Right now, I'm reading a fantasy novel called, Feast of Souls by C.S. Friedman. I last read this book maybe two years ago and I loved it. I just happened upon it by the register of Barnes & Noble and picked it up impulsively. Well, I've been waiting and waiting for the sequel to come out, which it finally did. Wings of Wrath was such a -- well, is disappointment too strong of a word? Perhaps. I simply could not remember who any of the characters were and found that not knowing, well, how could I care for them. This is why I'm rereading the first of the series, Feast of Souls. I actually like this book and I do care about the characters, and there is an interesting point to the book -- what is the cost to doing magic? What if the cost were another's life. Each time you do magic, you drain precious minutes away from another random and faceless person's life. Would you do it? Of course, the answer is yes, but no one outside the select group of Magisters know of this source of their magic. The first book looks at the journey toward becoming a Magister of one young girl. This in itself is unknown as females are never Magisters. At the same time, we are introduced to an alternate world, not dissimilar from our own but set in a middle ages sort of time where horses and feet are the only modes of transportation and you sleep at roadside inns complete with tavern keeper's daughters, etc. A major catch here is that there are horrid creatures which resemble dragonflies, and which gain sustenance by sucking the souls out of humans. These creatures no longer pose a threat because they've been "herded" to the far north, a frozen land, and they are kept in place by the Wrath, a set of rocky projections that emit a feeling of dread that none can cross, including the creatures, the Souleaters. All in all, a rich story. Unfortunately, the sequel does a very poor job of reminding the reader of any of these points and instead relies upon the fact that all readers will be experts and have recently, in anticipation of the second book's release, reread the first. Hence, I am, being a faithful and loyal book reader, doing just that.
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: Feast of Souls - ****
Wings of Wrath - ***
Friday, September 24, 2010
Recent Books
Recent Books
Posted by Lise on September 21, 2010 at 8:00 AM delete edit comments (0)
Below are several of the many books I've read recently. I'll get to them shortly in terms of reviewing and rating them.
Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl
Neil Gaiman, American Gods, Stardust, Neverwhere
Stieg Larsson, The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Ann Rinaldi, The Coffin Quilt
Nora Roberts, The Black Hills, Divine Evil
Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping
Lalita Tademy, Cane River
This is hardly comprehensive, but it should get me started. I'll review others as I come to them.
Posted by Lise on September 21, 2010 at 8:00 AM delete edit comments (0)
Below are several of the many books I've read recently. I'll get to them shortly in terms of reviewing and rating them.
Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl
Neil Gaiman, American Gods, Stardust, Neverwhere
Stieg Larsson, The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Ann Rinaldi, The Coffin Quilt
Nora Roberts, The Black Hills, Divine Evil
Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping
Lalita Tademy, Cane River
This is hardly comprehensive, but it should get me started. I'll review others as I come to them.
Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
Posted by Lise on September 22, 2010 at 11:53 PM delete edit comments (0)
Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry, March 12, 2008
This novel was given to me by my mom, who loved loved loved his novel A Fine Balance, which I insisted she read. So taken was she that she bought three copies of Such A Long Journey in support of this great author. It took me longer to get into this book, Mistry's first novel, but it was very good. Mistry takes us to a middle class household in India during the days of Indira Ghandi's rule, and the climax of the book coincides with the war between India and Pakistan. I have to confess, I know very little about the history of these regions. I am learning more and more because I'm seeming to find myself lost within the pages of novels of India of late. Even the late Bhutto makes an appearance, through the news media, in this book.
Primarily, Such A Long Journey is the story of a family, and the community of friends that makes up the larger family of society. Through the eyes of the narrator, Gustad, we see an India of hope and prosperity -- the India in which he grew up -- and the India of the novel's time, when hope begins to waver and acceptance of the life that is takes root. I think, having now read two of Mistry's novels, his gift is showing us the joy that can be found in the small things, such as friendships, and understanding. I look forward to reading other of his books, as well.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ****
Posted by Lise on September 22, 2010 at 11:53 PM delete edit comments (0)
Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry, March 12, 2008
This novel was given to me by my mom, who loved loved loved his novel A Fine Balance, which I insisted she read. So taken was she that she bought three copies of Such A Long Journey in support of this great author. It took me longer to get into this book, Mistry's first novel, but it was very good. Mistry takes us to a middle class household in India during the days of Indira Ghandi's rule, and the climax of the book coincides with the war between India and Pakistan. I have to confess, I know very little about the history of these regions. I am learning more and more because I'm seeming to find myself lost within the pages of novels of India of late. Even the late Bhutto makes an appearance, through the news media, in this book.
