I recently finished the next two books in the Ember series, The Prophet of Yonwood and The Diamond of Darkhold, as well as The Language of Bees by Laurie King.
The Prophet of Yonwood was well written and had an interesting plotline---jumping back to pre-city-of-Ember days. Ah, delicious twist, to take a book in the series backward before you go forwards again. Like a flashback, but with an entire book. Good story, good characters. But anti-religion, so I won't be keeping a copy on my shelves for one of my future teenagers to find. The anti-religion theme isn't overt, which is why it was scary, just as scary as the underlying (but obvious) anti-religiousness of The Subtle Knife by Pullman. DuPrau wouldn't admit that she's anti-religion, but that would be denial.
The Diamond of Darkhold was good. Recommendable if you like the rest of the Ember works. I liked the wrapping up at the end. Left me with a nice sigh of, "Oh. How nice." Since I am usually more likely to argue with an author's ending, this was a pleasant surprise.
As for Laurie King's The Language of Bees: I was excited about this one. Waited for it. Bought the hardback so I could read it on the plane (sans children, thus the reading material). And King clipped right along. King is blindingly intelligent on a range of subjects so it's refreshing when she wanders into places I wouldn't expect: Beekeeping anyone? Norse mythology? Celtic sites?
A joy.
My first complaint, though, is that King (again) played on the "religious organizations/leaders are underhanded" generalization. She's done this before (in Regiment) so I didn't think she'd go there again. Yet off she went.
Trite.
Worse than "The butler did it".
Well written. Well researched. I thoroughly enjoyed the new characters she introduced. But I won't keep a copy on my shelves---for the reasons above, but also because there's more sexuality in this book than I've seen in the others in the series, and legitimizing of relationships with which I don't agree. If any of the above will offend you, skip The Language of Bees. I'll find something just as good for you, but less questionable.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
War and Peace
Has anyone actually read Tolstoy's War and Peace? It's sitting on my shelf, daring me to try to get through it again. Meaning: I tried to read it once and stopped. Not meaning: I'm trying to read it another time.
Anyone besides JoBecka.
Because if you can tell me that, really, it's worth reading, I'll try again. If not, I've got a few sci fi that look more interesting.
Anyone besides JoBecka.
Because if you can tell me that, really, it's worth reading, I'll try again. If not, I've got a few sci fi that look more interesting.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
People of Sparks
I read the sequel to The City of Ember. It's called the People of Sparks. I thought it was better than the first book. If I were teaching a history class, any history class, this is the book I'd have my class read.
It's good. I was pleasantly surprised.
It's good. I was pleasantly surprised.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Guernsey pouting
I've been away from my book blog for a while, trying to find something to recommend that as good as Guernsey. I would stay away, I vowed, until I could wow you with something fabulous.
Finally I concluded that I need to stop looking for Guernsey reincarnated. It's not to be found. But if you are still pining for Guernsey, and want something like it/sort of, then try 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Delightful non-fiction letters between Hanff and a bookseller on 84 Charing Cross Road. Hanff is sassy and fun. Quick read.
If you are looking for a great book, however, try Fleishman's Seedfolks, the narrative about a fictional community garden and its gardeners. Poignant. Inspiring. It will make you want to put your hands in humus and get to know your neighbors. If you are looking for more Guernsey, this is like recommending Beethoven to you when you are looking for Bach. Sorry. But if you want a good book, do read Seedfolks. Short. You can read it in an afternoon or two. (Anjanette, really, this is just SHORT short, not Deborah short.)
I can also recommend The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis, which was recommended to me by the darling and daring Sarah Comin Baker. The main character, Bathsheva, a Jewish convert, comes to Memphis to surround herself with the Jewish orthodox community. That's the plot. It's good. The writing is delicious. Written partly in the first person "we" (as in "we the ladies of the town"), you'll hear all the small towns/religious communities/church congregation concerns and cares. Confessions and complaints. For me, this book was part Turlock, CA; part Montpelier, CA; and part every-ward-I've-ever-been-in. Funny in parts, heart-breaking in others. Mirvis doesn't shy away from serious themes: outward vs. inward religion, repentence and forgiveness, how to teach children to be religious while letting them develop their own religiousness. Good book. I liked it. Read it and come back and talk about it with me. This would be great for a book club book.
And lastly (the next in my line of YA novels), I read Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth. About a Brahmin child widow in the time of Ghandi. But great window, really, into India of that time and the Brahmin culture. Good. I would not have liked it as a teenager, but I get it now. Since I know very little about India of Ghandi's time, this was a nice introduction. Nothing scandalous. Clean. Decently written.
Finally I concluded that I need to stop looking for Guernsey reincarnated. It's not to be found. But if you are still pining for Guernsey, and want something like it/sort of, then try 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Delightful non-fiction letters between Hanff and a bookseller on 84 Charing Cross Road. Hanff is sassy and fun. Quick read.
If you are looking for a great book, however, try Fleishman's Seedfolks, the narrative about a fictional community garden and its gardeners. Poignant. Inspiring. It will make you want to put your hands in humus and get to know your neighbors. If you are looking for more Guernsey, this is like recommending Beethoven to you when you are looking for Bach. Sorry. But if you want a good book, do read Seedfolks. Short. You can read it in an afternoon or two. (Anjanette, really, this is just SHORT short, not Deborah short.)
