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Kandice's 2010 Reviews
Have you seen the movie? It's good. Also, I read one another book by Patterson, called Jacob Have I Loved, but I have to say I preferred this one. Great review, Kandice!
Cry No More
I read this book with two friends. It's not a book I would have found on my own, so it's even more special to really enjoy a book you find through others, and enjoy it I did!
The subject was horribly sad and gut-wrenching. It focuses on one woman's crusade to help find all the "lost" people in the world. Milla's baby is snatched at 6 weeks of age, and besides breaking her heart, it changes her entire life. She spends the next 10 years tirelessly searching for him and others on the way. There is room for nothing else in her life.
We pick up her story right before she finally gets a good lead on her son's snatchers. A mysterious man, Diaz, seems to be the key to it all. Diaz is such a well written character, I spent much of his page time wishing he was my "key"! He starts out scary, violent and unapproachable. He ends on a new page of life with Milla.
I was a little disapointed in what Howard didn't show us. There were characters that deserved a lot of punishment. We get the satisfaction of knowing they are caught, but none of the details. The book wasn't overly long, so I, for one, would have welcomed some closure with them. A few pages would have satisfied my thirst for justice. Other than that small complaint, the story was gripping, there was just enough sex to spice it up, and we got the whole arc of Milla's life. Howard did a good of making me care, not just what happened to Milla's baby, but to Milla herself. Oh! And of course that yummy Diaz.
****
Liz wrote: "Have you seen the movie? It's good. Also, I read one another book by Patterson, called Jacob Have I Loved, but I have to say I preferred this one. Great review, Kandice!"I haven't seen the movie, but I think I'd like to. I know my children liked it.
Thanks:)
Ya Yas in Bloom
I adore the Ya Yas. I have read this and the other two books about them before, seen the movie countless times, and often wished to BE a Ya Ya. This was my first time audio-ing one. Judith Ivey was the perfect narrator. Her accent was spot on, she did the voices (which I usually hate on audio) perfectly, and if she wasn't tipsy when she was relaying a story from Vivi's POV, then she is one of the best actresses I have ever heard!
I actually prefer this book and Little Altars Everywhere: A Novel to Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Divine has a plot running through the chapters, whereas this one and Altars just gives us glimpses back in time to a different age. That's what I crave. The stories she shows us of how these girls love, support and care for one another through their childhood and entire lives. For every horrid, irresponsible thing they did, there was an equally wonderful, loving, uplifting action. Life is not constant, steady or routine. How can we survive if we try to be those things?
The Ya Yas always remind me of my mama and aunts. I have so many pictures of them pregnant, playing dice (instead of the Ya Ya Bourre) a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other! They didn't know it was wrong. They may not have done what we think is best for our children now, but they sure loved us the best they could. As flawed as the Ya Yas are, they are loyal, devoted lovers. What Wells shows us through them, is that we can only love another wholeheartedly when we have given in and loved who we are. Done our best with what we have and given up appologizing. Be yourself. You are the only one that knows how.
*****
Oh man, I read Bridge to Terabithia like a hundred times when I was a kid.I refuse to see the movie because I loved the book too much. For that matter, I don't want to read the book again, either, because I'm afraid it won't be as good as I remember it.
I enjoyed reading your reviews, Kandice.I will have to put Push Not The River on my to-read list.
I love the Percy Jackson books.
Mayakda wrote: "I enjoyed reading your reviews, Kandice.I will have to put Push Not The River on my to-read list.
I love the Percy Jackson books."
Thanks:D
Mayakda wrote: "I will have to put Push Not The River on my to-read list."Oh, YAY!!! Mayakda, you just made my day! Push Not The River is one of my favorites!
Road Rage: Two Novellas: "Duel" and "Throttle"
I can see why these two stories were packaged together even though they were written decades apart. They are both about semi-trucks on seemingly unexplainable rampages. The reader, Stephen Lang, also read Heart-Shaped Box by Hill and was perfect for these stories. His voice is a bit rough, he sounds incredibly "manly" and his words flow flawlessly. He reads with feeling, but not so much that you are forced to see things his way. In case you are wondering, he plays Colonel Quaritch in Avatar. The guy with the wicked scar along his pate? See, pretty manly!
The first, Duel, takes place in the late 60's and is about a travelling salesman who encounters a mad trucker on an out of the way road. There's no obvious reason, but the trucker is out to get Mann, the salesman. I'm sure when the book was written, the 60 mph, "fast speed" chases would have been pretty exciting to read, but now, 60 mph just seems...well, slow. I have enjoyed everything of Matheson's I've read, and I did enjoy this one, I just don't feel the years were kind to it's premise. Even as I listened, I expected the second story to be an updated version of Duel. It almost cried out for it. Duel leaves us with no answers, something I'm okay with, but I couldn't help but look forward to what Hill and King would do with their story.
The second installment, Throttle, is indeed a bit of an updated version. This time, instead of a single car driving salesman, those pursued by the mad trucker are a motorcycle gang on the run from a situation gone waaaaaay bad. About as bad, and bloody, as a situation can get. They stop at a truck stop and then are pursued by a semi-truck when they leave. Where Mann, in Duel, seemed an innocent, these bikers are not. We don't know (to begin with) why this is happening, but we can see someone, somewhere, may think they deserve it.
As I listened, it seemed to me that Hill did most of the writing for Throttle, while his dad gave him all the details that made these bikers seem authentic and real. Only someone who actually rides could have gotten all the miscelania correct. In Throttle, we are treated to a conclusion and resolution of sorts, but by the time we get it, the relationship between two of the characters has become what I was most interested in. I almost didn't care why, I wanted more of the emotional consequences.
***
Water for Elephants
I bought this quite a while ago, admittedly because of all the hype surrounding it. After reading a few friend's reviews it slowly sunk it's way closer to the bottom of my TBR. I hate getting my hopes up and then being disapointed in a story. As far as this book goes, I think it was a service to it that I did read negative reviews. Had my expectations been higher, I would have been sorely dispointed.
The story unfolds in Jacob's memories. He is a very old man, living in an assisted living facility. A circus comes to town bringing back all his memories of having worked in the circus in his youth. The chapters alternate between the present and the past. I like this technique and felt it was a great way to get Jacob's story told.
I was prepared for atrocious treatment of animals, not to mention human beings. The majority of the story takes place during the depression after all and well before there were animal rights movements. Nothing I read really shocked me, the problem lies with Jacob. I never liked him. Because I didn't, I just couldn't care all that much about what he was telling me. I didn't like Marlena either. She came across as a bit of a spoiled princess. Yes, she had a hard burden to carry with her husband, but as her family said "You make a bed. Expect to lie in it." Much of the story focuses of Jacob's attraction to Marlena, despite the fact that she is married...to Jacob's boss.
Because I didn't care much for Jacob, or Marlena for that matter, it wasn't the sparse romance of the book that bothered me. What I wanted was more about the animals, especially Rosie the elephant and Bobo the orangutan. As much as I enjoyed the glances into the "behind the scenes" stories of a train traveling circus, there just wasn't enough. I would have settled for more about the sideshow. Heck, anything. I felt that Gruen didn't give us enough story about any of the circus. I was left wanting more, but not in a good way.
