1craso
Happy New Year!
My book reading went much better than I anticipated in 2022. This year my challenge is to read 24 books or more. I will post a list of my books in this message as I go with corresponding reviews further down the thread.
1. The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel (Finished 1/15/2023)
2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 2/3/2023)
3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 2/20/2023)
4. Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 3/12/2023)
5. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (Finished 3/24/2023)
6. A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak (Finished 4/12/2023)
7. D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber (Finished 4/17/2023)
8. The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard (Finished 5/7/2023)
9. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (Finished 5/19/2023)
10. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (Finished 5/27/2023)
11. The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson M.D. (Finished 6/9/2023)
12. Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Finished 6/17/2023)
13. Dream Town by David Baldacci (Finished 6/20/2023)
14. Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente (Finished 6/21/2023)
15. The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (Finished 7/2/2023)
16. Chain of Thornes by Cassandra Clare (Finished 7/26/2023)
17. This Immortal by Roger Zelazny (Finished 8/2/2023)
18. The Razors Edge by W Somerset Maugham (Finished 8/13/2023)
19. Expect Me Tomorrow by Christopher Priest (Finished 8/23/2023)
20. The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer (Finished 9/1/2023)
21. Babel: or the Necessity of Violence. An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang (Finished 9/29/2023)
My book reading went much better than I anticipated in 2022. This year my challenge is to read 24 books or more. I will post a list of my books in this message as I go with corresponding reviews further down the thread.
1. The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel (Finished 1/15/2023)
2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 2/3/2023)
3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 2/20/2023)
4. Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler (Finished 3/12/2023)
5. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (Finished 3/24/2023)
6. A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak (Finished 4/12/2023)
7. D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber (Finished 4/17/2023)
8. The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard (Finished 5/7/2023)
9. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (Finished 5/19/2023)
10. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (Finished 5/27/2023)
11. The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson M.D. (Finished 6/9/2023)
12. Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Finished 6/17/2023)
13. Dream Town by David Baldacci (Finished 6/20/2023)
14. Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente (Finished 6/21/2023)
15. The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (Finished 7/2/2023)
16. Chain of Thornes by Cassandra Clare (Finished 7/26/2023)
17. This Immortal by Roger Zelazny (Finished 8/2/2023)
18. The Razors Edge by W Somerset Maugham (Finished 8/13/2023)
19. Expect Me Tomorrow by Christopher Priest (Finished 8/23/2023)
20. The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer (Finished 9/1/2023)
21. Babel: or the Necessity of Violence. An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang (Finished 9/29/2023)
2threadnsong
Hello Caroline! Congratulations on a successful 2022 reading year, and may many books present themselves to you in 2023!
3Sergeirocks
Happy reading in 2023, Caroline, 🙂.
5craso
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel 4 Stars
I read this book because I enjoyed reading two of this author's other books, Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility. I find her books easy to read and they hold my interest, which is saying a lot with this book. I have no interest in Ponzi schemes. What does interest me is people. This book is about the people who are involved in the life of Jonathan Alkaitis, the wealthy investment manager who defrauds his investors. We see the characters before, during, and after the Feds arrest Alkaitis.
I began to wonder why I was reading this book until the last third. This is where we see the psychological toll on Alkaitis, his friends, loved ones, and the people who work for him. Characters start to hallucinate from the guilt and see ghost of the people them have harmed. Alkaitis mind floats between memories and reality.
I recommend this book to fans of the author and readers interested in characters overwhelmed by greed.
I read this book because I enjoyed reading two of this author's other books, Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility. I find her books easy to read and they hold my interest, which is saying a lot with this book. I have no interest in Ponzi schemes. What does interest me is people. This book is about the people who are involved in the life of Jonathan Alkaitis, the wealthy investment manager who defrauds his investors. We see the characters before, during, and after the Feds arrest Alkaitis.
I began to wonder why I was reading this book until the last third. This is where we see the psychological toll on Alkaitis, his friends, loved ones, and the people who work for him. Characters start to hallucinate from the guilt and see ghost of the people them have harmed. Alkaitis mind floats between memories and reality.
I recommend this book to fans of the author and readers interested in characters overwhelmed by greed.
6craso
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler 4 1/2 Stars
I picked this book to read for my Book Chat group at work. The theme for February is black authors. I have wanted to read this book for a long while and finally took the plunge. Octavia Butler was a respected science fiction author and a winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Tragically, she died in 2006 at the age of 58.
This novel is about an African American woman who is pulled into the past numerous time by her ancestor whenever his life is in danger. Dana is pulled from 1976 California to Antebellum Maryland. She must keep Rufus, the son of a plantation owner alive so that he can have a child with Alice, a slave on the plantation. Dana can spend months in the past and when returning to the present only hours have past.
