Tag Archives: book reviews

The Talisman of Elam by Jim Mastro

Posted by melydia on May 5, 2011 1 comments

The Talisman of Elam by Jim Mastro: Jason Hunter has troubles. New school, new friends, weird neighbors, weird parents. The next thing he knows, he’s escaping evil aliens, riding in a flying saucer, and zipping off to the other end of the galaxy in order to save the planet. Along the way, he meets several memorable characters and has adventures on numerous worlds, with barely a moment to catch his breath. It’s been a long time since I’ve read any YA science fiction, and this was a very fun return to the genre. The setting, though clearly inspired by such SF giants as Stargate and Star Trek, is detailed, plausible, and fairly original – and best of all, not dumbed down. My favorite character, by far, was Takkadian Pheno. Scary, hilarious, and all-around awesome. I do hope he shows up again sometime. Now, I will admit to having a pretty good idea of how the other two books in the trilogy will play out (there’s reason Jason brought two friends with him, after all), but I’d still like to read them, if only to revisit the universe of these stories. I can see this series becoming very popular among junior high school SF fans.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Posted by melydia on May 3, 2011 None comments

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (unabridged audiobook read by Simon Jones; 8.5 hrs on 7 CDs): Young brothers Prosper and Bo are on the run in Venice, having escaped their aunt Esther who intends to separate them. Esther hires Victor, a private investigator, to find them. Soon Victor finds himself in the middle of a complex plot involving orphans, mysterious counts, and a certain Thief Lord with secrets of his own. Though the fantasy element was an interesting treatment of classic Bradbury, it came out of nowhere and left me a little cold. If the story leading up to that part hadn’t been so thoroughly within the realm of Realistic Fiction it would not have been quite so jarring. That said, it was still a fun little tale with likable characters, and I am still a little bit in love with Scipio.

A note on the audio: Though his use of voices is a little strange with some of the female characters, Jones is a thoroughly entertaining narrator.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Posted by melydia on May 2, 2011 1 comments

Storm Front by Jim Butcher: Urban fantasy is so chock full of paranormal detectives it’s practically a cliche. But just because the premise has been done before doesn’t mean the story has to be predictable. I admit that I wasn’t too impressed with Harry Dresden at first; he too closely resembled the ideal geeky males strive for – mysterious, chivalrous, attractive, powerful, dangerous, even wearing a black duster! – that I worried I was dealing with a Gary Stu. Luckily, it didn’t take long for Harry to show his true colors and to win my affection. I loved the nonstop action, bizarre (and yet thoroughly consistent) magic system, and Harry’s sarcastic commentary. I almost wish I hadn’t read this because there are more than a dozen books in the series so far and my to-be-read pile is already threatening avalanche. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for a fun ride.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells

Posted by melydia on April 26, 2011 None comments

The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells: As some have created barriers to heat or sound or water, so our heroes have created a barrier against gravity. This material, called Cavorite, it then used to create a spherical capsule to ferry them to the moon. There they find life, of course, because if they found what’s really on the moon (i.e., nothing), we would have no story. The aliens were interesting enough, but what really fascinated me was the idea of the atmosphere freezing into snow at night, then thawing into thin-but-breathable air each day. I felt real suspense as the characters desperately searched for shelter as the deadly sunset approached. While Wells is most known for his visionary science fiction, what I love is the interaction between the two main characters, particularly Bedford’s outrage at Cavor’s absent-minded apathy. This short book may not be one of his more famous works, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

Posted by melydia on April 21, 2011 None comments

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult (unabridged audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell; 17 hours 20 min on 15 discs): When Paige was five years old, her mother left, abandoning her and her father suddenly one night. The story opens with Paige, as an adult, camped out on her own front lawn, barred by her husband from entering the house or seeing their infant son. Slowly, through flashbacks and memories, we learn about Paige’s childhood, her abortion as a teenager, her flight to Boston after high school, and her fast-paced relationship with medical student Nicholas and his affluent parents. As a wannabe sketch artist myself, I was drawn to Paige’s love for drawings and her mysterious talent for incorporating other people’s secrets into their portraits without realizing it or understanding its significance. I was also a little spooked by Paige’s early experiences with motherhood, as I imagine I would act the same way. My favorite character, however, was Astrid. She started out as a one-dimensional snob of a wicked mother-in-law, but later revealed herself to be an actual human being.

The story itself is just the sort of glurge I’ve come to expect from Picoult, but felt less like she’d come up with the plot from reading a couple of sensational headlines. No kidnapping or murder or suicide or courtroom scenes – just family drama. Sure, most of the conflict came from people not talking to each other (a pet peeve of mine), but I was more patient with that this time around, given how extraordinarily unapproachable Nicholas (whom I imagine as looking like Neal Caffrey) was. I wouldn’t want to talk to him either. In short, this book was decent but nothing spectacular.

