Read
-
The Legend of Eli Monpress
Finished
-
The Spirit Thief
Finished
-
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Finished
I didn’t read all of Coraline (I don’t own it - I picked it up at my parents’ house and never finished it), but this had a lot of the same feel as the film (which I do own). I like both a lot, and the way he plays with what happens to a child’s world when adults aren’t on the child’s side echoes government conspiracy plots in a unique and more personal way, but I do feel like there were a lot of the same sort of things going on in each book. Ursula felt a lot like the Other Mother. So while I did enjoy it, I just think I might’ve enjoyed it a bit more if it were a bit more its own thing.
You should definitely read it though if you haven’t. It’s short and it’s worth spending the time on.
-
World War ZAn Oral History of the Zombie War
Finished
-
The Magician King
Finished
Really enjoyed it. I think the claims of sexism were unfounded. But I am a man, so, who knows. The main female character, Julia, does go through a lot (a lot), but if anything that serves to highlight some of the worst of what women can experience in a male-dominated world. I think the same goes for some of Quentin’s naïve misogyny – that’s part of the story. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean it’s being endorsed. Quentin is kind of a dick, we know this.
Anyway. Great adventure, great personality, great imagination, I really enjoyed this. Very readable as well.
A thought about the end contains vague spoilers:
— I guess I should’ve expected that sinking feeling as I read the ending – it’d been foreshadowed the whole time, and the last book was almost as bad, but the last book wasn’t quite as bad (he still got to have a lot of what he wanted; really, the sacrifice was on Alice, not him) and I found myself swept up in the heroic adventure so when the ending came, I was disappointed. At the very least, I wanted (still want) to know what happens next. And (probably like Quentin) I’m still trying to figure out if there are any loopholes or ways to get to Fillory or the new world.
-
How Soccer Explains the WorldAn Unlikely Theory of Globalization
Finished
Decent book. Found that it was more anecdotes about the world surrounding soccer than any sort of explanation of the soccer world, let alone the world as a whole. Interesting stories, though. Mostly compelling - frequently saddening, with all the useless, irrational hate and violence, and not a ton said in favor of a sport the author clearly cherishes.
-
The Wise Man's Fear
Finished
Enjoyed the hell out of this one, like the last. Ate it right up. That said, a few concerns:
• First, if one more person’s mouth makes a line (grim or otherwise) I’m going to lose it.
• Second, Kvothe is what, 17 now? Maybe 18? By the end of the book? Two books in and like two years have passed? It’s a trilogy. I’m enjoying this long adventure but I’m wondering what’s going to happen to get everything into the third book. It sounds like, maybe, there will be another trilogy after this, that’s … maybe AFTER the story is told? I’m alright with that. But I’m still kind of wondering how we get there.
• And yeah, I’m still a little let down by the fact that neither book has had an arc, really. It’s all leading to something, hopefully in book three (book six?), which is cool, but I’d like a sub-arc. Something to tie the book together, while the overarching narrative continues on its long, long way.
• There isn’t even a release date for book 3 yet? When you’ve got a story like this that is really one big book in three parts, not three books, you’ve got to get it out there!
-
The Machine Stops
Finished
Surprisingly futuristic for something written in 1909. Its themes have been heard before, time and time again - humankind versus a machine of their own creation, I guess - but 100+ years later the details remain fascinating. I also love the constant talk of “ideas” without any real ideas in sight. “Oh stop this talk, it gives me no ideas.”
-
Born Standing UpA Comic's Life
Finished
Kind of wooden. Some interesting stories, intermittent funny and smart bits, but even at a short 200 pages, those bits seemed to be pretty sparse. Felt like he was trying to be serious or touching at times. Not sure. I get the feeling I might’ve loved this if it were on tape.
-
The Name of the Wind
Finished
Doesn’t feel like a full book – feels like the first book of a book. Not so much of a climax, denouement in this one. Just setting the groundwork for future books. Lots of questions that were set up, I hoped, to be answered, are still unanswered. I think of multi-book plots as still having individual subplots in each book, which this one didn’t really. It was just Day One of the story, as I suppose was promised. Which has me a little annoyed and impatient. That said, I enjoyed it cover-to-cover, and I’ve started the second (which is even longer, at 1000 pages) already. I think, though, if he doesn’t give me something to hold onto in this one, I’m not going to get the third (when it comes out? is it out?).
-
The Magicians
Finished
I don’t have much to say about this other than that I really enjoyed it. At times Grossman’s style of writing and especially the way he discusses magic, its effects, and the various denizens of the magical world reminded me of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which is (in my eyes) a very positive comparison.
It was a lot of fun to read, but also… I’m not an expert on books or literature, but it wasn’t beach reading. It wasn’t a challenge to get through like so much esteemed “literature,” but it is all the same very well-written and thought-provoking. I’m pretty excited to pick up The Magician King.
-
Bone, Vol. 8: Treasure Hunters
Finished
-
Bone, Vol. 7: Ghost Circles
Finished
-
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Finished
Solid. Second half much more interesting than the first half. A lot of tangential information seemed to slow the book down at times. And I hate, hate, hate, reading, seeing, thinking about crimes of the sort that were committed in this book. So… I’m glad I’m done with it.
That said, I’m going to have to see the movie. I can probably get through the awful parts. And if so, I bet the rest will be a hell of a lot of fun. The book at least lays the groundwork for that.
-
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Finished