I learned a lot about life on a plantation. The author did meticulous research into slavery. Her goal was to write a book in the style of a slave narrative. Coupling science fiction elements and social issues makes those issue more palatable for readers. She considered her novel to be a less violent version of slavery. If this is less violent then I would never be able to read the truth. Dana endures horrible beatings and brutality just to save a man who is only worthy of being saved because if she doesn't she will never be born.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy time travel novels and readers who enjoy novel about African American history.
I picked this book to read for my Book Chat group at work. The theme for February is black authors. I have wanted to read this book for a long while and finally took the plunge. Octavia Butler was a respected science fiction author and a winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Tragically, she died in 2006 at the age of 58.
This novel is about an African American woman who is pulled into the past numerous time by her ancestor whenever his life is in danger. Dana is pulled from 1976 California to Antebellum Maryland. She must keep Rufus, the son of a plantation owner alive so that he can have a child with Alice, a slave on the plantation. Dana can spend months in the past and when returning to the present only hours have past.
I learned a lot about life on a plantation. The author did meticulous research into slavery. Her goal was to write a book in the style of a slave narrative. Coupling science fiction elements and social issues makes those issue more palatable for readers. She considered her novel to be a less violent version of slavery. If this is less violent then I would never be able to read the truth. Dana endures horrible beatings and brutality just to save a man who is only worthy of being saved because if she doesn't she will never be born.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy time travel novels and readers who enjoy novel about African American history.
8craso
>7 JulieLill:
Hi Julie, I think it's on the reading lists for high schools and college. I knew it was a classic, but I didn't have a chance to read it until now.
Hi Julie, I think it's on the reading lists for high schools and college. I knew it was a classic, but I didn't have a chance to read it until now.
9craso
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 4 Stars
All of the problems we have today are taken to extremes in this novel. Homelessness, inflation, racism, climate change, drugs, etc. It's gotten so bad that there are walls around neighborhoods to keep out people who would steal, rape, and kill the home owners. Going outside the neighborhood to go to work in the morning means you may never get back home to your family. A teenager named Lauren lives with her family in a walled off neighborhood. She knows there is a better way to live. She believes that her new religion where God is change will help to heal the world and take us out into space. She also suffers from a psychological ailment called hyperempathy. Whenever she sees someone hurt she feels their pain. This makes it very hard for her to defend herself from the crazy, desperate people in her world.
This is a brutal novel. Lauren's journey is tough and full of trials and heartbreak. If you enjoy novels about social issues or dystopias, then you will really enjoy this book.
All of the problems we have today are taken to extremes in this novel. Homelessness, inflation, racism, climate change, drugs, etc. It's gotten so bad that there are walls around neighborhoods to keep out people who would steal, rape, and kill the home owners. Going outside the neighborhood to go to work in the morning means you may never get back home to your family. A teenager named Lauren lives with her family in a walled off neighborhood. She knows there is a better way to live. She believes that her new religion where God is change will help to heal the world and take us out into space. She also suffers from a psychological ailment called hyperempathy. Whenever she sees someone hurt she feels their pain. This makes it very hard for her to defend herself from the crazy, desperate people in her world.
This is a brutal novel. Lauren's journey is tough and full of trials and heartbreak. If you enjoy novels about social issues or dystopias, then you will really enjoy this book.
10craso
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler 4 Stars
This novel is a sequel to Parable of the Sower. Lauren Olamina has set up her Earth Seed community with her husband in northern California. Everything is going well until President Jarrett is elected with the catch phrase "Make American Great Again." Yes, this book was written in 1999 -2000. Butler was such a great student of history and sociology that she predicted that a president will be elected that feeds on the fears of radicalized groups and then turns a blind eye on the outrageous acts they commit. I felt bogged down in despair for a good part of the book, but Olamina's story comes to a hopeful and satisfying end.
This novel is a sequel to Parable of the Sower. Lauren Olamina has set up her Earth Seed community with her husband in northern California. Everything is going well until President Jarrett is elected with the catch phrase "Make American Great Again." Yes, this book was written in 1999 -2000. Butler was such a great student of history and sociology that she predicted that a president will be elected that feeds on the fears of radicalized groups and then turns a blind eye on the outrageous acts they commit. I felt bogged down in despair for a good part of the book, but Olamina's story comes to a hopeful and satisfying end.
11craso
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore 4 Stars
This was a delightful book. I needed something less serious than the last three books and this book worked great. Oona is unstuck in time. She lives her life out of order. Every year at mid-night on New Years Eve her mind moves into a different year and either an older or younger body. In 2015 her body is 51, but her mind is 19. This causes a lot of confusion when it comes to maintaining relationships. Her only constant is her mother, who is the only one who know about her condition outside of her assistant Kenzie.
This book is a quick read because you want to know what the next year is going to be like for Oona. I also like all of the pop culture references for each year. This was a nice beach read with a fun narrative twist.
