More books read...
May. 24th, 2006 03:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
senoritafishCripes. I've read more in the last few months than in the previous year. Books recently for the list:
(these are mostly science fiction and fantasy, so if that's not your speed, just skip....)
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. The final volume of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (and why is it, that fantasies often follow this format? It's like the Tolkien Rule or something). A very satisfying, but bittersweet ending to this series; we find that angels are as mortal as the rest of us, and if we have souls, they are with us on this material plane only, and that childhood has to have an ending. I read up a bit on Philip Pullman when I finished this and was not surprised to find he's a rather outspoken atheist who thinks The Chronicles of Narnia are unadulterated crap - also not surprising since the church (a thinly disguised Catholic church) was the evil entity in the this story. I am rather fond of the idea of the soul as an animal familiar, though I can't help feeling a little regretful that they lose their shape changing abilities as children grow into adults. I keep trying to imagine what mine would be.
Holes by Louis Sachar. If Disney followed this book at all for the movie, it's quite a bit darker than their usual family movie fare. Fat unpopular Stanley Yelnats, the latest unlucky descendant in a long line of unlucky ancestors, is falsely accused of stealing and sent to "camp" where he and the other inmates are assigned to dig holes each and every day, ostensibly to build character. In the course of teaching a fellow inmate to read, he realized the other ostracized boy is actually a friend, something neither of them ever had before; this of course gives them the strength to stand up to what becomes more and more of a sinister situation. The warden, of course, is searching for something. It's not without humor though, and the backstory of a love doomed by racism make this thin volume more interesting than I expected.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Man, this was good, but I expect Mr. Gaiman to spin a good yarn. I was sorry to see it end. What happens when immigrants bring their deities to a new country, but then eventually forget about them? I especially liked Mr. Ibis and Mr. Jacquel (and their little cat), who of course, ran a funeral home. I've always thought all those crazy roadside attractions must have some deeper meaning. There also seem to be a lot of parallels between Norse mythology and Christianity.
The Other Wind by Ursula LeGuin My father picked this up because it was on sale, and I had to tell him there are four books previous to it that he'll have to read first. And, it's funny, while I remember the first three fairly clearly, even though I read them so long ago, I was a bit fuzzy on the fourth. Possibly because the first three are fairly short and aimed at younger readers, while the fourth is as long as the first three and has more adult themes. In this fifth book, the dragons of Earthsea are becoming restless, accusing humans of usurping their territory, while Alder, a simple wizard who mends things, fears to sleep. In his dreams, the dead are calling to him and demanding release. The kingdom of wizards and magic use has always seemed to be on the side of good and right, but it seems there is a wrongness at the very root of their most basic beliefs. I have to admit, the afterlife alluded to in the entire series has always bothered me, and I'm wondering if Ms. LeGuin had this in mind all along.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. This was enjoyable even if I have not read Jane Eyre. Alternate history is always fun, especially when the main character's dad is a rogue member of the ultrasecret Time Corps, and maybe history's not as set in stone as you'd think. The Crimean War has never ended, beaconing a worse nightmare for England than Vietnam was for the US. In England's obsessed-with-literature society, you can get sent to prison for writing in someone else's literary style, Hamlet is performed a la Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the pet of choice is a genetically revived dodo. Tuesday Next is a literary detective on the tail of the thief of an original manuscript of Jane Eyre. While this would be major crime by itself, it's compounded by the fact that he's also stolen a device that allows one to enter a book and interact with its characters; and Jane Eyre herself is being threatened with murder. It's by turns serious, thrilling and silly, everyone has names like Paige Turner and Braxton Hicks, and while somewhat predictable, keeps the action moving. Looking forward to the next one...actually the third one was on sale at Barnes and Marmoset in the bargain books section, so that one may be next. Although I'm confused as to why B&N files this in the Literature and Fiction section, when most other alternate history stories are in Science Fiction & Fantasy...for that matter, Christopher Moore's (funny/science fictiony/alternate history) books and Wicked (see below) are in Literature too; is it just because they're bestsellers?
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Oz from the Witch's point of view, although she doesn't consider herself a witch until very late in the story. Not always a happy story, although there are humorous bits; you want Elphaba to succeed in something, but life seems to take a wrong turn for her at every major intersection. It may be set in the world Frank L. Baum created, but this is a very adult book.
The Rover by Mel Odom. This was February's book group selection that I could not find a copy of in time for the meeting, so I'm reading it after the fact. Another adventure of a reluctant little person, dragged into adventures he wasn't seeking. At least three blurbs on front and back covers proclaim "in the tradition of Tolkien" and/or Terry Brooks (the earlier Tolkien imitator), and I could swear the cover picture is actually from one of the Brothers Hildebrandt Tolkien calendars I had years ago. There are two little people on the cover and I'm quite sure it's Frodo and Sam meeting Boromir and Co. They couldn't commission original artwork for this? Anyway, Edgewick Lamplighter (Wick for short) may as well be a hobbit except he spends most of his time in a library instead of a burrow, and he wears boots. Amusing enough, I suppose, although like one of the reviewers at Amazon, I'm growing a bit weary of him being referred to as "the little librarian" three or four times on every page.
