Total books read this year - 58. More than one per week, so again I have met my goal.
Unfortunately, it's been an uneven year. I've read a couple of good books but most were not all that memorable. The good ones I have already reviewed earlier, mostly. I note that I didn't mention the City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare - another vampire series for young adults that I found to be pretty well handled. I also got hold of the second of Stieg Larsson's books, "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and I really want the third. It's been published in the UK but is not out in the US until next May. Not fair! My Australian friend has read it but I can't.
I tried out the latest John Irving, "Last Night in Twisted River", and unfortunately didn't find it much better than most of his later works. I think he reworks his themes over and over again.
I also read several of the Sookie Stackhouse novels upon which the Showtime series "True Blood" is based. The television series is a lot darker (and sexier) than the novels, which have more comic overtones, and I prefer the former. But the books were fun.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
An Echo in the Bone (Diana Gabaldon)
Another book in the Outlander series... I love the characters but I do wonder if the extending of their adventures is beginning to make the author tired. There is a lot of this-n-that in this book. And some points that I know I am missing because it has been so long since I have read the six books preceding this one. I could start over every time a new book comes out, I suppose....
Other reviewers have noted that some of the characters are acting 'out of character' in this book, and I do agree. The author separates Jamie and Claire, then makes Claire think Jamie is dead. Whereupon, due to the revelation that she has been distributing seditious literature and is about to be arrested, she accepts the marriage proposal of John Grey, who can protect her from arrest. What??? Claire is a "patriot", yes, but she is a physician and her decision to take on the risky business of distributing seditious pamphlets seems arbitrary. And it is hard for readers to believe that Claire would remarry so quickly after Jamie's supposed death. Not after reading six novels on the extraordinary character of their love.
Oh, well. I'll keep reading but as with many series, the bloom is fading as the books keep coming. What a shame.
Other reviewers have noted that some of the characters are acting 'out of character' in this book, and I do agree. The author separates Jamie and Claire, then makes Claire think Jamie is dead. Whereupon, due to the revelation that she has been distributing seditious literature and is about to be arrested, she accepts the marriage proposal of John Grey, who can protect her from arrest. What??? Claire is a "patriot", yes, but she is a physician and her decision to take on the risky business of distributing seditious pamphlets seems arbitrary. And it is hard for readers to believe that Claire would remarry so quickly after Jamie's supposed death. Not after reading six novels on the extraordinary character of their love.
Oh, well. I'll keep reading but as with many series, the bloom is fading as the books keep coming. What a shame.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
In the President's Secret Service - Ronald Kessler
I picked this book up (sadly, in hardcover with a corresponding price) because I am interested in national politics and thought it would be a good supplemental reference for a novel I have been working on regarding a (fictional) president. And I am re-watching "West Wing" episodes on Netflix.
Okay, so how much do you learn about Secret Service procedures? The answer is not too darn much. There is something about how the agency got started (their first responsibility was catching counterfeiters) and how they eventually became responsible for the president, VP, family members, and presidential candidates. There is also some gossip about former presidents - interesting, but not compelling reading. Okay, Hillary Clinton was mean. Jimmy Carter faked a lot of his "just folks" persona -- please, people!
On the other hand, perhaps this book, which does break silence on the agency, will lead to someone actually writing a book with the information I would like to have.
Okay, so how much do you learn about Secret Service procedures? The answer is not too darn much. There is something about how the agency got started (their first responsibility was catching counterfeiters) and how they eventually became responsible for the president, VP, family members, and presidential candidates. There is also some gossip about former presidents - interesting, but not compelling reading. Okay, Hillary Clinton was mean. Jimmy Carter faked a lot of his "just folks" persona -- please, people!
On the other hand, perhaps this book, which does break silence on the agency, will lead to someone actually writing a book with the information I would like to have.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Collins
Reprints of these novels are being marketed as "in the tradition of Harry Potter" but they were originally written in the 1970s and really are not much at all like the Harry Potter books. Written for young adults, the only things they have in common with HP is that the protagonists are kids, the battle is between good and evil, and there are some adults who are good guys and help out, along with some who are bad guys and try to defeat the children in their quests. Oh, and the kids are all English.
