| short book list and recs |
[Dec. 31st, 2009|01:16 pm] |
It's a sorry and shabby list this year. I was busy.
Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri - A
Lucia Speaks the Message of Fatima - ?? - C
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig - C-
Rome Sweet Home - Scott Hahn - C
The Stranger - Albert Camus - B
Crash - JG Ballard - B-
Sa Femme - Emanuele Bernheim - A
N.P. - Banana Yoshimoto - C+
A Million Little Pieces - James Frey - B
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell - C+
Smoke - Ivan Turgenev - B
I only read 11 books this year. I totally suck.
Best Read 2009: Sa Femme. Read it. For real. The author writes short, sweet, to the point, simply, and brilliantly.
Worst Read 2009: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. This guy is a pretentious windbag.
xposted to bibliophily |
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| Beagle, Peter S.: The Last Unicorn |
[Dec. 31st, 2009|09:17 am] |
 The Last Unicorn (1968)
Written by: Peter S. Beagle
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 288 (Hardcover)
The premise: ganked from Barnes & Noble: THE LAST UNICORN is a tearful tale of the last existing unicorn's journey out of her familiar forest to save the species. On the way she encounters evil magic, dark castles, cursed towns, and a particularly interesting sea shore. The character's in this magical story invite you to learn with them, while Peter S. Beagle poetic prose are something to remember as he tells a story of bravery and courage. Do love, freedom, and happiness prevail? Or will we forever live in fear in a world without unicorns?
My Rating
Must Have: The Last Unicorn is a beautiful story, and considering the fact the book was written back in 1968, I'd say Beagle's style olds up well. I'm glad I finally got this fantasy classic under my belt, and even better was finally being able to read the sequel, "Two Hearts," right after the book itself. I'd already read the story when it came out in the Oct/Nov 2005 issue of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, but there were a lot of little things I missed that time because I hadn't read The Last Unicorn, so to read them back-to-back? Priceless. Beagle knows how to weave the emotional heart into a story, and I love him for that. Anyone who dares call him or herself a fantasy fan cannot continue to do so without reading The Last Unicorn and it's sequel. I personally can't wait to read more from this author, as his style has definitely evolved between these two pieces, and it's gotten better when it was already good to begin with.
In terms of "Two Hearts," my edition of The Last Unicorn has it in it (as well as a very interesting interview with the author: did you know he HATED this book for a very long time?), and if you're interested in tracking this hardcover edition down, the ISBN is 9780760783740. I don't know if later editions also have the novella and interview, but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth reading. But you can also find "Two Hearts" in Beagle's The Line Between, which is a collection of his short stories, so don't worry if you can't find an edition of The Last Unicorn that has the short in it. But do yourself a favor and read the two back-to-back. Trust me, it's a lovely experience.
Review style: definite spoilers. I mean, this is such a classic anyway that it's hard to even CALL details of this book spoilers, because you know the story or you don't. If you don't, and you really want to go into this story without knowing what happens, then there's no need to click the cut below, which takes you to the discussion in my LJ. If you've read it though, hop on over! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)
REVIEW: Peter S. Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN
Happy Reading!
Book club selections @ ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
February: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler |
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| Last books of the year |
[Dec. 31st, 2009|12:41 pm] |
 
72 & 73. 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels & 100 Must-Read Crime Novels - Nick Rennison et al. 320 pages and 320 pages (4/5 stars)
I’ve read a lot of science fiction, so imagine my surprise when this list had many books I’ve never even heard of, much less read! Many of the premises seemed excellent, so I’ll slowly but surely make my way through this list (and the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, and the BBC’s 100 best books, and the Guardian’s list of 1000 books…I think I have an addiction to book lists). It’s amazing to see how imaginative people have been through the years, and science fiction provides such a good medium to explore potential futures. I’ve read perhaps 20% of this list.
I’ve not read a lot of crime novels, so I thought this would be a good place to start. I’ve read some Raymond Chandler and a couple of the other big names, but I enjoy the clever plots and hidden clues embedded in mysteries, so I will begin to read more of them. What struck me as I read this collection was how versatile the genre of crime novels are. There are medieval mysteries, ones set in countries all over the world or based on well-known cities. There are detectives that are black, white, female, straight, gay (although, like the genre of SF, it’s still more whitewashed than it should be). I must say, though, that I’m pleased to see that none of the detectives on this list are quite like the one in my slowly emerging novel.
