Book blogging (mostly)
Audio Books
Goose Girl (Audio)
Jun 21st
Goose Girl is not the type of book that would normally catch my eye. However, after reading Christy’s review of the sequel I figured it would be worth requesting from the library and listening to it when I got the chance. I had it for a few weeks and, honestly, I didn’t have a plan to start it anytime soon until I saw Erin’s claim that Shannon Hale “has not written a bad book”.
Convoluted story of why I started reading it aside, I’m really glad that I did. Goose Girl seems pretty straight forward at first – a crowned princess of a small kingdom is, unbeknownst to her, about to be sent off to marry the prince of a distant kingdom. As the story progressed, though, I was consistently impressed both with the number of times the plot surprised me and with how well-realized the world and characters were.
True, I’ve only read one book by Shannon Hale now, but I can see why Erin would say she hasn’t written a bad book. In addition to a consistent, deep world full of entertaining characters, Goose Girl is also filled with some beautiful writing. Even the first line (“She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildinree, and she did not open her eyes for three days”) has a sense of weight and meaning that I find appealing.
My only real complaint was with the audio production. Instead of having a single narrator, this book had a full cast. I don’t mind this on principal, but with so many actors participating, it’s inevitable that some of the performances will not be as good as others. Ultimately, instead of enhancing the experience, the unevenness of the performances just made me wish the main narrator (who was excellent) had been responsible for everything.
I recommend this book without reservation. Don’t let the title (and in some cases the unfortunate covers) convince you that this is a book only for girls. Anyone who is willing to read a fairy tale based fantasy will be able to appreciate Hale’s quality story telling.
The Book of Three (Audio)
May 10th
I can’t exactly remember who or what referred me to The Book of Three. All I know is a few weeks ago I received a “the book you placed on hold is now available” email from the library and so I went and picked it up.
The Book of Three tells the story of a young assistant pig-keeper named Taran who lives in a mythical realm known as Prydain. If you have seen the movie “The Black Cauldron” you have seen a movie loosely based on this book. (Interesting note – the second book in this trilogy is actually called The Black Cauldron, but the movie of the same title is based on the first book. Go figure). Anyways, Taran has to recover his lost pig, but ends up having a grand adventure along the way.
The story is your classic hero quest, but what makes this book so good is the plethora of interesting characters. From the sassy and hilarious Eilonwy, to the pathological liar/bard/king Fflewddur Fflam, The Book of Three is absolutely bursting with entertainment. By the end, the story was just a means for placing these great characters into situations in which they could interact with each other. That isn’t to say the story was boring, but the dialogue was by far the star of the show.
I highly recommend this (the narrator is excellent on the audio book, but I’m sure actually reading it would be just as good) to anyone who enjoys lighthearted fantasy. Personally, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series if for no other reason than to see what everyone is up to next.
The Graveyard Book (audio)
Mar 25th
I have a weird relationship with Neil Gaiman’s books. His stories always fascinate me conceptually, but upon reading them, I’m inevitably underwhelmed. That isn’t to say his books are bad, just not as great as I hope they will be upon reading a plot summary.
The Graveyard Book suffers this same small letdown. The idea – a young boy, orphaned after the brutal murder of his family, is raised by the ghosts that inhabit a nearby graveyard – is pretty awesome. The execution, while still very entertaining and enjoyable, is just enough less awesome to be disappointing. Maybe I expect too much from Gaiman, but if that’s the case it’s his own fault for having such awesome ideas.
The best part about The Graveyard Book is how it celebrates life through the constant presence of death. This theme emerges so naturally from the content of the book that it doesn’t ever feel cliche or preachy. Gaiman also ties everything together nicely in the end. Unfortunately, there are too many parts that drag along the way to make it excellent from beginning to end.
On the whole this a good book and, if you choose to go with the audio version, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by Gaiman’s skill as a narrator. In spite of my own weird disappointment, I don’t have a problem recommending this. It’s not Gaiman’s best (Neverwhere, Stardust), but it’s far from his worst (Good Omens).
