| The Return to Camelot |
[23 Dec 2009|09:35pm] |
The Return To Camelot: Chivalry and the English Gentleman by Mark Girouard.
This book is about chivalry, but not as it was known in the Middle Ages, as it was revived in the Victorian era -- as an ethos rather than a military code -- in Great Britain.
( Read more... )
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| The Gift (to read or not?) |
[23 Dec 2009|09:02pm] |
Has anyone read The Gift by Cecelia Ahern(Amazon Link) It's the selection for my book club this month and I'm debating whether i want to read it.
I'm not a big fan of Christmas (Jews, represent!) and I don't want to read anything that's too ra-ra Christmas. I can't really tell from the summary if it's going to be like that, or if it's just going to take place during the holidays.
Can anyone give any insight on this book? Thanks :)
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| The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood |
[23 Dec 2009|05:52pm] |
 It’s lucky that we have another MaddAddam book to read, lucky because Atwood didn’t initially plan to write another book like Oryx and Crake, lucky that The Year of the Flood fleshes out her frightening dystopian world and gives us much more to hope for.
The Year of the Flood isn’t a sequel to Oryx and Crake. It works as a companion book, following the timeline of events leading up to and around our experience with Jimmy and Glenn (a.k.a. Crake). One of the biggest differences, aside from point of view, is the inclusion of religion in the text and the influential presence it has to the characters and their motivations. God’s Gardeners is a religious group formed out of a mutual dislike of the direction science and society has taken. Under their leader, Adam One, the Gardeners are strict vegetarians--when the situation allows this to be the healthiest outcome--and waste nothing. Their reversion to crafting, cooking, and hand-sewing clothes or recyclables is in reaction to society’s heavy dependence on technology. Coincidentally, it also becomes their saving grace when technology (more specifically, electricity) breaks down in the days, weeks, and months following the mysterious plague (this, too, is a technological terror) that wipes out most of civilization. Unlike other dystopian books where this pre-modern state is adopted out of necessity, the Gardeners have chosen this way of life as part of their religious doctrine. As a result, they’re tough survivors.
As the book opens, we’re given two narrators (three if we could Adam One’s proselytizing speeches; four if we count the religious songs of the Gardeners): Ren and Toby. Both were once Gardeners, but now find themselves alone in the middle of a ravaged city, teetering on the edge of total destruction, with quickly depleting food supplies and no idea of knowing if they’re the only ones left alive. Ren is trapped in an isolation suite above a dance studio--the kind of dancing done on the SeksMarket--with all the amenities of a small hotel at her disposal. Toby has taken up shelter at a women’s day spa with lots of organic moisturizers that double as semi-nutritious snacks. If the two are to survive another day, they need to venture outside to find other sources of calories, protein, and weapons to protect them from the vicious wolvogs (unnamed here, but prior knowledge having read Oryx and Crake helps) and scheming pigoons (explained finally as “pig balloons”).
( Read the rest! )
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| Worst books of the year |
[23 Dec 2009|07:49pm] |
Oops. I realized the best book question has been asked
Ok, so what the worst book or books you read this year?
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| 71. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman |
[23 Dec 2009|10:37am] |
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71. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman - 288 pages (3.5/5)
Firstly, I want Joe Haldeman's life. He teaches two classes in fall on science fiction writing at MIT. The rest of the time he writes, draws, paints, plays guitar, and travels extensively with his wife, whom he's been married to since he was 22. What a life. Of Joe Haldeman's work, I've previously read The Forever War and Forever Peace. The second is not a sequel to the first, despite the similar names. The name of the sequel is, confusingly, Forever Free. In general, enjoy Haldeman's work because he has a degree in physics, and so the science in it is at least vaguely plausible, or perhaps one day possible. It definitely gives him an edge over other authors who treat technology very similar to how magic is used in fantasy. The Accidental Time Machine tells the story of a young graduate student at MIT, Matt, who, you guessed it, accidentally makes a time machine. He jumps a few weeks into the future, finds out he's wanted for a crime he didn't committ, and jumps forward again. He doesn't like that future, either, so he proceeds to jump again. This trend continues, with the increments getting longer and longer, because he hopes that eventually he will come to a future where they have invented a machine to send him back. This, in my opinion, is very silly logic, because he easily could have jumped into a future where humanity is extinct, the atmosphere is toxic, or there was a second dark age and there is no technology whatsoever. I enjoy Joe Haldeman's postulations of the future. In The Forever War, in order to combat human overpopulation, most of Earth's population becomes homosexual. In one of the futures in The Accidental Time Machine, Christianity has become beyond fundamental because "Jesus" has returned and is now president of the United States. In that future, he connects with a very naieve young woman named Martha, who ends up accompaning him to other futures, and eventually a robot named La also joins their motley crew. Initially, I was not too impressed with the pacing and dialogue, but once he leaves the near future of Earth and ventures through time, I enjoyed myself. I thought the end was too tidy and a bit of a cop out, but I was not upset with it enough that it soured my enjoyment of the book. I'll continue to read and enjoy Haldeman's future, but I wouldn't consider this his best work.
