Time of the Twins--Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (The Dragonlance Series)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 335

Year Published: 1986

Rating: 5/5

I am a huge fan of the Dragonlance series, and the Legends trilogy is my favorite. Focusing on the relationship between the twins Caramon and Raistlin, it wrestles with themes such as good versus evil, redemption, and the corruption of power and ambition. Raistlin has become the most powerful mage of his time, and quite possibly of all time. His thirst for power has led him to his latest ambition: to challenge the Dark Queen, god of evil. But in order to do this he needs the help of Crysania, a cleric of Paladine, god of good, who is too often blinded by her own vanity and refusal to see the truth. While leaving Raistlin's tower, Crysania is attacked by a dark knight, and ends up sent back in time, to the time period just before the gods brought the Cataclysm down upon the City of Istar. Raistlin too goes back in time to learn from--and become--the great mage Fistandantilus. The conclave of mages decides to send Caramon back, hoping he will be able to save Crysania and stop his brother. What they didn't plan for was Tasslehoff the kender joining Caramon on this quest.

This is a double love story. There is Caramon's unconditional love for his brother and belief that he is not truly evil; also Crysania falls in love with the mage. Raistlin's character is fascinating, in that he struggles with his own weakness when it comes to love--he finds himself falling for Crysania and fighting bitterly against it to remain true to his goals. Crysania sees the good within Raistlin and truly believes she can save him from his evil path.

The book ends abruptly and continues in the next book in the series, War of the Twins.

Book-a-week # 46

Challenges: Read it Again, Series

Date Read: 10/23/09

The Graveyard Book--Neil Gaiman

Genre: Children's Fantasy/Horro
Year Published: 2008
Pages: 307
Rating: 4/5

"There was a hand in the darkness and it held a knife."

This was a charming little coming of age story set in an old, crumbling graveyard. Bod (shortfor Nobody), the protagonist, narrowly escapes death at the hands of a murderer when he is a toddler. Unfortunately his family does not fare so well, and the orphan finds his way to a graveyard, where the unearthly inhabitants take him in. Raised among the dead yet still human, Bod has to navigate his childhood in the cemetery and avoid the being who murdered his family, who still wants to finish the job. This book reminded me heavily of A Fine and Private Place, one of my favorite books ever and another where the dead and the living communicate. I enjoyed it a lot.

RIP Challenge
Book a week # 44
Date Read: 10/12/09

Heart-Shaped Box--Joe Hill

Genre: Horror
Year Published: 2007
Pages: 354
Rating: 4/5

Jude had a private collection.

I have been meaning to read this book for quite some time now, so the night I signed up for this year's R.I.P. Reading Challenge I pulled it off the shelf. Less than two days later, I have finished it. This book was hard to put down. The story flowed well and was captivating, suspenseful and just creepy enough to keep me 100% invested in its pages.

This is a rock-and-roll horror story. Jude is a former metal/goth band frontman with a collection of occult objects and nubile goth 20-somethings. When he sees a ghost for sale on an internet auction site he doesn't think twice before acquiring it. Unfortunately, he has unwittingly walked into a trap--the ghost is his former lover's step-father, bent on revenge after his stepdaughter's suicide. From this point forward, Jude and his newest goth girl, Georgia, have to avoid the ghost long enough to stay alive, piece together the truth of why he is there, and figure out how to send him back from whence he came. There's a lotta good stuff here. The characters are believeable and lovable. The plot flows quickly and suspensefully. The rock and roll references are multiple and fun for a rocker girl like me. I was engaged almost instantly and found it hard to stop reading.

I did have some issues with the novel. Georgia's character in the beginning seems completely different than who she was in the end, and the change doesn't mesh well in my mind. Parts of the story stretch believability beyond what I would prefer, and some detail seems unnecessary. And in some ways it almost flows too quickly from beginning to end. But these are small complaints, and I really enjoyed and would recommend this book.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I constantly compared Hill's writing to that of his famous father, Stephen King. It is somewhat uncanny how much this resembles a King novel, but without the extreme detail and plot-weavings that King manages. Hill obviously inherited a love of music from his father (I loved that the book sections were named after rock songs: Black Dog, Hurt, etc.) as well. The frankness in the characters is as reminiscent of King as the subject matter. But famous father or not, Hill has proven himself to me as an author in his own right, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Date Read: 9/30/09
Book a week # 43
Challenges: RIP IV

Challenge: R.I.P IV

Once again the leaves are changing, the air is chill, the scent of fall is in the air, I am trying to figure out how to manuever my son's Halloween costume, and--oh yes! Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting yet another RIP Challenge!! RIP stands for "Readers Imbibing Peril", and since there's not much I love more than some good peril imbibing in October it is a challenge that was made for me. The genres included under the "peril" heading include:


Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural


Actually, I almost missed RIP IV, but the cold dampness of today reminded me, so I have officially signed on. Since I'm a month late and already behind on all of my reading challenges, I have decided to do Peril the Second, which means I only have to read two books. I will pick my two from the following:


Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Blaze by Stephen King
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Just After Sunset by Stephen King

Any other suggestions...?

The Book Thief--Markus Zusak

Genre: Fiction
Year Published: 2005
Pages: 550
Rating: 5/5

"First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try."

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Set in Nazi Germany during the throes of World War II, it tells the story of Liesel--the book thief--who is taken in by foster parents after her brother dies en route to the town and her mother goes into hiding. The narrator is death itself--something I found unnerving in the beginning but became comfortable with within the first 20 pages. He chronicles Liesel's life, including her exploits with her best friend Rudy, (which reminds me vaguely of those of the children in To Kill a Mockingbird), her stealing books from the mayor's benevolent but broken wife, the trials of her neighbors due to the ravages of war, and even-especially--her foster family harboring a Jew in their basement. The characters are painfully real and the story is woven beautifully, with poetic imagery and death's interspersed interjections.

