Finished Reading 1/20/2014 - Independent People

I started this book long ago as a nightly read-aloud with my wife.  We had each previously read Iceland's Bell (I loved it, whereas she thought it was merely good, and a bit boring).  Determined to convert her, I launched this book upon her; short of the halfway mark, it was shelved.

Time passed, and meanwhile the book lingered in my imagination.

I finally got back to it, and I'm glad I did.  I can say without hesitation that Bjartur of Summerhouses is one of the greatest protagonists of the novel form; he should be held alongside Don Quixote, and Rochester, and Milton's Satan (not a true protagonist, or a novel, but still), and Pickwick, and Jude the Obscure.  Bjartur stands--foolishly, obstinately, and heroically--unmoving as the world changes around him, and his story becomes the story of his country, seen through the eyes of its most stalwart and enduring (if not endearing) crofter.

Admittedly not the book for everyone, but for me this was a very fine read indeed. 

Independent People by Halldór Laxness

9.25/10

Finished Reading 1/14/14 - The Color of Magic (and others)

One of the many blurbs at the end of the book states that Terry Pratchett does for fantasy what Douglas Adams did for science fiction, and I couldn't agree more--except I suspect the author of those words meant them as highest praise, whereas I don't.  I was amused by this book, much like I was with the Hitchhiker's Guide books, and I suspect I'll read the sequel before too much time has passed, but it didn't really do much for me.  As with Adams' books, of which I've read three, I don't yet see why Discworld has spawned such a rabid following.  For me, it amuses but doesn't delight, interests but doesn't engage.

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

6/10



As a bonus, some words about two other books I finished in the past few days.



The titular doll of this book was really creepy, and I enjoyed the fantasy-meets-reality, nerds-on-a-quest plot.  The book didn't wow me, but it was a fun, quick read that leaves a bit of mystery for the imagination to decide.

Doll Bones by Holly Black, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

6.75/10





This book was charming, and, thinking back, words like "classic" and, perhaps more appropriately, "timeless" come to mind.  It's a short book, more of a novella, really, and it reads quickly--unfortunately so, because the story, characters, and narrative voice are all so lovely. If, like me, you somehow managed to escape childhood having never read this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

8.25/10

Finished Reading 1/09/2014 - The Book Thief

Another book that's been on my to-read list for awhile, but that I was in no hurry to read--until my wife told me the movie was coming out and that we would be going to see it.  Books that I know will be dark and depressing take me a long time to work myself up to beginning, and there's not much that's darker or more depressing than a book about WWII and the Holocaust told from the point of view of Death.

But greater than that inertia is my fear that a movie will spoil a book for me, so reluctantly I pushed The Book Thief to the top of my list.  I'm glad I did.  This story is beautiful, and the language used to tell it is constantly fresh, imaginative, evocative, and surprisingly apt.  I found myself wondering multiple times, why don't we say that phrase that way? or, why don't we use this word for that?  It's a lovingly crafted book, which helps underscore the love and humanity of the characters.  Even Death, on occasion, has a heart.

This is turning out to be a very good year for books so far.  I only hope I can find a few more titles as original and moving as this one turned out to be.

The Book Thief, but Markus Zusak.

9.25/10

Finished Reading 01/07/2014 - The Lies of Locke Lamora

I've been wanting to read this one for several years now, but never quite seemed to get around to it.  Now I'm sorry I put it off.  The worldbuilding here is very well done, and the characters are full of wonderful little quirks, faults, and gritty realities.  Plus Lynch is the best I've ever read at crafting curses and fitting them naturally into dialogue--difficult enough to do well, but he masters it.

But that's not what really charms in this book.  The core story--a band of suave, merry con men who jump in way over their heads--is beautifully unflinching.  This is not to say it's a flawless book (who would want to read one of those?).  There were several places where the purpose of a chapter is fulfilled, but we don't wind down for several pages.  It wasn't until halfway through the book that I began to appreciate these, as they offer us further glimpses of character and the society, and all the while we really are building toward the inevitable climax.  Yet even with that sense of inevitability, Lynch manages quite a few surprises.

Two final things of note that greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book.  First, Scott Lynch is really fucking funny.  I laughed a lot as I made my way through.  Locke is one of the better characters I've read in years, and his sense of humor is a large part of that.  The other reason was that I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Michael Page.  If you can, listen to him read the book to you.  He's fantastic.

I cannot recommend this title highly enough.  I'm very eagerly looking forward to the second volume, which I'll be listening to again, once again narrated by Michael Page.

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch.

9.5/10

Finished Reading 01/03/2014 - Fortunately the Milk

This is a very quick read, and has some lovely illustrations by Skottie Young.  The story was interesting (like Big Fish, but with time travel) and I enjoyed it somewhat, but it's my least favorite of Gaiman's books for younger readers.  It lacks the poignancy of Big Fish, or most of Gaiman's other works, for that matter. He's shooting for a younger audience than that of The Graveyard Book or even Coraline, but this book only amused me, whereas the other two blew me away.

I could see myself reading and rereading this book back when I was eight, perhaps nine, but then I would have put it behind me.  Unlike most of Gaiman's other books, which hit on many levels and work for readers of all ages, Fortunately, the Milk didn't live up to my (admittedly very high--it's Neil Gaiman, after all) expectations.  Buy it for your kids, your nieces and nephews, but don't expect too much out of it for yourself.

Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young

5.0/10

Finished Reading 01/02/2014 - Collapse

I've been reading this one for a while, as it is a big, dense book, and its organization makes it well suited to reading a lengthy chapter and then putting it aside for a few days to ponder.  As with his previous work in a similar vein, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Collapse is above all meticulous and methodical.  Augustinian is the word that comes to mind.

Probably not the best book for every reader, but I find Diamond's approach to be very persuasive, and his look at past and present societies very compelling.  Recommended for those interested in history, the environment, politics, or international relations.

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed: Revised Edition by Jared Diamond.

8.0/10

Finished Reading 01/01/2014 - Academ's Fury

I read the first Codex Alera book, Furies of Calderon, last September, and liked it well enough to want to continue the story eventually, but wasn't blown away.  But then I kept finding my thoughts drawn back to Calderon, and the characters, with a surprising magnetism.  I didn't want to build up my expectations too high, only to have them let down, so it was with some trepidation that I began this second volume.

It didn't disappoint.

The characters are just as engaging as before, and the world is more fully developed and explored.  The overall plot felt a little bit contrived, but overlooking this overarching point, it was very easy to get lost in the story, as the action compels the pages to keep turning.

Fans of the first book in the Codex Alera will find even more to appreciate here, and I for one am looking forward even more to the third book than I did the second.

Academ's Fury (Codex Alera Book 2) by Jim Butcher.

8.25/10