End of Year Book Review 2012

Howdy everyone! 

This year I have read 48 books, 8 more than last year and 2 less than the year before that. This year, unlike previous years, I have already written all my reviews, so now I will be merely attaching the links to the reviews already written. Most of the books are recommends, even strong recommends, but if you want the details, read the review, post a comment, or ask me directly.

Happy New Years!

Books I've Read this Year in Reverse Order (Most Recent First)

The Alloy of Law

Landscape at the End of the Century
The Crown of Embers

Book of a Thousand Days
This Time of Darkness
Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
The Scourge
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

Artemis Fowl
The High King

Taran Wanderer

The Castle of Llyr

The Black Cauldron

The Book of Three
Summer of the Swans
The Magician

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Interstellar Pig
Rose
The Princess Academy
Railsea
Shadow and Bone

A Monster Calls
The Alchemyst

Insurgent
The Book Thief
City of Bones

The House of Stairs
The Hero of Ages

The Well of Ascension

Mistborn
Number the Stars

The Serpent's Shadow
The Scorpio Races
The Drowned Cities

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Enchantress From The Stars
Birthmarked
The Wounded Land

Delights & Shadows
Sab

Clockwork Prince

Legend

Reviews: Legend, Clockwork Prince, Birthmarked, & Sab

This is my final review of the year. Later on I'll post a list that shows all the books I've read this year with links to their reviews. All 4 of these books reviewed were read in the first several months of this year.

Legend
Marie Lu

This story takes place in a future where the United States is divided into parts, with western US being called "The Republic." In the republic, the young criminal Day is the most notorious, primarily because he targets the elite. In truth, he is merely trying to save his family. Meanwhile, the young girl June is an upcoming military genius. There paths cross when Day, who has never killed in any of his past crimes, becomes the number #1 suspect for the murder of June's brother.

That's the kick-off to the plot and the book is certainly easy to get into and enjoy. The pacing is quick and the characters are enjoyable to follow. I feel the book is, if anything, a little too short. I wanted more evidence within the book of the intelligence of both of the main characters. Yes we get some snippets of their "genius," but not enough to convince me. Then again, they are both 15 years old. I suppose I felt just slightly let down because I expected a little more depth.

Still, if that sounds critical, it was still a really enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. It's the first of a trilogy, but it's enjoyable enough to read on its own. It was good enough to make me want to read the sequel, coming out soon in January. The plot is good, if a little too quickly done, and the characters are interesting and engaging. If you enjoy YA dystopian, this is a good quick novel to read.

Clockwork Prince
Cassandra Clare

This is the second novel in a trilogy, the first one being "Clockwork Angel," which I reviewed in my 2011 End of Year Book Review. The first book I gave ~9.5/10 due to it being the first book of a trilogy when I wasn't sure how the rest of the trilogy would turn out. If this book, "Clockwork Prince" is any indicator, the series is going to be phenomenal. I'm not sure which book is better; right now they're both incredible. Obviously, the final book is yet to come and won't be out until this May, but I'm confident it'll be good.

This book deals with Vampires, Werewolves, Warlocks, and other underworld people set in Victorian England as the Shadowhunters, a group of powerful demon-hunters, seek to prevent a nefarious man from achieving his evil plot.

Perhaps that sounds obscure, but to not give spoilers from the first book, I can't really talk much about the second book. You can get the summary from Amazon.com or something.

One thing I do really love about this book and the series as a whole is the choice of setting it in Victorian England. This creates a different character dynamic and an atmosphere that is really unique in today's YA fiction. The characters are well handled and the plot is engaging and full of twists. If you enjoy fantasy and a little romance I highly recommend this series.

Birthmarked
Caragh O'Brien

This story is about a young midwife girl named Gaia on the outskirts of an enclave in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are limited and most of the world is a wasteland. A certain number of children are collected by the people in the city every month to help the population, but many people question the policy. When her parents are mysteriously taken away and sentenced to death, she decides to take action and slip into the city to see if she can save her parents and perhaps, at the same time, discover who her brothers are in the process. But can she stand up to a corrupt society all on her own?