(P.S. Hi, I like new friends!) |
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| Recommendations Please :) |
[23 Dec 2009|03:23pm] |
I have Christmas money to spend, woo! (yes I have it already! :D )
So would like some recommendations on books on these topics:
20th Century / Communist / Cold War Russia/Europe, fiction or non fiction (I loved the book Child 44 and the film The Lives of Others, so anything similar to those might be good! :) )
Asylums / treatment of "madness", fiction or non fiction (especially historical). What do people think of "The Quickening Maze" by Adam Foulds, is it good?
20th Century Eastern European history, fiction or non fiction, but especially looking for recommendations of good non-fiction books on the 20th century history of Romania.
Historical crime / thrillers.
Anything you think is fantastically amazing and I won't be able to put it down :) I don't really like supernatural, sci-fi, fantasy or specific romance (although its ok as part of a story).
thanks for all the recommendations so far! I didnt expect to get so many so quickly...now I have lots of books I want to read :D (but keep them coming if you think of any more :D )
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| Goodman, Alison: Singing the Dogstar Blues |
[22 Dec 2009|10:54pm] |
 Singing the Dogstar Blues (1998)
Written by: Alison Goodman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 261 (Mass Market Paperback)
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel, and a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student— Mavkel, from the planet Choria. And Mavkel has chosen Joss, of all people, as his roommate and study partner. Then Mavkel gets sick. Joss quickly realizes that his will to live is draining away. The only way she can help Mavkel is by breaking the Centre's strictest rules . . . and that means going back in time to change history.
My Rating
Worth the Cash: but close to a must-have. The only reason it's not is because it does take a little while for the plot to get moving, and once it does, the book reads at warp speed instead of its previously fast pace. Still, it's a fun read with characters you can really sympathize with. I enjoyed the world-building of near-future Australia, and the time travel parts of the story misled me at first, and then once I settled into them, I found myself having lots of fun at guessing what would happen next and how it would affect CURRENT TIME and being right. It's a fun read, and one I'm really glad I sank my teeth into. I wish music had played a bigger role, especially given the fantastic title, but that's more of a personal preference than anything. At any rate, this book is highly recommended to fans of 1) time travel stories and/or 2) readers looking for science fiction in the YA genre. This was very enjoyable, and I can easily see myself picking up more from this author in the future.
Review style: definite spoilers. It's a short book, and simple for what it is (I mean that in a good way), but I want to be able to talk about specific plot points, and I can't do that without spoiling this thing. If you want to be surprised (and trust me, if you're interested in this book, you'll WANT to be surprised), skip to the "My Rating" section at the end of the review.
If spoilers don't bother you, or if you've read the book, then feel free to click the link below, which goes to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!
REVIEW: Alison Goodman's SINGING THE DOGSTAR BLUES
Happy Reading!
Book club selections @ ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!
December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
February: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
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| Popular books worth (and not worth) a read |
[22 Dec 2009|09:47pm] |
While I love going into bookstores, I find myself overwhelmed with all of the choices. The problem is, when I select a book on my own, I've found that I'm a little let down by what I choose. Which is why I'm trying to ask for recommendations, instead :)
I haven't been reading as much as I should and I'd like to get back into the swing of things.
What popular books do you think are worth reading to jump start my love of books again? By popular I mean a book that would be relatively easy to find. It doesn't have to be a recent book, but nothing too obscure. Feel free to suggest really obvious books, too, since like I said - I've been out of the loop. Anything is fair game. I'm open to all genres - fantasy, romance, general fiction, YA, mystery.
And alternatively, are there any books that are popular that you would NOT recommend? I know just because a book is a "best-seller" doesn't mean it's necessarily good.
Edit: I guess I should have specified this before, but if you tell me your anti-recommendations, please let me know why, too :)
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| Another Classic |
[22 Dec 2009|07:27pm] |
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway, originally from Minnesota has spent quite a bit of time on the east coast. After fighting in World War Two and going to Yale he decides to spend a year in New York. He winds up living in a bungalow near his second cousin once removed, Daisy and her husband Tom, a man he went to Yale with. He also lives next to door the mysterious Jay Gatsby, who is throwing elaborate parties ever weekend. Tom is the witness to a summer's worth of drama in Long Island with secrets, old loves and huge tempers.
