by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice (263 pgs)
Rating: 4
Ariadne Hellene starts the book as a displaced refugee from the Western United States who's under constant laser attack by the Quebeckers. She quickly finds a way to run home, however, and discovers her entire family embroiled in espionage and intrigue.
Structurally, Light Raid is fairly interesting. The concept of media and news spin is central to the development of the plot. So it's not surprising that there's a 'news' snippit between every chapter. It creates an interesting affect of following the story through the media and also through the events in the chapters. Perhaps there's a social statement there.
The characters were a lot of fun and the plot held together. This is very much sci-fi meets spy thriller.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
99. Every Which Way But Dead
by Kim Harrison (501 pgs)
Rating: 4
Rachel Morgan made a deal with a demon and now she has to pay up. Lucky for her though, she gets to keep her soul and that means she gets to keep her free will. Ivy is more sad vampire queen than ever, Jenks is annoyed, and Kisten might not be the insufferable bad boy he at first seemed. So, all in all, just another typical day at Vampiric Charms.
I really enjoyed Every Witch Way But Dead. Rachel's relationship with the rest of the characters saw a great deal of work and was convincingly pulled off. The plot moved along at a good clip but there was so much going on that it was easy to forget about events that were set up about 200 pages earlier which caused a great deal of flipping back to find where it was mentioned earlier. Still. I simply couldn't put it down.
Rating: 4
Rachel Morgan made a deal with a demon and now she has to pay up. Lucky for her though, she gets to keep her soul and that means she gets to keep her free will. Ivy is more sad vampire queen than ever, Jenks is annoyed, and Kisten might not be the insufferable bad boy he at first seemed. So, all in all, just another typical day at Vampiric Charms.
I really enjoyed Every Witch Way But Dead. Rachel's relationship with the rest of the characters saw a great deal of work and was convincingly pulled off. The plot moved along at a good clip but there was so much going on that it was easy to forget about events that were set up about 200 pages earlier which caused a great deal of flipping back to find where it was mentioned earlier. Still. I simply couldn't put it down.
Friday, December 09, 2005
98. Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis (445 pages)
Rating: 4
Kivrin is a historian specializing the medieval period. However the powers that be don't allow time travel to the medieval times. So when the head of the medieval studies manages to get the restriction temporarily lifted, Kivrin is the first to volunteer. Her friend and teacher, Dunworthy, is less then thrilled, however, and the events of the book seem to confirm his suspicions.
Set in a near future, Doomsday Book is the first of Willis's books that I've read so far that firmly lands in the science fiction/fantasy genres. The book is obviously well researched and enthralling. Structurally there are two plot lines that diverge in the first hundred pages and don't reconverge until the last chapter. Both story lines, in some way, have to do with plague or epidemic. This is one of those books that once it grabs you, it will not let you go and you absolutely must finish the book. The only complaint I have is that the future is dated at 2056. I'm sure it seemed like a long way off at the time but to me it's overtly distracting since it's just about 50 years away and there's no way we'll be time traveling at that point. In my opinion, any way but it's truly a small issue.
I heartily recommend this book to everyone.
Rating: 4
Kivrin is a historian specializing the medieval period. However the powers that be don't allow time travel to the medieval times. So when the head of the medieval studies manages to get the restriction temporarily lifted, Kivrin is the first to volunteer. Her friend and teacher, Dunworthy, is less then thrilled, however, and the events of the book seem to confirm his suspicions.
Set in a near future, Doomsday Book is the first of Willis's books that I've read so far that firmly lands in the science fiction/fantasy genres. The book is obviously well researched and enthralling. Structurally there are two plot lines that diverge in the first hundred pages and don't reconverge until the last chapter. Both story lines, in some way, have to do with plague or epidemic. This is one of those books that once it grabs you, it will not let you go and you absolutely must finish the book. The only complaint I have is that the future is dated at 2056. I'm sure it seemed like a long way off at the time but to me it's overtly distracting since it's just about 50 years away and there's no way we'll be time traveling at that point. In my opinion, any way but it's truly a small issue.
