Home
by Mailynne Robinson
325 pages
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2008
I was kind of disappointed with Home, the follow-up novel to Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer-winning Gilead. Gilead happens to be my favorite book, so I suppose just about anything after that is going to be downhill somewhat, but I felt like this book was missing a lot of the charm that the first one held, and a lot of that was because of the shift in protagonists.
Now, before I continue I have to say that this book was very well-received by critics, so it's most likely a case of it not being to my specific taste. I can tell that the prose is, again, beautiful, and the characters endearing in their own tragic ways, but the overall effect was overwhelmingly melancholy to me for the most part, and I generally put the book down feeling worse than when I'd started reading. Which is fine sometimes, but I kept hoping for a more hopeful bent like Gilead often offered, only to find the hope in Home was usually shot to pieces pretty quickly.
Home follows the day-to-day existence of Glory Bouhgton, a minor character from Gilead, and her brother Jack, a fairly major character from the earlier book. It takes place concurrently with Robinson's earlier novel and occasionally crosses over, covering or referring to scenes from the other book. Glory and Jack are caring for their aged father, the Reverent Robert Boughton, who is in his last days, in their childhood home of Gilead, Iowa. The house is empty and depressing, and Glory's life has led to a pretty significant amount of disappointment and disappointment. Jack, the family's black sheep, arrives at home, and it is the first anyone in the family has seen or heard from him in twenty years. And while the first part of the book is somewhat slow-moving, I actually really liked about the first sixty to seventy percent of the book. There are some great scenes and a lot of genuinely touching moments. (I'll say that it helped a lot to have Gilead in the back of my mind throughout; without that foundation, I would likely not have made it through the early stages of this book) After a while, though, it seemed (to me) like things sort of screeched to a halt, and I felt the story was just going around in fairly dismal circles until it came to the end. By the time things wound up, I was pretty much ready for everyone to move on, and I felt the book ended with a resounding, "Eh."
Again, it's probably because I loved the first book so much, and while I wasn't looking for a copy of Gilead I found the more consistently somber tone of Home a bit of a downer. The book is at its strongest in the relationship between Glory and Jack and (when they occur) the scenes between Jack and the Ames family. I also thought it really handled Jack's crisis of faith (and Glory's, to a lesser extent) extremely well. Essentially, Jack seems to be an agnostic who really wishes he could believe in God, and it leads to some great dialogue and even better ideological food for thought. (The porch discussion with the Ames' about predestination, a small moment in Gilead, is a magnificent scene here) Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of wonderful moments throughout this book. In the end, however, it just left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.
Duma Key
by Stephen King
611 pages
Scribner, New York, 2008
Stephen King is the master of making you either forget or not care that the premise of the entire novel makes absolutely no sense. Such is the case with Duma Key. (And The Talisman. And The Dead Zone. And many elements of the Dark Tower series. And others, I'm sure!) I liked Duma Key a lot. And I acknowledge that, when you sit down and explain the whole story, front to back, it sounds kind of stupid. But that's why you read the novel and not a silly synopsis.
Duma Key is a thriller, summer blockbuster style. In a way, it's a variation on the age-old haunted house theme. It's got some very Stephen King-y moments (like the anger management dolls, sudden horrific apparitions, everyday objects that are for some reason suddenly terrifying), so if you just don't like his other books, you won't like this one. In a lot of ways, though, it feels different from the other King books I've read. For one thing, it's written in first person, and you'd be surprised how much of a difference that makes. For another, it doesn't start out trying to creep you out with supernatural hoodoo. (Unexpected: hoodoo is a-ok with the spell checker) Yeah, pretty crazy and supernatural things are happening to the guy, and there's some foraying into the Ominous, but while you know eventually everything will go wrong, it really does look like things are going pretty well for this guy...
AND THEN EVIL HAPPENS!!!
Seriously, though, when this story turns on its head, it really turns quickly and completely. And it's a change from a lot of other King I've read, where things start out creepy and dark and evil and then they pretty much stay that way.
My friend who recommended this one said it's one of King's better novels, and from what I've read I'd definitely agree. It's also the first book I've read that got me sorta creeped out. I actually hesitated before flipping on a light switch in a pitch-black room after reading a few chapters one night, and that doesn't usually happen to me.
******
Now, of these two, Home is obviously the better book. But Duma Key left me the most satisfied of the two. Then again, I've always suspected I have bad taste.
I'm currently reading a John Piper book, and after that it's the Month of Christmas Books! I didn't get too many suggestions, so I just did a quick catalog search for "Christmas" in the Houston Public Library. I've got a western, a romantic comedy, a murder mystery, a heartwarming tale, and something with no description whatsoever on the way. I'm excited. Let's have some Christmas, folks!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Always Playing Catch-Up
But, what ya gonna do? Aside from, you know, "stay on top of things," that is. Because that is clearly not an option.
I was pretty excited about Scary Book Month for October. I even started with Stephen King and Peter Straub. Got just over 350 pages into it and then...I lost it. Which is awesome, because it's a borrowed copy. I set it aside to take with my to my church leaders' conference (which is all kinds of funny in and of itself) and then I just couldn't find it again. After four days of not reading The Talisman, I realized I didn't really miss it much and wasn't too concerned about what was going to happen next. This, despite the fact that the last line in the book that I had read was, "And then all hell broke loose." So maybe I'll finish that one one day. Probably not anytime too soon, though. I mean, it wasn't bad, but I just never really got into it. I didn't particularly care for the boy or his mom, I found the fantasy world-jumping to be a little tedious, and while I was a little bit interested in the story about the boy's father, it wasn't enough to keep me plodding through the random episodes involving evil trees or donkey-faced mutants or abusive bar owners. The book just never really felt like it was going anywhere, and when there are over 700 pages to read I like to be fairly certain nearly halfway in that I'm going to enjoy the rest of the journey.
Since I lost Talisman, I bought a book at the airport book store to keep me company on the flight to Chicago. At the conference, I picked up a few book titles I wanted to check out, and eventually Scary Book Month was dead before October 10th. I guess this doesn't bode too well for Christmas Book Month, but I do love a good theme so I'll give it a go anyway.
As for the books I actually have finished lately:
Pirate Latitudes
by Michael Crichton
384 pages
Harper Collins, 2009
Did you know that Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park, Congo, Timeline, and lots of other things that turned into action movies) wrote a pirate adventure novel right before he died? And that they found the completed manuscript in his desk drawer when they were going through his things?
Sound a tad sketchy? Yeah, but no big deal. Bottom line, we got a pirate novel from Michael Crichton. It's exciting, the characters are good, and the thing moves along at a good steady clip. You have all of your pirate story cliches, including a sea monster battle, but nothing ever feels too forced. It's more coherent than certain largely-successful Hollywood pirate stories, that's for sure. I will say I wasn't too crazy about the last portion of the story. It kind of goes from being an adventure story on the high seas to a gruesome revenge plot, and parts of this last storyline seem really forced or just unnecessary. Okay, fine, I'll just say it: (SPOILERS)
When the guy hits his pregnant wife and then forces his best friend to have sex with her while he watches, and the other guy agrees....no, sorry. Totally unnecessary, doesn't advance the characters at all, we've already had plenty of evidence that he's an evil jerk--for no apparent reason, by the way--this did NOT need to be included. Also, since I'm spoiling, the entire town's sudden shift to this suddenly power-mad secretary from earlier in the book is kind of ridiculous. So yeah, the book could have ended with them coming home, or at least the ending could have been thought out quite a bit better.
(END OF SPOILERS)
On the whole, this book served its purpose. It was entertaining, it was about pirates, it was a quick read, and it passed some time. So, good on 'ya one last time, Michael Crichton.
