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1sirfurboy
February already - its about time I started a thread in at least one of the challenges, so I will start here as its where I started last year.
In January I read:
1. The Wednesday Wars
Completed this on the evening of January 1st. In the morning I informed my wife it was the best book I had read all year :)
However it is likely to remain one of the best of the year. A very good coming of age story (a genre I seem to like). Powerful, thoughtful, funny and insightful.
2. Dirty Little Angels
3. The Middle East - Bernard Lewis
A very good history of the Middle East for anyone who wants their understanding of the region to be a little more informed than comment on television news. Very thoroughly covers from a little before the birth of Islam to the end of the 20th century.
4. The River of Doubt
Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon adventure. I was hoping for a narrative history wand was thus somewhat disappointed with this, although its an excellent book for anyone who wants the detail surrounding that trip.
5. The Very Last Day of the Eastern Roman Empire
A good primer, but not the in depth discussion of the final day that I had hoped for. Instead it covers a much broader sweep of byzantine history.
6. The Shack
7. At the Firefly Gate
8. Catcall
Linda Newbery writes beautiful books that are a little deeper than normal children's books. Good ones for children making the transition to a more mature style.
9. Nation - Terry Pratchett
Not a huge Pratchett fan, but this was not bad.
10. Public Enemy Number 2
11. Where The Wild Things Are
Book of the film. I expect to like the film better than the book.
12. Wings #1
13. John the Revelator
14. Ways to Live Forever
A hauntingly sad book that I was thinking about for many days after finishing it. This was the saddest book I read this year ... and once again it may keep that position even after the year is much older! A story of life, death, love and family and our deepest wishes and desires. A real tear jerker though.
15. Rewind
16. The Girl Who Owned a City
17. Room 13
18. The Book of Three
19. Auslander
20. The Runaways
21. Iron Hand - Charlie Fletcher
22. Children's Hours - Stories About Childhood
23. The Library at Night - Alberto Manguel
A book for bookish people. I have leant this one out already and expect to lend it to several more people. Interesting musings on libraries and a wealth of detail.
In January I read:
1. The Wednesday Wars
Completed this on the evening of January 1st. In the morning I informed my wife it was the best book I had read all year :)
However it is likely to remain one of the best of the year. A very good coming of age story (a genre I seem to like). Powerful, thoughtful, funny and insightful.
2. Dirty Little Angels
3. The Middle East - Bernard Lewis
A very good history of the Middle East for anyone who wants their understanding of the region to be a little more informed than comment on television news. Very thoroughly covers from a little before the birth of Islam to the end of the 20th century.
4. The River of Doubt
Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon adventure. I was hoping for a narrative history wand was thus somewhat disappointed with this, although its an excellent book for anyone who wants the detail surrounding that trip.
5. The Very Last Day of the Eastern Roman Empire
A good primer, but not the in depth discussion of the final day that I had hoped for. Instead it covers a much broader sweep of byzantine history.
6. The Shack
7. At the Firefly Gate
8. Catcall
Linda Newbery writes beautiful books that are a little deeper than normal children's books. Good ones for children making the transition to a more mature style.
9. Nation - Terry Pratchett
Not a huge Pratchett fan, but this was not bad.
10. Public Enemy Number 2
11. Where The Wild Things Are
Book of the film. I expect to like the film better than the book.
12. Wings #1
13. John the Revelator
14. Ways to Live Forever
A hauntingly sad book that I was thinking about for many days after finishing it. This was the saddest book I read this year ... and once again it may keep that position even after the year is much older! A story of life, death, love and family and our deepest wishes and desires. A real tear jerker though.
15. Rewind
16. The Girl Who Owned a City
17. Room 13
18. The Book of Three
19. Auslander
20. The Runaways
21. Iron Hand - Charlie Fletcher
22. Children's Hours - Stories About Childhood
23. The Library at Night - Alberto Manguel
A book for bookish people. I have leant this one out already and expect to lend it to several more people. Interesting musings on libraries and a wealth of detail.
2tloeffler
Hey, we've missed you on the Chronicles of Prydain thread! I wondered where you were. Welcome!
4alcottacre
Glad to see you here, sirfurboy!
5sirfurboy
Thanks all. I did the reading for January's Chronicles of Prydain group read thread. I just did not post anything about it! I will go rectify that now!
6sirfurboy
24. Flora Segunda - Ysabeau Wilce
Recommended on LibraryThing in last year's challenge - I finally got a hold of a copy and read it (impoted from the USA). The story was interesting and imaginative but it did not quite grip me. I think it was written with girls in mind, although that should bnot bar the enjoyment of boys!
25. There is a Happy Land - Keith Waterhouse
I forget how this got on my TBR list - and it was hard to get a hold of. I ended up making an inter library loan owing to the astronomical second hand prices.
The story is a snapshot of life in Yorkshire. Written in the 1950s, it harks back even further and one of the best things about the book is the atmosphere it evokes of the bygone age. Something of a coming of age story, there is a nasty twist but ultimately not one that it gratuitously dwells in.
26. Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian
An award winning story and rightly so. This book works on so many levels. Set in the first year of the second world war, it follows the lives of some evacuees - and one in particular - a boy who has suffered from neglect but who slowly comes out of his shell in response to the love and care of the man who takes him in, and the village they live in. This was a wonderful story - educational, gripping and playing nicely on the emotions too. It has poignant moments but ultimately a message of hope.
Recommended on LibraryThing in last year's challenge - I finally got a hold of a copy and read it (impoted from the USA). The story was interesting and imaginative but it did not quite grip me. I think it was written with girls in mind, although that should bnot bar the enjoyment of boys!
25. There is a Happy Land - Keith Waterhouse
I forget how this got on my TBR list - and it was hard to get a hold of. I ended up making an inter library loan owing to the astronomical second hand prices.
The story is a snapshot of life in Yorkshire. Written in the 1950s, it harks back even further and one of the best things about the book is the atmosphere it evokes of the bygone age. Something of a coming of age story, there is a nasty twist but ultimately not one that it gratuitously dwells in.
26. Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian
An award winning story and rightly so. This book works on so many levels. Set in the first year of the second world war, it follows the lives of some evacuees - and one in particular - a boy who has suffered from neglect but who slowly comes out of his shell in response to the love and care of the man who takes him in, and the village they live in. This was a wonderful story - educational, gripping and playing nicely on the emotions too. It has poignant moments but ultimately a message of hope.
7alcottacre
#6: Some nice recent reading. I already have Flora Segunda and Goodnight Mr. Tom in the BlackHole and I am putting the Waterhouse book there as well.
8tloeffler
I loved Goodnight Mr Tom. Unfortunately, it's been hard for me to find many of her other books here.
9sirfurboy
27. Silvertongue
Last in this imaginative trilogy in which the statues of London are the main actors as a boy and girl discover who they are. I have done so well at working through my TBR that I am now concentrating on finishing off series of books where I have wanted to complete the series but been to busy with other books.
28. Understanding Theology 3
Had this on my TBR for years. Its not a readable volume, but a good one for study purposes. Finally worked my way through it.
29. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Another series I promised to come back to having read the first book. These books are interesting, amusing and full of adventure. I get annoyed with Percy Jackson, who is a peculiarly stupid hero. When handed a bottle of vitamins by a god, it should surely be patently obvious they do something special, but he never thinks to ask "what does this innocuous object do?" But all the same the story is a good one. Not perfect, but good enough to keep going with this series.
30. Jhereg - Roni (Ronincats) recommended this one and probably other books I read this month. I had to import a second hand copy from the USA as I could not even get this on inter library loan. That is perhaps a pity as its a good fantasy story about a young assassin and his magical companion who gets in rather over his head in a nefarious plot. A good read and recommended if you can find the book - but I probably will not go to the same lengths to get the following books in the series. I'll read them if I come across them.
31. The Star Shall Abide - This is a re-read although I read the original under the title "Heritage of the Star" - its UK title. I had no idea there were sequels of this, one of the most memorable books I read in childhood. However, the author, Sylvia Engdahl, is a librarything member, and she mentions the book and its sequels in her profile. I thus imported the books from the USA and will enjoy reading the sequels in the next few days.
Last in this imaginative trilogy in which the statues of London are the main actors as a boy and girl discover who they are. I have done so well at working through my TBR that I am now concentrating on finishing off series of books where I have wanted to complete the series but been to busy with other books.
28. Understanding Theology 3
Had this on my TBR for years. Its not a readable volume, but a good one for study purposes. Finally worked my way through it.
29. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Another series I promised to come back to having read the first book. These books are interesting, amusing and full of adventure. I get annoyed with Percy Jackson, who is a peculiarly stupid hero. When handed a bottle of vitamins by a god, it should surely be patently obvious they do something special, but he never thinks to ask "what does this innocuous object do?" But all the same the story is a good one. Not perfect, but good enough to keep going with this series.
30. Jhereg - Roni (Ronincats) recommended this one and probably other books I read this month. I had to import a second hand copy from the USA as I could not even get this on inter library loan. That is perhaps a pity as its a good fantasy story about a young assassin and his magical companion who gets in rather over his head in a nefarious plot. A good read and recommended if you can find the book - but I probably will not go to the same lengths to get the following books in the series. I'll read them if I come across them.
31. The Star Shall Abide - This is a re-read although I read the original under the title "Heritage of the Star" - its UK title. I had no idea there were sequels of this, one of the most memorable books I read in childhood. However, the author, Sylvia Engdahl, is a librarything member, and she mentions the book and its sequels in her profile. I thus imported the books from the USA and will enjoy reading the sequels in the next few days.
10sirfurboy
32 Lirael
These adventures are highly imaginative, full of tension, interesting and enjoyable characters (especially the Disreputable Dog and Moggit) and well done plot twists. I look forward to reading the final book in the series. I enjoyed this one more than Sabriel although it is hard to pinpoint exactly why.
33 Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains
Second in this trilogy, and still an interesting and thought provoking story. I perhaps found the characters a little too introspective in this book in a manner that was reminiscent of some Orson Scott Card characters. Nevertheless the ideas remain good and despite the fact that this book is now some 40 years old, I do not recall seeing many other stories exploring these ideas. This was a worthwhile read, that waited far too long for me to find it.
These adventures are highly imaginative, full of tension, interesting and enjoyable characters (especially the Disreputable Dog and Moggit) and well done plot twists. I look forward to reading the final book in the series. I enjoyed this one more than Sabriel although it is hard to pinpoint exactly why.
33 Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains
Second in this trilogy, and still an interesting and thought provoking story. I perhaps found the characters a little too introspective in this book in a manner that was reminiscent of some Orson Scott Card characters. Nevertheless the ideas remain good and despite the fact that this book is now some 40 years old, I do not recall seeing many other stories exploring these ideas. This was a worthwhile read, that waited far too long for me to find it.
11alcottacre
#10: We are doing a group read of the Abhorsen Trilogy over the summer. I am looking forward to it. Glad to see that Lirael is worth the read.
My local library has Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, but not The Star Shall Abide. Can the former be read without reading the first book in the series or do you recommend reading the series in order?
My local library has Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, but not The Star Shall Abide. Can the former be read without reading the first book in the series or do you recommend reading the series in order?
12sirfurboy
>10 sirfurboy: I would recommend reading them in order. I think you would pick up the story if you started with the second book, but the first one is probably better and the second does depend on it a lot. In the UK it was published under the title "Heritage of the Star" so maybe your library would have that title.
Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for the comments.
13alcottacre
#12: No, I checked with the alternative title as well. Thanks for the input though.
15sirfurboy
34 The Black Cauldron Lloyd Alexander
This was a re-read for the group read in this forum. I read these books as a child and enjoyed them very much. I continue to enjoy them on re-reading, even if the stories are more recognisable to me now in other literature I have read.
This was a re-read for the group read in this forum. I read these books as a child and enjoyed them very much. I continue to enjoy them on re-reading, even if the stories are more recognisable to me now in other literature I have read.
16sirfurboy
35. Stonefather - Orson Scott Card
A good story which reminded me a little of Card's earlier short story "Sandmagic" in the basic concepts. A quite typical novel by this author, but no worse for that. The real issue is that the book is very short but not sold cheaply to compensate for thsi fact.
A good story which reminded me a little of Card's earlier short story "Sandmagic" in the basic concepts. A quite typical novel by this author, but no worse for that. The real issue is that the book is very short but not sold cheaply to compensate for thsi fact.
17sirfurboy
36. Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show Short stories by Orson Scott Card set in his Ender universe and stories by other authors too in this anthology. I like the stories, but I really think its time this author laid that world to rest.
18sirfurboy
37. The Door of the Universe - Sylvia Engdahl
Third part of this trilogy by Sylvia Engdahl. This story was again very good, branching out in new directions from the other two in an intelligent manner that really added something to the whole. There are perhaps some problems with this book for sci-fi purists. The difficulty is that if I describe them, they will constitute plot spoilers. In any case, fans of Star Trek or even of the recent film "Avatar" will not mind those problems at all, taking the book for its allegorical value rather than its actual scientific likelihood. Indeed, even fans of the sci-fi purists such as Clark or Asimov will find plenty to enjoy here I think.
In terms of characterisation, I think characters in these books tend to have goals that are a little too rigid throughout their lives, and populations are a little to homogenous. But again, this works fine for the allegorical aspect.
But those problems aside, this is still an original and intelligent work that will make you think, and which really deserves to be much better known.
>13 alcottacre: (alcottacre) - These books were republished in the 1990s in a single volume called Children of the Star. Hopefully you will be able to find that book, as its definitely worth reading.
Third part of this trilogy by Sylvia Engdahl. This story was again very good, branching out in new directions from the other two in an intelligent manner that really added something to the whole. There are perhaps some problems with this book for sci-fi purists. The difficulty is that if I describe them, they will constitute plot spoilers. In any case, fans of Star Trek or even of the recent film "Avatar" will not mind those problems at all, taking the book for its allegorical value rather than its actual scientific likelihood. Indeed, even fans of the sci-fi purists such as Clark or Asimov will find plenty to enjoy here I think.
In terms of characterisation, I think characters in these books tend to have goals that are a little too rigid throughout their lives, and populations are a little to homogenous. But again, this works fine for the allegorical aspect.
But those problems aside, this is still an original and intelligent work that will make you think, and which really deserves to be much better known.
>13 alcottacre: (alcottacre) - These books were republished in the 1990s in a single volume called Children of the Star. Hopefully you will be able to find that book, as its definitely worth reading.
19alcottacre
I have added Children of the Star to my PBS wishlist. Maybe I will get lucky :)
20sirfurboy
38. Black Hearts in Battersea - Joan Aiken
I never read this before strangely, although I have enjoyed much of this author's work. I read it to my daughter over several evenings and we both enjoyed it very much. Plenty of difficult vocabulary in here for younger readers, but a good fast actioned story with classic plot twists and a whole lot of Dickensian coincidence.
39. Abhorsen - Garth Nix
This series was very good indeed and I have now added more Garth Nix books to my TBR list. Inventive, and not at all derivative fantasy with a nice combination of the vaguely familiar with the mythical elements. The end was satisfying in just the right kind of way.
40. Fablehaven - Brandon Mull
This was recommended to me by someone on Librarything (probably Roni). The book immediately suffered a negative reaction from me when I saw that Christopher Paolini had said it was the best fanatasy he had ever read. As his was the worst fantasy I read last year, I had a negative reaction to this recommendation.
Nevertheless it was a good story, with a nicely imagined fantasy world and classic plot elements that will endear this to children who read it. It was not profound, but it was a good enough adventure.
I think there was an attempt to have a C S Lewis style redemption of a bratty child in this book, but if that was meant, it did not really come off.
Also, a pet hate reared its head when a large bovine was described as an "enormity". I presume the author meant "enormousness" but maybe it's an American usage of the word. If so, it's an unfortunate one.
But still a good enough adventure.
I never read this before strangely, although I have enjoyed much of this author's work. I read it to my daughter over several evenings and we both enjoyed it very much. Plenty of difficult vocabulary in here for younger readers, but a good fast actioned story with classic plot twists and a whole lot of Dickensian coincidence.
39. Abhorsen - Garth Nix
This series was very good indeed and I have now added more Garth Nix books to my TBR list. Inventive, and not at all derivative fantasy with a nice combination of the vaguely familiar with the mythical elements. The end was satisfying in just the right kind of way.
40. Fablehaven - Brandon Mull
This was recommended to me by someone on Librarything (probably Roni). The book immediately suffered a negative reaction from me when I saw that Christopher Paolini had said it was the best fanatasy he had ever read. As his was the worst fantasy I read last year, I had a negative reaction to this recommendation.
Nevertheless it was a good story, with a nicely imagined fantasy world and classic plot elements that will endear this to children who read it. It was not profound, but it was a good enough adventure.
I think there was an attempt to have a C S Lewis style redemption of a bratty child in this book, but if that was meant, it did not really come off.
Also, a pet hate reared its head when a large bovine was described as an "enormity". I presume the author meant "enormousness" but maybe it's an American usage of the word. If so, it's an unfortunate one.
But still a good enough adventure.
21alcottacre
#20: We are doing a group read of the Abhorsen trilogy over the summer. I am glad to know that the books are good!
I have read both books 38 & 40 from your list - I have Aiken's Nightbirds on Nantucket home from the library now to read to continue the series.
Yes, "enormity" I suspect in this case is an American usage.
I have read both books 38 & 40 from your list - I have Aiken's Nightbirds on Nantucket home from the library now to read to continue the series.
Yes, "enormity" I suspect in this case is an American usage.
22sirfurboy
I am sorry I have read ahead with the Abhorsen series. It would have been fun to discover it in a group. But thanks for reminding me - I will probably drop in on the discussion if that is okay.
I haven't read Nightbirds on Nantucket yet either, but will be getting hold of that soon no doubt.
I haven't read Nightbirds on Nantucket yet either, but will be getting hold of that soon no doubt.
23alcottacre
We are going to do one book a month starting in June. You are more than welcome to drop in on the discussions.
24avatiakh
You've read quite a few that I have on my tbr and hope to get to this year. I have Charlie Fletcher's trilogy ready to go when I can spare some time for YA. How did you like Auslander, I also have that on my to-read list along with At the firefly gate.
I also adored Ways to live forever. I just read her latest Season of Secrets which mixed in a little fantasy. I read on her website that her next book has been dropped by the publisher which is a shame.I loved the Abhorsen trilogy - I read them all several years ago.
Regarding Stonefather - I was lucky, it was included in the Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from Masters of Modern Fantasy collection, and was one of my favourite stories. I was keen to go on to Book 1, but it doesn't seem to have been published yet.
I also adored Ways to live forever. I just read her latest Season of Secrets which mixed in a little fantasy. I read on her website that her next book has been dropped by the publisher which is a shame.I loved the Abhorsen trilogy - I read them all several years ago.
Regarding Stonefather - I was lucky, it was included in the Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from Masters of Modern Fantasy collection, and was one of my favourite stories. I was keen to go on to Book 1, but it doesn't seem to have been published yet.
25elkiedee
I reread Black Hearts in Battersea recently, a childhood favourite. I'm now reading Limbo Lodge for what I think is the first time. There are some sad and darker aspects of the early books written in this series - Dido is a very neglected child though she really develops into a very special character in the next two books published, and then in the two after that. The Stolen Lake and Limbo Lodge were written years after The Cuckoo Tree but fit in before it in story chronology as nos 4 and 5 respectively.
I look forward to hearing what you both make of Nightbirds in Nantucket.
I look forward to hearing what you both make of Nightbirds in Nantucket.
26ronincats
Wow! I almost missed you altogether--that's what happens when you start a month late!!! And yet I didn't find you for a month. Lots to comment on...
I love the Joan Aiken series. I don't own them--always got them from the library, so it's been a while since I've reread them, but always enjoyed them--as you said, original andn entertaining.
I read The Wednesday Wars last year and really enjoyed it, thanks to Linda (Whisper), I believe.
The Abhorsen Trilogy has been one of my favorites since I first read it. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm going to reread them for the group read this summer. I also liked the second book better.
I liked Flora Segunda but think Flora's Dare is better, and that seems to be the general consensus.
One of my earliest science fiction books was Engdahl's Enchantress from the Stars--I loved it, it was so different from all the other science fiction at the time. I don't remember the trilogy you were reading, although I'm sure I must have read some of them. I shall have to look them up.
I've never heard of the Silvertongue trilogy, something I shall evidently have to remedy.
I enjoyed, if that is the word, Nation--I think Pratchett is trying to use the time left to him to convey his strongest values and beliefs. I'd like more about your response to the book.
I thought Fablehaven was so-so. I read the first two books, but don't plan to continue the series. It was okay, but nothing special, fairly derivative IMHO.
I am planning to finish the Percy Jackson series, however. I'm waiting for the 5th book to come out in paperback.
Glad you liked Jhereg and sorry the rest are so hard for you to find. I'd offer to send you the series so far, but fear the cost for the 18 books, half of which are hardbacks, would be prohibitive.
Whew! That was a lot! Have to be sure and check in more often now that I've found you!
I love the Joan Aiken series. I don't own them--always got them from the library, so it's been a while since I've reread them, but always enjoyed them--as you said, original andn entertaining.
I read The Wednesday Wars last year and really enjoyed it, thanks to Linda (Whisper), I believe.
The Abhorsen Trilogy has been one of my favorites since I first read it. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm going to reread them for the group read this summer. I also liked the second book better.
I liked Flora Segunda but think Flora's Dare is better, and that seems to be the general consensus.
One of my earliest science fiction books was Engdahl's Enchantress from the Stars--I loved it, it was so different from all the other science fiction at the time. I don't remember the trilogy you were reading, although I'm sure I must have read some of them. I shall have to look them up.
I've never heard of the Silvertongue trilogy, something I shall evidently have to remedy.
I enjoyed, if that is the word, Nation--I think Pratchett is trying to use the time left to him to convey his strongest values and beliefs. I'd like more about your response to the book.
I thought Fablehaven was so-so. I read the first two books, but don't plan to continue the series. It was okay, but nothing special, fairly derivative IMHO.
I am planning to finish the Percy Jackson series, however. I'm waiting for the 5th book to come out in paperback.
Glad you liked Jhereg and sorry the rest are so hard for you to find. I'd offer to send you the series so far, but fear the cost for the 18 books, half of which are hardbacks, would be prohibitive.
Whew! That was a lot! Have to be sure and check in more often now that I've found you!
27sirfurboy
>24 avatiakh: (avatiakh):
Auslander was an interesting work following a Polish lad of German descent who is repatriated to Germany and adpted by a good family. As you would expect, it looks at the big issues of Nazi ideology from the perspective of a boy who wants to fit in and be a part of the powerful nation. It covers many key events of the war, horrors and all, but avoiding sinking into despair over it all. It would be an enlightening read for its intended youner audience, and it made a good story.
In many ways it is reminiscent of "The Book Thief" in portraying war from the German civilian perspective. In my opinion, "The Book Thief" is the better story, but this one is a respectable second best.
I have added Season of Secrets to my TBR list!
Auslander was an interesting work following a Polish lad of German descent who is repatriated to Germany and adpted by a good family. As you would expect, it looks at the big issues of Nazi ideology from the perspective of a boy who wants to fit in and be a part of the powerful nation. It covers many key events of the war, horrors and all, but avoiding sinking into despair over it all. It would be an enlightening read for its intended youner audience, and it made a good story.
In many ways it is reminiscent of "The Book Thief" in portraying war from the German civilian perspective. In my opinion, "The Book Thief" is the better story, but this one is a respectable second best.
I have added Season of Secrets to my TBR list!
28sirfurboy
>25 elkiedee:
Thanks for your comments. I am looking forward to reading more of these.
>26 ronincats:
Roni, good to see you and glad you found me. Unfortunately despite searching several times I have not yet found your thread. Could you post a link to it (assuming there is one!)
Since reading it I have loaned Flora Segunda to my niece in the hope she will enjoy it. I will keep an eye out for Flora's Dare.
I bought a box set of three Fablehaven books so will persist with those, but these are young adult books that may truly be enjoyed more by their intended audience than me! I can see how they could be enjoyed just for the adventure, without worrying too much about bigger issues.
I will add Enchantress from the Stars to my TBR list. Thanks for the reminder about it.
Nation does indeed explore some profound questions, and it may well be that Terry Pratchett is exploring some of these things more deeply since he learned of his illness. Not having read much else by this author, I cannot really comment on that (I had at least heard that he often explores religious ideas in his books).
In this work there is an interplay of superstitions that turn out to be baseless, and yet teach us something in that revelation (for instance when he finds the island he is sent to is not haunted after all), and between a deeper mysticism that seems to have some reality - perhaps just for plot purposes.
I liked the characters who were flawed and often blinded by their cultural assumptions - which is a good reminder to ourselves to examine our own such assumptions.
I also liked some of the humour that the assumptions revealed (throwing spears at ships for instance - you have to read it to know what I mean), and the wordplay was enjoyable. Mention of the tree octopus reminded me of the wonderful hoax site on the Internet for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, and knowing that Pratchett has been a long time inhabitant of the net, I suspect he visited that site too and perhaps meant something more profound by the brief mention of the beast in this book.
But ultimately I did not think this was a book I would spend a huge amount of time thinking about. It was an enjoyable story first and foremost, and it succeeds as such.
Thanks for stopping by and for all your comments.
Thanks for your comments. I am looking forward to reading more of these.
>26 ronincats:
Roni, good to see you and glad you found me. Unfortunately despite searching several times I have not yet found your thread. Could you post a link to it (assuming there is one!)
Since reading it I have loaned Flora Segunda to my niece in the hope she will enjoy it. I will keep an eye out for Flora's Dare.
I bought a box set of three Fablehaven books so will persist with those, but these are young adult books that may truly be enjoyed more by their intended audience than me! I can see how they could be enjoyed just for the adventure, without worrying too much about bigger issues.
I will add Enchantress from the Stars to my TBR list. Thanks for the reminder about it.
Nation does indeed explore some profound questions, and it may well be that Terry Pratchett is exploring some of these things more deeply since he learned of his illness. Not having read much else by this author, I cannot really comment on that (I had at least heard that he often explores religious ideas in his books).
In this work there is an interplay of superstitions that turn out to be baseless, and yet teach us something in that revelation (for instance when he finds the island he is sent to is not haunted after all), and between a deeper mysticism that seems to have some reality - perhaps just for plot purposes.
I liked the characters who were flawed and often blinded by their cultural assumptions - which is a good reminder to ourselves to examine our own such assumptions.
I also liked some of the humour that the assumptions revealed (throwing spears at ships for instance - you have to read it to know what I mean), and the wordplay was enjoyable. Mention of the tree octopus reminded me of the wonderful hoax site on the Internet for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, and knowing that Pratchett has been a long time inhabitant of the net, I suspect he visited that site too and perhaps meant something more profound by the brief mention of the beast in this book.
But ultimately I did not think this was a book I would spend a huge amount of time thinking about. It was an enjoyable story first and foremost, and it succeeds as such.
Thanks for stopping by and for all your comments.
29sirfurboy
41. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
This series seems to me to be increasingly reminiscent of Harry Potter. The same format of a book a year in the life of the Hero who discovers he has special powers and hurtles towards his destiny with the powerful antagonist who could end up destroying the world as it is.
It also has the slightly daft humour, although in Percy Jackson it is somehow a little more in your face than in Harry Potter. I cannot say I am enjoying the books as much as I did the Harry Potter books - but I wonder if I would enjoy them more if I was not comparing them so much!
In any case, these are still fun works with some enjoyable flashes of humour, plenty of action and rather too many quests. Percy seems to be growing beyond his former stupidity, which is good.
42. Mister Monday - Garth Nix
A series for younger readers that I have started after enjoying the Anhorsen trilogy. Once again hugely imaginative. The mention of "Paper Wings" is the only point where this book reminded me of the other series, and in any case these Paper Wings are different things. Looking forward to the rest of the series (and in fact have already started the second one).
Like the Abhorsen series, the events of this book take place in two worlds - one being very like our world and one being a completely different and wholly original invention of the author.
This series seems to me to be increasingly reminiscent of Harry Potter. The same format of a book a year in the life of the Hero who discovers he has special powers and hurtles towards his destiny with the powerful antagonist who could end up destroying the world as it is.
It also has the slightly daft humour, although in Percy Jackson it is somehow a little more in your face than in Harry Potter. I cannot say I am enjoying the books as much as I did the Harry Potter books - but I wonder if I would enjoy them more if I was not comparing them so much!
In any case, these are still fun works with some enjoyable flashes of humour, plenty of action and rather too many quests. Percy seems to be growing beyond his former stupidity, which is good.
42. Mister Monday - Garth Nix
A series for younger readers that I have started after enjoying the Anhorsen trilogy. Once again hugely imaginative. The mention of "Paper Wings" is the only point where this book reminded me of the other series, and in any case these Paper Wings are different things. Looking forward to the rest of the series (and in fact have already started the second one).
Like the Abhorsen series, the events of this book take place in two worlds - one being very like our world and one being a completely different and wholly original invention of the author.
30ronincats
I'm not too good at this, but let's give it a try. My thread should be
Roni's thread
Edited to see if it works. Whew! What has helped me find individual's threads, BTW, is to go to the group page, and click the heading of the topic column. That puts everything in alphabetical order, and if the person has started their thread with their screen name, makes it fairly easy to find.
I haven't read the Saturday and Sunday books of the Keys to the Kingdom series yet. Saturday ends on a cliffhanger and Sunday isn't out in paperback yet. But as soon as it is, I'll probably reread the entire series. I do enjoy it, even though it is definitely aimed at younger readers. Nix is just such an original writer.
Same for the Percy Jackson series. It's fun, not as well written and not as original but still entertaining, and I haven't read books 4 and 5 yet because I'm waiting for the paperback edition of book 5.
Roni's thread
Edited to see if it works. Whew! What has helped me find individual's threads, BTW, is to go to the group page, and click the heading of the topic column. That puts everything in alphabetical order, and if the person has started their thread with their screen name, makes it fairly easy to find.
I haven't read the Saturday and Sunday books of the Keys to the Kingdom series yet. Saturday ends on a cliffhanger and Sunday isn't out in paperback yet. But as soon as it is, I'll probably reread the entire series. I do enjoy it, even though it is definitely aimed at younger readers. Nix is just such an original writer.
Same for the Percy Jackson series. It's fun, not as well written and not as original but still entertaining, and I haven't read books 4 and 5 yet because I'm waiting for the paperback edition of book 5.
31sirfurboy
Thanks for the reply Roni. I have your thread starred now. It has been very active the past couple of days so mostly I am just keeping up with the conversation just now.
I note that Lord Sunday is out this week in paperback in the UK at least, so I have kept going with this series. I bought Superior Saturday yesterday and will get Lord Sunday as soon as its available. A very enjoyable series.
Anyway here are my latest reads:
43. Why America Fights
A very interesting look at the use of propaganda in the USA to sell wars. The chapter on the colony in the Philippines was very interesting for me, as the only thing I had read on that war previously was by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky provides good information, but his writing style is turgid, and people will complain about the prespective he takes.
This book was informed, academic and focussed. Whilst there is plenty of information about the wars of the last century and this one, the focus of the book is the propaganda used to manufacture consent and the extent to which this has been resented which, it seems, ends up being in proportion to the extent the war is later considered to be unjust.
44. Grim Tuesday
45. Drowned Wednesday
46. Sir Thursday
Garth Nix has an incredible imagination that makes these books a wonderful and original read. Comparisons with Phillip Pullman do not do him justice. I find his books more original than Pullmans. The exploration of ideas is indeed reminicent of Pullman though. I also find his prose style to be very enjoyable, and there are nice touches of humour in the books too. A highly recommended series (as demonstrated by the speed I am getting through it).
I note that Lord Sunday is out this week in paperback in the UK at least, so I have kept going with this series. I bought Superior Saturday yesterday and will get Lord Sunday as soon as its available. A very enjoyable series.
Anyway here are my latest reads:
43. Why America Fights
A very interesting look at the use of propaganda in the USA to sell wars. The chapter on the colony in the Philippines was very interesting for me, as the only thing I had read on that war previously was by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky provides good information, but his writing style is turgid, and people will complain about the prespective he takes.
