Alright then, I apologize in advance for poor spelling and grammar, but I just couldn't go through it all with a fine tooth comb. So without further ado and in no particular order we start with…
A Short History Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson – Fascinating stuff! I liked most of it, though I have to admit there were places where I skipped pages at a time. I loved the whole evolution thing and the forming of the planets and the hysterical historical stories of measuring the world, narcissistic and self centered genius scientists, inventors who got screwed by life, accidental discoveries. Too many names and dates and places, but if you read it like a novel it’s really fascinating and enjoyable.
A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot, Linda Coverdale (Translator) – I read this one because it came out as a movie in France. The movie, looked great, but I wanted to read the book first since I would be forced to watch the 2+ hour movie in French. The book is wonderful. It’s a story of two young people who become engaged just before the young man is sent to war during world war one. Through a series of events he is presumed dead. The young woman refuses to believe he is dead and spends 16 years trying to track him down. The stories of the men involved in this misadventure and the savagery of war are so sad that I cried many times during the story, but each bit of every story peels away another layer and another lie. It’s a horrifically complicated story and each clue just leads to another mystery. If you can keep all the French names and places straight, you’ll love it. The movie comes out on DVD at the end of this month so I’ll see how the movie compares. After reading the book though, I’m certain the movie will be a much abridged version.
Next is a trilogy packaged as Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn, these books are set in a magical feudal Japan constantly on the edge of war and ruled by clans. A place where marriages and kidnappings forge alliances and the average peasant just keeps getting screwed.
Book one is Across the Nightingale Floor where we meet our hero and heroin. The story starts with Takeo, our hero, as he returns from the forest to his village to find that everyone has been killed. He’s about to be next when he is rescued by a Lord with many secrets. In this book Takeo learns about his secret past and discovers his very powerful talents. He also meets the love of his life Kaede.
In book two Grass for His Pillow Takeo and Kaede are separated by their duties and promises to their separate clans. Takeo is initiated into a world that is his by birth. Though he has been made Lord of his adoptive fathers clan, the family of his birth father has laid claim to his powerful and unique talents. He is torn between honoring two different promises and in the end breaks with the ‘clan’ of his birth father after they try to have him killed. He reunites with Kaede who has undertaken the role of head of her fathers’ clan and uniting it with the clan that was willed to her by her aunt (?). She has to learn to be a strong woman in a society that places the value of women below that of livestock. In the end of this book Takeo and Kaede form a vision for a peaceful and united Japan.
In book three Brilliance of the Moon Takeo and Kaede are secretly married and together they form one of the greatest and largest alliances in Japan. If they can pull it off, their dream of a peaceful and united country will be realized. However, you can imagine that treachery lies at every turn and the lovers are separated as war ensues across the country. But each one has proven their leadership and with help from allies, the words of a prophecy for Takeo begin to come true.
All three books are absolute page turners and all of the characters are very well defined. There are issues of basic human rights and dignity, loyalty, the meaning of honor and charma. I recommend them all.
Next in line are three more books by a single author, though they are not a trilogy. Cornelia Funke has written three wonderful books for young people. The thing that they all share is that, I think, the endings are not your typical ‘all tied up in a big red bow’ happy endings. Some characters have happy endings, some not and some have no closure at the end of the story whatsoever. The stories are well written though and, as in real life, people don’t always do the right thing. I like them very much, though being a kid at heart, I was a bit dissatisfied with some of the inconclusive endings.
The first book, Inkheart, is my favorite because I love the premise of the story. Meggie’s dad Mo is a book binder by trade. He loves books and is also such a wonderful reader that when he reads out loud the story literally comes to life around you. Unfortunately, one day he unintentionally reads some very frightening characters out of a book. The trouble caused by his reading seems to have no end and the lives that are disrupted in this world and the made up one are many. I thoroughly enjoyed the story all the way until the end. The end, well, some of it didn’t make sense to me and if you’ve read it, let me know ‘cause I’d love to know your take on it. Maybe you can explain the justice of the ending to me.
The second book, Dragon Rider, is (and amozon.com agrees) for a bit younger kid, just the way it’s written. It’s magical like Inkheart but far more full of fairytale type characters. About a dragon named Firedrake who embarks on a quest to find a place called The Rim of Heaven where he and other dragons will be safe from the destruction of man. However, we don’t know if this place for sure exists even though a map exists to it. They are chased by your typical evil nemesis and seem to barely stay a step ahead of him. My least favorite of the three.
The third book, The Thief Lord, is the story of two orphaned boys who run away from their mean aunt. She wants to adopt the five year old, Bo, but not his older brother, 12 year old Prosper, who she intends to send away to boarding school. The boys run away to Venice because their mother (who we never find anything out about) has told them fabulous stories about the city. There they are taken in by a street gang of orphans and runaways. This group is supported by the Thief Lord. With a private eye on their trail the two boys and their friends plot a major robbery. A bit of magic complicates things and once again you’re left with a not to satisfactory ending. A story in which thieving and counterfeiting seem to pay and kids are far wiser and stronger than adults. Good story though.