I really like the layout of these books. Each entry says when the book was written and what nationality the author one. They generally open with a brief summary of the plot, and then analyze what works in the novel, what makes it unique, and how it contributed to the genre.
These books (there’s also another one that focuses on classics that I’ve already read and reviewed here), are a great starting point if you want to be like me and read every good book ever written.
(P.S. Hi there, I like new friends)
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| Gwenhyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey |
[Dec. 30th, 2009|08:45 am] |
Title: Gwenhyfar: The White Spirit
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Arthurian fantasy.
Setting: The Britain of the Round Table.
Reason for Reading: I read almost everything that Lackey writes.
Pages: 401
Copyright Date: 2009
Cover: A battered shield with several points missing. A plain, slightly rusty sword.
First line: "The talk at the hearth of the high hall of her father's castle was all of magic that wild evening."
Best part: This Arthurian fantasy has the least mention of Arthur in any I've read and that made it so interesting.
Worst part: Evil lookalike sister? Fer realz?
Imaginary Theme Song: "Take the Road" from Never After
Grade: C+
Recommended for: Anyone who likes to read about badass women warriors.
Related Reads: By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey, The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
( WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!! THIS QUOTE HAS SPOILERS!! ) |
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| The Moonstone |
[Dec. 30th, 2009|06:24 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  sneezy weezy | ] |
 The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Loved this book! Billed as the "first detective novel", it's a Victorian era story about a sacred yellow diamond, originally part of the crown of an Indian moon god shrine, that's stolen by an Englishman. He passes it on to his niece, and when it mysteriously vanishes from her room, the whodunit begins. The narrative is told from different characters, which gives it a good variety. There's humor, twists, turns, and while it was a tad too long, the ending is satisfying. Very enjoyable!
View all my reviews >> |
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| Larbalestier, Justine: Liar |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|09:02 pm] |
 Liar (2009)
Written by: Justine Larbalestier
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 371 (Hardcover)
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Micah will freely admit she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s fooled everyone: her classmates, her teachers, even her parents. And she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as easily as breathing?
Taking listeners deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them — and herself — that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have listeners seesawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.
My Rating
Keeper Shelf: there are very, very, VERY few books that I want to keep around to re-read over and over and over, but this is definitely one of them. The book engaged me on so many levels that I can't wait to read it again and see how the story changes. And because of the book's deliberate yet delightful ambiguity, this is a book I can enjoy over and over and come away with a different interpretation every time. If you're a reader who absolutely MUST HAVE a DEFINITE ENDING with DEFINITE ANSWERS, you may want to shy away from this one. But oh, that'd be a shame. This book is so well-crafted that you'd be missing out on a really great story. Like I said, whether you read YA or not, if you only ever read ONE novel in your life that's targeted to YA, you should read this one. Because it transcends age. It transcends genre. It's a memorable book that I won't soon forget, and once you read it, you won't either.
Review style: short and sweet and ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS. You will RUIN this book if you spoil it for yourself, even if you spoil yourself a little bit. The full review just lists five reasons why you should give this book a shot, so if you're interested, feel free to click the link below to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)
REVIEW: Justine Larbalestier's LIAR
Happy Reading! :) |
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| Larbalestier, Justine: Liar |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|09:01 pm] |
Liar (2009)
Written by: Justine Larbalestier
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 371 (Hardcover)
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Micah will freely admit she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s fooled everyone: her classmates, her teachers, even her parents. And she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as easily as breathing?
Taking listeners deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them — and herself — that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have listeners seesawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.
My Rating
Keeper Shelf: there are very, very, VERY few books that I want to keep around to re-read over and over and over, but this is definitely one of them. The book engaged me on so many levels that I can't wait to read it again and see how the story changes. And because of the book's deliberate yet delightful ambiguity, this is a book I can enjoy over and over and come away with a different interpretation every time. If you're a reader who absolutely MUST HAVE a DEFINITE ENDING with DEFINITE ANSWERS, you may want to shy away from this one. But oh, that'd be a shame. This book is so well-crafted that you'd be missing out on a really great story. Like I said, whether you read YA or not, if you only ever read ONE novel in your life that's targeted to YA, you should read this one. Because it transcends age. It transcends genre. It's a memorable book that I won't soon forget, and once you read it, you won't either.
Review style: short and sweet and ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS. You will RUIN this book if you spoil it for yourself, even if you spoil yourself a little bit. The full review just lists five reasons why you should give this book a shot, so if you're interested, feel free to click the link below to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)
REVIEW: Justine Larbalestier's LIAR
Happy Reading! :) |
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| Books I've read: 2009 |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|04:11 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Durango, CO | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  calm | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Fiona Apple | ] |
All right, here's my list! Comment if you've read any of 'em; we'll discuss.