This book was informed, academic and focussed. Whilst there is plenty of information about the wars of the last century and this one, the focus of the book is the propaganda used to manufacture consent and the extent to which this has been resented which, it seems, ends up being in proportion to the extent the war is later considered to be unjust.
44. Grim Tuesday
45. Drowned Wednesday
46. Sir Thursday
Garth Nix has an incredible imagination that makes these books a wonderful and original read. Comparisons with Phillip Pullman do not do him justice. I find his books more original than Pullmans. The exploration of ideas is indeed reminicent of Pullman though. I also find his prose style to be very enjoyable, and there are nice touches of humour in the books too. A highly recommended series (as demonstrated by the speed I am getting through it).
32sirfurboy
47 The Child Thief - Brom
A modern retelling of Peter Pan in a dark fantasy setting. The story is somewhat disturbing, gritty and - yes - dark. It was interesting, and pulled in various bits of Celtic myth and some norse myth too. Definitely an adult book, despite the Peter Pan theme.
The story was well told but ultimately it lacked some originality - which is almost inevitable when retelling a story, but comparing this to Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" would show where this book misses on that score.
The author explains why he finds the original Peter Pan disturbing enough to merit a dark fantasy retelling - and to a large extent I think he is right. But perhaps the darkness is better told subtly in the original than overtly here.
A modern retelling of Peter Pan in a dark fantasy setting. The story is somewhat disturbing, gritty and - yes - dark. It was interesting, and pulled in various bits of Celtic myth and some norse myth too. Definitely an adult book, despite the Peter Pan theme.
The story was well told but ultimately it lacked some originality - which is almost inevitable when retelling a story, but comparing this to Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" would show where this book misses on that score.
The author explains why he finds the original Peter Pan disturbing enough to merit a dark fantasy retelling - and to a large extent I think he is right. But perhaps the darkness is better told subtly in the original than overtly here.
33swynn
#32: My son and I read Peter Pan together last year, and I have to agree about its darkness. The book is quite different from any of the film treatments, and I decided that I'd really rather not have Peter Pan for a friend.
The child thief sounds intriguing, and I'm adding it to my list -- which is itself both attractive and subtly threatening and deserves a name as ominous as "Mt. TBR" or Stasia's "Black Hole."
The child thief sounds intriguing, and I'm adding it to my list -- which is itself both attractive and subtly threatening and deserves a name as ominous as "Mt. TBR" or Stasia's "Black Hole."
34alcottacre
#33: Something like 'Swynn's Swamp?'
35swynn
#34: I like it. I have added The child thief to the Someday Swamp.
36alcottacre
#35: Pretty soon everyone will have their own ominous name for their TBR stacks.
37sirfurboy
Now you have me thinking what I should call my TBR! Currently the paper books sit on a specified shelf, the ebooks sit in my Calibre library and various books I have not got round to buying are sitting in assorted wish lists so maybe it is some kind of web...
Anyway:
48. Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth
This series has, I think, run beyond its originality. I will read the Last Olympian but hoping that this properly wraps up the story as I don't find myself longing to read the next book.
this book transports an expanding Labyrinth beneath the USA and also transports lots of Greek myths in the process. Some funny parts and some character development here, along with a reasonably interesting story - but not really a classic.
Anyway:
48. Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth
This series has, I think, run beyond its originality. I will read the Last Olympian but hoping that this properly wraps up the story as I don't find myself longing to read the next book.
this book transports an expanding Labyrinth beneath the USA and also transports lots of Greek myths in the process. Some funny parts and some character development here, along with a reasonably interesting story - but not really a classic.
38ronincats
I enjoy the Keys to the Kingdom series a lot. I do see that Lord Sunday is due out this month here in the US, but in hardback. I own all the others in paperback and don't want to break the set, so hope this is one the library will pick up fairly quickly! As soon as it does, I'll read my copy of Superior Saturday and the last book lickety-split! I will probably do a complete series reread first, because my readings have been spread out over so much time that I've forgotten key points.
I'm also waiting for the last Percy Jackson book to come out in paperback. They are enjoyable, but not in the same league as above, and I am quite able to wait for that one to appear in the store in pb format.
If you like this type of book (gods appearing in modern life), have you ever read Changer by Jane Lindskold? It is a definite favorite of mine in this genre!
I'm also waiting for the last Percy Jackson book to come out in paperback. They are enjoyable, but not in the same league as above, and I am quite able to wait for that one to appear in the store in pb format.
If you like this type of book (gods appearing in modern life), have you ever read Changer by Jane Lindskold? It is a definite favorite of mine in this genre!
39sirfurboy
That is a pity that the paperback is not due in the US. I thought publishers were more in line with each other these days. My paperback copy of Lord Sunday arrived on Thursday (I pre-ordered on Amazon) so I am full speed ahead on this series.
Thus:
49. Lady Friday
I can't keep saying the same things about these books but it all applies. One thing I notice about Garth Nix's writing is I like his prose style - particularly in the dialogue. The prose in the Percy Jackson books is not terrible, but feels a little stilted at times in comparison to these books. Useful to know if you intend to read them aloud to children at any point.
50. Roman Mysteries - The Enemies of Jupiter
This was a re-read because I was reading it to my daughter over several nights. She had been reading the series herself but sometimes children just prefer to have daddy read to them instead. Not least because they can giggle at his terrible attempts at Greek, Ethiopean and other ancient world accents! (I decided all Romans sound British in the fine tradition of many Hollywood and BBC epics!)
Thus:
49. Lady Friday
I can't keep saying the same things about these books but it all applies. One thing I notice about Garth Nix's writing is I like his prose style - particularly in the dialogue. The prose in the Percy Jackson books is not terrible, but feels a little stilted at times in comparison to these books. Useful to know if you intend to read them aloud to children at any point.
50. Roman Mysteries - The Enemies of Jupiter
This was a re-read because I was reading it to my daughter over several nights. She had been reading the series herself but sometimes children just prefer to have daddy read to them instead. Not least because they can giggle at his terrible attempts at Greek, Ethiopean and other ancient world accents! (I decided all Romans sound British in the fine tradition of many Hollywood and BBC epics!)
40alcottacre
Sounds like you and your daughter are having a wonderful time with the Roman Mysteries series.
42alcottacre
Are you familiar with Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook? If you ever lack for ideas on what to read aloud to your daughter, that book is full of them.
43susiesharp
Hi sirfurboy, ronincat pointed out your thread to me I just finished Lord Sunday and it wraps up nicely I've been waiting too long for the last book in this series to wait for the paperback!
Looks like you've read some good ones I need to read The Percy Jackson books which I'm glad I waited till they were all out before I bought them.
You have read quite a few I have on my TBR list will have to star your thread to see what your reading next!
Looks like you've read some good ones I need to read The Percy Jackson books which I'm glad I waited till they were all out before I bought them.
You have read quite a few I have on my TBR list will have to star your thread to see what your reading next!
44sirfurboy
>43 susiesharp:. Thanks for dropping by. I have now starred your thread and will look forward to reading through that!
I finished the Keys to the Kingdom whilst waiting for someone about 30 minutes ago, and very much liked the ending. It did indeed wrap things up very nicely, and have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Thus to keep my list up to date with the weekend reading:
51. Superior Saturday The fight to gain the keys of the Kingdom reaches the weekend. Some wonderfully drawn characters reach the Upper House whilst the Nothing is consuming the rest of the house. The concept of Nothing consuming the world reminded me of the Neverending Story, and there are at least some parallels with Nix's world and Ende's. A criticism of this book is perhaps teh speed with which it wraps up - and the fact that in fact it really does not. This book is not self contained, and Roni was quite right to wait for the last one before reading this one. It leads straight into the last.
52. The Castle of Llyr - Re-read for the group read in this group. I will save my comments for the upcoming spoiler thread.
53. Lord Sunday - An excellent end to a very enjoyable and imaginative series. definitely one to recommend to the intended audience of younger readers, but equally enjoyable for adults who are not averse to reading young adult books, I think. the book is laced with dry humour, plenty of adventure and colourful characters. This book leaves the reader with something deeper to consider too, as they close their book with a satisfied sigh and think "now that was a good story".
I finished the Keys to the Kingdom whilst waiting for someone about 30 minutes ago, and very much liked the ending. It did indeed wrap things up very nicely, and have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Thus to keep my list up to date with the weekend reading:
51. Superior Saturday The fight to gain the keys of the Kingdom reaches the weekend. Some wonderfully drawn characters reach the Upper House whilst the Nothing is consuming the rest of the house. The concept of Nothing consuming the world reminded me of the Neverending Story, and there are at least some parallels with Nix's world and Ende's. A criticism of this book is perhaps teh speed with which it wraps up - and the fact that in fact it really does not. This book is not self contained, and Roni was quite right to wait for the last one before reading this one. It leads straight into the last.
52. The Castle of Llyr - Re-read for the group read in this group. I will save my comments for the upcoming spoiler thread.
53. Lord Sunday - An excellent end to a very enjoyable and imaginative series. definitely one to recommend to the intended audience of younger readers, but equally enjoyable for adults who are not averse to reading young adult books, I think. the book is laced with dry humour, plenty of adventure and colourful characters. This book leaves the reader with something deeper to consider too, as they close their book with a satisfied sigh and think "now that was a good story".
45ronincats
Oh, dear. Between you and Susie, I don't know if I am going to be able to hold out for the paperback version after all.
46susiesharp
maybe you can get it from the library ronin
47ronincats
The San Diego Library works at a snail's pace, Susie--a disadvantage of being so big and underfunded. It could take months if not years.
48sirfurboy
Well I suppose you could always get the hardback and then donate it to the library, Roni :)
On the other hand, maybe libraries don't want random book donations.
Anyhow, finished 2 more books:
54. Percy jackson and the Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
The story seemed to end a little abruptly and then spend a fair bit of time wrapping up loose ends (and possibly setting up a follow on series). I think a follow on series would be a mistake. An enjoyable and imaginative start became increasingly tired and spun out in this series, and there were a couple of points in this book where I was almsot groaning.
the series as a whole was not one I regret reading - I just think it should not have followed the Harry Potter formula, but instead wrapped itself up in 3 books or less.
One pedantic point on plurals (and this is *very* pedantic :) ) - We are told that Percy (the narrator) has a mind geared up for ancient Greek. But he calls the winged horses "Pegasus" (Latin), not "Pegasos" (Greek), and then gives them the plural "Pegasi", where the Greek plural of Pegasoi might have been better. That is quite forgiveable, of course, because most people recognise the word as "Pegasus".
What is less forgiveable is his mangling of the plural of Octopus. Octopus *is* Greek, and the nominative plural should be "octopodes" - A plural form the author uses correctly for "cyclopes". The English plural "octopuses" would also be fine, but instead he uses the faux Latin "octopi" which, as far as I can tell, only means 8 x 3.142.
55. Speaks the Nightbird - Robert McCammon
this doorstop of a book was originally published in two volumes, although I cannot imagine how the books could have been split to reach a satisfying conclusion to book 1.
This was an excellent plot driven narrative set in late 17th century Carolina (the year is 1699). Matthew Corbett is the clerk to a magistrate called to the settlement of Fount Royal to pass judgement of a young woman accused of witchcraft. But (as the Wizards fo Waverly Place would say) Everything is not as it seems. Indeed there is wonderfully tangled web of deceit, greed, revenge and murder which makes this a thoroughly intrguing and enjoyable book. McCammon writes good characters and tense seens with adaptability and skill. If Matthew Corbett is a little to able to see patterns that eluude other intelligent people, then that is no more so than in an Agatha Christie novel or somesuch.
On the other hand, maybe libraries don't want random book donations.
Anyhow, finished 2 more books:
54. Percy jackson and the Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
The story seemed to end a little abruptly and then spend a fair bit of time wrapping up loose ends (and possibly setting up a follow on series). I think a follow on series would be a mistake. An enjoyable and imaginative start became increasingly tired and spun out in this series, and there were a couple of points in this book where I was almsot groaning.
the series as a whole was not one I regret reading - I just think it should not have followed the Harry Potter formula, but instead wrapped itself up in 3 books or less.
One pedantic point on plurals (and this is *very* pedantic :) ) - We are told that Percy (the narrator) has a mind geared up for ancient Greek. But he calls the winged horses "Pegasus" (Latin), not "Pegasos" (Greek), and then gives them the plural "Pegasi", where the Greek plural of Pegasoi might have been better. That is quite forgiveable, of course, because most people recognise the word as "Pegasus".
What is less forgiveable is his mangling of the plural of Octopus. Octopus *is* Greek, and the nominative plural should be "octopodes" - A plural form the author uses correctly for "cyclopes". The English plural "octopuses" would also be fine, but instead he uses the faux Latin "octopi" which, as far as I can tell, only means 8 x 3.142.
55. Speaks the Nightbird - Robert McCammon
this doorstop of a book was originally published in two volumes, although I cannot imagine how the books could have been split to reach a satisfying conclusion to book 1.
This was an excellent plot driven narrative set in late 17th century Carolina (the year is 1699). Matthew Corbett is the clerk to a magistrate called to the settlement of Fount Royal to pass judgement of a young woman accused of witchcraft. But (as the Wizards fo Waverly Place would say) Everything is not as it seems. Indeed there is wonderfully tangled web of deceit, greed, revenge and murder which makes this a thoroughly intrguing and enjoyable book. McCammon writes good characters and tense seens with adaptability and skill. If Matthew Corbett is a little to able to see patterns that eluude other intelligent people, then that is no more so than in an Agatha Christie novel or somesuch.
49alcottacre
#48: And here all this time I thought 'octopi' was a real word. Goes to show what I know!
I am adding Speaks the Nightbird to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation.
I am adding Speaks the Nightbird to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation.
50tloeffler
And I love your definition of octopi! Speaking of which, do we all know that Sunday this week is Pi Day (3.14)? My son celebrates by goading me into making his favorite Peanut Butter Pie.
51sirfurboy
Pi day - that is a new one one me :) But it reminds me of why Geeks get confused between halloween and Christmas. It is because Oct. 31-Dec. 25.
And for anyone not geeky enough to get that one - that is "three one in octal/base 8=twenty five in decimal/base 10".
I also like Star Wars day (May the 4th be with you!) But, in the UK at least, this Sunday is mid lent or mothering Sunday. Luckily I posted my card yesterday and have the kids prepared!
*
Yesterday I finished:
56. Across the Wall - Garth Nix
I am not usually a great fan of short stories, but I have been working through Garth Nix books recently and added this one as I could get it as an ebook. I enjoyed these tales, and enjoyed the author introductions almost as much. There were maybe one or two of the stories that did nothing for me - but because they are short stories you can just forget them and enjoy the next one instead.
The attraction of the book was the first one - a brief return to the old Kingdom that fills in some blanks and shows that time does not stop at the end of Abhorsen! But I also liked reading other works in different genres by this author. It also became evident that he has read some of my favourite books when he too was a child (He mentions "The Dark is Rising", "The Moomins", "Merlin of the Crystal Cave" and some others that I have very much enjoyed in the past). As I say, the snapshot into the author's background was almost as good as the stories themselves.
And for anyone not geeky enough to get that one - that is "three one in octal/base 8=twenty five in decimal/base 10".
I also like Star Wars day (May the 4th be with you!) But, in the UK at least, this Sunday is mid lent or mothering Sunday. Luckily I posted my card yesterday and have the kids prepared!
*
Yesterday I finished:
56. Across the Wall - Garth Nix
I am not usually a great fan of short stories, but I have been working through Garth Nix books recently and added this one as I could get it as an ebook. I enjoyed these tales, and enjoyed the author introductions almost as much. There were maybe one or two of the stories that did nothing for me - but because they are short stories you can just forget them and enjoy the next one instead.
The attraction of the book was the first one - a brief return to the old Kingdom that fills in some blanks and shows that time does not stop at the end of Abhorsen! But I also liked reading other works in different genres by this author. It also became evident that he has read some of my favourite books when he too was a child (He mentions "The Dark is Rising", "The Moomins", "Merlin of the Crystal Cave" and some others that I have very much enjoyed in the past). As I say, the snapshot into the author's background was almost as good as the stories themselves.
52sirfurboy
57. Escape from Evil (Gladiator Boy) by David Grimstone
Book two in this series for younger children. I still think it misses its mark a little. Too easy a read for older children, it nevertheless seems a little violent for new readers. Maybe a good one for boys of about 8 or 9 who are slow readers.
58. Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card.
Having trouble with touchstones today as this edition was in fact the graphic novel. I long ago read this book when it was still new, but the library had this version on display. I picked it up and decided to read it as it seems to start the Alvin Maker series off in graphic novel form. I don't often read graphic novels, but it was nice to refresh my memory of this story with this particular book.
The story works better in the original I think. So much subtlety, digression and thought is lost in the graphic novel. I doubt I will bother with future volumes in this format.
59. Shade's Children by Garh Nix
An early Garth Nix and a straight science fiction. It is not Nix at his best, I think. A dark future where aliens have invaded and eliminated all adults, harvesting children for their body parts on their 14th birthday. At times it reminded me of Gone, but that was maybe a failing of this book. Gone was self consciously limited to a single city in its effects, whereas this books purports to involve the whole world, but really does not seem to have that scope.
Not a book for younger readers. Aimed more at teenagers - this is a dark work with some string language. Ultimately it is a story in which the guiding artificial intelligence has to overcome a moral crisis.
Book two in this series for younger children. I still think it misses its mark a little. Too easy a read for older children, it nevertheless seems a little violent for new readers. Maybe a good one for boys of about 8 or 9 who are slow readers.
58. Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card.
Having trouble with touchstones today as this edition was in fact the graphic novel. I long ago read this book when it was still new, but the library had this version on display. I picked it up and decided to read it as it seems to start the Alvin Maker series off in graphic novel form. I don't often read graphic novels, but it was nice to refresh my memory of this story with this particular book.
The story works better in the original I think. So much subtlety, digression and thought is lost in the graphic novel. I doubt I will bother with future volumes in this format.
59. Shade's Children by Garh Nix
An early Garth Nix and a straight science fiction. It is not Nix at his best, I think. A dark future where aliens have invaded and eliminated all adults, harvesting children for their body parts on their 14th birthday. At times it reminded me of Gone, but that was maybe a failing of this book. Gone was self consciously limited to a single city in its effects, whereas this books purports to involve the whole world, but really does not seem to have that scope.
Not a book for younger readers. Aimed more at teenagers - this is a dark work with some string language. Ultimately it is a story in which the guiding artificial intelligence has to overcome a moral crisis.
53sirfurboy
60. Fablehaven - Rise of the Evening Star Brandon Mull
Second in this series. I bought a box set of three but after the first I probably would not have persisted. Thus I did not start this book with any huge expectations, and was not let down nor greatly surprised. Its a good enough fantasy adventure for children, but I just am not greatly engaged by it. I was somewhat annoyed by the charictarisations, which felt pretty bland to me.
I think I will probably try lending it to kids though - who are, after all, the intended audience. It may b that they will love it and I'll write a review to that effect if they do.
Second in this series. I bought a box set of three but after the first I probably would not have persisted. Thus I did not start this book with any huge expectations, and was not let down nor greatly surprised. Its a good enough fantasy adventure for children, but I just am not greatly engaged by it. I was somewhat annoyed by the charictarisations, which felt pretty bland to me.
I think I will probably try lending it to kids though - who are, after all, the intended audience. It may b that they will love it and I'll write a review to that effect if they do.
56ronincats
You and me--I also got the first two--however, I found them on deep discount sale at Borders for $1 each. And I'm not going to persist either. Like you, I found it OK but nothing special. Pretty stock for both the plot and the characters. I'll give it away to kids at my school when I clear out my library there at the end of the year. (Retirement is looming!)
57sirfurboy
Oh, retirement sounds like a wonderful idea :) Just think of all that extra reading time! I notice we seem to agree on our opinions of a whole lot of books, Roni - which is why I have a tendency to add your best reads to my TBR list! We obviously like similar things in a book.
Today I finished:
61. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by O. S. Card. This is one I remember starting and for some reason I never finished some years ago. I found it in the attic recently when I was sorting books (I now have all bar codes in the attic scanned, and can tell you exactly which box any book is in! I would quite like a way to record that information on library thing).
Anyhow, this book was very good. I have no idea why I never finished it at the time, because it is classic Card, with some clever plots, woven into a science fiction story that is creative and original. Like so much of his work, religion plays a central role in this book - but this is not a religious book itself. As usual Card has done his homework, and there is plenty of the history of Christopher Columbus here, as well as some other interesting ideas about Noah's flood and such like.
As usual, one could pick a few holes in the science and such like - but not for any good reason. This is an intelligent novel from Card when he was at his zenith. Sadly his most recent books have not been up to this standard, but this one is definitely worth a read.
Today I finished:
61. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by O. S. Card. This is one I remember starting and for some reason I never finished some years ago. I found it in the attic recently when I was sorting books (I now have all bar codes in the attic scanned, and can tell you exactly which box any book is in! I would quite like a way to record that information on library thing).
Anyhow, this book was very good. I have no idea why I never finished it at the time, because it is classic Card, with some clever plots, woven into a science fiction story that is creative and original. Like so much of his work, religion plays a central role in this book - but this is not a religious book itself. As usual Card has done his homework, and there is plenty of the history of Christopher Columbus here, as well as some other interesting ideas about Noah's flood and such like.
As usual, one could pick a few holes in the science and such like - but not for any good reason. This is an intelligent novel from Card when he was at his zenith. Sadly his most recent books have not been up to this standard, but this one is definitely worth a read.
58ronincats
I number my boxes and then put the box information on the books' tags. See my "sale box" tags for the books I'm getting rid of for retirement. (professional books)
I have given up on Card in general--he loves the child abuse ploy too much for me, although I love most of his older books. However, if you like this one, I may have to try it.
I have given up on Card in general--he loves the child abuse ploy too much for me, although I love most of his older books. However, if you like this one, I may have to try it.
59alcottacre
#57: I just finished that one up Sunday and I really enjoyed it, too.
60sirfurboy
#58 - that sounds like a plan - but I wonder if I can use the export and import facility to automate the process somehow as I have a lot of books in the attic!
#59 - I found your thread at last! Although its a busy one. I'll watch out for anything you say about that book.
Now finished:
62. The Ragwitch - Garth Nix
Garth Nix's first book - and it shows! It's not a bad fantasy, which would suit younger readers - maybe in the 8-10 range. It shows some of the author's formidable imagination, but it also lacks orginality in parts. The story involves two children. Paul and Julia are playing on an Australian beach when Julia discovers a rag doll that only the children can see. Before you can blink an eye, the rag doll takes over Julia's body and the rest of the book is a journey through a magical realm to save Julia and destroy the ragwitch.
Enjoyable but by no means exceptional. This book, like many others, makes use of Welsh words as a language of the magical world. This falls a bit flat when these words are translated in a way that is very un-Welsh. Personally I would like to see the languages more invented and less adapted - although non Welsh speakers may not notice that at all (except for the frequent use of "caer" which will at least be reminicent of Narnia, the Prydain books and other such stories that used that word).
#59 - I found your thread at last! Although its a busy one. I'll watch out for anything you say about that book.
Now finished:
62. The Ragwitch - Garth Nix
Garth Nix's first book - and it shows! It's not a bad fantasy, which would suit younger readers - maybe in the 8-10 range. It shows some of the author's formidable imagination, but it also lacks orginality in parts. The story involves two children. Paul and Julia are playing on an Australian beach when Julia discovers a rag doll that only the children can see. Before you can blink an eye, the rag doll takes over Julia's body and the rest of the book is a journey through a magical realm to save Julia and destroy the ragwitch.
Enjoyable but by no means exceptional. This book, like many others, makes use of Welsh words as a language of the magical world. This falls a bit flat when these words are translated in a way that is very un-Welsh. Personally I would like to see the languages more invented and less adapted - although non Welsh speakers may not notice that at all (except for the frequent use of "caer" which will at least be reminicent of Narnia, the Prydain books and other such stories that used that word).
61susiesharp
I agree on Ragwitch its definitely Not one of my favorite Garth Nix books you can sure tell its his first so glad his writing got better!Luckily I had already read Sabriel so knew he was good I'd hate for people to start there and not read anymore they'd be missing out!
62alcottacre
#60: The book will be on the update I post next Sunday morning (5am CT), which for you is probably about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
63sirfurboy
63. What the Bible Really Teaches - A Challenge to Fundamentalists by Keith Ward
This book is a much more considered polemic against fundamentalism than the last one I read, and makes some good points about our approach to the study of the Bible - giving some good principles of biblical interpretation, and warning against the dangers of confirmation bias (where we only read the books by the "sound" writers). However as he was discussing the lack of consensus on issues such as those surrounding the existence or not of a "Q" manuscript, I was actually reminded not of fundamentalists so much as Bruce Bawer, who - in his own polemic against fundamentalism - stated quite unequivocally that scholars now agreed that there was a Q manuscript (and other equally definite statements in defiance of the uncertainty).
My conclusion therefore is that fundamentalists have no monopoly on confirmation bias and bad practices in Bible interpretation!
Nevertheless the principles suggested are sound and useful and Ward makes some good arguments that deserve to be heard. It is sad that it is precisely those people wrapped up in confirmation bias who are least likely to actually give this book a go.
I did find some of the points were a little stretched and others were sketched over too briefly. For instance, the assertion that Jesus' words on marriage to divorced people must be meant to be symbolic seems to me to ignore another excellent principle of exegesis that Ward does not mention - that we must understand how the original hearers would have understood the teaching when performing our exegesis of the meaning of the passage. We may feel that there is much more to be said on an issue and a case to be made for a broader understanding on an issue - but to deny the original intention of the words as recorded seems to me to be importing our views back into the text. That is surely illegitimate.
But I agree with Ward that fundamentalism picks and chooses which texts it treats as literal and which it chooses as symbolic (or ignores altogether). This is an intelligent book that makes an excellent case that fundamentalism is not quite the bible based Christianity it claims to be. As a thesis, this deserves consideration.
This book is a much more considered polemic against fundamentalism than the last one I read, and makes some good points about our approach to the study of the Bible - giving some good principles of biblical interpretation, and warning against the dangers of confirmation bias (where we only read the books by the "sound" writers). However as he was discussing the lack of consensus on issues such as those surrounding the existence or not of a "Q" manuscript, I was actually reminded not of fundamentalists so much as Bruce Bawer, who - in his own polemic against fundamentalism - stated quite unequivocally that scholars now agreed that there was a Q manuscript (and other equally definite statements in defiance of the uncertainty).
My conclusion therefore is that fundamentalists have no monopoly on confirmation bias and bad practices in Bible interpretation!
Nevertheless the principles suggested are sound and useful and Ward makes some good arguments that deserve to be heard. It is sad that it is precisely those people wrapped up in confirmation bias who are least likely to actually give this book a go.
I did find some of the points were a little stretched and others were sketched over too briefly. For instance, the assertion that Jesus' words on marriage to divorced people must be meant to be symbolic seems to me to ignore another excellent principle of exegesis that Ward does not mention - that we must understand how the original hearers would have understood the teaching when performing our exegesis of the meaning of the passage. We may feel that there is much more to be said on an issue and a case to be made for a broader understanding on an issue - but to deny the original intention of the words as recorded seems to me to be importing our views back into the text. That is surely illegitimate.
But I agree with Ward that fundamentalism picks and chooses which texts it treats as literal and which it chooses as symbolic (or ignores altogether). This is an intelligent book that makes an excellent case that fundamentalism is not quite the bible based Christianity it claims to be. As a thesis, this deserves consideration.
64alcottacre
#63: As someone who grew up in a fundamentalist church, I am curious about this book. Thanks for the recommendation. I will look for it.
65sirfurboy
64. IT Law: An ISEB Foundation
This is a text book for the British Computer Society ISEB exams. I am not taking the exams, but I was interested in the content. It is a good foundational guide to the broad sweep of IT law,and will provide a good grounding in the subject. Some areas were only touched on very briefly (e.g Accessibility), and I would have liked to see a fuller book list for each of the areas covered (for instance, a link to Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman would be helpful).
However the book achieves its purpose and the reader will usually have a good idea how to locate further reading.
Only recommended for UK readers as the law covered is primarily the law as it affects the UK (English law and European law).
I was slightly annoyed by the chapter on IPR which approached a soap box for a unified EU law on software patents against the alleged interference of open source proponents. A challenging voice asking, for instance, whether such an important bill should really have been introduced as a rider on a fisheries bill would have been appreciated. However space is limited in the book and it would have probably been better to omit the soapbox altogether.
This is a text book for the British Computer Society ISEB exams. I am not taking the exams, but I was interested in the content. It is a good foundational guide to the broad sweep of IT law,and will provide a good grounding in the subject. Some areas were only touched on very briefly (e.g Accessibility), and I would have liked to see a fuller book list for each of the areas covered (for instance, a link to Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman would be helpful).
However the book achieves its purpose and the reader will usually have a good idea how to locate further reading.
Only recommended for UK readers as the law covered is primarily the law as it affects the UK (English law and European law).
I was slightly annoyed by the chapter on IPR which approached a soap box for a unified EU law on software patents against the alleged interference of open source proponents. A challenging voice asking, for instance, whether such an important bill should really have been introduced as a rider on a fisheries bill would have been appreciated. However space is limited in the book and it would have probably been better to omit the soapbox altogether.
66sirfurboy
65. Fablehaven - Grip of the Shadow Plague
The third book of the three book box set of these I bought. I was glad to get it finished and disappointed it did not wrap the story up yet. I won't be buying any more. To be fair, I almost enjoyed one small part of it where Seth was caught reading. As I mentioned for the earlier books - this may well work fine for the intended audience of young children.
The third book of the three book box set of these I bought. I was glad to get it finished and disappointed it did not wrap the story up yet. I won't be buying any more. To be fair, I almost enjoyed one small part of it where Seth was caught reading. As I mentioned for the earlier books - this may well work fine for the intended audience of young children.
67justchris
@66: "I almost enjoyed one small part"--I like that. Faint praise, indeed. That's quite a range of reading material.
68sirfurboy
Well yes - I guess I was getting a little fed up with this series by this book. It would have been better if I had just bought the one book rather than the 3 book box set.
Thanks for stopping by.
Latest reads:
66. The Forgotten Legion - This is an adventure set in the days of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar and following the legion that Crassus lost on his ill fated expedition into Parthia. It's a good enough story, and I don't really fault the effort the author has put into understanding the history and setting - but I have been spoiled by reading through Conn Iggulden's "Emperor" series. That is an extremely hard act to follow.
Ultimately the thing that - to me - let this book down was the pacing of the story - I almost gave up at 250 pages in because nothing much had actually happened at that point. We were treated with far too much information about the life of the prostitute Fabiola. I did not intend to buy soft porn, but the sexual references were very frequent in this book (not just for straight sex either). Eventually events unfold in Parthia as they must, and there were no surprises on that score. The story sets up a sequel, but maybe the book would have been more interesting if the sequel had been written into this one. I doubt I will bother with the sequel.
Regarding prose, there was something odd in the dialogue. The author uses some very basic colloquial English, which is fair enough as a stylistic choice. Romans swore as much as anyone, and used colloquialisms too. But then the next sentence would be much more formal. An example:
"We are in deep sh**. We should flee"
Surely a more natural dialogue would read "We are in a dire situation now, we should flee" (formal) or "We are in deep sh**. Run!" (colloquial)
Maybe others will disagree, but this grated on me as I was reading it.
67. Frozen in Time - This was a re-read - I read it last year and wrote a review but read it to my daughter this week. She loved it and got quite animated at the climax!
Thanks for stopping by.
Latest reads:
66. The Forgotten Legion - This is an adventure set in the days of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar and following the legion that Crassus lost on his ill fated expedition into Parthia. It's a good enough story, and I don't really fault the effort the author has put into understanding the history and setting - but I have been spoiled by reading through Conn Iggulden's "Emperor" series. That is an extremely hard act to follow.