Primarily, Such A Long Journey is the story of a family, and the community of friends that makes up the larger family of society. Through the eyes of the narrator, Gustad, we see an India of hope and prosperity -- the India in which he grew up -- and the India of the novel's time, when hope begins to waver and acceptance of the life that is takes root. I think, having now read two of Mistry's novels, his gift is showing us the joy that can be found in the small things, such as friendships, and understanding. I look forward to reading other of his books, as well.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ****
The Ha-Ha: A Novel by Dave King
The Ha-Ha: A Novel by Dave King
Posted by Lise on September 22, 2010 at 11:58 PM delete edit comments (0)
The Ha-Ha: A Novel
by Dave King
An Unforgettable Charcter Living in a Hidden World
This review is from: The Ha-Ha: A Novel (Hardcover)
I stumbled upon this book and put it in the pile I accumulated last week shopping at B&N. The Ha-Ha is a fascinating look into the mind of a man who suffered a head injury during the Vietnam War and cannot speak, read, or write. Inside of his mind, however, his thoughts are relatively unimpaired. Through this veil of silence, he must live in the world, where everyone communicates, and if you cannot, you must be a "retard." Howie, the novel's narrator, manages to build a life, sort of, until one day he is pressed into service to care for Ryan, the 10 year old son of his high school sweetheart. Now, because of Ryan's need for him to exert himself out of himself, he discovers that he has a life, he has people who care about him, and even though life sort of sucks, it's not really all that bad. I really liked this book. I cried a little toward the end. Course, this means nothing, because I am a big weeper at the best of times. Interestingly, the Ha-Ha, as the preface explains, is a hidden wall within a ditch, and like the best of literary works, Dave King's Ha-Ha is both literal and metaphorical. Thanks for the great read, Mr. King.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: ****
Posted by Lise on September 22, 2010 at 11:58 PM delete edit comments (0)
The Ha-Ha: A Novel
by Dave King
An Unforgettable Charcter Living in a Hidden World
This review is from: The Ha-Ha: A Novel (Hardcover)
I stumbled upon this book and put it in the pile I accumulated last week shopping at B&N. The Ha-Ha is a fascinating look into the mind of a man who suffered a head injury during the Vietnam War and cannot speak, read, or write. Inside of his mind, however, his thoughts are relatively unimpaired. Through this veil of silence, he must live in the world, where everyone communicates, and if you cannot, you must be a "retard." Howie, the novel's narrator, manages to build a life, sort of, until one day he is pressed into service to care for Ryan, the 10 year old son of his high school sweetheart. Now, because of Ryan's need for him to exert himself out of himself, he discovers that he has a life, he has people who care about him, and even though life sort of sucks, it's not really all that bad. I really liked this book. I cried a little toward the end. Course, this means nothing, because I am a big weeper at the best of times. Interestingly, the Ha-Ha, as the preface explains, is a hidden wall within a ditch, and like the best of literary works, Dave King's Ha-Ha is both literal and metaphorical. Thanks for the great read, Mr. King.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: ****
Slam by Nick Hornby
Slam by Nick Hornby
Posted by Lise on September 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM delete edit comments (0)
Slam
by Nick Hornby
Raw and Real
This review is from: Slam (Hardcover)
I'd heard Hornby on NPR, I think Fresh Air, talking about this book, and it caught my attention as he was discussing Tony Hawk and skateboarding. Having a Hawk fan in my house, this caught my ear, and while this is not the kind of book I'd normally grab, I'm glad I did. Hornby does, I think, a very authentic job of creating the voice of a 16 year old Londoner who has three passions in his life, Tony Hawk, skating, and his first real girlfriend, Alicia. I don't think I'm giving anything away if I tell that Sam, the narrator, repeats his mom's mistake and becomes a teenage parent, all the while turning to his poster of TH (Tony Hawk) for advice, which TH blithely dispenses from varying lines of said idol's autobiography. I found the book to be really quite good. It was funny, and heartbreaking, and I think so honest.
I think if you want to know what it's like to be 16 years old and facing serious consequences this is an interesting and insightful book.
Genre: LIterary/Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ****
Posted by Lise on September 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM delete edit comments (0)
Slam
by Nick Hornby
Raw and Real
This review is from: Slam (Hardcover)
I'd heard Hornby on NPR, I think Fresh Air, talking about this book, and it caught my attention as he was discussing Tony Hawk and skateboarding. Having a Hawk fan in my house, this caught my ear, and while this is not the kind of book I'd normally grab, I'm glad I did. Hornby does, I think, a very authentic job of creating the voice of a 16 year old Londoner who has three passions in his life, Tony Hawk, skating, and his first real girlfriend, Alicia. I don't think I'm giving anything away if I tell that Sam, the narrator, repeats his mom's mistake and becomes a teenage parent, all the while turning to his poster of TH (Tony Hawk) for advice, which TH blithely dispenses from varying lines of said idol's autobiography. I found the book to be really quite good. It was funny, and heartbreaking, and I think so honest.
