Thoughts Post Election 2024

     It’s a shame that, as a centrist who voted for Harris, I worry what will be said if I congratulate the Republican Party and by extension President Trump on its victory this election. To be sure, I have never liked Trump or his rhetoric and I feel like the party as a whole has leaned into some of his negative character traits too much and excused too much, but the Republicans in my life have, in general, been kind loving people about as often the Democrats in my life and I have listened to both sides of the aisle.

    

    In fact, that is truly what I want to talk about: listening. Since the Democratic Party lost, most of this will pertain to them, but what I’m talking about is, I believe, more universal. 

    

   Consider this truth: if you found the Republican victory “shocking” and it seemed to you like every indicator showed Harris was the likely winner or that it would at least be a close race, there are probably a few issues at play.


    How diverse are your news sources in terms of political background? I hope you have more than one and that you go out of your way to listen, not to memes of the opposing party or soundbites shared from your side that cast them in the worst light, but to long form debates or discussions they are having. The diminishment of radios and newspapers and the rise of places like TikTok and X, for all the good they can bring, means that our attention is often held by clips not long enough to delve into the meat of real topics. They skim the surface. I am probably as guilty of skimming the surface as many in many areas, but I have tried to seek out long-form content from both sides to try to understand not only the issues at hand, but the people who hold them dear. I’ve listened to Trump on the Lex Fridman podcast and Harris on the Club Shay Shay podcast. If there is one long YouTube video I could recommend right now it would be a debate on The Free Press between Sam Harris and Ben Shapiro, both intelligent and articulate individuals who disagree on many topics, who clearly voted for opposite sides, and yet who can talk to reasons as to why to vote for one side over the other and yet admit to the excesses of their party.  

    But it goes deeper than purely what media you consume.

    Who are your friends or associates and who do you either block from Facebook or otherwise block from your life? I’ve made a point to never block anyone for their political views and it keeps me in the loop as to why people are voting for who they are voting for. It goes into how many social spaces you have outside of home and work - some of church, school, or the playground like I do, but it’s also so easy to stay inside and curate what we read or listen to. And with this it’s easy to think of the other side bad or evil or out to get you personally. That sort of distorted thinking should be challenged and changed.

    Third, what environment do you foster for free speech? Clearly not enough. The polls are an indication of this. If you are surprised at the election results and nobody around you said they were voting for Trump or had anything good to say ever about the Republican Party or its ideas, it could be because of reasons 1 and 2 I gave, or it could be because the people around you feel societal pressure not to do so, feel like they will be labeled for doing so. Oh yes, I am well aware of the things Trump has said demonising people from the Democratic Party, but I’m not talking about him or Harris - I’m talking about you and me and those around us. Already online I’ve seen people on the Democratic side throw fits online and describe how half the country clearly has it out for them or doesn’t care about them or wants them dead. Such hyperbole isn’t helpful and it certainly isn’t true. I hate to see either side vilify the opposing side, but it happens far too often. Talk to people and get to know people. Be slow to anger and patient with others.

    

   There’s more I could add, but I’m busy. Suffice it to say, I have reason to hope that the next four years won’t bring disaster and could even bring good - and that reason is I do honestly believe that the majority of the people who voted on both sides are people, even mostly good people. If you aren’t careful, you will be fed the worst of it and you can keep yourself isolated, but you can also break out and listen to those around you a little bit more. There are issues beyond the character of the President that matter to people and are so crucially important to them that it determines their vote more than anything else. And having listened to you, each of you on both stages, I understand you and love you even if we don’t agree. And we might even agree more often than you think! I won’t judge you for the bad actors on your stage, but instead seek to get to know you off the stage. If anyone from either party wants to talk to me know this:



I’m listening.

Going Postal: An Apt Read For Our Time

It's been a while since I've posted a review here, but this book has been itching at me since I read it.