I heartily recommend this book to everyone.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
97. Lincoln's Dreams
by Connie Willis (212 pgs)
Rating: 3
Annie is a young woman with a problem. She has horrible dreams that keep her from sleeping. But it's not until she meets Jeff that she truly realizes that she may be having Robert E. Lee's nightmares for him. She and Jeff race to find out the source of the dreams before something ominous comes to pass.
Lincoln's Dreams is an interesting cross between a fantasy novel and historical fiction. The reader is never truly sure what the cause of the dreams really is and there are several theories in the text that all seem equally likely. The characters are not as convincing as in Willis's other novels but the book was still quite enjoyable.
I would recommend this to history buffs, civil war maniacs, and anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Rating: 3
Annie is a young woman with a problem. She has horrible dreams that keep her from sleeping. But it's not until she meets Jeff that she truly realizes that she may be having Robert E. Lee's nightmares for him. She and Jeff race to find out the source of the dreams before something ominous comes to pass.
Lincoln's Dreams is an interesting cross between a fantasy novel and historical fiction. The reader is never truly sure what the cause of the dreams really is and there are several theories in the text that all seem equally likely. The characters are not as convincing as in Willis's other novels but the book was still quite enjoyable.
I would recommend this to history buffs, civil war maniacs, and anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Monday, December 05, 2005
96. Bellwether
by Connie Willis (247 pgs)
Rating: 4
Sandy Foster is a statistical sociologist who studies the causes of fads. Bennett O'Reilly is a chaos theory scientist currently working with macaques. Both of them work in corporate hell. Together will they unravel one of the secrets of the universe or just fall in love?
While I was reading Bellwether I ran into a friend who had read this book in High School. His opinion of it was not very high. He said that it didn't strike him as true science fiction. The conversation then meandered off into a discussion of various authors who's books ended up being badly classified for one reason or another.
Whether this book is truly misclassified as science fiction or not is debatable. I think the problem is that there is an expectation that science fiction is going to be futuristic a la Heinlein and Asimov. Truly, I believe what qualifies a book as science fiction is an exploration of a scientific theory or possibility. I think the futuristic ideal is common side affect of this exploration but not a prerequisite of the genre. So in that sense, Bellwether is truly science fiction although not at all futuristic, it's actually set in the 1990's. To avoid misleading, however, Nacy Pearl's description of Willis's work as 'speculative fiction' may be more apt.
Bellwether starts out a little slow but it's well worth the effort and is an interesting well crafted read. I would recommend this particularly to people interested chaos theory or the infuriating persistence of fads.
Rating: 4
Sandy Foster is a statistical sociologist who studies the causes of fads. Bennett O'Reilly is a chaos theory scientist currently working with macaques. Both of them work in corporate hell. Together will they unravel one of the secrets of the universe or just fall in love?
While I was reading Bellwether I ran into a friend who had read this book in High School. His opinion of it was not very high. He said that it didn't strike him as true science fiction. The conversation then meandered off into a discussion of various authors who's books ended up being badly classified for one reason or another.
Whether this book is truly misclassified as science fiction or not is debatable. I think the problem is that there is an expectation that science fiction is going to be futuristic a la Heinlein and Asimov. Truly, I believe what qualifies a book as science fiction is an exploration of a scientific theory or possibility. I think the futuristic ideal is common side affect of this exploration but not a prerequisite of the genre. So in that sense, Bellwether is truly science fiction although not at all futuristic, it's actually set in the 1990's. To avoid misleading, however, Nacy Pearl's description of Willis's work as 'speculative fiction' may be more apt.