With all that said, the books are well written even though they are aimed at young children and the storylines are simple.
Over Sea, Under Stone introduces the Drew children - Barney, Jane, and Simon - and their quest for a grail. Not _the_ grail, the one Jesus used at the Last Supper, but rather a grail crafted in the time of King Arthur that tells of the battle of Light and Dark and how the great king of the Light can return again to England.
They find the grail but lose the manuscript that would translate the inscription - that waits for the third book, Greenwitch. But in the second novel, The Dark Is Rising, we meet young Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son who, on his eleventh birthday, must gather the six signs of the light and use them to drive off the darkness.
With all that said, the books are well written even though they are aimed at young children and the storylines are simple.
Over Sea, Under Stone introduces the Drew children - Barney, Jane, and Simon - and their quest for a grail. Not _the_ grail, the one Jesus used at the Last Supper, but rather a grail crafted in the time of King Arthur that tells of the battle of Light and Dark and how the great king of the Light can return again to England.
They find the grail but lose the manuscript that would translate the inscription - that waits for the third book, Greenwitch. But in the second novel, The Dark Is Rising, we meet young Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son who, on his eleventh birthday, must gather the six signs of the light and use them to drive off the darkness.
The fourth book, The Grey King, takes Will to Wales to meet Bran, a boy who is odd in more ways than one. An albino, he seems strangely out of time. But with Bran's help, Will is able to recover the golden harp, which is one more of the magical tools, and wake the sleeping warriors that will help battle the influence of the Grey King that is assisting the Dark.
The final novel, Silver on the Tree, unites all five children - the Drews, Will, and Bran - to fight the final battle against the Dark. Each faces his or her great fear in the process.
The sequence becomes more sophisticated and intriguing as it goes on. The first book is simplistic, but Collins' work becomes deeper and more tightly written as the series continues. By the time we reach the last two books, the story has become interesting enough to keep one reading. While it is not as detailed and well-plotted as some more recent young adult series, it is worth reading and a good effort in its own right.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
Swedish author Stieg Larsson delivered three manuscripts before his death - this is the first one. It was well reviewed and I can see why. If you like original characters, the title character, Lisbeth, is definitely one. Larsson also gives you an equally interesting co-protagonist (Mikael), a triad of mysteries, and a rich cast of subordinate characters to fill out a hefty novel. The Swedish background is an added bonus.
Mystery number one - the journalist Mikael Blomkvist is a financial reporter who has just been convicted of libel due to the publication of a story that paints an important financier as a crook. Mikael has made no defense in the case, and is facing three months in jail atop a hefty fine. What happened?
Second mystery - an elderly man, head of a large family and CEO of a company that rivals the one headed by Mikael's journalistic target - has wanted to know for the last 40 years what happened to his 16-year old grandniece, who vanished from the family compound in 1966. Worse yet, each year on his birthday he receives a pressed flower in a frame - just like his grandniece used to give him before her disappearance. Is the murderer taunting him from afar?
Third mystery - Lisbeth Salander has no social skills to speak of, seems unequipped with even the most common emotions, and appears to be not too bright - but she works as a researcher for a security company, finds out things that no one else seems to be able to, and severely punishes people who abuse her, although in an exceptionally cold-blooded manner. What made Lisbeth what she is, and what secrets is she hiding?
The mysteries are strung in a satisfying sequence, like a series of frames, with the first one introduced being the final one solved. It is a neatly written, well-plotted book. One might have wondered if the original Swedish manuscript was a bit livelier in phrasing and sentence construction, as some of the wording is very plain and even flat. But for all that, it clips along at a good pace and one finishes the book with a definite interest in what the next novel will bring.
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Also read since the last posting - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.
Mystery number one - the journalist Mikael Blomkvist is a financial reporter who has just been convicted of libel due to the publication of a story that paints an important financier as a crook. Mikael has made no defense in the case, and is facing three months in jail atop a hefty fine. What happened?