Going Postal is a book by Terry Pratchett, famed author of the Discworld series, a group of sometimes interconnected fantasy stories taking place on a unique and clearly farcical world. I bring up farce, because his stories, the ones I've read at least, are just that, buffooneries that simulataneously don't take things too seriously while striking effective jabs at modern political and social norms.

In the story, Moist Von Lipwig is a notorious conman who is caught, hanged within an inch of his life, then put in charge of the long abandoned post office as a consequence/second chance. Although he is constantly trying to figure out how to escape, he ends up restoring it enough to put him at odds with Richard Gilt who runs the only other communications system in town and is willing to kill to keep it that way.

The story has been itching at me for several reasons, but I'll start with the characters. Moist is perhaps one of the most lovable con men I've ever had the chance to read. He's a dynamic character who is always looking for that gamble that will take him over the edge. He's great at reading people and great at thinking on his feet. His actions excite you even if not all of them are perfect and some are morally questionable.

In contrast, Richard Gilt is also a con man. But where Moist truly has a desire to never hurt people and has limits to what he will do, Gilt has no such qualms and will off anyone in the name of money and business be they rivals or compatriots. He is smart and smooth, not easily riled nor taken in. But whereas Moist learns to value other people and shift his talent away from selfishness and towards others, Gilt only doubles down. As an aspiring writer, I was awed by the perfect contrast between our hero and the villain, how close they are in character, but for a few important differences. Moist even declares at one point that his goal is to prove that he is NOT Richard Gilt.

The remaining characters are mostly one dimensional support characters who help Moist along in either plot or character ways, but they are written so well you love them. The whole book is filled with humorous barbs at collecting, politics, business, bad habits, obsessions, magic, knowledge, restaurants, class, that one stern old lady teacher you back in elementary school, and more. The plot is tight and internally consistent even as it's filled with hijinks and improbable situations. There's a lot to learn as both a reader and a writer.

And there's a lot to learn as a human being.

How can we prove we're not Richard Gilt?

How, when looking at two people or two groups, can we sort out who is Richard Gilt and who is Moist Von Lipwig? Out of all the actors in the stages of our lives, whether it be the upcoming election, wars abroad or wars at home, who are those in power who are in it for themselves and who are in it for themselves and no one else. Who places limits on the lies they tell? Who is willing to kill, physically or metaphorically, to maintain their position or their ego?

It's a hard line to walk and each of them says "Trust me." It was hard to escape this idea while reading this book and that's why I believe you should read it. Read it now if you can, but if not read it soon. Anyone can make the front page, but not everyone builds as they go instead of tearing down. I know it's not that simple, but it's a good start.

Books Read 2015 - 50 Reviews Part 1

Ahoy everyone; been a while since I've updated; sorry about that. Still I did want to let everyone know which books I've read this year and which ones you should pick up as well, which is most of them. The following are very briefly reviewed grouped together as makes sense, while still trying to keep in semi-chronological as to the order I bought them. I also want to take this moment to advocate audiobooks as a great way to catch up on long literature that you may feel you wouldn't finish easily otherwise. I did that for "The Count of Monte Cristo", "War & Peace", "Warbreaker", "Mistborn" (all 3), and most recently "Middlemarch" (in 2016). Listening to music is fun, but so is reading a new book. Also, "GraphicAudio" is a great audiobook area if you like full-cast audio (each character has a voice and there are background sounds). 

Key: Titles (# number if NOT the first time read), Author, Fun Picture, Review

The Great Hunt

The Dragon Reborn

The Shadow Rising

   By Robert Jordan

Books 2-4 of "The Wheel of Time" series. Epic fantasy at its epicmost. These books have great characters and a great vast story. That being said, the books feel dense, in that they are hard to speed through, for me at least. There are 14 books in total and I go through them slowly, but consistently (currently in the middle of book 5). If you like fantasy and enjoy being with a story for the long haul this is a good series to start. But if you want something quick, stay away.