Looking back, it wasn't that bad of a book. It feels average even though the premise is interesting. It's not often you deal with midwives as protagonists and Gaia is an interesting character. Unfortunately, there were also several elements that were not so great, such as the ease with which she accomplishes certain trials, the over-emphasis of her feelings about the scar on her face, or the lack of believability with certain people and their perspectives / changes. There are definitely some good moments and some other good characters in the book, but overall it felt merely okay. And this is the first book of a trilogy where the rest are out with increasingly disappointing reviews. It's not likely I'll finish it.

It should be noted that, while reading this book, I was busy with schoolwork to the point that I didn't really read the book through from start to finish in a short period of time; it took me over a month, maybe two, and I've noted that my opinion of a book goes down when that happens, even if I would've torn through it under other circumstances. So perhaps it is better than I currently think. That being said, it's hard to recommend the first book in a trilogy when the remaining two don't sound much better. If the plot intrigues you, go for it and maybe you'll like it better than me. I did finish it, which means it was at least worth finishing.

Sab
Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda

Every now and again I read a book for a class that I absolutely love. This is the first book that I have read entirely in Spanish, other than the Book of Mormon in Spanish (El Libro de Mormón), and I loved it.

This book is about the love of a slave, Sab, who is the head steward for a Cuban family in Cuba, for their innocent yet naive daughter as she prepares to marry a man not worthy of her. Some may try to reduce this book to merely an anti-slavery book or a feminist book, but I feel this book is about the human experience. In my class I wrote an essay on the topic of how the idea of sensibility is expressed in the novel - how we are presented human suffering and we are led to be against it.

If you can read Spanish, read this book. There is much to learn here. If not, I hope the translations available do it justice.

Reviews: The Alloy of Law, The Wounded Land, Landscape at the End of the Century, & Delights and Shadows

Two more days to go before the end of the year and I still have 8 more books to review from this year, most being books that I read earlier this year when I wasn't doing immediate reviews.

Hence, today, I shall do 4 of them, probably more quickly than I would normally like.

The Alloy of Law
Brandon Sanderson

This is my last book read this year, finished last night. For those who may have read the "Mistborn" trilogy, this book is set on the same world, but 300 years later. At first I wondered if it would be too similar to those novels, but no, this is a fresh book.

The story centers around a country lawman, Waxillium Ladrian, who returns to the city to inherit his title as one of the city's nobles. Soon he finds that corruption has followed him there, only now he's supposed to leave it to the inept constables. Can he leave his lawman days behind him? or is he the lawman needed now to save the city from a group of bandits called "The Vanishers?"

The story is complex and twisting in its own right, but, as before, one of the elements that makes this novel stand out is the integration of Sanderson's original fantasy ideas into the world in which this story takes place. In this world, there are certain people who can use certain metals for special abilities. Wax is a rare "Twinborn" who can both  "Push" on metal objects as well as make his body lighter and heavier at will. Others also have  abilities and the use of these abilities makes for unique action sequences and clever solutions to difficult problems.

This book is good as a stand-alone novel as well, even if it does end with a strong hint of more to come. I'm also glad that a sequel has been announced because Sanderson is a strong writer and I look forward to reader much more by him.

Overall, I loved the book. If you come to this book expecting it to be exactly like the "Mistborn" trilogy, it's not and it's not meant to be. It helps to have read the previous novels, if only to get a better understanding for the world in which it takes place, but this books explains what it needs to explain and it is still very enjoyable. I recommend it for anyone loving well thought out fantasy that is also thought provoking.

The Wounded Land
Stephen R. Donaldson

I read this book back in February, I believe, or somewhere around there so my recollection won't be perfect on the plot.

This story revolves around two main characters: Thomas Covenant, a mysterious reclusive leper, and Linden Avery, a doctor new in town who doesn't know of Covenant's past, but soon gets mixed up in it. Soon, both are transported to The Land, a world Covenant has visited before, only now it is a bleak and downtrodden place where Covenant must seek a way to right what has gone wrong and return the two of them safely home.

