Super Quick Last Minute Reviews

Because “Procrastination in the thief of time” and because I’ve had a busy year, I present these super mini reviews of the books I’ve read this year that I haven’t yet reviewed. Read one or read them all, but most of all, read.


Brandon Sanderson Novellas / Short Stories:

Sixth of the Dusk
Defending Elysium
Firstborn

These first three are all in the 70 page range or so (maybe, I don’t actually know because I read them on Kindle), but they are all fantastic – each one causing you both to care about the main characters while at the same time introducing you to a well thought out world that you know you only know a part of while at the same time making you think about a larger idea. Among these three I’d say my top pick is Defending Elysium, mainly because the idea found therein is so interesting – what does it take to because an advanced and civilized race? That being said, I have so far loved everything I’ve read by Sanderson.

Legion
Legion: Skin Deep

Both of these are relatively short – Legion being about 70 pages or so and the sequel perhaps 110 pages. Neither of these are fantasy or sci-fi, which he normally writes; unless you consider a story about a man with multiple personalities that he interacts with all the time to be fantasy. These are more detective stories with interesting thoughts mixed in with the intrigue. Both solid recommends.

The Emperors Soul

This novella deserves a special mention as it won the Hugo Award 2013 and I feel it deserved it. I mentioned it earlier, but I’d say that it is standard fare for Brandon Sanderson to create interesting and likeable stories woven into a new world of his own invention in a interesting story with unique ideas that make you think at their core. This one does all of those excellently.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I decided to start the Wheel of Time series because Sanderson finished it. This is book 1 of a 14 book series and each book is big. I can see why so many people love the series – it’s a complex and interesting narration that promises an epic tale and delivers well with the first book. I’ve heard that some of the middle books didn’t turn out as well, but this first book, at least, is a winner.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

This book concluded the “Heroes of Olympus” series, the sequel series to the “Percy Jackson” series. I liked the book and the series as a whole, but I have to say that I liked the original series better: the ideas and style were fresher and it felt like the author had more to say of import rather than merely showing us more about the ancient Greek and Roman gods. Still, if you enjoy a romp, this story fits the bill. Personally, books 3 and 4 or the series worked better for me.

The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp

A fun fantasy story involving fairies and highwaymen and delightful narrative. As per usual these days it is part of a trilogy so I hesitate to recommend it on its own. Nevertheless, it looks to be promising. I’d keep an eye out for it and its sequels.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A unique story largely because of its integration of photography into the narrative – and odd photography at that. The story would be haunting if it were a movie, but as it is it’s an enjoyable mixture of fantasy and history. Also the first book in a trilogy – I’ve plans to read the second book, which is already out, early this next year. So far so good.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I’ve long wanted to read something by this author as he is oft quoted and oft praised. This book definitely deserves it. This story feels like a series of short stories that end up coming together at the end. It is a book that is self-contained, which always feels refreshing to me, and it contains many life-lessons within. It is a book that, while fantasy, caters well to reality. No wonder it won both the Newbery Award and the Carnegie Medal. Definitely a recommend.

Beauty by Robin McKinley

I have loved both books I’ve read by this author before: “The Blue Sword” and “The Hero and the Crown.” This book is a retelling of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” and it was effectively done. If you enjoy retellings, this is one for you.

Enchanted by Orson Scott Card

I love a good self contained novel and this is one of the best of them I’ve read this year. Card has a way of making his characters actions seem natural, which allows the feelings that develop between the two main characters also seem more real. This is a retelling of sorts of Sleeping Beauty while also telling more of the story of Baba Yaga. A great adventure with a solid conclusion, this book comes with a high recommend from me.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

A story about living with a deformity at a young age, bullies, friend-making, and basic other-people understanding. By using multiple viewpoints this book successfully got you into the mindset of August, the main character just entering 5th grade, as well as his family and his friends. The book is uplifting and leaves you with a good feeling.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

The City of Bones
The City of Ashes
The City of Glass
The City of Fallen Angels
The City of Lost Souls
The City of Heavenly Fire

All good books set in a world with vampires, werewolves, and lots of romance. Seriously though, it was a really enjoyable read with many surprises and an overall good conclusion. I felt like the first 3 books were mainly about Clary and Jace whereas the final three books, while still following them in plot, had more of a character arc for a different main character – Simon. Either way, good stories. In some ways slightly shallow, but the author does have many good and thoughtful moments in there as well. I still prefer the series “The Infernal Devices” Guess I’ll have to reread that one next year.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartmen

An interesting take on Dragons and half dragons. A good fantasy story that’s the beginning of trilogy. As usual with trilogies, my final take will have to wait, but this is another good beginning. Likeable characters and a blooming romance work well for me.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is an excellent author. Another retelling, this one, quite obviously, tells the story of the Goose Girl. An enjoyable plot with a good character arc for the characters I’d recommend this book any time. Good for kids as well as adults.

Princess Acadamy: Palace Of Stone also by Shannon Hale

Also by Hale, I would read “Princess Academy” first, if only to introduce you to the characters. This book follows it up well and yet maintains its own story effectively. The heroine is just as compelling as before and the story has a good moral to it. If you enjoyed Princess Academy (which is also high on my recommend list), you should also enjoy this.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I’ve reviewed this before, but I’ll say again that these letters make many great points about Christianity taken as if from a devil’s perspective. If you enjoy Christian Theology, check this out.