39 Clues & a Giant Peach (Audio)
Feb 9th
I just finished 2 more audio books in the last week: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and The Black Circle (The 39 Clues Book 5) by Patrick Carman.
First up – James and the Giant Peach. This is another book that I’m sure I read dozens of times when I was growing up (or at least had read to me dozens of times), but had no clear memory of. Obviously there was a giant peach involved, and I thought I remembered it flying, or something, but that was about it.
If you are in the same boat, you really should pick this up and give it a read. It would probably take a couple hours at most, but it will be a fun, refreshing two hours. It’s obvious why this imaginative, exciting book is considered a children’s classic.
Though James is entertaining in his role as the titular character, it is his giant insect friends who make the book. I caught myself laughing out loud at their antics all the way up to the end.
As for the audio side of this audio book, Jeremy Irons is wonderful. He brings each of the characters to life and captures the light-hearted tone of the book perfectly. If you get a chance to listen to this one, don’t pass it up.
The 39 Clues fascinates me as a marketing strategy. If you aren’t aware of this series, it tells the story of Dan and Amy Cahill as they partake in a worldwide scavenger hunt to find 39 clues that will make them the most powerful people in the world. There are currently 7 books in the series, with an 8th due in April.
I say it’s fascinating from a marketing perspective because of several reasons. First of all, at the rate the books are going so far, they are on pace to have 39 in the series. That’s right, 39 – one for each of the clues Dan and Amy are searching for.
Another interesting aspect of these books is that they aren’t all written by the same author. My guess is in order to keep them fresh, and to turn them out fast enough, they have multiple authors working on subsequent books simultaenously. This, of course, means that they aren’t all as high quality as the first one (written by the talented Rick Riordan), and that they don’t all capture the exact same tone and style. So far, however, this hasn’t been too problematic. I imagine a lot of that is helped by the fact that so far all 5 books have been performed by the same narrator – David Pittu. His consistent voice probably helps smooth over many of the more subtle stylistic differences between authors.
There is also a card game associated with the series, but I don’t know anything about it. Suffice it to say, this is the most strategic, financially motivated books series I’ve ever read. But is it any good? Yeah, it is good. At least, it’s as good as the author who pens the current book. As I said above, Rick Riordan is talented, as is Patrick Carman who wrote book 5. However, this can’t be said for them all (in particular, book 3 by Peter Lerangis comes to mind as low point).
I’m also not sure how I feel about creating a series for children that has so many requirements for spending money. I’m capable of handling it as an adult (and checking them all out at the library helps), but if I kid were to get into the series, they would be wanting every book as soon as it comes out, plus all the trading cards, etc. At the same time, if it can keep children reading, it is doing something right so I probably shouldn’t complain.
Plus, in terms of tone and themes, the books deal with difficult problems with sophistication. For example, Dan and Amy are often tempted to behave the way the others in the contest do (lie, cheat, steal to get ahead), and they reflect upon these temptations with honesty. Sometimes they give in, and when they do they know they have made a mistake. It’s encouraging to see lessons like this being taught, no matter the cause that drives the books to be published.
Still, I don’t think I would recommend these to everyone I meet without reservation. They aren’t masterpieces, and in most cases there are books by the same authors that are better. However, if you enjoy juvenile fiction, long-running series, and world travel this might be right up your alley.
On another note, does anyone have any other young adult books to recommend? I’m starting to run out of audio books at the library…
Atherton Series (Audio)
Feb 1st
I absolutely hate not having an audio book to listen to in the car. For over 2 years now I have exclusively listened to books while driving. About a month ago, however, I found myself on the way to the grocery store just as I was finishing the last book I had in the car. Desperate, I decided to stop at the nearest library to pick something up (typically I reserve books beforehand to ensure I get something of high quality).
I normally stop at a library near my office, so this was not one I had ever been to before. While searching, I came across the book you see to the left – The House of Power by Patrick Carman. This caught my eye because I have read and enjoyed The Land of Elyon which was also written by Carman. It turned out to be a pretty good decision.