This was a delightful book. I needed something less serious than the last three books and this book worked great. Oona is unstuck in time. She lives her life out of order. Every year at mid-night on New Years Eve her mind moves into a different year and either an older or younger body. In 2015 her body is 51, but her mind is 19. This causes a lot of confusion when it comes to maintaining relationships. Her only constant is her mother, who is the only one who know about her condition outside of her assistant Kenzie.
This book is a quick read because you want to know what the next year is going to be like for Oona. I also like all of the pop culture references for each year. This was a nice beach read with a fun narrative twist.
12craso
A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak 4 1/2 Stars
This was an entertaining and well researched book about the death and life of Edgar Allan Poe. I read it because of the mystery surrounding Poe's death. He was found alone, outside of a polling place in Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes, and in a stupor. He died in a hospital a few days later. The death certificate read "brain fever" as cause of death. The obituary that ran in papers was written by an enemy of Poe's and forever labeled him as an alcoholic and a drug user.
In this book you find out that Poe was not the gloomy, morbid, druggy everyone thinks he was. He was physically fit, learned, and a southern gentleman. He thought of himself as a poet first, then a literary critic, and then a short story author. He wrote many types of stories and would be very upset to find out that he is known for his horror short stories. Poe is important to American literature and literature in general for his creation of the first detective story and possibly the first Science Fiction novel. He was admired by Conan Doyle, Verne, and Baudelaire. Like many unique and ground breaking artists he was not appreciated in his time. He lived a life of poverty and died in poverty.
If you are interested in Poe the man, I suggest you read this book.
This was an entertaining and well researched book about the death and life of Edgar Allan Poe. I read it because of the mystery surrounding Poe's death. He was found alone, outside of a polling place in Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes, and in a stupor. He died in a hospital a few days later. The death certificate read "brain fever" as cause of death. The obituary that ran in papers was written by an enemy of Poe's and forever labeled him as an alcoholic and a drug user.
In this book you find out that Poe was not the gloomy, morbid, druggy everyone thinks he was. He was physically fit, learned, and a southern gentleman. He thought of himself as a poet first, then a literary critic, and then a short story author. He wrote many types of stories and would be very upset to find out that he is known for his horror short stories. Poe is important to American literature and literature in general for his creation of the first detective story and possibly the first Science Fiction novel. He was admired by Conan Doyle, Verne, and Baudelaire. Like many unique and ground breaking artists he was not appreciated in his time. He lived a life of poverty and died in poverty.
If you are interested in Poe the man, I suggest you read this book.
13JulieLill
>12 craso: Adding to my list - sounds intriguing!
14threadnsong
>12 craso: Sounds like a good look into this misunderstood author! Have you read (or heard of) Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen? When I read it several years ago, it was the first time that Poe was mentioned as being a smart, heart-throb type of gentleman and not the druggy and alcoholic as portrayed after his death.
15craso
>14 threadnsong:
I have not heard of Mrs. Poe. Thank you for telling me about it. He did have quite a few ladies interested in him.
I have not heard of Mrs. Poe. Thank you for telling me about it. He did have quite a few ladies interested in him.
16craso
D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber 3 1/2 Stars
All of the Ds are disappearing from language. This is bad news for Dhikilo who is afraid all her classmates will start calling her Icky. Then the things that begin with the letter D start going missing: donkeys, dentists, Dalmatians. Dhikilo must bravely go on an adventure with her friend Mrs. Robinson, a sphynx, to find the Ds and bring them back.
Michel Faber wrote this story for the 150th anniversary of Charles Dicken's death. There are many references to Dicken's including a chapter titled Bleak House about a hotel that traps you with enticing signs like "free scones with every tea" and a guillotine scene similar to the one in "A Tale of Two Cities." He also owes a debt to authors C. S. Lewis, James Thurber, and L. Frank Baum for the world building that takes place in the novel. The land of Liminus, where all the Ds are going, is snowy like Narnia and peopled by characters you might find in OZ. James Thurber wrote the book "The Wonderful O" which is mentioned in the acknowledgements. Thurber's book is about the disappearance of the letter O.
This was a cute and often humorous fantasy novel. I didn't give it 4 stars because the story gets bogged down in Liminus. The story stays there way to long. The ending is a bit abrupt as well. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy children's fantasy novels.
All of the Ds are disappearing from language. This is bad news for Dhikilo who is afraid all her classmates will start calling her Icky. Then the things that begin with the letter D start going missing: donkeys, dentists, Dalmatians. Dhikilo must bravely go on an adventure with her friend Mrs. Robinson, a sphynx, to find the Ds and bring them back.
