Posts tagged books
Book 8: The Windup Girl
Mar 2nd
Title: The Windup Girl
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 300
Summary
The world after the oil bust is a grim place. Labor is provided by massive animals, expensive methane is the source of most light. Global warming has caused the seas to rise and engulf whole cities while genetically engineered and mutating diseases ravage those who were not drowned.
In this world, the city Bangkok is one of the few surviving population centers, the ocean held back by massive walls and pump systems. The surface calm betrays turbulence as the Environmental ministry and the Trade ministry war with each other over the best philosophy to use to continue survival.
Notes
Ok, first of all, I should mention this book has several fairly sexually expicit scenes in it so if that kind of thing bugs you this is not the book for you.
I almost gave up on this one. I was about 25% of the way through and I had no idea what was going on. There were so many characters, places and random words in different languages (mostly Thai and Chinese) which did a lot to provide flavor for the world, but ended up being really hard for me to get over and figure out what was going on. But I kept reading and right about 1/3rd of the way through everything started clicking and the book took off.
This is the author’s first real novel and I’m hoping it’s not his last. He did a wonderful job of (after the initial confusion and story setup) intertwining multiple threads of story into a single unit. It’s based around 4 sets of characters which have their own independent storylines which run parallel and eventually intersect.
A deep story that presents a realistic example of what might be in wonderfully written prose, I’d have to recommend this book to any fan of science fiction. Just don’t give up on it too early!
Next Book
For the next book, I’m reading Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass by none other than Lewis Carrol. Not only because I’ve never actually read the book before, but because this month’s City of Heroes FArt Competition challenge is based around Alice. So I’m trying to grab some ideas.
Book 7: American Gods
Feb 18th
Title: American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 624
Summary
Shadow is released from prison after finding out his wife has died. Unsure of what to do with himself, he joins up with a mysterious man and launches into a journey of self discovery which eventually expands outwards into a journey examining the very fabric of spirituality (not religion, exactly) in the united states.
Notes (Some Spoilers)
This is a fantastic book, and the second book by Neil Gaiman that I’ve read. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for his ability to entwine multiple plot-lines into one cohesive unit and add hooks and twists to early parts of the book that don’t immediately call attention to themselves (“Oh, so the cat likes to eat tofu. That was random…I bet that’ll be used later”)
But it has the feel of more than just a good work of fiction. Through his story, Mr. Gaiman also casts a critical eye over the spirituality of the entire nation, offering an outsiders perspective on the way our spirituality has changed from the time our ancestors arrived in various ways bringing with them their gods from the old world and how, as time went on people began to lose sight of where they came from, caught up in the next big thing.
The last…oh, half of this book just snared me and I basically couldn’t put the book down. I sometimes zone out when characters engage in dreams and wacky spiritual trips through their own subconscious but that wasn’t the case here. I was glued to the story and left wondering what would happen next. Everything is intertwined from the beginning of the book all the way through to the end in a way that you don’t see coming and yet is believable once all is revealed.
My one small complaint is that some of the interludes between chapters, explaining how various gods arrived in the new world were a bit rough to get through. They tended to happen right as the book was getting good and I was more interested in continuing the story than being diverted.
But overall, I highly, highly recommend this book.
Next Book
The newest Sword and Laser book has been announced, so I think that’s what I’ll be reading next. The book: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Headed back into Sci-fi land for this one. I know nothing about the author or the book, so I’m hoping this’ll be a fun ride.
Book 6: Mass Effect: Revelation
Feb 4th
Title: Mass Effect: Revelation
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Genre: Science Fiction/Video Game Book
Pages: 336
Summary
The prequel to the video game Mass Effect, this book deals with the events directly leading into the story of the game. David Anderson is tasked with finding our what happened to one of Humanity’s research stations. On the way he meets up with the Turian Specter Saren.
Notes
Here’s the second video game novel that I’ve read recently, the first being the Dragon Age: Origin novel. I’ve got some mixed feelings about this one. From the perspective of a novel designed to give out background information on the story of a video game, this novel excels. The story is interesting (for somebody who knows the events that happened in the game) and learning how Saren got to the point where he was in the game is cool.
As a stand alone novel, however, it falls a bit short. The story is presented well, but the characters never seem to develop their own voices. Especially the various aliens. In the game, each alien species has it’s own mannerisms and phrasing which help make them feel more diversified. This book, could have just as well been a bunch of humans wandering around talking to each other. Every character feels the exact same, and there’s very little actual character development over the course of the story.
It relays the events well, but doesn’t make me care about the characters.
Next Book
I’ve decided that I’m going to finally get around to reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman next. After I borrowed Neverwhere from Wassy a while back, I wanted to check out his other writings.
Book 5: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
Feb 3rd
Title: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
Author: David Gaider
Pages: 400
Summary
The prequel to the video game Dragon Age: Origins, this book details the struggles of Prince Maric as he tries to gain back his thrown, overthrowing a puppet king placed there by an invading nation.