War & Peace (2)

   by Leo Tolstoy

One of the longest books you can read in any language and one of the most worth it, in my opinion. This is a classic deserving of the title, a story that constantly makes you think in many directions. It takes place during the Napoleonic wars and often follows aristocratic families, so it has that old feel in many ways. And yet it continues to apply to you and to me nowadays. Tolstoy's theory on history is very interesting to follow if you are interested in it, but if not the story is excellent nonetheless.

The Aeronaut's Windlass

   by Jim Butcher

An excellent first book in a series. It has multiple viewpoints; I think that the cat is one of the best narrators ever. Action, Mystery, Steampunk, Airship battles, and character relationships and character arcs that you care about. If you don't like waiting for new books to come out in a long series (this is likely to be 6 books long), perhaps you can wait. But this book made me a Jim Butcher fan and now I'm out to read the other many many books he has written. This book does wrap up nicely as well, so while it is quite obvious there is more to come, you won't die waiting. Definitely an excellent book.

The Knife of Never Letting Go (3-4)

The Ask & The Answer (3-4)

Monsters of Men (3-4)

   By Patrick Ness

If you've talked to me about books to read before, this series has come up, almost without fail. This is my 3rd or 4th time through it and I love it every time. It makes me laugh, cry, and think in multiple directions. When I say that, it means that it doesn't give me easy answers on hard topics. Sure, it eventually leans in certain directions, but there is still much for you to consider as a reader. This is a trilogy where each book feels unique even though they are part of a larger whole. Each book is deep with symbols and meanings as well as good characters who change over time. This is one of my favorite series and I will continue to read them again and again.

The Sword of Summer

   by Rick Riordan

I enjoy a good romp. That's what Rick Riordan's books are to me. They don't feel deep (nor too shallow either), but I don't care because the story is just fun to go through. Also, you get to learn about Norse Mythology as you go. The characters are engaging and they learn over time and you love them. The thing that I love most about Riordan's books in general is that they encourage kids to read and learn. Classics are all well and good, but I appreciate the authors who, like bards of old, just want to tell a good story whose messages are easy to discern and that help their audience yearn for more. This is book one, probably of a 3 or 5 book series, so hold tight for the rest of them.

Hollow City

Library of Souls

   by Ransom Riggs

The final two books of the series "Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." A really enjoyable series that uses and seems in part inspired by old weird photos that appear to have illusions/camera tricks in them. Only this book takes those photos seriously and weaves a tale about children who have peculiar abilities. It's hard to say too much without spoiling the plot, but these have some good history to them as well as having good stories. The trilogy wraps up well and would be worth reading again I think. So have at'em.

Promise of Blood

   by Brian McLellan

Good first book - a mixture of old time guns and magic. The whole trilogy is out and has decent reviews. I don't like to give a final opinion until I've read them all, but so far so good.

Westmark

The Kestral
The Beggar Queen

The Book of Three (4)

The Black Cauldron (4)

The Castle of Llyr (4)

Taran Wanderer (3)

The High King (3)

   by Lloyd Alexander

The Westmark Trilogy and The Chronicles of Prydain are both excellent stories that also make you ponder. Three things I require of my favorite books - A good story, characters I care about, and words or situations that make me wonder about issues to my improvement. The Westmark Trilogy is less known but still excellent in this regard. The topics found there are perhaps a little darker than those found in the Chronicles of Prydain. That being said, The Chronicles of Prydain win the title, between these two, of books you need to read. If you like them, then try Westmark, as it is a similar style of writing with a very different plot. How can I put into words how wonderful the Chronicles of Prydain are? They are a classic to me, a must read series, a series that once read will continue to play upon your memory.

Ella Enchanted (2)

   by Gail Carson Levine

If you like old fairytales retold, this is a winner. I actually didn't realize until near the end of the book that this is a retelling of Cinderella, but it does it well with a new twist. A children's book worth reading.