Is Belief in God Good, Bad, or Irrelevant?: A Professor and a Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism, and Christianity
by Preston James and Greg Claflin
165 pages
InterVarsity Press, 2006
This is one of those "a Christian and an atheist have a debate" books, though "debate" is not really the right word because it never feels like either is trying to "win." Rather, both the Christian James and the Naturalist Claflin (lead singer of Bad Religion) use their email exchange to clarify their own positions while getting a clearer picture of the other's stance. While the tone is very respectful throughout, both men stick to their guns throughout the discussion. The exchange is very natural and realistic because it appears to be presented without an ulterior motive despite the fact that the book is published by a Christian publisher. (That said, the final email in the book is from James, and was one of his stronger entries. We never see how Claflin replied. Then again, since the book wasn't really designed to come to a neat and tidy conclusion, it did have to end somewhere, and one can surmise this was the point where the discussion began to become a bit repetitive) Both Claflin and James approved the the book (though there's no direct comment from Claflin about the book itself within its covers) and both sides end the discussion in pretty much the same place they began it.
The back-and-forth is quite engaging. I read the book in about a day. And I appreciated that it didn't become the typical Christian apologetics book where the atheist comes up with the same stock arguments that are easily shot down by the wise believer. In fact, James gets flat out beaten on certain points at times, and this book makes no pretense about it. James also comments that his dialogue with Claflin forced him to think more critically about his faith than many of his doctorate-level classes. And therein, I think, is the value in a book like this. Claflin presents some legitimate heavyweight arguments against not just Christianity, but faith in general. Again, he's not seeking a fight with James or anybody else, but he's very certain of his beliefs and he articulates those beliefs well. Similarly, James knows his stuff and never gives the cliche Christian responses that so often leave non-believers frustrated with these discussions. Both sides end up conceding on points, and it's honestly a lot of fun to "listen in" on the discussion. Ultimately, however, if you're looking for a payoff, you're not going to get one here. You'll get a lot of book recommendations, but the discussion just suddenly stops, and then the book is over. You get a footnote that the two continue to keep in tough and are at a friendly standstill, but as for this book itself, it just feels like it cuts off in the middle of a question. Which isn't a diss on the book, just a warning to anybody who goes in expecting any sort of conclusion :-)
Ordering Your Private World
by Gordon MacDonald
181 pages
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985
I don't have a whole lot to say about this book. It was recommended at the ministry conference I was attending for folks who feel like they have trouble balancing everything in their lives. Well, that's-a me! This book was pretty good, but most of what it has to say isn't really a new concept to me. It did give some good tips on prayer journaling, time management, and that sort of thing, and it does a great job of identifying the symptoms of what an unhealthy life looks like (hint; mine. Actually, a lot of folks I know and love, too). It wasn't really earth-shattering, though. I'd like to find an old copy for sale sometime because there are lots of great quotes to underline and keep at the front of my mind. Also, I did take away a few things I want to start practicing in my own life. So it's a good book. Just not one that leaves you with a lot to say.
Oh, although this was really frustrating: he talked about keeping a Sabbath, and actually keeping it as an actual holy day. He mentions he and his wife protecting one day a week to use as a day of spiritual retreat, and then he goes on about all the many things they do, together and alone, during their Lord's day. And I'm thinking, "That's awesome, but what do you do when you have young children who are in constant need of your attention and supervision?" And toward the end of that chapter, he writes (paraphrase, but an accurate paraphrase), "Obviously, when our children were younger and required more of our direct attention, this sort of routine would not have been possible."
Fan-freaking-tastic. So, Kim and I can start having positive, refreshing periods of rest and contemplation...in about twelve years. Yeah, I actually got really frustrated when I read that, because there seemed to be no suggestion for what to do if you do have little ones hanging off you most of the time.
That's my only gripe with this book, though. The book itself was a lot more than the 181 pages I listed, but the last 1/3 of it was study guide, and since it was an ILL request and due back at the library I just sorta skipped the study guide. Don't have enough time in your life to read a book about ordering your life AND handle the study questions? Might be part of the problem.
****
Anyway, I'm just about done with Home, the sorta-sequel to my favorite book, Gilead, and then I've got another King book from the library (hopefully a bit more focused than Talisman was), and then I plan to do a month of Christmas-related books.
Suggestions?
I was pretty excited about Scary Book Month for October. I even started with Stephen King and Peter Straub. Got just over 350 pages into it and then...I lost it. Which is awesome, because it's a borrowed copy. I set it aside to take with my to my church leaders' conference (which is all kinds of funny in and of itself) and then I just couldn't find it again. After four days of not reading The Talisman, I realized I didn't really miss it much and wasn't too concerned about what was going to happen next. This, despite the fact that the last line in the book that I had read was, "And then all hell broke loose." So maybe I'll finish that one one day. Probably not anytime too soon, though. I mean, it wasn't bad, but I just never really got into it. I didn't particularly care for the boy or his mom, I found the fantasy world-jumping to be a little tedious, and while I was a little bit interested in the story about the boy's father, it wasn't enough to keep me plodding through the random episodes involving evil trees or donkey-faced mutants or abusive bar owners. The book just never really felt like it was going anywhere, and when there are over 700 pages to read I like to be fairly certain nearly halfway in that I'm going to enjoy the rest of the journey.
Since I lost Talisman, I bought a book at the airport book store to keep me company on the flight to Chicago. At the conference, I picked up a few book titles I wanted to check out, and eventually Scary Book Month was dead before October 10th. I guess this doesn't bode too well for Christmas Book Month, but I do love a good theme so I'll give it a go anyway.
As for the books I actually have finished lately:
Pirate Latitudes
by Michael Crichton
384 pages
Harper Collins, 2009
Did you know that Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park, Congo, Timeline, and lots of other things that turned into action movies) wrote a pirate adventure novel right before he died? And that they found the completed manuscript in his desk drawer when they were going through his things?
Sound a tad sketchy? Yeah, but no big deal. Bottom line, we got a pirate novel from Michael Crichton. It's exciting, the characters are good, and the thing moves along at a good steady clip. You have all of your pirate story cliches, including a sea monster battle, but nothing ever feels too forced. It's more coherent than certain largely-successful Hollywood pirate stories, that's for sure. I will say I wasn't too crazy about the last portion of the story. It kind of goes from being an adventure story on the high seas to a gruesome revenge plot, and parts of this last storyline seem really forced or just unnecessary. Okay, fine, I'll just say it: (SPOILERS)
When the guy hits his pregnant wife and then forces his best friend to have sex with her while he watches, and the other guy agrees....no, sorry. Totally unnecessary, doesn't advance the characters at all, we've already had plenty of evidence that he's an evil jerk--for no apparent reason, by the way--this did NOT need to be included. Also, since I'm spoiling, the entire town's sudden shift to this suddenly power-mad secretary from earlier in the book is kind of ridiculous. So yeah, the book could have ended with them coming home, or at least the ending could have been thought out quite a bit better.
(END OF SPOILERS)
On the whole, this book served its purpose. It was entertaining, it was about pirates, it was a quick read, and it passed some time. So, good on 'ya one last time, Michael Crichton.
Is Belief in God Good, Bad, or Irrelevant?: A Professor and a Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism, and Christianity
by Preston James and Greg Claflin
165 pages
InterVarsity Press, 2006
This is one of those "a Christian and an atheist have a debate" books, though "debate" is not really the right word because it never feels like either is trying to "win." Rather, both the Christian James and the Naturalist Claflin (lead singer of Bad Religion) use their email exchange to clarify their own positions while getting a clearer picture of the other's stance. While the tone is very respectful throughout, both men stick to their guns throughout the discussion. The exchange is very natural and realistic because it appears to be presented without an ulterior motive despite the fact that the book is published by a Christian publisher. (That said, the final email in the book is from James, and was one of his stronger entries. We never see how Claflin replied. Then again, since the book wasn't really designed to come to a neat and tidy conclusion, it did have to end somewhere, and one can surmise this was the point where the discussion began to become a bit repetitive) Both Claflin and James approved the the book (though there's no direct comment from Claflin about the book itself within its covers) and both sides end the discussion in pretty much the same place they began it.