Leviathan Trilogy

A solid trilogy. Rereading them for the second time I found slightly less rewarding than the first time, but I still enjoyed them all. The story feels complete and enjoyable while the world is still an interesting one to think about as an alternate history of WWI with different technology available.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson again. I’d read the Mistborn Trilogy first if you haven’t already, as this is a follow-up to those. This book is the first of a quartet and a very enjoyable one, as per usual by this author. Many great things to think about as far as life-living goes. I wish I had time to go into them, but that’s what I get for putting off these reviews as long as I have – I just have to rely on you to be a good reader and want to read. And you should read everything by Brandon Sanderson.

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

A group of three short stories by the author. All were good though perhaps a little morose for me. All very descriptive and working out well (sort of) in the end. These seemed very much like the fairy tales of old.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

This has been a very Brandon Sanderson year for me. He’s very very talented as a writer and quite prolific, coming out with two to three books a year. This is also the first book in a trilogy so my final assessment will wait, but my guess is that it will turn out well. This book puts a little bit of fantasy into our modern world. As usual, Sanderson creates his twist on modern life very well and his characters are wonderfully done.

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

A great stand-alone dystopian novel. The author has created a plausible look at future not too distant from our own based someone off climate change and somewhat off of human greed. Either way, the lessons to be learned are well carried by the compelling characters in this story. This is my second time reading it and it’s worth it.

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If you have any specific questions about a book or a series, please don't hesitate to ask - I would love to give details to a friend who desires to read.

How To Keep A Home

At times, when I want to sleep, a poem won't let me. Sometimes, as I hear people's struggles, I wish I could help. All I have is poetry.


How To Keep A Home

She who is the pillar of your home,
don’t bring her down
through absence or detachment.

Polish her until she shines,
fill in the cracks left by the day
to day grind of holding life together.

She is Atlas, and you are the sky
and the children, heavy clouds
clinging to her strength.

When you are above her,
it is because she loves you enough
to keep your dreams from crashing.

If you must lean against her,
do so to uphold her,
lest she cave beneath the weight

the desire to be loved bears down on her.
She was not meant to be alone,
but half of the entrance to a home.

Your place, at times, is to be right
beside her, but in order to hold her tight
when the open rain chills her.

Be the fire that illuminates
her greatness to those who seek shelter,
even as you warm her to the soul.

You are the elements she lives in,
so be gentle in your touch and whisper
softly like the wind at night.

Yet more than these, be beneath her,
a foundation in the hurricanes
who will not shake in his support.

Be one building, inhabited,
a husband, a wife, listening
to the trembling of each other’s heart.

Poetry: Rebuilding

It seems that when I'm most tired, a poem will come that won't let me sleep. So it was last night, so I thought I'd share the poem with you today, after only a few edits.

Rebuilding

Here, the bricks we left behind,
red as blood after a long breath,
decay into a dull gray as death.
We still recall the beauty of old
buildings built to last, but always
another decides the day has come

to rebuild. I don’t blame them,
only notice how each board
replaced becomes unknown
in the city where I learned love
grows into the cracks of age
and up the walls we raise.

As, one by one, the beams, the bricks,
each element of where we called
home were changed out, how long
before it only appeared the same,
without even the ghost to haunt
the newness that remained?

What once was, no longer fits
into the pattern. Fresh paint
bled for a day, then dried.
I found the pile of dust and rubble,
pink like skin, a few blocks down,
a discarded past at the heart of town.

Remember the center divided
evenly into squares, yet each alone
in its patch of history, surrounded
with crumbling houses and stone?
No one told us they were fragile,
those stalwart mansions.

Review: The Way of Kings & Words of Radiance

                                                                     (cover of "The Way of Kings")

The review of these two books, "The Way of Kings" and "Words of Radiance" have been a while in coming, partially because I am lazy about writing reviews and partially because I wasn't sure how to get my message across. To put it simply, these books are grand in every sense of the word. Each book is larger than 1000 pages, yet I never got bored or bogged down. They inspire you to keep reading. In truth, I couldn't get enough; I devoured these books back to back in a week each because I wanted to keep going.

These books tells the story of multiple people whose tales converge.

Kaladin, once a formidable captain, is now a slave, depressed because of the people who have died because of him and his inability to protect anyone. He is forced to become part of Bridge Four, an army's suicidal distraction used in the siege against the Parshendi, a group who murdered a king 5 years back. Bit by bit, Kaladin overcomes his depression and tries to make a difference in Bridge Four, tries to save lives and perhaps even work towards regaining his freedom.

Dalinar Kholin is the murdered king's remaining brother. He declined the throne, leaving his nephew as king, but remains hard at work to get back at the Parshendi as one of the lead generals. However, recently he has begun having visions from the Almighty and he begins to wonder if this is the right war to be fighting. A larger foe comes and he has been tasked with uniting the the high-princes. Except, who will follow him if they believe him delusional?

Shallan Davar is an ambitious girl seeking to become a ward and student of the heretic Jasnah Kholin, niece of Dalinar. In truth, she is there to steal her soulcaster, an device capable of causing transmutation. Her family is relying on her for it before the truth comes out that their father is dead and they can't pay their debts. But can she steal from Jasnah? And does she really want to?