Michel Faber wrote this story for the 150th anniversary of Charles Dicken's death. There are many references to Dicken's including a chapter titled Bleak House about a hotel that traps you with enticing signs like "free scones with every tea" and a guillotine scene similar to the one in "A Tale of Two Cities." He also owes a debt to authors C. S. Lewis, James Thurber, and L. Frank Baum for the world building that takes place in the novel. The land of Liminus, where all the Ds are going, is snowy like Narnia and peopled by characters you might find in OZ. James Thurber wrote the book "The Wonderful O" which is mentioned in the acknowledgements. Thurber's book is about the disappearance of the letter O.
This was a cute and often humorous fantasy novel. I didn't give it 4 stars because the story gets bogged down in Liminus. The story stays there way to long. The ending is a bit abrupt as well. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy children's fantasy novels.
17craso
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard 4 1/2 Stars
I decided to read this novel after I saw the trailer for the Netflix movie. The book went well with the book I read about Edgar Allan Poe's death and life Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak. Bayard was spot on about Poe's life and personality.
A West Point Academy cadet is found dead. Later he is found again with his heart cut out. Augustus Landor, a retired New Your City police detective, is asked by the heads of the academy to discreetly investigate the murder. He asks an unusual cadet to help him with the investigation. The cadet is egotistical and considers himself a southern gentlemen and a poet. The cadet is Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe and Landor develop a close relationship. Poe doesn't fit in at West Point. He is too smart and gifted and has a flair for the dramatic. At on point in the book Landor tries to shake Poe off by confronting Poe with the truth of his life, he is an orphan from a poor theatrical family with an adopted father that can't stand him. When I read that I wanted to cry. The character of Poe is such a fragile, lost young man. Bayard says that he wanted to write a novel that imagined the circumstances that made Poe the famous poet and author.
Poe was a cadet at West Point and the characters of the officers and heads of the academy were real people. There are many references to Poe's works. The cutting out of hearts reminded me of The Tell-Tale Heart. The main character Augustus Landor reminded me of Poe's detective Auguste Dupin. He shared many of the same characteristics of observational detection.
I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to watching the movie. I want to see Harry Melling's take on Poe.
I decided to read this novel after I saw the trailer for the Netflix movie. The book went well with the book I read about Edgar Allan Poe's death and life Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak. Bayard was spot on about Poe's life and personality.
A West Point Academy cadet is found dead. Later he is found again with his heart cut out. Augustus Landor, a retired New Your City police detective, is asked by the heads of the academy to discreetly investigate the murder. He asks an unusual cadet to help him with the investigation. The cadet is egotistical and considers himself a southern gentlemen and a poet. The cadet is Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe and Landor develop a close relationship. Poe doesn't fit in at West Point. He is too smart and gifted and has a flair for the dramatic. At on point in the book Landor tries to shake Poe off by confronting Poe with the truth of his life, he is an orphan from a poor theatrical family with an adopted father that can't stand him. When I read that I wanted to cry. The character of Poe is such a fragile, lost young man. Bayard says that he wanted to write a novel that imagined the circumstances that made Poe the famous poet and author.
Poe was a cadet at West Point and the characters of the officers and heads of the academy were real people. There are many references to Poe's works. The cutting out of hearts reminded me of The Tell-Tale Heart. The main character Augustus Landor reminded me of Poe's detective Auguste Dupin. He shared many of the same characteristics of observational detection.
I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to watching the movie. I want to see Harry Melling's take on Poe.
18craso
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann 4 Stars
I picked up this book because I enjoyed reading David Grann's book The Lost City of Z. This is a fairly short book with a lot of notes so you know Grann did his homework. I have read a few books about pirates before, but nothing about shipwrecks and mutinies. I liked how Gran used the journals and observations of different crew members to create a narrative not unlike a novel. Three "characters" standout; David Cheap, who was promoted from lieutenant to captain of the Wager mid-voyage, 16 year old midshipman John Byron, who was the grandfather of author Lord Byron, and gunner John Bulkeley. Their voyage was cursed from the beginning and ended with disease, shipwreck, and tragedy. The British hatred of the Spanish and their obsession with colonialism and empire building doomed this crew and the crew of other ships that set out to sea because of the War of Jenkin's Ear. I could go on and on, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone. Grann is good at writing books on the theme of obsession. If you enjoy David Grann's writing or stories about seafaring you will enjoy this book.
I picked up this book because I enjoyed reading David Grann's book The Lost City of Z. This is a fairly short book with a lot of notes so you know Grann did his homework. I have read a few books about pirates before, but nothing about shipwrecks and mutinies. I liked how Gran used the journals and observations of different crew members to create a narrative not unlike a novel. Three "characters" standout; David Cheap, who was promoted from lieutenant to captain of the Wager mid-voyage, 16 year old midshipman John Byron, who was the grandfather of author Lord Byron, and gunner John Bulkeley. Their voyage was cursed from the beginning and ended with disease, shipwreck, and tragedy. The British hatred of the Spanish and their obsession with colonialism and empire building doomed this crew and the crew of other ships that set out to sea because of the War of Jenkin's Ear. I could go on and on, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone. Grann is good at writing books on the theme of obsession. If you enjoy David Grann's writing or stories about seafaring you will enjoy this book.