Bellwether starts out a little slow but it's well worth the effort and is an interesting well crafted read. I would recommend this particularly to people interested chaos theory or the infuriating persistence of fads.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
List 1: Connie Willis: Too Good To Miss
Source: Book Lust page 246
This list is less thematic and more 'hey read this author' but Pearl's description of Willis' style is intriguing and oddly familiar. I feel that I may have read this author before but can't seem to dredge it up in my memory.
Books In The List:
1. Lincoln's Dreams
2. Passage
3. To Say Nothing of the Dog
4. Bellwether
5. Doomsday Book
6. Fire Watch
7. Impossible Things
8. Uncharted Territory
9. Remake
10. Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
11. Light Raid (in collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
12. Promised Land (in Collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
13. Water Witch (in Collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
Mentioned but not really part of the list:
14. Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
15. Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (This was suggest by a friend as the link between Jerome's Three Men In a Boat and Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog.
This list is less thematic and more 'hey read this author' but Pearl's description of Willis' style is intriguing and oddly familiar. I feel that I may have read this author before but can't seem to dredge it up in my memory.
Books In The List:
1. Lincoln's Dreams
2. Passage
3. To Say Nothing of the Dog
4. Bellwether
5. Doomsday Book
6. Fire Watch
7. Impossible Things
8. Uncharted Territory
9. Remake
10. Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
11. Light Raid (in collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
12. Promised Land (in Collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
13. Water Witch (in Collaboration with Cynthia Felice)
Mentioned but not really part of the list:
14. Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
15. Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (This was suggest by a friend as the link between Jerome's Three Men In a Boat and Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog.
95. Eleven Minutes
by Paulo Coelho (273 pgs)
Rating: 3
Translated from its original Portuguese, Eleven Minutes is about a young Brazilian woman who embarks on a personal adventure to try and figure out what love is. In doing this, she leaves her country, travels to Switzerland, becomes a prostitute, and falls in love. Through all of this she keeps a diary.
I enjoyed this book. It was a relatively quick read and there was an interesting aspect of fairy tale to the prose which may or may not have been intentional. I worry about the subject matter though and wouldn't suggest it for young women. It doesn't precisely glamorize prostitution, but it does make it seem like much less of a harsh world. Of course there's cultural differences to be considered but still, I would feel uncomfortable recommending it to anyone I felt was...impressionable.
In general, however, I felt it was an interesting exploration of the difference between sex and love and would recommend it to people who have trouble with serial monogamy.
Rating: 3
Translated from its original Portuguese, Eleven Minutes is about a young Brazilian woman who embarks on a personal adventure to try and figure out what love is. In doing this, she leaves her country, travels to Switzerland, becomes a prostitute, and falls in love. Through all of this she keeps a diary.
I enjoyed this book. It was a relatively quick read and there was an interesting aspect of fairy tale to the prose which may or may not have been intentional. I worry about the subject matter though and wouldn't suggest it for young women. It doesn't precisely glamorize prostitution, but it does make it seem like much less of a harsh world. Of course there's cultural differences to be considered but still, I would feel uncomfortable recommending it to anyone I felt was...impressionable.
In general, however, I felt it was an interesting exploration of the difference between sex and love and would recommend it to people who have trouble with serial monogamy.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
94. Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden (428 pgs)
Rating: 4
This is a rather interesting story about a young Japanese girl who is essentially forced into becoming a geisha. Aside from the cultural interest, the story is amazingly similar to what you'd expect of western women. What makes this story shine is the mix of cultural education and intensely described settings. I feel that I will probably want to re-read this at some point and would recommend it to anyone who's intrigued by different cultures.
Rating: 4
This is a rather interesting story about a young Japanese girl who is essentially forced into becoming a geisha. Aside from the cultural interest, the story is amazingly similar to what you'd expect of western women. What makes this story shine is the mix of cultural education and intensely described settings. I feel that I will probably want to re-read this at some point and would recommend it to anyone who's intrigued by different cultures.