The back-and-forth is quite engaging. I read the book in about a day. And I appreciated that it didn't become the typical Christian apologetics book where the atheist comes up with the same stock arguments that are easily shot down by the wise believer. In fact, James gets flat out beaten on certain points at times, and this book makes no pretense about it. James also comments that his dialogue with Claflin forced him to think more critically about his faith than many of his doctorate-level classes. And therein, I think, is the value in a book like this. Claflin presents some legitimate heavyweight arguments against not just Christianity, but faith in general. Again, he's not seeking a fight with James or anybody else, but he's very certain of his beliefs and he articulates those beliefs well. Similarly, James knows his stuff and never gives the cliche Christian responses that so often leave non-believers frustrated with these discussions. Both sides end up conceding on points, and it's honestly a lot of fun to "listen in" on the discussion. Ultimately, however, if you're looking for a payoff, you're not going to get one here. You'll get a lot of book recommendations, but the discussion just suddenly stops, and then the book is over. You get a footnote that the two continue to keep in tough and are at a friendly standstill, but as for this book itself, it just feels like it cuts off in the middle of a question. Which isn't a diss on the book, just a warning to anybody who goes in expecting any sort of conclusion :-)
Ordering Your Private World
by Gordon MacDonald
181 pages
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985
I don't have a whole lot to say about this book. It was recommended at the ministry conference I was attending for folks who feel like they have trouble balancing everything in their lives. Well, that's-a me! This book was pretty good, but most of what it has to say isn't really a new concept to me. It did give some good tips on prayer journaling, time management, and that sort of thing, and it does a great job of identifying the symptoms of what an unhealthy life looks like (hint; mine. Actually, a lot of folks I know and love, too). It wasn't really earth-shattering, though. I'd like to find an old copy for sale sometime because there are lots of great quotes to underline and keep at the front of my mind. Also, I did take away a few things I want to start practicing in my own life. So it's a good book. Just not one that leaves you with a lot to say.
Oh, although this was really frustrating: he talked about keeping a Sabbath, and actually keeping it as an actual holy day. He mentions he and his wife protecting one day a week to use as a day of spiritual retreat, and then he goes on about all the many things they do, together and alone, during their Lord's day. And I'm thinking, "That's awesome, but what do you do when you have young children who are in constant need of your attention and supervision?" And toward the end of that chapter, he writes (paraphrase, but an accurate paraphrase), "Obviously, when our children were younger and required more of our direct attention, this sort of routine would not have been possible."
Fan-freaking-tastic. So, Kim and I can start having positive, refreshing periods of rest and contemplation...in about twelve years. Yeah, I actually got really frustrated when I read that, because there seemed to be no suggestion for what to do if you do have little ones hanging off you most of the time.
That's my only gripe with this book, though. The book itself was a lot more than the 181 pages I listed, but the last 1/3 of it was study guide, and since it was an ILL request and due back at the library I just sorta skipped the study guide. Don't have enough time in your life to read a book about ordering your life AND handle the study questions? Might be part of the problem.
****
Anyway, I'm just about done with Home, the sorta-sequel to my favorite book, Gilead, and then I've got another King book from the library (hopefully a bit more focused than Talisman was), and then I plan to do a month of Christmas-related books.
Suggestions?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Moving week capsules
Two quick reviews of books that probably deserve longer reviews.
The Rangers Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan
by John Flanagan
Puffin Books, 2005
249 pages
This is a newish YA fantasy series my wife has been telling me to check out for a couple of years, so I finally picked it up while I was waiting for my other book to come in at the library. (I think she's read the first few books of the series three times in the last two years. So far, we own the first six) It's a good start to a promising series. It felt to me like it took a little bit of time to get into it, but then again I know how tough it is trying to get a story started when you're dealing with fantasy, history, mythology, etc. It's pretty much your standard mentor/protege story with some very cool action sequences. "The Ruins of Gorlan" was an unfortunate title choice, however, as the ruins aren't even mentioned until the book is practically over, and then they're just the place where the climactic battle happens.
Then again, I know that titles can be tough, too. As I've noted before, you don't really need a snappy title if it's a part of a series. Nobody really refers to this as The Ruins of Gorlan; it's generally just going to be "the first Ranger's Apprentice book."
Mistborn: The Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson
Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 2006
537 pages
All of my fantasy-reading acquaintances have been raving about Brandon Sanderson and, I've got to admit, up to this point I've been a little disappointed. I mean, I always enjoy his stories, but I've never really been awed by them. They're good, but I didn't see why the man was so unanimously anointed the Next Big Thing.
Now, I've finally read the first in his Mistborn trilogy. Finally, I'm starting to get the picture.
The Final Empire avoids every criticism I've had for the other two books I've read by this author, Elantris and The Way of Kings. It's interesting from the start, and the narrative is clearly focused throughout. Because there are fewer storylines, they're much tighter, and it's easy to see how they fit into the thrust of the action very early on. The narrative doesn't bother reminding us of individual character traits at every opportunity (earlier books went out of their way to tell us how witty and clever certain characters were or how pious and confident others were rather than letting the characters' words and actions do it for us). The characters were believable, three-dimensional, and sympathetic. Really, I don't have anything bad to say about this book except for the very minor critique that it occasionally feels like you're reading a tutorial on Allomancy. (Which is basically what the protagonist is doing in those moments, but it can get just a little tedious.
Fortunately, Allomancy is really cool. I want to see this story turned into an Xbox game. It would be sort of like MegaMan meets Prince of Persia meets a SquareSoft game. All of the characters are just about perfect. The plot twists are surprising and effective, the threat is significant, and (with the exception of a couple moments near the end) Sanderson doesn't rely on any deus ex machina-style conventions to bring the story to an electrifying conclusion. The modern-sounding dialogue may throw some picky fantasy purists, but I liked it for the most part.
I can't wait to revisit this world with the other books in this series. It's a book I'd recommend to anybody interested in fantasy/adventure stories.
**********************
Well, October is nearly upon us, and in honor of Halloween I'm going to designate October as Scary Books Month. I've opened up The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and if I get through that before the month is out (let's hope I can manage that!), I'll flip through the classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Other suggestions for good monster stories?
The Rangers Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan
by John Flanagan
Puffin Books, 2005
249 pages
This is a newish YA fantasy series my wife has been telling me to check out for a couple of years, so I finally picked it up while I was waiting for my other book to come in at the library. (I think she's read the first few books of the series three times in the last two years. So far, we own the first six) It's a good start to a promising series. It felt to me like it took a little bit of time to get into it, but then again I know how tough it is trying to get a story started when you're dealing with fantasy, history, mythology, etc. It's pretty much your standard mentor/protege story with some very cool action sequences. "The Ruins of Gorlan" was an unfortunate title choice, however, as the ruins aren't even mentioned until the book is practically over, and then they're just the place where the climactic battle happens.
Then again, I know that titles can be tough, too. As I've noted before, you don't really need a snappy title if it's a part of a series. Nobody really refers to this as The Ruins of Gorlan; it's generally just going to be "the first Ranger's Apprentice book."
Mistborn: The Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson
Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 2006
537 pages
All of my fantasy-reading acquaintances have been raving about Brandon Sanderson and, I've got to admit, up to this point I've been a little disappointed. I mean, I always enjoy his stories, but I've never really been awed by them. They're good, but I didn't see why the man was so unanimously anointed the Next Big Thing.
Now, I've finally read the first in his Mistborn trilogy. Finally, I'm starting to get the picture.