This is a dense book. That's how I describe books that are rich with their vocabulary at the cost of slowing down the narrative. The world is very well built and the plot is terrific, but it takes time to get through because it takes time to understand both the new vocab introduced by the author because of the strange would they are in and also just the vocab that is more difficult.

That being said, this is a very good book with complex characters and complex themes. You worry for the characters and what may happen to them.

This is the 1st book in the 2nd trilogy of Thomas Covenant; I've skipped the 1st trilogy because I was worried whether I would like them or not due to Covenant being less of a hero and more of an anti-hero especially at first. Prior knowledge isn't really required as the previous novels are summed up quickly before the novel starts and is also explained within the novel.

I still need to finish this trilogy, but this book left me wanting to finish it, so that is positive. The only thing that holds me back is knowing that it will take more time than perhaps other books.

Landscape at the End of the Century
Stephen Dunn

This is a poetry book and a very enjoyable one at that. Dunn is a poet that makes poetry accessible and likes to talk about everyday situations. In his poems, he finds insights in seemingly simple things. As a poet, I feel I have a lot to learn from him and I believe I revisited his poetry often.

What more can I say? If you love poetry, give him a try.

Delights and Shadows
Ted Kooser

Another poetry book read earlier this year. Kooser is another down to earth poet who finds inspiration in everyday things and expresses his feelings, thoughts, and viewpoints in ways that are easily accessible. I loved this collection and I hope to learn a lot by reviewing these poems.

Again, what more can I say than this: if you love poetry, read this.

Reviews: Book of a Thousand Days & The Crown of Embers

Book of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale

Dashi the maid accompanies her lady as she is imprisoned in a tower for 7 years for rejecting a potential marriage. While trying to survive, ration out the food, and comfort her lady, she begins to write in a journal the account of what goes on. While there, two suitors arrive, one kind and the other not at all and Dashti must begin to make decisions in place of her indecisive lady.

This story is based on a fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers and is excellently done. As a reader, you enjoy following and getting to know the character of Dashti and the world through her eyes. The style of writing - that of reading a journal - is interesting yet fitting. It works to draw you in and you feel close to Dashti as you share in her thoughts. The plot is unique and compelling, easily pulling you forward to continue reading. And the overall message of the story, that of sincerity, concern, courage, decisiveness, selflessness, and faith is convincing.

In short, I loved it and, as my sister recommended it to me, so I recommend it to you.

The Crown of Embers
Rae Carson

This is the sequel to "The Girl of Fire and Thorns", which I reviewed earlier this year. It is the middle novel of three which often makes people think of a mid-trilogy slump, but I would say the story continues very well. I can't reveal much of the plot due to it being a sequel, but it is action packed, yet thoughtful as it follows Elisa, the main character as she tries to make the right decisions and be strong at the same time.

The only thing in the book that makes me be cautious about recommending this, and I do this to be honest, is that the discussion of sex out of marriage as possibly an okay thing didn't sit well with me and my beliefs. Nothing bad happens in the book and it isn't a major part of the book, but it's enough to make to worry slightly about the next and final installment. I'll withhold my unreserved recommendation until then, but if you've already started the series and you want more of the same, this is a  book that moves the plot forward in good ways and does not disappoint in that regard.

In short, I liked it, but I'm worried slightly about the trilogy as a whole that it may not be a trilogy I keep after having finished it. Still though, "The Girl of Fire and Thorns," the first book of the trilogy, is a good enough to read on it's own and ends in a satisfying way.

Poetry & Essay: Portrait of a Tragedy

Portrait of a Tragedy

He wakes up again

to the news of children

gunned down by an unknown

man.

He showers like normal

and breakfast is the same cold

you might hear in a voice

today.

Before leaving, he forgets where

he dropped his keys last night,

pats himself down in panic: his sides,

his back pockets, his heart,

but there they are on the table

by the newspaper, splattered

with pictures and inked words

that almost have no meaning.

There’s a photo of a dead man

who looks like anyone.

Next door he hears everything

his neighbors shout

and their infant wails.

On the sidewalk, he watches

as a little girl moans,  

trailing behind her mother’s phone.

He brushes past them

down his road into his routine.