Wild Seed

   by Octavia Butler

Wild Seed is the first book in a series that is all out and with good reviews; I just haven't had the chance to read the sequels yet. The idea of it, of a man who takes over other's bodies on death and has thus started breeding abilities in humans, meets a woman who almost cannot die. It is an odd almost scary story, and yet it is very compelling. I recommend giving it a read; it feels like a stand alone.

Enchantment (2)

    by Orson Scott Card

This had become one of my new favorites from Orson Scott Card. A stand alone story that feels very fresh, and one where the ending message is believed. I love the final lines. This is not so much a retelling of Sleeping Beauty as it is a story that uses that as a device. It also incorporates old Russian stories of Baba Yaga and the Bear and other stories. I love it and plan on rereading it again, probably this upcoming year. So so should you.

The Wrath and the Dawn

   by Renée Ahdieh

Now I want to read 1001 Arabian Nights. This story is, I've been told, a retelling/expansion of sorts on that. A good story and a good romance so far. This is book of of 3, I believe so we'll see how the others turn out. Still, this 1st one was excellent.

The Raven Boys

   by Maggie Stiefvater.

I love this author and the book didn't disappoint. This is book one of four, the 4th one not having been released yet. The thing that Stiefvater does well, as I have seen it, is to take a world that is largely our own and incorporate just a few elements that are new, in this case some Irish (or was it Scottish) mythology into the story. But the characters feel like characters you could run into today. So far so good; I plan on continuing to read the series.

A little poetry at a time

These days it feels like I'm not taking enough time for poetry and its a shame. That being said, here are 3 I've written recently. They are pretty unedited; please let me know if you have any comments.

Full Moon in the Caribbean 

A clouded night, a foggy moon, 

the ocean full of unseen stars

escapes to the horizon. Every direction

impresses me with its depth and hiding

Given physics and time, I dream

it would be possible to foresee each movement

the waves set forth from my boat, lost

in the smallness. Such time, God had

and push me out to sea and measured

each whisper and placement of steady ground.

I left know how brief this would be

and tomorrow, home, but tonight endless

is a name found in a line at the edge,

where the water meets the sky. Eternity comes

like the moonlight and the waves,

calling without a question, 

it tugs at the unclear sadness and takes away

what doesn’t last forever: the clouds and shaky waves.

----

Adrian’s Sonnet When We Were Tired

Today, I dragged Adrian out of bed,

hair-wild and short of breath. It is too late

to stay the same. I took him by the heart

and pulled him across town, to work, to speak

my conversations. My cold lungs were thick

and heavy to push. I shook him awake

splashed water in his face, but his whole world

was this same line: let me go back. Let me

shelter and hide. The sun flamed with the roar

that people made outside and in. You know

the days sadness sticks so hard to our hands

that what we hold dear, we break a little.

I’m sorry, love. What violence we do

to ourselves, when what we most want is peace.

----

Autoevaluation

The truth is, Adrian, I am melodramatic

falling on the floor tired, breathing carpet

and wondering about the consequences

if I actually fell asleep, what words 

they’d siphon from my absence. Sudden.

Unprecedented. Striking. I am a believer

in the hard truths of today. A dream is broken 

and naive; the heart has barely changed size

since I first left you, yet buildings burst forth

all around like fireworks and the stars we shot for

disappear in the smoke. I am forgetful:

meanings like love and hope and diligence

slip through me like a sieve and I search

to be filled, search into the rich darkness

where dreams gain color. Here I lay, waiting

on that old energy of youth. I am waiting

flat on the ground where you find me

every time the weight of time presses down.

The games we used to play, I play them still,

but tomorrow comes quicker, the joy fades faster.

Pueblo Day Poetry

Today I went into town of Bemidji (often referred to as the "Pueblo") with the 4 week campers that I'm counseling this summer. They were only allowed a bit of their electronics, but I didn't have anything I could bring, having lost my phone earlier that day. So I wrote poetry, first one poem, then another, then another. I think the 2nd and the 3rd turned out pretty well; at least, they are meaningful to me. It's amazing what we can accomplish when we disconnect a little from our electronics.