Over the course of both books, the main action leads them all to the Shattered Plains, the location of the siege against the Parshendi. The real enemy begins to appear larger than this long war. Why was the previous king murdered? Who is the Assassin in White, his murderer, and who is behind him? And finally, what happened to the Knights Radiant so long ago and how can they be gotten again?

Through bits of information here and there, the reader begins to better understand this complex plot and world that Sanderson has woven together.

This series takes place on the fictional world of Roshar:

Here, many cultures and races live and storms often rage across the land. The majority of the action takes place in the southeast of Alethkar, that country being the place where the king was murdered. Yet Sanderson, through short "interludes," as he calls them, is able to give us glimpses of what is going on in other parts of the land and thus able to show us the world at large and hint at the larger struggle to come.

These books are part of a planned 10 book series (split into two sets of 5). Sanderson knows how to write Epic Fantasy and these books are as epic as can be. Yet at the same time, each is so far worth reading on its own. As other commentators have mentions, the author understands how love and trust form in the human heart and shows us how it can happen. He understands the nature of repentance as felt by the individual and how hard it is to put off the past or accept it. Sanderson knows the importance of truth and how integral it is both to power and peace of mind.

I love these books and everything else I have read by this author. So if you're looking for a book to inspire you to read again and you enjoy fantasy, read these books. The series may be a long time coming, but you will never regret starting now.

                                                                   (cover of "Words of Radiance")

June Poetry

So, it's been a while. I've been reading a lot and otherwise busy with life, but I've been writing as well. Here are 5 new poems from this month and then 5 revised ones further below. My usual reviewer has been busy this month, so any feedback on which ones are the best would be helpful, or any other comments as you see fit.

When, Not If, You Go 
- for Adrian

Lose yourself
on controlled terms.
After noon, after work,
at the light, shoot straight,
instead of right.
Be green changing.
Remember how to turn
your world around
requires a wheel
and a memory for streets.
Learn backroads beautifully
worth forgetting time.
Listen for the secrets
others breathe in the night.
Watch for the end
of every road. Beware,
the edge of cliffs
are graveyards,
are full of sleepers.
When you hesitate,
vibrate like a violin.
Make others listen
with a voice like beating
wings against gravity.
Make them see you
have experience in flying
where others fall.

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

Words For Adrian

It’s a humming night - thoughts
like the refrigerator keep running,
beginnings without end,

keeping chilled that freshness
which expires. Adrian
reads across the table as I type,

pause to look at him, catch
a sliver of what we both think,
then forget to write it down.

Instead, I sieve the day for seeds:
did a student ask something
insightful? What is the loneliness

a schoolyard feels in summer?
How do I feel as my mother cooks
dinner for me, her grown-up boy?

Nothing new and everything
a pattern I have been writing
into the pages of my mind.

How quickly a home hollows
late at night, collecting words
and imagining your old self

across the table ignoring you,
engrossed in someone else’s words.

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

From One Writer To Another

Remove the scuba mask and drown
in the blinding blueness of a day.
Stop sucking air. Start moving
those fingers, pink like a baby.
Crawl before you walk. Run
your mouth endlessly at the walls.
Do the unexpected. Jump off the cliff
of uncertainty and spill your soul
against the page. It is a thin barrier.
Poke holes. Scar with ink. Keep on
scribbling doodles in margins, anything
to unanchor your hesitation on earth.
Breathe beneath the surface of things.
This art kills only when left bubbling
under your tongue, itching your skin.
Blow up the dam and dive into the water.
You’ll never be more alive.

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

Summer Begins

Like the lightning
bugs blinking in, out
here stars feel their way
up the hill beyond town.

They sit like lovers,
side by side, black on black,
their worlds brushing

for a moment, fire-
flies blinking out, in
the warm yawning
silence of summer.

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

The Shared Bed

At night, stars glow on the ceiling
of our sister’s room, everything
left as she made it. Adrian draws
the covers tight to him, cold
without our brother, who once
when we were children, also
dreamed beside us. I complained then,
but now I see the stars and wish
I could touch distant things.
It was my sister first who reached up,
who stuck the plastic stars above us
as a nightlight. Then my brother,
then I, then Adrian, all summer
made the space our own and believed
the posters were ours, imagined
the stuffed animals spoke with us,
as they had with her. Each in turn,
we wrapped sheets haphazardly
between legs, beneath arms,
alone on this bed, wondering
where the others went - the wanderers
who leave home, who leave behind.

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

So those are the new ones. I particularly like "When, Not If, You Go", but I think some of the others might have some potential. Anyway, the remaining are all revisions of past poems - ones I've already decided I care about and want to improve.

The Pecan Trees

Tell me, Adrian, what do you see, looking at our city?
Leaves, buildings, dirt piles and ghosts of buildings
run across my face like a picture screen.
                                                             Our home
is someone else’s and the old roads don’t bend easily
that way, not since the highway built itself
through the middle of our town like a zipper.

Remember the horse field, where Mother brought us
to two trees, revealed how fallen shells could be cracked
open and discarded in favor of the fruit?

We gathered armfuls to bring to her. We learned
the difficulty of breaking things, the taste of pecans
mouthfuls at a time, and the end of seasons.

The trees were cut to make room, the Spanish moss
grew in the oak trees like webs in vacant homes,
and I broke away like a branch, like a shell, like a seed.

Adrian, I have grown, so why have you stayed,
wandering the white rooms I left behind, cleared out
as I traveled the world (as far as I could) of adulthood?