At this point I have finished all three books in the series (The House of Power, The Rivers of Fire, and The Dark Planet), and I enjoyed them all quite a bit. The Atherton series follows the adventures of an orphan boy named Edgar who loves to climb. He spends his nights climbing, and his days tending to the fig trees in the grove where he grew up. Soon, however, life becomes extremely interesting for Edgar as he discovers the truth about the world he’s grown up on.
What makes the Atherton books better than the Land of Elyon books is the adventure. It starts sooner in Atherton, and is generally more exciting throughout. The only major problem in all three books is the narrator is merely sufficient to get the job done. He doesn’t bring the characters or the setting to life the way many narrators do and as a result, I would recommend reading them before listening to them. At least it is the same narrator throughout, unlike the Land of Elyon, which went through 3 different narrators in 4 books.
If you enjoy books for younger readers (10-12?) definitely give these a shot. Especially if you enjoy unique worlds that, while narrow in scope, have a depth that allows for a pleasantly manageable thoroughness. (This can be said for both series by Carman, and is a clever writing technique that I’m surprised we don’t see more often. You may also enjoy reading them just to see how he does a good job of creating small worlds that are efficiently well-realized).
Half Moon Investigations (Audio)
Jan 22nd
Before we headed to Pennsylvania for Christmas vacation, Vanessa and I picked up the audio book versions of the first Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from our local library. These were meant to be safe, guaranteed good listens for the many hours of driving we were going to have to do up north. Unfortunately, I left them at home and when we arrived in PA, with a four hour drive looming on the horizon, we were feeling a little nervous.
Vanessa’s mom, and her trusty library card, came to the rescue, however, and while we prepared for the drive she went to her library to pick up “any Artemis Fowl book you can find” (we have read and enjoyed them all, so we weren’t going to be picky at this point). While she did find the first Artemis book, she accidentally grabbed the book you see to the left as well – Half Moon Investigations. Since we had not ever read this one before, and we were feeling adventurous, we decided to give Half Moon a go. We made the right decision.
Half Moon Investigations is the story of a young private detective, Fletcher Moon, who is accused of committing multiple crimes and thereby forced to clear his own name. What really makes the book great is Colfer’s ability to flawlessly combine the interests and vocabulary of a teenager with the wit and tone of classic private eye literature. Within moments of starting the book we were blown away by how strong a character Colfer had created in Moon, and were laughing hysterically as Fletcher, with complete earnestness, reveals the rough and tumble life of a teenage detective.
All of this is enhanced even further by the narration of Sean Patrick Reilly. This Irishman brings Fletcher and his world to life so vividly that I have to wonder if actually reading the book would have been half as enjoyable. After all, would I have had the presence of mind to read Fletcher’s inner dialogue in the classic private detective style? If not, I would have missed out on a huge aspect of the book. My descriptions so far have been pretty insufficient, so I recommend listening to the sample of the audio production available on Amazon (there’s a play button just under the image of the book).
This one is definitely recommended. In fact, if I hadn’t finished it in 2010, it would have been extremely difficult to decide between this and The House of the Scorpion for the best audio book of the year. Fortunately, I won’t have to make any hard decisions like that for at least 11 months.
“It was shiny. He was eight.”
2009 Reading Year in Review
Jan 13th
I’m posting this later than I originally hoped, but oh well. You’ll forgive me, won’t you internet?
I think it’s safe to say that I read more in 2009 than any year before. It was both fulfilling and motivating to record my thoughts on books after I finished them, and so I don’t have any intention of stopping in the future. To recap the year, though, I’d like to provide you with my top books of the year, and leverage the database to provide you with some fun stats!
This “Best books list” is obviously the best books I read in 2009, not the best published in 2009. I am aware of the flaws of working this way, but I can’t imagine any other way of dealing with it!