***
A Touch of Dead
Fairy Dust
This story is about Claude and Claudine. I never knew they were actually 2 of a set of triplets. That's one of the joys of short stories slipped between novels in a series. You get little glimpses and facts that just aren't neccesary to canon, but are sure fun to read. My favorite line in the story is at the end when Claudine says "Fair is only part of Fairy as letters of the alphabet." It sounds so menacing, and since I picture Claudine as Liv Tyler in my head, I can just see her saying it.
Dracula Night
Sookie is invited to Fangtasia for a birthday party in honor of Dracula. Yes, Dracula. THE Dracula. It's something Eric does every year with the anticpiation of being graced with the presence of a true star in the Vampire world. I love when we get little snapshots of Eric being "human". It's been 1000 years, so when he still shows some spark of life, it's pretty thrilling. His excitement in this story was adorable, and even when his hopes were dashed at the end, he perks up with thoughts of "maybe next year". Sookie shows us, once again, that she is a pretty smart, Southern cookie, and not just a psychic barmaid.
One Word Answer
In this story Sookie learns of the death of her cousin Hadley and meets Mr. Cataliades and the Queen of Louisiana. Bubba makes an appearance which is always welcome and brings a smile to my face. Bill rushes to the aid of "his" Sookie, and just like the last story, Sookie shows us just how smart she really is.
Lucky
This is my least favorite. I can suspend disbelief with the best of them. I mean that's obvious, since I love Sookie, the vamps, weres, shifters and witches, right? But believing one person can use up all the luck in the vicinity? That seems a little silly to even me.
Gift Wrap
Sookie is alone on Christmas Eve. Poor thing. This was a fun story that could have fit anywhere in the series. I don't see anything that pertains to any other stories, other than a few events Sookie references. All I can say is, only Niall, a 1000+ year old, fairy great-grandfather would think of a no strings attached evening of physical pleasure as the perfect Christmas gift. He was right;)
****
Firestarter
I hadn't read this little gem in years. I'll stop and watch the movie on cable from any point, and I remembered (vaguely) that the book was better, but I was in for a surprise.
The story begins with two college students, Vicky and Andy McGee, in need of $200, volunteering for a scientific experiment being run by The Shop, a secret goverment agency, along the lines of the CIA or FBI. They have a 50/50 shot of being injected with the mysterious "Lot 6" or a placebo. Lot 6 is not the mild hallucinogen they are led to believe, but a booster of psi-power. The experiemnt goes terribly awry with injuries and fatalities which are covered up by The Shop. Andy and Vicki are paid their $200, have memories of a crazy 2 day drug trip, and BONUS... fall in love and later marry.
Vicky and and Andy both have leftover enhanced mental abilities from Lot 6. Vicky can move things, seemingly without being aware of it, with her mind. Andy can "push" people towards mental thought and possible action so long as he doesn't "push" too hard. It's when they have a child that the real effects of Lot 6 show up. Their daughter has the ability to light fires. With her mind. The McGees are terrified of anyone finding out, and even more afraid Charlie will hurt herself or them. They train her to keep this ability under wraps. It takes a while with a few mishaps, but even the idea of lighting a fire becomes repugnant to her. The McGees feel safe that no one knows and Charlie is under control. Not so. The Shop has had them under careful surveillance ever since the experiment. They know about Charlie.
When The Shop mistakes a two night sleep-over for the McGees flight, they swoop in and gather who they can, using any means neccesary, in the hopes of harnessing Charlie's power as a possible weapon. The rest of the book is the McGees flight, eventual capture, imprisonment and escape.
In classic King style, this isn't just a "burn it all up" thriller. Yes, there are fires, but almost as interesting as the pyrokinesis is Andy's well thought out use of his "push". He uses it first to help others and earn "running" and "hiding" money, and later to help he and his daughter escape and possibly survive. Unfortunately, there is a heavy price tag.
We get to see Charlie grow, not only in years, but mentally, in ways no 8 year old girl should be forced to do. She is disillusioned, used, abused and just plain old gets the short end of the stick, all because of an ability she never asked for. King writes children so well. His children aren't sweet, perfectly mannered, miniature adults, they are real people. They feel genuine. I love King's children, even the ones I hate! His villains are just as real, and even when you can't understand them, the fear of them King makes you feel is palpable. You begin to question who you trust and why.
*****
Desperation
If I were rating this book on story alone, I would probably only give it 2 stars, but because the style in which it's written means as much, if not more, to me as story, I'm saying 3 stars. As disturbing, sad, and at times disgusting as this book was, I wanted to know how it ended, who lived, who died, and WHY. Most of all, why?, but I was left a little disapointed on that score.
The story opens with a crazy cop on the rampage. He lives in the small desert town of Desperation, and scans the road pulling over and then detaining travelers with no apparent rhyme or reason. They are all locked up in the local jail together, and on their trips into town it becomes apparent that the cop, or someone, has gone on an absolute killing spree. What's not so clear right away, is that the cop's not actually crazy, but posessed, as are the local wildlife. Posessed of what, and how, we don't know. Something evil, no doubt.
The polar opposite of this "evil spirit" seems to be an 11 year old boy, David Carver, whom the cop has locked up with the other prisoners. David is touched by God. We see, through flashbacks, that although he was not raised in religion, he has become religious for reasons of his own, and God does seem to converse with the boy. The boy not only accepts this, but is willing to perform the hard task God has set for him. The task for which David seems to have been called to Desperation. The bare bones of this story seem to be good versus evil, God versus Satan, however you want to put it. Pretty much the same premise as King's The Stand, but with a smaller cast of characters.
So often in King's work, religious zealots (or zellies, as they are called here) are just plain crazy. They take their devotion to God to the extreme in such a way that they actually harm others. It's the people not considered religious that actually follow God's plan and commands. King tends to show God speaking to someone not actually listening for his voice, and then use that person to His purposes. It's a personal, quiet, humble devotion, often resisted, but never fully avoided. In King's work God gives nothing for free, and always expects the return of a favor.
***
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The story begins with an earthquake in the first few pages of the book that leaves a 5 year old girl alone, orphaned and wandering, on the brink of death. Luckily for her, the same quake destroyed the cave of a clan of cavemen, and they are also wandering, in search of a new home. A pregnant woman comes across the unconcious body of the girl, and despite her physical differences asks, and receives permission, to carry and tend to the girl.
As ugly and strange to the clan as the girl seems, she brings them luck and they very soon find a new cave, even better than their last. Iza, the woman who found her is allowed to adopt her. Iza has been left a widow by the quake, but is a very powerful medicine woman, so is provided for by Creb, the highly esteemed Mogur, or magician, of the clan who also happens to be her sibling. It's very fortunate for Ayla that these are the kind people she ends up with. Not everyone of the clan accepts, trusts, or even likes her, simply because she IS so different and so worthy of fear and distrust.
As Ayla grows and learns the customs, language and ways of the clan, her life is hard. She is almost a different species than them. She is much farther up the evolutionary ladder, so finds it very hard to fit into the mold they consider appropriate for women. She is proud, strong, very intelligent, and able to make leaps of logic that often get her into trouble with her adopted people. She secretly learns to hunt which is strictly forbidden to women. This is just one more infraction, in a long list of them, that fuels the hatred Broud, the leader's son, feels for Ayla. She is punished for this, but later is allowed to continue hunting. Through her differences, Ayla becomes a self-sufficient woman, able to take care of herself. This is a foreign concept to the clan, as their skills are firmly divided by sex, with females being no more able to learn male tasks than they are to learn the female's. Ayla can do both.