Monday, November 28, 2005
The new year.....a little early
I didn't make it to 200 books this last year as was my goal. It was a tough year full of changes so I can't say that I feel too bad about it. I did manage to break a hundred, or I will by January 1st anyway. I can't say if this is really a record as I know I used to read voraciously.
In any case, I've been trying to figure out what my reading challenge for 2006 should be. There are some big changes ahead of me and want to start working on my writing again. I've found, a little to my surprise, that my muse is directly tied to how much I read. Many things suggested themselves but what I've settled on is...lists. I've begun a growing obsession with book lists: recommended reading lists, books for class lists, awards book lists. Books about books fascinate me. Recently, I bought myself an early Christmas present called Book Lust by Nancy Pearl.
So my goal for the new year is twofold.
1. To read more books than last year with an overall goal of 200 (why not, it's as good a number as any)
2. To pursue books on the thematic lists in Book Lust.
Rules:
1. Only books read between January 1, 2006 and December 31 count towards the books for 2006.
2. Any book read in the last year can count towards an individual list, however, as long as it was reviewed in the last year.
3. I can only reread books that I've read in the last year if they appear on lists and have them count towards the overall number goal.
4. Every book read gets a review/blurb
5. I must announce each list when I start on it and the source, when I finish the list I review it and make any comments I might have on it.
6. 80% of all books I read must appear on the lists I choose.
New Rating System:
To make life easier for me I've also devised a new rating system. Every book gets a rating of 1-5 and here's what it means.
5 - I loved it, I'm going to own it, I'm in fact going to buy multiple copies and promote this book by handing them out for free and church socials and company picnics.
4 - I liked it. I definitely want to have a copy in my library and recommend it to everyone.
3 - I liked it well enough, if I see a cheap used copy of it I'll snag it for my collection. I would recommend this book to some people or for specific reasons.
2 - I didn't hate, didn't like it either. I wouldn't generally recommend it to most people.
1 - I hated it or severely disliked it. There has to be a serious problem with the writing or the subject matter for a book to get this rating. In the last 2 years I've only run across 2 or 3 of these.
In any case, I've been trying to figure out what my reading challenge for 2006 should be. There are some big changes ahead of me and want to start working on my writing again. I've found, a little to my surprise, that my muse is directly tied to how much I read. Many things suggested themselves but what I've settled on is...lists. I've begun a growing obsession with book lists: recommended reading lists, books for class lists, awards book lists. Books about books fascinate me. Recently, I bought myself an early Christmas present called Book Lust by Nancy Pearl.
So my goal for the new year is twofold.
1. To read more books than last year with an overall goal of 200 (why not, it's as good a number as any)
2. To pursue books on the thematic lists in Book Lust.
Rules:
1. Only books read between January 1, 2006 and December 31 count towards the books for 2006.
2. Any book read in the last year can count towards an individual list, however, as long as it was reviewed in the last year.
3. I can only reread books that I've read in the last year if they appear on lists and have them count towards the overall number goal.
4. Every book read gets a review/blurb
5. I must announce each list when I start on it and the source, when I finish the list I review it and make any comments I might have on it.
6. 80% of all books I read must appear on the lists I choose.
New Rating System:
To make life easier for me I've also devised a new rating system. Every book gets a rating of 1-5 and here's what it means.
5 - I loved it, I'm going to own it, I'm in fact going to buy multiple copies and promote this book by handing them out for free and church socials and company picnics.
4 - I liked it. I definitely want to have a copy in my library and recommend it to everyone.
3 - I liked it well enough, if I see a cheap used copy of it I'll snag it for my collection. I would recommend this book to some people or for specific reasons.
2 - I didn't hate, didn't like it either. I wouldn't generally recommend it to most people.
1 - I hated it or severely disliked it. There has to be a serious problem with the writing or the subject matter for a book to get this rating. In the last 2 years I've only run across 2 or 3 of these.