There are days, heavy days, where I feel you clinging,
on my back, a child. You linger, searching each highway half
for memories to break open.
                                             Those are shells, Adrian.
The trees are replaced, our heart, planted elsewhere,
and that’s where you’ll find me, Adrian. I’m choosing
both what we had and where to harvest next.

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

Home of Departures

What I would love to relate to you
is an airport quiet and shuddering
in a dark blizzard in Atlanta.

This is the place I remember my parents
struggling with their age - wheelchaired
and pushed or riding passenger
on an old shuttle between gates.

And this is the station meant to be
transient, unstable, a home for migrants waiting
on a delayed flight, the next one home.

We each have the need to fly,
but I’m glad for the days I’m given
a reason to stand still and see
the hand of God in a snowstorm,

where there’s no need to run
to catch a gate-closing flight,
no need to leave anyone behind.

I want you to know how time stops
when everyone sleeps
off to the side. How far the aisles reach
when they let their luggage down.

How certain memories always stay:
a wall of glass, a window,
my parents and I watching snowfall
on a white open runway,

sleeping across two chairs, all night
no planes landing or leaving.

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

The View Down

The man works in an office
emptying baskets, wiping down desks,
and pausing at a high window
on the 47th floor, like his age.
At night, the city is a stranger, speaking
sounds and sights he wants to trust:

clocks click like the polished shoes
of shadows striding the hallways,
while behind a crowd of buildings
sirens shine like the stars,
which also mourn their arched fall
in a quiet corner of darkness;

the moon crawls over roofs
like the boy the man once was,
eager to discover the keys
to each locked hole in the sky
and every door closed on him
on normal sleepless days;

and always homeless cars
swim through the depths
of the city’s cold rocky floor
like the anglerfish whose light
is left dangling in the eyes
as a simple dangerous lure.

But wages also pull at him,
so eventually the man turns
back to vacuuming the dull rug
of his life, slow as a fishing boat,
tugged towards the shore
of a sea that drowns the world.

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

Portrait of a Tragedy

He wakes up again
to the news of children
gunned down by an unknown
man. He knows

he should clean up like normal
and his cereal is the same cold
you might hear in a voice
today as any day.

Before leaving, he can’t recall where
he dropped his keys last night,
pats himself down in a panic: his sides,
his back pockets, his heart,

but there on the table, they linger
by yesterday’s paper, splattered
with gray pictures and words
that leave him confused.

Already, a photo, a face
who could be anyone.

Next door, his neighbors
begin a war and he hears
their infant wailing.

He hurries out to the car,
flips the radio on then off,
and beats his fingers on the wheel.

He struggles to explain
how distance makes a difference,
how today’s drive is longer.

Almost there, he notices
as a girl drags behind her mother
who pulls harshly and with words

and he brushes past them
down this road to his routine.

Work will consume him,
he trusts; he prays

it’s only a bad beginning,
a morning that feels like night,
though the sky is bright
as normal, another day

where nothing’s changed,
only he doesn’t know himself.

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

“Only The Words Remain, Floating In The Air”

In an open passage of his home built with broken garage doors,
northern Mexico, off a ditched dirt road sloped down from Main Street,

he says this of unkept promises while his little girl, recovering from the shock
of live wires, clutches his legs. They said they would clean up this mess.

But their words were white wool lies, remaining static
charges waiting to reconnect, to return to earth.

Where are airplanes that never touch down? They circle
with whale shadows; they sweep through the saline sky

and swim between the gathering storm of more gray flights
and jets of smoke. It’s all I can do to hold my breath

as a return passenger, stuck where the air only thickens inside.
But other marbled days I’m your childhood balloon man

who hands you the yellow and red ones at the fair.
Parents buy so many balloons; it’s not out of the blue

to hear that one more child has floated away,
clutching the thin strings of his rainbow cloud.

The wind shoves and some days I don’t come home either,
rocked in a silver current of news like winter streams.

At times my feet have pounded down a steep green hill,
but more often I forget the grit of dirt and the strike of gravity.

The words must come down. This truth is as the dark side of nature:
these clouds rising, the ensuing crash of rain and thunder,

the light flashing blackness, the explosive echo.
Across the world, lightning leaps the hollow chasm

between abandoned wires hung high in the dusty air
and where we stand, as proud as trees on a crimson plain.

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

That was a lot of poetry to get through all at once, so if you did it, thank you. I hope it was worth it. If you did this in multiple reads, thank you for coming back. Please let me know what works and what doesn't.




P.S. - If you hadn't noticed, I'm up to 40 books this year. 16 book reviews to come, hopefully soon.

16 weeks, 24 Books, 24 Mini Reviews

Probably because of Student-Teaching and First-Year Teaching, I didn't read as many books in 2013 as I would've liked, so this year, it seems, I'm trying to make up the difference. Already I've read 24 books and show no sign of slowing. I don't have time, unfortunately, to give full reviews to any of them, unfortunately. Some of them already have older reviews, so you can check those as well. But anyway, here are some mini-reviews to give you an idea about my feeling for them, in roughly the reverse order from how I read them. Because the reviews are short, I've added pictures, just in case those make you want to read more than the reviews.

---

Warbreaker
Brandon Sanderson

What can I say except that I have loved every book that I have read thus far by Brandon Sanderson and this book is no exception.