Work will consume me,

he trusts; he prays

it’s only a bad beginning,

a day that feels clouded

even though no clouds cross

the everyday blue,

another day where nothing’s changed,

except suddenly he doesn’t know himself.

------------------------------

Yesterday, we heard in the news of a gunman who went into an elementary school, killed many of the children and some of the teachers and finally himself. Words do not adequately describe how horrible this is from every angle. 

And yet to me, I feel like I have heard the news before. Not the same place, not the same people, but, sadly, there have been many shootings in my time: movie theaters, universities, high schools, open streets, downtown areas, suburban neighborhoods. The gunmen themselves have all been different and I'm not saying that these have been orchestrated by anyone, but nor can I say these are isolated events; there is something in our culture that is rotting away at people. 

Someone, speaking about this particular event, said, and I paraphrase, that this time we need more than sympathy and condolences. But is it laws that we lack? or do we lack moral discipline? do we seek to establish what is good and true and right? or do we proclaim that whatever someone does there is no wrong or right, that truth is relative? Forgive me if this offends you, but the latter way of thinking, that of moral relativity, is one of lies that feeds tragedies like this. This tragedy was not born in a vacuum; the world that we live in, the world that promotes selfishness, pride, greed, egocentricity, lust, casualness, passion over reason, sloth over diligence, and vice over virtue, has contributed to this. And so have we if we support that way of thinking. 

Now is not the time to look outward for blame; now, as always, is the time to look inward and evaluate if our moral standards need to be raised. Change begins first with the self, then to those around us, then to those around them until it spread throughout the world. But if we are unwilling to become better moral people ourselves, then we are part of the rot that leads to the moral decay we saw yesterday and see everyday.

In essence, this event and my thoughts on it is what led to this poem. Where does the man in this poem fit in? Wherever you lead him, I suppose. This poem is meant to be what it says it is: a portrait. But which is the tragedy? Aren't there many tragedies in this poem? I hope this poem and this little essay of sorts make you think and that your own thinking may lead to change for the better.

Reviews: The Scourge & This Time of Darkness

Today I’ll be review two books I’ve read recently: “The Scourge” by A. G. Henley and “This Time of Darkness” by H.M. Hoover, both dystopian novels.

The Scourge

I read this at the recommend of my sister and it was well worth it. The novel is about a blind girl Fenn who lives on the floor of the woods with her village in constant fear of zombie-like people that come every now and again, known as the scourge. They live in delicate balance with the Lofties, another group of people who live up in the trees; each protects and despises the other. Fenn’s blindness, however, is also a sign of her protection against the scourge, allowing her to bring water to her people whenever they have to hide from the scourge, along with her guardian provided by the Lofties, a seemingly kind boy named Peree. Normally the scourge come for several days and then leave again, but this time they are staying longer than before…

The set up is well done and it is intriguing to read a book that is narrated entirely by a blind girl. In one way it feels natural because we as the readers are as blind as she and we have to imagine what our surrounding is like. The characters are well portrayed and you grow to love them over the course of the book.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the book is the fact that it kept surprising me. I’ve read a lot of books and a lot of dystopian books and there are some things that I can usually see coming, but this time I didn’t. For me, that was a pleasure.

The book ends well – it could receive a sequel and probably will, but it also stands alone as a good book, meaning that no matter what happens in any future books, this books is still worth reading. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good dystopian book mixed with a little romance. And it only costs 99 cents for the Kindle too, so it’s a pretty awesome deal.

This Time of Darkness

This book was written in 1980, which makes it one of the earlier dystopian novels for all ages. This was also a recommend from a different sister. Good thing I have such wonderful sisters, eh?

Anyway, this book is about a girl named Amy who lives a boring life in her city where there are no windows, lots of people and poverty, and where standing out is bad. Then she meets a strange boy named Axel who claims to have come from Outside, a mythical place that makes most people believe he’s gone crazy, but Amy wants to believe its true. But even so, how can they escape when they are constantly under surveillance?