Ultimately the thing that - to me - let this book down was the pacing of the story - I almost gave up at 250 pages in because nothing much had actually happened at that point. We were treated with far too much information about the life of the prostitute Fabiola. I did not intend to buy soft porn, but the sexual references were very frequent in this book (not just for straight sex either). Eventually events unfold in Parthia as they must, and there were no surprises on that score. The story sets up a sequel, but maybe the book would have been more interesting if the sequel had been written into this one. I doubt I will bother with the sequel.
Regarding prose, there was something odd in the dialogue. The author uses some very basic colloquial English, which is fair enough as a stylistic choice. Romans swore as much as anyone, and used colloquialisms too. But then the next sentence would be much more formal. An example:
"We are in deep sh**. We should flee"
Surely a more natural dialogue would read "We are in a dire situation now, we should flee" (formal) or "We are in deep sh**. Run!" (colloquial)
Maybe others will disagree, but this grated on me as I was reading it.
67. Frozen in Time - This was a re-read - I read it last year and wrote a review but read it to my daughter this week. She loved it and got quite animated at the climax!
69ronincats
Frozen in Time sounds like fun, onto the wishlist it goes!
I gave in and ordered Lord Sunday. It and Superior Saturday are sitting here on my TBR shelf, and I'm trying to decide if I want to re-read the rest of the series before starting these...
I gave in and ordered Lord Sunday. It and Superior Saturday are sitting here on my TBR shelf, and I'm trying to decide if I want to re-read the rest of the series before starting these...
70sirfurboy
Just notice my review of Frozen in Time is missing. So this is what I wrote on Amazon reviews last year:
This book is excellent. Fast paced, fun, a good storyline. It will entrance its intended readers and engage old readers too with the careful depiction of a 1950s lifestyle. Highly recommended.
I feel for the author, who must be kicking herself over one minor detail. She sets the book in summer of 2009 - just a matter of months after the publication date, but the perils of prediction bite her, with the line by one of the 1950s children "Woolworths, it's still here".
But thats not a criticism of this first class novel.
*
For anyone outside the UK - Woolworths - a 99 year old store chain in the UK, not related to the US chain - stopped trading in early 2009. Allegedly a victim of the credit crunch, it had really been heading that way for a couple of years.
* Roni - apologies for encouraging you to buy Lord Sunday sooner than you intended! But I hope you enjoy it (and any of the other books you re-read).
This book is excellent. Fast paced, fun, a good storyline. It will entrance its intended readers and engage old readers too with the careful depiction of a 1950s lifestyle. Highly recommended.
I feel for the author, who must be kicking herself over one minor detail. She sets the book in summer of 2009 - just a matter of months after the publication date, but the perils of prediction bite her, with the line by one of the 1950s children "Woolworths, it's still here".
But thats not a criticism of this first class novel.
*
For anyone outside the UK - Woolworths - a 99 year old store chain in the UK, not related to the US chain - stopped trading in early 2009. Allegedly a victim of the credit crunch, it had really been heading that way for a couple of years.
* Roni - apologies for encouraging you to buy Lord Sunday sooner than you intended! But I hope you enjoy it (and any of the other books you re-read).
71alcottacre
Adding Frozen in Time to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation!
72sirfurboy
68. Taran Wanderer
Finished this early for the group read. I will save my comments until April 10th
69. Space Boy - Orson Scott Card
A short book with a fun story of two worlds joined by a giant worm whose head is to be found in a boy's closet. This book was frequently amusing, a little poignant and suitably original although not very deep. A good diversion for the hour or so it takes to read. Occasionally a tad scatalogical.
Finished this early for the group read. I will save my comments until April 10th
69. Space Boy - Orson Scott Card
A short book with a fun story of two worlds joined by a giant worm whose head is to be found in a boy's closet. This book was frequently amusing, a little poignant and suitably original although not very deep. A good diversion for the hour or so it takes to read. Occasionally a tad scatalogical.
73sirfurboy
70. The Existence of God - Richard Swinburne
A complex book looking at the issue of proofs of God's existence very thoroughly. The author rightly rejects a priori deductive proofs of God's existence and non existence as necessarily flawed, and thus the ontological proofs, the 5 ways etc. are all out as pure deductive proofs. But the opening chapters look at the issue of inductive argument, probabilities and the evident truth that the simplest explanation is usually the best in scientific explanation as well as in personal explanation (which itself gets a lot of discussion).
Having laid some solid groundwork, the arguments for God's existence are examined in depth. Swinburne makes some excellent points and answers many criticisms very well. However his argument hinges on the ability to prove that the hypothesis of God is the most probably hypothess, and he does this by settling a value on the probability of God being probably about 1/2 before bringing in miracles and his principle of credulity. Sceptics will perhaps point out that a desire to achieve a value of 1/2 at this point may colour the values given for probabilities from other arguments. Perhaps the problem of evil, that Swinburne notes "reduces the probability" actually reduces it much more than the author supposes. Thus to set such a probability is somewhat open to challenge.
Having established that probablility, the principle of credulity is brought in to suggest we believe claims to miracles and such like unless there is reason to doubt. A sceptic will reply that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and thus the strong extra jolt given to the probabilities by the influence of miracles on the hypothesis can certainly be quibbled with.
Ultimately this book is not going to convince an atheist of God's existence I suspect. However, it does have some wonderful insights in it. The arguments about the hidden-ness of God are wonderfully thought through. The realisation that there must be a possibility of agnosticism if we are ever to make choices free of the knowledge of our being watched, as it were, over our shoulders was a new one on me. Many other arguments favoured by atheists are also dealt with thoughtfully and thoroughly.
A first class book on the philosophy of religion - but like Keith Ward's book, I think this ultimately makes the case that belief in God is a thoroughly rational belief, without making an overwhelmingly convincing case that would sway anyone if they just had the wherewithal to understand it!
71. Maximum Security - Robert Muchamore
Third in the CHERUB series. These are Alex Rider style teenage spy adventures where CHERUB is a secret unit of child spies. These books are no "M I High" or "Alibi Juinor High" style romp though. They are grittier - definitely aimed for young teens, even though a 9 year old nephew of mine read them. Personally I would not give them to a 9 year old. But they are good enough stories. Not spectacular, and not greatly memorable but enjoyable enough.
A complex book looking at the issue of proofs of God's existence very thoroughly. The author rightly rejects a priori deductive proofs of God's existence and non existence as necessarily flawed, and thus the ontological proofs, the 5 ways etc. are all out as pure deductive proofs. But the opening chapters look at the issue of inductive argument, probabilities and the evident truth that the simplest explanation is usually the best in scientific explanation as well as in personal explanation (which itself gets a lot of discussion).
Having laid some solid groundwork, the arguments for God's existence are examined in depth. Swinburne makes some excellent points and answers many criticisms very well. However his argument hinges on the ability to prove that the hypothesis of God is the most probably hypothess, and he does this by settling a value on the probability of God being probably about 1/2 before bringing in miracles and his principle of credulity. Sceptics will perhaps point out that a desire to achieve a value of 1/2 at this point may colour the values given for probabilities from other arguments. Perhaps the problem of evil, that Swinburne notes "reduces the probability" actually reduces it much more than the author supposes. Thus to set such a probability is somewhat open to challenge.
Having established that probablility, the principle of credulity is brought in to suggest we believe claims to miracles and such like unless there is reason to doubt. A sceptic will reply that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and thus the strong extra jolt given to the probabilities by the influence of miracles on the hypothesis can certainly be quibbled with.
Ultimately this book is not going to convince an atheist of God's existence I suspect. However, it does have some wonderful insights in it. The arguments about the hidden-ness of God are wonderfully thought through. The realisation that there must be a possibility of agnosticism if we are ever to make choices free of the knowledge of our being watched, as it were, over our shoulders was a new one on me. Many other arguments favoured by atheists are also dealt with thoughtfully and thoroughly.
A first class book on the philosophy of religion - but like Keith Ward's book, I think this ultimately makes the case that belief in God is a thoroughly rational belief, without making an overwhelmingly convincing case that would sway anyone if they just had the wherewithal to understand it!
71. Maximum Security - Robert Muchamore
Third in the CHERUB series. These are Alex Rider style teenage spy adventures where CHERUB is a secret unit of child spies. These books are no "M I High" or "Alibi Juinor High" style romp though. They are grittier - definitely aimed for young teens, even though a 9 year old nephew of mine read them. Personally I would not give them to a 9 year old. But they are good enough stories. Not spectacular, and not greatly memorable but enjoyable enough.
74alcottacre
#73: Nice review of the Swinburne book. I will look for that one.
75justchris
Have you read Rethinking Christianity? If so, how do the two books compare? I heard good things about it but haven't been able to find it in any bookstores. I may have to look for The Existence of God instead.
76ronincats
I'm reading Karen Armstrong's The Case for God--have you read it yet? I'm still in the middle, but she's giving all the historical discussion going into the "proofs". I'm interested in where she ends up, but this is my "read a chapter a week or so" bedtime book, so could take me several months.
77sirfurboy
>75 justchris: Yes I read Rethinking Christianity, but that is a quite different work to The Existence of God. The book by Keith Ward that is closest to this one is Why There Almost Certainly Is a God: Doubting Dawkins.
The Doubting Dawkins book is excellent. It covers some of the same ground as Swinburne - particularly on the meaning and role of "Personal Explanation". Swinburne's book is more thorough and looks at more arguments, but Ward does a very thorough job on the area he concentrates on.
Both books have some philosophy in them, but Swinburne's is heavier on that score. That means that Swinburne's is a more academic treatise. Ward's book makes the case for a specific philosophy of idealism, whereas Swinburne does not focus so tightly on that point.
Either book is very interesting. Swinburne's is twice the length so if your time is limited, or you really don't want to get acquainted with Bayes' theorem, then I would recommend starting with Ward. If you have read Kant and Hume, then start with Swinburne.
Rethinking Christianity is in the vein of What the Bible Really Teaches - A Challenge to Fundamentalists which I review further up this page. It is basically a manifesto for liberal Christianity. However I preferred "What the Bible Really Teaches" above. That is probably a personal choice though, so either book would be just fine for understanding Ward on that point.
I think Roni read one of these last year, because I seem to remember that was why I added one of them to my TBR list.
The Doubting Dawkins book is excellent. It covers some of the same ground as Swinburne - particularly on the meaning and role of "Personal Explanation". Swinburne's book is more thorough and looks at more arguments, but Ward does a very thorough job on the area he concentrates on.
Both books have some philosophy in them, but Swinburne's is heavier on that score. That means that Swinburne's is a more academic treatise. Ward's book makes the case for a specific philosophy of idealism, whereas Swinburne does not focus so tightly on that point.
Either book is very interesting. Swinburne's is twice the length so if your time is limited, or you really don't want to get acquainted with Bayes' theorem, then I would recommend starting with Ward. If you have read Kant and Hume, then start with Swinburne.
Rethinking Christianity is in the vein of What the Bible Really Teaches - A Challenge to Fundamentalists which I review further up this page. It is basically a manifesto for liberal Christianity. However I preferred "What the Bible Really Teaches" above. That is probably a personal choice though, so either book would be just fine for understanding Ward on that point.
I think Roni read one of these last year, because I seem to remember that was why I added one of them to my TBR list.
78sirfurboy
>76 ronincats: Nope, I have not read that book yet, but I just added it to me wishlist on fictionwise.com, so next time they have a sale I will buy it. Thanks for pointing it out.
79sirfurboy
72. Firesong
Concluding this nicely imagined series. The fist book I loved. The following two were good but did not capture what I loved about the first book. Nevertheless this was an original fantasy, well written and with interesting characters.
73. Season of Secrets
Another sad book from this author. I read Ways to Live Forever earlier this year (scroll up to find it!) and that was a moving and powerful book. This book was also moving - this time with a touch of magic intertwined with the story. I enjoyed it very much but not as much as the other book. I love this author's writing, but I hope she can show some versatility in her next book by not using death to tug at the emotions. Nevertheless a very good read.
Concluding this nicely imagined series. The fist book I loved. The following two were good but did not capture what I loved about the first book. Nevertheless this was an original fantasy, well written and with interesting characters.
73. Season of Secrets
Another sad book from this author. I read Ways to Live Forever earlier this year (scroll up to find it!) and that was a moving and powerful book. This book was also moving - this time with a touch of magic intertwined with the story. I enjoyed it very much but not as much as the other book. I love this author's writing, but I hope she can show some versatility in her next book by not using death to tug at the emotions. Nevertheless a very good read.
80justchris
77: Thank you for your perspective on these books. It is a literature that I am completely unfamiliar with, and I am trying to figure out a starting point.
81alcottacre
#79: I have placed the first volume of the Nicholson trilogy on hold at the local library. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.
Sadly, my local library does not have any of Sally Nicholls' books.
Sadly, my local library does not have any of Sally Nicholls' books.
82sirfurboy
74. Invasive Procedures
This is a good plot driven book that reminded me a little of something Lincoln Child might write, although it had some classic O S Card marks to it, both in dialogue and also in the ideas about DNA. It is not a greatly believable story - but a good read nonetheless.
75. Darkside
Imagine if there were a dark side to London - right in front of the noses of ordinary people, but unnoticed by them. And imagine if just a few people were able to cross from the light side to the dark side, where all kinds of evil awaits...
A nice idea but, in fact, not at all original. The Stoneheart trilogy, for instance, uses an idea very much like this. Neil Gaiman used this idea too, as have many others. Unfortunately this book is not the best executed either. It lacks for true originality, but younger readers will likely not care. A good adventure but not one I could recommend to the young adult readers here. It has a nice glow in the dark cover though.
This is a good plot driven book that reminded me a little of something Lincoln Child might write, although it had some classic O S Card marks to it, both in dialogue and also in the ideas about DNA. It is not a greatly believable story - but a good read nonetheless.
75. Darkside
Imagine if there were a dark side to London - right in front of the noses of ordinary people, but unnoticed by them. And imagine if just a few people were able to cross from the light side to the dark side, where all kinds of evil awaits...
A nice idea but, in fact, not at all original. The Stoneheart trilogy, for instance, uses an idea very much like this. Neil Gaiman used this idea too, as have many others. Unfortunately this book is not the best executed either. It lacks for true originality, but younger readers will likely not care. A good adventure but not one I could recommend to the young adult readers here. It has a nice glow in the dark cover though.
83sirfurboy
And this completes my 75 book challenge. I am starting a new thread in the 100 books challenge thread here:
http://talk.librarything.com/topic/87860
Hopefully the move won't mean anyone will get lost on the way over!
http://talk.librarything.com/topic/87860
Hopefully the move won't mean anyone will get lost on the way over!
85sirfurboy
Thanks :)
And yes...I know, but if I am going to start a new thread anyway, then I might as well put it there.
And yes...I know, but if I am going to start a new thread anyway, then I might as well put it there.
87tloeffler
Will you be back for the Prydain group reads? I will miss your threads, but I'm overwhelmed by threads as it is, and I probably won't be popping over to 100. : (
88sirfurboy
>87 tloeffler:
Sorry I did not reply to this earlier. And even more sorry to be losing readers. I tend to star the threads of people I am following - perhaps you would like to star my thread in the 100 books challenge?
if not, maybe I will bring my messages there back here instead.
Sorry I did not reply to this earlier. And even more sorry to be losing readers. I tend to star the threads of people I am following - perhaps you would like to star my thread in the 100 books challenge?
if not, maybe I will bring my messages there back here instead.
89elkiedee
Bring back your messages here - I had a look at the 100 books since I expect I'll exceed that this year (I will probably finish #71 and #72 today as I have less than 30 pages of 2 books left, and another couple over the weekend) - but there's hardly any conversation, perhaps you're all too busy reading?
Go on, come back to us, you know you want to!
Go on, come back to us, you know you want to!
90sirfurboy
Okay by popular demand I am bringing things back here. Indeed I have just posted up my 100th book, so the 100 book challenge is now ended in any case.
To fill in the gaps since I moved thread:
76. Enchantress From The Stars
77. The Horse and His Boy *reread
78. Ghost Macindoe - Jonathan Buckley
79. The Inferior
80. The High King
81. Hatchet
82. The Queen of Bedlam - Robert McCammon
83. Thursday's Child - Sonya Hartnett
84. Jennings Goes To School - Anthony Buckeridge
85. Bloodchild - Tim Bowler
86. Dark Summer - Ali Sparkes
87. Jennings Follows a Clue - Anthony Buckeridge
88. Roman Invasion - My Story - Jim Eldridge
89. Seeker - William Nicholson
90. Harriet the Spy Louise Fitzgerald
91. The Case for God Karen Armstrong
92. Outcast, Book 3 - Christopher Golden
93. Jennings' Little Hut Anthony Buckeridge
94. Prince Caspian - C S Lewis
A re-read of this story of Narnia, reading it to my daughter over a number of nights.
This was never my favourite Narnia story, but they are all excellent. I have been reading Jennings too, which was contemporary with these books, and it is interesting how the language of Narnia does not seem so dated. Probably larghely down to the high quantity of school boy slang in Jennings, but also the weight given to description over dialogue in C S Lewis. His descriptions are wonderful.
95. Swan Song - Robert McCammon
People rate this book very highly but it was probably my least liked book by this author thus far. As usual the book is huge. A third world war/post apocalypse fable, this book reminded me strongly of "The Stand" by Stephen King. In fact if you had told me the author of this work was Stephen King I would have believed it.
For those who read everything by Stephen King, that should rightly be a recommendation for this book. Personally I can take or leave Stephen King. Some of his work is excellent - others, not so much in my opinion. This book was in my not so much category.
96. Jennings and Darbishire
97. Jenings' Diary
98. According to Jennings
99. Our Friend Jennings
100. Thanks to Jennings
Working my way through re-reading my Jennings Colection and filling in the gaps. I still find these books very amusing. Sometimes they are a comedy of errors, at other times just wonderful asides on the curious minds of 10 and 11 year old boys. The dated language just adds to the charm.
They can be predictable at times. You can see the situations being set up - but by no means completely predictable, and they are consistently entertaining.
Anyway, here ends my 100 book challenge. I will post further books back in my 75 book challenge thread where more people were reading it.
To fill in the gaps since I moved thread:
76. Enchantress From The Stars
77. The Horse and His Boy *reread
78. Ghost Macindoe - Jonathan Buckley
79. The Inferior
80. The High King
81. Hatchet
82. The Queen of Bedlam - Robert McCammon
83. Thursday's Child - Sonya Hartnett
84. Jennings Goes To School - Anthony Buckeridge
85. Bloodchild - Tim Bowler
86. Dark Summer - Ali Sparkes
87. Jennings Follows a Clue - Anthony Buckeridge
88. Roman Invasion - My Story - Jim Eldridge
89. Seeker - William Nicholson
90. Harriet the Spy Louise Fitzgerald
91. The Case for God Karen Armstrong
92. Outcast, Book 3 - Christopher Golden
93. Jennings' Little Hut Anthony Buckeridge
94. Prince Caspian - C S Lewis
A re-read of this story of Narnia, reading it to my daughter over a number of nights.
This was never my favourite Narnia story, but they are all excellent. I have been reading Jennings too, which was contemporary with these books, and it is interesting how the language of Narnia does not seem so dated. Probably larghely down to the high quantity of school boy slang in Jennings, but also the weight given to description over dialogue in C S Lewis. His descriptions are wonderful.
95. Swan Song - Robert McCammon
People rate this book very highly but it was probably my least liked book by this author thus far. As usual the book is huge. A third world war/post apocalypse fable, this book reminded me strongly of "The Stand" by Stephen King. In fact if you had told me the author of this work was Stephen King I would have believed it.
For those who read everything by Stephen King, that should rightly be a recommendation for this book. Personally I can take or leave Stephen King. Some of his work is excellent - others, not so much in my opinion. This book was in my not so much category.
96. Jennings and Darbishire
97. Jenings' Diary
98. According to Jennings
99. Our Friend Jennings
100. Thanks to Jennings
Working my way through re-reading my Jennings Colection and filling in the gaps. I still find these books very amusing. Sometimes they are a comedy of errors, at other times just wonderful asides on the curious minds of 10 and 11 year old boys. The dated language just adds to the charm.
They can be predictable at times. You can see the situations being set up - but by no means completely predictable, and they are consistently entertaining.
Anyway, here ends my 100 book challenge. I will post further books back in my 75 book challenge thread where more people were reading it.
92alcottacre
Glad to see you back!
93tloeffler
Hurray! Glad you're back here! Sorry to cause so much work for you, but I like this way better!
94sirfurboy
Thanks for the wlecome back. I have been busy recently so reading and posting less. However, to bring things up to date:
101. Take Jennings for Instance
102. Jennings As Usual
Two more of my Jennings collection. Jennings as Usual is one that I must have read as I remembered snippets, but it largely was new to me. I presume I borrowed it from a friend to read and did so too quickly.
103. The Voyage of the Dawntreader
Read aloud to my daughter over various evenings. Previous comments apply to this book as regards the high quality of the writing. Not my favourite of the series, but an extremely imaginative work.
104. Out of the Silent Planet
Whilst reading Narnia to my daughter I thought I would fill in the gaps of my C S Lewis reading by finally taking the plunge into the cosmic trilogy.
The books are interesting, well written and as imaginative as one would expect from this author, with plenty of depth too. However, they are a product of their pre space age time. Nowadays we implicitly understand the eliptical flight of space ships owing to planetary garvity, and we have a better feel for things like the huge distances between worlds and such like. As science fiction, this book is of historical interest only! It doesn't hold together, even if you overlook the whole life on Mars thing.
The author's real interests show up in discussion of language and such like.
I am now reading Larklight, which is equally naff as regards science - but in the case of Larklight that is quite a deliberate choice. In the case of Lewis, I think he would have written the book differently 20 or 30 years later.
101. Take Jennings for Instance
102. Jennings As Usual
Two more of my Jennings collection. Jennings as Usual is one that I must have read as I remembered snippets, but it largely was new to me. I presume I borrowed it from a friend to read and did so too quickly.
103. The Voyage of the Dawntreader
Read aloud to my daughter over various evenings. Previous comments apply to this book as regards the high quality of the writing. Not my favourite of the series, but an extremely imaginative work.
104. Out of the Silent Planet
Whilst reading Narnia to my daughter I thought I would fill in the gaps of my C S Lewis reading by finally taking the plunge into the cosmic trilogy.
The books are interesting, well written and as imaginative as one would expect from this author, with plenty of depth too. However, they are a product of their pre space age time. Nowadays we implicitly understand the eliptical flight of space ships owing to planetary garvity, and we have a better feel for things like the huge distances between worlds and such like. As science fiction, this book is of historical interest only! It doesn't hold together, even if you overlook the whole life on Mars thing.
The author's real interests show up in discussion of language and such like.
I am now reading Larklight, which is equally naff as regards science - but in the case of Larklight that is quite a deliberate choice. In the case of Lewis, I think he would have written the book differently 20 or 30 years later.
95sirfurboy
May was busy and I did notread as much and I posted even less. I did clear a backlog of magazines I have been meaning to read though. Anyway, here are the books I read but did not enter here.
105. The Silver Chair
106. The Last Battle
Both read to my daughter at night. She loved these books.
107. Larklight
Enjoyable romp set in a very alternative universe. Plenty to laugh at here, although did not quite grip me. I suspect an excellent book for the intended readership though.
108. A Bad Beginning
Okay I finally caved in and bought this book. I have been avoiding it because of the aggressive marketing by publicists, but various people have bought it and some even recommended it so I gave it a go. This book is often funny, with a good plot narrative that is hardly original but still put to good effect. Not a classic but definitely worth a read.
109. Dragon Haven
The latest Robin Hobb work set in a richly imagined and nicely internally consistent fantasy world. Hobb's characterisations are wonderful and this work - whilst perhaps not her most exciting, does not let down on that score.
105. The Silver Chair
106. The Last Battle
Both read to my daughter at night. She loved these books.
107. Larklight
Enjoyable romp set in a very alternative universe. Plenty to laugh at here, although did not quite grip me. I suspect an excellent book for the intended readership though.
108. A Bad Beginning
Okay I finally caved in and bought this book. I have been avoiding it because of the aggressive marketing by publicists, but various people have bought it and some even recommended it so I gave it a go. This book is often funny, with a good plot narrative that is hardly original but still put to good effect. Not a classic but definitely worth a read.
109. Dragon Haven
The latest Robin Hobb work set in a richly imagined and nicely internally consistent fantasy world. Hobb's characterisations are wonderful and this work - whilst perhaps not her most exciting, does not let down on that score.
96alcottacre
Glad to see you back again!
97ronincats
Yes, good to see you emerge. Have read all your latest except Larklight. But isn't Dragon Haven by Robin McKinley, not Robin Hobb?
Ah, there are TWO of them! How confusing! YOUR touchstone, however, led to the McKinley book.
Ah, there are TWO of them! How confusing! YOUR touchstone, however, led to the McKinley book.
98sirfurboy
Thanks both for your messages. Apologies for the incorrect touchstone above. As you can see from my slow response, I am still a bit busy. Nevertheless I have now finished:
110. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet - David Mitchell
Black Swan Green was a transitional book. A book that was a full length novel, but the chapters were episodic and could largely stand alone as short stories. Mitchell's previous work was even more clearly based on the short story form. In this book he crosses fully into the longer novel form, with an uimpeccably researched novel set (no surprises here) in Japan.
Following the fortunes of Dutch East India men in the last days fo their company in Japan, including the period when their small artificial island in Nagasaki bay was the only place flying a Dutch flag in the world. This book is an excellent piece of historical fiction from a wonderful story teller.
111. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Not a novel, but a well researched and presented review of the current state of thinking as to what the Americas were like before the arrival of Europeans on American shores. This book is an excellent review of the literature, presented as a series of stories that brings out so much information about the civilisations that existed and largely passed away as Europeans expanded into their territory.
There are still many uncertainties in this field and the book brings these out nicely. If there is any criticism of this work, it is that it is almost too unbiassed. The certainties of being able to say "yes, the population in the Americas was significantly higher than in Europe prior to the invasion" would perhaps downplay the historical doubt, but would make a better polemic. But this book is not a polemic, so the style chosen is probably just right. Reading the book carefully should divest any readers of any rose tinted preconceptions about civilising Europeans, noble savages or, indeed, eco warrior tribes. Instead this is a realistic assessment of the civilisations of the American continents, and their systematic destruction, largely through disease (and why that disease was just so devastating).
112. The Storm - Vince Cable A look at the global economic crisis from one of the leading political economists in the British Government (whose reputation should be considerably enhanced by the parliamentary questions he raised - dismissed by Gordon Brown - that correctly predicted much of the meltdown).
In the recent UK hung parliament, Dr Cable entered coalition government with the conservatives as the business secretary. Anyone reading this book might in fact, be more confident in the UK government if he were the Chancellor.
110. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet - David Mitchell
Black Swan Green was a transitional book. A book that was a full length novel, but the chapters were episodic and could largely stand alone as short stories. Mitchell's previous work was even more clearly based on the short story form. In this book he crosses fully into the longer novel form, with an uimpeccably researched novel set (no surprises here) in Japan.
Following the fortunes of Dutch East India men in the last days fo their company in Japan, including the period when their small artificial island in Nagasaki bay was the only place flying a Dutch flag in the world. This book is an excellent piece of historical fiction from a wonderful story teller.
111. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Not a novel, but a well researched and presented review of the current state of thinking as to what the Americas were like before the arrival of Europeans on American shores. This book is an excellent review of the literature, presented as a series of stories that brings out so much information about the civilisations that existed and largely passed away as Europeans expanded into their territory.
There are still many uncertainties in this field and the book brings these out nicely. If there is any criticism of this work, it is that it is almost too unbiassed. The certainties of being able to say "yes, the population in the Americas was significantly higher than in Europe prior to the invasion" would perhaps downplay the historical doubt, but would make a better polemic. But this book is not a polemic, so the style chosen is probably just right. Reading the book carefully should divest any readers of any rose tinted preconceptions about civilising Europeans, noble savages or, indeed, eco warrior tribes. Instead this is a realistic assessment of the civilisations of the American continents, and their systematic destruction, largely through disease (and why that disease was just so devastating).
112. The Storm - Vince Cable A look at the global economic crisis from one of the leading political economists in the British Government (whose reputation should be considerably enhanced by the parliamentary questions he raised - dismissed by Gordon Brown - that correctly predicted much of the meltdown).
In the recent UK hung parliament, Dr Cable entered coalition government with the conservatives as the business secretary. Anyone reading this book might in fact, be more confident in the UK government if he were the Chancellor.
99alcottacre
I am looking forward to getting my hands on the new David Mitchell book one of these days!
100sirfurboy
Yes it was one I was looking forward too also, and it did not disappoint. I have noticed that some people dislike it because of its complexity and scope. If there were a criticism, it is that the story could have been told mopre briefly. But I think those people miss the rich image of Japan that Mitchell evokes, which to me made this book very worthwhile.
Some more recent reads:
113. Perelandra - C S Lewis
Second of the cosmic series. The story of this book was something of a retelling of the story of Genesis - but then it turned out that it was not. At least, not exactly. The book reminded me a little of Atlas Shrugged or old fashioned philosophical dialogues, where the actors were largely the mouthpieces for a discussion of the author's philosophy.
Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis wrote well, and thought deeply - and this books hould give readers plenty to chew on. But if you want a fast action plot driven narrative, this is not it. I think I prefer Narnia to this series based on the two I have read.
114. Boy Meets Boy - Touchstone doesn't work {*edit:now it does - I mis-spelled boy!} and I forget the author, and based on my opinion of this book, I shan't worry about looking it up.
I bought this as an ebook on fictionwise on impulse (it was in my recommended "big bargains"), but I shall be careful about what I buy on impulse in future. All the write up said was "imagine a school were you are free to be yourself". I guessed the issue of romance between teenage boys would be a part of this, but decided to be daring and read it anyway...
Big mistake. Totally unbelievable storyline set in a town that is curiously free from any kind of prejudice (to the point that they unanimously agree to close their boy scouts and open "joy scouts", and kindergarten teachers who can tell at once that X is "definitely gay") with the exception of a religious family whose prejudice is absolute. These were cardboard cutout chracterisations. A story that could have looked at all kinds of issues of teenage struggles, and could have perhaps encouraged a compassionate reassessment of our own feelings towards other people, instead became a diatribe. It was an unreal imaginary world that perhaps described how the author wished it had been when he was young - but really lacked any sense of struggle, story or adventure. I am embarrassed to even write it up here.
115. The Trouble With jennings
116. Just Like Jennings
Both by Anthony Buckeridge. These are re-reads.
Extremely funny adventures of the prep school boy in the 1950s. Dated language adds to the charm, and some of the adventures are a tad far fetched - but good escapist fun. This time from an author who does remember what it was like to be a child.
Some more recent reads:
113. Perelandra - C S Lewis
Second of the cosmic series. The story of this book was something of a retelling of the story of Genesis - but then it turned out that it was not. At least, not exactly. The book reminded me a little of Atlas Shrugged or old fashioned philosophical dialogues, where the actors were largely the mouthpieces for a discussion of the author's philosophy.
Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis wrote well, and thought deeply - and this books hould give readers plenty to chew on. But if you want a fast action plot driven narrative, this is not it. I think I prefer Narnia to this series based on the two I have read.
114. Boy Meets Boy - Touchstone doesn't work {*edit:now it does - I mis-spelled boy!} and I forget the author, and based on my opinion of this book, I shan't worry about looking it up.
I bought this as an ebook on fictionwise on impulse (it was in my recommended "big bargains"), but I shall be careful about what I buy on impulse in future. All the write up said was "imagine a school were you are free to be yourself". I guessed the issue of romance between teenage boys would be a part of this, but decided to be daring and read it anyway...
Big mistake. Totally unbelievable storyline set in a town that is curiously free from any kind of prejudice (to the point that they unanimously agree to close their boy scouts and open "joy scouts", and kindergarten teachers who can tell at once that X is "definitely gay") with the exception of a religious family whose prejudice is absolute. These were cardboard cutout chracterisations. A story that could have looked at all kinds of issues of teenage struggles, and could have perhaps encouraged a compassionate reassessment of our own feelings towards other people, instead became a diatribe. It was an unreal imaginary world that perhaps described how the author wished it had been when he was young - but really lacked any sense of struggle, story or adventure. I am embarrassed to even write it up here.