Second mystery - an elderly man, head of a large family and CEO of a company that rivals the one headed by Mikael's journalistic target - has wanted to know for the last 40 years what happened to his 16-year old grandniece, who vanished from the family compound in 1966. Worse yet, each year on his birthday he receives a pressed flower in a frame - just like his grandniece used to give him before her disappearance. Is the murderer taunting him from afar?
Third mystery - Lisbeth Salander has no social skills to speak of, seems unequipped with even the most common emotions, and appears to be not too bright - but she works as a researcher for a security company, finds out things that no one else seems to be able to, and severely punishes people who abuse her, although in an exceptionally cold-blooded manner. What made Lisbeth what she is, and what secrets is she hiding?
The mysteries are strung in a satisfying sequence, like a series of frames, with the first one introduced being the final one solved. It is a neatly written, well-plotted book. One might have wondered if the original Swedish manuscript was a bit livelier in phrasing and sentence construction, as some of the wording is very plain and even flat. But for all that, it clips along at a good pace and one finishes the book with a definite interest in what the next novel will bring.
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Also read since the last posting - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe
The heavy promotion of this novel lead me to expect something spectacular. It isn't that. Instead, we have a competent book of a woman's discovery of her talents and of history, enabling her to live less in her head and more in her heart, and along the way finding the inevitable nice young man, facing down the selfishness of her mentor, and discovering that she is more competent than she thought.
The unique part of the novel is the historical scenes that cut between the modern day ones - the premise of Deliverance Dane, executed as a witch in the Salem trials, and her female descendants all actually being "witches". We might call them psychic healers in our modern day. The author gives one a fair picture of how such gifted women would be treated in the heavily Puritan/Christian culture.
This book is readable but not that great, and definitely wasn't worth my buying in hardcover.
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Other books read this month: Suspect; The Night Ferry - both by Michael Robotham.
The unique part of the novel is the historical scenes that cut between the modern day ones - the premise of Deliverance Dane, executed as a witch in the Salem trials, and her female descendants all actually being "witches". We might call them psychic healers in our modern day. The author gives one a fair picture of how such gifted women would be treated in the heavily Puritan/Christian culture.
This book is readable but not that great, and definitely wasn't worth my buying in hardcover.
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Other books read this month: Suspect; The Night Ferry - both by Michael Robotham.
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
The propensity of publishers and authors to commit to multi-book series these days brings both challenges and rewards for the reader. If you like a set of characters, a premise and a setting, it can be exhilarating to know you face a long series, that you can wallow in that world for many days or weeks of reading.
On the other hand, if you find a good book in this genre, it can be frustrating if the later books in the series have not been published yet. Worse yet if they have not even been written. One never can count on an author finishing a series, and to make a commitment to a world and then to have to wait endlessly for the other books can be maddening. I have in mind David Gerrold's Cthorr series, four books of six having been published over a decade ago, and yet the final chapters apparently will never be written as the author has apparently lost interest.
I would rather wait until a series is complete, preferably all available in paperback, before I start the first book, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.
With that in mind, finding a great book, such as The Name of the Wind, means one takes a calculated risk. If you dive in and the book is not that great, you've wasted little. But The Name of the Wind is very good - compelling characters, inventive setting. And right now, the second book is listed as available in April 2025. I don't know if I will even be alive then. I am hoping that it is simply that the publisher does not yet know when the manuscript will be ready.
The novel's premise is that the great magician and warrior, Kvothe, is relating the events of his life to a Chronicler. The Name of the Wind is day one of three days of retelling, and covers his childhood as a member of a traveling theatrical troupe, surviving the slaughter of his parents and the rest of the troupe by the mysterious Chandrian, his struggle to survive as a thief and beggar in the city, and finally realizing his dream to be admitted to the University where he begins to learn magic. Along the way, he gathers a mentor, a girl he loves from afar, and a rival at the university. He uses his talent for music and his disregard for the rules to survive. His willingness to take risks leads him to great adventures and builds his reputation.
The Name of the Wind ends with Kvothe still in university, but with hints of great deeds still to come. I can't wait for the next volume.