93. The Okinawa Diet Plan (NF 8)
by Bradley Willcox et. all. (412 pgs)
This is a further expansion of the food aspects of the Okinawa Program which I read earlier in the year. Both these books are less about losing weight and achieving a healthier lifestyle. I think they are interesting, both for their interesting approach towards lifestyle and for the new foods and cooking techniques they introduce.
This is a further expansion of the food aspects of the Okinawa Program which I read earlier in the year. Both these books are less about losing weight and achieving a healthier lifestyle. I think they are interesting, both for their interesting approach towards lifestyle and for the new foods and cooking techniques they introduce.
Friday, November 25, 2005
92. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
by Michael Chabon (639 pages)
Kavalier and Clay is the story of two men breaking into the ground floor of comic books when the form was still being discovered. It's also a book of the years leading up to WWII. It's a book about being jewish and escaping from Prague. It's about losing family. It's about finding a new family. It's about self discover. This is one of those books I try to describe and find that I can't. Suffice it to say, I found this a pretty amazing read.
Kavalier and Clay is the story of two men breaking into the ground floor of comic books when the form was still being discovered. It's also a book of the years leading up to WWII. It's a book about being jewish and escaping from Prague. It's about losing family. It's about finding a new family. It's about self discover. This is one of those books I try to describe and find that I can't. Suffice it to say, I found this a pretty amazing read.
Monday, November 21, 2005
91. The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien (273 pages)
This is a series of semi-autobiographical short stories about the Vietnam War. Reading this is a haunting and eerie experience. This book haunts me like a ghost and it makes me start to understand the dichotomy of the people involved in that war. They hated being there and they were hated for going there.
This is a series of semi-autobiographical short stories about the Vietnam War. Reading this is a haunting and eerie experience. This book haunts me like a ghost and it makes me start to understand the dichotomy of the people involved in that war. They hated being there and they were hated for going there.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
90. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
by Kim Harrison (464 pages)
Things are looking up for Rachel. There's no longer a death threat hanging over her head but she's broke. Freelancing isn't turning so well for her. On top of that, consulting for the F.I.B. isn't working out so hot either and life with Ivy...is kinda scary.
The world develops and plot thickens. I recommend this series to everyone and their dog. Read it....it's lovely.
Things are looking up for Rachel. There's no longer a death threat hanging over her head but she's broke. Freelancing isn't turning so well for her. On top of that, consulting for the F.I.B. isn't working out so hot either and life with Ivy...is kinda scary.
The world develops and plot thickens. I recommend this series to everyone and their dog. Read it....it's lovely.
89. Dead Witch Walking
Kim Harrison (432 pages)
Rachel is a runner for the I.S., an organization that polices the Inderland races particularly in their interactions with humans. Rachel's boss doesn't seem to like her though and eventually she's driven to do the one thing no one's ever managed to do...quit the I.S. That leaves Rachel living in a church with a living vampire and a death threat on her head. Whatever will she do?
Ok. I love this book. I love the characters and the world. I haven't had so much fun in this genre since I discovered Neil Gaimen.
Rachel is a runner for the I.S., an organization that polices the Inderland races particularly in their interactions with humans. Rachel's boss doesn't seem to like her though and eventually she's driven to do the one thing no one's ever managed to do...quit the I.S. That leaves Rachel living in a church with a living vampire and a death threat on her head. Whatever will she do?
Ok. I love this book. I love the characters and the world. I haven't had so much fun in this genre since I discovered Neil Gaimen.
88. Grave Peril
by Jim Butcher (378 pages)
Book 3 in The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden teams up with a holy knight to combat an unusual string of ghost infestations. As it turns out there's more going on than meets the eye.
World development continues and it's intriguing. Dresden's history is beginning to flesh out. Dresden himself becomes more sinister than comic in this story. Aside from a tendency to wallow in self pity a bit, Dresden finally comes to life for me as a strong character.
Book 3 in The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden teams up with a holy knight to combat an unusual string of ghost infestations. As it turns out there's more going on than meets the eye.