Notes
Ok. As a rule, I usually don’t generally read video game books. They’re usually not very good at all. Simple stories, so-so writing…sometimes not even really having to do with the game itself. But I’ve made an exception for this book for three reasons
- It’s written by the same guy who wrote the story for the game, so he knows what he’s talking about.
- It’s a BioWare game and they know how to tell a story.
- It came recommended to me by a friend.
So, with that in mind, I picked it up and was pleasantly surprised at just how good it was. David Gaider knows how to tell a compelling story and how to give each character a voice and personality that shines through. I hope he does more writing in the future. The story was interesting, if a bit simplistic, but that can be forgiven.
My major gripe with this book is with the ending. Judging by the exact page count number (400), I have a feeling Tor books was only willing to publish a 400 page book because right around where the climax of the story should be, the book suddenly ends with the equivalent of “And then they won. The end.” There was not climactic final battle against the usurper, no closure to the various romances…nothing. It just ends.
Still a good book, with lots of background for the characters in the game (in particular it was interesting to see how the character of Loghain developed into how he was portrayed in the game) but the ending left me with a “Wha?” sort of feeling.
Next Book
I’m going to be continuing the video game book journey with the less highly regarded Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn. I’m about 40% of the way through according to my Kindle, and I tend to agree with the general ideas of the reviews. It’s a good story, but very simply written. More on that when I finish.
Book 4: Castle Roogna
Feb 3rd
Title: Castle Roogna
Series: Xanth (Book 3)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 336
Summary
Bink’s son, Dor is sent on a quest to restore the zombie Johnathan to full life again. In the process he travels back in time to the very beginnings of the golden age of Xanth to seek aid of the Zombie Master who was living at the time.
Notes (Minor Spoilers)
As previously mentioned, this is my second read through this book, the third in the Xanth series. It’s probably my favorite of the initial (planned) trillogy of books.
I like the fact that through his adventures in the past, Dor eventually ends up creating many of the strange features of Xanth’s landscape that the characters from earlier books wondered about.
At this point in my book reading, I was starting to get a little burned out by all the puns, so I temporarily diverted myself over to another series to recharge. But I will return back to Xanth soon.
Book 3: Source Of Magic
Feb 3rd
Title: Source Of Magic
Series: Xanth (Book 2)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 336
Summary
Following his quest to prove that he has a magic talent while simultaneously bringing gigantic amounts of change to the world of Xanth, Bink is sent out on another quest to determine the ultimate source of magic. But his efforts are opposed by an unseen enemy that seems bent on stopping him at every turn.
Notes
This is the second book in the Xanth series, so a lot of what I said about the first book earlier still stands. More puns, more adventure, more magic, all just as entertaining as the first book.
Honestly, it seems like the first three books in the series are mostly just setup for the adventures to come, fleshing out the mechanics of the world and building up situations which are then further exploited in the later books.
Book 2: A Spell for Chameleon
Feb 3rd
Title: A Spell for Chameleon
Series: Xanth (Book 1)
Author: Piers Anthony
Pages: 352
Summary
Xanth is an enchanted world where practically everything in it had magic. Names for things are often quite literal. Shoe Trees are trees that grow shoes, for example. In fact, one can find most anything they need growing on a plant. All humans living in Xanth have their own individual magical talents ranging from being able to turn objects different colors to truly fantastic abilities such as transformation and weather control. Everyone except Bink that is. This book deals with his quest to discover exactly what his magical tallent is before he is exiled for not having one.
Notes
I have read this book before, but after reading the Lord of the Rings again, I decided I needed something a little more on the…light side. So I decided to start re-reading the Xanth series. Wassy introduced me to these a while back and I really enjoy them. Puns everywhere! Often times groan worthy puns…but that’s what really makes the flavor of the universe so awesome. They’re quick reads, but very well written and highly entertaining.
Although (at least the early books) they tend to have a bit of a formula to them which makes them tough for me to read in quick succession. I get a little burned out on the puns after 3 or so books, so I ended up taking a break. (The other two books I read will be coming soon…trying to catch up with my book posting)
Woah. Has It Been That Long?
Jan 14th
Well, I’ve finally worked up the ambition to post something! I’ve been busy with various things and sidetracked by situations for the past couple weeks and generally haven’t felt much like writing here. But I don’t want to abandon this place entirely, so I figure I should fill in the gap with a general summary.
My last post was on Christmas so let me start there. Aside from Wassy’s awesome Frost art gift (which I love and is now being displayed in the living room), my parents gifted me an Amazon Kindle 2. So far I’ve finished reading the Lord of The Rings trilogy (Started with the paper book and switched to eBook a couple of chapters into The Two Towers), Down and Out In The Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow for the Sword and Laser book club, and I’ve started working my way through the Xanth books again. The kindle is not without it’s issues, but I’m enjoying it a lot. My biggest gripe is the screen contrast could be a bit better.
Lets see here. Oh! My dad now has an XBox 360 and We both have copies of Madden NFL 10 so that we can resume playing our weekly football games. We played once a couple weeks ago to test to see how the online franchise mode would work and it seems like we can deal with it’s little quirks, but we haven’t had a chance to play again yet, due to me being busy friday night’s for a while and the actuall NFL playoffs starting up. Hopefully we can get a game going next week.