When I picked up The Great Gatsby for the first time four days ago I didn't really know what to excpet. Recentlly many people had told me I would enjoy it, but never gave me a reason why. When I got the book as an early Christmas gift a few days ago I was more interested in what was the big deal with this 'classic' then with the story or the characters but that quickly changed. There is something very simple and beautiful in the way Fitzgerald made these characters. They're all so tragically flawed, but you feel for most of them at one time or another. Gatsby is intriguing, it's hard to tell when he is being honest, but that doesn't really matter, it's just who he is. it's a short book, but it moves quick. It's refershing to see the 1920's in a way that doesn't focus on the family, World War One (well, more than it does) and music. A great read.
Story:
***
Structure:
****
As always, more at http://lovebooks-letter4no1.blogspot.com/
Happy Holidays!
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| Jazz age New Orleans? |
[22 Dec 2009|07:01pm] |
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Alright, so I just got back from seeing Princess and the Frog and it occurred to me that I haven't read anything set in New Orleans in the early 1900's. Does anyone have any suggestions that would fit into that timeline/location?
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| Historical fiction from the Tudor OR Elizabethan period? |
[22 Dec 2009|02:08pm] |
Salutations, fellow book-lovers!
I am looking for some recommendations. I've been trying to find a fitting Christmas present for my brother's girlfriend, and I figured a well-written book will do.
She is very interested in Britain's history, so I am looking for some recommendations on historical fiction set in the Tudor period or the Elizabethan period.
I do NOT need Philippa Gregory recommendations - she already has all of those books.
Please help me out! I've been naughty and have waited a tad too long and I hope to run out to the bookstore either today or tomorrow. :)
Thank you so much!
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[22 Dec 2009|01:54pm] |
The Jeeves and Wooster Series
by P.G. Wodehouse
These books are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on a plane trip, and being glared at. The books take place during the 1920s. Bertie Wooster is a high class naive buffoon, as well as the narrator. Jeeves is a 'gentleman's gentleman' (not a butler of course), and helps Wooster out of every scrape. For better (but mostly for worse) he rescues Wooster from the clutches of angry men and women, and even an angry swan.
Bertie Wooster is constantly attacked by the women in the novel, who bully him constantly. P.G. Wodehouse might not have had the best view of women; they are at best comical predators. The young men trip over themselves, and the older men are harsh and even scary.
The stories vary from Wooster having to steal for his cousin, to trying to escape a yacht that he has been locked in by pretending to be a minstrel - only to get into more trouble.
The stories are short, and the few novels are hardly over two hundred pages long. They are delightful and perfect for a break. Sometimes Wooster can be a bit long winded, but it makes him sound like that friend everyone has. You know the one - they try to describe everything to make it clear that they are not the problem. It is endearing and annoying.
If you enjoy British humor and hardy explanations with hilarious metaphors and similes - curl up with a story.
(There is a TV series based off the short stories, Stephen Fry plays Jeeves and Hugh Laurie plays Bertie Wooster. Good stuff.)
( exerpt! )
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| #98 Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede |
[22 Dec 2009|11:16am] |
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The Widow Arden lives near the city of Mortlak with her two daughters: the polite and reserved Blanche, and the bold Rosamund. Their  cottage sits near the border that separates the human world from the land of Faerie. One snowy day, someone knocks on their door. When they open it, they are shocked to find a large bear. They soon discover that the bear is not really a bear, but a faerie prince cursed by human magic. With the help of the prince's brother, the two sisters and mother try to find a way to break the magic spell. Unfortunately, magic is scorned as witchcraft in Mortlak. The three must be careful not to be discovered, or the results could be dire.
I've recently become fascinated by the fairy tale, "Snow White and Rose Red," after reading Margo Lanagan's Tender Morsels. Patricia C Wrede's Snow White and Rose Red is another retelling of the classic tale, although it takes the story in a very different direction. Set in Elizabethan England, Snow White and Rose Red draws it's inspiration not only from the fairy tale itself, but also from the ballad Thomas the Rhymer, and real historical figures such as John Dee and Edward “Ned” Kelley. The dialogue is written in a style common to that time period, complete with “Thees” and “Thous.” This took a little time getting used to, but it was easy to understand if I read a little slower than usual.
Although I didn't have the same level of emotional connection that I did with Tender Morsels, I found Snow White and Rose Red to be a pleasant, polite little book with quite a lot of story inside. Beyond the story of the two sisters, there is the parallel story of the two brothers, Hugh, who is turned into a bear, and his brother John, both half-faerie princes who take to their human blood very differently. There is a third storyline involving John Dee and Ned Kelley, who play the role of the dwarf from the original tale, a fourth storyline involving three wicked faerie creatures, and a fifth storyline involving a troublesome maid named Joan, as well as some small sections about the witch hunter. That can be a bit overwhelming at times. I loved the faerie elements of this story. I also found it to be incredibly romantic, despite the fact that there is no physical contact between each party. Every little look and moment seems to hold more weight as a result. I also enjoyed the little forward written by Terri Windling.