As the years pass, Ayla is trained By Iza, alongside her daughter, to become a medicine woman. Ayla is not only a quick learner, but an inuitive one. She can not only recall what she has been taught, but devise new treatments and medicines that would never occur to Iza. Ayla has a child, but is left unmated. The story ends, wide open for book two, with Broud, the new clan leader, cursing Ayla to death. Fortunately, we know she will survive, even without the help and comfort of the clan. Ayla can take care of herself.
It's amazing how much information Auel is able to fit into this book without it coming across as a list of plants, animals and customs. Tons of information is imparted, and we are given a vivid look at what life would have looked like in Ayla's time. The long descriptions never come across as dry or boring, but instead leave me with more questions. This is one of those rare books that leave me looking things up, poring over encyclopedias, scouring Wikipedia, anything for just a little more detail.
There are many fortunate coincidences, leaps of logic and just plain lucky happenings that are a bit far-fetched, but I was able to overlook these because they advanced the story and made it possible for Auel to give us such a rich look at what life may have been like. So much happens in such a few short years, but it needs to, so that the foundation is laid for the rest of the series.
*****
Awesome job, Kandice. Twenty-eight books is an impressive number.
Kandice wrote: "DesperationIf I were rating this book on story alone, I would probably only give it 3 stars, but because the style in which it's written means as much,..."
Kandice - I find your review of Desperation interesting. I have never really gotten into King. I've only read 2 books by King - Four After Midnight and Desperation - and I wasnt' really a huge fan of either. Based on your list here, you are obviously a huge fan, so the fact that you don't seem to impressed with Desperation makes me think that maybe I just read the wrong King??
Do you think that if I didnt like Desperation (pretty much at all - would give it 2 stars) - is that indicative of most of King? or is it really one of his poorer works?
Bridgit, Desperation itself isn't really a fair representation of King as an author. This book, and The Regulators were written as like alternate realities of each other, so they are very strange. I happen to like them both, but they are not "Top Shelf" for most people among King's work. I wouldn't say that they are "poor". Cell is poor, The Colorado Kid is poor. These aren't, they just aren't to most people's tastes. :)
If you're looking for more "traditional" King, you should try The Shining, or The Stand, or Salem's Lot. Dolores Claiborne or Misery would be good if you're looking for "real" books without a supernatural element, but be warned Misery is gory at times.
King writes about people best, and their relationships and what happens to them when bad things happen.
Bridgit, Becky and I are both huge King fans, but even so, we can disagree:D I actually really enjoyed Cell, but felt it was a fun, quick read. NOT a story that gives you reason to think. The Colorado Kid was his attempt at a genre he does NOT write, but I do enjoy, so again, I liked it. I can agree that Regulators and Desperation are NOT good examples of his usual fare. I know he is classified as a horror novelist more times than not, but the books of his I enjoy the most are the ones that examine the feelings, hopes, fears, and occasionally mental decline of his characters. He writes about people, like Becky said, and putting them in scary situations is his way of really showing us who they are. You know someone best when you see them react to tragedy, danger, fear, sadness. Almost everyone is likable in a fun situation.
The Shining is one of his best, and the one I most often recommend to non-King readers. Depending on the types of books you normally read, there are many others I would suggest. He does NOT just write horror, so there is a King book that will appeal to almost any reader, it just takes someone having read them all to know which one.
The Help
What a beautiful book. It's amazing to me that this is Stockett's first novel. It makes more sense when you read her afterword "Too little, too late", but still...what an amazing debut novel. Stockett found the voice of each of her characters within pages and somehow managed to keep that voice authentic throughout.
This is a story told from the alternating point of views of two black, domestic maids and one white, young woman who was basically raised by her family's maid. There is one chapter told as straight omniscient narrative where we see things from every angle. This adds to the magic of the other POVs because we see how harmless events can look without personal feelings. Without background, fears, hopes and dreams tossed in. The magic of Stockett's technique is that she shows us both side without changing a single fact. Just one extra piece of information can change the way something feels, looks, sounds. A seemingly bland comment can come across and incredibly threatening when you know the history of the speaker.
Of course the book is about the need for change. We all know how wrong things were in our country between the races, even as late as the 60's. The South was the last place the much needed turn around took place, and it was not the smooth, gradual, self-inflicted transformation of the North and West. It was a painful, dangerous and scary change that took a lot of courage, anger and above all patience. It seems unfathomable in this day and age that the "colored help" would have been required to use their own, seperate bathroom in the houses where they cleaned, cooked the food and basically raised the children. How does that equate? "You can kiss, bathe and diaper my child, but I will NOT sit on a toilet seat you have also sat on." Ridiculous, but true.
I like that not every story told about relationships between the help and the employers was horrid. There were good people on the white side. My one complaint is that almost without exception, the white employers that had any compassion for their help had their own reasons to feel different, ostracized or "less than" those around them. I would like to have seen one main character feel for the help simply because it was the right way to feel, not because they identified for personal reasons, but simply out of shared humanity.
I look forward to reading whatever Stockett writes next.
****
House of Many Ways
I audio-ed this book, and there were times I found my mind wandering off as it wasn't fully engaged with the story. That may have been because Wynne Jones stories require a LOT of imagination to enjoy, and I tend to audio as I am doing other tasks. (hate losing "reading" time!) The other two Wynne Jones I've read, I actually read and feel I enjoyed more. I may need to get the actual book of this and see if there's any truth to that.
The story opens with Charmaine being "tricked" into watching over her uncle William's house as he is treated for an illness by elves. Her uncle is, unbeknownst to Charmaine, the Great Royal Wizard Norland and his house is magical. Charmaine arrives there woefully unprepared for the task she has been set. Charmaine loves to read and has already written the King asking for a post in the royal library. Luckily enough, Peter, soon to be apprentice to Wizard Norland arrives just as Charmaine is offered the library position, so he can deal with the running of the house. Once Charmaine arrives at the castle, a mysterious unravels and the rest of the book is the road leading to it's solution.
I find Wynne Jones style to be engaging. She definitely makes her readers exercise their suspension of disbelief and imagination muscles. I was delighted to revisit Howl (in disguise), Sophie and Calcifer, but I do wish they had played a larger role. Part of my disenchantment with this book had to do with Charmaine. I just didn't like her. She has been spoiled, pampered and sheltered her whole and only realizes this at the opening of the book. She sees right away that she needs to grow as a person, but then doesn't seem to do so by books end.
To Wynne Jones' credit, I would probably have rated the book higher stars if Peter had been a bigger part, or if we had seen things from his point of view more. He was a side, or incidental character, so not as fleshed out as Charmain, but I just loved him! That's talent, when you can make a reader fall in love with bit characters. I'd also enjoy reading more about the "magical" creatures that appeared. They were given just enough detail to leave me wanting more. Again, quite an accomplishment!
***
The Regulators
This is the companion book to Desperation, and although it's listed here as being written by Stephen King, it was actually Richard Bachman. Ha ha, for those of you that know they are one and the same. King/Bachman uses the same character names in both books which makes for an exercise in memory if they are read close together. For the first 100 or so pages I would think of the character from Desperation as the name was recycled in The Regulators. As a testament to his skill, after that point, I was able to keep them straight, and even their faces slowly changed from what I had pictured to who they were in this book.