Idoru by William Gibson. Another book group book I never got to; from a few years ago, I think. I had to look at the publication date because it doesn't seem too far fetched as far as virtual reality things go - this was published 10 years ago. However, we're not quite so far as nanotech buildings and wearable computers are still only prototypes, and not every 13-year-old member of a fan club is capable of designing their own Amazon jungle virtual chatroom. Near future, but far enough off that it's still science fiction. One of the main characters though, is awfully similar to his character in Pattern Recognition, a more recent book. Both are able to look at fairly mundane things (one, the data generated by individuals in their everyday lives, and the other, corporate logos, fashion designs and the like) and extract information and trends from them that no one else can see, and neither of them can tell anyone else how they do it - it just happens. So far, there are two storylines working toward the same point and I'm anticipating where they will intersect.
K-PAX by Gene Brewer. Reminds me of the movie Harvey, in that you really don't want this mental patient to be cured, although someone else in my book group likened it to a simpler version of Stranger in a Strange Land. I liked the movie, which doesn't seem to widely diverge from this book. It does keep you guessing as to whether "prot" is a disturbed human being or actually an alien. I noticed there's a sequel to this book; prot's further adventures should be interesting...
In progress:
Angelica by Sharon Shinn. another volume in the world of Samaria, where angels and humans interbreed, and singing is a major part of everyone's life. This would seem to be a trifle too religious for my agnostic sensibilities, but once I found out who God was, that stopped bugging me... ;)
Exile's Honor by Mercedes Lackey. Another in her Valdemar series. Alberecht is a Karsite, one of the nations that consider Valdemar a sworn enemy because of their use of "witchcraft." However, after he is ordered killed by his own men because his own use of foresight is a little too good, he finds himself rescued and carried into Valdemar by his own horse of all things, whose eyes have mysteriously turned blue, and he suddenly has a telepathic bond with. Some character development of Valdemar's weapons master and his origins. I noticed an Amazon reviewer referring to these novels as "comfort food," and indeed, there is something comforting about being able to return to the same world to different characters and at different places in its history. Maybe it's silly for a biologist, but I've always been a big fan of the intelligent animal stories.
I must have started this two months ago, and kept finishing the books before I finished the stupid post.
(these are mostly science fiction and fantasy, so if that's not your speed, just skip....)
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. The final volume of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (and why is it, that fantasies often follow this format? It's like the Tolkien Rule or something). A very satisfying, but bittersweet ending to this series; we find that angels are as mortal as the rest of us, and if we have souls, they are with us on this material plane only, and that childhood has to have an ending. I read up a bit on Philip Pullman when I finished this and was not surprised to find he's a rather outspoken atheist who thinks The Chronicles of Narnia are unadulterated crap - also not surprising since the church (a thinly disguised Catholic church) was the evil entity in the this story. I am rather fond of the idea of the soul as an animal familiar, though I can't help feeling a little regretful that they lose their shape changing abilities as children grow into adults. I keep trying to imagine what mine would be.
Holes by Louis Sachar. If Disney followed this book at all for the movie, it's quite a bit darker than their usual family movie fare. Fat unpopular Stanley Yelnats, the latest unlucky descendant in a long line of unlucky ancestors, is falsely accused of stealing and sent to "camp" where he and the other inmates are assigned to dig holes each and every day, ostensibly to build character. In the course of teaching a fellow inmate to read, he realized the other ostracized boy is actually a friend, something neither of them ever had before; this of course gives them the strength to stand up to what becomes more and more of a sinister situation. The warden, of course, is searching for something. It's not without humor though, and the backstory of a love doomed by racism make this thin volume more interesting than I expected.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Man, this was good, but I expect Mr. Gaiman to spin a good yarn. I was sorry to see it end. What happens when immigrants bring their deities to a new country, but then eventually forget about them? I especially liked Mr. Ibis and Mr. Jacquel (and their little cat), who of course, ran a funeral home. I've always thought all those crazy roadside attractions must have some deeper meaning. There also seem to be a lot of parallels between Norse mythology and Christianity.