--
( The list )
--
Right now I'm reading Slut! Growing up Female with a Bad Reputation by Leora Tenenbaum, as well as this year's edition of the Best American Poetry. I'll most likely finish reading these before 2009 ends. |
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| Kushiel's Dart |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|12:40 pm] |
This is my first review. I have looked over many different reviewer's styles and come up with my own. So, voila.
Kushiel's Dart (2001)
Jacqueline Carey
Fantasy - Alternate History
901 pages
From Library Journal (off of Amazon.com)
Trained from childhood to a life of servitude and espionage, Phèdre nó Delaunay serves her master, Anafiel, as a courtesan and spy, ferreting out the dangerous secrets of the noble houses of Terre d'Ange. When she uncovers a treasonous conspiracy, however, her life takes on a new and deadly purpose. Set in a world reminiscent of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe, Carey's first novel portrays a society based upon political and sexual intrigue. The author's sensual prose, suitable for adult readers, should appeal to fans of Tanith Lee, Storm Constantine, and Terry Goodkind. Recommended for adult fantasy collections.
My Rating
 Familiar Friend
I think I will be going back to this novel again and again for entertainment.
My Review
I really enjoyed this book. It was a breath of fresh air in a stale genre. The setting was beautiful and well thought out, coming from Genesis 6, the verse that says the sons of god found the daughters of men to be beautiful, and lay with them, begetting the Nephilim. She imagined a country populated with their descendants, and thus was born Terre d'Ange. The whole of the story is set against this subtly alien backdrop, where it seems mostly familiar, but not entirely. It really sets the tone for the novel.
The novel is not simply a showcase for the world setting, however. It is truly a character driven novel. The interactions of the main characters are the heart of the novel. Set against a backdrop of politics, intrigue, sex and war, the deep and sometimes subtle characterizations shine as you discover the histories and intertwining connections between the nobles of Terre d'Ange and Phèdre.
All in all it was a very satisfying read. I would recommend it to anyone mature enough to handle the concepts of graphic warfare, murder, slavery, sacred prostitution, consensual and non-consensual Bondage / Dominance / Sadism / Masochism. |
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| Emerald House Rising by Peg Kerr |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|11:52 am] |
Title: Emerald House Rising
Author: Peg Kerr
Genre: fantasy
My thoughts: Lightweight. I had been quite taken by the ideas behind the premise, specifically the patterning of gems that built the Piyar culture and the gemcutter protagonist, but the novel itself was disappointing and I particularly disliked the author's voice. While the worldbuilding is creative and ambitious, it's also very wooden. Kerr has a heavy hand guiding the story along, and the narrating throughout was aggravating. The story read like the background setup of a D&D gaming adventure.
( Follow the link to general spoilers about plot details and moanings on the ending. ) |
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| What I Was by Meg Rosoff |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|02:01 pm] |
The Blurb On The Back:
Shall I tell you about the year I discovered love?
I’d been kicked out of two boarding schools and the last thing I wanted was to be here, on the East Anglian coast in a third.
But without St Oswald’s, I would not have discovered the fisherman’s hut with its roaring fire, its striped blankets, its sea monster stew.
Without St Oswald’s, I would not have met the boy with the beautiful eyes, the flickering half-smile and no past.
Without St Oswald’s. I would not have met Finn.
And without Finn, there would be no story.
Shall we begin?
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Nominated for a Costa Book Award, this is a brave novel that tackles homosexuality and yet doesn’t quite come off – mainly because the narrator needs slightly more fleshing out and Rosoff doesn’t quite delve into the homosexual undertones. Despite this, the quality of writing is excellent and the descriptions evocative.
Cross-posted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) books and bookworming. |
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| rec |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|05:41 am] |
Okay, I have no idea what books to read next, so I am asking for recommendations.
I like fantasy/sci-fi. I'll read a non-fantasy book if it's really good, but I still enjoy fantasy/sci-fi better. Currently I am reading the Gemma Doyle trilogy, but I am almost done so I need something new.
Some of my favorite books are Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and the Uglies series. I also really enjoy books like Un lun don and The Maze Runner.
I tend to avoid vampire books, because most of them came out in response to the Twilight craze. And I don't like Twilight, so I figured I wouldn't like the vampire books that tried to rip it off. BUT, if there are any good vampire books that came out pre-twilight, or if there are any that came out post-twilight but are still good, I will give them a try. For example I've always wanted to read Peeps by Scott Westerfield. Is it any good?
