Saturday, January 30, 2010

Milestones, by Samira Armin Hodges

Milestones: Can You Keep a Secret? by Samira Armin Hodges

This young adult book was given to me by my son, who in turn was given it by the author. It is a fun read, and has some good messages for teens just under the surface: making the transition from childhood to adulthood is hard, but everyone can do it. And everyone can make a difference. “[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs] never lost momentum because it was such a wonderful story. Nowadays, Snow White will not live in a castle. She will not necessarily be white. But her story will essentially be the same. And her story will once again change society as we know it.” Coming in somewhere between Holes and Percy Jackson, this is a pleasant mystery with lively characters that I’d recommend to any tween parent.

First Sentence:
It all started when I got struck by lightning.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Imager, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Imager: Book One of the Imager Portfolio, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

L.E. Modesitt is one of my favorite authors. I saw this first book of a new series by him and snapped it up. It follows Modesitt’s usual formula of following a promising young acolyte through his magical training, gaining friends and enemies along the way. While the story is repetitive, though, the insights and discussions of the surrounding society is the main attraction. For instance, a student, when considering the problem of if there can be an omnipotent, beneficent, and just god, writes, “If there is an all-powerful god, nothing is beyond that god’s power. If that god is beneficent, then there will be no evil in the world. If that god is just, the god will not allow injustice to befall the good and the innocent. Yet there is great evil in the world, and much of it falls upon the just and the innocent. A just god would prohibit or limit injustice, at least against the innocent, but injustice continues, so that if such a god is omnipotent, that god cannot be just. Therefore, if there is a god, that god cannot be omnipotent, beneficent, and just.” The instructor, when examining this answer makes the observation, “We take for granted certain beliefs or truths. Other cultures take for granted other truths. According to our truths, their behavior is not right, and according to their truths, our behavior is not right.” I find this a fascinating exploration of not only religion, but of open-mindedness.

Modesitt’s normal humor is on display here as well, with such gems as, “Professional interrogators should study mothers;” and, “Everyone has rules; but yours are always wrong.” A good story, interesting characters, and great social analysis; I look forward to the next installment.

First Sentence:
The bell announcing dinner rang twice, just twice, and no more, for it never did.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Four Feathers, by A.E.W. Mason

The Four Feathers, by A.E.W. Mason

The themes of duty and self-sacrifice are pervasive in The Four Feathers. Set in the Crimean War era, the book tells the story of a man trying to reclaim his honor, his self-respect, and his love. Harry Feversham is a soldier that is terrified of not being able to live up to expectations, and leaves the military right before deploying to avoid combat. Some of mates accuse him of shirking his duty, each giving Harry a white feather representing his cowardice. When explaining to his fiancée, she also accuses him and breaks the engagement. Harry, of course, turns out to be exceptionally brave and goes on a quest for redemption. I found the story entertaining and engaging, although considering the book has been in print for over 100 years this isn’t so surprising!

First Sentence:
Lieutenant Sutch was the first of General Feversham’s guests to reach Broad Place.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Kingdom of the Grail, by Judith Tarr

Kingdom of the Grail, by Judith Tarr

Recasting the legendary Roland as the grandson of Merlin and weaving in the Grail Quest, this is an enchanting adventure. The first half follows the Saxon War with a bit of magic thrown in, the second half describes the mystical war for the Grail. I found the transition between the two sections unnaturally sharp, but the juxtaposition of the two similar scenarios is effective. The heroes are all a bit angsty for my taste, but the (somewhat) comic relief (Tarik the shape-shifting puca) worked well. A notch above more typical sword and sorcery fare, Kingdom of the Grail is an entertaining read but takes itself a bit to seriously in places to be truly great.

First Sentence:
Merlin the Enchanter sat alone in the wood.

Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne

Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne

I’ve had this on my bookshelf for almost a year, but just recently cracked it open. Big mistake—I loved it! Suspense and adventure, exploration and mystery, this book was hard to put down.

The narrator, Otto Lidenbrock, plays the role of the normal man swept up in extraordinary events which is usually a nice tool to explain what is happening without talking down to the reader. Unfortunately, this narrator is whiny and pompous which at times made him hard to take. His arrogance did however occasionally provide for some unintentional humor at times, such as when Otto describes his Icelandic hosts: “...when one fishes, hunts, and shoes horses, one ends up adopting the tone and manners of fishermen, hunters, and other somewhat rude folk.”

My mother the librarian will probably be disappointed that I didn’t delve into the deeper levels the story portrays: man’s journey of introspection. I read for enjoyment, however, and I had enough of analyzing literature in school! Journey to the Center of the Earth is an entertaining story in its own right, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

First Sentence:
On May 24, 1863, a Sunday, my uncle, Professor Lidenbrock, rushed back to his little house located at No. 19 Königstrasse, one of the most ancient streets in the old town of Hamburg.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

An Unexpected Apprentice, by Jody Lynn Nye

An Unexpected Apprentice, by Jody Lynn Nye

Left without family due to a monstrous attack, Tildi quickly discovers that being a woman in a male-dominated society isn’t to her liking. She disguises herself as a boy and sets off to claim an apprenticeship that was supposed to have been her brother’s, and finds herself along the journey. The disguise angle could have been fairly trite, but the author disposes of this fairly early, instead using it simply as a means to get an underdog character into heroic situations. Parallels to Tolkien abound—an aging wizard, a quest for a powerful magic artifact, Tildi is even a hobbit à la Frodo—but this never got as tedious as The Lord of the Rings did in places. While I don’t think this series is going to spark the same following as the one it apes, it does possess a certain charm.

First Sentence:
The merry piping stopped.

Dragonheart, by Todd McCaffrey

Dragonheart, by Todd McCaffrey

As much as I love Pern, these most recent books simply aren’t as much fun as the originals. The plot is a rehash of Dragonsblood; in fact, it had been so long since I’d read Dragonsblood that more than once I suspected I was rereading that book instead of this one for the first time. The two main characters were kids, 13 and 10, and yet running an entire weyr without really being questioned by adults. In an environment like Pern responsibility obviously skews much younger, but the only reason I can fathom to make the characters this young is to appeal to readers of the same age. Of course I read my first Dragonrider novel when I was roughly that age, so maybe calling these childish isn’t quite fair. I suspect that I’d still enjoy those earlier books today, though.

First Sentence:
“...and you wouldn’t believe how many holders they’ve saved over the last ten Turns,” Benden Weyrleader M’tal said, continuing to press his case for the watch-whers.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

My Horizontal Life, by Chelsea Handler

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, by Chelsea Handler

I’ve never watched Chelsea Lately, but I had this idea of Chelsea Handler being the female Tucker Max. As it turns out Handler isn’t anywhere near as depraved as Max, but she does have her moments: “My mother told me that life isn’t always about pleasing yourself and that sometimes you have to do things for the sole benefit of another human being. I completely agreed with her, but reminded her that that was what blow jobs were for.” This is a quick read with a lot of humor (“I realized it was time to formulate a plan. Step one was to start drinking immediately.”) but surprisingly not much sex. Don’t get me wrong—sex is the main topic under discussion—but Handler seems to concentrate more on the hilarious lead-up and aftermath of her coital encounters than finding humor in what happens between the sheets. If you are easily offended avoid this book; although, if you are easily offended you probably quit reading my opinions long ago so I’m not sure if that tidbit of advice matters!

First Sentence:
I was seven years old when my sister told me she’d give me five dollars to run upstairs into my parents’ room while they were having sex and take a picture.

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