The Final Empire avoids every criticism I've had for the other two books I've read by this author, Elantris and The Way of Kings. It's interesting from the start, and the narrative is clearly focused throughout. Because there are fewer storylines, they're much tighter, and it's easy to see how they fit into the thrust of the action very early on. The narrative doesn't bother reminding us of individual character traits at every opportunity (earlier books went out of their way to tell us how witty and clever certain characters were or how pious and confident others were rather than letting the characters' words and actions do it for us). The characters were believable, three-dimensional, and sympathetic. Really, I don't have anything bad to say about this book except for the very minor critique that it occasionally feels like you're reading a tutorial on Allomancy. (Which is basically what the protagonist is doing in those moments, but it can get just a little tedious.
Fortunately, Allomancy is really cool. I want to see this story turned into an Xbox game. It would be sort of like MegaMan meets Prince of Persia meets a SquareSoft game. All of the characters are just about perfect. The plot twists are surprising and effective, the threat is significant, and (with the exception of a couple moments near the end) Sanderson doesn't rely on any deus ex machina-style conventions to bring the story to an electrifying conclusion. The modern-sounding dialogue may throw some picky fantasy purists, but I liked it for the most part.
I can't wait to revisit this world with the other books in this series. It's a book I'd recommend to anybody interested in fantasy/adventure stories.
**********************
Well, October is nearly upon us, and in honor of Halloween I'm going to designate October as Scary Books Month. I've opened up The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and if I get through that before the month is out (let's hope I can manage that!), I'll flip through the classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Other suggestions for good monster stories?
Friday, September 16, 2011
End of Summer. Eventually.
And, the weather is finally marginally cooler. Now we're only hovering in the mid-to-upper 90's. Awesome.
These write-ups will probably be kind of short, partially because there's not much to say about the first two and partially because Isaac's going to wake up soon.
The Sword Thief
by Peter Lerangis
160 pages
Scholastic, 2009
What's the first thing I read after finishing a summer's worth of YA novels? More YA novels! Actually, I was reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but in the time it took me to finish that I got through a couple of kids books. Cause, you know, they're short.
This is the third book in the 39 Clues series. It offered some neat character growth for a few of the many characters in the book and some interesting tidbit about a historical figure I'd never heard of before (these books are great for that, by the way), but the adventure itself was kind of lackluster. I spent most of the book thinking I'd probably drop this series after this one, but the ending was pretty good and I'll admit I'm still intrigued, so I'll probably pick up the next one at some point. Oh, and worth noting, this book was worlds better than book #2 was.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
224 pages
Amulet Books, 2009
Now this is a series I may be done with. The first book was hilarious, clever from cover to cover. Highly recommended. The second suffered from sequel-itis. The ideas weren't as fresh, many of the jokes weren't as clever, the overall story wasn't as strong. This book definitely suffered from three-quel-itis. Now, obviously, I'm not DOAWK's target audience, and the kids at my church tell me the second and third books are where the series starts to get funny. Go figure.
Here's my recommendation: next time you go to the library, pick up this book. Read until you get to the end of the section about the kid writing his own children's book. It won't take you too long, and it's incredibly funny. Then put the book back down on your shelf and take the first Diary home with you.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
505 pages
Harper Perennial (Modern Classics) 2001 (orig. copyright 1943)
Ah, grown-up fiction at last. (And, note, not a fantasy nor an adventure story, either! Way to branch out, me!) This book was so good, I kind of don't know what to say about it. There's a reason a classic is a classic. While the book is about a girl growing into womanhood, it's such a well-written, warm, relateable book that I never felt turned off by the fact that it's basically the origin of ChickLit. It's a story of a family struggling in a small neighborhood in Brooklyn (where a tree grows, both literally and metaphorically). What happens? The usual things that happen. Birth, death, poverty, first jobs, first kisses, crazy neighbors, outings gone horribly wrong, new schools, holidays. There's nothing out of the ordinary in the story. It's just a great story. It's a downer at points, but it's not depressing. It's about the survival and not the obstacles. Francie's family sort of takes the underdog role for most of the book, and it's easy to pull for each of them. I read this book because a good friend mentioned she'd read it something like six times, and I can see how the re-read value would be high. A high schooler reading this book will get an entirely different story than a college grad, or a new parent, or a grandmother, et cetera.
Now, it took me a while to get through, but not because it was a "tough read." It was actually a really easy read. However, the episodic structure of the story meant that most chapters wrapped up nicely. There weren't many cliffhangers, so I was never itching to get back because I just had to know what happened next. And with the way my life's been running lately, let's just say things like recreational reading have easily been dropped to the wayside for days at a time. Nevertheless, phenomenal book. Pretty highly recommended.
These write-ups will probably be kind of short, partially because there's not much to say about the first two and partially because Isaac's going to wake up soon.
The Sword Thief
by Peter Lerangis
160 pages
Scholastic, 2009
What's the first thing I read after finishing a summer's worth of YA novels? More YA novels! Actually, I was reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but in the time it took me to finish that I got through a couple of kids books. Cause, you know, they're short.
This is the third book in the 39 Clues series. It offered some neat character growth for a few of the many characters in the book and some interesting tidbit about a historical figure I'd never heard of before (these books are great for that, by the way), but the adventure itself was kind of lackluster. I spent most of the book thinking I'd probably drop this series after this one, but the ending was pretty good and I'll admit I'm still intrigued, so I'll probably pick up the next one at some point. Oh, and worth noting, this book was worlds better than book #2 was.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
224 pages
Amulet Books, 2009
Now this is a series I may be done with. The first book was hilarious, clever from cover to cover. Highly recommended. The second suffered from sequel-itis. The ideas weren't as fresh, many of the jokes weren't as clever, the overall story wasn't as strong. This book definitely suffered from three-quel-itis. Now, obviously, I'm not DOAWK's target audience, and the kids at my church tell me the second and third books are where the series starts to get funny. Go figure.
Here's my recommendation: next time you go to the library, pick up this book. Read until you get to the end of the section about the kid writing his own children's book. It won't take you too long, and it's incredibly funny. Then put the book back down on your shelf and take the first Diary home with you.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
505 pages
Harper Perennial (Modern Classics) 2001 (orig. copyright 1943)
Ah, grown-up fiction at last. (And, note, not a fantasy nor an adventure story, either! Way to branch out, me!) This book was so good, I kind of don't know what to say about it. There's a reason a classic is a classic. While the book is about a girl growing into womanhood, it's such a well-written, warm, relateable book that I never felt turned off by the fact that it's basically the origin of ChickLit. It's a story of a family struggling in a small neighborhood in Brooklyn (where a tree grows, both literally and metaphorically). What happens? The usual things that happen. Birth, death, poverty, first jobs, first kisses, crazy neighbors, outings gone horribly wrong, new schools, holidays. There's nothing out of the ordinary in the story. It's just a great story. It's a downer at points, but it's not depressing. It's about the survival and not the obstacles. Francie's family sort of takes the underdog role for most of the book, and it's easy to pull for each of them. I read this book because a good friend mentioned she'd read it something like six times, and I can see how the re-read value would be high. A high schooler reading this book will get an entirely different story than a college grad, or a new parent, or a grandmother, et cetera.
Now, it took me a while to get through, but not because it was a "tough read." It was actually a really easy read. However, the episodic structure of the story meant that most chapters wrapped up nicely. There weren't many cliffhangers, so I was never itching to get back because I just had to know what happened next. And with the way my life's been running lately, let's just say things like recreational reading have easily been dropped to the wayside for days at a time. Nevertheless, phenomenal book. Pretty highly recommended.
Friday, August 19, 2011
The End of the Summer of YA
Technically, I have one more graphic novel to read before Sunday, but I've read it before and it'll take me maybe half an hour, so I'm going to call this reading challenge over. I win.