The story is about Seth Garin, an 8 year old autistic who has been spiritually invaded by "Tak". Tak has spent centuries trapped in the Earth before he is unwittingly set free by a mining company. Seth's very specialness is what allows Tak to call him, and then reside in Seth. I hesitate to call it a haunting or a possession because as the story progresses, you realize that neither of these is really the case. Seth is a conduit, yes, but he is still there, not subverted, so much as muzzled, when Tak is in charge. What must be more frustrating is that Seth was barely able to communicate before Tak, and now that he has something he really needs to convey, it's made impossible by an outside force, in addition to his brains inability to do so.
Through Seth, Tak becomes obsessed with Motokops 2200 (a futuristic cartoon) and the old west. Seth loves old western television series like Rawhide, Gunsmoke, and his favorite, Bonanza. As he grows more powerful in Seth's body, he begins to bring these things to life and terrorize a suburban block. Mayhem, fire and death insue.
The book is very fast paced and grabs you right from page one. We as the reader are shown what's taking place, but aren't really given clues as to why until well into the story. It doesn't matter. I didn't much care why, until it was actually revealed. I just wanted to see what was going to happen next. As with most of King's books, it wasn't the actual events I found most interesting, although they were rather interesting, but the people's reactions to them. The emotions behind their actions. Their responses to yet another unbelievable, and unexplainable onslaught of tragedy.
The hardest thing to read was the fact that, even though he was autistic, Seth was in there! Under his blank stares, inability to convey his thoughts, needs and desires verbally, he was intelligent and articulate. But, only in his mind. I know this is fiction, and only King's idea of what could be behind an autistic face, it was just so sad. Seth does his best to save those he loves. To put a stop to the sufferring of those around him. He was able to hide thoughts, scheme and make plans. He figured out strategy that the adults in charge of his care never thougt of themselves. To imagine all that going on in an autistic child's mind with no conceivable outlet is just...well hard to imagine.
****
Wire Mothers: Harry Harlow And The Science Of Love
Wow! I had no idea that in the 1950's parents were cautioned against physical signs of affection. Not only was the public newly aware of, and terrfied of, germs, but with Freud spouting all his sex theories, parents allowed themselves to be convinced that a mother's kisses were sexual in nature. How sad.
This is the true, if partial, study of Dr. Harry Harlow, The first scientist to research, and prove that not only does love exist, but is absolutely neccesary for the normal development of babies. Of course he used monkeys for his research, but certainly the theory applies just as heartily to human infants. There are panels depicting babies being raised in sterile, plastic boxes. Not only were they clean, but they cut down on the labor of "mothering" a child. Despicable! Harlow proved how ridiculous this notion was by supplying his subjects with 2 mothers. A wire mother in charge of feeding, and a cloth mother the infants looked to for comfort. Up until that point, scientists believed a baby's emotional attachment to it's mother was caused by nursing. Harlow proved this was not so. The comfort a mother provides creates that attachment. In all cases, although they did nurse from the wire mother, every single baby preferred the "cuddly" mother figure. In all instances.
Just the presentation on Harlow's theories and the methods he used to prove them was enough to make me feel all present and future parents should read this. The underlying sadness depicted in his personal life just added to relevancy of his claims. He was depressed and withdrawn. Often leaving his family alone, even when in the same room with them. His peers insisted on replacing the word love with proximity in their own research. Harlow's life itself proved that proximity and love are not interchangeable. One can not replace the other.
****
The Squirrel Mother
I feel almost guilty giving this only one star. The author obviously thought these stories were very meaningful, and comic book or graphic novel art work takes a long time regardless of how sparse it looks, this just didn't do it for me.
The first story made me think. It was sad, and it had resonance. Who can't sympathize with someone who has lost their dreams, or even the ability to chase them. I read the first and was really excited to read the rest. Too bad, because it was the only one I cared anything for.
A few of the stories I just didn't understand. I felt a little stupid at first, again, because I had such high expectations due to the first story, but as I read further, I realized these stories probably had a lot of meaning for the author, but it seemed to be too personal a meaning. They just aren't written for an audience. Well...at least not this audience.
*
Big Fish
What a beautiful book. I've loved the movie for years, never knowing it was a book first. The story is about Edward Bloom, as told through his son William's memories, while Edward lays at death's door. Edward's life is part myth, part truth and part lie, but his life in it's entirety is all charm. He was born a big fish in a little pond. His stories are all big fish stories, and William has been dragged like a fish with a hook in it's mouth his entire life, hanging on for the punchline of each of his father's stories. Perfect title.
Beginning with the crazy summer of Edward's birth, his life gets more and more exciting, less and less believable. Everyone loves him. He's successful, has hundreds of friends, owns an entire town, and of course marries the prettiest girl in the county. Even his mistress is bigger than life with her swamp background and magical ways.
As his father lays dying William tries in vain to get close to him. As loved as Edward is, he has never allowed real attachment. He keeps his friends and family at arms length. No matter how happy you are to see him, how sad you are to watch him go, no one can say they truly know him or are close to him. Every attempt at intimacy is thwarted by Edward with humor. A humor, that as sweet as it is, begins to grate on his son's nerves toward the end of his life. William feels cheated by his father, practically begs him for seriousness, but Edward is simply not capable of unvarnished truth. The myth is always better.
I found it ironic that as William raged against his father's jokes, he relayed his father's story with humor himself. He seems to want to be anything, as long as it's not the man his father is, and yet, he can't seem to help himself. He has become his father in a way. Perhaps he will carry on the Bloom torch of charm, laughter, tall tales and...distance. Always the distance.
Even knowing most of the story was fabrication, I was moved to tears, not once or twice, but many times. Edward Bloom is a man I long to meet, to know, no matter the pain of losing him. Everyone should have a friend like Edward Bloom. As William realizes what a gift his father truly is, and grants his last Earthly wish, I could see it! I could hear the running water, feel the dampness of the ground, the ache of such loss. If only we could all discover the worth and greatness of our parents before they were gone.
*****
An Ice Cold Grave
This Harper installment, the third in the series, is a bit more gruesome than the others seem to be. There have been a rash of disappearances of young men in Doraville and Harper, along with Tolliver, is called in to look for bodies.
The mystery was pretty intense. There are a few points it seemed to be almost solved, but from the number of pages left, you just knew it wasn't. Manfred and Xylda show up, and they are always fun, but the real story here is the realtionship between Harper and Tolliver. It's been clear from book one how they feel about each other, but will they actually do something about it now? That's what I really wanted to know.
These stories are fun to read. I don't know if Harris is a sloppy writer, or if she just churns these out so fast that they aren't properly edited. As long as the stories continue to move quickly, I can overlook all the mistakes for the sake of entertainment, but as soon as the paces slows down, these will become unreadable. Let's hope she keeps up the pace.
***
Death With Interruptions
This is my first Saramago. I have to say first that his "style" kind of sucks. He doesn't make use of capitalization in any way that makes sense, uses puncutation sporadically, and absolutely refuses quotation marks. He goes so far as to confuse the reader by only seperating dialogue with commas, so you are left re-reading (sometimes a few times) to be sure just who the heck said what! In addition to all those distractions, this book read more like two short stories. Not only two separate stories that shared a location and characters, but two very different styles of story.
The first half of the book reads a bit like political commentary. From the stroke of midnight January 1st, we know not what year, death takes a holiday in the country in which the story is set. What follows is all the havoc this wreaks on society. We all think we'd like to live forever until it actually happens. Where will all these "living dead" be kept? What about insurance? Who wants to live when it's clear they should be dead? Would in fact be better off dead/ There are some solutions found that at first seem cruel, but are later revealed as the only practical way to deal with the situation. The entire country suffers through unspent grief, guilt, anger, capitalization and misuse of power, all because of death's little holiday.