I think if you want to know what it's like to be 16 years old and facing serious consequences this is an interesting and insightful book.
Genre: LIterary/Young Adult Fiction
Rating: ****
The Snow Fox by Fromberg Schaeffer
The Snow Fox by Fromberg Schaeffer
Another historical novel, The Snow Fox, takes readers to a Japan of 1000 years ago, and imagines the love story between Lady Utsu, a woman renowned for her beauty and her poetry, and a Samurai named Matsuhito, who is sworn to Lady Utsu's protector, the driven Lord Norimasa. There is a mystery behind Utsu and Matushito, as well. Who are their parents? Could they even be brother and sister? Four children are mixed up as a means of confusing an enemy lord, and then the puzzle is forgotten, sort of.
Based in legend, and with images abounding on the net, the story of Utsu and Matsuhito is quite compelling, and also gives a taste of life as Fromberg Schaeffer imagines it in Japan in the time of the samurai. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a good historical romance.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ****
Another historical novel, The Snow Fox, takes readers to a Japan of 1000 years ago, and imagines the love story between Lady Utsu, a woman renowned for her beauty and her poetry, and a Samurai named Matsuhito, who is sworn to Lady Utsu's protector, the driven Lord Norimasa. There is a mystery behind Utsu and Matushito, as well. Who are their parents? Could they even be brother and sister? Four children are mixed up as a means of confusing an enemy lord, and then the puzzle is forgotten, sort of.
Based in legend, and with images abounding on the net, the story of Utsu and Matsuhito is quite compelling, and also gives a taste of life as Fromberg Schaeffer imagines it in Japan in the time of the samurai. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a good historical romance.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ****
The River Wife by Jonis Agee
The River Wife by Jonis Agee
Agee writes of a generation of families living on the banks of the Missouri River in Missouri, beginning in the 1850s and spanning to the 1930s. The constant thread running through this story is the patriarch, Jacques Ducharme, a French fur trapper, who rescues the first Mrs. Ducharme from a terrible earthquake, where her family has abandoned her, crushed by a mighty house beam. The choices that Ducharme makes, the way he chooses to live his life, causes repurcussions through all the following generations.
I really enjoyed this book. Maybe because I spent five years living in Missouri, I don't know. The history of this region, especially regarding the Civil War, is sadly lacking in the Virginia public schools. Of course, we have so much history here to get through, that that may explain it. At any rate, I have read several books lately on Missouri and the Civil War, and those, together with the Devarry books (below) have really gotten me thinking a lot about war, notions of war, peoples attitudes when the country is at war, the feelings of innocents when they are caught up in war, and so on, all relevant, of course, to our own situation today, but also, of course, vastly different from the apparent indifference most of my countrymen seem to fee. I know that it's not that we don't care. I think really we just can't possibly fathom what's going on. Maybe that's why I love literature so much -- it creates experiences that we can not possibly have otherwise, and creates empathy or certainly more fully develops it, when it might not otherwise have been fully flowing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Agee's book, The River Wife. If you are interested in reading about Missouri and the period of time spanning the 1850s to the 1920s, and if you like horses and human drama, this is a great book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ****
Agee writes of a generation of families living on the banks of the Missouri River in Missouri, beginning in the 1850s and spanning to the 1930s. The constant thread running through this story is the patriarch, Jacques Ducharme, a French fur trapper, who rescues the first Mrs. Ducharme from a terrible earthquake, where her family has abandoned her, crushed by a mighty house beam. The choices that Ducharme makes, the way he chooses to live his life, causes repurcussions through all the following generations.
I really enjoyed this book. Maybe because I spent five years living in Missouri, I don't know. The history of this region, especially regarding the Civil War, is sadly lacking in the Virginia public schools. Of course, we have so much history here to get through, that that may explain it. At any rate, I have read several books lately on Missouri and the Civil War, and those, together with the Devarry books (below) have really gotten me thinking a lot about war, notions of war, peoples attitudes when the country is at war, the feelings of innocents when they are caught up in war, and so on, all relevant, of course, to our own situation today, but also, of course, vastly different from the apparent indifference most of my countrymen seem to fee. I know that it's not that we don't care. I think really we just can't possibly fathom what's going on. Maybe that's why I love literature so much -- it creates experiences that we can not possibly have otherwise, and creates empathy or certainly more fully develops it, when it might not otherwise have been fully flowing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Agee's book, The River Wife. If you are interested in reading about Missouri and the period of time spanning the 1850s to the 1920s, and if you like horses and human drama, this is a great book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ****
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)