A note on the audio version: Campbell was a good choice as narrator, with her natural voice seeming to channel Paige’s soft-spoken angst, while also handling Nicholas’s fury, Patrick’s Irish brogue, and Astrid’s aristocratic air without resorting to caricatures.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Creative, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho

Posted by melydia on April 20, 2011 2 comments

Creative, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho: I only got about halfway through this book, but not because it’s bad – it’s just not relevant to my life. I’m sure the freelancing advice is excellent, but most of the interviews are with photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators, fields I know (and care) next to nothing about. Don’t get me wrong: the writing is friendly and the content is organized well. I just don’t particularly enjoy reading books about business management, even those tailored to artsy people. Simply put, I am not a member of this book’s target audience.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Lodestone #1: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway

Posted by melydia on April 19, 2011 None comments

Lodestone #1: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway: As an indie book reviewer, I come across a lot of, um, less than stellar fiction. Then, once in a while, I come across a self-published book like The Sea of Storms and I am reminded of why I do this in the first place. Planet Kelanni has three suns: a white and yellow that move across the sky much like our own Sun, and a large, dim, red sun that never moves, in much the same way as the Earth doesn’t when viewed from the Moon. The inhabitants of this planet, though never described in detail, are (presumably) humanoid creatures ruled by a mysterious Prophet and his Keltar emissaries who routinely collect citizens as “tributes,” never to be seen again. A young girl named Shann joins two men – Lyall and Alondo – in their quest to overthrow the Prophet and free the tributes. Meanwhile, forbidding Keltar Keris receives shocking information from the strange, somewhat beetle-like creatures known as Chandara, information that turns her world completely upside-down. Woven throughout the drama is a mysterious and precious mineral known as lodestone.

Though the book’s title is somewhat misleading – the Sea of Storms is not actually reached until the last few pages – the story itself is quite good. The action is well-paced and the world is solidly constructed. I especially liked that while there were creatures clearly meant to stand in for familiar animals such as dogs and horses, nothing was described in comparison with Earth since, obviously, the Kelanni know nothing of Earth. Shann, Keris, Lyall, and Alondo are engaging characters, easily distinguishable without relying on stereotypes. Oliah came out of left-field, making her relationship with the leads rather unbelievable, but her appearance is so brief I can almost ignore it. The rest of the book is a marvelous trek through a fantastic new world.

I’m glad I was warned in the title that this is not a standalone novel, or I would have been irritated at the cliffhanger ending. As it stands, I’ll have to see about getting my hands on the next installment in this promising new fantasy series.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Don’t Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis

Posted by melydia on February 16, 2011 1 comments

Don’t Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis (unabridged audiobook read by John Lee; 20 hours 20 min on 17 discs): Wow, this book is long. I mean, it’s interesting, but there’s so much information covering so vast a scope that reading it is like running a marathon. Each section covers a geographical region such as Africa or Western Europe, with the countries boasting the most well-documented mythologies getting the most treatment, such as Egypt, India, and Greece/Rome. Each section includes a timeline, a “who’s who” of gods and goddesses, relevant quotes, and answers to common questions like “was there really a Trojan War?” Though many comparisons are made, there is no separate section for Judeo-Christian mythology, having covered it in depth in his other book, Don’t Know Much About the Bible. Davis holds nothing back, describing a representative sample of each culture’s myths in (often hilarious) detail. For example, I was surprised (and kind of disgusted) by how many creation myths involved excrement and other bodily fluids of the gods, and laughed at the tales of the trickster god’s magical penis. The little asides and pop culture references were also often amusing. Though admittedly not meant to be a thorough compendium of mythology (and I would have loved for the “New World” section to have been much longer), it is certainly an excellent start. The writing is very accessible and has made me want to read more of the original myths, particularly the Norse and Egyptian tales. A word of warning, though: once you read the section on Egypt, you will never see the Washington Monument the same way ever again.

On the audio version: It’s always interesting to listen to the same people read vastly different books. Lee is an excellent narrator, with the added personal bonus of making me feel like the book was being read to me by Dawsey Adams. The two short myths at the back, specially recorded just for the audiobook, were fun and well worth listening to, even if the African one about the lion was kind of tragic.

The Animal Review by Jacob Lentz and Steve Nash

Posted by melydia on February 15, 2011 1 comments

The Animal Review by Jacob Lentz and Steve Nash: Maybe I’m just jaded, but I’ve found most animal humor books aren’t particularly humorous. They’re like Garfield, recycling the same old jokes and stereotypes. So you can imagine my delighted surprise when I laughed out loud on several occasions while reading this book. Each animal is graded using an admittedly biased (and often ridiculous) methodology, from the A+ King Cobra to the F-rated Alpaca. The ideas of vulture as college roommate, ants as teen girls, and Nature as moody art student are just so absurd and yet so well done that I couldn’t help but giggle. This is one humor book I’d actually recommend. I think I might have to subscribe to the blog now too.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by Bobby Henderson

Posted by melydia on February 4, 2011 1 comments

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by Bobby Henderson: It all began with a letter to the Kansas school board. The basic idea behind the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is that religion should not be taught in science class. Intelligent Design Theory, which posits that an intelligent designer (not explicitly stated as God, but it is implied) is responsible for the way life and most other things have developed over time. Since the existence of such a designer can be neither proved nor disproved, it is not a valid hypothesis, but this doesn’t stop the ID advocates. Henderson’s argument is that if we’re going to give students “choices” and “teach the controversy,” they should also include the theory of FSMism, which has “scientific” explanations for everything from gravity to global warming, all of which is just as scientifically valid as ID. It also encourages carbohydrate consumption and non-murderous piracy. The whole thing is utterly ridiculous, of course, but that’s the whole point. If you are at all sensitive about religion, this is not the book for you. I got a couple giggles out of it, but most of the funniest material is already on the FSM website. Now only one question remains: have you been touched by His Noodly Appendage?

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