The second half of the book begins with death again taking up her (yes, her) job, but being so kind as to warn her victims a week in advance of their impending demise. She hopes this will allow them time to tidy their affairs and say goodbye, but much like the wish for eternal life, this doesn't quite work out either. Instead of using those 7 days to their advantage, people imbibe and indulge in ways they never would have otherwise. They forgo ALL responsibility, not just that associated with their death, and most of all succumb to dispair and depression that leaves their loved ones, after their death, with less than lovely last memories of them. Poor death, she can't win for losing!
The very last quarter of the book, or fourth of what I saw as the second book, deals with death finding and being mystified by love. This was my favorite part, and why I gave it three stars as opposed to the two I think the rest deserved. This was a love story, but not a romance. A very matter of fact, somewhat resisted, fall into love. My very favorite kind of love story if I have to read one.
***
About Schmidt
I'm not going to rehash the plot, because it's right there by the book. Honestly, the plot isn't worth mentioning as there just didn't seem to be one. Yes, Schmidt is a recent widow with depression to deal with, but the guy is a walking pity party start to finish. I could not stand him. I had to force myself to finish reading because I was waiting for the emotional growth I felt had to be coming after all that build up and pointing out his character flaws. I thought there would be some revelation for him. He would recognize the error of his ways. Nope.
Schmidt complains that he doesn't have enough money. Pages and pages of detailed tax, real estate, salary and retirement information complaining about how bad his financial situation is. Not only was it boringly detailed, but it made me angry. The guy was a millionaire, and yet in Schmidt fashion could only see the half empty glass. What he didn't have. This despite his spending $10,000 on a whim vacation. In 1992 no less! This had nothing to do with his depression. This was Schmidt. The entire novel was a list of who had mor ethan Schmidt but didn't deserve it. Who had more friends. Poor Schmidt. All his friends dropped him after his wife's death. Of course they did! The guy was a walking downer!
By books end, Schmidt's circumstances change, but not Schmidt himself. Since this was such an in depth, self-reflective book, I wanted him to change. I wasn't even left with the impression he was ever going to. Schmidt's never ending pity party will go on and on. Until he dies. I'm glad I won't be reading about it.
**
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life
I have read all of Tan's books, usually within days of release, and this was a great way to "get to know her better". You can guess at a lot of her personal life just by reading her books, with the exception of Saving Fish from Drowning: A Novel, but it was still interesting to see just what was real and what was fiction.
There was a lot of repetetiveness, but that was to be expected. It says right on the description that these are mostly personal essays and speeches written over a period of years. Things that are very important to you personally will keep coming up. Especially since those essays and speeches were originally meant as stand alones. It didn't bother me at all. Again, it just made it more clear which events had the biggest impact on Tan as a person, and in some cases, a writer.
As much as I enjoyed each entry, with the exception of Required Reading and Other Dangerous Subjects which I found a little too "instructive", my favorite parts were her stories about the band she belongs to, The Rock Bottom Remainders. Stephen King is a member of that band and my favorite writer, so all the little things she said about him and his wife Tabby were like bonuses for me. I was thrilled to find those references where I had not expected them.
The best entry, in my opinion, was The Opposite of Fate which chronicled her illness which went undiagnosed for years. She made it clear that doctors can make mistakes, and that we, as patients, have a responsibility and a right to do our own research. With the internet, information is available to us that our forefathers would have killed for. Actually, that some died without, to tell the truth. Had Tan not done her own research, after being told repeatedly, she had no known illness, she would not have been treated for a late stage case of Lyme disease that came very close to robbing us of her talent. I, for one, am very thankful for her stubborness and tenactiy. I would hate to lose her and can't wait to read whatever she writes next.
****
The Dead Zone
John Smith is a charming, young schoolteacher. He has a relatively new girl, Sarah, who he knows is "the one" and life seems to be all rosy. Instead of the happily ever after he feels is in store for him, he has a horrible accident with head trauma that puts him in a 4 year coma. Whe he awakes, despite all odds against, it's a gift. Or is it a curse? The rest of the world has moved on, including Sarah. His mother has been spiralling downward into a religious frenzy of sorts. He feels like the same Johnny, but everyone else has had an extra 4 years of life, growth and relationships. The world has changed, including the political weather.
The biggest change for Johnny is his new ability. He can see things that no one else can. He can see a bit of the future, read minds with touch of a sort, and experience other's memories the same way. It's not a talent he can count on, but it happens often enough that he can't hide it, and although much good comes from it, it also drives others away from him. People are afraid of him and his possibilities are severely limited. His mother feels he's been given this gift by God for a great purpose and warns him not to run from it.
Concurrent with Johnny's story is the story of Greg Stilson, a truly dspicable man. He has future political aspirations, and when Johnny encounters him, it becomes clear this may be the big job his mother feels he has been spared for. Is it?
I genuinely liked all the characters I was supposed to like. Johnny was incredibly charming, even during his decline. I suffered Sarah's loss, and on this reading it reminded me of Helen Hunt's character in Castaway. Come to think of it, Johnny had quite a bit in common with Tom Hanks in the same movie. Johnny's father was a wonderful, caring man, and his loyalty to Johnny's mother despite her craziness made me love him all the more. Of course I hated Stilson, but I actually found Johnny's mother a bit scarier. Religious nuts are just scary,and King writes them best.
When I remembered reading this book before, I mostly remembered the interaction between Johnny and Stilson, but really, that's a smallish part of the story. This story is really about loss and responsibility. Having the courage to move on when we make decisions we later regret, or when life deals us a hand we didn't want.
***
Horns
I want to start off by saying the copy of this book I read was a signed copy that was a birthday gift from a very dear friend. It's the first signed book I've ever owned, and I was more excited by the fact that STEPHEN KING'S son signed it than that it was signed by the author when I first got it. Not anymore! No one will ever replace King in my heart, but I now love Joe Hill for Joe Hill. It doesn't matter who his parents are. It's morbid, but I've always been sad to think that someday King will stop writing. I'll still be sad, but I think Joe can carry on in his footsteps beautifully.
This is the story of Ig. He awakens on the morning after the first anniversary of his girlfriend's brutal rape and murder, with horns. Yes, horns, growing right out of his head. Sounds silly here, but told in Hill's words, it's not. I could feel the sensitivity of the tips when Hill described it, and what the horns caused...it was heartbreaking. Ig soon finds that when people are exposed to his horns their natural filters are turned off. They say exactly what they think and feel regardless of the reception these thoughts and feelings are likely to receive. Not only that, but Ig seems to be able to give them permission to do what they want. The things they can't, in good concience, allow themselves to do under ordinary circumstances.
As long as Ig is around relative strangers, it's not that big of a deal, and actually quite amusing. When the horns power begins to hurt is when Ig encounters his family. I do not want to know what my family is thinking. Ever. Period. Last week, I would have found the idea cool, but after reading this, I feel a bit of a stomach cramp even imagining it. Think of all the little hurts, insults, fights, that occur in families. Examine your own thoughts for a second and then re-imagine someone else you love hearing them. Not so great.