This tells the story of two kingdoms on the brink of war. The oldest princess Vivenna has been trained from her youth to marry the God-King of Hallendren, but at the last minute the king sends his youngest daughter, Siri instead. Siri feels hopeless in matters of the court, but struggles to do her best to please the strong and silent God-King while also trying to discover how to keep her country safe. A short time afterwards, Vivenna goes to Hallendren to try to free Siri, but ends up in the underground trying to keep Hallendren from going to war.

Both of the girls have stark character arcs from the beginning to the end of the book, yet both are for the better. Meanwhile, the other characters are compelling and wonderful to follow, especially the Returned God Lightsong who doesn't believe himself a God, or the enigmatic Vasher who is working towards some unknown end using the strange ability that "Breath" provides him.

As usual, Sanderson creates a truly believable world even though most elements in it are foreign to us. He leads us in slowly through characters that are also learning as they go and so we participate in their sense of discovery. The characters are convincing, the plot is engrossing, and the conclusion is satisfying. What more can I say? You should read Brandon Sanderson.

---

Book of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale

I've read this book before and I'm glad to have read it again.

This tells the story of a maid and her princess who are to be locked in a tower for many years because the princess would not marry who her father wanted her to. We are told the story: what they do, how they survive, and how what they do afterwards, as if through the journal of the maid. It is a wonderful storytelling device and it brings us to have a better understanding of her character.

It's a quick read and it's also an enjoyable and meaningful read. High recommend.

---

 

The Scarlet Pimpernel
Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Across A Star-Swept Sea
Diana Peterfreund

I talk about these two together because "Across A Star-Swept Sea" is a modern sci-fi take on "The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic romance/adventure novel. It's been around for long enough that you can find more detailed reviews of it than I have time for, but suffice it to say that I love the old language and wit contained therein and the plot is still interesting and engaging, especially after the first few chapters and you really understand what's going on. Well deserving of the title "Classic".

Diana Peterfruend's modern take on the story is also very interesting and engaging, though for different reasons. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where genetic engineering went terribly wrong and caused a catastrophe and some many people to become "Reduced", or mentally impaired, the people on the two islands of this book have overcome that past through medicine. But now, on one island, a rebellion has taken over and is using drugs to induce the previous nobels into a permanently Reduced state in order to get back at them. However, their efforts are constantly thwarted by a mysterious figure known as "The Wild Poppy", who is in truth a girl by the name of Persis Blake.

Full of action and romance, the book lives up well to the story it borrows from. And yet they are not fully the same story because these characters are unique and work within the compelling world that Peterfreund had created.

I don't know if it helps or not to read "For Darkness Shows The Stars", a book by the same author also set in the same world and based off of "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. That book was first and a few characters in it also appear in this book. And yet, I don't think one has to read them in any particular order as they are two different looks at the same thing.

Either way, both "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Across A Star-Swept Sea" get my thumbs up as terrific books to read. Perhaps one of the things I like best about Diana Peterfreund's books, and the reason why I hope she keeps on writing similar books, is because they drove me to read the old classics, and for that I am thankful.

---

These Broken Stars
Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

I'll admit, I wasn't sure at first if I'd like it because it sounded a little like some other stories I've read.

Guy and girl meet, have feelings for each other, but can't fall in love because they're from completely different social classes, except then some catastrophe happens that forces them to be together for so long that they end up falling for each other anyway.

And yet, because of how much I enjoyed the two main characters and felt that they were unique individuals, I loved it and would heartily recommend this book to anyone.

As already alluded to, Tarver is a war hero aboard the Icarus luxary space crusar, there along with many of the elite. He meets Lilac, but soon discovers how much they are from different social classes and backs off. Then, the Icarus begins to crash due to an unknown cause and Tarver and Lilac manage to escape together on a pod down to an unknown planet. There they do their best to survive and be rescued, except all is not as it seems on the planet.

Both main characters have good character arcs from start to finish. As the book-flap will tell you, they are not the same people at the end as they were in the beginning. The plot is relatively simple, but the characters and their interactions make it interesting the whole way through. I also thought that a good job was done with the alternating viewpoints between Lilac and Tarver.

Perhaps what I really like about this book is that it serves well as a stand alone book. I've heard that they may try to make it into a trilogy or what-not, but even if those books are no good, this book is worth reading on its own, so I'm glad to have read it.

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Pathfinder, Ruins
Orson Scott Card

Ah, Orson Scott Card. I have loved much by him over the years and I was delighted to find enjoyment in both Pathfinder and Ruins as well.

On a planet far from our own, yet based off of ours, Rigg, following the death of his father, goes on quest to find the sister he never knew he had. He has always had the ability to see the "paths" of living creatures - where they have been over time, but he has been warned not to let others know of this. Yet he must use it and learn more of it as he journeys on. And soon he discovers that he is not the only one with special abilities and he, along with them, are the key to escape and saving the planet.

Card is a writer who creates compelling characters, plot, and still manages to get interesting philosophical dialogue into the story without the narrative feeling bogged down. At least, that's how I view it. If you enjoy good sci-fi/fantasy as well as a healthy dose of philosophical discussions, both Pathfinder and Ruins will serve you well. These books are part of a trilogy, so time will tell if the ending will satisfy or not, but I have high hopes for it. Knowing Card's previous work, he is practiced at what he does and he does it well. Give these books a try.

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Ready Player One

Ernest Cline

What can I say except that this book is an 80s nerd-fest? I think you have to be a nerd who likes games and the 80s to like this, but since I fit that bill and loved it, I can't really say if others will or not. 