In 2009 I read…
- 33 books
- 11298 pages
- 1 Comedy (255)
- 3 Fantasy (889)
- 5 Nonfiction (1348)
- 5 Juvenile Fiction (2015)
- 8 Science Fiction (3061)
- 11 Fiction (3730)
Now on to my favorite books of the year:
Favorite Audio Book:
This is an easy category. Of the 30+ audio books I listened to this year none came close to The House of The Scorpion. This young-adult fiction book tells the story of a young clone who is forced to come to terms with his understanding of self as well as avoid the isolation and danger that comes with being the illegal clone of a powerful drug lord. It is well-written, unexpectedly broad in its scope, and it handles difficult subjects with grace and maturity. The narration is also excellent, and the numerous Spanish names and words are pronounced flawlessly, adding greatly to the immersion of the tale.
Favorite Book:
This was, easily, the best book I read all year. Hands down, no questions asked. I read a lot of great books, but none were as epic, as beautifully written, or as enthralling as East of Eden. If you are dying to read even more of my thoughts on this fantastic work, check out the links below. Beware, though, the database entry spoils the entire book! Only check it out if you’ve already finished this wonderful book (and if you haven’t, read it as soon as possible!):
Click here for my spoiler free thoughts on East of Eden.
Click here for the full database entry on East of Eden (including spoilers).
Feel free to post your favorite books of 2009 in the comments below.
Recent books on CD (and why they aren’t in the database)
Dec 16th
I am constantly listening to books on cd in the car. Literally, all the time. I do not listen the news, music on the radio, or music on cd. I don’t sit it silence as I make my way to and from work. There is always a book on, and there is always at least one in queue. I didn’t start keeping track when this book on cd endeavor began (Thanksgiving of 2007, on a trip to Dallas) but if my memory is correct, I have listened to 68 books on cd since then, with 69 and 70 in the car at the moment. This does not include multiple listens to the same book (which has definitely occurred with books in the Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl series.)
So with that said, why don’t I have entries for all of these in the database since that is meant to be a repository of all the books I’ve read? This may seem ridiculous, as some have pointed out, but I don’t think it’s fair to these books to put them in the database. I don’t pay nearly as much attention to them as I do to the books I actually read (what with all the trying not to run my car into other cars). I don’t ever have a favorite quote recorded, I don’t tag important parts, or take notes while listening, and I don’t have anything to easily look over to confirm my synopsis is correct. I simply don’t give them the same attention as I do other books, and I think any write up I would do for them would reflect that.
However, that doesn’t mean I can’t at least share a brief bit about if they are good and worth listening to (or in some cases reading). The two most recent books I’ve finished are Ironhand and Stargazer. Both books are part of a larger series, and both are aimed at younger audiences (as are most of the books on cd I listen to).
The Stoneheart Trilogy
Ironhand (sequel to Stoneheart) follows George, a teenage boy who gets caught up in an adventure when all the statues in London suddenly come alive. He meets a few friends along the way (of both the flesh and bronze variety) and wreaks all sorts of trouble. The series is read by Jim Dale, who also narrated the Harry Potter audio books. He’s talented but, unfortunately, he is the best part about the series. They aren’t terrible, but they are only just good enough to keep reading and to make the drive to and from work more interesting. If they find their way on to your “to-read” list, I would recommend they stick towards the bottom. If you really want to be entertained by statues coming to life – just watch Gargoyles.
The Land of Elyon
Strargazer is actually the fourth in the Elyon series. They tell the story of Alexa Daily, a teenage girl who seeks adventure in the Land of Elyon, only to find more than she bargained for. I have enjoyed all four books, mostly because of the sense of adventure that Carman is able to capture. Still, they aren’t phenomenal, and the narrators have changed multiple times, which is always frustrating in a series. The unique world Carman has created for the series is consistent, but not very deep. I’ve recently started his Atherton series, however, it is seems to be a little better so far. I’ll let you know more once I finish it.
I’ll try to post more on the books on cd I read as I finish them, and at the end of the year (or more likely in January) I will do a post of the best books on cd I’ve read so far. (Special thanks to the Harris County Public Library, for providing me with all these books!)