Next I highly recommend Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz. In fact I recommend his latest few books (especially The Face and Odd Thomas), I love his mix of thriller with a bit of the supernatural, unlike his earlier books which were mostly thriller. In this book a prophecy is foretold for baby Jimmy by his dying grandfather, of 5 really bad days. His first bad day turns out to be the day of his birth and the day his grandfather dies. All of the others are tied together from those first events. The book is funny and suspenseful, I read it straight through in two days. The end had a bit too much ‘deus ex machina’ for me, but still a great read. Another reason to fear clowns.
SkinnyDip by Carl Hiaasen is the story of a woman who is thrown off of a cruise ship by her stupid scheming husband. She, of course, survives the attempt and decides to stay ‘dead’ until she can find out what in the heck motivated her dumb husband. Warning, not for kids; lots of adult humor and situations. The book however is incredibly funny and although the husband deserves everything he gets, due to his complete ineptness at killing people, near the end you almost feel sorry for him, almost. She on the other hand does a lot of soul searching about her motives in life and it has a ‘wrapped up in a big red bow’ happy ending. Sort of…Two enthusiastic toes up.
The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie is the story of two ill fated rock ‘n rollers who live in a slightly different version of our current universe. They live in a world where our music is whispered into Ormus’s head by his dead twin and where Vina, the love of his life, breaths life into his songs, but keeps him at a distance. I will confess that I started this book 3 times and just had to slog through it to the end. The story is convoluted and full of Rusdie’s deep life lessons and twists of fate. It is a 500+ page tome that, though you may not enjoy, you’ll feel proud to have finished.
The City of Ember and its sequal The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau are two more books for young people. The first book centers around a dying town that turns out to be an apocalyptic insurance policy that was built underground over 250 years before the story starts. The people of Ember have forgotten their past and don’t know how to save their dying city. Two young people, Lina and Doon find and decipher the instructions for the cities escape to the surface. In the second book the survivors of Ember descend upon the town of Sparks where everyone needs to learn a little tolerance and need to remember the lessons of the past that got them to where they are. A bit of fluffy light reading but good stories; I liked the first one better.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason – A book about a book. A book with a secret. The secret of the book turns out to be the location of many of the works of art saved from the famous ‘bonfire of the vanities’ but the book doesn’t give up its secret easily and people die for the secret. A young college student who’s father was obsessed with the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (which is supposed to be a real book) is dragged into his dead fathers obsession by a fellow classmate. The riddling out of the secrets is very DaVinci Code and I enjoyed it. I wish a little more effort would have gone into the end, but if you can stick through the explanations of the riddles I think you’ll like it. Though it’s another almost 500 page tome, I’d read it before the Rushdie book.
The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower- Book VII) by Stephen King – The long awaited conclusion to his long tale is in some parts pure genius because he ties together some threads from some of his other stories. However, the contrivances to manage some of those threads neatly are disappointing; a far cry from the first three masterpieces in the series. However, it’s over now and I would recommend, that if you want to sleep peacefully at night, you read it, and stop at the first ending. When you get to the page where Stephen King says, ‘here is the second ending, but don’t read it’ I would follow his advice. Don’t read that second ending, it’s not worth the loss of sleep. Got you curious now don’t I, oh well, read it at your own risk. I’m disappointed that King wrote himself into the last two books, but in this book it makes a weird kind of sense. I call this book a limping finish to a race well started. Ah well.
I bought four books of absolute fluff at Borders because they were buy three get one free. Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper, Best Friends by Marth Moody, Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman, and Blessings: A Novel by Anna Quindlen. They were, in order of appearance, Fluff, Dark, Cute and Sad. I have them if you want to borrow them. Don’t spend the money.
The Broker by John Grisham – Typical Grisham, but feels like it was written too fast. Not enough detail, too contrived and completely unbelievable. I think the premise of the story was good; Washington power broker sprung from jail by a US intelligence agency so he can lead them to where the ‘bodies’ are buried. I wish he’d put more effort into it though. Sadly disappointing.
There are more but I’ll stop cause this is too long now and I’m tired of rehashing and trying to remember what all these books were about. It’s like having to write a book report for school. Well except that I didn’t have to include the copyright and publisher info. Currently I’m reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton, I’ve started it several times and just can’t get past the first hundred pages. A lot happens in those pages, but it’s so boring. I’ll let you know if I get through it. (Which of course I will, since I’m usually starved for reading material, but I don’t think I’m going to like it.) It’s a shame really cause I usually love his stuff.
Also reading Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Sarah Vowell of The Partly Cloudy Patriot.
And finally also reading Alice Hoffman’s new one The Ice Queen which is holding my attention the most so far.
Enough already! I’m off to have an ice cream and much needed nap.
That is all.
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