For me the book boiled down to a love story. Ig's girlfriend, Merrin, is dead before the first page, but by the end, I was as in love with her as Ig. I was even more in love with them as a couple. If only everyone could find a soulmate like these two were to each other. There is a letter from Merrin to Ig that we get to see through Ig's eyes. I cried. It was one of the most heartbreaking and "real" things I have ever read. It wasn't all romancy and sugared up. It was honest and full of love, fear, hope and regret. All the things we feel everyday, but don't have to express, because we have time. Thank God.
Ig's best friend Lee is a large part of the story, and I don't want to spoil anything, but King could not have written Lee any better himself. I have to imagine, as he read these parts, him smiling and thinking "That's my boy." Lee will stay with me a long time, and I will be forever on the lookout for real life Lees. Trust me, I will cross the street if I encounter one!
*****
Never Let Me Go
This is Kathy's story, told mostly in memories, of her sheltered, boarding school-like youth and later adult life as a "carer". From the very beginning, we are given no details of why these children are raised in this "school", Hailsham, only that they are fortunate to be so, and never mention parents or memories of them. Are they orphans? Have they been given up? Very, very slowly we begin to form a picture of who and what these children really are and what their purpose is.
For the first 50 pages or so, I was frustrated by Kathy's slow pace of story telling, often interupted to go back a bit further to explain the significance of this or that event. Very, very non-linear! Once I grew accustomed to her pace and realized this whole book is a bit of a mystery that we, the reader, need to solve with the clues Kathy drops, I began to really enjoy it. I no longer felt distracted by the frequent side trips, seemingly unconnected side stories and even the occasional leaps forward in time in the narrative. I took each as a challenge to glean whatever facts I could about the true nature of Kathy and her chums. About the world this book is set in. Don't be confused by the dates she gives. This is not our past. This is not our future.
I don't want to give anything away, but my one complaint is that once it can be assumed we've figured it all out, we aren't given any details or specifics. I guess Ishiguro can argue that it's not the specifics that matter, but the moral issues behind the very idea, but that didn't make me want that degree of detail any less. I actually spent a good half hour after reading the last page, mentally making out a schedule for these children's lives in the different capacities they held. I even did some research just what would make sense, what order their sacrifices would have taken, and have them last as long as possible. I guess that's the true sign of a great novel. Ishiguro made me research something I never would have on my own. Even saying what I researched would be a spoiler, so I won't.
****
I, Robot
I have always loved older science fiction, and Asimov, along with Dick and Bradbury are the BIG THREE. At the risk of sounding sacriligious, the Holy Triumvirate. There is nothing they ever wrote that doesn't give me a goosebumpy, "how did they know?" feeling. I, Robot is no different.
These 9 stories are told in a narrative form as if they have been plucked from one long conversation. There are characters that appear in more than one, and a few that appear in almost all, but other than that, they are each stand-alone yarns, that to me at least, ring strangely prophetic.
Science too often does a thing just because they can. They don't, often enough, stop to ask if they should. This book, and it's nice, short stories, shows us that sometimes it's better not to. When we invent and improve on other's ideas, without doing all the groundwork ourselves, we have no idea what the original faults were. We don't know what could, or has gone wrong with what has been done before, much less what we are doing now.
****
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You should, Rach. It's really short stories with a common thread, so you can even sandwich it in between novels. You don't have to read it all in one go.
The Dragon King's Palace
I picked this up based solely on the blurb on the cover: "Think James Clavell meets Raymond Chandler." It turned out to be accurate, but also made my expectations too high for what this book turned out to be. I absolutely adore Clavell, and Joh Rowland goes so far as to use many, many of the same character names he uses in Shogun. As soon as those loved and familiar names showed up I expected the depth and breadth of Shogun. Alas, this was more along the lines of a Christie or Stanley Gardner which I normally love, but because of those unrealistic hopes...it fell short.
One more complaint, while it seems that's all I'm doing, is that this turned out to be #8 in a series, and yet NOWHERE is this stated on or in the book until the excerpt for the #9 appears at the end. Being a lover of series, those little previews for the next in line are thrilling for me, but NOT when I had no idea it WAS a series! I think it's a little unfair of publishers to trick us unsuspecting readers like that.
Now to the book itself. It was a nice, easy mystery. It really did play out like any number of them. Poirot, Miss Marple, Perry Mason, Eve Dallas and Roarke, Alex Cross, you get the picture, but here we have Sano Ichiro, a "detective" for the Shogun, and his wife Reiko. There are any number of side characters that are obviously recurring. You get clues, insights, revealed secrets, political intrigue, a bit of fighting and, as always, a damsel (or four) in distress. Had I been expecting that formula I would probably have been more apt to rate the book higher. I could tell there is a lot of backstory I missed in the first seven installments, but it was still readable. Enough was back filled so that I wasn't lost. Reading so far ahead has actually made me a little more anxious to go back and find those first seven. Oh! And then #9. But when I do, I will know what to expect, and so will probably enjoy it quite a bit more.
***
Soulless
I loved this book! Until I read it, I had no idea I was a fan of "steampunk" but I am. Have been for a long while, in fact. Soulless introduces us to Alexia Tarabotti and her gaggle of human, and supernatural friends, enemies and a love interest. I don't want to give a single plot point away, so I will not paraphrase the story, but trust me...it's delightful! I can not think of a more apt word. Charming also comes to mind, but definitely delightful.
I admit to being sucked into the vampire/werewolf phenom. I have actually been fascinted with vampires, long before their more recent fame, when I first read Salem's Lot and Dracula at about 12. They weren't quite the rage then as they are now, but they have always drawn me. Charlaine Harris has added a bit of fun and playful sex to the genre, but Carriger has taken it so much farther. Her supes are so entertaining, and their relationships ring remarkably true, especially since they exist in Victorian times. Those English were so proper and seemingly discreet that any little situation can become titilating, and boy do they in Carriger's hands.
Think Jules Verne's Captain Nemo meeting Anne Rice's Lestat. Better yet, think of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but more fun. That's what Carriger has created, and I for one am dying to read the next. I hope this is a series that will continue for many, many more installments. I'm also going to keep my fingers crossed that some screenwriter can do it justice and write a screenplay. I would be there opening day for an Alexia Tarabotti movie.
*****
Path of the Assassin, Vol. 1: Serving In The Dark
Excellent start to a series. The style is sparse enough to flow with the simple illustrations, and yet gives you enough detail to feel you really "know" the characters. Historical Fiction always helps me really remember events and dates, and this is a great example. Koike and Kojima stick with the facts for the bare bones of the plot, but the beauty is in the details. All the little things that happen in everyday life that the history books can't tell or show us.
Hattori Hanzo is the youngest apprentice suppa, something of a specialized ninja. Hanzo proves he is more worthy than the older boys and is given the responsibility of serving and protecting the future Shogun, Takugawa Ieyasu. Hanzo is younger than Ieyasu, his new lord, but much more able to figure things out. He can improvise to perform any task, and as so often happens with teenagers, this causes a bit of jealousy and envy on Ieyasu's part.
When we first meet Ieyasu, he is NOT impressive. He's soft, spoiled, has no knowledge of the outside world, and comes across as a bit of a brat. Because we know who he is to become, seeing him portrayed this way as a teen makes him feel more "real". I can't wait to see what Koike and Kojima write of his and Hanzo's future.
****
Max
I love Max and the Flock. Reading this book was like visiting old friends. Patterson is very good at writing YA without it seeming "dumbed down". This is sci-fi/fantasy, I guess, because what else could science experiment kids be, but the way he writes it feels Earth bound and real. He writes Max and the rest of the kids in the flock like real kids. They are a little snotty, naughty, sassy, and even, on occasion, pretty sweet. They are fiercely loyal to each other and that's something the young audience these books are aimed at can aspire to.