19craso
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman 3 1/2 Stars
I needed a short read, so I picked this middle grade book. I saw a trailer on YouTube for the movie and then I found it on Hoopla.
This is a cute book. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it when I was a tween. The story is set in Medieval England. Catherine is 13 or 14 years old. Her brother Edward wants her to practice writing so he encourages her to keep a journal about her daily life. She is very witty and smart. She loves to hang out with the villagers and play practical jokes. The author has created a fairly accurate historical setting. If you enjoy girl power books or historical young adult novels, you will like this book.
I needed a short read, so I picked this middle grade book. I saw a trailer on YouTube for the movie and then I found it on Hoopla.
This is a cute book. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it when I was a tween. The story is set in Medieval England. Catherine is 13 or 14 years old. Her brother Edward wants her to practice writing so he encourages her to keep a journal about her daily life. She is very witty and smart. She loves to hang out with the villagers and play practical jokes. The author has created a fairly accurate historical setting. If you enjoy girl power books or historical young adult novels, you will like this book.
20craso
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyers 3 1/2 Stars
I am excited that Nicholas Meyer has started to write Sherlock Holmes novels again. He understands the characters and Arthur Conan Doyle's style of writing. Meyer has filled this mystery novel with historical figures and circumstances appropriate to 1905. The peculiar protocols mentioned in the novel are The Protocols of the Elders of Zion a real antisemitic document that still pops up from time-to-time. Sherlock and Watson work with Anna Strunsky Walling, a real person who helped start the NAACP. They try to debunk the protocols by traveling on the Orient Express to Russia to get the confession of the author of the protocols.
I liked the premise of this novel as well as the historical setting. If you enjoy reading historical mysteries or Sherlock and Watson books, you will enjoy reading this novel.
I am excited that Nicholas Meyer has started to write Sherlock Holmes novels again. He understands the characters and Arthur Conan Doyle's style of writing. Meyer has filled this mystery novel with historical figures and circumstances appropriate to 1905. The peculiar protocols mentioned in the novel are The Protocols of the Elders of Zion a real antisemitic document that still pops up from time-to-time. Sherlock and Watson work with Anna Strunsky Walling, a real person who helped start the NAACP. They try to debunk the protocols by traveling on the Orient Express to Russia to get the confession of the author of the protocols.
I liked the premise of this novel as well as the historical setting. If you enjoy reading historical mysteries or Sherlock and Watson books, you will enjoy reading this novel.
21craso
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton 4 Stars
Mickey7 is an Expendable. His assignment is to do all the jobs that can get you killed on the new colony Niflheim. Mickey is the 7th clone of the original Mickey that died 9 years ago. Why would Mickey do something as stupid as sign on to a colony ship as an Expendable? Let's just say he needed to get off his home world quick.
This novel was a fun read. It has the humor of a John Scalzi novel. It also reminded me of the movie Moon and the book Speaker for the Dead. If you enjoy humorous Science Fiction novels then you will like this book.
Mickey7 is an Expendable. His assignment is to do all the jobs that can get you killed on the new colony Niflheim. Mickey is the 7th clone of the original Mickey that died 9 years ago. Why would Mickey do something as stupid as sign on to a colony ship as an Expendable? Let's just say he needed to get off his home world quick.
This novel was a fun read. It has the humor of a John Scalzi novel. It also reminded me of the movie Moon and the book Speaker for the Dead. If you enjoy humorous Science Fiction novels then you will like this book.
22craso
Dream Town by David Baldacci 4 Stars
Detective and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer goes to a New Year's Eve party in Hollywood with an aspiring actress friend. He meets a female screen writer who hires him. He goes to her house and finds the dead body of a man. The screen writer vanishes and Archer starts looking for her and whoever killed the man in her home.
This is my first David Baldacci book. I heard that the Aloysius Archer novels were fun to read and I like noir detective mysteries so I thought I would give it a try. I listened to it on Libby as an audiobook while I did a jigsaw puzzle. This novel had every seedy thing that could possibly happen in Hollywood in the 1950s. It had movie stars involved in drugs and kinky sex, a Chinese sex slavery ring, and a trip to Vegas to meet a mob boss. The author even brought in references to Douglas McCarthy and the Hollywood blacklist. If you like noir detective books and/or films then you will like this book. Dream Town is the third book in the Archer series.
Detective and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer goes to a New Year's Eve party in Hollywood with an aspiring actress friend. He meets a female screen writer who hires him. He goes to her house and finds the dead body of a man. The screen writer vanishes and Archer starts looking for her and whoever killed the man in her home.
