doorstep by drone.

Introducing O.W.L.S.

Waterstones has their competitive response to Amazon’s drone delivery program that will certainly give them a run for their money.

Stephen King’s Best Movies

Stephen King movies ranked.

How Indie Bookstores Survived

An fascinating article into how indie bookstores are still alive and kicking.

[READ MORE . . .]

“Doctor Sleep” by Stephen King (Scribner, 2013)

On December 1st, 2009, Stephen King posted a poll on his website asking his fans what book they’d like him to write next: a Dark Tower stand alone novel, or a sequel to The Shining. Voting ended on December 31st, with The Shining sequel coming out ahead, and yet King ended up writing and publishing the Dark Tower book first, called The Wind Through the Keyhole. And now, four years later, the fans finally get their Shining sequel, ominously called Doctor Sleep.

Our formerly young hero, Danny Torrance, is now fast approaching middle age, and has been spending the decades trying to forget and get away from his nightmare past at the Overlook Hotel through the medium of alcohol. Working at hospitals and nursing homes, he rarely keeps the jobs for long once they find out his daily unstoppable vice.

Danny eventually ends up in a small New Hampshire town where he finds a place to stay through a new friend, and is forced into AA for his own good. He settles down in this small town, working at the nursing home, helping the elderly, and working alongside a prescient cat who somehow knows to enter the room of those who will die that day. Danny then soon follows and aids the old-aged resident into a comfortable death with his shining ability.

Soon the years begin to fly by, but it’s a life for Danny and he’s happy and settled. And then he receives a psychic email from a young girl, Abra Stone, who he has been receiving mental snippets about through her years. She also possesses the shining ability, and it’s much stronger than Danny’s. Danny knows she’s important, just not how important.

When the two finally meet and communicate vocally in person as well as telepathically, Danny learns of the strange creatures that are after Abra and why. These beings are not human and are known as the True Knot; they have been around for a very long time and are semi-immortal. While they possess similar shining abilities, they are psychic vampires who hunt down children with the shining ability and then slowly torture them to death, absorbing their life essence that slowly dissipates from the dying child they call steam, keeping them young and healthy.

Only now the True Knot is very, very hungry. They are weakening and becoming sick and need a strong dose of steam, which will be provided by the slow death of Abra Stone. There will be a great showdown between the True Knot and Danny and ka-tet and it will take place at the only possible location it ever could and it will be a bloody and merciless one.

As with some King novels, Doctor Sleep takes a little while to get going, as the reader trundles through Danny’s alcoholic years, and the first third of the book could’ve used some editing, but once the story gets into its plot, things speed up and the reader becomes locked in until the last sentence. Doctor Sleep doesn’t come near to the original horror and fear of The Shining, but it’s a different story and has its own terrifying darkness and fear all of its own that will leave the reader looking over his or her shoulder for a while.

Originally written on November 13, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of Doctor Sleep from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

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Book News: Unpublished Salinger, Air Books, Games of Thrones Game and More!

Unpublished J. D. Salinger: For those wanting to get their hands on some rare works, three unpublished stories by J. D. Salinger have been leaked online.

Amazon Mental Illness: After undercover studies on working conditions at a warehouse in Britain, workers face an “increased risk of mental illness.”

Air Books: HarperCollins is the first publisher to team up with American Airlines to make ebooks available on flights.

Narnia Inspired: 5 awesome fantasy series inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia.

Game of Thrones the Game: It has now been revealed that video game company Telltale Games is working on a Game of Thrones video game.

“Old Bear” by Jane Hissey (Tundra Books, 2013)

First published in 1986, Old Bear has been made available for children for a number of years, and has now been released in a beautiful limited collector’s edition.