115. The Trouble With jennings
116. Just Like Jennings
Both by Anthony Buckeridge. These are re-reads.
Extremely funny adventures of the prep school boy in the 1950s. Dated language adds to the charm, and some of the adventures are a tad far fetched - but good escapist fun. This time from an author who does remember what it was like to be a child.
101sirfurboy
117. The Prince of Shadows - Jennifer St. Clair
Vampire fantasy adventure. Not very original or exciting sadly. Seems to be an ebook only, and thats the way it will stay.
118. The Long and Short Adventures of Eamon Birdsley - Alan Garner
Another ebook only - allegedly by Alan Garner - but it was not much like other works by this author, so I wonder now if it is a different Alan garner.
Eamon Birdsley is an imaginative but nerdy boy who is bullied and dreams fo being a superhero, or a pirate or all kinds of other wonderful adventures. This is a book about a nerdy boy surviving and enjoying childhood. Rather fanciful, and perhaps longer than it needed to be. It was a good enough read, but not one I will rush to recommend to people.
119. The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving.
When is a book not a book? this one was very short - more of a long short story. I thought about not entering it on my list. But then I considered the many hundreds of pages of magazines I waded through last month and did not enter here because they are not books, whereas this one - short as it is - is one. So it goes on the list.
Classic ghost story by Washington Irving. I like the slightly tongue in cheek ending.
120. Dogs of God: Columbus, The Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors - James Reston
A popular history rather than an academic one, this nevertheless is very good at pulling together all the broad threads of Spanish and Catholic European affairs at the end of the 15th century. Sometimes glossing over details and debates, and not always exploring events as fully as it might, it nevertheless was very good as broad introduction to the period and a more in depth look at the events leading up to the historic year of 1492 than one normally hears.
Vampire fantasy adventure. Not very original or exciting sadly. Seems to be an ebook only, and thats the way it will stay.
118. The Long and Short Adventures of Eamon Birdsley - Alan Garner
Another ebook only - allegedly by Alan Garner - but it was not much like other works by this author, so I wonder now if it is a different Alan garner.
Eamon Birdsley is an imaginative but nerdy boy who is bullied and dreams fo being a superhero, or a pirate or all kinds of other wonderful adventures. This is a book about a nerdy boy surviving and enjoying childhood. Rather fanciful, and perhaps longer than it needed to be. It was a good enough read, but not one I will rush to recommend to people.
119. The legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving.
When is a book not a book? this one was very short - more of a long short story. I thought about not entering it on my list. But then I considered the many hundreds of pages of magazines I waded through last month and did not enter here because they are not books, whereas this one - short as it is - is one. So it goes on the list.
Classic ghost story by Washington Irving. I like the slightly tongue in cheek ending.
120. Dogs of God: Columbus, The Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors - James Reston
A popular history rather than an academic one, this nevertheless is very good at pulling together all the broad threads of Spanish and Catholic European affairs at the end of the 15th century. Sometimes glossing over details and debates, and not always exploring events as fully as it might, it nevertheless was very good as broad introduction to the period and a more in depth look at the events leading up to the historic year of 1492 than one normally hears.
102alcottacre
#101: I am adding Dogs of God to the BlackHole. Thanks for that recommendation!
104sirfurboy
121. Leave it to Jennings Anthony Buckeridge
Jennings has had his fortune told by Madame Olivera from the Mysterious East (which tyurns out to be Clacton). This leads to yet more hilarious adventures for the often ill fated school boy.
122. Roman Mysteries: The Colossus of Rhodes Caroline Lawrence
Ninth in this wonderful series set in the first century AD. Children are being stolen from Ostia and the team are hot on their tail in Lupus' ship. Meanwhile Lupus seeks out his mother.
First rate series with plenty of historical detail.
Jennings has had his fortune told by Madame Olivera from the Mysterious East (which tyurns out to be Clacton). This leads to yet more hilarious adventures for the often ill fated school boy.
122. Roman Mysteries: The Colossus of Rhodes Caroline Lawrence
Ninth in this wonderful series set in the first century AD. Children are being stolen from Ostia and the team are hot on their tail in Lupus' ship. Meanwhile Lupus seeks out his mother.
First rate series with plenty of historical detail.
105ronincats
Re: message 101. Ran a quick search, no, Alan J. Garner is NOT the author we are thinking of when we hear Alan Garner. Here's some info:
http://secure.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8906479445
http://secure.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8906479445
106sirfurboy
Thanks Roni, that certainly clears up that mystery.
Latest reading:
123. Arcta the Mountain Giant (Beast Quest)
This is a series for younger children, not dissimilar to Deltora Quest my Emily Rodda, but Deltora Quest has more in it. Nevertheless if it interests children its good readin practice. My 6 year old was going to read it but gave up because she was not interested, so I think boys will prefer this one. I read it through quickly before returning it to the library.
124. The Lost Symbol
I was not going to pay for this book, but when someone else borrowed it from the library, I read his borrowed copy quickly. in that way there is no official record I read it at all :)
And a good thing too. The research in this novel is as bad as ever, the plot preposterous and formulaic (All Dan Brown books have the same plot structure - I guess he feels "why change a winning formula?"). The characters are wooden and lifeless and the action soars across a blank page - a world in which no one but the main characters seem to really exist.
A new twist for this one though is the sheer dullness of the story. Brown managed in his earlier books to keep people turning the pages - not entirely legitimately! He is a past master at the cliff hanger chapter end, and the shortest chapters known to man!
But in this story the paging turning was a distinct chore. This is really not a fun book to read even for the reader looking for something mindless.
The plot ending is in the "obvious" category. I guessed correctly within the first few chapters, and thereafter was just thinking "get on with it". The plot is also full of holes (like why Langdon is even necessary in this story - he clearly isn't) or why people would not recognise...well I better not mention that one in case you want to avoid plot spoilers.
I have found a huge list of factual errors, and there are going to be hundreds more if I could be bothered to google them. As usual the biggest piece of fiction in this book is the standard statement that it contains some fact in it!
As something of an expert in Internet Protocols, the "funky format" IP address had me cringing like this was Digital Fortress all over again. If Brown cannot get technical details (and he cannot), he should just gloss over the details rather than write cringeworthy wrong ones. In essence, if the Internet Protocol address is not in a realeased protocol, then its not Interent Protocol, is it! in which case you would not route to the address!! And as for the description of traceroute - what he calls some mysterious behaviour is in fact the normal behavior of traceroute when traversing routers that filter ICMP messages. Oh and a serious firewall is just blocked ports...you don't get to see the coding!
He also repeats his folk etymology of "sincere", using it in the plot - which is sad as the etymology is wrong. He also uses a dubious etymology of abracadbra.
The ending of the story wraps up with some mystical nonsense which manages to misread and reverse the words he quites from the Bible. Still it makes a good story ...well no, it doesn't...but I guess he hoped it would.
His history is naff too. The Christian cross was a symbol for Christianity from the earliest times..certainly before the 4th century he asserts. We know it was attested as being a standard symbol fo Christianity in the second century, and a reading of Corinthians should leave us in no doubt that it was so in the first century too.
The hydrogen explosion suggests he does nt understand chemistry either, and the noetics quackery suggests he has some issues with science in general.
But perhaps the most annoying error of all was his repeating the old cannard about Columbus proving the world was round! If anyone should have read Dogs of God, it is Dan Brown. If people had thought the world was flat they would not have been navigating with the astrolabe to get around Africa would they!
And indeed, no one thought it was flat. Columbus was wrong (but lucky) and Dan Brown should really spend a bit more time researching his books if he is going to put in all these educated sounding asides in his stories.
Anyhow, anyone thinking of reading this - don't unless you do what I did and read a copy that someone else borrowed from the library!
125. A Web of Air
Accidentally read this in the wrong order. I have had Fever Crumb on reserve in the library for months and finally gave up and ordered it - I thought. Sadly I had not realised book 2 was now out, and only realised as I stumbled through what I thought was a confused start! Read in the correct order, this would be another good story in the Mortal Engines world - a prequel to the earlier books (except Fever Crumb).
126. The Fugitives from Corinth - Roman Mysteries
Another excellent and historically sympathetic book about the Roman equivalent of the Famous Five. Great series for chidlren.
Latest reading:
123. Arcta the Mountain Giant (Beast Quest)
This is a series for younger children, not dissimilar to Deltora Quest my Emily Rodda, but Deltora Quest has more in it. Nevertheless if it interests children its good readin practice. My 6 year old was going to read it but gave up because she was not interested, so I think boys will prefer this one. I read it through quickly before returning it to the library.
124. The Lost Symbol
I was not going to pay for this book, but when someone else borrowed it from the library, I read his borrowed copy quickly. in that way there is no official record I read it at all :)
And a good thing too. The research in this novel is as bad as ever, the plot preposterous and formulaic (All Dan Brown books have the same plot structure - I guess he feels "why change a winning formula?"). The characters are wooden and lifeless and the action soars across a blank page - a world in which no one but the main characters seem to really exist.
A new twist for this one though is the sheer dullness of the story. Brown managed in his earlier books to keep people turning the pages - not entirely legitimately! He is a past master at the cliff hanger chapter end, and the shortest chapters known to man!
But in this story the paging turning was a distinct chore. This is really not a fun book to read even for the reader looking for something mindless.
The plot ending is in the "obvious" category. I guessed correctly within the first few chapters, and thereafter was just thinking "get on with it". The plot is also full of holes (like why Langdon is even necessary in this story - he clearly isn't) or why people would not recognise...well I better not mention that one in case you want to avoid plot spoilers.
I have found a huge list of factual errors, and there are going to be hundreds more if I could be bothered to google them. As usual the biggest piece of fiction in this book is the standard statement that it contains some fact in it!
As something of an expert in Internet Protocols, the "funky format" IP address had me cringing like this was Digital Fortress all over again. If Brown cannot get technical details (and he cannot), he should just gloss over the details rather than write cringeworthy wrong ones. In essence, if the Internet Protocol address is not in a realeased protocol, then its not Interent Protocol, is it! in which case you would not route to the address!! And as for the description of traceroute - what he calls some mysterious behaviour is in fact the normal behavior of traceroute when traversing routers that filter ICMP messages. Oh and a serious firewall is just blocked ports...you don't get to see the coding!
He also repeats his folk etymology of "sincere", using it in the plot - which is sad as the etymology is wrong. He also uses a dubious etymology of abracadbra.
The ending of the story wraps up with some mystical nonsense which manages to misread and reverse the words he quites from the Bible. Still it makes a good story ...well no, it doesn't...but I guess he hoped it would.
His history is naff too. The Christian cross was a symbol for Christianity from the earliest times..certainly before the 4th century he asserts. We know it was attested as being a standard symbol fo Christianity in the second century, and a reading of Corinthians should leave us in no doubt that it was so in the first century too.
The hydrogen explosion suggests he does nt understand chemistry either, and the noetics quackery suggests he has some issues with science in general.
But perhaps the most annoying error of all was his repeating the old cannard about Columbus proving the world was round! If anyone should have read Dogs of God, it is Dan Brown. If people had thought the world was flat they would not have been navigating with the astrolabe to get around Africa would they!
And indeed, no one thought it was flat. Columbus was wrong (but lucky) and Dan Brown should really spend a bit more time researching his books if he is going to put in all these educated sounding asides in his stories.
Anyhow, anyone thinking of reading this - don't unless you do what I did and read a copy that someone else borrowed from the library!
125. A Web of Air
Accidentally read this in the wrong order. I have had Fever Crumb on reserve in the library for months and finally gave up and ordered it - I thought. Sadly I had not realised book 2 was now out, and only realised as I stumbled through what I thought was a confused start! Read in the correct order, this would be another good story in the Mortal Engines world - a prequel to the earlier books (except Fever Crumb).
126. The Fugitives from Corinth - Roman Mysteries
Another excellent and historically sympathetic book about the Roman equivalent of the Famous Five. Great series for chidlren.
107sirfurboy
Thanks Roni, that certainly clears up that mystery.
Latest reading:
123. Arcta the Mountain Giant (Beast Quest)
This is a series for younger children, not dissimilar to Deltora Quest my Emily Rodda, but Deltora Quest has more in it. Nevertheless if it interests children its good readin practice. My 6 year old was going to read it but gave up because she was not interested, so I think boys will prefer this one. I read it through quickly before returning it to the library.
124. The Lost Symbol
I was not going to pay for this book, but when someone else borrowed it from the library, I read his borrowed copy quickly. in that way there is no official record I read it at all :)
And a good thing too. The research in this novel is as bad as ever, the plot preposterous and formulaic (All Dan Brown books have the same plot structure - I guess he feels "why change a winning formula?"). The characters are wooden and lifeless and the action soars across a blank page - a world in which no one but the main characters seem to really exist.
A new twist for this one though is the sheer dullness of the story. Brown managed in his earlier books to keep people turning the pages - not entirely legitimately! He is a past master at the cliff hanger chapter end, and the shortest chapters known to man!
But in this story the paging turning was a distinct chore. This is really not a fun book to read even for the reader looking for something mindless.
The plot ending is in the "obvious" category. I guessed correctly within the first few chapters, and thereafter was just thinking "get on with it". The plot is also full of holes (like why Langdon is even necessary in this story - he clearly isn't) or why people would not recognise...well I better not mention that one in case you want to avoid plot spoilers.
I have found a huge list of factual errors, and there are going to be hundreds more if I could be bothered to google them. As usual the biggest piece of fiction in this book is the standard statement that it contains some fact in it!
As something of an expert in Internet Protocols, the "funky format" IP address had me cringing like this was Digital Fortress all over again. If Brown cannot get technical details (and he cannot), he should just gloss over the details rather than write cringeworthy wrong ones. In essence, if the Internet Protocol address is not in a realeased protocol, then its not Interent Protocol, is it! in which case you would not route to the address!! And as for the description of traceroute - what he calls some mysterious behaviour is in fact the normal behavior of traceroute when traversing routers that filter ICMP messages. Oh and a serious firewall is just blocked ports...you don't get to see the coding!
He also repeats his folk etymology of "sincere", using it in the plot - which is sad as the etymology is wrong. He also uses a dubious etymology of abracadbra.
The ending of the story wraps up with some mystical nonsense which manages to misread and reverse the words he quites from the Bible. Still it makes a good story ...well no, it doesn't...but I guess he hoped it would.
His history is naff too. The Christian cross was a symbol for Christianity from the earliest times..certainly before the 4th century he asserts. We know it was attested as being a standard symbol fo Christianity in the second century, and a reading of Corinthians should leave us in no doubt that it was so in the first century too.
The hydrogen explosion suggests he does nt understand chemistry either, and the noetics quackery suggests he has some issues with science in general.
But perhaps the most annoying error of all was his repeating the old cannard about Columbus proving the world was round! If anyone should have read Dogs of God, it is Dan Brown. If people had thought the world was flat they would not have been navigating with the astrolabe to get around Africa would they!
And indeed, no one thought it was flat. Columbus was wrong (but lucky) and Dan Brown should really spend a bit more time researching his books if he is going to put in all these educated sounding asides in his stories.
Anyhow, anyone thinking of reading this - don't unless you do what I did and read a copy that someone else borrowed from the library!
125. A Web of Air
Accidentally read this in the wrong order. I have had Fever Crumb on reserve in the library for months and finally gave up and ordered it - I thought. Sadly I had not realised book 2 was now out, and only realised as I stumbled through what I thought was a confused start! Read in the correct order, this would be another good story in the Mortal Engines world - a prequel to the earlier books (except Fever Crumb).
126. The Fugitives from Corinth - Roman Mysteries
Another excellent and historically sympathetic book about the Roman equivalent of the Famous Five. Great series for chidlren.
Latest reading:
123. Arcta the Mountain Giant (Beast Quest)
This is a series for younger children, not dissimilar to Deltora Quest my Emily Rodda, but Deltora Quest has more in it. Nevertheless if it interests children its good readin practice. My 6 year old was going to read it but gave up because she was not interested, so I think boys will prefer this one. I read it through quickly before returning it to the library.
124. The Lost Symbol
I was not going to pay for this book, but when someone else borrowed it from the library, I read his borrowed copy quickly. in that way there is no official record I read it at all :)
And a good thing too. The research in this novel is as bad as ever, the plot preposterous and formulaic (All Dan Brown books have the same plot structure - I guess he feels "why change a winning formula?"). The characters are wooden and lifeless and the action soars across a blank page - a world in which no one but the main characters seem to really exist.
A new twist for this one though is the sheer dullness of the story. Brown managed in his earlier books to keep people turning the pages - not entirely legitimately! He is a past master at the cliff hanger chapter end, and the shortest chapters known to man!
But in this story the paging turning was a distinct chore. This is really not a fun book to read even for the reader looking for something mindless.
The plot ending is in the "obvious" category. I guessed correctly within the first few chapters, and thereafter was just thinking "get on with it". The plot is also full of holes (like why Langdon is even necessary in this story - he clearly isn't) or why people would not recognise...well I better not mention that one in case you want to avoid plot spoilers.
I have found a huge list of factual errors, and there are going to be hundreds more if I could be bothered to google them. As usual the biggest piece of fiction in this book is the standard statement that it contains some fact in it!
As something of an expert in Internet Protocols, the "funky format" IP address had me cringing like this was Digital Fortress all over again. If Brown cannot get technical details (and he cannot), he should just gloss over the details rather than write cringeworthy wrong ones. In essence, if the Internet Protocol address is not in a realeased protocol, then its not Interent Protocol, is it! in which case you would not route to the address!! And as for the description of traceroute - what he calls some mysterious behaviour is in fact the normal behavior of traceroute when traversing routers that filter ICMP messages. Oh and a serious firewall is just blocked ports...you don't get to see the coding!
He also repeats his folk etymology of "sincere", using it in the plot - which is sad as the etymology is wrong. He also uses a dubious etymology of abracadbra.
The ending of the story wraps up with some mystical nonsense which manages to misread and reverse the words he quites from the Bible. Still it makes a good story ...well no, it doesn't...but I guess he hoped it would.
His history is naff too. The Christian cross was a symbol for Christianity from the earliest times..certainly before the 4th century he asserts. We know it was attested as being a standard symbol fo Christianity in the second century, and a reading of Corinthians should leave us in no doubt that it was so in the first century too.
The hydrogen explosion suggests he does nt understand chemistry either, and the noetics quackery suggests he has some issues with science in general.
But perhaps the most annoying error of all was his repeating the old cannard about Columbus proving the world was round! If anyone should have read Dogs of God, it is Dan Brown. If people had thought the world was flat they would not have been navigating with the astrolabe to get around Africa would they!
And indeed, no one thought it was flat. Columbus was wrong (but lucky) and Dan Brown should really spend a bit more time researching his books if he is going to put in all these educated sounding asides in his stories.
Anyhow, anyone thinking of reading this - don't unless you do what I did and read a copy that someone else borrowed from the library!
125. A Web of Air
Accidentally read this in the wrong order. I have had Fever Crumb on reserve in the library for months and finally gave up and ordered it - I thought. Sadly I had not realised book 2 was now out, and only realised as I stumbled through what I thought was a confused start! Read in the correct order, this would be another good story in the Mortal Engines world - a prequel to the earlier books (except Fever Crumb).
126. The Fugitives from Corinth - Roman Mysteries
Another excellent and historically sympathetic book about the Roman equivalent of the Famous Five. Great series for chidlren.
108dk_phoenix
LOVE your review of The Lost Symbol. Sums up why I refuse to read another of Brown's books after trudging though the Da Vinci Code. Dubious history, indeed.
109mamzel
I laughed when you said that one should only read a copy that someone else borrowed. You don't want to leave any trace that you supported the publication of this book? Hopefully, they don't check your thread here. I've also crossed D.B. off my list of authors to read.
110ronincats
The heck with plot and accuracy--Dan Brown is the most ADHD author I have ever encountered!! The only book of his I've read was The DaVinci Code, given to me by an acquaintance who thought I'd love it. I could not read more that two of his micro-chapters at a time without putting the book down for a rest. Talk about hyper! I cannot read the man.
111sirfurboy
> 109. I guess I blew it by reviewing the book, didn't I! Oh well.
And yes, Roni, I agree with you about the ADHD style of Dan Brown.
Anyway onto better things:
127. Blackwater - Conn Iggulden
Conn Iggulden is an excellent and fast moving shorter story by a writer who has made his name by producing excellent works of historical fiction. This book is not like those - set in the present day, it is as fast paced as his other works, but wraps up a psychologically gripping tale in under 100 pages.
Quick reads is a great introduction to various authors, this one included. I did not like this one as much as his longer works, but only because it was so quickly over. The writing was still every bit as good.
Recommended particularly to anyone in two minds as to whether to read books by this author.
128. Hood - Stephen Lawhead
This was one of my occasional forays into audio books because for some reason the iTunes audio book was cheaper than the ebook and paper versions. My advice in short to everyone is don't but this on audio - read it on paper - as I eventually was forced to. (I explain why below).
But I don't want to be too negative about this book which was classic Stephen Lawhead, with his rich settings redolent with Celtic/Welsh imagery, good use of source material, and the injustices and fast paced action seens that make Lawhead's books so exciting and enjoyable.
The one major departure here for Lawhead is to use the more saxon legend of Robin Hood rather than his usual Celtic sources. He explains why he does this in an interesting and well argued appendix, but despite the excellent points he makes about the Welsh use of the longbow, I cannot help but feel that the real reason the setting for this version of Robin Hood is in Wales is down to his own love for that culture and period.
But in any case, what does it matter? This book is a wonderful retelling of the Robin Hood legend with a new and interesting Celtic twist. It worked for me. Some reviewers suggest it may be a little overwritten - and that is perhaps a tendency in Lawhead, but I did not mind it. The diversions were thought provoking and added to the deel of the story. For the paper version of this book, I feel it merits 5 stars.
The audiobook, however, I would give no stars if I could. The narrator is very clearly an American affecting what he believes to be an English accent (although I think at times he was aiming for Irish). He does not pull it off, and some of his character voices sound Americans, others sound horribly shrill and the bulk of them just sound odd. He also pronounces many words as an American would ('erb' for 'herb' or 'rout' for 'route' for instance).
This though might be forgiveable. After all, its just an accent. What was unforgiveable was the way this author made no attempt whatsoever to correctly pronounce the Welsh place names and words. For a story set in Wales, this was frankly unforgiveable. Every single Welsh word, without exception, was pronounced wrong. Often the pronounciation was so mangled I had no idea what the real word might be.
It wasn't even just the Welsh words. Simple words like "briton" were mispronounced - sometimes laughably so. But the disservice to the Welsh setting behind this terrible sloppiness had me seething and missing bits of the text as I groaned inwards at the ineptitude. I thought of providing a pronounciation guide for the Welsh words (as Lawhead has done himself often enough) but space does not permit it here. Eventually I gave up and bought the dead tree version.
So in short, a thoroughly recommended classic Lawhead book but if you have any sympathy for the sounds and cadence of the Welsh language, do not under any circumstances buy on audio.
And yes, Roni, I agree with you about the ADHD style of Dan Brown.
Anyway onto better things:
127. Blackwater - Conn Iggulden
Conn Iggulden is an excellent and fast moving shorter story by a writer who has made his name by producing excellent works of historical fiction. This book is not like those - set in the present day, it is as fast paced as his other works, but wraps up a psychologically gripping tale in under 100 pages.
Quick reads is a great introduction to various authors, this one included. I did not like this one as much as his longer works, but only because it was so quickly over. The writing was still every bit as good.
Recommended particularly to anyone in two minds as to whether to read books by this author.
128. Hood - Stephen Lawhead
This was one of my occasional forays into audio books because for some reason the iTunes audio book was cheaper than the ebook and paper versions. My advice in short to everyone is don't but this on audio - read it on paper - as I eventually was forced to. (I explain why below).
But I don't want to be too negative about this book which was classic Stephen Lawhead, with his rich settings redolent with Celtic/Welsh imagery, good use of source material, and the injustices and fast paced action seens that make Lawhead's books so exciting and enjoyable.
The one major departure here for Lawhead is to use the more saxon legend of Robin Hood rather than his usual Celtic sources. He explains why he does this in an interesting and well argued appendix, but despite the excellent points he makes about the Welsh use of the longbow, I cannot help but feel that the real reason the setting for this version of Robin Hood is in Wales is down to his own love for that culture and period.
But in any case, what does it matter? This book is a wonderful retelling of the Robin Hood legend with a new and interesting Celtic twist. It worked for me. Some reviewers suggest it may be a little overwritten - and that is perhaps a tendency in Lawhead, but I did not mind it. The diversions were thought provoking and added to the deel of the story. For the paper version of this book, I feel it merits 5 stars.
The audiobook, however, I would give no stars if I could. The narrator is very clearly an American affecting what he believes to be an English accent (although I think at times he was aiming for Irish). He does not pull it off, and some of his character voices sound Americans, others sound horribly shrill and the bulk of them just sound odd. He also pronounces many words as an American would ('erb' for 'herb' or 'rout' for 'route' for instance).
This though might be forgiveable. After all, its just an accent. What was unforgiveable was the way this author made no attempt whatsoever to correctly pronounce the Welsh place names and words. For a story set in Wales, this was frankly unforgiveable. Every single Welsh word, without exception, was pronounced wrong. Often the pronounciation was so mangled I had no idea what the real word might be.
It wasn't even just the Welsh words. Simple words like "briton" were mispronounced - sometimes laughably so. But the disservice to the Welsh setting behind this terrible sloppiness had me seething and missing bits of the text as I groaned inwards at the ineptitude. I thought of providing a pronounciation guide for the Welsh words (as Lawhead has done himself often enough) but space does not permit it here. Eventually I gave up and bought the dead tree version.
So in short, a thoroughly recommended classic Lawhead book but if you have any sympathy for the sounds and cadence of the Welsh language, do not under any circumstances buy on audio.
113alcottacre
A good narrator can make or break a book for me. I am sorry to hear that the reader of the Lawhead book was so poor.
114dk_phoenix
Oh nooooo, the audiobook version sounds TERRIBLE!!! That's really too bad, because like you say, the book is quite excellent and a really interesting retelling of the Robin Hood story.
115pbadeer
>>111 sirfurboy: - I sell audiobooks for a living - thank heavens, that one wasn't one of ours. I shared you review with my fellow Sales Managers. We all had a good laugh - because it's too true - the narration matters, and some people don't think about it until they hear something like Hood. We are the one of, if not THE only audio publishing house which still has its own, in house, research department whose sole purpose is to research the pronunciations of the text. Our narrators are required to read the book through first, making a list of all of the words they are not sure of, and the research department figues them out. They've called Chambers of Commerce to figure out how to pronounce street names, and have even called the author directly (particuarlly for Fantasy Lit) to find out how the author wanted things pronounced. It adds to the cost of production, but we think the finished product is worth it. I hope that bad experience doesn't turn you off audio for good.
116NarratorLady
I've worked for the Library of Congress' Talking Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (also called The National Library Service or NLS) for years. We also research the books we read; they are proofed in-house, corrected and then sent to Washington where they are proofed again. A book is returned for further corrections if errors are found - a circumstance that studios try very hard to avoid since too many returns have a bearing on future contracts. A colleague is currently reading Hood and tells me that there is a Welsh pronunciation guide in the book! Now I'm wondering if the guide is incorrect or if the audio publisher ignored it?
117sirfurboy
Thanks both for your comments. I read an interview with another audio book narrator and he said in that interview that there was a research department whose job it was to research pronounciations and such like. I was thus surprised by the sloppiness of the audio on Hood. Had I read the reviews on audible.com, I might have been forwarned though. It seems that almost the only person defending the audio was someone who described this story as "set in Ireland or somewhere"! (The setting is in fact Wales, of course).
NarratorLady: I heard some of the narration for The Chronicles of Prydain which a friend of mine has. I believe that is a Library of Congress Talking Book, and the narrator (possible George Homes, although I could be wrong), does an excellent job of using Welsh pronounciations for the Welsh inspired characters (despite his very "received pronounciation" accent). So yes, I know audio books can do better and I am not disuaded from buying them at all. I just will be careful in future to research the narrators better.
I friend of mine says that Tim Curry's narration of the Abhorsen trilogy is absolutely wonderful. I am almost tempted to go and buy those even though I have read the books already.
Edit:
NarratorLady, you are quite right about the pronounciation guide in the book. That guide is not perfect, but had the narrator followed it then I would at least not have felt that the narration was quite so sloppy. One word that riled me particularly, for instance, was his rendition of Llanelli, which he pronounced lan-ehly. The Welsh "ll" sound is tricky because its not a sound found in English, or many other languages - but the guide would have suggested "thlan-Ethli" as a pronounciation (stress on the E). This would not have been right but would have at least shown an attempt to get it right.
If interested, you can make the Welsh "ll" sound by putting your tongue tip on the roof of the mouth behind your teeth just as though making an "l" sound, but then aspirate the sound (i.e. blow air past the sides of your tongue as you make the l sound). If done right you will see how "thlan" is a reasonable if imperfect approximation of "llan" and don't forget the sound appears twice in the word "Llanelli".
If practicing in front of a mirror, take a towel to wipe the mirror afterwards :)
NarratorLady: I heard some of the narration for The Chronicles of Prydain which a friend of mine has. I believe that is a Library of Congress Talking Book, and the narrator (possible George Homes, although I could be wrong), does an excellent job of using Welsh pronounciations for the Welsh inspired characters (despite his very "received pronounciation" accent). So yes, I know audio books can do better and I am not disuaded from buying them at all. I just will be careful in future to research the narrators better.
I friend of mine says that Tim Curry's narration of the Abhorsen trilogy is absolutely wonderful. I am almost tempted to go and buy those even though I have read the books already.
Edit:
NarratorLady, you are quite right about the pronounciation guide in the book. That guide is not perfect, but had the narrator followed it then I would at least not have felt that the narration was quite so sloppy. One word that riled me particularly, for instance, was his rendition of Llanelli, which he pronounced lan-ehly. The Welsh "ll" sound is tricky because its not a sound found in English, or many other languages - but the guide would have suggested "thlan-Ethli" as a pronounciation (stress on the E). This would not have been right but would have at least shown an attempt to get it right.
If interested, you can make the Welsh "ll" sound by putting your tongue tip on the roof of the mouth behind your teeth just as though making an "l" sound, but then aspirate the sound (i.e. blow air past the sides of your tongue as you make the l sound). If done right you will see how "thlan" is a reasonable if imperfect approximation of "llan" and don't forget the sound appears twice in the word "Llanelli".
If practicing in front of a mirror, take a towel to wipe the mirror afterwards :)
118sirfurboy
129 Paul: An Introduction to his Thought - C K Barrett
Re-read of this wonderful book. Last time I read it, it was hand in hand with NT Wright's "What St Paul Really Said", and added a powerful counterpoint to Tom Wrights persuasive work.
130 Battle of the Sun - Jeanette Winterson
Saw this as a paper book but eventually got it as an ebook. This was an interesting story, although it turned out that it was second in a series. That did not greatly affect the story itself, but messed up the characterisation a little, as I was missing all the history of one of the characters. Its a kind of time travel and magic story where Jack Snap is kidnapped for his magical powers at the turn of the 17th century but enlists the help of a 21st century girl to help him.
131 Oliver Twist - Dickens
After the previous book, I went for something a little more high brow. This was a re-read. I first read Oliver Twist when I had just turned 12, and remembered being surprised by the humour.
The places I remembered were still there (when Oliver is asked to bow to the board, but seeing no board, luckily chooses to bow to the table instead; the Artful Dodger's trial; the scenes with Mr Bumble and his wife and especially the famous "the law is a ass" quote) I also found more ironic humour than I remembered. I don't know if it went over my head at 12, or whether I just did not remember it, but it remained a very interesting read.
132 The Trouble With Giants - Strickland
An ebook only, and thats how it will stay.
Two Roman Mysteries Books:
133 The Sirens of Surrentum
134 The Charioteer of Delphi
This series is like the Famous Five in a Roman setting - except the Sirens of Surrentum really messes that up by putting in some themes I felt were too adult for the series. I notice that television adaptions skipped that story so I presume the directors agreed.