The One Left Behind
by Willo Davis Roberts
139 pages
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
This is a book about an 11-year-old girl who lost her twin sister to a sudden and fatal case of food poisoning about a year ago. The first third of the book is about Mandy dealing with grief and loneliness over the death of her sister. Then it suddenly becomes about a boy who she meets who is trying to escape some kidnappers with his two-year-old brother. Mandy's family is out of town, so it's all up to her to help the boy find help. (This story, by the way, feels completely separate from the earlier story about the girl whose twin died) The first story is interesting, but depressing, and it never really goes anywhere. The second story is a little dumb and repetitive. (For two and a half pages, the two characters continue the argument, "You should go to the police." "No! The police will trust the grown-ups! I can't go to them." "Okay, but you should go to the police." "But they won't trust me! I can't!" "Then you should go to the police.") The novel ends as abruptly as it shifted mid-narrative, then suddenly ties it all together with "Oh, and she realized she would be okay without her sister." (paraphrase) It's all kind of bizarre. The flap on the back says this would have been the author's one hundredth book for children, so I'm assuming she died while writing it. (Or he. I'm not sure whether "Willo" is a male or female name) That may explain some of the haphazardness. I don't know. It was just a little hard for me to get into.
A Wrinkle In Time
by Madeline L'Engle
203 pages
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, New York, 1962
The first time I read this book (about 5 years ago) I didn't really like it very much. I liked the ideas, but I didn't like the book. Now that I've gone through it again, I can't imagine why I didn't like it the first time through. This is a wonderful book, and I was a jerk for not liking it.
Actually, I think it was that I didn't like the way character relationships were handled the first time through. A lot of stuff just sorta happens, and even the characters themselves admit they can't figure out why they feel or react the way they do at times. It's just a feeling they get. I think that bugged me quite a bit last time. This time, I was fine with it. Go figure.
Anyway, if you haven't read this book you really ought to. It's kind of a sci fi/fantasy/geometry/spiritual adventure story. It does a good job of taking fairly difficult concepts and illustrating them in ways younger readers will be able to comprehend. And it's just really creative. It may be a little too "out there" or even a bit too philosophical for some, but I think it's a great book and I'd recommend it to anybody in the preteen age group and up.
Way Down Deep
by Ruth White
197 pages
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux 2007
Oh my gosh! It's the SAME PUBLISHING COMPANY that did the LAST book? HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN????
Ahem.
For only a hundred ninety-seven pages, this book had a lot of characters. And to be honest, I didn't actually keep all of them straight in my mind, because a lot of them show up at the beginning, disappear for most of the rest, and then show up again in the end. But that's okay. They really aren't necessary to the story anyway. Each, however, has their own quirk, and each also has their own flaw. That's important.
This here's the story of Ruby June, a girl who suddenly turned up at the age of two on a doorstep in the town of Way Down somewhere in West Virginia in the 1940s...ish. (Sorry, details a little hazy and mostly irrelevant and I already took this one back to the library) Ruby grows up in the boarding house, and everybody loves her. (That's the prologue) One day, a man tries to rob the bank, but he's very bad at it. Turns out he's not a bank robber at all, but a poor man whose wife died and so he can't take care of his five (or four? again, details fuzzy and irrelevant anyway) kids. The good folks of Way Down let the man move his kids from Yonder Mountain, Virginia, and agree to help them out. Ruby makes friends with the older boy, Peter, and kinda takes, y'know, a liking to him (though that's mostly irrelevant, too), and she makes friends with a couple of the other kids and the eccentric old grandfather as well. They eventually realize that Ruby looks exactly like a two-year-old girl who disappeared from a family in Yonder Mountain at exactly the same time Ruby arrived in Way Down. Or rather, what that two-year-old girl would probably look like if she were now twelve. Which Ruby is. Ruby's uncle from Yonder Mountain is called down, and it's decided that Ruby needs to go back to her family at once (That's act one).
It turns out, Ruby's parents are dead (because this is a children's book) and her grandmother is a terrible, lonely old taskmaster. The only reason Ruby's uncle brought Ruby back was so that he wouldn't have to deal with the grandmother anymore. Ruby is terribly lonely, and the only solace she gets is reading the little scrawlings of writing her mother left on the walls when she was a child. Also, she tells grandma stories about everyone from back home. Meanwhile, the entire town of Way Down is sad that Ruby is gone. (Act two)
In the book's third act, the mystery of Ruby's coming to Way Down is finally solved--or rather, confessed--in a rather dramatic fashion. (Ultimately, this too isn't really all that relevant) Ruby runs away, and grandma chases her down and declares passionately that she wants to move with Ruby to Way Down and learn to be a better person. Meanwhile, all the many characters have learned to overcome their initial flaws and insecurities thanks to Ruby's inspiration.
In all honesty, this was a pretty sweet little book. It wasn't the greatest story in the world, but it's not really trying to be. It's kind of a Pollyanna type, only Ruby doesn't have to go around trying as hard to be agreeable. She's just naturally sweet and smart, and it rubs off. It's easy to like this girl and to want her to win, even if you can tell where the story's headed at pretty much all times. (The only twists seem to come out of nowhere and--say it with me--don't really matter in the long run anyway) It's actually a book I could see getting adapted into a pretty good play due to its great characters and simple story. It's a book that's not pretentious, not particularly surprising, but it just designed to make the reader feel good. And I'm all for that.
The Door Within
by Wayne Thomas Batson
Tommy Nelson, Inc., 2005
316 pages
I incorrectly wrote the author's name as "Thomas Wayne Batson" in the last post. Surely you can understand my error.
I think I'm going to write a post at some point regarding allegorical fiction and why it so often fails as a storytelling device. This book is at its strongest when it's not trying to be symbolic. When it is trying to be symbolic...well, it often comes across as silly. Which is a shame, because the mythology Batson creates in this story is pretty interesting. I know I would have loved this book when I was ten or twelve, and I also know that this book is targeted at ten or twelve-year-old Christian kids, so I guess it's doing its job. It just seems it could have more effective if it could have been a bit subtler at times, particularly in the portions of the story that happen in the modern world. For that reason, I probably liked the two pirate books by this author better (the same kid in my class put all three of these books) even though epic fantasy is more my cup of tea.
The characters are fairly well developed, at least the ones we're supposed to like. I joked to my wife after reading the last two books that, unlike many Christian kids authors, Batson isn't afraid to kill characters...as long as they're not main characters, that is. If you ever find yourself in aThomas Wayne Batson Wayne Thomas Batson story, you'd better hope you get a lot of page-time or else you're a goner at the moment the story needs a dramatic twist. That said, he does buck the trend here, and while the book starts slow and then ambles along fairly predictably for much of the narrative, the final quarter of the book has some legitimately satisfying twists and surprises. And while you have to buy into some "Wait, really?" moments to make it all work out in the end, well, just deal with it. Writing epic fantasy is hard, okay??
Overall, I enjoyed the book, despite some eye-rolling moments and some awkward narrative. I believe this was Batson's first published novel, and having read the two Isle stories I can say he has definitely improved. He certainly doesn't fall into the stale mold many place most Christian YA authors into, and that's a great relief. He writes some great adventures, and while this isn't his strongest work it definitely has the seeds of great adventure throughout its pages.
And now, I am DONE reading YA books for a little while. What's up next? Well, here's my short list:
Mistborn: The Final Empire
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Les Miserables
Carter Beats the Devil
The Talisman
Frankenstein
Inkheart
The Fires of Heaven
I may switch around the order a bit, but that ought to get me to the Christmas season.
The One Left Behind
by Willo Davis Roberts
139 pages
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
This is a book about an 11-year-old girl who lost her twin sister to a sudden and fatal case of food poisoning about a year ago. The first third of the book is about Mandy dealing with grief and loneliness over the death of her sister. Then it suddenly becomes about a boy who she meets who is trying to escape some kidnappers with his two-year-old brother. Mandy's family is out of town, so it's all up to her to help the boy find help. (This story, by the way, feels completely separate from the earlier story about the girl whose twin died) The first story is interesting, but depressing, and it never really goes anywhere. The second story is a little dumb and repetitive. (For two and a half pages, the two characters continue the argument, "You should go to the police." "No! The police will trust the grown-ups! I can't go to them." "Okay, but you should go to the police." "But they won't trust me! I can't!" "Then you should go to the police.") The novel ends as abruptly as it shifted mid-narrative, then suddenly ties it all together with "Oh, and she realized she would be okay without her sister." (paraphrase) It's all kind of bizarre. The flap on the back says this would have been the author's one hundredth book for children, so I'm assuming she died while writing it. (Or he. I'm not sure whether "Willo" is a male or female name) That may explain some of the haphazardness. I don't know. It was just a little hard for me to get into.