Thanks in advance. |
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| 2009 Books 74-80 |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|01:05 am] |
I've been having problems with the cut-and-paste function here on LJ working with the LJ-Cut function. Normally, after I post my reviews on my own LJ, I copy them over here and into a cut. Since that's not happening, I'm going to just direct everyone to this post of mine from earlier tonight, where I write reviews of varying lengths on:
Stephen King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Edgar Rice Burroughs' initial John Carter, Warlord of Mars trilogy
Joseph Pittman's Christmas tale A Wish Upon The Wind
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
and
Richard Castle's Heat Wave. |
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| I'm Starting Young Adult Lit. for Next Semester |
[Dec. 28th, 2009|11:04 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  blah | ] |
And I have to read:
Walk Two Moons by Creech
Out of the Dust by Hesse
Zel by Napoli
Monster by Myers
Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
Romiette + Julio by Draper
The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1 by Pullman
The Giver by Lowry *
Feed by Anderson
Weetzie Bat by Block
Speak by Anderson
Hatchet by Paulsen *
The Outsiders by Hinton *
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Kinney
Joy? Any thoughts, opinions, and/or suggestions?
*Indicates a book that I've read previously, but that I still need to re-read for the class. |
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| Wasserman, Robin: Skinned |
[Dec. 28th, 2009|10:44 pm] |
 Skinned (2008)
Written by: Robin Wasserman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 361 (Trade Paperback)
The premise: snatched for BN.com, which is also the backcover blurb: Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular — until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.
Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime — for which they must pay the ultimate price.
My Rating
Must Have: but with one warning: this is not a plot-driven or action-driven book. If you like character-centric books, particularly those with more of an existential theme, and you love the themes behind the updated Battlestar Galactica (focusing on the cylons), then you're going to have fun with this. It's a good book, and even when I didn't agree with our heroine, never once did I not at least sympathize and understand where she was coming from. Wasserman really gets into the heart of the matter and makes you really THINK about how you'd feel if you were in Lia's shoes. The science fictional elements and social reaction to those elements are also very strong, which surprised me, though I don't know why: for whatever, unfair reason, I expect the science in YA SF to be light and fluffy and non-existent, not explained in detail (which isn't to say the science used in Skinned is accurate or not, but it makes you wonder about how such an process could take place in the future). At any rate, it's a pretty strong start of a series, and I'll definitely be picking up the next installment, Crashed, once it's released in trade paperback. :)
Review style: spoilers, because this isn't the kind of heavily plot-driven book the premise makes it out to be. It's actually very, very character-driven, and it's hard NOT to spoil such books. So if you want to avoid said spoilers, there's no need to click the link below to my LJ. Otherwise, click away! Comments and discussion are most welcome. :)
REVIEW: Robin Wasserman's SKINNED
Happy Reading! |
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| Wasserman, Robin: Skinned |
[Dec. 28th, 2009|10:43 pm] |
Skinned (2008)
Written by: Robin Wasserman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 361 (Trade Paperback)
The premise: snatched for BN.com, which is also the backcover blurb: Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular — until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.
Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime — for which they must pay the ultimate price.
My Rating
Must Have: but with one warning: this is not a plot-driven or action-driven book. If you like character-centric books, particularly those with more of an existential theme, and you love the themes behind the updated Battlestar Galactica (focusing on the cylons), then you're going to have fun with this. It's a good book, and even when I didn't agree with our heroine, never once did I not at least sympathize and understand where she was coming from. Wasserman really gets into the heart of the matter and makes you really THINK about how you'd feel if you were in Lia's shoes. The science fictional elements and social reaction to those elements are also very strong, which surprised me, though I don't know why: for whatever, unfair reason, I expect the science in YA SF to be light and fluffy and non-existent, not explained in detail (which isn't to say the science used in Skinned is accurate or not, but it makes you wonder about how such an process could take place in the future). At any rate, it's a pretty strong start of a series, and I'll definitely be picking up the next installment, Crashed, once it's released in trade paperback. :)
Review style: spoilers, because this isn't the kind of heavily plot-driven book the premise makes it out to be. It's actually very, very character-driven, and it's hard NOT to spoil such books. So if you want to avoid said spoilers, there's no need to click the link below to my LJ. Otherwise, click away! Comments and discussion are most welcome. :)
REVIEW: Robin Wasserman's SKINNED
Happy Reading! |
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