Caroline Lawrence wanted a series that matures with its readership, but she probably jumped to far too fast with that one.
135 The Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, book 2. I found myself enjoying it despite my misgivings about the aggressive promotion of this series. Amusing and a good read. Not the best book I have read, but a fun pass time that occasionally had me chuckling quietly.
136 The Anome - Jack Vance
Many people rave avout Jack vance - I don't really get it though. Nightlamp was a good story. Others of his, including this one, just seem to me to be "okay". His writing style is also very distinctive but it comes over as a little stilted and unnatural.
137 A Little Boy Lost - W H Hudson
I was looking for a book of almost the same name that was recommended here on LT Little Boy Lost by Laskhi. I did not find that as an ebook, so will eventually get it on paper. In the meantime this one was a free download (out of copyright work) so I read it. It was a reasonably enjoyable read, but a little odd, somewhat dated and in an afterword, the author himself admits he did not remember what he was trying to say with this book! I won't lose any sleep trying to work it out.
Re-read of this wonderful book. Last time I read it, it was hand in hand with NT Wright's "What St Paul Really Said", and added a powerful counterpoint to Tom Wrights persuasive work.
130 Battle of the Sun - Jeanette Winterson
Saw this as a paper book but eventually got it as an ebook. This was an interesting story, although it turned out that it was second in a series. That did not greatly affect the story itself, but messed up the characterisation a little, as I was missing all the history of one of the characters. Its a kind of time travel and magic story where Jack Snap is kidnapped for his magical powers at the turn of the 17th century but enlists the help of a 21st century girl to help him.
131 Oliver Twist - Dickens
After the previous book, I went for something a little more high brow. This was a re-read. I first read Oliver Twist when I had just turned 12, and remembered being surprised by the humour.
The places I remembered were still there (when Oliver is asked to bow to the board, but seeing no board, luckily chooses to bow to the table instead; the Artful Dodger's trial; the scenes with Mr Bumble and his wife and especially the famous "the law is a ass" quote) I also found more ironic humour than I remembered. I don't know if it went over my head at 12, or whether I just did not remember it, but it remained a very interesting read.
132 The Trouble With Giants - Strickland
An ebook only, and thats how it will stay.
Two Roman Mysteries Books:
133 The Sirens of Surrentum
134 The Charioteer of Delphi
This series is like the Famous Five in a Roman setting - except the Sirens of Surrentum really messes that up by putting in some themes I felt were too adult for the series. I notice that television adaptions skipped that story so I presume the directors agreed.
Caroline Lawrence wanted a series that matures with its readership, but she probably jumped to far too fast with that one.
135 The Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, book 2. I found myself enjoying it despite my misgivings about the aggressive promotion of this series. Amusing and a good read. Not the best book I have read, but a fun pass time that occasionally had me chuckling quietly.
136 The Anome - Jack Vance
Many people rave avout Jack vance - I don't really get it though. Nightlamp was a good story. Others of his, including this one, just seem to me to be "okay". His writing style is also very distinctive but it comes over as a little stilted and unnatural.
137 A Little Boy Lost - W H Hudson
I was looking for a book of almost the same name that was recommended here on LT Little Boy Lost by Laskhi. I did not find that as an ebook, so will eventually get it on paper. In the meantime this one was a free download (out of copyright work) so I read it. It was a reasonably enjoyable read, but a little odd, somewhat dated and in an afterword, the author himself admits he did not remember what he was trying to say with this book! I won't lose any sleep trying to work it out.
119sirfurboy
Latest reads:
138. Scarlet - Stephen Lawhead
Second in the hood series. A good story, with lots of classic Lawhead style intrigue and action and a rich historical setting that is heavily based in actual history (although it would, of course, be wrong to assume history actually transpired quite like this).
Following my comments about the terrible audio on Hood, the same narrator reads this one so don't touch that! Indeed, Adam Verner's narration even mispronounced English place names like Worcester (he had "war-sester" instead of "wooster"), Wye (he had "wee" instead of "why"), Hereford, and most cringeworth of all, Leicester (he had "lie-chester" instead of "lester"). But enough of that!
The reason for mentioning him again was to note that Lawhead himself seems to ignore his own pronounciation guide at one point. Robin Hood, we understand, comes from "rhi-Bran y hud", and the implication is that the Welsh "hud" rhymes with "hood", when in fact it is closer to "hid" or even "heed".
His Welsh also appears to be quite basic. He has discovered that "rhi" appears to be an obsolete Welsh word for king. This is correct, as it is found in names such as "Rhodri", but note the name "Rhodri" shows the way Welsh grammar works. King Raven in Welsh would have to be "Bran ri" (just trust me on the missing "h"...that is a weird grammar rule). Rhi Bran, assuming that "Rhi" was ever a noun, would be King of Ravens, which Lawhead specifically denies is the correct translation.
He also gives some other incorrect translations. He says "hudolion" is "sorceress", but that is in fact the plural "enchanters". An enchantress would be "hudoles". There are other problems, the worst being when he calls the Welsh language "Gaelic". Gaelic is the related but very different language of Ireland, and the Scottish highland variant brought to Scotland by Irish Scotti who settled there. Welsh would be "Cymraeg", although "cumric" would have been okay.
Despite the problems, this is a good story, and I hope my pedantry does not suggest otherwise. It is well worth reading.
139. The Slave Girl from Jerusalem (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
Back to the usual excellent quality for this series. In this book, the four adventurers help prevent an injustice be peretrated agains a freed slave girl. Links to the Jewish revolt and the stand at Masada are found in this rich historical setting.
140. Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone *
141. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets *
142. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban *
143. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire *
144. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix *
I have persuaded my daughter to try Harry Potter, by reading to her at bed time. As you can see by the above re-reads on my part, she is hooked.
I have had slightly bitty re-reads. I read her some at bed time, and then she keeps reading when she should be sleeping. She has also been reading throughout the day, leaving me to sneakily fill in the gaps in my reading when I can! (Because I love Harry Potter and they were worth re-reading. I did, however, find myself being irritated by Rowling's over-use of adjectives, in a way that I did not notice when I read these to myself. I seem to remember the last book in particular shows improvement on that score. But adjective overuse or not, these are still some of the best books I have read, and I doubt I need bother recommend them now!)
145. Chicken Boy - Frances O'Roark Dowell
This is a good story about a boy from a troubled background,. His mother has died, and his father, lost in grief, is battling with his also grief stricken mother-in-law, and neglecting his family.
This is the story of the son of this man, who finds a firend who is passionately into keeping chickens. The story charts the dark days that ultimately lead to change and hope.
Great story. Some aspects of it were not quite true to life for me. In particular, the boy at the centre of the story is really far to nice for the kind of troubled rebel he is supposed to be.
I enjoyed it though.
138. Scarlet - Stephen Lawhead
Second in the hood series. A good story, with lots of classic Lawhead style intrigue and action and a rich historical setting that is heavily based in actual history (although it would, of course, be wrong to assume history actually transpired quite like this).
Following my comments about the terrible audio on Hood, the same narrator reads this one so don't touch that! Indeed, Adam Verner's narration even mispronounced English place names like Worcester (he had "war-sester" instead of "wooster"), Wye (he had "wee" instead of "why"), Hereford, and most cringeworth of all, Leicester (he had "lie-chester" instead of "lester"). But enough of that!
The reason for mentioning him again was to note that Lawhead himself seems to ignore his own pronounciation guide at one point. Robin Hood, we understand, comes from "rhi-Bran y hud", and the implication is that the Welsh "hud" rhymes with "hood", when in fact it is closer to "hid" or even "heed".
His Welsh also appears to be quite basic. He has discovered that "rhi" appears to be an obsolete Welsh word for king. This is correct, as it is found in names such as "Rhodri", but note the name "Rhodri" shows the way Welsh grammar works. King Raven in Welsh would have to be "Bran ri" (just trust me on the missing "h"...that is a weird grammar rule). Rhi Bran, assuming that "Rhi" was ever a noun, would be King of Ravens, which Lawhead specifically denies is the correct translation.
He also gives some other incorrect translations. He says "hudolion" is "sorceress", but that is in fact the plural "enchanters". An enchantress would be "hudoles". There are other problems, the worst being when he calls the Welsh language "Gaelic". Gaelic is the related but very different language of Ireland, and the Scottish highland variant brought to Scotland by Irish Scotti who settled there. Welsh would be "Cymraeg", although "cumric" would have been okay.
Despite the problems, this is a good story, and I hope my pedantry does not suggest otherwise. It is well worth reading.
139. The Slave Girl from Jerusalem (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
Back to the usual excellent quality for this series. In this book, the four adventurers help prevent an injustice be peretrated agains a freed slave girl. Links to the Jewish revolt and the stand at Masada are found in this rich historical setting.
140. Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone *
141. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets *
142. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban *
143. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire *
144. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix *
I have persuaded my daughter to try Harry Potter, by reading to her at bed time. As you can see by the above re-reads on my part, she is hooked.
I have had slightly bitty re-reads. I read her some at bed time, and then she keeps reading when she should be sleeping. She has also been reading throughout the day, leaving me to sneakily fill in the gaps in my reading when I can! (Because I love Harry Potter and they were worth re-reading. I did, however, find myself being irritated by Rowling's over-use of adjectives, in a way that I did not notice when I read these to myself. I seem to remember the last book in particular shows improvement on that score. But adjective overuse or not, these are still some of the best books I have read, and I doubt I need bother recommend them now!)
145. Chicken Boy - Frances O'Roark Dowell
This is a good story about a boy from a troubled background,. His mother has died, and his father, lost in grief, is battling with his also grief stricken mother-in-law, and neglecting his family.
This is the story of the son of this man, who finds a firend who is passionately into keeping chickens. The story charts the dark days that ultimately lead to change and hope.
Great story. Some aspects of it were not quite true to life for me. In particular, the boy at the centre of the story is really far to nice for the kind of troubled rebel he is supposed to be.
I enjoyed it though.
120alcottacre
I am going to have to check out the Lawhead and Lawrence series.
123susiesharp
I'm glad to hear you like the Roman Mysteries series I have them in the library but haven't read them yet.
Sorry to hear the audios of Stephen Lawheads books aren't good but I may have to find the Abhorsen books as I love Tim Curry and would guess he does a really good job on narration, and I've been meaning to re-read that series anyway.
Sorry to hear the audios of Stephen Lawheads books aren't good but I may have to find the Abhorsen books as I love Tim Curry and would guess he does a really good job on narration, and I've been meaning to re-read that series anyway.
124sirfurboy
Thanks Susie. I have been very impressed with the Roman Mysteries series, as well as their TV adaptions. (With the exception of one book that is - I review that further up this page). And yes, I wish Tim Curry narrated many more audio books! I would certainly buy more if he did!
*
Latest reads:
146. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
147. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
These were re-reads for me, first time through for my daughter. She read these ones almost entirely on her own. I just dipped into the books for re-reads when she was asleep.
My daughter's response was these were the best books she has ever read. She said her heart was pounding in the exciting bits. Well she is only 9, but I agree it could be some time before she finds anything better!
I'll post up the other recent reads in a following message, as the browser is playing up!
*
Latest reads:
146. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
147. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
These were re-reads for me, first time through for my daughter. She read these ones almost entirely on her own. I just dipped into the books for re-reads when she was asleep.
My daughter's response was these were the best books she has ever read. She said her heart was pounding in the exciting bits. Well she is only 9, but I agree it could be some time before she finds anything better!
I'll post up the other recent reads in a following message, as the browser is playing up!
125sirfurboy
148. Tuck - Stephen Lawhead
Tuck is the third book in Lawhead's "King Raven" series that reimagines Robin Hood in a Welsh historical context. If you found this page first, the series starts with "Hood".
The idea is well researched and well imagined. Lawhead clearly has tremendous feeling for all things Celtic, and writes wonderful historical fiction. He is a master at building stories around injustice and conflict and his battle scenes are fast paced and some of the best action writing out there. Unless you hate historical fiction, you will find plenty to enjoy in this book.
There is a well argued afterword about the historical setting which makes an excellent case for a Welsh Robin Hood, although the impartial observer might suggest that Lawhead's decision to base this novel in Wales was down to his love for celtic culture, as evidenced by most of his other works. Nevertheless, this is an excellent work of fiction which I give 5 stars based on its all round interest. I hope you agree with me.
Just don't get the dreadful audiobook version!!
149. The Beggar of Vorubilis (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
The four detectives go on possibly their most far fetched and certainly far flung adventure yet. Crossing a thousand miles of North Africa, they hunt out a special emerald for the emperor Titus.
Lots of good historical information, in another wonderful story. Perhaps requiring a little too much willing suspension of disbelief... but then again maybe not. I still enjoyed it.
150. The Scribes of Alexandria (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
The four detectives are shipwrecked in Alexandria and Nubia does not realise the other three have survived and heads off towards upper Egypt and her homelands. Perhaps one I won't hurry to recommend to my daughter, as a chief character is a eunuch, with a sensitive but full description of what that means. *blushes*.
Ok the touchstones are not working so I will move to yet another post for the remaining reads.
Tuck is the third book in Lawhead's "King Raven" series that reimagines Robin Hood in a Welsh historical context. If you found this page first, the series starts with "Hood".
The idea is well researched and well imagined. Lawhead clearly has tremendous feeling for all things Celtic, and writes wonderful historical fiction. He is a master at building stories around injustice and conflict and his battle scenes are fast paced and some of the best action writing out there. Unless you hate historical fiction, you will find plenty to enjoy in this book.
There is a well argued afterword about the historical setting which makes an excellent case for a Welsh Robin Hood, although the impartial observer might suggest that Lawhead's decision to base this novel in Wales was down to his love for celtic culture, as evidenced by most of his other works. Nevertheless, this is an excellent work of fiction which I give 5 stars based on its all round interest. I hope you agree with me.
Just don't get the dreadful audiobook version!!
149. The Beggar of Vorubilis (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
The four detectives go on possibly their most far fetched and certainly far flung adventure yet. Crossing a thousand miles of North Africa, they hunt out a special emerald for the emperor Titus.
Lots of good historical information, in another wonderful story. Perhaps requiring a little too much willing suspension of disbelief... but then again maybe not. I still enjoyed it.
150. The Scribes of Alexandria (Roman Mysteries) - Caroline Lawrence
The four detectives are shipwrecked in Alexandria and Nubia does not realise the other three have survived and heads off towards upper Egypt and her homelands. Perhaps one I won't hurry to recommend to my daughter, as a chief character is a eunuch, with a sensitive but full description of what that means. *blushes*.
Ok the touchstones are not working so I will move to yet another post for the remaining reads.
126sirfurboy
151. The Magic Thief: Found - Sarah Prineas
Third in this trilogy. Good and enjoyable story, with magic, pyrotechnics and now dragons too.
152. The Fall - Garth Nix
I have to admit I am a Garth Nix fan. This is the only series of books of his I have not yet read, and with the exception of some of his earliest work, I have loved everything he has written (even the early ones were good, but he has become ever more original as time goes by).
The Seventh Tower is set in a world redolent with trademark Garth Nix originality. Not like the world in any other books he has written or any others I have read. This is a world veiled in darkness, where the hero of the story - a boy on the brink of adulthood - is born into a class ridden and highly political society with a servant underclass. Desperate to avoid demotion to the underclass, and opposed at every turn by forces bent on defeating him, he must gain himself a primary sunstone.
This quest sets up the first book well, and the struggles and conflict are described in a way that draws the reader in. I was absorbed in this conflict almost from the first page, and I really really want to play Beastmaker now!
It seems clear there is more to this quest than just a search for a primary sunstone, and plenty of mystery and many unanswered questions were set up in this first book, so I already have book 2 on order (I completed this one a couple of days ago).
Garth Nix is good for older children, perfect for young adults and just as enjoyable to adults. This book perhaps aimed at a slightly younger audience than his Abhorsen series, but if you like good books, don't let that put you off.
153. Quicksilver - Sam Osman
Quicksilver is a great new book by a new author. My strongest recommendation here is that I will certainly buy more of this author's works. From the first pages I felt drawn into Wolfie's world in an unremarkable South London suburb with a fascinating hidden history. Wolfie is soon united with two other children with a destiny: Tala and Zi'ib. These three children are remarkable in a number of ways, and develop some extraordinary powers through the course of the book.
A book with children the reader can identify with who have special powers is a winning combination, and this book does not dissapoint. Children and young adult readers will love this work, and the ancient mystery and ley line stuff may well be pseudo scientific guff, but it also makes for a fascinating and mysterious adventure that will delight younger readers.
As an adult reader I also enjoyed this book, but it is not one of those books I would overtly recommend to other adults. There is nothing deep or meaningful here, nor is it especially original. But that will not matter to younger readers who will rightly enjoy this for the engrossing adventure.
A few criticisms prevent me giving this book 5 stars (but again, young adults just ignore me here and buy this book - you should love it anyway). My criticisms are:
1. The plot feels rather derivative. For the first half of the book I thought I could be reading Anthony Horowitz's "Devils Doorbell" series. A series he never completed, but is now rewriting under the title "The Power of the Five". Similarities went right down to location! Horowitz places a couple of his characters in Crystal Palace area and Dulwich.
Thornham in this book is a made up location said to be just before Norwood, Penge and Bromley, which places it very close to Dulwich and Crystal Palace (It also gets given the postcode SE29, but that does not help as the SE postcodes stop at 28).
But the whole plot did feel almost identical at times to Horowitz's. Later in the book though, things took a different turn and the book ended differently - but again with no great originality. I have read many books like this. The use of the new age stuff reminded me of Marco and the Blade of Night. Many other books come to mind, so I won't clutter the review by naming them all. (Ask in comments section if you are interested!)
2. Ley lines are bunk. Draw a set of random dots on a page and you can find "ley lines" through your "map". That matters not at all to the story though, as they are just a hook, and an enjoyable one. It was the further reading section that annoyed me, because that rather uncritically pointed to material about ley lines without pointing to the obvious refutations of the same.
3. This story frequently set off my "infinitely improbable" alarm. Not because of the ley lines! It was the sudden leaps of understanding, or the unexplained manner in which events central to the plot could be just passed over. Deus ex machina comes to mind, but that would sound Latin and pretentious, so I won't say it... oh well, maybe I did say it already, sorry! The point is that the reader is made to notice that they are willingly suspending their disbelief at times.
Despite those criticisms, this was a good fun read and as I said at the start, I will read more by this author. Not the best book I read this year but still very good.
154. Fever Crumb
Filling in the gaps. Good series, well imagined and original.
155. Jennings of Course - Anthony Buckeridge
Another hilarious Jennings story - and this one was not a re-read. I actually found one I never borrowed from library or friends in the past. From space ping pong, to jumble sale disasters, this is classic Jennings. The eternal 11 year old gets up to all kinds of jolly weezes, much to the exasperation of Mr Wilkins.
Third in this trilogy. Good and enjoyable story, with magic, pyrotechnics and now dragons too.
152. The Fall - Garth Nix
I have to admit I am a Garth Nix fan. This is the only series of books of his I have not yet read, and with the exception of some of his earliest work, I have loved everything he has written (even the early ones were good, but he has become ever more original as time goes by).
The Seventh Tower is set in a world redolent with trademark Garth Nix originality. Not like the world in any other books he has written or any others I have read. This is a world veiled in darkness, where the hero of the story - a boy on the brink of adulthood - is born into a class ridden and highly political society with a servant underclass. Desperate to avoid demotion to the underclass, and opposed at every turn by forces bent on defeating him, he must gain himself a primary sunstone.
This quest sets up the first book well, and the struggles and conflict are described in a way that draws the reader in. I was absorbed in this conflict almost from the first page, and I really really want to play Beastmaker now!
It seems clear there is more to this quest than just a search for a primary sunstone, and plenty of mystery and many unanswered questions were set up in this first book, so I already have book 2 on order (I completed this one a couple of days ago).
Garth Nix is good for older children, perfect for young adults and just as enjoyable to adults. This book perhaps aimed at a slightly younger audience than his Abhorsen series, but if you like good books, don't let that put you off.
153. Quicksilver - Sam Osman
Quicksilver is a great new book by a new author. My strongest recommendation here is that I will certainly buy more of this author's works. From the first pages I felt drawn into Wolfie's world in an unremarkable South London suburb with a fascinating hidden history. Wolfie is soon united with two other children with a destiny: Tala and Zi'ib. These three children are remarkable in a number of ways, and develop some extraordinary powers through the course of the book.
A book with children the reader can identify with who have special powers is a winning combination, and this book does not dissapoint. Children and young adult readers will love this work, and the ancient mystery and ley line stuff may well be pseudo scientific guff, but it also makes for a fascinating and mysterious adventure that will delight younger readers.
As an adult reader I also enjoyed this book, but it is not one of those books I would overtly recommend to other adults. There is nothing deep or meaningful here, nor is it especially original. But that will not matter to younger readers who will rightly enjoy this for the engrossing adventure.
A few criticisms prevent me giving this book 5 stars (but again, young adults just ignore me here and buy this book - you should love it anyway). My criticisms are:
1. The plot feels rather derivative. For the first half of the book I thought I could be reading Anthony Horowitz's "Devils Doorbell" series. A series he never completed, but is now rewriting under the title "The Power of the Five". Similarities went right down to location! Horowitz places a couple of his characters in Crystal Palace area and Dulwich.
Thornham in this book is a made up location said to be just before Norwood, Penge and Bromley, which places it very close to Dulwich and Crystal Palace (It also gets given the postcode SE29, but that does not help as the SE postcodes stop at 28).
But the whole plot did feel almost identical at times to Horowitz's. Later in the book though, things took a different turn and the book ended differently - but again with no great originality. I have read many books like this. The use of the new age stuff reminded me of Marco and the Blade of Night. Many other books come to mind, so I won't clutter the review by naming them all. (Ask in comments section if you are interested!)
2. Ley lines are bunk. Draw a set of random dots on a page and you can find "ley lines" through your "map". That matters not at all to the story though, as they are just a hook, and an enjoyable one. It was the further reading section that annoyed me, because that rather uncritically pointed to material about ley lines without pointing to the obvious refutations of the same.
3. This story frequently set off my "infinitely improbable" alarm. Not because of the ley lines! It was the sudden leaps of understanding, or the unexplained manner in which events central to the plot could be just passed over. Deus ex machina comes to mind, but that would sound Latin and pretentious, so I won't say it... oh well, maybe I did say it already, sorry! The point is that the reader is made to notice that they are willingly suspending their disbelief at times.
Despite those criticisms, this was a good fun read and as I said at the start, I will read more by this author. Not the best book I read this year but still very good.
154. Fever Crumb
Filling in the gaps. Good series, well imagined and original.
155. Jennings of Course - Anthony Buckeridge
Another hilarious Jennings story - and this one was not a re-read. I actually found one I never borrowed from library or friends in the past. From space ping pong, to jumble sale disasters, this is classic Jennings. The eternal 11 year old gets up to all kinds of jolly weezes, much to the exasperation of Mr Wilkins.
127ronincats
Looks like you've been busy with your reading! I'll have to check out several of the above.
128alcottacre
I am definitely gonig to be looking for the Nix and Osman books. Thanks for the recommendations!
129souloftherose
#126 I've been wondering whether to try Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series now I've finished his Keys to the Kingdom and Abhorsen series and you've decided me in favour - thanks!
130sirfurboy
>129 souloftherose:, thanks for that. I hope you enjoy them too.
> 128, likewise, thanks and happy reading.
And thanks for dropping by all three :)
> 128, likewise, thanks and happy reading.
And thanks for dropping by all three :)
131sirfurboy
156. Quidditch Through the Ages
Reread of this funny but sadly too short book - accompanying the Harry potter Series and (mey version at least) sold in aid of Comic Relief
157. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Reread. I love the doodlings on this Hogwarts "text book".
158. The Gift - Alison Croggon
Epic book sold to the children's market but perhaps a little too self conciously in the vein of Tolkien. I did not get on well with it. The action came slowly, and all the attention to detail and setiing was very good but just kept me thinking of Tolkien. As this tale was not too original, the comparison always had this book coming off poorer.
This is not a bad book. The story is fine, the writing is good and there was a lot of time spent on detail. It was a little slow in places, and perhaps would have been great had it been shorter and less derivative.
That being said, it has its own special character, and is not just a Tolkien clone. The story is in fact quite different.
I also suspect the author has read Susan Cooper too, because a main character was called Cadvan, and there are warestones and other hints of borrowings.
No book is written in a vacuum of course. That the author read books I also enjoyed is not something to be held against her, and again she tries to make her own story here. That she does not entirely succeed is not a fault that she alone is guilty of!
159. Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
Recommended in discussion here last week, I read this quickly and liked it a lot. It turns out I had already heard the author speak, and so the first chapter was very familiar ground, but there was plenty of new stuff for me here too. Anyone under the impression that people are dispassionately rational, or - indeed - randomly irrational, would do well to read this.
There is an introduction to behaviopral economics. I don't think that theme was fully explored, but no theory of behavioural economics could exclude the information incorporated in this text.
160. Castle - Garth Nix
Part two of this series by Garth Nix. For younger readers than the Abhorsen books, but still wonderfully original, well written and exciting.
161. The Spirit Level - Richard Wilkinson
Looking at the issue of inequality, this book shows quite unequivocally the evidence that more equal societies are happier, healthier, fairer, with less crime and better ourcomes by every conceivable measure.
As I was reading the book, various counter hypotheses occurred to me that could explain the correlation between equality and all the other outcomes. I was gratified that in later chapters of the book, these counter hypotheses and all the caveats were carefully considered.
The book then looked at issues of why equality is so closesly correlated with all these outcomes, and in that it had some cross over with "predictably Irrational" above. All in all a very engrossing book.
My only question is where we go from here. The case for more equal societies is made very strongly, but how one goes about rebalancing society is, I suspect, an area where there could be sharp differences of opinion.
Reread of this funny but sadly too short book - accompanying the Harry potter Series and (mey version at least) sold in aid of Comic Relief
157. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Reread. I love the doodlings on this Hogwarts "text book".
158. The Gift - Alison Croggon
Epic book sold to the children's market but perhaps a little too self conciously in the vein of Tolkien. I did not get on well with it. The action came slowly, and all the attention to detail and setiing was very good but just kept me thinking of Tolkien. As this tale was not too original, the comparison always had this book coming off poorer.
This is not a bad book. The story is fine, the writing is good and there was a lot of time spent on detail. It was a little slow in places, and perhaps would have been great had it been shorter and less derivative.
That being said, it has its own special character, and is not just a Tolkien clone. The story is in fact quite different.
I also suspect the author has read Susan Cooper too, because a main character was called Cadvan, and there are warestones and other hints of borrowings.
No book is written in a vacuum of course. That the author read books I also enjoyed is not something to be held against her, and again she tries to make her own story here. That she does not entirely succeed is not a fault that she alone is guilty of!
159. Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
Recommended in discussion here last week, I read this quickly and liked it a lot. It turns out I had already heard the author speak, and so the first chapter was very familiar ground, but there was plenty of new stuff for me here too. Anyone under the impression that people are dispassionately rational, or - indeed - randomly irrational, would do well to read this.
There is an introduction to behaviopral economics. I don't think that theme was fully explored, but no theory of behavioural economics could exclude the information incorporated in this text.
160. Castle - Garth Nix
Part two of this series by Garth Nix. For younger readers than the Abhorsen books, but still wonderfully original, well written and exciting.
161. The Spirit Level - Richard Wilkinson
Looking at the issue of inequality, this book shows quite unequivocally the evidence that more equal societies are happier, healthier, fairer, with less crime and better ourcomes by every conceivable measure.
As I was reading the book, various counter hypotheses occurred to me that could explain the correlation between equality and all the other outcomes. I was gratified that in later chapters of the book, these counter hypotheses and all the caveats were carefully considered.
The book then looked at issues of why equality is so closesly correlated with all these outcomes, and in that it had some cross over with "predictably Irrational" above. All in all a very engrossing book.
My only question is where we go from here. The case for more equal societies is made very strongly, but how one goes about rebalancing society is, I suspect, an area where there could be sharp differences of opinion.
132alcottacre
#131: The Spirit Level looks like a very interesting, thought-provoking read. It is available for the Nook, so I will be downloading it soon.
133ronincats
Looks like some good reading, for the most part, Stephen! The Spirit Level does sound interesting.
134sirfurboy
Thanks both,
Yes the Spirit Level was a very interesting read. It contains a good many graphs, and a huge set of references, but it is not written as an academic book. One thing that I did notice was the simplification of statistical significance in the data presented. The authors kept saying "could not happen by chance", which is not really quite correct - but for a general introduction, and considering all the data considered, it was good enough.
Yes the Spirit Level was a very interesting read. It contains a good many graphs, and a huge set of references, but it is not written as an academic book. One thing that I did notice was the simplification of statistical significance in the data presented. The authors kept saying "could not happen by chance", which is not really quite correct - but for a general introduction, and considering all the data considered, it was good enough.
135sirfurboy
#162. Mockingjay
Last of the wonderful Hunger Games trilogy, which I discovered through LibraryThing recommendations.
I loved this series, and I think the way it ends, whilst not altogether happy, is perfect for the story. This is a trilogy I will happily recommend to adults and teens alike (although not suitable for younger children I think).
Nevertheless, Mockingjay was perhaps not the best book of the trilogy. That author tried to continue the Hunger Games theme into a setting where it did not quite fit. Moreover, the earlier very succesful choice to use first person narrative had the effect, in this book, of making most of the interesting action take place off stage.
In particular, rescues and revolution just seemed to happen. One did not feel the costs of those actions, except in the few brief forays of Katniss into the field.
This story was not as engrossing as the others, but it felt like it was the right and necessary story. I don't think the author should have got bogged down in all the details of the revolution - but I wish she had managed to make it feel a little more personal.
Still an very good book, and part of a first rate series - one of the best trilogies I can remember reading.
Last of the wonderful Hunger Games trilogy, which I discovered through LibraryThing recommendations.
I loved this series, and I think the way it ends, whilst not altogether happy, is perfect for the story. This is a trilogy I will happily recommend to adults and teens alike (although not suitable for younger children I think).
Nevertheless, Mockingjay was perhaps not the best book of the trilogy. That author tried to continue the Hunger Games theme into a setting where it did not quite fit. Moreover, the earlier very succesful choice to use first person narrative had the effect, in this book, of making most of the interesting action take place off stage.
In particular, rescues and revolution just seemed to happen. One did not feel the costs of those actions, except in the few brief forays of Katniss into the field.
This story was not as engrossing as the others, but it felt like it was the right and necessary story. I don't think the author should have got bogged down in all the details of the revolution - but I wish she had managed to make it feel a little more personal.
Still an very good book, and part of a first rate series - one of the best trilogies I can remember reading.
136alcottacre
#135: one of the best trilogies I can remember reading.
Great tribute to the series. I am hoping to finish it up before the end of the year.
Great tribute to the series. I am hoping to finish it up before the end of the year.
137avatiakh
I finished Mockingjay yesterday and after mulling it over as I felt it a little flat, I too decided that it was possibly the first person narrative that killed the magic a bit in this one. All the interesting stuff was happening away from Katniss a lot of the time.
138sirfurboy
My latest reads:
163. Empire of Silver
Fourth in the series about Genghis Khan. This one set after the death of Genghis himself, and the Empire is filled with the feuding of brothers, sons and grandsons of the nation builder.
This is a book Conn Iggulden did not need write. He could have ended his story with the death of Genghis, but it is a fine addition to the series. Iggulden writes first class historical fiction.
164. The Tales of Beedle The Bard
A re-read of these tales, having hunted them out for my daughter (who is now hooked on all things Harry Potter). The notes by Dumbledore are the best part.
165. Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature
Much in the vein of Predictably Irrational which I recently read. This book would have been a fine one had I read it first, but Dan Ariely's work is better, fuller and more evidence led. This one revealed perhaps a few too mmany of the author's prejudices.
166. Let the right one in
Spooky vampire story that is getting a lot of attention, but I am not entirely sure why. It is probably perfect for lovers of the genre, but those who occasionally dip into it will find it less compelling. The setting is extremely dark, but the story itself lacks some tension, and characters are not compelling. Some of this might be the translation - it may read better in Swedish, but whilst I read through to the end with no difficulty, I did not miss the book once I had finished it.