A Wrinkle In Time
by Madeline L'Engle
203 pages
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, New York, 1962
The first time I read this book (about 5 years ago) I didn't really like it very much. I liked the ideas, but I didn't like the book. Now that I've gone through it again, I can't imagine why I didn't like it the first time through. This is a wonderful book, and I was a jerk for not liking it.
Actually, I think it was that I didn't like the way character relationships were handled the first time through. A lot of stuff just sorta happens, and even the characters themselves admit they can't figure out why they feel or react the way they do at times. It's just a feeling they get. I think that bugged me quite a bit last time. This time, I was fine with it. Go figure.
Anyway, if you haven't read this book you really ought to. It's kind of a sci fi/fantasy/geometry/spiritual adventure story. It does a good job of taking fairly difficult concepts and illustrating them in ways younger readers will be able to comprehend. And it's just really creative. It may be a little too "out there" or even a bit too philosophical for some, but I think it's a great book and I'd recommend it to anybody in the preteen age group and up.
Way Down Deep
by Ruth White
197 pages
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux 2007
Oh my gosh! It's the SAME PUBLISHING COMPANY that did the LAST book? HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN????
Ahem.
For only a hundred ninety-seven pages, this book had a lot of characters. And to be honest, I didn't actually keep all of them straight in my mind, because a lot of them show up at the beginning, disappear for most of the rest, and then show up again in the end. But that's okay. They really aren't necessary to the story anyway. Each, however, has their own quirk, and each also has their own flaw. That's important.
This here's the story of Ruby June, a girl who suddenly turned up at the age of two on a doorstep in the town of Way Down somewhere in West Virginia in the 1940s...ish. (Sorry, details a little hazy and mostly irrelevant and I already took this one back to the library) Ruby grows up in the boarding house, and everybody loves her. (That's the prologue) One day, a man tries to rob the bank, but he's very bad at it. Turns out he's not a bank robber at all, but a poor man whose wife died and so he can't take care of his five (or four? again, details fuzzy and irrelevant anyway) kids. The good folks of Way Down let the man move his kids from Yonder Mountain, Virginia, and agree to help them out. Ruby makes friends with the older boy, Peter, and kinda takes, y'know, a liking to him (though that's mostly irrelevant, too), and she makes friends with a couple of the other kids and the eccentric old grandfather as well. They eventually realize that Ruby looks exactly like a two-year-old girl who disappeared from a family in Yonder Mountain at exactly the same time Ruby arrived in Way Down. Or rather, what that two-year-old girl would probably look like if she were now twelve. Which Ruby is. Ruby's uncle from Yonder Mountain is called down, and it's decided that Ruby needs to go back to her family at once (That's act one).
It turns out, Ruby's parents are dead (because this is a children's book) and her grandmother is a terrible, lonely old taskmaster. The only reason Ruby's uncle brought Ruby back was so that he wouldn't have to deal with the grandmother anymore. Ruby is terribly lonely, and the only solace she gets is reading the little scrawlings of writing her mother left on the walls when she was a child. Also, she tells grandma stories about everyone from back home. Meanwhile, the entire town of Way Down is sad that Ruby is gone. (Act two)
In the book's third act, the mystery of Ruby's coming to Way Down is finally solved--or rather, confessed--in a rather dramatic fashion. (Ultimately, this too isn't really all that relevant) Ruby runs away, and grandma chases her down and declares passionately that she wants to move with Ruby to Way Down and learn to be a better person. Meanwhile, all the many characters have learned to overcome their initial flaws and insecurities thanks to Ruby's inspiration.
In all honesty, this was a pretty sweet little book. It wasn't the greatest story in the world, but it's not really trying to be. It's kind of a Pollyanna type, only Ruby doesn't have to go around trying as hard to be agreeable. She's just naturally sweet and smart, and it rubs off. It's easy to like this girl and to want her to win, even if you can tell where the story's headed at pretty much all times. (The only twists seem to come out of nowhere and--say it with me--don't really matter in the long run anyway) It's actually a book I could see getting adapted into a pretty good play due to its great characters and simple story. It's a book that's not pretentious, not particularly surprising, but it just designed to make the reader feel good. And I'm all for that.
The Door Within
by Wayne Thomas Batson
Tommy Nelson, Inc., 2005
316 pages
I incorrectly wrote the author's name as "Thomas Wayne Batson" in the last post. Surely you can understand my error.
I think I'm going to write a post at some point regarding allegorical fiction and why it so often fails as a storytelling device. This book is at its strongest when it's not trying to be symbolic. When it is trying to be symbolic...well, it often comes across as silly. Which is a shame, because the mythology Batson creates in this story is pretty interesting. I know I would have loved this book when I was ten or twelve, and I also know that this book is targeted at ten or twelve-year-old Christian kids, so I guess it's doing its job. It just seems it could have more effective if it could have been a bit subtler at times, particularly in the portions of the story that happen in the modern world. For that reason, I probably liked the two pirate books by this author better (the same kid in my class put all three of these books) even though epic fantasy is more my cup of tea.
The characters are fairly well developed, at least the ones we're supposed to like. I joked to my wife after reading the last two books that, unlike many Christian kids authors, Batson isn't afraid to kill characters...as long as they're not main characters, that is. If you ever find yourself in a
Overall, I enjoyed the book, despite some eye-rolling moments and some awkward narrative. I believe this was Batson's first published novel, and having read the two Isle stories I can say he has definitely improved. He certainly doesn't fall into the stale mold many place most Christian YA authors into, and that's a great relief. He writes some great adventures, and while this isn't his strongest work it definitely has the seeds of great adventure throughout its pages.
And now, I am DONE reading YA books for a little while. What's up next? Well, here's my short list:
Mistborn: The Final Empire
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Les Miserables
Carter Beats the Devil
The Talisman
Frankenstein
Inkheart
The Fires of Heaven
I may switch around the order a bit, but that ought to get me to the Christmas season.
Monday, July 25, 2011
More "Summer of Young Adult Fiction"
Isle of Swords
Thomas Wayne Batson
344 pages
Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2007
I will admit that this book impressed me. Much as I loved Christian children's fantasy books in my youth, I've found a good many of them lacking in literary merit as I've grown older. Batson's book doesn't water down the story for the sake of the gospel, however. There's no praying for miraculous victory over demonic bad guys at any point in the book. The center of this story is a good man who has been forced into piracy for a living, a life he hopes his daughter may one day avoid (though it's the only thing she wants to do and she thinks he won't let her become a full-fledged crew member because he thinks she can't handle it), and a young man with amnesia and some wicked scars all over his body. The Captain Declan Ross (aforementioned good man/pirate) has befriended some monks whose monastery--neutral ground, by the pirates' code--is about to be sacked by the sickest evil pirate on the seas. The monks ask Ross to take one brother with them, the brother with a map to a great sacred treasure, and the rest of the book is a race between Ross's crew and the evil Bartholomew Thorne's ship to find the treasure on the Isle of Swords.
For the most part, this is a very good book. The characters are likeable. The story is always moving forward. The monk (obviously the Christian voice throughout the novel) is respectful and believable, and while he's always ready to teach or to reach out using scripture, he's not your stereotypical goodie two-shoes Christian you find in many similar stories. He's a human character with faults like all the others. Rather than relying on literal Deus ex machina devices, Batson tells a story of people going through conflict on their own with spiritual principles guiding them without forcing their hands. And here's the best part: it's an exciting story! The bad guy is wickedly evil. Some of his scenes are legitimately cringe-worthy. The protagonist's spiritual journey goes from full-on doubter to curious seeker. There's no forced, tied-up altar call anywhere in the book, and you can believe the subtle change and see the priest's influence on him throughout. There's lots of fun and a ton of action. I think Isle of Swords would stand up fairly well with most fans of YA adventure stories. Which leads us to...