The story deals with a future in which there is a virtual game called OASIS that almost everyone uses because the real world is so bleak. The creator of the game, Halliday, left behind an easter egg in the game, leaving his whole fortune to whoever can find it. Wade Watts is one of the fanatic searchers, but in the five years since the beginning of the hunt, no one has turned up a single clue, until now.

Filled with game and 80s references, this books is a blur. It reads well with plenty of action, mystery, excitement, and some romance. It's a nerd's dream. Perhaps my favorite thing was that the book doesn't leave the real world behind either - its an integral part of the story. The conclusion is also satisfying. There are plenty of good meanings to take from the book. All this being said, while I'm glad to have read it myself, I can't really recommend it either due to the frequent use of profanity and some amoral and atheistic stances that I disagree with. I skimmed those parts where I could, but better not to have to worry about them at all. If you don't mind what I've described, or don't mind a little skimming, and you're an 80s nerd, then by all means you should read this book, but as for me I'm happy to have read it once, but I probably won't be reading it again.

---

   

Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant

Orson Scott Card

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the books in the Enderverse. This isn't my first or second or third time reading these. I'd say this is my 6th or 7th time? Maybe? I've lost count. So I recommend these books heartily.

That being said, it should be noted that the series that follows Ender is more sci-fi and philosophical, whereas the series that follows Bean discusses more the way that politics and military operations work. Both series, I think, give good insight into human character and the deep and complicated inner workings of thought. Of these 6 (out of the 8 original), Ender's Shadow is the easiest to recommend without reserve. Ender's Shadow is similar to Ender's Game, but not quite as full of symbolism and, of course, the drive of the story is very different. Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant are more similar to Ender's Shadow, but still different as they discusses happenings on Earth and is more about war and political maneuverings. Xenocide and Children of the Mind, originally intended to be one book, I can only really recommend to people who love sci-fi and enjoy deep philosophical conversations. But as for me, I love these books.

---

Ella Enchanted

Gail Carson Levine

This is, as one might imagine from the title, a children's fantasy story. Ella is a girl cursed at birth with having to obey any and every order given her. Throughout the story she struggles with this while still trying to deal with the death of her mother, the coldness of her father, her love for the prince. This makes for some funny moments, but also some poignant ones. Perhaps my favorite part of the whole story was that didn't realize until just near the very end that this is actually a retelling of a famous fairy tale.

Overall, if you enjoy children's literature and fantasy and fairy tales, this is an excellent book to take home with you.

---

 

Emma, Pride & Prejudice

Jane Austin

So I'm a guy and a Jane Austin fan. And why not? Her novels are excellent and filled with insights into society and character. And what's more, they're about love - enduring, meaningful, and understanding love.

I tried to write synopsis of them, but I can't do them justice, so I deleted them. If you want a synopsis, look them up. In short, they are romance stories with much deeper characters, insights, and meanings than most modern romance stories. So I recommend them as much as I can. They are classics that are, actually, classics in my book. They fit the bill of being both great stories and deep in a literary sense. Read them as soon as you can, then keep reading.

---

The Rithmatist

Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is a genius author. I'll probably read most everything he writes. Although this isn't the greatest thing he's written, this book is still great.

This is a YA book, so it's not as long as some of his other books. The plot takes place in an alternate history U.S. where the U.S is really a conglomeration of islands. But more important to the plot, there are wild chalklings that attack people and certain chosen people called Rithmatists who use chalk drawings of their own to combat them. The main character, Joel, is not a Rithmatist, but he's always dreamed about it and is enrolled at a school where Rithmatists also go. Soon his interest in Rithmatics leads him to be caught up in trying to find the mysterious Scribbler, a mysterious figure abducting Rithmatics students.

Overall, the writing is excellent, the insight into character supurb, and the plot and world-building of the book are, as usual, stunning. Sanderson is very adept at making us the reader, feel informed on whatever system of magic he has invented, only to later show us that we know very little on a grander scheme of things. This is a definite recommend.

---

Hoot

Carl Hiassen

The title says it all in many ways. It's full of laughs and owls.

The basic plot is that a new kid named Roy becomes interested the "running boy" who runs past a bus stop at full speed every now and again in the mornings. It turns out there is a link between this boy and the shenanigans happening at the construction site of a new pancake house and soon Roy, the boy, and a girl named Beatrice all become involved.

The premise sounds silly, yet between all the crazy incidents in the book, it's somehow believable. Truth is stranger than fiction, as they say. Anyway, I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters - they have their personal issues and reasons and they grow over the course of the book, especially Roy. It's kid friendly, yet it also teaches concepts of doing what's right, even if it's unpopular, which is a good message for everyone to hear. If you enjoy children's literature, check it out.  

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The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight

Julie Kagawa

Current pop culture meets fairyland meets romance. 

Meghan Chase believes she's a normal girl, but strange things have happened around her since she was small. On her 16th birthday, her younger brother is kidnapped and she has to go into Neverland in order to get him back. She is aided on one hand by Puck of the Summer Court and on the other, Ash, the Ice Prince of the Winter Court.

These novels were fun and enjoyable, yet not super deep, for me at least. Don't get me wrong, none of the books were bad and I did enjoy reading them, but only the last one was really thought provoking. The last book, "The Iron Knight", indeed was the best, which is nice for a series to end on a high note.