Other than that I’ve been mostly hanging out and relaxing a bit. A little too much actually, as I’ve let my experimentations in graphic design stuff kinda fall to the wayside over the past couple weeks. But I’m getting back into the swing of things now. Over my vacation at the end of 2009, I worked up a page for the City of Heroes Forum Art Competition that Wassy is in charge of this year. Nothing special, but I think it turned out pretty good. I was experimenting with using a grid system when setting it up which was a bit…odd for me at first, but I think I managed to get the hang of it.
I also came up with an idea for my personal site which could work, but required that I draw up a penguin logo that was kinda blocky, like an old sprite from a video game. I’m fairly happy with the result (See to the right) and I’ll be headed full steam ahead on the rest of the design in hopes that I can complete it before I decide I hate it again. I’m also working on and off with my mom’s store type website but I’m stuck on that…again. Not certain if what I have going on feels right for the content. I really want to get something finished for her though.
As far as school goes, I’m in for another class this semester. This time it’s a course focusing on Photoshop. After this one I’ll be down mostly to classes which I have to take during the day (all the core design classes) so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I suppose I’ll have to try to modify my work schedule but I’m really not sure how receptive management will be to that as we get busier. I’ll probably post more about that particular issue later as I have a lot more to say about it.
In other news, we have a new toy around the apartment. Wassy recently picked up a Nikon D60 camera which she’s allowed me to play around with. I’ve been trying to take some better pictures of my Fish, along with other things if I can think up a good picture I’d like to take. I’d love to get into photography but the equipment is just so freaking expensive…
Anyway, here’s the best picture I took of my newest fish:
Not bad at all I’d say. It came out a little too blue and I couldn’t quite get all the blue out without making the rest look funky, so that’s the best I can do. In conclusion, I want one of these cameras. I need to think up some more arty type photos to try out.
Re-Reading Old Favorites
Jul 24th
Lately I've been in a bit of a fantasy mood so instead of reading this book my parents let me borrow (Critical Judgement by Michael Palmer. One of those "everybody in the world gets sick" sort of books), I've decided to re-read the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R. R. Martin.
The first reason for this would be my friend Wassy has been borrowing them from me and finally got around to actually putting some time into reading them. Hearing her talk about the books has made me want to jump onto the bandwagon again and check out some of my favorite books of all time again. The second was that A Game of Thrones became the monthly book for the online Sci-fi/fantasy book club Sword & Laser, created by Tom Meritt and Veronica Belmont.
And as many times as I've read this book before, I could just keep on reading it over and over again. It's one of the greatest works of fantasy literature ever written and, hopefully once the entire series is done (come on George, get a move on!) it'll be looked back on as one of the classics of the genre.
If you've never read it, A Song of Ice and Fire is pretty intense for a fantasy novel. In a genre filled with magic and strange creatures, George R.R. Martin paints a more gritty, down to earth world. Magic does play a part, but it's not the end all force that it is in some worlds and is rare enough where it really means something when it comes up. It deals with adult themes and situations, but in ways where they make sense within the context of the book.
But the best thing it does is character development. George R.R. Martin is a master at creating characters. There's many main characters in this series (with 20 characters sharing the spotlight across the 4 written books). But each character is seperate, and fully realized with their own motivations and views of the world around them. A big part of the character development comes from the point of view. The book maintains a third person limited point of view but with each chapter the main focus of the narrator shifts to one of the main characters. Things that happened earlier in the book often times seem like one thing but are actually something else when seen from the eyes of different characters. It also really gives you the chance to spend time with individual characters and get to know how they act and think as they all have differing motivations and moral codes.
If you enjoy fantasy novels and you're looking for something sophisticated and you have not read A Song of Ice and Fire…I highly recommend it. Just be warned, the series is not yet finished. And the author is taking his sweet time in doing so. But it's worth getting started anyway, in my opinion.
[50 in 365] Book 4: Night Mare – Completed
Apr 10th
Yup. I'm totally screwed. It's now April and I've been averaging 1 book a month since the beginning of the year. I swear I thought I read more than this!
In any case, here's my final thoughts of Piers Anthony's Night Mare, one of the books iin the Xanth series of novels.
As far as Xanth books go, this was probably my favorite one. The famous puns were there but they seemed to be toned back from previous efforts which enhanced the actual storyline of the book considerably. It's also made better because it seems by this point in the series, the world of Xanth has been well defined. So Piers Anthony doesn't have to spend time explaining the mechanics of the world. The storyline of this novel crosses the entire Xanth universe which gives it kind of an epic feeling which is good based on what the story was about.
And the twist towards the end of the book I never saw coming. But looking back on it, it doesn't seem forced or implausable like so many twists can seem. The book was carefuly constructed in such a way that if you don't know what the twist is, it's almost impossible for you to figure it out. But if you know what it is, you can find supporting evidence all over the place.
A very well written book and highly recommended to those interested in a fun, light-fantasy novel.
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