There are many dystopian novels out there today that wish they could be as original as this book. Although not everything in this book is as fleshed out as we might wish it, it also doesn’t drag on in way. Its purpose is to show a world gone wrong and it does a terrific job of it. The two main characters are complex and changing and enjoyable to follow. I wish that the book had gone slower in some places and taken time to show us more of the dystopian world, but even so the picture left in the mind of the readers is clear and possible. The book is realistic and it doesn’t feel contrived; not to me at least.

It’s an old book and therefore easy to find cheap online. If you love dystopian novels, I recommend this book to you; it’s well worth it.

Metalwork

Metalwork

We bought 5,000 tons of steel,

here in this eastern town towered with trees

and stacked it to the left

of the warehouse, with no one

who wanted it. Its presence let us tell ourselves

we had something to protect us. At night,

when the moonlight hit it right,

it looked the silhouette of workers

waiting for a new job, eyes watching everything,

and the buyers sold out

a month later. We recognized the signs,

but scraped together some cash and our iron fists.

There’s no metal less pliable

than stubbornness, and we specialized in resistance.

Even with work floors thinning out

and the roof weighing heavier

on our wallets, who would admit it?

The Chinese came like tourists and took

photographs; we didn’t object.

They asked about the brick building abandoned

by the previous company, the one who knew nothing

about metalwork. We had it filled

with workers, once, but then it was closed

and though the rooms were clean and the machines

only a little rusty, within the slow gears

of our minds, we knew what brokenness looked like

and told them not to enter.

-----------------------------------------

Sometimes, oftentimes really, I'll here someone say something or describe an occurrence in their life or in the life of a cold friend and I am moved by a certain wording. I can't always describe why it is, but a phrase or two will stick with me. So it was tonight, hearing a friend of mine whose nephew is a buyer once worked for a company that bought and then sold or used steel (and probably other things too). The first thing that stuck with me was the image of 5,000 tons of steel being bought and stacked next to the building that they were unable to sell. The next thing that stuck out to me was when he said "When the Chinese came and took photographs, they didn't object." Something about that just struck me as a sad image for a factory / company. I'm not well versed in business, but having recently read a poem that used the "we" point of view, I wanted to try it out in this poem to paint a picture that would describe the situation and help us feel it as well. Although I have no idea how similar companies are doing nowadays, the overall struggle for jobs is, I believe, relevant.

So, I hope you enjoyed the poem and as usual, if you have any feedback at all I'd love to hear it.

Epic Review: Artemis Fowl Series (8 books)

I've been meaning to write up this review for a while, but school has bogged me down of late.

Anyway, this series of 8 books is a gem.

I can't say much about the plot of more than the first book without getting into spoilers quickly, but in essence this series is about a child criminal mastermind who attempts to get gain by capturing a fairy and holding it ransom for its gold. He's not all bad; he has his reasons and motivations that come to light over the course of the books. Of course, the Fairies, who are actually a technologically advanced race living further down in the Earth, don't take the capture of one of their own lightly and quickly attempt a a rescue plan. The questions is, can they outwit Artemis Fowl?

Each book in the series gives the feel of a mystery become Fowl and others will hatch plans, but the reader won't be told all the details until later, so you have to attempt to figure out what is happening along the way. Each book gives you clues as the what may end up happening, but even so you as the reader are delighted to see that Artemis really does come up with clever plans. At the same time it is made clear that Artemis isn't infallible; he makes mistakes and pays for them. What's more, the characters in each of these series grow over time until you are really familiar with them and the changes they are working through.

Another quality element to the series is that each book is a self contained story. All you need to know is found within the book, although a greater enjoyment is gotten from reading the series in order. Each book also feels fresh. It's not easy to write two books about the same character and create a different theme and a different situation that includes different perils and unique situations, but the author, Eoin Colfer, manages just that. Only by the middle of the series did I catch on to certain things that the author does repeatedly, but it didn't bother me one bit. I also enjoyed how most characters kept reappearing in new situations; there's only one character I can think of that I thought I would see again, but didn't.

These stories make you laugh; they make you feel; and they make you think. What more can you ask from a book? My only regret is that the series is over. I recommend this series to everyone. They are relatively easy reads that are well worth the time it takes to read them.