Romance was definitely the focus of these books, but the interplay between the fairy world and the real world was interesting too and the characters were interesting to get to know. Overall, if you're looking for a modern fairyland romance, this is a fine book to choose, but it's not on my top reads for this year either.

---

Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett

This book was a great start to the year. A parody on classic city-guards vs dragons type stories, this story constantly pokes fun at fantasy clichés, while, at the same time, conforming, in some ways, to them.

In this story a Secret Society develops a plan to summon a dragon to cause panic and then have a puppet "heir to the throne" "vanquish" it in order to take control of the city Ankh-Morpork. Captain Vimes of the City Night Watch, generally viewed as a group of useless incompetents, begins to notice some odd goings on and soon becomes charged with stopping the dragon.

It's a bit hard to describe, but this novel is witty and hilarious, yet sharply insightful at the same time. I hope to read more by Pratchett in the coming years to see what happens as the characters in this novel already begin to have some great character arcs.

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

And that, finally, is that. Some excellent stories read and more to come.

Sleepy Poems

I'm tired and about to go to bed, but I just realized that, without having posted anything for the last month+, my blog has hit 2000 views, so I thought I'd celebrate a little by posting some recent sleepy poetry. Enjoy and good night.

In My Sleep

I am a thousand words
restless on a bed, somewhere between
the clear night sky of deserts
and my pillow, stuffed and sunken in.

I am a hundred pages
written in one dazzling firecracker
of a moment at rest,
back against the wall of gravity.

The day is a fuse
and at night, my colors burst
where no one can see
the spontaneous brightness of my room.

I know because it wakes me
when the stories crash onto the floor,
a mixture of every paint
imagination can summon forth.

I collect them carefully,
pen to the page, though the colors fade,
in hope you believe that once
these words were loud and vivid.

--------

At The End Of The Day

He returns without a thought: nothing
about eating or sleeping, but like a machine
his body twists the key like a knife
and drags himself into the kitchen,
makes hand to mouth motions with a drink
and something reheated from yesterday,
then stands in the shower and let’s it run
all over him - the heat, the dirt, the day -
and when it’s over, he doesn’t believe it
or disbelieve it, he merely changes
one outfit for another, cleans his teeth,
sets the alarm and systematically turns off lights
retreating as it were from the door to his room
before slipping away beneath heavy covers
where his mind has been from the beginning.

Poetry: Groundhogs, Sliding, & Walking the Dog

It's been a while since I've posted. Already I've read 12 books this year, but have been too lazy to review any of them. I'll get around to it. But here's some recent poetry. Enjoy!



Groundhogs

Two poets walking up a path as groundhogs
chatter over the morning grass;
they eat the world at their feet.

Such earnest faces, gnawing at their discoveries,
and though you may not distinguish it
they are laughing as they go,

so full of seeds and shade, a life apart
from beavers building dams
or squirrels hoarding acorns in the deep.

They dig to the heart of the earth
to find their shadow, then let it go
when they wish for spring.

Or grasp it like a quilt before long winters;
I should know, having been one with them,
these long months an animal asleep.

I woke up long ago in an open country,
left my burrow and went wandering
on a path learned by groundhogs.

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

Got this idea from the poem "Waxwings" by Robert Francis. Went with my own animal and my own conclusion. 

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

Walking The Dog

He leads from our house down a tired road
trotting like the master of a thousand men.
He rushes as usual behind a crowd of maples
to sniff out canine neighbors and fowl presence.

Bursting off from the ground, already
the geese are in their places: a perfect V formation
flying away. It is always at this hour, passing by,
when a day of my past slips away with them

and circles back around, faithful and soft:
a moment from my childhood looks back at me
to the time we hid ourselves beside a lake of geese
and broke bread with them to exchange forgiveness

as now so often, when I am hungry for mercy,
when past pardons seem to disappear like birds
too far off to be remembered, I hold out my hand
with a treat prepared for the one who stands close.

I believe my dog knows this, faithful lord that he is,
and brings me back day after day to remind me.
He knows which roads twist to where peace is
and he discerns the right pace to pad on home.

An who am I to argue with intelligence?

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

This is a revision of an older poem of mine - I'm still trying to get the last middle stanzas right, but I think I'm headed in the right direction.

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

Sliding

What is it that drives snow
deep into my lungs?

Cold as we are cold
when surrounded
by falling.

Warm when it is bright
and we are laughing
while children slide.

Or was it I sliding
down into a past
I will not forget?

The hills are small.

It only lasts minutes.

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

Just a short one I wrote after the recent snowstorm we had here, and after I felt silly, but happy, riding down a small hill on cardboard.

If you have any questions or comments to give about any of these poems, please let me know. I'm always looking for feedback.