The last three installments of the series have taken a very, very "green" turn, and while some seem to find that boring or cliche, I like it. If these kids can care about the world and Earth in such a personal way, we all can. Even in small ways. I don't find the tone preachy, I don't feel lectured at, even in the midst of a three page discussion about people's irresponsibility with our waste. We are irresponsible as a race, and Patterson just makes this obvious to his young readers.
One of my favorite little "tricks" Patterson uses is to wave away anything that would be too involved to explain. I don't mean just not giving us the details about how you go about building a kid with wings, and telepathy, and gills, and...to be announced, but even mundane things that would come across as boring. At one point in the story, Max is faced with a large sea creature. She readily admits she has no idea what the difference between an octopus and a squid is. Doesn't appologize, just calmly explains this is one or the other and she doesn't know which. I think most writers would be tempted to list the differences between the two species and then do so in such a way as to lose the young audience's attention, but not Patterson. Moving on, seems to be his motto.
The next book in the series is Fang, and there's bound to be some new adventure, new developments, and hopefully a little bit of romance. I know I'll get to it.
***
Doomsday Book
This is the only book I've read of Willis's so far, and I really enjoyed the slowness and calm of her style. That may sound boring, to hear a book of this sort described that way, but it wasn't. The book is about time-travel, the future, the past, viruses and the plague, so it was not boring, but it was told in such an easy way that it never felt horrific. Even as she described the disgusting bubos that come with Bubonic plague in great detail, it was in a quiet way. I am looking forward to reading another by her to see if this style persists, or she just adopted it for this subject.
Doomsday Book is about a young historian, Kivran, who wants to travel back in time to 14th century England, but hasn't been allowed to do so because the period is deemed too dangerous. There's a bit of upheaval at the college, and suddenly she's allowed to go, despite her mentor, Dunworthy, trying to stop her out of fear. The technician in charge of her "drop", Badri, is sick and not quite himself so there is a mistake made when she is sent back. Turns out Badri has a virus that causes a quarantine, and a halt on all time travel, to or from the past, stranding Kivran. The rest of the novel switches back and forth between Kivran and her difficulties in the past, and Dunworthy's problems in the present, not only with the virus, but with trying to retrieve Kivran.
My favorite science fiction is generally that written before 1970 or so. I love reading about what they thought scientific advances would be, especially when it turns out we've come farther than they expected. This book, which was only written in 1992, has made me rethink that "favorite" title. AND feel old! Quite a bit of the problems Dunworthy encounters are due to lack of communication. Cell phones weren't common in the early 90's, and Dunworthy spends a ridiculous amount of time searching for phones and then getting dead or busy lines. Almost makes the book feel archaic. Not enough to ruin the story, I've already said I like that, just surprising that the book is relatively "new" and yet already outdated.
Another flaw is that the entire first half of the story, from Kivran's view, is her trying to find the "drop", or the place she entered the past. She must return to that exact location if she wants to get home. In the final chapters, Dunworthy and his trusty sidekick Colin, travel to the 14th century to attempt a rescue, and they have a locator. WHAT Why the hell didn't Kivran have one? It was far enough in the book that I had already fallen in love with the story, but it felt sloppy to me.
****
The Man in the Black Suit : 4 Dark Tales
I've read each of these four stories in other places, so they weren't new to me, which is why I audio-ed them. I liked the way each story had it's own CD, despite their varying lengths. They each a different reader as well, so this felt a bit like a "book buffet".
The Man In The Black Suit
This was not one of my favorites by King. It felt as if someone else actually wrote it. I had no problem with the idea itself, and actually found it more believable ending the way it did than if he had ended it as expected. The devil is a trickster, after all. King has used the "old man looking back" device before, but it's always felt more "real" to me. In this case, instead of feeling the man was remembering a true event, I felt he was recalling a bad dream or something.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
I loved the idea of a graffiti notebook, and who better to keep one than a traveling salesman? I like to think King "collected" these himself on a bike trip or something, rather than just making them up for the story. Some of them were real gems and are just more meaningful if they really appear in lipstick/Sharpie/paint somewhere in America. The wrap around story felt like an excuse to use these sayings, and while it worked, I didn't care so much about the salesman as I did about the next little clinker he was going to drop on us.
The Death Of Jack Hamilton
This is straight narrative. Actually, since it's a true event, I guess it could even be historical fiction. Of course no one really knows what happened between Jack, Johnny and Homer in those last days, but this certainly seems plausible, doesn't it? I felt that King gor Dillinger's charm across perfectly. Everything you read about the man alludes to "the way he had" of winning people over. In my experience that's an elusive quality and very hard to pinpoint just what it is about these charmers that makes them so charming. Usually you need to meet them or see them in action. Here, it's conveyed perfectly, and I knew if I had met Dillinger, I would have fallen under his spell as well.
That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French
I just don't like this story. When I first read it in Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales I had to go back to it, instead of reading it in order, because I just hated it. I find the entire "groundhog day" device tiring. Here at least, it was on audio and I could do other things as I listened. I know I will re-read EE, but I am giving myself permission to skip this one.
***
Fragile Things
I am partial to short stories, so this was perfect for me. I'm not a big fan of poetry on the whole, but do enjoy it when inserted in short story anthologies, so that was right up my alley as well. Right in the introduction, Gaiman admits that the poetic offerings get better as the book progresses, and I agree. The first few were not to my taste at all, but Going Wodwo was pretty good, and I downright loved Instructions. Gaiman has a very distinct style, no matter if he is writing a graphic novel, screenplay or straight, adult fiction, and these offerrings were all distinctly his. Even the few that he says he attempted to write in another author's style.
Sunbird comes to mind. He wrote it for his daughter, much like King wrote The Eyes of the Dragon for his, and that right there is enough to make me love it, but it's style was so perfect. He uses full and formal names throughout. He drops subtle hints at what is going to happen. He sketches and then shades the characters in a way that makes you feel you know them, even though the story is only 30 pages long. It was easily my favorite in the book.
Goliath is a close second favorite of mine. He wrote it as a companion piece to the original Matrix movie. I was never a fan of the second and third in the series, but that first was such a mind screwer, and Goliath is the same. You feel that things are wrong, you know that it's not all a dream, and yet you are also compelled to winow the "chaffe" so to speak. To figure out just what the hell is going on. It's a bit like Philip K. Dick. You can figure it out, but the longer you think, the more his stories resemble a snake swallowing it's tail. There is no real answer. Like I said- mind-screw.
Monarch of the Glen was an excellent addition. It was actually more a novella than a short story, at 78 pages, but it left me wanting more. I've read Anansi Boys and really enjoyed it. AB is connected to American Gods and this story was a companion to that. I own AG and reading this story about Shadow makes me wonder just why I haven't read it yet. I guess I will. Soon.
****
I borrowed this from a friend and now I really gotta buy my own copy because it reminded me why I love Neil Gaiman and how a good story can suck you in. You really need to read American Gods, Shadow is one of my favorite characters.
Kandice wrote: "An Ice Cold GraveThis Harper installment, the third in the series, is a bit more gruesome than the others seem to be. There have been a rash of..."