On the other hand, if you find a good book in this genre, it can be frustrating if the later books in the series have not been published yet. Worse yet if they have not even been written. One never can count on an author finishing a series, and to make a commitment to a world and then to have to wait endlessly for the other books can be maddening. I have in mind David Gerrold's Cthorr series, four books of six having been published over a decade ago, and yet the final chapters apparently will never be written as the author has apparently lost interest.
I would rather wait until a series is complete, preferably all available in paperback, before I start the first book, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.
With that in mind, finding a great book, such as The Name of the Wind, means one takes a calculated risk. If you dive in and the book is not that great, you've wasted little. But The Name of the Wind is very good - compelling characters, inventive setting. And right now, the second book is listed as available in April 2025. I don't know if I will even be alive then. I am hoping that it is simply that the publisher does not yet know when the manuscript will be ready.
The novel's premise is that the great magician and warrior, Kvothe, is relating the events of his life to a Chronicler. The Name of the Wind is day one of three days of retelling, and covers his childhood as a member of a traveling theatrical troupe, surviving the slaughter of his parents and the rest of the troupe by the mysterious Chandrian, his struggle to survive as a thief and beggar in the city, and finally realizing his dream to be admitted to the University where he begins to learn magic. Along the way, he gathers a mentor, a girl he loves from afar, and a rival at the university. He uses his talent for music and his disregard for the rules to survive. His willingness to take risks leads him to great adventures and builds his reputation.
The Name of the Wind ends with Kvothe still in university, but with hints of great deeds still to come. I can't wait for the next volume.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Admission
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Admission - (1) the process of deciding which applicants may attend a college or university; (2) the process of revealing private information
This novel follows Portia Nathan, an admissions officer for Princeton University as she works through a recruiting and admitting season. There is the travel to high schools and prep schools in her territory of New England, and there is reviewing of endless files of essays, recommendations, and test results. And through it all, Portia's settled, emotionless personal life gets turned inside out as she is, after seventeen years, brought back to face a wrenching decision that she made as an undergraduate and has spent the resto fo her life trying to forget.
Excellent background in the business of a university recruiting season.
Admission - (1) the process of deciding which applicants may attend a college or university; (2) the process of revealing private information
This novel follows Portia Nathan, an admissions officer for Princeton University as she works through a recruiting and admitting season. There is the travel to high schools and prep schools in her territory of New England, and there is reviewing of endless files of essays, recommendations, and test results. And through it all, Portia's settled, emotionless personal life gets turned inside out as she is, after seventeen years, brought back to face a wrenching decision that she made as an undergraduate and has spent the resto fo her life trying to forget.
Excellent background in the business of a university recruiting season.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Double Bind
by Chris Bohjalian
Interesting book, especially for those who have read and can remember at least something of The Great Gatsby. My last reading was in high school, many many years back, so I went through most of this book puzzling on the mystery of why the narrator treats the characters of Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, et al, as if they were real historical people. Alternate universe, or was my memory really that bad. This being said, I didn't see the surprise ending ahead of time as I was too engrossed with this above-mentioned mystery. Not a bad book - but not one I would read again either.
Summary - Laurel is assaulted while riding her bike on a wooded road in Vermont. She survives, finishes college, and finds a job as a social worker in a homeless shelter. One of her former clients dies, and leaves behind a treasure-trove of photographs. Laurel is a photographer, and becomes obsessed with the homeless man's collection, which includes photos of Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and others. She becomes convinced that Bobbie was the son of Daisy and Gatsby. In her search for the truth, she begins to detatch from her job, her friends, and her lover.
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Other books read since last post include: M is for Malice by Sue Grafton; Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley; The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch; City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
Interesting book, especially for those who have read and can remember at least something of The Great Gatsby. My last reading was in high school, many many years back, so I went through most of this book puzzling on the mystery of why the narrator treats the characters of Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, et al, as if they were real historical people. Alternate universe, or was my memory really that bad. This being said, I didn't see the surprise ending ahead of time as I was too engrossed with this above-mentioned mystery. Not a bad book - but not one I would read again either.