End of the Year Book Review 2013

I'm behind this year, having read only (or as my sister says only) 35 books this last year of 2013. I have a friend who's read 150 books, so I don't feel too accomplished. Still, considering that I've also started my full time job as a high school Spanish teacher, I figured I'd be a bit behind this year. My current average is 42 books a year. Hopefully I'll bring it up next year. Without further ado, here are the books (out of order from how I read them unfortunately) and the reviews:

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Ask and the Answer

Monsters of Men

The Bitter Kingdom

The Silver Crown

For Darkness Shows The Stars

Persuasion

The View From Saturday

Airman

A Book of Luminous Things

Siege and Storm

The House of Hades

Speaker for the Dead
Ender's Game (And Movie Prediction)
Repair

The Positive Dog

The Rithmatist
The Alloy of Law

Kneeknock Rise
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
The Far Side of Evil
Walk Two Moons
The Search for Delicious
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel:

     The Enchantress

     The Warlock

     The Necromancer

     The Sorceress (Seperate Review)
Incarceron

To See The Queen
Clockwork Princess
The Scorpio Races
Robin: Lady of Legend
The Mark of Athena
Moon Over Manifest
Elantris

And that's it. If I had to pick my favorites from the year I'd be hard pressed. Most were excellent reads, though some were more meaningful than others. If I had to pick, I'd probably pick the books that I've read multiple times anyway because I get more out of the book the second time through. The books from this year that are first time rereads are: The Scorpio Races and The Alloy of Law. The others that I've read 3+ times are Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Enchantress from the Stars, The Chaos Walking Trilogy and The Search for Delicious. 

Happy New Year to all! May you all read more this upcoming year than in the last! And maybe do some writing of your own too!

Sincerely,

Carey

Last-Minute Reviews 2013 (First-Minutes of 2014)

Sorry to have to keep these next reviews short, but time is short (sure I already missed the deadline, but I want to get to bed with these all done.. These reviews barely do justice to the books, but believe me when I say they are all worth reading. If you have further questions on any one of them, don’t hesitate to contact me about them. I’ll just have to reread them and review them again in coming years.

Persuasion

Jane Austin

Persuasion is one of Jane Austin’s classic novels. It tells the story of Anne Eliot who, when she was younger, was persuaded from marrying a man, Frederick Wentworth she loved. Now, the same man returns to town but he appears to hate her. Perhaps that doesn’t sound like much of a plot to you, but for Austin it is enough to weave a very interesting tale about English estates, opinions of people, how to understand the true character of people, how long love can last in the heart, how to tell between truth and lies and much more. Austin is a master at creating interesting characters and making you feel engaged in simple things like coming over for dinner. Or perhaps it’s just me and my love for that time period. But I think not. A high recommend any day for anyone.

For Darkness Shows the Stars

Diana Peterfruend

I follow that review up with this modern retelling of the same tale. The plot is slightly thicker though I still believe Persuasion to be the better book in the end. That being said, this novel is excellent and worth reading on its own merits. Similar to Persuasion, this tells the story of a girl, Eliot North, who, because of duty to her estate in a post-apocalyptic world, did not run away with her childhood love, Kai. Years later as struggles continue to occur on her estate and the growing tensions between those who seek technology and the Luddites, Kai reappears in her life as Captain Wentforth along with a larger group of seafarers. Just like in Persuasion, he appears to hate her at first for her past decisions. An enjoyable read with some similar themes to Persuasion and, delightedly, some themes of its own invention. Of greatest note is that of the positives and negatives to technology or the lack thereof. As some have commented I would have almost liked to hear more on the topic. That being said, those looking for a good romance will find it, both in this book as in Persuasion.

The Bitter Kingdom

Rae Carson

This story wraps of the trilogy that began with “The Girl of Fire and Thorns” and “The Crown of Embers.” And the book wraps up incredibly well. Elisa, who started off timid, unsure of herself, and unable to do much of anything at the start of book 1 has really come into her own as a strong character by this book. Her relationship with Hector is well done, if slightly more romantic than I’d like in one moment (you can skip it). Hector is also a narrator in this book and provides a unique perspective to things. The writing is well done and the plot is satisfying. It’s hard to go into the plot without spoilers, so if you have questions, just ask me. But if you’re looking for a trilogy that is satisfying from start to finish with action and romance and overall well written narrative, this should be your next pick. Go for it.

(As I’ve had a few trilogies crash and burn in their third book recently I was super happy to have one end well (i.e. don’t read the Maze Runner or Divergent series).

The Silver Crown

Robert C O’Brian

Have you read “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH? Well this is by the same author and it is an excellent fantasy story about a girl named Ellen who wakes up on her birthday to find a silver crown lying on her pillow. She tries it on and walks outside with it. But soon she returns to her home to find it has burned to the ground and that strange people are trying to get her. This is a children’s story, perhaps best for the middle grades when reading on their own, but fine if read younger. Contained within the story are the various people that Ellen meets along the way and the stories they have for her that help her to learn and grow. I love stories with character arcs and this has a good one for Ellen. In addition the supporting cast of characters, especially Otto, are excellent. And in the end, the story is something to think about with its implications. So go and read it. It’s short, satisfying, and better than many books that come out for adults.

The View From Saturday

e.l. konigsburg

Speaking of children’s books that are incredibly better than most popular books out there in today’s market, this one fits the bill. A Newbery award winner, it tells the story of 4 6th graders, Noah, Ethan, Nadia, and Julian, on a Quiz-Bowl-like team along with their teacher Mrs. Olinski. As the kids answer various questions the story takes us back to how the children knew the answers to the questions and how they all slowly got to know one another and become a team. Their stories are stories that inspire me. I want to re-learn how to write calligraphy. I want to institute (herbal) tea time in my home (at 4 o’clock). The whole story is uplifting and inspiring and I want my kids someday to have good building experiences as these kids had. I feel this book really has power to change the reader, so read it and let it change you.

In short, all these books were great and I'm glad to have read them. Happy New Years everyone!