Though tragically sad, this book is a testament to humanity and human kindness. In a time of horrible evil, small acts of tenderness seem immense. The most heartbreaking moment for me was when the Jews were being marched through the town, staggering and pitiful, as the townspeople watch silently. Finally Liesel's foster father can't stand watching a man--a Jew--struggle and fall and struggle again, and he goes over and gives him a piece of bread. He is whipped and scorned for this act of kindness, and he punishes himself after as well, for breaking down and giving in to his own humanity, thereby putting his own family and friends at risk. I'm not sure that I could have survived in a context where one's ability to care for one's fellow humans was a liability.

Such a great book. So worth reading. I'm sure I'll stop weeping eventually.

Date Read: 9/28/09
Book a week # 42

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible--A.J. Jacobs

Genre: Non-fiction
Year Published: 2007
Pages: 368
Rating: 4/5

"As I write this, I have a beard that makes me resemble Moses."

I really enjoyed this book. The author, A.J. Jacobs chronicles his attempt to follow the Bible literally for a year--an impossible quest, of course, but through extensive research and advice he gives it quite a try! A secular Jew and a self-proclaimed agnostic, Jacobs does his best to remain unbiased and open to all Bible-based faiths, even those that many of us raise our eyebrows at. He manages to be both honest and sensitive as he explores this prickly subject, but it is his humor that makes the book worth reading. What is most interesting to me is his own spiritual journey, which inevitably becomes deeper and stronger as the year progresses, and forces me to look at my own beliefs.

Date Read: 9/20/09
Book a week # 41

1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories, and Secrets Behind Them--Toby Creswell

Genre: Non-fiction/Music
Year Published: 2006
Pages: 880
Rating: 3/5

In this book, the author chooses 1001 songs from different eras and genres (though most are pop/rock) and tells a bit of a story about each one. Though I didn't agree with all of his choices, it was fun to read about the songs I know, and interesting to hear about those I don't. I'd like to go on iTunes and check out all the unfamiliar ones.

Date Read 9/19/09
Book a week # 40

Speak--Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Young Adult
Year Published: 1999
Pages: 198
Rating: 4/5

"It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache."

This is a heart-wrenching young adult novel that deals with a difficult subject: rape. Thirteen year old Melinda is raped at a party the summer before high school. She calls the police, but her voice freezes and she can't tell them what happened. The other kids blame her for the party being raided, and she becomes an outcast. The book chronicles Melinda's freshman year of high school, where she tries to survive each day alone with her secret boiling within her. I was incredibly moved by this book, though it might be because it is a topic that hits rather close to home for me. But Anderson has created a character who manages to be strong even though she is afraid and silent, and her story flows well. I think all students should read this book in 8th-9th grade. Date rape is confusing to adolescents, and this book gives the topic a voice.

Date Read: 8/25/09
Book a week # 38

Mostly Harmless--Douglas Adams

Genre: Sci-Fi/Humor
Year Published: 1992
Pages: 240
Rating: 3.5/5

Eventually, there will be a review here. Eventually.

Date Read: 7/25/09
Book a week # 37

The Last Olympian--Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Year Published: 2009
Pages: 381
Rating: 4/5

Review coming eventually.


Date Read: 7/20/09
Book a week # 37

So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish--Douglas Adams

Genre: Sci-Fi/Humor
Year Published: 1985
Pages: 204
Rating: 4/5

Review coming eventually. I won't lie and say soon.



Book a week # 36
Date Read: 7/16/09

The Battle of the Labyrinth--Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Year Published: 2008
Pages: 362
Rating: 4/5

The fourth book in the Percy Jackson series is just as engaging as the previous three. In this one, Kronos' army has decided to use the labyrinth to invade Camp Half-Blood, and Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson must quest to stop him. Grover has to find Pan before the Council of Cloven Elders revokes his searcher's license, and Nico is negotiating with some unsavory characters in order to bring his sister back from the dead--and to exact revenge upon Percy for her death. As usual, Riordan brilliantly weaves ancient myths into a modern setting. I am both excited and sad about reading the last book, because I think the series is too good to end.

Book a week # 35
Date read: 7/5/09

Duma Key--Stephen King

Genre: Horror
Year Published: 2008
Pages: 611
Rating: 4/5

"Start with a blank surface."

King never fails to amaze me. How he continues to come up with new ways to bring horror into the world is beyond me. In this novel, a former architect/developer and millioner sustains a near-fatal head injury, and loses his right arm to boot. After his marriage fails as a result, he moves to a remote Floridian key and takes up painting. But as his skills as an artist increase, uncanny things begin to happen. Once he meets his nearest neighbors, including the woman who owns most of the key and grew up there--after surviving a head injury of her own--more of the mysterious and frightening pieces fall into place. I will say no more except that this book was riveting and scary, like all good King.

Book a week # 34
Date Read: 6/27/09

The Titan's Curse--Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Year Published: 2007
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5

Review coming soon. I won't lie and say eventually.





Book a week # 33
Date Read: 6/17/09

Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search for Self--Sara Shandler

Genre: Non-fiction/Complilation
Year Published: 1999
Pages: 304
Rating: 3/5

This book is a compilation of writing by teenage girls about a variety of subjects, including body image, family, death, and sex. Some of the poems and short stories are really good, but all of them provide a window into the lives of adolescent females, and I'm sure every woman could relate to some of them.

Date Read: 5/23/09
Book-a-week #: 32