This is my first David Baldacci book. I heard that the Aloysius Archer novels were fun to read and I like noir detective mysteries so I thought I would give it a try. I listened to it on Libby as an audiobook while I did a jigsaw puzzle. This novel had every seedy thing that could possibly happen in Hollywood in the 1950s. It had movie stars involved in drugs and kinky sex, a Chinese sex slavery ring, and a trip to Vegas to meet a mob boss. The author even brought in references to Douglas McCarthy and the Hollywood blacklist. If you like noir detective books and/or films then you will like this book. Dream Town is the third book in the Archer series.
23craso
Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente 4 Stars
This is a clever and beautifully written novella. It is a retelling and I can’t say what story is retold without ruining the book. It is about a woman who discovers her perfect world isn’t so perfect. If you enjoy gorgeously written fantasy and/or horror stories you will like this story novel. I read it as an ebook on Libby.
This is a clever and beautifully written novella. It is a retelling and I can’t say what story is retold without ruining the book. It is about a woman who discovers her perfect world isn’t so perfect. If you enjoy gorgeously written fantasy and/or horror stories you will like this story novel. I read it as an ebook on Libby.
24craso
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling 4 1/2 Stars
Jane Shoringfield is a smart and practical person. Her foster parents are moving away and Jane wants to stay. She comes up with a very practical plan, to find a man who will marry her so she can stay. The man she chooses is Augustine Lawrence the local doctor. He agrees as long as she will help him with his bookkeeping, assist him in surgery, and live at the surgery. Augustine will live at his familial estate Lindridge Hall. The agreement is struck and they marry. Unfortunately, an accident with the carriage taking Jane back to the surgery on their wedding night forces her to stay the night with Augustine at Lindridge Hall. There she comes face to face with the horrors that keep her new husband hostage every night at the hall.
This is a most unusual gothic horror novel. The time and setting are ambiguous. The medicine that Augustine practice's is almost mediaeval, but a war has taken place that seems 20th Century like. They live in Great Bretlain instead of Great Britain. The war has caused religion to be abolished and magic may or may not be real.
This novel was quite the page turner. The closer I got to the end, the more I wanted to read to find out what was going on. If you like gothic novels you will really like this book.
Jane Shoringfield is a smart and practical person. Her foster parents are moving away and Jane wants to stay. She comes up with a very practical plan, to find a man who will marry her so she can stay. The man she chooses is Augustine Lawrence the local doctor. He agrees as long as she will help him with his bookkeeping, assist him in surgery, and live at the surgery. Augustine will live at his familial estate Lindridge Hall. The agreement is struck and they marry. Unfortunately, an accident with the carriage taking Jane back to the surgery on their wedding night forces her to stay the night with Augustine at Lindridge Hall. There she comes face to face with the horrors that keep her new husband hostage every night at the hall.
This is a most unusual gothic horror novel. The time and setting are ambiguous. The medicine that Augustine practice's is almost mediaeval, but a war has taken place that seems 20th Century like. They live in Great Bretlain instead of Great Britain. The war has caused religion to be abolished and magic may or may not be real.
This novel was quite the page turner. The closer I got to the end, the more I wanted to read to find out what was going on. If you like gothic novels you will really like this book.
25craso
Chain of Thornes by Cassandra Clare 4 Stars
I started reading The Last Hours series, because I wanted to know more about YA books for readers advisory at the library where I used to work. From what I can tell, this series is about as YA as you can get. It's the story of the Shadowhunters, families of Nephilim that have sworn to save the world from demons. The books read like a teenage soap opera, yet I found myself caring about the characters and wanting to know how things would end. Chain of Thornes is the third and last volume of the series.
The story wraps up with the main characters pairing up and figuring out what they want their lives to look like as adults The big bad is slain...kind of...and the demons are in check until the next time they try to disturb everyone's happy families. If you enjoy teenage angst with your fantasy then I recommend reading this series.
I started reading The Last Hours series, because I wanted to know more about YA books for readers advisory at the library where I used to work. From what I can tell, this series is about as YA as you can get. It's the story of the Shadowhunters, families of Nephilim that have sworn to save the world from demons. The books read like a teenage soap opera, yet I found myself caring about the characters and wanting to know how things would end. Chain of Thornes is the third and last volume of the series.
The story wraps up with the main characters pairing up and figuring out what they want their lives to look like as adults The big bad is slain...kind of...and the demons are in check until the next time they try to disturb everyone's happy families. If you enjoy teenage angst with your fantasy then I recommend reading this series.
26craso
This Immortal by Roger Zelazny 3 1/2 Stars
I had been wanting to read this novel for years. I finally found a book club copy at Half Price Books. I really like stories involving immortals so I was looking forward to reading it. It is also an award winning classic Science Fiction novel. Turns out, the book wasn't exactly what I expected.