I can also recommend The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis, which was recommended to me by the darling and daring Sarah Comin Baker. The main character, Bathsheva, a Jewish convert, comes to Memphis to surround herself with the Jewish orthodox community. That's the plot. It's good. The writing is delicious. Written partly in the first person "we" (as in "we the ladies of the town"), you'll hear all the small towns/religious communities/church congregation concerns and cares. Confessions and complaints. For me, this book was part Turlock, CA; part Montpelier, CA; and part every-ward-I've-ever-been-in. Funny in parts, heart-breaking in others. Mirvis doesn't shy away from serious themes: outward vs. inward religion, repentence and forgiveness, how to teach children to be religious while letting them develop their own religiousness. Good book. I liked it. Read it and come back and talk about it with me. This would be great for a book club book.
And lastly (the next in my line of YA novels), I read Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth. About a Brahmin child widow in the time of Ghandi. But great window, really, into India of that time and the Brahmin culture. Good. I would not have liked it as a teenager, but I get it now. Since I know very little about India of Ghandi's time, this was a nice introduction. Nothing scandalous. Clean. Decently written.
Monday, March 9, 2009
For Jenny Baker: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Jenny asked if I'd read The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau and I hadn't, so I did.
It was good. Plot was good. Character development was good. Ending was good---I skipped to end by about page thirty. Read it. Nice! So I went back and read the book. The writing is decent---not art, but decent. (Stephanie Meyers proved that artistic writing isn't what sells anyway. Plot sells. Character sells.) Jenny, Emma can read this and be fine. Nothing questionable. I'm not sure that I'll go on to read the rest of the series today, but someday I'll own the series for my kids when they are tweens.
It reminded me, actually, of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Running out of Time. Similar plotlines. Young hero and heroines find themselves in the middle of a community experiment gone bad. The adults won't solve the problem, or admit there is one, so it's up to the youth. Who face danger head on and, with cunning, face the problem. I think that Ember and Running would be nice compliments for discussion. You could have Emma read both and then talk about the similarity in themes. That would be good, actually.
It was good. Plot was good. Character development was good. Ending was good---I skipped to end by about page thirty. Read it. Nice! So I went back and read the book. The writing is decent---not art, but decent. (Stephanie Meyers proved that artistic writing isn't what sells anyway. Plot sells. Character sells.) Jenny, Emma can read this and be fine. Nothing questionable. I'm not sure that I'll go on to read the rest of the series today, but someday I'll own the series for my kids when they are tweens.
It reminded me, actually, of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Running out of Time. Similar plotlines. Young hero and heroines find themselves in the middle of a community experiment gone bad. The adults won't solve the problem, or admit there is one, so it's up to the youth. Who face danger head on and, with cunning, face the problem. I think that Ember and Running would be nice compliments for discussion. You could have Emma read both and then talk about the similarity in themes. That would be good, actually.
The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
I just finished The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs. Subtitle: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. I had already read Jacob's The Know it All (One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World). Here's what I can tell you about Jacobs:
1. He's a decent writer. Witty. Clever. Intelligent.
2. He isn't afraid to talk about his own insecurities and neuroses, which is nice, because his issues make my own insecurities and neuroses look farily normal. Comforting to find such humanity.
3. He obssessively pores over the Internet looking for blog posts about what people think about his book. (AJ, if you are reading this, leave a comment and I will send you and Julie and Jasper and Zane and Lucas some of my killer vegan peanut butter cookies. They're good even though I am not a vegan.)
4. He is the editor of Esquire, so he can not be depended on to edit out sketchy ideas or sketchy scenes or even his own sketchy thoughts. Since I am something of a prude about what I'll read---I skip passages when it looks questionable. I can't tell you for sure, but I'm usually correct, and what I skipped was sketchy.
5. I laugh out loud when I read his work. He is funny. Funny, funny, funny. If he were put in the same room with my brother Aaron, he would find his match for funny. So funny.
Having said that, I enjoyed the book. My favorite theme was that religion can't be something we just do and study---it really is about what we become because of what we know. And that holiness is found in the mundane.
Marianne, I think you'd like this one.
1. He's a decent writer. Witty. Clever. Intelligent.
2. He isn't afraid to talk about his own insecurities and neuroses, which is nice, because his issues make my own insecurities and neuroses look farily normal. Comforting to find such humanity.
3. He obssessively pores over the Internet looking for blog posts about what people think about his book. (AJ, if you are reading this, leave a comment and I will send you and Julie and Jasper and Zane and Lucas some of my killer vegan peanut butter cookies. They're good even though I am not a vegan.)
4. He is the editor of Esquire, so he can not be depended on to edit out sketchy ideas or sketchy scenes or even his own sketchy thoughts. Since I am something of a prude about what I'll read---I skip passages when it looks questionable. I can't tell you for sure, but I'm usually correct, and what I skipped was sketchy.
5. I laugh out loud when I read his work. He is funny. Funny, funny, funny. If he were put in the same room with my brother Aaron, he would find his match for funny. So funny.
Having said that, I enjoyed the book. My favorite theme was that religion can't be something we just do and study---it really is about what we become because of what we know. And that holiness is found in the mundane.
Marianne, I think you'd like this one.
If you liked Guernsey
If you like Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel Society, you should try The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. It's delightful. Not as good as Guernsey (in my opinion), but good all the same and worth reading. I'm going to try more Sandra Dallas someday and report back. I tried to do her Alice's Tulips and didn't care for it. But maybe that book was the runt of the litter. I'll give Dallas another chance.
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