World development continues and it's intriguing. Dresden's history is beginning to flesh out. Dresden himself becomes more sinister than comic in this story. Aside from a tendency to wallow in self pity a bit, Dresden finally comes to life for me as a strong character.
87. Fool Moon
by Jim Butcher (352 pages)
Book 2 in The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden, the only wizard listed in the phone book, is helping the police in a series of savage murders. There be werewolves here. But what flavor?
Butcher hits his stride. This was an enjoyable. The character interaction is still a little strained but the world is developing interestingly.
Book 2 in The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden, the only wizard listed in the phone book, is helping the police in a series of savage murders. There be werewolves here. But what flavor?
Butcher hits his stride. This was an enjoyable. The character interaction is still a little strained but the world is developing interestingly.
86. Storm Front
by Jim Butcher (336 pages)
Book 1 in the The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden is a professional wizard who is usually broke and sometimes helps the police with magically perpetrated crimes. When the police call him to consult on the case of two deaths by exploding heart, Dresden gets in neck deep.
It's a well designed world with believable characters and a well defined system of magic. That being said, I had a hard time getting into it. The plot was a little strained although it was plausible and the character interaction was a little off. I think Butcher just hadn't his stride yet with this one. I will continue to read the series for a bit though and see how it goes.
Book 1 in the The Dresden Files
Harry Dresden is a professional wizard who is usually broke and sometimes helps the police with magically perpetrated crimes. When the police call him to consult on the case of two deaths by exploding heart, Dresden gets in neck deep.
It's a well designed world with believable characters and a well defined system of magic. That being said, I had a hard time getting into it. The plot was a little strained although it was plausible and the character interaction was a little off. I think Butcher just hadn't his stride yet with this one. I will continue to read the series for a bit though and see how it goes.
85. Something from the Nightside
by Simon R. Green (240 pages)
A cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Big Sleep, John Taylor is a damaged tragic PI, with a secret and a special gift. He can find anything or anyone.
This is a fun book but it suffers from incessant literary and cultural allusion and a somewhat derivative nature. It's a little predictable. On the other hand, it's fun and I enjoyed the characters. The character interaction was plausible. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys the genre and is well read in the area. Newbies to the genre will miss much I fear.
A cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Big Sleep, John Taylor is a damaged tragic PI, with a secret and a special gift. He can find anything or anyone.
This is a fun book but it suffers from incessant literary and cultural allusion and a somewhat derivative nature. It's a little predictable. On the other hand, it's fun and I enjoyed the characters. The character interaction was plausible. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys the genre and is well read in the area. Newbies to the genre will miss much I fear.
84. Cerulean Sins
by Laurell K. Hamilton (560 pages)
Book 11 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novel
Jean-Claude receives a visit from the representative of the head of his vampiric line. No one seems to like her much. Revelations abound.
Honestly....I keep forgetting what this one is about. On the other hand, it wasn't bad either.
Book 11 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novel
Jean-Claude receives a visit from the representative of the head of his vampiric line. No one seems to like her much. Revelations abound.
Honestly....I keep forgetting what this one is about. On the other hand, it wasn't bad either.
83. Narcissus in Chains
by Laurell K. Hamilton (656 pages)
Book 10 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels
An accident leaves Anita's furry status in question and unfortunately for Richard, it isn't a werewolf she's in danger of being. At same time there's a mysterious visitor and Anita is having to come to terms with some new and interesting revelations about her powers.
Hamilton cuts loose and lets the smut factor reign supreme....not that it isn't good. It's just about 50% plot development and 50% smut. Fun though.
Book 10 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels
An accident leaves Anita's furry status in question and unfortunately for Richard, it isn't a werewolf she's in danger of being. At same time there's a mysterious visitor and Anita is having to come to terms with some new and interesting revelations about her powers.
Hamilton cuts loose and lets the smut factor reign supreme....not that it isn't good. It's just about 50% plot development and 50% smut. Fun though.
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