Conrad Nomikos lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth. What's left after the Three Days nuclear war has been bought by aliens called the Vegans. Many Earthlings have left and the ones who have stayed live on islands or beaches away from the main land where nuclear "hot spots" remain. Conrad is the Commissioner of the Department of Arts, Monuments and Archives. A group of people, including a Vegan that is doing a survey for a possible book he is writing, ask Conrad for a tour of the Earths monuments. The Vegan asks specifically for Conrad, because he has researched his past life and found it to be much longer than anyone can image.
I have read a lot of post-apocalyptic novels this year and I wasn't looking to read another one. It has the typical mutated people living in the wilds in small cult like communities. Some mutations are interesting because they resemble Greek mythological creatures. Conrad is Greek and there are hints that he may be the god Pan. That would make sense because Pan is a nature god and he would want to fight for and protect the Earth.
This novel was written in 1966 and feels like it is of it's time. If you enjoy reading classic 1960's science fiction or like post-apocalyptic stories with a little Greek mythology thrown in, then I recommend this book.
I had been wanting to read this novel for years. I finally found a book club copy at Half Price Books. I really like stories involving immortals so I was looking forward to reading it. It is also an award winning classic Science Fiction novel. Turns out, the book wasn't exactly what I expected.
Conrad Nomikos lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth. What's left after the Three Days nuclear war has been bought by aliens called the Vegans. Many Earthlings have left and the ones who have stayed live on islands or beaches away from the main land where nuclear "hot spots" remain. Conrad is the Commissioner of the Department of Arts, Monuments and Archives. A group of people, including a Vegan that is doing a survey for a possible book he is writing, ask Conrad for a tour of the Earths monuments. The Vegan asks specifically for Conrad, because he has researched his past life and found it to be much longer than anyone can image.
I have read a lot of post-apocalyptic novels this year and I wasn't looking to read another one. It has the typical mutated people living in the wilds in small cult like communities. Some mutations are interesting because they resemble Greek mythological creatures. Conrad is Greek and there are hints that he may be the god Pan. That would make sense because Pan is a nature god and he would want to fight for and protect the Earth.
This novel was written in 1966 and feels like it is of it's time. If you enjoy reading classic 1960's science fiction or like post-apocalyptic stories with a little Greek mythology thrown in, then I recommend this book.
27craso
The Razors Edge by W. Somerset Maugham 4 1/2 Stars
I set up a list of spiritual books I wanted to read and this is the first one I have read off the list.
The novel follows four main characters, Larry Darrell, Elliott Templeton, Isabel Bradley, and Gray Marturin and the people that pass through their lives. W. Somerset Maugham is a character in the novel and he relates the story in a first person participant account. He relates everything to the reader with his personal observations. The novel is character driven with Maugham making his points about America, materialism, and spirituality through these character's. The main character, Larry, came back from World War I seeking God and answers to the ultimate questions of life and death. He lives a simple life, where as the other characters live rich glamorous lives. Elliott is a snob who finds self worth in his social standing. Isabel is vain, selfish, and uncaring. Her husband Gray is a businessman and the all American good guy.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy character studies and deep ruminations on the existence of God, American societal norms, and Hindu spiritualism. I also recommend the 1946 movie with a warning that it is a tearjerker.
I set up a list of spiritual books I wanted to read and this is the first one I have read off the list.
The novel follows four main characters, Larry Darrell, Elliott Templeton, Isabel Bradley, and Gray Marturin and the people that pass through their lives. W. Somerset Maugham is a character in the novel and he relates the story in a first person participant account. He relates everything to the reader with his personal observations. The novel is character driven with Maugham making his points about America, materialism, and spirituality through these character's. The main character, Larry, came back from World War I seeking God and answers to the ultimate questions of life and death. He lives a simple life, where as the other characters live rich glamorous lives. Elliott is a snob who finds self worth in his social standing. Isabel is vain, selfish, and uncaring. Her husband Gray is a businessman and the all American good guy.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy character studies and deep ruminations on the existence of God, American societal norms, and Hindu spiritualism. I also recommend the 1946 movie with a warning that it is a tearjerker.
28craso
Expect Me Tomorrow by Christopher Priest 3 Stars
In the 1800's Adler Beck studies glaciers while his twin bother Adolf sings opera in South America. In 2050 Chad Ramsey is a forensic profiler and his twin brother Gregory is a reporter. Adler and Adolf start to have what they call incursions, time where they are taken over by another mind asking questions about Adolf's life. Chad is implanted with a device that enables him to communicate with others without an external device. Adolf's life is changed when he is arrested for a crime he could not have committed.
I was disappointed by this book. Christopher Priest is one of my favorite authors. His books usually have a lot of twists and turns and question reality. Priest also uses twins and/or parallel timelines. This novel has twins, mistaken identity, time travel, and climate change with none of these separate themes coming together satisfactorily in the end.