Summary - Laurel is assaulted while riding her bike on a wooded road in Vermont. She survives, finishes college, and finds a job as a social worker in a homeless shelter. One of her former clients dies, and leaves behind a treasure-trove of photographs. Laurel is a photographer, and becomes obsessed with the homeless man's collection, which includes photos of Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and others. She becomes convinced that Bobbie was the son of Daisy and Gatsby. In her search for the truth, she begins to detatch from her job, her friends, and her lover.
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Other books read since last post include: M is for Malice by Sue Grafton; Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley; The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch; City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
S and T
S is for Silence, T is for Trespass - novels by Sue Grafton about her private investigator protagonist, Kinsey Millhone, began with A is for Alibi. The two newest entries in the series are fair and good, respectively.
S is for Silence involves Kinsey's investigation of a disappearance that happened back in 1953. She is hired by the woman's daughter, who has suffered for years because she was a young child when her mother "abandoned" her. Now Daisy wants closure - if her mom left voluntarily, or if she didn't. Since mom was a bit of a tramp, some people are sure she ran off with a man - even though no men in the small town vanished when she did. Others think she is dead - and she certainly had plenty of people who had a motive. As a mystery, this book is pretty straightforward and is resolved with a conclusion that is basically satisfying but doesn't "wow".
T is for Trespass is better, only because Kinsey's opponent is so deft, sneaky, and remorseless. When Kinsey's grumpy neighbor Gus has a fall, and his only living relative is on the other coast, arrangements are made for Gus to have in-home care. His nurse/companion, however, is in the business of working for elderly people without a support system only to bleed them financially and then kill them off once she has collected what she can. Kinsey is put in danger, and goes through a couple of grotesque experiences before the woman and her hulking son end up getting what they so richly deserve. (Note - if you are bug-phobic, don't read the last chapter right before bed.)
S is for Silence involves Kinsey's investigation of a disappearance that happened back in 1953. She is hired by the woman's daughter, who has suffered for years because she was a young child when her mother "abandoned" her. Now Daisy wants closure - if her mom left voluntarily, or if she didn't. Since mom was a bit of a tramp, some people are sure she ran off with a man - even though no men in the small town vanished when she did. Others think she is dead - and she certainly had plenty of people who had a motive. As a mystery, this book is pretty straightforward and is resolved with a conclusion that is basically satisfying but doesn't "wow".
T is for Trespass is better, only because Kinsey's opponent is so deft, sneaky, and remorseless. When Kinsey's grumpy neighbor Gus has a fall, and his only living relative is on the other coast, arrangements are made for Gus to have in-home care. His nurse/companion, however, is in the business of working for elderly people without a support system only to bleed them financially and then kill them off once she has collected what she can. Kinsey is put in danger, and goes through a couple of grotesque experiences before the woman and her hulking son end up getting what they so richly deserve. (Note - if you are bug-phobic, don't read the last chapter right before bed.)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2008 Summary
This was a year for reading deeply into a few authors new to me. George RR Martin's series, mentioned earlier; Diana Gabaldon's series, also previously noted; Jim Butcher's wizard detective series; and now I am working my way through all of the backstock of Susan Howach, some of which are related to each other, and some which are not.
One benefit of working one's way through the books of an established author is that it comes with little cost - I have been affected by the economy as most people have, and have now returned to my local library as a source of reading material rather than spending a lot to buy new books.
In sum, I have read 69 books this year - well above the goal of 52 annually.
Other authors read this year: Jeffery Deaver, David Edding, Jonathan Kellerman, Robert Hughes, and Robert Ludlum.
One benefit of working one's way through the books of an established author is that it comes with little cost - I have been affected by the economy as most people have, and have now returned to my local library as a source of reading material rather than spending a lot to buy new books.
In sum, I have read 69 books this year - well above the goal of 52 annually.
Other authors read this year: Jeffery Deaver, David Edding, Jonathan Kellerman, Robert Hughes, and Robert Ludlum.
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