It also did not seem to me to be wholly original. Some aspects of the plot seemed to be borrowed from Vampire Junction, and even though I hated Vampire Junction, I am forced to the conclusion that it was better done in Somtow's book.
Cult interest only in my opinion.
167. Spook's Apprentice
168. Spook's Curse
169. Spook's Secret
170. Spook's Battle
My daughter started reading Spooks , raved about it so now I have been reading them too. Personally I am not ready to rave about them. They are scary for 9 year olds, but not for an adult. The stories are quite original, and well constructed, but not of great depth, and some of the themes feel like they are aimed at an older age group than 9 (although the stories are perhaps not sufficiently complex to be branded young adult).
171. Especially Jennings
Still re-reading my way through the wonderful Jennings books
163. Empire of Silver
Fourth in the series about Genghis Khan. This one set after the death of Genghis himself, and the Empire is filled with the feuding of brothers, sons and grandsons of the nation builder.
This is a book Conn Iggulden did not need write. He could have ended his story with the death of Genghis, but it is a fine addition to the series. Iggulden writes first class historical fiction.
164. The Tales of Beedle The Bard
A re-read of these tales, having hunted them out for my daughter (who is now hooked on all things Harry Potter). The notes by Dumbledore are the best part.
165. Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature
Much in the vein of Predictably Irrational which I recently read. This book would have been a fine one had I read it first, but Dan Ariely's work is better, fuller and more evidence led. This one revealed perhaps a few too mmany of the author's prejudices.
166. Let the right one in
Spooky vampire story that is getting a lot of attention, but I am not entirely sure why. It is probably perfect for lovers of the genre, but those who occasionally dip into it will find it less compelling. The setting is extremely dark, but the story itself lacks some tension, and characters are not compelling. Some of this might be the translation - it may read better in Swedish, but whilst I read through to the end with no difficulty, I did not miss the book once I had finished it.
It also did not seem to me to be wholly original. Some aspects of the plot seemed to be borrowed from Vampire Junction, and even though I hated Vampire Junction, I am forced to the conclusion that it was better done in Somtow's book.
Cult interest only in my opinion.
167. Spook's Apprentice
168. Spook's Curse
169. Spook's Secret
170. Spook's Battle
My daughter started reading Spooks , raved about it so now I have been reading them too. Personally I am not ready to rave about them. They are scary for 9 year olds, but not for an adult. The stories are quite original, and well constructed, but not of great depth, and some of the themes feel like they are aimed at an older age group than 9 (although the stories are perhaps not sufficiently complex to be branded young adult).
171. Especially Jennings
Still re-reading my way through the wonderful Jennings books
139alcottacre
I started reading the Spook's Apprentice books too, but rather fell off them as they did not keep my interest as much as John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series does. I imagine I will return to the Delaney books some century or other.
140susiesharp
Thats excactly what I said in my review of Tales of Beedle the Bard the best part was Dumbledore's notes! Glad I'm not the only one that felt that way!
141ronincats
Glad to see you surface to update us! We miss you, but it looks like RL is keeping you busy.
142sirfurboy
139> I was put in mind of the Ranger's apprentice books by the Spook's books too, and I preferred the Ranger's Apprentice too. However, as my daughter like the Spook's books, I am encouraging her to try Garth Nix, who is a better writer and better stories but hopefully just as interesting to her.
140> Ype, it is good not being the only one to feel that way :)
141> Yes, Roni - things have been very busy lately, which has also put me off the pace in my reading too. Last year I read 251 books - I will have to read as much as I read in the first three months of this year if I am to achieve that again.
140> Ype, it is good not being the only one to feel that way :)
141> Yes, Roni - things have been very busy lately, which has also put me off the pace in my reading too. Last year I read 251 books - I will have to read as much as I read in the first three months of this year if I am to achieve that again.
143sirfurboy
172. Spook's Mistake
173. Spook's Sacrifice
Two more of these books. The latter has Tom Ward selling his sould to the devil. My previous comments still apply, and I would not have recommended these books to my daughter. (She started reading the first one in school).
174. The Prophet from Ephesus (The Roman Mysteries)
The four young detectives are found in Alexandria by Aristo (the tutor) and brought back to Ephesus. With a price on their heads and more kidnappings of children, the adventure continues at a pace.
This book has the children meeting two biblical characters. First Tychicus, and then John (the evangelist). This was quite an uplifting book, with a sympathetic but not heavy handed Christian theme.
175. Nudge
A book on choice engineering and how it can be used to improve our decisions in all manner of things without impinging on fundamental liberties. A good one to read after reading Predictably Irrational, as it builds on an understanding of our irrational behaviours and suggests ways we can improve our decisions as a result.
173. Spook's Sacrifice
Two more of these books. The latter has Tom Ward selling his sould to the devil. My previous comments still apply, and I would not have recommended these books to my daughter. (She started reading the first one in school).
174. The Prophet from Ephesus (The Roman Mysteries)
The four young detectives are found in Alexandria by Aristo (the tutor) and brought back to Ephesus. With a price on their heads and more kidnappings of children, the adventure continues at a pace.
This book has the children meeting two biblical characters. First Tychicus, and then John (the evangelist). This was quite an uplifting book, with a sympathetic but not heavy handed Christian theme.
175. Nudge
A book on choice engineering and how it can be used to improve our decisions in all manner of things without impinging on fundamental liberties. A good one to read after reading Predictably Irrational, as it builds on an understanding of our irrational behaviours and suggests ways we can improve our decisions as a result.
144carlym
Predictably Irrational and Nudge look really interesting!
145alcottacre
I really want to get to the Caroline Lawrence books some time. They look like ones I would enjoy.
I think that based on your comments, I am not going to return to the Spook's Apprentice books.
I think that based on your comments, I am not going to return to the Spook's Apprentice books.
146sirfurboy
>144 carlym:
Yes, I think they were both excellent. I recently read Herd too, which was in the same vein but not as good in my opinion. It was partly let down by an opinionated author who sometimes let his biases show too clearly.
>145 alcottacre: Yes the Roman Mysteries books are really excellent.
Yes, I think they were both excellent. I recently read Herd too, which was in the same vein but not as good in my opinion. It was partly let down by an opinionated author who sometimes let his biases show too clearly.
>145 alcottacre: Yes the Roman Mysteries books are really excellent.
147sirfurboy
I spent a lot of the weekend reading!
176. Mind Maps for Business
The definitive book on Mind Maps by their inventor. Interesting, but, to be honest, not necessary. Mind Maps are useful tools, but it doesn't take 256 pages to explain them.
Worth borrowing from the library though (as I did) if you are unfamiliar with mind maps.
177. The Sandfather
A Linda Newbery book about a 13 year old boy with anger issues and always in trouble at school. A period of exclusion leads to him discovering family, friends and his own past. As always for this author, the book is well written. A good young adult read with a coming of age flavour.
178. The Spook's Nightmare
The latest of the Spook's books. Fortunately there are no more avialble yet, so I can stop here. My daughter could not read these at night because they were becoming quite disturbing. We had a good chat about them over Sunday Lunch, but again not highly recommended.
179. Roman Mysteries: The Man from Pomegranate Street
The very last of the Roman Mysteries books (other than short stories - see below). This book wrapped the series up very well. A good mystery surrounding the sudden death of Titus (that is, the Emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus). It had a nice romantic ending too. This series has been first rate (with the exception of one book), and highly recommended for being both entertaining and highly educational.
180. The Legionary from Londinium
Short stories in the Roman Mysteries world, including one set in Britannia, which Caroline Lawrence couldn't work into the main series. Highly educational as usual. Short stories are not my favourite form, and these are highly plot centred, but they are still very good.
181. Trimalchio's Feast
More short stories dotted through the Roman Mysteries timeline, including Lupus' disastrous ninth birthday party.
182. The Code of Romulus
A single mini mystery that contains some very interesting material. This book was a special of some kind and I had to get a second hand copy on ebay.
176. Mind Maps for Business
The definitive book on Mind Maps by their inventor. Interesting, but, to be honest, not necessary. Mind Maps are useful tools, but it doesn't take 256 pages to explain them.
Worth borrowing from the library though (as I did) if you are unfamiliar with mind maps.
177. The Sandfather
A Linda Newbery book about a 13 year old boy with anger issues and always in trouble at school. A period of exclusion leads to him discovering family, friends and his own past. As always for this author, the book is well written. A good young adult read with a coming of age flavour.
178. The Spook's Nightmare
The latest of the Spook's books. Fortunately there are no more avialble yet, so I can stop here. My daughter could not read these at night because they were becoming quite disturbing. We had a good chat about them over Sunday Lunch, but again not highly recommended.
179. Roman Mysteries: The Man from Pomegranate Street
The very last of the Roman Mysteries books (other than short stories - see below). This book wrapped the series up very well. A good mystery surrounding the sudden death of Titus (that is, the Emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus). It had a nice romantic ending too. This series has been first rate (with the exception of one book), and highly recommended for being both entertaining and highly educational.
180. The Legionary from Londinium
Short stories in the Roman Mysteries world, including one set in Britannia, which Caroline Lawrence couldn't work into the main series. Highly educational as usual. Short stories are not my favourite form, and these are highly plot centred, but they are still very good.
181. Trimalchio's Feast
More short stories dotted through the Roman Mysteries timeline, including Lupus' disastrous ninth birthday party.
182. The Code of Romulus
A single mini mystery that contains some very interesting material. This book was a special of some kind and I had to get a second hand copy on ebay.
148alcottacre
Looks like you and your daughter have had a good time with the Caroline Lawrence books!
149sirfurboy
183. The Steps up the Chimney
This book had a kind of dated feel about it - like the kind of book I would have read as a child. It is not bran new, but it felt more in the style of an Alan Garner story, although perhaps not quite as captivating (but close enough to be enjoyable). It was a good story though, about three children who visit an unorthodox uncle and aunt in an old house in Wales, that has a hidden history and a hidden room.
184. Warrior of Rome: Fire in the East
First in a trilogy about the Roman Empire during the third century troubles. The book is written by a professor of history, and is a wonderfully accurate and detailed historical narrative of the period, which is also full of action and adventure. This is a historian who knows how to write.
Although maybe he still has a little to learn!
A few small criticisms of this novel are:
1) The language was frequently profane, in a manner that was probably quite accurate. We know that Roman soldiers swore like any soldiers. However, strong language feels stronger in print, and this one was as blue a text as any I can remember reading. There were also frequent references to a certain sexual practice, that were so common, and placed in the mouths of so many characters, it felt like the author's obsession!
2) Characterisation was weak and the point of view occasionally chaotic.
3) The story started quite slowly, although it was alleviated early on with a good sea battle. Nevertheless the second half of the book is what really sells the story. It is a pity one must read so many pages to get there.
Still a very very good first novel by an author who can surely only get better at what he is doing.
185. Bad Influence - William Sutcliffe
A disturbing story about the perils of peer pressure, particularly amongst children. This story is narrated by a 10 year old boy in London in the late 1970s I think (no date is given, but drainpipe trousers would be my anchor for this!) The story is a timeless one though.
The narration is hilarious. The author really gets into the 1o year old mind, and carries it off perfectly. I have not felt an author did this so well since I read Finn's Going (in the UK published as All About Finn. This is a very different book, but also carries the narrative voice excellently).
But the humour offsets a more menacing theme, when a new boy arrives in the street.
A powerful read, slightly disturbing, very funny and highly recommended.
186. The Star of Kazan
An orphaned girl grows up as a servant in the home of three slightly eccentric professors in Austria, but then extraordinary events start to unfold. This was a book that I think girls would prefer to boys, but it was a good novel and well written.
187. The Eagle of the Ninth
Re-read of this classic tale from Roman Britain.
188. The Highest Tide
I picked this up in the library last week. Not a book I would have spent money on, but it turned out that it was a good and enjoyable read about a 13 year old boy who discovers a giant squid on his local beach in Washington state. This turns out to be the first of many strange discoveries.
This book is in the coming of age genre. I did not feel it was powerfully original, but it was a good piece of writing with some engaging characters, and an air of unfolding mystery too.
If you like the coming of age genre, this is a worthy one.
This book had a kind of dated feel about it - like the kind of book I would have read as a child. It is not bran new, but it felt more in the style of an Alan Garner story, although perhaps not quite as captivating (but close enough to be enjoyable). It was a good story though, about three children who visit an unorthodox uncle and aunt in an old house in Wales, that has a hidden history and a hidden room.
184. Warrior of Rome: Fire in the East
First in a trilogy about the Roman Empire during the third century troubles. The book is written by a professor of history, and is a wonderfully accurate and detailed historical narrative of the period, which is also full of action and adventure. This is a historian who knows how to write.
Although maybe he still has a little to learn!
A few small criticisms of this novel are:
1) The language was frequently profane, in a manner that was probably quite accurate. We know that Roman soldiers swore like any soldiers. However, strong language feels stronger in print, and this one was as blue a text as any I can remember reading. There were also frequent references to a certain sexual practice, that were so common, and placed in the mouths of so many characters, it felt like the author's obsession!
2) Characterisation was weak and the point of view occasionally chaotic.
3) The story started quite slowly, although it was alleviated early on with a good sea battle. Nevertheless the second half of the book is what really sells the story. It is a pity one must read so many pages to get there.
Still a very very good first novel by an author who can surely only get better at what he is doing.
185. Bad Influence - William Sutcliffe
A disturbing story about the perils of peer pressure, particularly amongst children. This story is narrated by a 10 year old boy in London in the late 1970s I think (no date is given, but drainpipe trousers would be my anchor for this!) The story is a timeless one though.
The narration is hilarious. The author really gets into the 1o year old mind, and carries it off perfectly. I have not felt an author did this so well since I read Finn's Going (in the UK published as All About Finn. This is a very different book, but also carries the narrative voice excellently).
But the humour offsets a more menacing theme, when a new boy arrives in the street.
A powerful read, slightly disturbing, very funny and highly recommended.
186. The Star of Kazan
An orphaned girl grows up as a servant in the home of three slightly eccentric professors in Austria, but then extraordinary events start to unfold. This was a book that I think girls would prefer to boys, but it was a good novel and well written.
187. The Eagle of the Ninth
Re-read of this classic tale from Roman Britain.
188. The Highest Tide
I picked this up in the library last week. Not a book I would have spent money on, but it turned out that it was a good and enjoyable read about a 13 year old boy who discovers a giant squid on his local beach in Washington state. This turns out to be the first of many strange discoveries.
This book is in the coming of age genre. I did not feel it was powerfully original, but it was a good piece of writing with some engaging characters, and an air of unfolding mystery too.
If you like the coming of age genre, this is a worthy one.
150alcottacre
#149: Some good reading there! I already have The Star of Kazan in the BlackHole, have read The Eagle of the Ninth and own The Highest Tide, but am adding The Steps Up the Chimney and Bad Influence to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendations!
152ronincats
The Steps up the Chimney sounds interesting. The description reminds me of Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge--have you ever read that? Your daughter might enjoy both that and The Little White Horse if she hasn't read them.
153sirfurboy
Hi Roni,
I never read Linnets and Valerians, and the description looks interesting enough to add to my wish list, but a little different from The Steps up the Chimney. I will recommend The Little White Horse to my daughter first though, because J K Rwoling writes that it was her favourite childhood book. That should sell it to Elin, who is now Harry Potter mad.
I never read Linnets and Valerians, and the description looks interesting enough to add to my wish list, but a little different from The Steps up the Chimney. I will recommend The Little White Horse to my daughter first though, because J K Rwoling writes that it was her favourite childhood book. That should sell it to Elin, who is now Harry Potter mad.
154sirfurboy
189. Skippy Dies
Longlisted for the Man Booker prize, this is a novel set around an exclusive Catholic boy's school in Ireland. It is a good piece of writing, sometimes hilarious, sometimes profound. It will not be my favourite read of the year, and I think it could have been shorter. I suspect there is a modern vogue to a certain type of contemporary writing that is designed to pique the interest of those looking for prize winning books. Part of this vogue seems to favour long works. I am not sure that people looking back on our literature in 100 years time will have the same opinion of what makes the perfect story.
But I don't want to be an inverse literary snob (proud philistine?) about this book either. It was a good read, and the author is an astute observer of his own society who manages to write in it in a way that mocks only subtly, but sets the reader thinking.
There are even parts of this book I could imagine quoting. When a history teacher, on the verge of a breakdown,argues with the principle of the college, the management speaking "automator" who is transforming it into something "modern", there are some wonderful snippets along the lines of:
"We should be teaching the children the truth".
"No we should be teaching them to pass the test".
This is definitely a book that merits study, and despite my comments above, I think it was quite right that it was on the Man Booker long list. Clearly it did not win, but as I have proudly never read a Booker prize winner, I am quite glad of that.
190. Jennings in Particular
No one will give Jennings a Booker prize, but I bet more people have enjoyed his antics than ever enjoyed a Booker prize winner.
This story start with the first interplanetary cricket match, which comes to an abrupt early end with a lost ball on the gymnasium roof. Through the usual wonderful and hilarious antics, the book ends on the second such match, under the new (non MCC approved) rules of J C T Jennings, whereby the bowler and batsman must contrive to lose or destroy the ball to score!
As Mr Carter points out, this sounds rather expensive in lost balls - but Jennings is not worried about that. I shouldn't say why not to avoid spoilers.
191. The Door in the Tree
Second of the Magician's House books. This one is about secret passages, badger baiting and, of course, the magician and his secret room in the Golden House.
Once again a good read in a book that feels it should have been published longer ago than its actual date of 1991. It is not as good as Alan Garner in my opinion, but again I felt their were parallels with his work.
Longlisted for the Man Booker prize, this is a novel set around an exclusive Catholic boy's school in Ireland. It is a good piece of writing, sometimes hilarious, sometimes profound. It will not be my favourite read of the year, and I think it could have been shorter. I suspect there is a modern vogue to a certain type of contemporary writing that is designed to pique the interest of those looking for prize winning books. Part of this vogue seems to favour long works. I am not sure that people looking back on our literature in 100 years time will have the same opinion of what makes the perfect story.
But I don't want to be an inverse literary snob (proud philistine?) about this book either. It was a good read, and the author is an astute observer of his own society who manages to write in it in a way that mocks only subtly, but sets the reader thinking.
There are even parts of this book I could imagine quoting. When a history teacher, on the verge of a breakdown,argues with the principle of the college, the management speaking "automator" who is transforming it into something "modern", there are some wonderful snippets along the lines of:
"We should be teaching the children the truth".
"No we should be teaching them to pass the test".
This is definitely a book that merits study, and despite my comments above, I think it was quite right that it was on the Man Booker long list. Clearly it did not win, but as I have proudly never read a Booker prize winner, I am quite glad of that.
190. Jennings in Particular
No one will give Jennings a Booker prize, but I bet more people have enjoyed his antics than ever enjoyed a Booker prize winner.
This story start with the first interplanetary cricket match, which comes to an abrupt early end with a lost ball on the gymnasium roof. Through the usual wonderful and hilarious antics, the book ends on the second such match, under the new (non MCC approved) rules of J C T Jennings, whereby the bowler and batsman must contrive to lose or destroy the ball to score!
As Mr Carter points out, this sounds rather expensive in lost balls - but Jennings is not worried about that. I shouldn't say why not to avoid spoilers.
191. The Door in the Tree
Second of the Magician's House books. This one is about secret passages, badger baiting and, of course, the magician and his secret room in the Golden House.
Once again a good read in a book that feels it should have been published longer ago than its actual date of 1991. It is not as good as Alan Garner in my opinion, but again I felt their were parallels with his work.
155alcottacre
#154: I have not had much luck with the Booker Prize winners in the past, although I did read (and love!) this year's winner, The Finkler Question. I am adding Skippy Dies to the BlackHole since it sounds a lot better than most of the winners from the past.
156carlym
#154: I received part one of Skippy Dies as part of my Indiespensable subscription--if a shorter version would have been better, maybe part one by itself will be just right!
157ronincats
I never read Linnets and Valerians until the two books were reprinted when I was adult, but my school library had a 1947 copy of The Little White Horse and it was my most favorite book from 6th through 8th grades. I checked it out and reread it many times during those years. Years later when they sold off those books, Mom bought the old tattered copy for me. I finally gave it to my younger sister (who also loved it) last year after I found a beautiful, pristine same 1947 edition, with the maps printed on the inside liner pages, at an antique store. Plus I have a paperback for rereads--both were reissued in 2001. I'm betting your daughter will love it.
158tloeffler
Moving WAY back up the posts (I've gotten just a little behind!), I listened to the Lemony Snicket books on audio, and most of them were narrated by Tim Curry, who did a fabulous job. I like Tim Curry's voice, though, and I'd probably rave about him reading the phone book.
159sirfurboy
>155 alcottacre: - So what did you think of The Finkler Question? Is it worth reading?
>156 carlym: - The problem with reading Skippy Dies in 3 parts, I think, is that the first part may feel the slowest and discourage further reading. Then again that may be my own preferences. Things don't really start to resolve themself until the end of part 2. Still worth reading though.
>157 ronincats: -The Little White Horse arrived yesterday and I offered it to my daughter. She pronounced it "a girl's book" which confused me a bit, as I thought she was a girl. She informed me she likes reading books that boys like too! I'll keep you updated on whether she reads it, and in the meantime I will!
>158 tloeffler: I did not know Tim Curry did Lemony Snicket! Now I want to listen to those! I wonder if the library has them on audio...
Thanks for letting me know.
>156 carlym: - The problem with reading Skippy Dies in 3 parts, I think, is that the first part may feel the slowest and discourage further reading. Then again that may be my own preferences. Things don't really start to resolve themself until the end of part 2. Still worth reading though.
>157 ronincats: -The Little White Horse arrived yesterday and I offered it to my daughter. She pronounced it "a girl's book" which confused me a bit, as I thought she was a girl. She informed me she likes reading books that boys like too! I'll keep you updated on whether she reads it, and in the meantime I will!
>158 tloeffler: I did not know Tim Curry did Lemony Snicket! Now I want to listen to those! I wonder if the library has them on audio...
Thanks for letting me know.
162sirfurboy
192. Enemy in the Mirror - Roxanne L. Euben
An intelligent and somewhat academic look at the philosophy underpinning islamic fundamentalism, and how it differs from Western rationalism. the book rightly makes the point, of course, that there is no homogenous Western rationalism, and that many of the ideas underpinning islamic fundamentalism can be found in Christianity. It also shows clear points of departure too.
Tracing the rise of fundamentalism in Sunni Islam and showing how Khomeni's Shi'ite interpretaion developed seperately but along similar lines, this book demonstrates that there is rather more to islamic fundamentalism than TV soundbites profess.
Ultimately though, the book is too academically written to be of general interest.
193. Trust Jennings
more hilarious antics with Jennings et al at Linbury Court Preparatory school.
194. Jennings at Large
A later Jennings book. It is like it is not even the same author. Also like it doesn't know what age it should be set in. Is this still the 1950s? Or is it now the late 1970s? Decimal money and reference to lunar landings suggests the latter, but it is not quite clear (and Jennings is *still* only 12).
This story is mostly not set in school, and takes land owners to task over blocked footpaths and what sounds like a council house system to task for being cruel to Aunt Angela. Jennings also *gasps* makes friends with a girl.
I would not be surprised if this was ghostwritten to capitalise on the success on the earlier books when Collins were reprinting them in the 1970s.
Not terrible, but definitely not Jennings.
195. A Taste of Irrationality - Dan Ariely
A composite book of chapters from Dan Ariely's works, with some interesting subject matter and experiements in behavioural economics.
An intelligent and somewhat academic look at the philosophy underpinning islamic fundamentalism, and how it differs from Western rationalism. the book rightly makes the point, of course, that there is no homogenous Western rationalism, and that many of the ideas underpinning islamic fundamentalism can be found in Christianity. It also shows clear points of departure too.
Tracing the rise of fundamentalism in Sunni Islam and showing how Khomeni's Shi'ite interpretaion developed seperately but along similar lines, this book demonstrates that there is rather more to islamic fundamentalism than TV soundbites profess.
Ultimately though, the book is too academically written to be of general interest.
193. Trust Jennings
more hilarious antics with Jennings et al at Linbury Court Preparatory school.
194. Jennings at Large
A later Jennings book. It is like it is not even the same author. Also like it doesn't know what age it should be set in. Is this still the 1950s? Or is it now the late 1970s? Decimal money and reference to lunar landings suggests the latter, but it is not quite clear (and Jennings is *still* only 12).
This story is mostly not set in school, and takes land owners to task over blocked footpaths and what sounds like a council house system to task for being cruel to Aunt Angela. Jennings also *gasps* makes friends with a girl.
I would not be surprised if this was ghostwritten to capitalise on the success on the earlier books when Collins were reprinting them in the 1970s.
Not terrible, but definitely not Jennings.
195. A Taste of Irrationality - Dan Ariely
A composite book of chapters from Dan Ariely's works, with some interesting subject matter and experiements in behavioural economics.
163alcottacre
#155: I loved The Finkler Question! I hope you give it a try, although you might want to read some of the reviews of it to see if it is something you think you would like.
164sirfurboy
196. The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall
Third in this series. The children must battle a property development company who wish to build a holiday park on the Golden Vale that are key to the Magicians plans. But who really owns the land?
Good adventure story in this series that will appeal to younger readers.
197. Mein Kampf
A German friend told me this book is banned in Germany. He may have been having me on though, as he is funny like that (I know - funny Germans don't fit the stereotype, which just goes to show what stereotypes are worth). Having said that, one might wonder why anyone would bother read it.
I read it for a couple of reasons. (1) To better understand why Hitler behaved as he did - particularly in choosing to invade Czechoslovakia and Poland, and (2) for the historical detail. The book contains Hitler's autobiography, including and account of the First World War from the German side. This account is annoyingly lacking in detail but was still a nice counterpoint to "Goodbye to all that" which I was reading at the same time (see below).
My feeling from this book is that some things are now much clearer. It is clear that Hitler saw eastern expansion as important for the survival of Germany, and his feelings about the neighbouring states are much clearer. But I also think Hitler was disingenuous in his account of how he came to hate the Jews. The actual passages vilifying the Jews were hard reading, particularly in the light of later history - but all in all and interesting book for its historical source material value.
198. Goodbye to All That
Robert Graves' autobiography up to the 1920s. The best part of the book (and the lion's share) is taken up with his account with the Royal Welch in the Great War.
The autobiography itself is somewhat bitty. You get the impression of someone telling you a story over lunch - things come to mind in odd places. Some things remain unexplored and the whole flow of the book is slightly stream-of-conciousness. But the book is very interesting - primarily of historical interest. There are also a good number of amusing anecdotes and asides.
199. Street Child
The story of an orphan and of Dr Barnado. Good enjoyable story of Victorian life for younger readers, in the vein of Dickens but written more accessibly.
200. The Little White Horse
As recommended in this thread above. My daughter has still not got round to this but I read it and enjoyed it. A timeless story written in the late 1940s. It reminded me a bit of C.S. Lewis both in style and imagination.
201. The Maze Runner
A 16 year old boy wakes up with no memory of who he is, in a deadly maze with other teenagers. The book says "If you liked the Hunger Games, you will Love this". Such recommendations set themselves up for disappointment, and sure enough the first Hunger Games book was better than this. However this was a good addition to the growing teen future dystopia genre (Gone and others are also examples of this style of book).
202. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth - Jeff Kinney
Mor hilarious exploits from Greg, who is now beginning to grow up - or at least his friends are. Rowley gets his first zit and the class are getting the facts of life in school. Once again understated text is offset by hilarious illustrations. Managed to read this quickly before my daughter got hold of it.
Third in this series. The children must battle a property development company who wish to build a holiday park on the Golden Vale that are key to the Magicians plans. But who really owns the land?
Good adventure story in this series that will appeal to younger readers.
197. Mein Kampf
A German friend told me this book is banned in Germany. He may have been having me on though, as he is funny like that (I know - funny Germans don't fit the stereotype, which just goes to show what stereotypes are worth). Having said that, one might wonder why anyone would bother read it.
I read it for a couple of reasons. (1) To better understand why Hitler behaved as he did - particularly in choosing to invade Czechoslovakia and Poland, and (2) for the historical detail. The book contains Hitler's autobiography, including and account of the First World War from the German side. This account is annoyingly lacking in detail but was still a nice counterpoint to "Goodbye to all that" which I was reading at the same time (see below).
My feeling from this book is that some things are now much clearer. It is clear that Hitler saw eastern expansion as important for the survival of Germany, and his feelings about the neighbouring states are much clearer. But I also think Hitler was disingenuous in his account of how he came to hate the Jews. The actual passages vilifying the Jews were hard reading, particularly in the light of later history - but all in all and interesting book for its historical source material value.
198. Goodbye to All That
Robert Graves' autobiography up to the 1920s. The best part of the book (and the lion's share) is taken up with his account with the Royal Welch in the Great War.
The autobiography itself is somewhat bitty. You get the impression of someone telling you a story over lunch - things come to mind in odd places. Some things remain unexplored and the whole flow of the book is slightly stream-of-conciousness. But the book is very interesting - primarily of historical interest. There are also a good number of amusing anecdotes and asides.
199. Street Child
The story of an orphan and of Dr Barnado. Good enjoyable story of Victorian life for younger readers, in the vein of Dickens but written more accessibly.
200. The Little White Horse
As recommended in this thread above. My daughter has still not got round to this but I read it and enjoyed it. A timeless story written in the late 1940s. It reminded me a bit of C.S. Lewis both in style and imagination.
201. The Maze Runner
A 16 year old boy wakes up with no memory of who he is, in a deadly maze with other teenagers. The book says "If you liked the Hunger Games, you will Love this". Such recommendations set themselves up for disappointment, and sure enough the first Hunger Games book was better than this. However this was a good addition to the growing teen future dystopia genre (Gone and others are also examples of this style of book).
202. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth - Jeff Kinney
Mor hilarious exploits from Greg, who is now beginning to grow up - or at least his friends are. Rowley gets his first zit and the class are getting the facts of life in school. Once again understated text is offset by hilarious illustrations. Managed to read this quickly before my daughter got hold of it.
165alcottacre
I have wanted to read Goodbye to All That for years. I am going to have to get my hands on a copy!
166sirfurboy
I bought a mobipocket version on the Kindle store, if you have an ereader device.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the comment.
167swynn
#164: I can confirm that at least in the late '80s, "Mein Kampf" was banned in West Germany. I was a foreign exchange student in Germany in 1986/87, and thought it would be instructive to find a copy. Not only did the bookstore owner tell me flatly no, he was clearly disgusted that I had asked. Some time later I asked my history teacher about it, who explained the ban to me and why it was a necessary thing. I didn't accept the explanation then and I don't now (woo-hoo First Amendment!), but it was clearly not open to discussion.
According to Time Magazine the ban was still effective in 2008.
According to Time Magazine the ban was still effective in 2008.
168alcottacre
#166: I have a Nook, but unfortunately, Goodbye to All That does not appear to be available for it.
169ronincats
Glad you enjoyed The Little White Horse, Stephen.
170sirfurboy
#167: Thanks for that confirmation. Personally I don't agree with banning books, but I understand the context of that ban.
#168: The book format issue is a major nuisance. Personally I buy all my ebooks and then look to converting them to whichever ereader I want to read them on. Of course that cannot be recommended as it is not legal to remove the DRM that prevents such use in the USA or several European countries including the UK. So obviously I don't do that, I use magic. :)
For non DRMd books though, Calibre is your friend :)
#169: Thanks for the recommendation Roni.
#168: The book format issue is a major nuisance. Personally I buy all my ebooks and then look to converting them to whichever ereader I want to read them on. Of course that cannot be recommended as it is not legal to remove the DRM that prevents such use in the USA or several European countries including the UK. So obviously I don't do that, I use magic. :)
For non DRMd books though, Calibre is your friend :)
#169: Thanks for the recommendation Roni.
171alcottacre
#170: I am not familiar with Calibre. What is it?