The Laundromat

Once there was a boy and a girl who met

because they were stuck waiting for their clothes,

nothing to do but magazines from last week

and one window to the lake, constant and changeless.

So they opened up their mouths and their hearts on wings

flew away from themselves, every week until finally

they met outside in white, clean and happy.

This happened so long ago, the lake has forgotten.

Their grandchildren and great-grandchildren come

and go each week like floating islands, cut off

by closed eyes and plugged ears. Lonely beaches

littered with bottled messages and words in the sand

saying “Speak to me,” “Listen,” “Help,” washing away

like dirt on clothes or hours in silence.

--------

Café

I like to be gone,

find a somewhere filled with strangers

smoothies, smells, and sleep.

There the walls come down

and whoever I was

(before the workweek, stern-looks,

good cries and nail bites,

after the late dreams, dances

soft songs and longings)

sits down with who I’ve become

two drinks between us

happiness and sadness

both hot, both cold,

that we drink from in turn.

No one notices our table or the memories 

that sit down and leave

that fill the chairs 

and leave them empty at the same time.

My mother or father used to tell me

truth comes in contradictions

dark and light, order and chaos,

strife and peace, who I am

and who I want to be.

Everyone needs a little silence

to talk it out, a rest

to work on what’s to come.

Some hours we spend days

lost in finding deep things

on the surface of ourselves.

Afterwards, I go, again myself,

again in a world I know is larger,

yet easier to understand.

Sum Summer Poetry

It seems I'm slower to post these days than in years past, but I thought I'd upload a few poems from the ones I've written this month. Always, if you have any constructive thoughts, please share.

September Going Forth

August is the month of the gods

and parades of them puppeted through the streets:

spirits of rivers, roads, and street lamps,

from the large cryptomeria tree to the sidewalk bushes,

the Kami flash in and out like fireflies,

spirits of fireflies and of summer dying, his blazing beard

orange in the sunset. One of a million gods

swaying to the wind, singing with the silence. Oh gods,

how beautiful we feel as they pass among us.

There are gods we see and gods we cannot;

humble, they hide in shadows, the spirits of the night,

stones beneath our feet, a swinging door.

We see the shapes and forget the majesty. All of August

we are made holy by their passions until one

by one they retreat into their lonely shrines, separate again.

We have, every one of us, gone our way.

And September, poor broken month, wakes up

abandoned from the first. I am born to a lone and dreary world.

Heaven is that dream that thunders in the distance

and wherever I look, there are only men and women playing gods.

What have they done that I should worship them?

The moon rises this month with a toast and the sun rises also

and I bow beneath them to let my spirit stretch.

--------

Signals

When the last sound escapes 

each night, that moment 

before sleep takes over

and the false signals of dreams

begin their hollow sounding,

I hope a catalogue is kept

in the silent library where I go 

to write the day’s story,

wherever memories are kept,

with a faint ring of truth.

--------

The Lights Of Life & Death

Like white bedsheets rippling across the sky

the lights in the north and spreading 

remind me of life and death coming:

of children with flashlights, barricaded

against the darkness, and the darkness

that comes for all of us, early or late,

when it others come to cover us.

Angels swarming in the sky,

I see ghost and dragons

in the shapes you make. The light runs

like shadows behind a waterfall.

Who do I know among you?

Father, Mother, children yet to come,

your spirits dance while you are sleeping

and I am watching over them tonight.

I know they say it is the sun,

throwing out its arms to us,

touching the air like the finger of God,

but let it be God also, sending a sign

to me, here, on the other side of eternity

of life unbound by the gasps of birth and death,

of breath so beautiful, it shines.

---------

The Commute Home

A lamppost struggles at the edge of the woods.