I agree, she seems to really whip them out! Have you read the other series she wrote besides True Blood? I think of all the other series, I liked Harper's the best. Of course it is also the shortest. She wrote a ton of the Aurora Teagarden ones, and I didn't care for them as much. (Of course, I still read every single one. Glutton for punishment, I guess.)
Dead, She Said
If I were reviewing only the artwork, this book would be a five, but since I have to review the story...I have to average. Too bad, because I love Bernie Wrightson. The story was obviously supposed to be "film noirish" and harken back to the "big bug" films of the fifties. It did that, but the story itself was just a little too silly.
The very best part of this book were the extras at the end. We get a selection of comic covers Wrightson has done and every single page of his monster coloring book. Too bad this was a library book or I would have had my crayolas out in a second!
**
AngelaSunshine, I haven't read the other series because they are never available at the linrary, but if they ever are, I plan on reading them. I actually really like Harper, despite a lot of my friends NOT liking them! I definitely do NOT read Harris for her writing skill, but for her story ideas.
Skim
I didn't expect much out of this book, but was pleasantly surprised at how deeply it delved into the mind of a sixteen year old girl. Not your typical teenager either, but a troubled girl. She is dealing with the death of a peer, feelings for someone of the same sex, the desire to be a witch, rejection, pretty much anything that can make a girl uncomfortable in her own skin. Oh! She's also overweight, which is why they call her Skim, instead of Kim. Because she's not.
The authors didn't tickle foot around the way teenager really act, think and feel about, not only each other, but the adults in their lives. It's almost depressing when reading YA how silly adults can come across. I have a teen, and I just hope I am a bit more savvy at dealing with mine than the majority of those I read about.
***
Coming AttractionsI already knew, going in, that I liked Fannie Flagg's writing "voice", but this was so much more entertaining than even her usual writing. The story is told in the journal entries of Daisy Fay beginning a day or so after her 11th birthday and following her through her 17th year. For lack of a better term, Daisy Fay is just a hoot!
Daisy's parents are very passionate. Not just in their loving, but in their fighting as well. They move to a beach, purchasing a share in a malt shop. Like all of Daisy's fathers plans, he hasn't really thought it through. The tourist season is too short, the business too expensive to run, and they just spend too much money! Not to mention that fact that he's an alcoholic. A sweet man, with the best of intentions most of the time, but an alcoholic just the same, drinking up the proceeds. What they lack in funds, they make up for in friends. My favorite part of Flagg's books are peripheral characters. They are always a little flawed, kooky, sweet or mean. Everyone is larger than life in some way, but Flagg somehow keeps them realistic.
Daisy is brutally honest, as as she grows, the entries become more about what's really happening than what a child thinks is happening. We as the reader can read between the lines, but it's refreshing that Daisy can't. She is innocent, sweet and very honest, but she's still only 11 when we meet her, so not exactly in the know. One of the best things about the novel is seeing Daisy mature, and occasionally look back on an event and see it for what it really was. We knew as we read, she just didn't as she wrote. It's a fine line and Flagg does a great job walking it.
Through Daisy we see the injustice of bigotry, not just race, but gender and how certain classes of people are perceived. In the beginning, even though she is as country as they come, Daisy sees herself and her family as better than the potato farmers and shrimpers she is surrounded by. She is taught that she is better than black people, and yet befriends them as easily as she does the white people she encounters. With no clear "ah ha" moment, we experience her learning how all people are capable of good. We are all born equal, and it's circumstance and what we do with ourselves that really defines who we are, not our color or station in life.
The pattern of the book is Daisy looking forward to the next big step in her life, only to be disapointed when it actually gets here. Never mind. Our Daisy seems able to make the best of every situation. She never despairs, and part of what keeps her hope afloat is all the friends she collects. She's loyal, honest, unselfish and kind. She helps who she can, when she can, insuring there's always someone to help her when she needs it. It's a lesson we should all learn.
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Dune
This was a re-read for me. Actually, probably more of a re-re-re-re...read! I love this book. I've read the entire series (that Herbert wrote himself), and they are all terrific, but this one is, by far, the best. We meet the Atreides and their retainers. We are introduced to the Guild, Fremen, other great Houses, the Bene Gesserit, Mentats, many religions and so, so much more. I'm amazed at how detailed a picture Herbert is able to paint in relatively few pages for it's scope.
This, the first in the series, is basically the end of status quo in the Empire. Paul Atreides and the Fremen bring about a new age, and it's long overdue. Dune is divided into three "books". In the first book that status quo is sketched out, but the other two books are devoted to the coming of the new age. It leaves me hungry for more. Thank goodness Hebert wrote more!
I hate to give away any of the plot, but I would like to praise Herbert's skill. He gives us characters that are super intelligent, intuitive, strong, excellent strategists, possessing any number of seemingly super-human abilities. His genius is in the way he shows us these abilities are aquired. These people work to become what they are. They train and study and practice. All the time. From birth sometimes. There are no born superheroes in Herbert's world. There are hardworkers, and yes, a little genetic help, but always work. I can trust these characters actions as true and believable because Herbert has presented them in such a flattering light. Even the bad guys work very, very hard for what they have. They lie, cheat, steal and kill, but they work hard to do so. I find it refreshing that things do not come easily. They require a price. Just like in the real world.
The other praiseworthy thing I feel Herbert accomplishes is giving us characters to balance each other out. Paul, who is arguably the main character, becomes less and less like us, so almost unsympathetic, and yet Herbert balances him with Jessica, who, even as she rises, stays emotionally accessible to us. We can sympathize and care about her. We have Stilgar who is honor personified, and yet also unsympathetic in his perfection. The foil to him is Idaho, as honor bound as Stilgar, and yet infinitely more approachable. I love Idaho. I could foil characters from this book off each other for pages, but the idea is the same. He gives us someone we can admire, and someone else we can love. Brilliant!
Now I want to go back a re-read them all. I may even break down and read the pre-quels Herbert didn't write. Maybe...
*****
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Mr. Monk Goes to Germany (other topics)Mr. Monk is Miserable (other topics)
Honolulu (other topics)
Moloka'i (other topics)
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers (other topics)
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I can't believe I never read this as a kid. I've never seen the movie either, so even though I knew it was considered a classic, I didn't know what to expect.
The story is about Jess. A bit of a loner, teased because he likes to draw. Jess lives in a rural area where the arts are not highly regarded. His only artistic outlet are the Friday music lessons at school taught by a semi-hippy.
A new girl arrives at the beginning of the school year from away. Her parents are academics, her mother a writer, and they've come to the country for quiet and to expose Leslie to a different, slower style of life. She is immediatley shunned by her classmates, and even though her initial friendly advances to Jess are rebuffed, they end up becoming close friends. They even share a "secret" land around their clubhouse. Terabithia. She is the Queen. He is the King.
I thought Jess and Leslie's friendship was written beautifully. I always find boy/girl friendships refreshing because I had close friends that were boys as a girl. In literature you just don't come across them as often as I believe they occur. This one was perfect. She's been exposed to so much more of the world than he has, and yet he has a sophisticated soul. She is the perfect Yin to his Yang and the chances of his finding another friend like her, where he lives, are very slim. That to me, was the saddest part. Anyone you love is irreplaceable when lost, but her more so, because of her free nature.
I felt the ending was rather abrupt. The trajedy occurs and we are given only the smallest on glances into Jess's coping mechanisms. I was left wanting a bit more. Yes, my imagination can carry on, I just wish Paterson had given us just a bit more to build on.
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