The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion Books
377 pages
2005
I saw the movie made from this book last summer and just now got around to reading it. Completely different story. I know all adaptations have some changes, but trust me, these were different stories. I mean, okay, in each story, Percy is a son of Poseidon, he goes to a summer camp for kids with Greek deities for parents, and he, Grover, and Annabeth go on a quest to find Zeus' thunderbolt because somebody stole it from Olympus and the gods are going to start a war.
Similarities: over. (Okay, there are a couple of scenes from the book that made it into the final cut of the film, but not really that many)
I enjoyed the film. It made for a good summer popcorn flick. But the book is so much better. I know how cliche that is, but it's quite true. The characters have more depth and are therefore more interesting. The story is more intelligent. The surprises are more surprising. Riordan nails the character voice in the narrative (it's actually one of the book's strongest elements). Really, "visual effects" were the only thing that the movie did better than the book.
This is a really fun adventure story that admittedly isn't perfect, but is a quick read with some really entertaining scenes. Also a fun "who's who" introduction into Greek mythology for middle school readers.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Jeff Kinney
Amulet Books, New York, 2008
217
Here's a book that suffered bit from sequel-itis. The humor just wasn't as fresh or funny as the first time around (though the storyline where Greg's mom joins in his weekly Dungeons and Dragons type game is golden). Everything's still pretty amusing, and the illustrations are again a highlight, but it just didn't seem to have the comic brilliance of the first book.
Then again, I asked some kids about it, and they told me the series didn't really even get very funny until the second book. So maybe I'm just old.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1989
137 pages
This was one of my sister's favorite books back when it was relatively new, and it's good to see that it's still popular among kids over twenty years later. (Yikes!) All I really knew about this book growing up was that it was that girls seemed to love. That's still true, by the way. I posted on Facebook that I was reading it, and close to ten women chimed in with "I love/loved that book!" For just one hundred thirty-seven pages, this book really packs a wallop. There's great emotional depth. The protagonist of the story is a young girl named Annemarie. Annemarie lives in Denmark during the time of Nazi occupation. She and her family become involved in an operation to smuggle Jews out of the country into Sweden. Yeah, it's fairly heavy stuff. But you can't help but marvel at the bravery and pride of the folks who secretly defied the Nazis. An afterward explains how much of the book came straight from reality. More than a touching story about a girl and her best friend, it's a book that celebrates the "regular people" who fought back during the second world war. I don't want to sound like a publicity pamphlet or anything, but it was actually fairly inspiring.
Slob
Ellen Potter
Philomel Books, New York, 2009
199 pages
I didn't really like this book. I can't exactly pinpoint why without rambling, but basically the story was jumbled and confused, the themes were dealt with awkwardly, and the humor wasn't all that funny to me.
The Sea of Monsters
Rick Riordan
Hyperion Books for Children/Miramax Books, New York
2006
279 pages
More Percy Jackson adventures. There was a little less intrigue this time around but just as much adventure. Percy meets his cycloptic half brother and the two of them (along with Annabeth, because what's an adventure without a girl along?*) leave camp on an adventure to rescue Percy's buddy Grover who (for some reason) is about to be married to Polyphemus (of The Oddesey fame). Okay, so that part didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but the rest of the story was just solid fun. You got monsters, donuts, monsters eating donuts, centaurs, chariot races, cyclopes, Confederate zombies, and a host of other adventures that somehow manage to form a cohesive episodic quest narrative. The narrative voice is again a strong point, and while it's still clearly aimed at younger readers, there's enough innocent fun in each chapter to give just about any lover of adventure stories a good time.
Isle of Fire
Wayne Thomas Batson
338 pages
Thomas Nelson, 2008
This one wasn't quite as sharp as Isle of Swords was. The story went in too many different directions and tied together somewhat sloppily at the end. Everything seemed to happen very quickly. For example, fairly early in the story, the King accepts the testimony of the second-in-commend of one of his lead naval commanders (#2 is working for the Big Bad, of course) without any investigation or examination, and pretty much all of Parliament goes with it, despite the fact that the commodore in question has a strong reputation of sound judgment. This is needed to advance the story, but it just sorta seems to happen without any real reason. There are a few such instances where things seem rushed just to get to the next point. Also, there's a new main antagonist thrown into the mix, and while his storyline is good, it sort of stumbles back into the main narrative at the end and the New Big Bad (the Bigger Badder?) sort of bows out pretty unceremoniously. Ultimately, this is just a book that tried to do too much in too little time.
Now, that's not to say it was a bad book, because it wasn't. I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed each of the characters' continued arcs from the first book. The development was still realistic, and the faith element, while more prevalent due to the nature of Story #2, was treated realistically and sensitively. If you read and like the first book, I'd recommend reading this one to see how things wrap up. (I assume this is the last, anyway)
*Answer: a Tolkien adventure
Thomas Wayne Batson
344 pages
Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2007
I will admit that this book impressed me. Much as I loved Christian children's fantasy books in my youth, I've found a good many of them lacking in literary merit as I've grown older. Batson's book doesn't water down the story for the sake of the gospel, however. There's no praying for miraculous victory over demonic bad guys at any point in the book. The center of this story is a good man who has been forced into piracy for a living, a life he hopes his daughter may one day avoid (though it's the only thing she wants to do and she thinks he won't let her become a full-fledged crew member because he thinks she can't handle it), and a young man with amnesia and some wicked scars all over his body. The Captain Declan Ross (aforementioned good man/pirate) has befriended some monks whose monastery--neutral ground, by the pirates' code--is about to be sacked by the sickest evil pirate on the seas. The monks ask Ross to take one brother with them, the brother with a map to a great sacred treasure, and the rest of the book is a race between Ross's crew and the evil Bartholomew Thorne's ship to find the treasure on the Isle of Swords.
For the most part, this is a very good book. The characters are likeable. The story is always moving forward. The monk (obviously the Christian voice throughout the novel) is respectful and believable, and while he's always ready to teach or to reach out using scripture, he's not your stereotypical goodie two-shoes Christian you find in many similar stories. He's a human character with faults like all the others. Rather than relying on literal Deus ex machina devices, Batson tells a story of people going through conflict on their own with spiritual principles guiding them without forcing their hands. And here's the best part: it's an exciting story! The bad guy is wickedly evil. Some of his scenes are legitimately cringe-worthy. The protagonist's spiritual journey goes from full-on doubter to curious seeker. There's no forced, tied-up altar call anywhere in the book, and you can believe the subtle change and see the priest's influence on him throughout. There's lots of fun and a ton of action. I think Isle of Swords would stand up fairly well with most fans of YA adventure stories. Which leads us to...
The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion Books
377 pages
2005
I saw the movie made from this book last summer and just now got around to reading it. Completely different story. I know all adaptations have some changes, but trust me, these were different stories. I mean, okay, in each story, Percy is a son of Poseidon, he goes to a summer camp for kids with Greek deities for parents, and he, Grover, and Annabeth go on a quest to find Zeus' thunderbolt because somebody stole it from Olympus and the gods are going to start a war.
Similarities: over. (Okay, there are a couple of scenes from the book that made it into the final cut of the film, but not really that many)
I enjoyed the film. It made for a good summer popcorn flick. But the book is so much better. I know how cliche that is, but it's quite true. The characters have more depth and are therefore more interesting. The story is more intelligent. The surprises are more surprising. Riordan nails the character voice in the narrative (it's actually one of the book's strongest elements). Really, "visual effects" were the only thing that the movie did better than the book.