172sirfurboy
Calibre is free ebook management software that converts formats like a dream and looks after your ebook collections for you.
http://calibre-ebook.com/
Definitely worth a look.
http://calibre-ebook.com/
Definitely worth a look.
173alcottacre
#172: Cool! Thanks for the link!
174sirfurboy
203. Paradise Lost - John Milton
This book, Like Shakespeare, is beautiful, profound and a wonderful example of our literary heritage. Like Shakespeare it also benefits from being read with a running start.
At first I wondered what I was doing trying to read this twelve volume work, written in 17th century language and blank verse. Whenever confronted by blank verse, I am reminded of Moominpapa's efforts in Moominsummer Madness to write a play, where the verse makes the thing deadly dull until it is abandoned.
However, at some point about a third of the way into the book I was captivated by the beauty of the language and the blank verse became the most natural thing in the world. I also loved the insights and background that Milton brings to the story of the fall, as well as references that show this to be a post enlightenment work.
All in all a great book - one that deserves its place at the pinnacle of the works of the English language. It deserves the study it gets and I can imagine referring back to it in the future. In terms of story though, the first chapters of Genesis are rather more concise!
This book, Like Shakespeare, is beautiful, profound and a wonderful example of our literary heritage. Like Shakespeare it also benefits from being read with a running start.
At first I wondered what I was doing trying to read this twelve volume work, written in 17th century language and blank verse. Whenever confronted by blank verse, I am reminded of Moominpapa's efforts in Moominsummer Madness to write a play, where the verse makes the thing deadly dull until it is abandoned.
However, at some point about a third of the way into the book I was captivated by the beauty of the language and the blank verse became the most natural thing in the world. I also loved the insights and background that Milton brings to the story of the fall, as well as references that show this to be a post enlightenment work.
All in all a great book - one that deserves its place at the pinnacle of the works of the English language. It deserves the study it gets and I can imagine referring back to it in the future. In terms of story though, the first chapters of Genesis are rather more concise!
175alcottacre
#174: In terms of story though, the first chapters of Genesis are rather more concise!
LOL!
I am ashamed to say that I have never read Paradise Lost. One of these days I am sure I will get around to it.
LOL!
I am ashamed to say that I have never read Paradise Lost. One of these days I am sure I will get around to it.
176ronincats
I've only read selections from it, and myriads of allusions, retellings, and references to it. It actually would probably benefit from being one of our group reads at some future time. Congratulations, Stephen, on sallying through it on your own.
177sirfurboy
Thanks both. A group read would be quite interesting, because there is plenty to talk about in this book. Also breaking it into smaller chunks probably would help.
178sirfurboy
204. Wishful Thinking - Ali Sparkes
Ali Sparkes writes good books for the children and young adult market, and this one is no exception. When a boy writes a list of wishes for his life and it is caught by the wind out of his hands and drops on the river Ouse, the rmano/celtic god of the river (Abandinus) takes it as a prayer - and starts to answer the wishes.
This is a thoroughly modern book about the perils of hubris. Nothing very deep, but a few interesting old celtic gods get resurrected for the sake of this tale.
205. The Magic Scales - Sam Wilding
The Amazon reviews were largely extremely positive on this book. I am at a loss to understand why. It was not terrible. It was essentially a rather derivative romp in a magical land to save a missing father, guided by a wizard cunningly disguised as a goldfish.
It was a fun read but overlong for its genre. There were just too many little side adventures. Dialogue could have been cut down and the whole story would have been better in a shorter book aimed squarely at younger readers.
I cannot really recommend it to my daughter - it was too long, and without being as captivating as other long children's books. Neither can I recommend it to adults, as it had nothing deep or highly original about it. (Some of the creatures in the book had inventive names, and gladly there were no elves, but that is all that really set it apart from so many other books of this genre).
Ali Sparkes writes good books for the children and young adult market, and this one is no exception. When a boy writes a list of wishes for his life and it is caught by the wind out of his hands and drops on the river Ouse, the rmano/celtic god of the river (Abandinus) takes it as a prayer - and starts to answer the wishes.
This is a thoroughly modern book about the perils of hubris. Nothing very deep, but a few interesting old celtic gods get resurrected for the sake of this tale.
205. The Magic Scales - Sam Wilding
The Amazon reviews were largely extremely positive on this book. I am at a loss to understand why. It was not terrible. It was essentially a rather derivative romp in a magical land to save a missing father, guided by a wizard cunningly disguised as a goldfish.
It was a fun read but overlong for its genre. There were just too many little side adventures. Dialogue could have been cut down and the whole story would have been better in a shorter book aimed squarely at younger readers.
I cannot really recommend it to my daughter - it was too long, and without being as captivating as other long children's books. Neither can I recommend it to adults, as it had nothing deep or highly original about it. (Some of the creatures in the book had inventive names, and gladly there were no elves, but that is all that really set it apart from so many other books of this genre).
179sirfurboy
206. Speaking of Jennings
A 1970s Jennings book. Still just as funny and enjoyable, but a little odd as the 1950s setting receives a number of updates, including decimalised currency. In this book, Jennings and Darbishire have grand plans for covert fishing during Sunday afternoon walks, but run afoul of a petty criminal in the village of Linbury.
207. Frozen Fire
Another great book from Tim Bowler. As so often with this author, this book mixes the emotional rollercoaster of teenage angst, death and loss, and a supernatural element to make something that is gripping and very readable.
Again as in other books by this author, issues of prejudice and justice are explored. A good teenage read, with plenty to consider when finished.
208. The Alchemyst
Maybe I am just reading too much of this genre, but I was not overly taken with this book. I have seen it often but ignored it for a long time because the name "Nicholas Flamel" made me (wrongly) believe it was riding on the coat tails of Harry Potter.
In fact this is an original tale using the quasi historical Flamel and just about every other mythological and quasi historical character to make a far reaching story about twins with special powers.
There is a good amount of orginal research in this book, but the story itself seemed to be very much like a number of other stories rehashed. Younger readers will probably not notice that or care, so recommended for young adults, but nothing deep or meaningful or highly original in this book.
A 1970s Jennings book. Still just as funny and enjoyable, but a little odd as the 1950s setting receives a number of updates, including decimalised currency. In this book, Jennings and Darbishire have grand plans for covert fishing during Sunday afternoon walks, but run afoul of a petty criminal in the village of Linbury.
207. Frozen Fire
Another great book from Tim Bowler. As so often with this author, this book mixes the emotional rollercoaster of teenage angst, death and loss, and a supernatural element to make something that is gripping and very readable.
Again as in other books by this author, issues of prejudice and justice are explored. A good teenage read, with plenty to consider when finished.
208. The Alchemyst
Maybe I am just reading too much of this genre, but I was not overly taken with this book. I have seen it often but ignored it for a long time because the name "Nicholas Flamel" made me (wrongly) believe it was riding on the coat tails of Harry Potter.
In fact this is an original tale using the quasi historical Flamel and just about every other mythological and quasi historical character to make a far reaching story about twins with special powers.
There is a good amount of orginal research in this book, but the story itself seemed to be very much like a number of other stories rehashed. Younger readers will probably not notice that or care, so recommended for young adults, but nothing deep or meaningful or highly original in this book.
180ronincats
I agree with you completely on The Alchemyst.
181sirfurboy
Hi Roni, glad our opinions are in tune as usual :)
Anyway three more to add:
209. Pilgrim's Progress
John Bunyan's classic. I first tried to read this as a child of about 12, but I gave up at the end of volume I. Nevertheless it was interesting to see how concepts such as the Slough of despond and Vanity fair had assimilated into our culture and I realised that most people mentioning these things had never read the book (my empirical test being to mention the yonder wicket gate. Blank stares meant the person I was speaking to had never read it).
This time I persevered through the end, and was rewarded with the original of Bunyan's hymn (He Who Would Valiant Be). Nevertheless I am now amazed that I soldiered on with this book as far as I did.
The language is archaic, of course. This is an old work, but where Paradise Lost had a beauty in its prose, I found Pilgrim's Progress stilted both by the way it is set out - almost like a script, as well as the constant Bible references.
On the other hand, this is a wonderful, faithful and straightforward telling of the puritan orthodoxy regarding the Christian faith, and it is rightly a classic for that reason.
All in all an interesting read, but heavy going
210. Out of Shadows - Jason Wallace
Something lighter, I thought. But in fact, no. This book was heavy for a different reason altogether. It follows a teenager as he grows up in a private high school in the newly independent Zimbabwe. Son of a British diplomat, his father sees Robert Mugabe as a great and magnanimous leader. The Zimbabwe born friends in school have different opinions.
This book is a tense novel, set in frightening times. There are plenty of racist attitudes on display by characters in the book, but in fact it is about much more than racism. This is a book about power and politics but more especially about hatred and strife and where it leads.
This is definitely a book to make you think. I found it in the young adult section, but it is just as much a book for old adults too. Too heavy for younger children though.
211. The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking
Stephe Hawking's attempt to answer the great questions about life, the universe and everything. It is co written with someone with a name I can neither pronounce or spell, but apologies to Leonard Ml-whatever-your-name-is, for not taking the time to copy and paste it.
Plusses are that this book is a wonderful short history of the growth of scientific thought as well as a crash course in quantum mechanics, relativity and M theory.
However, there was nothing actually new here. A fuller discussion of the scientific theories can be found in books such as Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe (he has a later book that probably covers any recent changes Hawking includes).
As for the history of the development of science, that can be found in many places, bit at times it was reminicent of Russell's History of Western Philosophy.
On the downside, this book does not do what it purports to do. It asks the question "why is there something rather than nothing", but cannot answer it, and the attempt to reduce it to a non question is just a fudge that admits to the unanswerability of the question.
Early on the book also simply dismisses philosophy, saying it has not kept up with the science. That statement is a bold assertion written in defiance of the clear fact that modern philosophers are well aware of the latest physics, and make good use of it. Indeed, inasmuch as this book IS a work of philosophy, the book refutes its own assertion.
In a few other places, things are asserted without evidence and which are not obviously true.
The proposal of the unmodified radical multiverse idea as a solution to the extremely unlikely balance of the laws of nature that allow our universe to exist is also written in ignorance of the work of philosophers such as Keith Ward, who make the point that this merely multiplies the improbability of the whole. There is now so much more *stuff* to explain than before. We have mechanism but no answer to the reason there is something at all.
So no answers to the big questions in this book. I ilked the physics, which is nicely described, but other books do it more thoroughly.
Anyway three more to add:
209. Pilgrim's Progress
John Bunyan's classic. I first tried to read this as a child of about 12, but I gave up at the end of volume I. Nevertheless it was interesting to see how concepts such as the Slough of despond and Vanity fair had assimilated into our culture and I realised that most people mentioning these things had never read the book (my empirical test being to mention the yonder wicket gate. Blank stares meant the person I was speaking to had never read it).
This time I persevered through the end, and was rewarded with the original of Bunyan's hymn (He Who Would Valiant Be). Nevertheless I am now amazed that I soldiered on with this book as far as I did.
The language is archaic, of course. This is an old work, but where Paradise Lost had a beauty in its prose, I found Pilgrim's Progress stilted both by the way it is set out - almost like a script, as well as the constant Bible references.
On the other hand, this is a wonderful, faithful and straightforward telling of the puritan orthodoxy regarding the Christian faith, and it is rightly a classic for that reason.
All in all an interesting read, but heavy going
210. Out of Shadows - Jason Wallace
Something lighter, I thought. But in fact, no. This book was heavy for a different reason altogether. It follows a teenager as he grows up in a private high school in the newly independent Zimbabwe. Son of a British diplomat, his father sees Robert Mugabe as a great and magnanimous leader. The Zimbabwe born friends in school have different opinions.
This book is a tense novel, set in frightening times. There are plenty of racist attitudes on display by characters in the book, but in fact it is about much more than racism. This is a book about power and politics but more especially about hatred and strife and where it leads.
This is definitely a book to make you think. I found it in the young adult section, but it is just as much a book for old adults too. Too heavy for younger children though.
211. The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking
Stephe Hawking's attempt to answer the great questions about life, the universe and everything. It is co written with someone with a name I can neither pronounce or spell, but apologies to Leonard Ml-whatever-your-name-is, for not taking the time to copy and paste it.
Plusses are that this book is a wonderful short history of the growth of scientific thought as well as a crash course in quantum mechanics, relativity and M theory.
However, there was nothing actually new here. A fuller discussion of the scientific theories can be found in books such as Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe (he has a later book that probably covers any recent changes Hawking includes).
As for the history of the development of science, that can be found in many places, bit at times it was reminicent of Russell's History of Western Philosophy.
On the downside, this book does not do what it purports to do. It asks the question "why is there something rather than nothing", but cannot answer it, and the attempt to reduce it to a non question is just a fudge that admits to the unanswerability of the question.
Early on the book also simply dismisses philosophy, saying it has not kept up with the science. That statement is a bold assertion written in defiance of the clear fact that modern philosophers are well aware of the latest physics, and make good use of it. Indeed, inasmuch as this book IS a work of philosophy, the book refutes its own assertion.
In a few other places, things are asserted without evidence and which are not obviously true.
The proposal of the unmodified radical multiverse idea as a solution to the extremely unlikely balance of the laws of nature that allow our universe to exist is also written in ignorance of the work of philosophers such as Keith Ward, who make the point that this merely multiplies the improbability of the whole. There is now so much more *stuff* to explain than before. We have mechanism but no answer to the reason there is something at all.
So no answers to the big questions in this book. I ilked the physics, which is nicely described, but other books do it more thoroughly.
182alcottacre
Thanks for the recommendation of the Wallace book. I will look for that one.
183ronincats
Stephen, I lived in central Kansas as a child, 25 miles from the nearest book store in a day before one drove that far as a matter of course, and so I read the books I did have over and over--and indeed got quite a few as gifts. But two older books that came in the family were Hurlbut's Stories of the Bible and a children's adaptation of The Pilgrim's Progress. I'm sure that the latter ruthlessly pruned out everything but the action, but I also was fascinated with the Slough of Despair and Vanity Fair. I thought Christian had much more interesting adventures than Christina too. I suspect if you had had my version, you wouldn't have given up at age 12.
184sirfurboy
Roni,
Yes I think a rewrite of The Pilgrim's Progress would have made it much more readable as a child. I didn't notice Christian having the greater adventures particularly, although his wife's adventures largely recapitulate his (other than the bit with Gaius). The catechising of the children was interesting, from a historical perspective too.
Yes I think a rewrite of The Pilgrim's Progress would have made it much more readable as a child. I didn't notice Christian having the greater adventures particularly, although his wife's adventures largely recapitulate his (other than the bit with Gaius). The catechising of the children was interesting, from a historical perspective too.
185sirfurboy
212. Genesis 1-15 - Wenham
First of the Word Old Testament Bible Commentary series. Last year when I read through the Bible fro start to finish, I decided that the following year I would be more considered about how I read through it. My intention was to read commentaries or such like related to individual books and really get to grips with the contents of the books.
To read the Bible in a year in this way would have meant looking at over six books a month. It is November now and I am 15 chapters into Genesis, so a bit off my pace :)
On the plus side, this was a very good commentary, pulling out all kinds of detail I suspected was there in the first 15 chapters of Genesis but had never really got to grips with (other than Genesis 1 and 2, where the writer of teh commentary took broadly the same direction I would take, and with the benefit of a much better understaning of Hebrew than me).
Definitely a very interesting start to the series of reads I intended, but I should pick up the pace a bit!
213. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
My second Scott Fitzgerald book. This book is highly acclaimed, and I see why to some extent. It is profound in the way it blows the cover off a rising prosperity divorced from morality, and no doubt there is much more than I noticed at first read.
But this is also a somewhat depressing tale, and not one that could be called gripping. Also, there have been many similar stories following it, and thus my feelings for it are somewhat similar to my feelings about Catcher in the Rye. This is a book that is worthy of acclaim largely because it was the first to do what it did.
Maybe I am way off with those thoughts, but it is how it struck me (having never studied American literature at school).
First of the Word Old Testament Bible Commentary series. Last year when I read through the Bible fro start to finish, I decided that the following year I would be more considered about how I read through it. My intention was to read commentaries or such like related to individual books and really get to grips with the contents of the books.
To read the Bible in a year in this way would have meant looking at over six books a month. It is November now and I am 15 chapters into Genesis, so a bit off my pace :)
On the plus side, this was a very good commentary, pulling out all kinds of detail I suspected was there in the first 15 chapters of Genesis but had never really got to grips with (other than Genesis 1 and 2, where the writer of teh commentary took broadly the same direction I would take, and with the benefit of a much better understaning of Hebrew than me).
Definitely a very interesting start to the series of reads I intended, but I should pick up the pace a bit!
213. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
My second Scott Fitzgerald book. This book is highly acclaimed, and I see why to some extent. It is profound in the way it blows the cover off a rising prosperity divorced from morality, and no doubt there is much more than I noticed at first read.
But this is also a somewhat depressing tale, and not one that could be called gripping. Also, there have been many similar stories following it, and thus my feelings for it are somewhat similar to my feelings about Catcher in the Rye. This is a book that is worthy of acclaim largely because it was the first to do what it did.
Maybe I am way off with those thoughts, but it is how it struck me (having never studied American literature at school).
186alcottacre
#185: I need to use my J. Vernon McGee commentaries in a manner similar to what you are doing, Stephen. I do not think I would try and do it in a year though.
I did not care for The Great Gatsby at all. I think I will not ever go back to it. Once was enough for me.
I did not care for The Great Gatsby at all. I think I will not ever go back to it. Once was enough for me.
187carlym
#181: I've never had much interest in reading Pilgrim's Progress, but any reference to it always makes me think of Little Women!
188Eat_Read_Knit
I've been meaning to re-read Pilgrim's Progress for about 15 years. I really ought to get around to it. Thanks for the reminder. :)
I found the first half interesting, but lost interest in the second half when it went through the same stuff all over again. I did finish it, but not with much enthusiasm.
I found the first half interesting, but lost interest in the second half when it went through the same stuff all over again. I did finish it, but not with much enthusiasm.
189sirfurboy
#186. Clearly I won't be doing it in a year either! But I hope to get all the way through...eventually
Glad you agree with me about the Great Gatsby. I cannot imagine re-reading it, although I am glad I read it once, just to know what it was about.
#187. Could you explain why it reminds you of little women? It was not the first association that came to my mind. :)
#188. Yes the second half definitely suffers from a lack of novelty (although not entirely thankfully).
Glad you agree with me about the Great Gatsby. I cannot imagine re-reading it, although I am glad I read it once, just to know what it was about.
#187. Could you explain why it reminds you of little women? It was not the first association that came to my mind. :)
#188. Yes the second half definitely suffers from a lack of novelty (although not entirely thankfully).
190sirfurboy
214. The Magicians' Guild
I have seen this one often in the Sci-Fi section of bookshops. I liked the cover, but thus far had not bought it. However, I am running a little short of novels I want to read and decided the time was right to buy the ebook, which I did.
This is an interesting enough story set in yet another fantasy world of magic and guilds. Sonea is a girl from the slums around a city where population purges are carried out by the hated magicians guild. When she throws a rock at the invisible shield that hides the magicians, everyone is shocked when her rock penetrates the barrier and strikes a magician in the head.
So she reveals herself as an untrained magician outside the guild and the hunt is on to find her.
This book was not especially novel, but it was well executed, and the sequel was set up nicely whilst bringing some closure in the first book. A good enjoyable read.
I have seen this one often in the Sci-Fi section of bookshops. I liked the cover, but thus far had not bought it. However, I am running a little short of novels I want to read and decided the time was right to buy the ebook, which I did.
This is an interesting enough story set in yet another fantasy world of magic and guilds. Sonea is a girl from the slums around a city where population purges are carried out by the hated magicians guild. When she throws a rock at the invisible shield that hides the magicians, everyone is shocked when her rock penetrates the barrier and strikes a magician in the head.
So she reveals herself as an untrained magician outside the guild and the hunt is on to find her.
This book was not especially novel, but it was well executed, and the sequel was set up nicely whilst bringing some closure in the first book. A good enjoyable read.
191alcottacre
#189: I can answer the question about why Pilgrim's Progress reminds Carly of Little Women, Stephen: In Little Women, the girls make a game of Pilgrim's Progress, pretending to be Christian and putting burdens on their backs. In the book, several of the chapter titles even make reference to Pilgrim's Progress: 'Playing Pilgrims,' 'Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful,' 'Amy's Valley of Humiliation,' 'Jo Meets Apollyon,' and 'Meg Goes to Vanity Fair.'
#190: I enjoyed that trilogy. I hope you do as well.
#190: I enjoyed that trilogy. I hope you do as well.
192sirfurboy
I can see I need to add Little Women to my TBR list!
Latest reads:
215. Aenir
216. Above the Veil
Books 3 and 4 in Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series. Aimed at younger readers than the Abhorsen series, it is nevertheless another imaginative and sometimes witty tail by a master storyteller of the fantasy genre.
My daughter recently read through the Keys to the Kingdom series. I had already read these earlier this year but she only recently gave it a go. She loved it enough that she chose Garth Nix as a favourite author for a biography she had to write for school last week.
This series is perhaps not quite as good as the Keys to the Kingdom, but I am still enjoying it, as is my daughter.
We have now learned a lot more about why the world is as strange as it was in the first book - and also of nefarious plans to undermine that.
217. The Prince - Machiavelli
I should have a category this year for books that I have read that are considered to be hateful or evil. This one fits, although much of the time I could see Machiavelli's advice to the prince being followed to greater or lesser extents by all kinds of politicians and leaders. Almost the most incongruous part was the place where the author seems to suggest it is necessary to beat one's wife. Probably not a book I will suggest my wife reads!
One big debate is whether the book was in fact meant as satire. I am not convinced it was, but of course - we will never know the answer to that. Certainly it lays out clearly the kind of thing that many a schemer knew implicitly.
218. The Daydreamer
A short but enjoyable book describing the daydreams of a boy (aged 10 at the start of the book, 11 at the end). Essentially each day dream is a short story in its own right. A delightful quick read.
Latest reads:
215. Aenir
216. Above the Veil
Books 3 and 4 in Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series. Aimed at younger readers than the Abhorsen series, it is nevertheless another imaginative and sometimes witty tail by a master storyteller of the fantasy genre.
My daughter recently read through the Keys to the Kingdom series. I had already read these earlier this year but she only recently gave it a go. She loved it enough that she chose Garth Nix as a favourite author for a biography she had to write for school last week.
This series is perhaps not quite as good as the Keys to the Kingdom, but I am still enjoying it, as is my daughter.
We have now learned a lot more about why the world is as strange as it was in the first book - and also of nefarious plans to undermine that.
217. The Prince - Machiavelli
I should have a category this year for books that I have read that are considered to be hateful or evil. This one fits, although much of the time I could see Machiavelli's advice to the prince being followed to greater or lesser extents by all kinds of politicians and leaders. Almost the most incongruous part was the place where the author seems to suggest it is necessary to beat one's wife. Probably not a book I will suggest my wife reads!
One big debate is whether the book was in fact meant as satire. I am not convinced it was, but of course - we will never know the answer to that. Certainly it lays out clearly the kind of thing that many a schemer knew implicitly.
218. The Daydreamer
A short but enjoyable book describing the daydreams of a boy (aged 10 at the start of the book, 11 at the end). Essentially each day dream is a short story in its own right. A delightful quick read.
193alcottacre
I hope you enjoy Little Women when you get to it.
194avatiakh
I have a couple of Tim Bowler's books on my tbr pile, I haven't tried anything by him yet and I must get round to reading The Daydreamer, Anthony Browne's cover art is so good. Very impressed by your reading list as I caught up on the past 20 or so posts. Loved your ref to Moominpapa writing a play back in your review of Paradise Lost.
195sirfurboy
>194 avatiakh:.
I do hope you enjoy Tim Bowler. He has a very interesting style. I think David Almond does something similar.
Thanks for the comments.
I do hope you enjoy Tim Bowler. He has a very interesting style. I think David Almond does something similar.
Thanks for the comments.
196sirfurboy
219. The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
A Wimpy Kid book describing the process of making the Wimpy Kid movie. This was interesting, with lots of information about the film making process whilst still having plenty of the wonderful Wimpy Kid cartoons and humour.
I haven't seen the movie yet. I missed it when it was on here, so will wait for the DVD. But still a good read.
220. Finn Family Moomintroll
Read this with my younger daughter. We have two copies so I read and she followed along in her copy. I am hoping this will be the start of her reading some longer books now.
This was my favourite book as a 7 or 8 year old. I read it many times - I think up until I was as old as 10! The older copy we have is my original one that shows more than a few signs of age. In fact, my daughter pulled the cover off by accident and a few pages fell out - but she still wanted the old battered copy over the nice new one!
A Wimpy Kid book describing the process of making the Wimpy Kid movie. This was interesting, with lots of information about the film making process whilst still having plenty of the wonderful Wimpy Kid cartoons and humour.
I haven't seen the movie yet. I missed it when it was on here, so will wait for the DVD. But still a good read.
220. Finn Family Moomintroll
Read this with my younger daughter. We have two copies so I read and she followed along in her copy. I am hoping this will be the start of her reading some longer books now.
This was my favourite book as a 7 or 8 year old. I read it many times - I think up until I was as old as 10! The older copy we have is my original one that shows more than a few signs of age. In fact, my daughter pulled the cover off by accident and a few pages fell out - but she still wanted the old battered copy over the nice new one!
197sirfurboy
221. Millions - Frank Cottrell Boyce
Extremely funny and well written book about a boy who, following the death of his mother, has become fixated on saints. Sometimes the boy sounds like something of a savant, but all the same the book is extremely funny and a heart warming tale, well told. I very much enjoyed this one.
222. When the Whales Came - Michael Morpurgo
I saw the film of this years ago but only just got round to reading the book, which is also very good. The film adaption was a very faithful one it seems.
223. First Love, Last Rites
Having read The Daydreamer and enjoyed it, I thought I would try another book by this author. This was the earliest I could find. Had I read this first I doubt I would have read another.
The stories are well written I suppose, but the themes are almost gratuitously dark and seedy. It takes a lot to excite me about short stories and sadly this book didn't have what it takes.
For those who love the short story form, your mileage may vary.
224. Pride and Prejudice
I have seen a television adaption of this but had never read it. I finally fixed that omission.
Extremely funny and well written book about a boy who, following the death of his mother, has become fixated on saints. Sometimes the boy sounds like something of a savant, but all the same the book is extremely funny and a heart warming tale, well told. I very much enjoyed this one.
222. When the Whales Came - Michael Morpurgo
I saw the film of this years ago but only just got round to reading the book, which is also very good. The film adaption was a very faithful one it seems.
223. First Love, Last Rites
Having read The Daydreamer and enjoyed it, I thought I would try another book by this author. This was the earliest I could find. Had I read this first I doubt I would have read another.
The stories are well written I suppose, but the themes are almost gratuitously dark and seedy. It takes a lot to excite me about short stories and sadly this book didn't have what it takes.
For those who love the short story form, your mileage may vary.
224. Pride and Prejudice
I have seen a television adaption of this but had never read it. I finally fixed that omission.
198ronincats
re: Pride and Prejudice--I hope you enjoyed it! The only screen version that does it justice is the 6 hour A&E version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.
199alcottacre
#197: No luck at all for me on either the Boyce or Morpurgo books. I guess I will have to look further afield than the local library.
200Eat_Read_Knit
Ooh, Why the Whales Came! I loved that book when I read it - probably twenty years ago now. It must have been about the time when the film came out because I had the tie-in edition, although I've never seen the film.
When I looked it up, I discovered my copy was in the box of my old childhood books my dad found in the back of his wardrobe last year, so I have a copy here and now I am very tempted to re-read it.
When I looked it up, I discovered my copy was in the box of my old childhood books my dad found in the back of his wardrobe last year, so I have a copy here and now I am very tempted to re-read it.
201sirfurboy
>199 alcottacre: I miswrote the book title, as it is actually Why the Wales Came! as in caty's message. Maybe that will make it easier to find.
Latest reads:
225. Into Battle
226. The Violet Keystone
The last two books of another excellent Garth Nix series. As I said before, aimed at younger readers than Abhorsen, but still imaginative and full of rich characters and plenty of action in a cracking plot.
227. The Alteration
A Kingsley Amis book about an alternate world in which Martin Luther did a deal and became pope and there was no protestant reformation. The book itself tips its hat to The Man in The High Castle, and as the historical departure and ensuing events is, it is no more so than in Dick's book. Like Philip Dick, Kingsley Amis' somewhat preposterous alternative world is really just a place for him to speak about the real world in metaphor. However I think Philip Dick does it more subtly and is more clever.
In terms of story, this book is primarily about a boy whose singing voice is so good, the church wish to preserve it forever - and the boy's struggle to escape the fate. I was not overenthused by the story though.
228. Ulysses
James Joyce's Magnus Opus (and here the "Magnus" refers to its size as much as anything else). I first became aware of this book when a friend was reading it many years ago. He was enthusiastic and encouraged me to read it.
"What is it about?" I asked.
"Oh its about these people who set off on an ordinary day in Dublin, and do whatever they do, and then they meet and don't realise it, and then they go away again."
I remember looking at my friend oddly, and hearing his protestations:
"The book is really a lot better than it sounds."
Well now I have read it, and I have to say I am willing to stick with my first response to the plot of this book.
James Joyce wished to write a book filled with subtle and hidden meaning. He perhaps made his work more readable with some humour, but most of the humour has not aged well in my opinion. I never really enjoyed it. In terms of plot, there erally was not very much at all. The book seems to want to counterpoint the adventure of Homer's Odyssey with a book that mirrors it, but is deliberately mundane.
Clever as that might be, its also a turgid read. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but nothing ever really did.
This book is unfathomable without a study guide I suspect - and I really don't see the point of writing a book that can only be read in conhunction with another to explain it. It seems to me that one can use novels to teach and encourage people to think - but not if reading the novel is a chore
Ultimately then, I admit I don't get this book. Neither am I worried by that. A book that is so clever as to be impenetrable by the reader cannot really be distinguished from arrant nonsense. So Ulysses, sadly, goes on my nonsense pile.
Latest reads:
225. Into Battle
226. The Violet Keystone
The last two books of another excellent Garth Nix series. As I said before, aimed at younger readers than Abhorsen, but still imaginative and full of rich characters and plenty of action in a cracking plot.
227. The Alteration
A Kingsley Amis book about an alternate world in which Martin Luther did a deal and became pope and there was no protestant reformation. The book itself tips its hat to The Man in The High Castle, and as the historical departure and ensuing events is, it is no more so than in Dick's book. Like Philip Dick, Kingsley Amis' somewhat preposterous alternative world is really just a place for him to speak about the real world in metaphor. However I think Philip Dick does it more subtly and is more clever.
In terms of story, this book is primarily about a boy whose singing voice is so good, the church wish to preserve it forever - and the boy's struggle to escape the fate. I was not overenthused by the story though.
228. Ulysses
James Joyce's Magnus Opus (and here the "Magnus" refers to its size as much as anything else). I first became aware of this book when a friend was reading it many years ago. He was enthusiastic and encouraged me to read it.
"What is it about?" I asked.
"Oh its about these people who set off on an ordinary day in Dublin, and do whatever they do, and then they meet and don't realise it, and then they go away again."
I remember looking at my friend oddly, and hearing his protestations:
"The book is really a lot better than it sounds."
Well now I have read it, and I have to say I am willing to stick with my first response to the plot of this book.
James Joyce wished to write a book filled with subtle and hidden meaning. He perhaps made his work more readable with some humour, but most of the humour has not aged well in my opinion. I never really enjoyed it. In terms of plot, there erally was not very much at all. The book seems to want to counterpoint the adventure of Homer's Odyssey with a book that mirrors it, but is deliberately mundane.
Clever as that might be, its also a turgid read. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but nothing ever really did.
This book is unfathomable without a study guide I suspect - and I really don't see the point of writing a book that can only be read in conhunction with another to explain it. It seems to me that one can use novels to teach and encourage people to think - but not if reading the novel is a chore
Ultimately then, I admit I don't get this book. Neither am I worried by that. A book that is so clever as to be impenetrable by the reader cannot really be distinguished from arrant nonsense. So Ulysses, sadly, goes on my nonsense pile.