Bramwell Brown, a cuddly little bear, has lots of fun hanging out with his friends: Duck, Rabbit and Little Bear, but like his friends, he does miss Old Bear. Old Bear is no longer with them, because he was being handled too roughly by the children and so has been put up in the attic, away from those harmful hands. But the fluffy toys want their friend back, so they need to devise a plan to get up into the attic and rescue Old Bear and bring him back to them. It won’t be easy, but if they work together, they know they can do it.

A wonderful story that teaches important lessons about working together, and how even if you fail and fail again, it’s important not to give up, but to keep on trying, and eventually you’ll succeed. Done with beautiful artwork that brings the cuddly characters to life on the page, Old Bear is a story you won’t soon forget.

Originally written on November 5, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of Old Bear from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

 

Book Report: Apple Plays Conservative with Comics, Amazon Delivers Underground, Biggest Bookstore Shuts It’s Doors & More!

The Dead of A Song of Ice and Fire
The hard work has been done and someone has annotated every death in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.
 
Bernard Cornwell Giveaway 
Enter to win an advance copy of Bernard Cornwell’s new book, due out in January.

25 More
25 more great American independent bookstores.

“Saints” by Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2013)

The companion volume to Boxers, the duology is the first graphic novel to make an appearance on the National Book award Longlist. Saints is the other side of the tale, focusing on a young girl and her journey across China after meeting briefly with Bao, and presents a completely different side to the Boxer Rebellion.

Four-Girl has had a tough life so far. She is the unwanted fourth daughter of the family who is expected to do her chores, work herself to exhaustion, and act like the dutiful child she is. But she knows she is hated by everyone, with her ugly features, and wants to just be the evil little devil everyone thinks she is. So she does the worst thing she can think: she converts to Christianity and begins to learn about the faith from one of the foreign devil priests. She takes a new, Christian, name, Vibiana. But the Boxer Rebellion is ramping up, going against and slaughtering her new Christian people, to defend the Chinese of her family and heritage. Four-Girl will have to choose where her allegiances lie.

Saints is a wonderful tale of the other side of this tumultuous time, exploring the Christian side of events and creates a delightful quest in Vibiana going on her own journey, sometimes with the likes of Joan of Arc as a companion. The art and sparing use of color lend credence to the story, making it a memorable one.

Originally written on October 2, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of Saints from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

Derek Jeter Gets an Imprint, Great Indie Bookstores, Hunger Games Theme Park & More!

Ribbon Cutting in San Rafael

On Monday, November 11th, Copperfield’s Books in San Rafael , where I am the assistant manager, opened its doors for the first time.

Hunger Games Theme Park

Lionsgate is exploring the possibility of creating Hunger Games theme parks, though one wonders with all the kids that will be killed, whether they will be popular.

Remembering Doris Lessing

On the passing of Doris Lessing at 94.

[READ MORE . . .]

“Boxers” by Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2013)

From the author of the award-nominated graphic novel American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang, comes an epic and original undertaking on the catastrophic event known as the Boxer Rebellion. Yang uses an innocent simplicity to the story and artwork that leaves the reader contemplating the big picture. One part of a diptych, along with Saints, this is the first graphic novel ever to be nominated for the National Book Award Longlist.

The year is 1898 and the place is China, but the country that has been so familiar and known to its inhabitants is changing. Foreign missionaries roam the countryside, converting Chinese to the new Christian faith, while foreign soldiers roam around bullying and robbing Chinese peasants. Little Bao is a young boy who has had enough of these “foreign devils.” Secretly learning martial arts from a stranger in town, he feels his calling from the old gods of China and recruits an army of Boxers. They begin to mount their defense, fighting back against the foreigners, killing and freeing the Chinese. Their final showdown will be at the great city of Peking.

Boxers does an excellent job of explaining the history of the period, as well as revealing the mythology and beliefs of the people in mounting their defense. While the story has a feel of fiction, it is a moving tale that remains true to the history and culture. It is an excellent example of how some graphic novels can go one long step further than just a regular work of nonfiction.

Originally written on October 2, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of Boxers from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

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