Part of the novel is based on the true story of Adolph Beck, a man wrongly convicted by the British judicial system after a case of mistaken identity. The true life case was so aggreges that it changed the British judicial system. A bibliography at the back of the book names the following book as source material; The Strange Story of Adolph Beck by Tim Coates.
In the 1800's Adler Beck studies glaciers while his twin bother Adolf sings opera in South America. In 2050 Chad Ramsey is a forensic profiler and his twin brother Gregory is a reporter. Adler and Adolf start to have what they call incursions, time where they are taken over by another mind asking questions about Adolf's life. Chad is implanted with a device that enables him to communicate with others without an external device. Adolf's life is changed when he is arrested for a crime he could not have committed.
I was disappointed by this book. Christopher Priest is one of my favorite authors. His books usually have a lot of twists and turns and question reality. Priest also uses twins and/or parallel timelines. This novel has twins, mistaken identity, time travel, and climate change with none of these separate themes coming together satisfactorily in the end.
Part of the novel is based on the true story of Adolph Beck, a man wrongly convicted by the British judicial system after a case of mistaken identity. The true life case was so aggreges that it changed the British judicial system. A bibliography at the back of the book names the following book as source material; The Strange Story of Adolph Beck by Tim Coates.
29craso
The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer 4 Stars
It's 1911 and greedy amateur archeologists are flocking to Egypt to try and dig up a pharaohs tomb full of gold. The Duke of Uxbridge has gone missing in Egypt so his wife hires Sherlock Holmes to find him. Watson is already in Egypt for the health of his wife Juliet. They team up with archeologist Howard Carter to find Uxbridge and maybe the first intact and unopened pharaoh's tomb.
Meyer is in good form with his 5th Sherlock Holmes novel. He has done his research on Egyptology and there is an extensive bibliography at the end of the novel. This book was a fun quick read. I recommend it to Sherlock Holmes fans and those who enjoy historical novels set in Egypt during the rush to find an intact pharaoh's tomb.
It's 1911 and greedy amateur archeologists are flocking to Egypt to try and dig up a pharaohs tomb full of gold. The Duke of Uxbridge has gone missing in Egypt so his wife hires Sherlock Holmes to find him. Watson is already in Egypt for the health of his wife Juliet. They team up with archeologist Howard Carter to find Uxbridge and maybe the first intact and unopened pharaoh's tomb.
Meyer is in good form with his 5th Sherlock Holmes novel. He has done his research on Egyptology and there is an extensive bibliography at the end of the novel. This book was a fun quick read. I recommend it to Sherlock Holmes fans and those who enjoy historical novels set in Egypt during the rush to find an intact pharaoh's tomb.
30craso
Babel: or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang 4 1/2 Stars
The story of the Tower of Babel has fascinated me for years. The story is about a tower that was built by a group of people with one language to reach the heavens. God saw what they had accomplished and confused their language and scattered them over the Earth.
The tower in this novel is at Oxford University. Translators at the tower study languages to use in creating bars of silver that run everything in the British Empire. Instead of the Industrial Revolution we have the Silver Revolution. Silver bars with engraved matched pairs of words from different languages are used to run factories, railways, shipping, etc. The silver has made the British Empire the mightiest in the world. It also has created a great inequity. Only the rich and powerful have access to the silver. The Hermes Society, made up of scholars who have left Babel, work to balance the scales and stop imperial expansion.
R. F. Kuang is a translator and scholar. She pours all of her knowledge about words and their meanings into this book in a way that doesn't seem dry like a text book. Kuang keeps you hooked even though the book is a long read. She brings in the history of British and Chinese relations especially the Opium Wars. The novel touches on race relations and slavery. So much is covered in this novel it's hard to write about it all. I recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in language, British and Chinese history, imperialism, and the history of slavery.
The story of the Tower of Babel has fascinated me for years. The story is about a tower that was built by a group of people with one language to reach the heavens. God saw what they had accomplished and confused their language and scattered them over the Earth.
The tower in this novel is at Oxford University. Translators at the tower study languages to use in creating bars of silver that run everything in the British Empire. Instead of the Industrial Revolution we have the Silver Revolution. Silver bars with engraved matched pairs of words from different languages are used to run factories, railways, shipping, etc. The silver has made the British Empire the mightiest in the world. It also has created a great inequity. Only the rich and powerful have access to the silver. The Hermes Society, made up of scholars who have left Babel, work to balance the scales and stop imperial expansion.
R. F. Kuang is a translator and scholar. She pours all of her knowledge about words and their meanings into this book in a way that doesn't seem dry like a text book. Kuang keeps you hooked even though the book is a long read. She brings in the history of British and Chinese relations especially the Opium Wars. The novel touches on race relations and slavery. So much is covered in this novel it's hard to write about it all. I recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in language, British and Chinese history, imperialism, and the history of slavery.