Women flicker like stars at a distance, heads bowed,

and the sounds of a bus rumble on the dusty wind.

The air is full of waiting and the black of forests. 

As when home becomes the name of a country

long-departed, for all its hours left abandoned;

as when those around you are no than faint lights,

the weight on your eyes blurring the world like rain,

these wait alone in the near darkness, both tired

and brilliant, like a a galaxy in the universe of night.

February Poems and Books

Well, it's been some time since I've posted anything, but some good poems have come out of February so I thought I'd share. On a different note, I'm up to 12 books so far this year. You can see which ones on the side of this blog.



Painting on the Wall
       - inspired by Bob Ross


I could never go there
where the leaves have stopped
moving, have forgotten the brush
of wind,
                 careful as lovers’ fingers,
upon them. The blue mountain, split
into bright snow and shadow, is neither
cold nor solitary,
                              though I know
no one lives in the shack at the base,
lights out, doorless, built to be abandoned.

And the lake is too deep for me,
brimming with starless black.
But though it is not a mirror,

nor the painting itself a reflection,
I see in the dark and light strokes
myself and what is missing.

--------

Downtown Decay
             Sing together, ye waste places - Isaiah 52:9

Another store shuttered up downtown;
what paint is left peels off in letters
leaving the vowels of mourning behind.
Yet they still gather on the patio outside,
the local beggars, mothers, and jazz artists
blowing notes for nickels. It’s business
as usual, because who knows another way
but to tap one’s feet in rhythm with the nails
being pounded down around them. All of us,
they say, have it coming, a day of closure.
Their own homes are lost or escaping
the weak grasp of their hands. Better then
to be together a while longer and listen:
a saxophone plays with the emperor's violin;
even the wind sounds like purifying flames.

--------

A Meeting

Lights bright without blinding,
soft chatter scattering
like white snow in the wind
and the piercing organ vibrating
its notes everywhere:

if this is not heaven, it must be
a branch of its eternal tree
broken off and fallen
on leafy ground. We grow

from seeds like this into forests.

------

Hope you enjoyed them!

Books Read 2014, 58

Here are all the books I read this last year, 58 in total, in reverse order of when I read them. Some where short, and some were long, but in the end it evens out, I believe. I've been awful about keeping up with my reviews this year, but as always, ask me if you want a more detailed review of any book. Hope you all have read many books and continue to read many more.

Legion: Skin Deep 

The Eye of the World 

The Blood of Olympus 

The Accidental Highwayman 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children 

The Graveyard Book 

Defending Elysium / Firstborn 

Beauty 

Enchanted 

Wonder 

The Emperors Soul 

City of Heavenly Fire 

City of Lost Souls 

City of Fallen Angels 

City of Glass 

City of Ashes 

City of Bones 

Seraphina 

The Goose Girl 

Legion 

The Screwtape Letters 

Goliath 

Behemoth 

Leviathan 

The Alloy of Law 

Princess Acadamy: Palace Of Stone 

Lips Touch Three Times 

Steelheart 

Shipbreaker
Words of Radiance 

The Way of Kings
Princess Academy              - Wonderful award winning book.
The Scorpio Races              - Had a draft of a review of this and Enchantress, but I forgot
Enchantress from the Stars - to post it. In short, both top class books I read often. Read them.
Warbreaker 

Book of a Thousand Days 

Across A Star-Swept Sea 

The Scarlet Pimpernel 

These Broken Stars 

The Iron Knight 

Ruins 

Pathfinder 

Shadow of the Giant 

Shadow Puppets 

Ready Player One 

Shadow of the Hegemon 

Ender's Shadow 

Children of the Mind 

Xenocide 

Ella Enchanted 

Emma 

Pride & Prejudice 

The Iron Queen 

The Rithmatist 

Hoot 

The Iron Daughter 

The Iron King 

Guards! Guards!

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.

-----------

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.

---

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.

---

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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