202susiesharp
>197 sirfurboy:- Millions is a cute book I actually discovered the book after I had seen the movie the movie is really cute too!
203sirfurboy
Thanks Susie.
Two new quick reads :
229. Gwydion and the Flying Wand
No touchstone working so maybe I need to add this to LibraryThing somehow.
This is a book set in South Wales for younger children. I picked it up in the Library - the author had many books there so I tried this one at random to sample her work. It is probably fine for children of about 8, but not really an great story, nor a heartwarming one. I think I will leave the rest of her books
In short, Merlin loses his magic wand after throwing it at his apprentice, Gwydion. Gwydion travels in time after it to modern Wales where Betsan and Maldwyn, modern chicldren, find it. All ends happily ever after when Gwydion fights off some bullies.
Pretty standard fayre, and the writing was not exceptional. I expect the library only has the books because the author is vaguely local.
230. Something Invisible
This was a very good story about an 11 year old boy, Jake, who loves reading encyclopaedias, and wants to learn to draw fish. His poet mother, a new baby and a mysterious girl with many sisters who kind of lands in Jake's life.
It plays nicely on the emotions without being sentimental. Some of the material is sad, but the message of the book is hopeful. Good characterisations, and a recommended read of young adults and young adult readers.
(I also picked this one up in the library, so that's a thumbs up to the librarians on that choice).
Two new quick reads :
229. Gwydion and the Flying Wand
No touchstone working so maybe I need to add this to LibraryThing somehow.
This is a book set in South Wales for younger children. I picked it up in the Library - the author had many books there so I tried this one at random to sample her work. It is probably fine for children of about 8, but not really an great story, nor a heartwarming one. I think I will leave the rest of her books
In short, Merlin loses his magic wand after throwing it at his apprentice, Gwydion. Gwydion travels in time after it to modern Wales where Betsan and Maldwyn, modern chicldren, find it. All ends happily ever after when Gwydion fights off some bullies.
Pretty standard fayre, and the writing was not exceptional. I expect the library only has the books because the author is vaguely local.
230. Something Invisible
This was a very good story about an 11 year old boy, Jake, who loves reading encyclopaedias, and wants to learn to draw fish. His poet mother, a new baby and a mysterious girl with many sisters who kind of lands in Jake's life.
It plays nicely on the emotions without being sentimental. Some of the material is sad, but the message of the book is hopeful. Good characterisations, and a recommended read of young adults and young adult readers.
(I also picked this one up in the library, so that's a thumbs up to the librarians on that choice).
204alcottacre
#203: Something Invisible looks good. I will give that one a try. Thanks for the recommendation!
205sirfurboy
#231. C - Tom McCarthy
C is a series of snapshots of the life of Serge Carrafax from childhood to maturity. It is not exactly a story, because these snapshots do not link together in any traditional way, except the running thread of Carrafax's fixation with communications, particularly Morse code. We have narratives about a tragedy in adolescence, the first World War, séances in London, and travels in Egypt.
Much of the book is interesting. There are all kinds of snippets and threads which demonstrate the author has worked hard on his background material, and which were fascinating in themselves. There were also over-arching themes that the book was probably meant to be about, which could be perceived.
But ultimately this book failed for me in the way non traditional narratives nearly always fail. It really was not all that interesting in the main. Many parts of the book were frankly a bit boring.
Lovers of the non traditional narrative will ignore this review and rate the book highly because they will not care. They will happily hunt out all the threads of meaning, in jokes and other stuff that make this a very clever book, and will pat themselves on the back for "getting" such a tricky book.
And indeed their searching will be well rewarded. The book contains some excellent writing (particularly description), and a good many witty lines (probably many more than I noticed).
But personally I think writers of non traditional narratives forget that the classical narrative is the way we write books because that is what people enjoy. If a writer wants me to reflect on and study their book, they ought to make it a work that merits the attention because it is also a very good read. If I want to read philosophy without a narrative, then a philosophy textbook will do me fine.
All in all, a clever book, with good writing but poor storytelling primarily for pretentious people, but not one that the unpretentious will necessarily hate. Thus I give it 3 stars
C is a series of snapshots of the life of Serge Carrafax from childhood to maturity. It is not exactly a story, because these snapshots do not link together in any traditional way, except the running thread of Carrafax's fixation with communications, particularly Morse code. We have narratives about a tragedy in adolescence, the first World War, séances in London, and travels in Egypt.
Much of the book is interesting. There are all kinds of snippets and threads which demonstrate the author has worked hard on his background material, and which were fascinating in themselves. There were also over-arching themes that the book was probably meant to be about, which could be perceived.
But ultimately this book failed for me in the way non traditional narratives nearly always fail. It really was not all that interesting in the main. Many parts of the book were frankly a bit boring.
Lovers of the non traditional narrative will ignore this review and rate the book highly because they will not care. They will happily hunt out all the threads of meaning, in jokes and other stuff that make this a very clever book, and will pat themselves on the back for "getting" such a tricky book.
And indeed their searching will be well rewarded. The book contains some excellent writing (particularly description), and a good many witty lines (probably many more than I noticed).
But personally I think writers of non traditional narratives forget that the classical narrative is the way we write books because that is what people enjoy. If a writer wants me to reflect on and study their book, they ought to make it a work that merits the attention because it is also a very good read. If I want to read philosophy without a narrative, then a philosophy textbook will do me fine.
All in all, a clever book, with good writing but poor storytelling primarily for pretentious people, but not one that the unpretentious will necessarily hate. Thus I give it 3 stars
206sirfurboy
#232. Pathfinder - Orson Scott Card
Some of Orson Scott Card's more recent books have been disappointingly short, or else have not been up to his first class standards in older works. This book is not in that category. In this book, Orson Scott Card spins a tale that is reminiscent of many of his best works, and should be enjoyed by any lover of science fiction.
Rigg is a boy with an extraordinary talent. He can see the paths of every living creature - except for his father. As a young boy he uses this skill to great effect in hunting game, and father and son live off the land in a remote part of the new People's Republic that inhabits the portion of the world they live on, called the "wallfold".
But when tragedy strikes, Rigg is sent to find the sister he never knew he had, and he learns that he is not an ordinary back country boy after all. Equipped by the rigorous training his father gave him, and the kind of savant perspicuity that is Card's stock in trade for 13 year old boys, he begins to unravel a most intriguing mystery.
Lovers of science fiction have probably already discovered O. S. Card. Whenever I speak of him to people, they always seem to have read his books. What is telling is that even though not everyone raves about him, I have never met anyone who claimed to hate his work. Some books have disappointed, but Card's work genuinely appeals. It is intelligent, well thought out science fiction with interesting characters. I would have no hesitation recommending this book as a perfect example of this.
To anyone who, like me, has read through Card's full back catalogue, I should point out that this book does, however, have a very familiar ring. Many earlier ideas get recycled in this book, and I suspect that new readers of Card will enjoy it more than established ones.
Some (but not all) of the recycled ideas are: Ram is Jason Worthing, right down to the way his suspended animation works. The time travel ideas are very like the ideas found in Pastwatch. Rigg is every 13 year old Card has written! His friends are also familiar. There are similarities to lots of Card's work, but in particular, this book reminded me of the Worthing Saga and Pastwatch.
Nevertheless, if you have read all those books it will be because you love Card's work, and will forgive his recycling of ideas. If you haven't read the other books, this book will feel very innovative. Either way, it is one worth reading.
Some of Orson Scott Card's more recent books have been disappointingly short, or else have not been up to his first class standards in older works. This book is not in that category. In this book, Orson Scott Card spins a tale that is reminiscent of many of his best works, and should be enjoyed by any lover of science fiction.
Rigg is a boy with an extraordinary talent. He can see the paths of every living creature - except for his father. As a young boy he uses this skill to great effect in hunting game, and father and son live off the land in a remote part of the new People's Republic that inhabits the portion of the world they live on, called the "wallfold".
But when tragedy strikes, Rigg is sent to find the sister he never knew he had, and he learns that he is not an ordinary back country boy after all. Equipped by the rigorous training his father gave him, and the kind of savant perspicuity that is Card's stock in trade for 13 year old boys, he begins to unravel a most intriguing mystery.
Lovers of science fiction have probably already discovered O. S. Card. Whenever I speak of him to people, they always seem to have read his books. What is telling is that even though not everyone raves about him, I have never met anyone who claimed to hate his work. Some books have disappointed, but Card's work genuinely appeals. It is intelligent, well thought out science fiction with interesting characters. I would have no hesitation recommending this book as a perfect example of this.
To anyone who, like me, has read through Card's full back catalogue, I should point out that this book does, however, have a very familiar ring. Many earlier ideas get recycled in this book, and I suspect that new readers of Card will enjoy it more than established ones.
Some (but not all) of the recycled ideas are: Ram is Jason Worthing, right down to the way his suspended animation works. The time travel ideas are very like the ideas found in Pastwatch. Rigg is every 13 year old Card has written! His friends are also familiar. There are similarities to lots of Card's work, but in particular, this book reminded me of the Worthing Saga and Pastwatch.
Nevertheless, if you have read all those books it will be because you love Card's work, and will forgive his recycling of ideas. If you haven't read the other books, this book will feel very innovative. Either way, it is one worth reading.
207sirfurboy
#233. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Despite having loved the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy since hearing it on the radio as a boy, and having read all those books, I never read Dirk Gently. That is a pity as this is very much in the same wacky vein as THHGTTG. A good enjoyable read.
#234. The Survival Game - Tim Wynne-Jones
I thought this book would be similar to Hatchet, which I read earlier this year and enjoyed, based on the cover blurb (albeit with a violent father thrown into the mix). On that basis I borrowed it from the Library but it turned out to be a very different story. I am not complaining though. I would have been disappointed if this book cloned Hatchet's story. Instead this was an interesting and reflective story about a boy who runs away into the wilderness and finds a reclusive famous pianist and music maestro.
Perhaps not the best book I read of this kind, but still a good read.
Despite having loved the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy since hearing it on the radio as a boy, and having read all those books, I never read Dirk Gently. That is a pity as this is very much in the same wacky vein as THHGTTG. A good enjoyable read.
#234. The Survival Game - Tim Wynne-Jones
I thought this book would be similar to Hatchet, which I read earlier this year and enjoyed, based on the cover blurb (albeit with a violent father thrown into the mix). On that basis I borrowed it from the Library but it turned out to be a very different story. I am not complaining though. I would have been disappointed if this book cloned Hatchet's story. Instead this was an interesting and reflective story about a boy who runs away into the wilderness and finds a reclusive famous pianist and music maestro.
Perhaps not the best book I read of this kind, but still a good read.
208susiesharp
I don't know if you get BBC4 where you live but I thought you'd be interested in the new show Dirk Gently!
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/douglas-adams-dirk-gently-bbc-four_b18788
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/douglas-adams-dirk-gently-bbc-four_b18788
209sirfurboy
Oh thanks for that! I get BBC 4 but rarely watch live TV. However, I will watch out for it to download with iplayer.
210alcottacre
#206: I have limited exposure to Orson Scott Card's work, having only read his Ender's Game and Pastwatch both of which I really enjoyed, so I will give Pathfinder a try as well. Thanks for the recommendation.
211sirfurboy
I hope you enjoy Pathfinder. You will notice some similarities to Pastwatch (which was a also excellent). If you enjoyed Ender's Game, then Speaker for the Dead is even better in my opinion.
Latest read:
#235. Small Gods
My second Terry Pratchett. I have always studiously avoided Terry Pratchett, because it seemed clear from the covers and write ups of his books that they would not be my kind of thing. But I am frequently recommended his books, and a week or two ago a friend expressed surprise that I could love Douglas Adams and not Terry Pratchett.
I explained I had read Nation, but apparently my Pratchett education was incomplete and he suggested I try Small Gods to see what I think.
On completion of Small Gods, I decided that I know my tastes better than my friends.
Small Gods is a clever and highly satirical book with plenty of wacky humour. I can see why it is so succesful, and I was left with the impression that Pratchett is well read and the book is well researched. Where some authors might repeat old cannards about, for instance, people only using 10% of their brain, Pratchett soundly debunks them. Moreover his satire appears to be informed at least somewhat by some actual history (although it was often to obvious and in your face for my tastes). For a book set in a nonsense world, it was surprisingly strong in such research.
But despite appreciating the book, and understanding its popularity, Pratchett is not for me. It is all a bit too silly.
So why do I like Douglas Adams then? I don't really have an answer to that. It may be because Douglass Adams was not so prolific. It may be because Pratchett writes fantasy, and somehow that changes things. It may be just that Adams' work was on a different wavelength better suited to me.
I don't have a good answer to that but I won't be buying any more Pratchett.
Latest read:
#235. Small Gods
My second Terry Pratchett. I have always studiously avoided Terry Pratchett, because it seemed clear from the covers and write ups of his books that they would not be my kind of thing. But I am frequently recommended his books, and a week or two ago a friend expressed surprise that I could love Douglas Adams and not Terry Pratchett.
I explained I had read Nation, but apparently my Pratchett education was incomplete and he suggested I try Small Gods to see what I think.
On completion of Small Gods, I decided that I know my tastes better than my friends.
Small Gods is a clever and highly satirical book with plenty of wacky humour. I can see why it is so succesful, and I was left with the impression that Pratchett is well read and the book is well researched. Where some authors might repeat old cannards about, for instance, people only using 10% of their brain, Pratchett soundly debunks them. Moreover his satire appears to be informed at least somewhat by some actual history (although it was often to obvious and in your face for my tastes). For a book set in a nonsense world, it was surprisingly strong in such research.
But despite appreciating the book, and understanding its popularity, Pratchett is not for me. It is all a bit too silly.
So why do I like Douglas Adams then? I don't really have an answer to that. It may be because Douglass Adams was not so prolific. It may be because Pratchett writes fantasy, and somehow that changes things. It may be just that Adams' work was on a different wavelength better suited to me.
I don't have a good answer to that but I won't be buying any more Pratchett.
212alcottacre
#211: I have not read Speaker for the Dead. Thanks for the recommendation!
213ronincats
Stephen, I am impressed by your ambition in reading Ulysses. Still not tempted, though.
I have gone off reading Card in recent years, although I have heard good things about Pastwatch and now Pathfinder. However, I have just received an ARC from the Early Reviewers group for The Lost Gate, so shall see how that goes. It sounds interesting.
I must confess myself to being a strong Pratchett fan. Nation is fairly atypical. Small Gods is a stand-alone favorite of many. But personally, I think his strength is in the development of the characters over the different strands. My favorite is the City Watch strand and the development of Sam Vimes from Guards! Guards! up to Thud!. That's where the richness and depth, as opposed to just the cleverness, come in.
I have gone off reading Card in recent years, although I have heard good things about Pastwatch and now Pathfinder. However, I have just received an ARC from the Early Reviewers group for The Lost Gate, so shall see how that goes. It sounds interesting.
I must confess myself to being a strong Pratchett fan. Nation is fairly atypical. Small Gods is a stand-alone favorite of many. But personally, I think his strength is in the development of the characters over the different strands. My favorite is the City Watch strand and the development of Sam Vimes from Guards! Guards! up to Thud!. That's where the richness and depth, as opposed to just the cleverness, come in.
214sirfurboy
Roni, thanks, and yes, I could not recommend Ulysses. Sadly I gave up on the early reviewers programme as there was so little available outside the USA, and I never got selected. I therefore have to wait until January to read The Lost Gate, but I am looking forward to it.
As I said, I can see why people love Terry Pratchett. It is just something does not quite work for me.
Now my latest reads:
236. Typically Jennings
Three more Jennings books after this and I will have read the whole collection this year. I probably won't get round to it though, because I am trying to complete my collection with the set that I had when younger, so they look good on the shelf. The last three books of this set (Collins) are all a little overpriced from second hand book sellers, so I am waiting until cheaper options become available - which was what happened with this one.
This book is indeed typically Jennings. He finds a cave on the south Downs with his friend Darbishire, on the corner of Farmer Arrowsmith's land. Plans to paint ancient cave art run awry, with some hilarious results.
237. The Thief
An Amazon recommendation I bought on a whim. This book is about a thief, Gen, who starts the book in the King's prison having boasted about his plans to steal the King's seal.
The book is slow going in places, and written in the first person, it somehow failed to engage me in Gen's plight. Nevertheless it has a nice twist in the ending. It then is perhaps a trifle slow wrapping up. Not a bad read, but could have been better executed.
238. Sabriel
A re-read of this. I only read it last year, but my daughter is reading through Garth Nix, and last week I borrowed this from the library for her. I re-read it quickly partly because I wanted to remind myself it really would be okay for a nine year old, and partly because I really got into this series with Lirael, and wanted to reread this now I know how good the whole was!
I found I had not forgotten much, and only a couple of places where having a 9 year old reading it might be a tad awkward. Still a very good book
As I said, I can see why people love Terry Pratchett. It is just something does not quite work for me.
Now my latest reads:
236. Typically Jennings
Three more Jennings books after this and I will have read the whole collection this year. I probably won't get round to it though, because I am trying to complete my collection with the set that I had when younger, so they look good on the shelf. The last three books of this set (Collins) are all a little overpriced from second hand book sellers, so I am waiting until cheaper options become available - which was what happened with this one.
This book is indeed typically Jennings. He finds a cave on the south Downs with his friend Darbishire, on the corner of Farmer Arrowsmith's land. Plans to paint ancient cave art run awry, with some hilarious results.
237. The Thief
An Amazon recommendation I bought on a whim. This book is about a thief, Gen, who starts the book in the King's prison having boasted about his plans to steal the King's seal.
The book is slow going in places, and written in the first person, it somehow failed to engage me in Gen's plight. Nevertheless it has a nice twist in the ending. It then is perhaps a trifle slow wrapping up. Not a bad read, but could have been better executed.
238. Sabriel
A re-read of this. I only read it last year, but my daughter is reading through Garth Nix, and last week I borrowed this from the library for her. I re-read it quickly partly because I wanted to remind myself it really would be okay for a nine year old, and partly because I really got into this series with Lirael, and wanted to reread this now I know how good the whole was!
I found I had not forgotten much, and only a couple of places where having a 9 year old reading it might be a tad awkward. Still a very good book
215alcottacre
#214: You remind me that I need to re-read the Megan Whalen Turner series. My local library finally has book 4 in the series available.
216dk_phoenix
I need to read the Turner series as well! I agree that there are places in the Abhorsen Trilogy that would be rather awkward for a 9-year-old, but I suspect those moments go right over her head... I know they would have when I was that age. Anyway, I also now wish I'd bought Pathfinder at Costco the other day... dangit!
217sirfurboy
#239. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Second of the wonderful Dirk Gently books by Douglas Adams. Off the wall humour in a story about a murder, norse gods, and a drinks machine.
American Gods and The Anansi Boys seem less inventive after reading this.
#240. Beowulf
The classic of old English literature, translated into modern English but keeping the alliteration. i knew the story, but I think this may be the first time I read the direct translation.
This is in preparation for my plans for next year. I am currently on target to read 250 books again this year, but I thought next year I would try a slightly different reading chalenge. I haven't worked out the details yet, but the plan is to slow down but to read books in - say - 11 different languages (it being 2011). As I don't speak that many languages, I would have to learn enough of them to wade through the books. Beowulf in Old English will be one of my targets.
Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't!
#241. X Isle
A large book for children and young adults about a near future dystopia where floods have ravaged the earth. Set in flooded Nuneaton (pretty much in the centre of rthe UK), there is a mainland full of thieves and shortage and an island where certain favoured children can be taken to safety under the protection of Preacher John.
All is not as advertised on the island though, and when Baz is chosen, he finds plenty of hardship and a struggle to survive.
This book did not really hold any surprises. There was a plot twist at the end that may surprise the intended audience, but I spotted it within the first couple of chapters.
Nevertheless the book was readable, and explored some darker themes sensitively.
#242. Framed
Having loved Millions I bought this book, this time set in Manod in North Wales. Floods in London caused the contents of the national gallery to be evacuated to the old slate quarry in Manod (where they were evacuated in the 2nd World War). The curious small local population soon get wind of this, with some hilarious adventures resulting.
This book was quite similar in feel to Millions. It seemed obvious to me that he is not himself Welsh, by the idiolect that he gave the protaganist (Dylan). He seemed to speak like an English boy! But that was a tiny issue in an otherwise wonderful tale.
I think Millions was probably the better story. But not by much.
#243. The Church on its Knees
A book from Holy Trinity Brompton on prayer. recommended to me - but I am not recommending it on! It was all fine, sound enough but there were no startling insights here for me. I would recommend Leonard Ravenhill on this subject.
#244. Five Children and It
E Nesbit's classic tale. I knew the story but had forgotten much of it. I cannot recall if I read this, had it read to me or maybe watched a TV adaption. I was clearly long overdue for a re-read.
This is a delightful tale, but it shows its vintage I think. I doubt it would be easy to encourage modern children to treasure this over all the modern tales of magic that are out there.
#245. A Child's Christmas in Wales
I read this again because Roni read it! Is this short story or prose? I don't really know the answer. But it is certainly a classic. I know of a TV adaption that was well done, and a modern adaption "based on" this (very loosely) which was funny but not the same at all.
Wonderful use of language, and as we have snow this Christmas time in Wales, it seems all the more appropriate.
Second of the wonderful Dirk Gently books by Douglas Adams. Off the wall humour in a story about a murder, norse gods, and a drinks machine.
American Gods and The Anansi Boys seem less inventive after reading this.
#240. Beowulf
The classic of old English literature, translated into modern English but keeping the alliteration. i knew the story, but I think this may be the first time I read the direct translation.
This is in preparation for my plans for next year. I am currently on target to read 250 books again this year, but I thought next year I would try a slightly different reading chalenge. I haven't worked out the details yet, but the plan is to slow down but to read books in - say - 11 different languages (it being 2011). As I don't speak that many languages, I would have to learn enough of them to wade through the books. Beowulf in Old English will be one of my targets.
Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't!
#241. X Isle
A large book for children and young adults about a near future dystopia where floods have ravaged the earth. Set in flooded Nuneaton (pretty much in the centre of rthe UK), there is a mainland full of thieves and shortage and an island where certain favoured children can be taken to safety under the protection of Preacher John.
All is not as advertised on the island though, and when Baz is chosen, he finds plenty of hardship and a struggle to survive.
This book did not really hold any surprises. There was a plot twist at the end that may surprise the intended audience, but I spotted it within the first couple of chapters.
Nevertheless the book was readable, and explored some darker themes sensitively.
#242. Framed
Having loved Millions I bought this book, this time set in Manod in North Wales. Floods in London caused the contents of the national gallery to be evacuated to the old slate quarry in Manod (where they were evacuated in the 2nd World War). The curious small local population soon get wind of this, with some hilarious adventures resulting.
This book was quite similar in feel to Millions. It seemed obvious to me that he is not himself Welsh, by the idiolect that he gave the protaganist (Dylan). He seemed to speak like an English boy! But that was a tiny issue in an otherwise wonderful tale.
I think Millions was probably the better story. But not by much.
#243. The Church on its Knees
A book from Holy Trinity Brompton on prayer. recommended to me - but I am not recommending it on! It was all fine, sound enough but there were no startling insights here for me. I would recommend Leonard Ravenhill on this subject.
#244. Five Children and It
E Nesbit's classic tale. I knew the story but had forgotten much of it. I cannot recall if I read this, had it read to me or maybe watched a TV adaption. I was clearly long overdue for a re-read.
This is a delightful tale, but it shows its vintage I think. I doubt it would be easy to encourage modern children to treasure this over all the modern tales of magic that are out there.
#245. A Child's Christmas in Wales
I read this again because Roni read it! Is this short story or prose? I don't really know the answer. But it is certainly a classic. I know of a TV adaption that was well done, and a modern adaption "based on" this (very loosely) which was funny but not the same at all.
Wonderful use of language, and as we have snow this Christmas time in Wales, it seems all the more appropriate.
218alcottacre
I am planning to read Beowulf in January. I hope I like it as much as you did! I just recently read Five Children and It for the first time. I think it does show its vintage, as you said, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless.
I hope you are planning on joining us in the 2011 group! It is up and running here: http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin20111
I hope you are planning on joining us in the 2011 group! It is up and running here: http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin20111
219avatiakh
Hi Ian - first congrats on finishing Ullysses, I think that is a real feat. I'm not tempted to try it.
I enjoyed the Ender books, I think I read most of that series so will look out for Pathfinder and the others you mentioned by Card.
I read and enjoyed Something Invisible earlier this year, it was an IBBY Honour book and I've been reading my way slowly through all that's available in English.
I also spotted that plot twist in X-Isle straightaway, though I'm hopeful that younger readers won't. I'm putting Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on my tbr list. .
Wow, what a tremendous challenge to give yourself, I'll be impressed with myself if I can manage one book not in English for the year.
Now it's quite common for girls to pose as boys in children's fiction, but I read about a book the other day where the boy has to pose as a girl. If I can track down the title I'll let you know what it was.
I enjoyed the Ender books, I think I read most of that series so will look out for Pathfinder and the others you mentioned by Card.
I read and enjoyed Something Invisible earlier this year, it was an IBBY Honour book and I've been reading my way slowly through all that's available in English.
I also spotted that plot twist in X-Isle straightaway, though I'm hopeful that younger readers won't. I'm putting Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on my tbr list. .
Wow, what a tremendous challenge to give yourself, I'll be impressed with myself if I can manage one book not in English for the year.
Now it's quite common for girls to pose as boys in children's fiction, but I read about a book the other day where the boy has to pose as a girl. If I can track down the title I'll let you know what it was.
220ronincats
Merry Christmas, Stephen, even though I know it's over there. Hope you and your family had a great one!
221sirfurboy
Thanks Roni. Merry Christmas to you, and everyone else reading here too. Nadolig Llawen i chi gyd.
#246. Eleventh Summer
A coming of age story set in Ireland. I started this when I was a teenager, and gave up on it. At that time I felt that Irish books were strange. Now I think it is more that it is contemporary fiction I find strange. Not the best book I ever read, even though it is a genre I now seem to like a lot. Somehow this one was too bitty for me. Well enough written though.
#247. The Ring of Solomon
A new book in this fantastic series by Jonathon Stroud. Plenty of his trademark humour in a book that travels back a couple of millennia to see some of Bartimeus, the Djinni's earlier adventures.
First in this excellent series is The Amulet of Samarkand.
#248. A Bridge to the Stars
An interesting book by a Swedish author. This is the second Swedish book I have read this year, and they are interesting, if a little different to what I normally read. This one following the life of 11 year old Joel living in Sweden's northern forests alone with his father. He is prone to nocturnal ramblings, flights of imagination and impulsive acts. Altogether a good story by a writer better known for his crime fiction.
#246. Eleventh Summer
A coming of age story set in Ireland. I started this when I was a teenager, and gave up on it. At that time I felt that Irish books were strange. Now I think it is more that it is contemporary fiction I find strange. Not the best book I ever read, even though it is a genre I now seem to like a lot. Somehow this one was too bitty for me. Well enough written though.
#247. The Ring of Solomon
A new book in this fantastic series by Jonathon Stroud. Plenty of his trademark humour in a book that travels back a couple of millennia to see some of Bartimeus, the Djinni's earlier adventures.
First in this excellent series is The Amulet of Samarkand.
#248. A Bridge to the Stars
An interesting book by a Swedish author. This is the second Swedish book I have read this year, and they are interesting, if a little different to what I normally read. This one following the life of 11 year old Joel living in Sweden's northern forests alone with his father. He is prone to nocturnal ramblings, flights of imagination and impulsive acts. Altogether a good story by a writer better known for his crime fiction.
222alcottacre
I am currently reading The Bartimaeus Trilogy too, Stephen. I am on book 2 at the moment.
223sirfurboy
>222 alcottacre: I love Jonathan Stroud's writing. Although I find the use of footnotes slows me down. Nevertheless one of my favourite authors.
#249. Harriet Spies Again
An authorised sequel to Harriet the spy, but by a different author. Not terrible, but I think Harriet the Spy was a book that should have had no sequel. This book is nowhere near as profound, painful or astute as the original.
And that leaves me one book short of 250 and still a few days to read it. Indeed I am one day ahead of where I was this time last year!
#249. Harriet Spies Again
An authorised sequel to Harriet the spy, but by a different author. Not terrible, but I think Harriet the Spy was a book that should have had no sequel. This book is nowhere near as profound, painful or astute as the original.
And that leaves me one book short of 250 and still a few days to read it. Indeed I am one day ahead of where I was this time last year!
224avatiakh
I'm a Stroud fan and have just started The Ring of Solomon though I won't finish by year's end due to having other books on the go. I especially loved his Heroes of the Valley.
225alcottacre
#223: I loved Harriet the Spy and passed it along to my girls. I had no idea someone had written a sequel. I am not touching it with a 10 foot pole.
226sirfurboy
>224 avatiakh: I loved Heroes of the Valley too. It took me a little while to get into it, but it really was an excellent read.
>225 alcottacre: Yes I agree. I should not have bothered with that book.
#250 The Castle - Franz Kafka
Completing my 250 book challenge again this year, this meandering battle with bureaucracy by Kafka. Unfinished as it was, I have to forgive the book for being a little long winded at times, and - of course - its lack of an ending. The reported intended ending of the book can be found on Wikipedia.
The book is a disturbing one though - especially in light of later events in Nazi Germany, some of which is anticipated in Kafka's work.
#251 Tunnels
I was given book 3 of these for Christmas, which is annoying because now I have to read books 1 and 2. Book 1 is a good enough read that will be of interest to young adults, and in some ways reminded me of Fungus the Bogeyman (although aficionados of the series will throw up their hands in horror at that comparison I think).
Now I am reading Skulduggery Pleasant, as recommended by my nephew. So far very enjoyable... I may or may not finish it before midnight. If I do I will have read one more book than last year.
>225 alcottacre: Yes I agree. I should not have bothered with that book.
#250 The Castle - Franz Kafka
Completing my 250 book challenge again this year, this meandering battle with bureaucracy by Kafka. Unfinished as it was, I have to forgive the book for being a little long winded at times, and - of course - its lack of an ending. The reported intended ending of the book can be found on Wikipedia.
The book is a disturbing one though - especially in light of later events in Nazi Germany, some of which is anticipated in Kafka's work.
#251 Tunnels
I was given book 3 of these for Christmas, which is annoying because now I have to read books 1 and 2. Book 1 is a good enough read that will be of interest to young adults, and in some ways reminded me of Fungus the Bogeyman (although aficionados of the series will throw up their hands in horror at that comparison I think).
Now I am reading Skulduggery Pleasant, as recommended by my nephew. So far very enjoyable... I may or may not finish it before midnight. If I do I will have read one more book than last year.
227sirfurboy
#252 Skulduggery Pleasant
Last book for the year. This was a fun story of a detective who is in fact an animated Skeleton, and an 11 year old girl who becomes his associate. It is a story of magic and ancient artefacts as well as murder and other dastardly deeds. Perfect for approximately 11 year olds, and perhaps reminiscent of Anthony Horowitz. Nevertheless it is neither deep nor fantastically original. A good fun read though.
Last book for the year. This was a fun story of a detective who is in fact an animated Skeleton, and an 11 year old girl who becomes his associate. It is a story of magic and ancient artefacts as well as murder and other dastardly deeds. Perfect for approximately 11 year olds, and perhaps reminiscent of Anthony Horowitz. Nevertheless it is neither deep nor fantastically original. A good fun read though.
228alcottacre
Happy New Year, Stephen!
229avatiakh
Happy New Year, 252 books is a great total.
I read the first Skulduggery book before going to an author event with my two youngest children. From what I understand the books get darker and darker. I wasn't that thrilled with the book, but was impressed by the enthusiastic fans that turned up to meet Landy. They knew every detail of those books! Landy was quite funny, sort of like a failing standup comedian.
I read the first Skulduggery book before going to an author event with my two youngest children. From what I understand the books get darker and darker. I wasn't that thrilled with the book, but was impressed by the enthusiastic fans that turned up to meet Landy. They knew every detail of those books! Landy was quite funny, sort of like a failing standup comedian.