The Other Wind by Ursula LeGuin My father picked this up because it was on sale, and I had to tell him there are four books previous to it that he'll have to read first. And, it's funny, while I remember the first three fairly clearly, even though I read them so long ago, I was a bit fuzzy on the fourth. Possibly because the first three are fairly short and aimed at younger readers, while the fourth is as long as the first three and has more adult themes. In this fifth book, the dragons of Earthsea are becoming restless, accusing humans of usurping their territory, while Alder, a simple wizard who mends things, fears to sleep. In his dreams, the dead are calling to him and demanding release. The kingdom of wizards and magic use has always seemed to be on the side of good and right, but it seems there is a wrongness at the very root of their most basic beliefs. I have to admit, the afterlife alluded to in the entire series has always bothered me, and I'm wondering if Ms. LeGuin had this in mind all along.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. This was enjoyable even if I have not read Jane Eyre. Alternate history is always fun, especially when the main character's dad is a rogue member of the ultrasecret Time Corps, and maybe history's not as set in stone as you'd think. The Crimean War has never ended, beaconing a worse nightmare for England than Vietnam was for the US. In England's obsessed-with-literature society, you can get sent to prison for writing in someone else's literary style, Hamlet is performed a la Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the pet of choice is a genetically revived dodo. Tuesday Next is a literary detective on the tail of the thief of an original manuscript of Jane Eyre. While this would be major crime by itself, it's compounded by the fact that he's also stolen a device that allows one to enter a book and interact with its characters; and Jane Eyre herself is being threatened with murder. It's by turns serious, thrilling and silly, everyone has names like Paige Turner and Braxton Hicks, and while somewhat predictable, keeps the action moving. Looking forward to the next one...actually the third one was on sale at Barnes and Marmoset in the bargain books section, so that one may be next. Although I'm confused as to why B&N files this in the Literature and Fiction section, when most other alternate history stories are in Science Fiction & Fantasy...for that matter, Christopher Moore's (funny/science fictiony/alternate history) books and Wicked (see below) are in Literature too; is it just because they're bestsellers?
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Oz from the Witch's point of view, although she doesn't consider herself a witch until very late in the story. Not always a happy story, although there are humorous bits; you want Elphaba to succeed in something, but life seems to take a wrong turn for her at every major intersection. It may be set in the world Frank L. Baum created, but this is a very adult book.
The Rover by Mel Odom. This was February's book group selection that I could not find a copy of in time for the meeting, so I'm reading it after the fact. Another adventure of a reluctant little person, dragged into adventures he wasn't seeking. At least three blurbs on front and back covers proclaim "in the tradition of Tolkien" and/or Terry Brooks (the earlier Tolkien imitator), and I could swear the cover picture is actually from one of the Brothers Hildebrandt Tolkien calendars I had years ago. There are two little people on the cover and I'm quite sure it's Frodo and Sam meeting Boromir and Co. They couldn't commission original artwork for this? Anyway, Edgewick Lamplighter (Wick for short) may as well be a hobbit except he spends most of his time in a library instead of a burrow, and he wears boots. Amusing enough, I suppose, although like one of the reviewers at Amazon, I'm growing a bit weary of him being referred to as "the little librarian" three or four times on every page.
Idoru by William Gibson. Another book group book I never got to; from a few years ago, I think. I had to look at the publication date because it doesn't seem too far fetched as far as virtual reality things go - this was published 10 years ago. However, we're not quite so far as nanotech buildings and wearable computers are still only prototypes, and not every 13-year-old member of a fan club is capable of designing their own Amazon jungle virtual chatroom. Near future, but far enough off that it's still science fiction. One of the main characters though, is awfully similar to his character in Pattern Recognition, a more recent book. Both are able to look at fairly mundane things (one, the data generated by individuals in their everyday lives, and the other, corporate logos, fashion designs and the like) and extract information and trends from them that no one else can see, and neither of them can tell anyone else how they do it - it just happens. So far, there are two storylines working toward the same point and I'm anticipating where they will intersect.
K-PAX by Gene Brewer. Reminds me of the movie Harvey, in that you really don't want this mental patient to be cured, although someone else in my book group likened it to a simpler version of Stranger in a Strange Land. I liked the movie, which doesn't seem to widely diverge from this book. It does keep you guessing as to whether "prot" is a disturbed human being or actually an alien. I noticed there's a sequel to this book; prot's further adventures should be interesting...
In progress:
Angelica by Sharon Shinn. another volume in the world of Samaria, where angels and humans interbreed, and singing is a major part of everyone's life. This would seem to be a trifle too religious for my agnostic sensibilities, but once I found out who God was, that stopped bugging me... ;)
Exile's Honor by Mercedes Lackey. Another in her Valdemar series. Alberecht is a Karsite, one of the nations that consider Valdemar a sworn enemy because of their use of "witchcraft." However, after he is ordered killed by his own men because his own use of foresight is a little too good, he finds himself rescued and carried into Valdemar by his own horse of all things, whose eyes have mysteriously turned blue, and he suddenly has a telepathic bond with. Some character development of Valdemar's weapons master and his origins. I noticed an Amazon reviewer referring to these novels as "comfort food," and indeed, there is something comforting about being able to return to the same world to different characters and at different places in its history. Maybe it's silly for a biologist, but I've always been a big fan of the intelligent animal stories.
I must have started this two months ago, and kept finishing the books before I finished the stupid post.