This is a really fun adventure story that admittedly isn't perfect, but is a quick read with some really entertaining scenes. Also a fun "who's who" introduction into Greek mythology for middle school readers.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Jeff Kinney
Amulet Books, New York, 2008
217
Here's a book that suffered bit from sequel-itis. The humor just wasn't as fresh or funny as the first time around (though the storyline where Greg's mom joins in his weekly Dungeons and Dragons type game is golden). Everything's still pretty amusing, and the illustrations are again a highlight, but it just didn't seem to have the comic brilliance of the first book.
Then again, I asked some kids about it, and they told me the series didn't really even get very funny until the second book. So maybe I'm just old.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1989
137 pages
This was one of my sister's favorite books back when it was relatively new, and it's good to see that it's still popular among kids over twenty years later. (Yikes!) All I really knew about this book growing up was that it was that girls seemed to love. That's still true, by the way. I posted on Facebook that I was reading it, and close to ten women chimed in with "I love/loved that book!" For just one hundred thirty-seven pages, this book really packs a wallop. There's great emotional depth. The protagonist of the story is a young girl named Annemarie. Annemarie lives in Denmark during the time of Nazi occupation. She and her family become involved in an operation to smuggle Jews out of the country into Sweden. Yeah, it's fairly heavy stuff. But you can't help but marvel at the bravery and pride of the folks who secretly defied the Nazis. An afterward explains how much of the book came straight from reality. More than a touching story about a girl and her best friend, it's a book that celebrates the "regular people" who fought back during the second world war. I don't want to sound like a publicity pamphlet or anything, but it was actually fairly inspiring.
Slob
Ellen Potter
Philomel Books, New York, 2009
199 pages
I didn't really like this book. I can't exactly pinpoint why without rambling, but basically the story was jumbled and confused, the themes were dealt with awkwardly, and the humor wasn't all that funny to me.
The Sea of Monsters
Rick Riordan
Hyperion Books for Children/Miramax Books, New York
2006
279 pages
More Percy Jackson adventures. There was a little less intrigue this time around but just as much adventure. Percy meets his cycloptic half brother and the two of them (along with Annabeth, because what's an adventure without a girl along?*) leave camp on an adventure to rescue Percy's buddy Grover who (for some reason) is about to be married to Polyphemus (of The Oddesey fame). Okay, so that part didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but the rest of the story was just solid fun. You got monsters, donuts, monsters eating donuts, centaurs, chariot races, cyclopes, Confederate zombies, and a host of other adventures that somehow manage to form a cohesive episodic quest narrative. The narrative voice is again a strong point, and while it's still clearly aimed at younger readers, there's enough innocent fun in each chapter to give just about any lover of adventure stories a good time.
Isle of Fire
Wayne Thomas Batson
338 pages
Thomas Nelson, 2008
This one wasn't quite as sharp as Isle of Swords was. The story went in too many different directions and tied together somewhat sloppily at the end. Everything seemed to happen very quickly. For example, fairly early in the story, the King accepts the testimony of the second-in-commend of one of his lead naval commanders (#2 is working for the Big Bad, of course) without any investigation or examination, and pretty much all of Parliament goes with it, despite the fact that the commodore in question has a strong reputation of sound judgment. This is needed to advance the story, but it just sorta seems to happen without any real reason. There are a few such instances where things seem rushed just to get to the next point. Also, there's a new main antagonist thrown into the mix, and while his storyline is good, it sort of stumbles back into the main narrative at the end and the New Big Bad (the Bigger Badder?) sort of bows out pretty unceremoniously. Ultimately, this is just a book that tried to do too much in too little time.
Now, that's not to say it was a bad book, because it wasn't. I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed each of the characters' continued arcs from the first book. The development was still realistic, and the faith element, while more prevalent due to the nature of Story #2, was treated realistically and sensitively. If you read and like the first book, I'd recommend reading this one to see how things wrap up. (I assume this is the last, anyway)
*Answer: a Tolkien adventure
Monday, July 4, 2011
Lightning Round
Okay, so here's the quickie recaps of my July reading. (Most of these are from my Summer of YA)
--Dying to Meet You by Kate and Sarah M. Klise. Grumpy author moves into haunted house. Ghost of the house is a dead, unappreciated, better author who, along with the kid in the attic, eventually melts the grumpy guy's heart and together they write bestsellers and start a really bizarre family. All told through a series of letters, memos, newspaper articles, etc.
--The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan. The 39 Clues series = coolest educational anything since TV series Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Two orphaned kids in a race to become most important people in world history track down Ben Franklin-related clues while trying not to be killed by their relatives.
--Zamboni Rodeo: Chasing Hockey Dreams from Austin to Albuquerque by Jason Cohen. The one non-YA book. Very non-YA. Writer follows the Austin Ice Bats around for a season in the early years of the old WPHL. A must-read for any fan of the CHL, WPHL, or minor league hockey in general. Bad language.
--Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. One of the funniest things I've read in a while. Don't see how a movie could have possibly done it justice.
--The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Villain is a mad scientist who wears a diaper (no apparent reason). Protagonists distract him by launching a piece of fake poop behind him, leaving him so embarrassed he has to excuse himself for a few minutes. Pretty much all you need to know right there.
--One False Note by Gordon Korman. Next 39 Clues book. A whole series written by different authors? Cool idea. (This book not as good as the first)
--Savvy by Ingrid Law. Very sweet story about a family that (for lack of a better term) receives special abilities (i.e. superpowers) on their thirteenth birthdays. Really, though, a sweet coming-of-age, finding-your-place type story. Surprising.
--The Cave of the Dark Wind: A Never Land Book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. BORING!
--Addie McCormick and the Chicago Surprise by Leanne Lucas. Still not sure what exactly the Chicago Surprise was. But there sure was a lot of praying for people! (Not to make fun of prayer. Prayer is good, folks)
Just about finished with my first ever Christian pirate adventure YA novel. It's actually pretty good. Picking up my next round of YA books this week and about to dive into Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series.
--Dying to Meet You by Kate and Sarah M. Klise. Grumpy author moves into haunted house. Ghost of the house is a dead, unappreciated, better author who, along with the kid in the attic, eventually melts the grumpy guy's heart and together they write bestsellers and start a really bizarre family. All told through a series of letters, memos, newspaper articles, etc.
--The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan. The 39 Clues series = coolest educational anything since TV series Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Two orphaned kids in a race to become most important people in world history track down Ben Franklin-related clues while trying not to be killed by their relatives.
--Zamboni Rodeo: Chasing Hockey Dreams from Austin to Albuquerque by Jason Cohen. The one non-YA book. Very non-YA. Writer follows the Austin Ice Bats around for a season in the early years of the old WPHL. A must-read for any fan of the CHL, WPHL, or minor league hockey in general. Bad language.
--Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. One of the funniest things I've read in a while. Don't see how a movie could have possibly done it justice.
--The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Villain is a mad scientist who wears a diaper (no apparent reason). Protagonists distract him by launching a piece of fake poop behind him, leaving him so embarrassed he has to excuse himself for a few minutes. Pretty much all you need to know right there.
--One False Note by Gordon Korman. Next 39 Clues book. A whole series written by different authors? Cool idea. (This book not as good as the first)
--Savvy by Ingrid Law. Very sweet story about a family that (for lack of a better term) receives special abilities (i.e. superpowers) on their thirteenth birthdays. Really, though, a sweet coming-of-age, finding-your-place type story. Surprising.
--The Cave of the Dark Wind: A Never Land Book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. BORING!
--Addie McCormick and the Chicago Surprise by Leanne Lucas. Still not sure what exactly the Chicago Surprise was. But there sure was a lot of praying for people! (Not to make fun of prayer. Prayer is good, folks)
Just about finished with my first ever Christian pirate adventure YA novel. It's actually pretty good. Picking up my next round of YA books this week and about to dive into Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series.
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