Snow White and Rose Red is a sweet fairy tale retelling, filled with magic and romance. I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the fairytale for which it's named, or to anyone who'd like to learn more of the "Snow White and Rose Red" story.
Rating: four stars Length: 273 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Similar Books: Tender Morsels by Margon Lanagan (my review), is another retelling of "Snow White and Rose Red." This book also reminded me of Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (my review), and the works of Patricia McKillip (read my review of Alphabet of Thorn)
Other books I've read by this author: Dealing with Dragons. Also, Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, and The Grand Tour or The Purloined Coronation Regalia, which were both written with Caroline Stevermer
Yikes! Only two books left until I meet my goal for the year!!
xposted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) bookish and temporaryworlds
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[21 Dec 2009|08:22pm] |
The book traces two people, Burham and H.H. Holmes. The former is the man who pulled the Chicago World Fair together, the latter a serial killer at the time. H.H. Holmes married and charmed women under different aliases, and killed them all. It is a nonfiction book that reads like the darkest fiction novel.
Erik Larson finds a way to get inside the heads of each man and woman, without trying too hard to dissect them. The struggle in writing this book does not come across, it reads smoothly.
However, he can jump from one person to the next suddenly with no transition. If you like that style, then this book will suit you. Be prepared to read of how Holmes killed the women (one woman kicked at the door of the furnace she was burnt in, and she left a footprint, chilling no?)
Larson gives facts about everything.
I like facts.
Do you?
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| Review: The Bedlam Boys, by Bonnie Morse |
[21 Dec 2009|08:11pm] |
#89: The Bedlam Boys, by Bonnie Morse (bonnybedlam)
Julian Work was waiting at the entrance to the auditorium, a tall, slim island in a sea of people who, without exception, managed to pass by without touching him. He wasn't the public ace, either officially or unofficially, but something about him, maybe his confidence or the fact that he obviously didn't belong there, told even the most ignorant that he was one of them and therefore to be avoided. There was a policy in place, unofficially, that prevented the Boys from carrying guns into schools, but it was lifted today and Julian had two. Neither of them showed anywhere but in his eyes; there they were very plain.
Synopsis: The Bedlam Boys make sure Mt Riley, Oregon is a great place to live by doing all kinds of not-so-great things, like blowing up meth labs and putting lots of holes in anyone who disagrees with them. Thanks to Nikki Beck, the system is functional and airtight...right up until he falls in love, and all kinds of things hit the fan. Shit being just for starters.
( Should we talk about the rash of suicides? )
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| Untamed |
[21 Dec 2009|05:56pm] |
Untamed
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
YA fiction; fantasy
338 pages
Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you.
Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an undisputed expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a tight-knit group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. And the worst part is, she knows it’s her own fault. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead, unMarked, and unable to stop bickering with each other. So who can blame her for befriending the House of Night’s newest transfer student, the majorly hot Olympic archer, James Stark?
Meanwhile, Neferet has declared a war on humans after it appears that the People of the Faith have murdered two vampyres. But Aphrodite’s latest visions show a world completely different from the High Priestess’s promises, a world full of violence, hatred, and darkness, all because of Zoey’s death—and the only way it seems she can prevent it from happening is to make things right with her friends. Zoey knows in her heart that fighting with humans is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.
This is probably my least favorite book in the House of Night series so far. It still is a captivating story but I didn't care for the plot line in this one quite as much as the other three. However, it it still very entertaining and I cannot wait t o read the rest of the series! I also just found out that there is going to be a new book released in May! They write these so fast haha!
Books read this year: 50/50--I finally made my GOAL!!!!!!! :)
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| Paper Towns by John Green |
[21 Dec 2009|03:25pm] |
Title: Paper Towns by John Green
Pages: 305
Rating: 5/5
Summary: (from Goodreads) When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.
Review: ( Ummm... yeah it spoils. Sorry. )
You can read this review and all others on my Goodreads account.
Books so far this year: 51/50
Currently reading: Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre LaClos
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| The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo |
[21 Dec 2009|01:27pm] |
I just finished reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson.
I'm terrible at writing reviews, so I'm not going to but I will say I now owe the library a late fee because I just couldn't return it, or renew it because I'm slightly lazy, and had to continue reading it.
I thought the book was really amazing, and def. worth the read.
After I read the book I started watching the movie, and as good as the movie actually is it doesn't do the book justice.
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