mainstream fiction
As The Crow Flies
Jeffrey Archer
Harper Paperbacks
©1991
ISBN 0-06-109934-1
789 pages
US $6.50/ CAN $7.99
"The Honest Trader – When Charlie Trumper inherits his grandfather’s fruit and vegetable barrow, he inherits as well his enterprising spirit, which gives Charlie the drive to lift himself out of the poverty of Whitechapel, in London’s East End. Success, however, does not come easily or quickly, particularly when World War I sends Charlie into combat and into an ongoing struggle with a vengeful enemy who will not rest until Charlie is destroyed.
"As the crow flies, it is only a few short miles from Whitechapel to Chelsea Terrace where Trumper’s, the world’s largest department store, will have its beginnings. But for Charlie Trumper, following threads of love, ambition, and revenge, it will be an epic journey that carries him across three continents and through the triumphs and disasters of the twentieth century, all leading toward the fulfilment of his greatest dream."
I know I picked up this book second-hand, but I don’t remember where. I only buy new authors after I’ve tried them at the library or their books are second-hand, just so I don’t waste money. Well, after reading this book, I’ve started to collect others by Jeffrey Archer.
As the Crow Flies is an amazing novel. It chronicles the life story of Charlie Trumper, the best rags-to-riches story I’ve ever read. He starts life one step above that of a street urchin (his father being a dockworker and a drunk) and hangs around his grandfather’s barrow – a cart that he sells fresh fruit and veggies from. Yet over the span of his entire life he will become a war veteran, be knighted, and even given a title from Buckingham Palace.
This saga involves a cast of dozens, with the part of the villain expertly portrayed by Mrs. Gerald Trentham, one of the old nobility who resents anyone of ‘common’ blood. She makes it her life’s mission to foil Charlie’s every attempt at building an empire. She also very nearly succeeds. It is Jeffrey Archer’s genius that this book flows as smoothly as it does, navigating through nearly a thousand pages of story to bring us the points of view of every major character. It also expertly narrates the events of the twentieth century – complete with two world wars.
This book is compelling, richly detailed, full of joys and hopes as well as sorrows (a major character commits suicide, right out of the blue), and fulfils every persons heartfelt wish to make something worthwhile of their lives, to turn out better than your birth would have you realise.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Bone Collector (Four Stars)
suspense/horror
The Bone Collector
Jeffery Deaver
Signet Books
©1997
ISBN 0-451-18845-4
427 pages
USA $6.99/CAN $8.99
"Lincoln Rhyme was once one of the nation’s most brilliant criminologists, a genius in the field of forensics. Now an accident has left him physically crippled and emotionally stunted. But he’s about to be dragged into the most explosive case of his already distinguished career. A diabolical killer known as the Bone Collector has been stalking unsuspecting prey on the streets of New York, and it will take all of Rhyme’s investigative skills to stop him.
"With beautiful police detective Amelia Sachs at his side, Rhyme must uncover a labyrinth of clues to prevent the next grisly crime. But a race against the clock becomes a terrifying battle of wits as Rhyme is drawn, step by chilling step, into the mind of a monstrous madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to raw bone…."
What a terrifying book. Deaver has created a protagonist that the reader sometimes loves and sometimes hates. It seems that there is nothing more important than the crime scene, and, since Rhyme can’t be there himself to process it, he commands novice Sachs to process scenes, even though she’s never been trained in forensics. She is horrified with Rhyme when he once asked her to cut a victim’s hands off so he could examine the handcuffs without opening them.
But throughout the course of these horrifying days (yes, the whole novel takes place in about a week of real time), Rhyme comes to rely on Sach’s growing sense of the criminal mind, as she realizes that he is the only one who can figure out the Bone Collector’s clues in time to save the next victim. I must admit that Deaver is sometimes too graphic, and some descriptions of the crimes being perpetrated were heinous, far more chilling in the almost matter-of-fact language Deaver uses. However, if a reader can get past the blood, the ending is phenomenal. For anyone who loves suspense, this is a good read. And a whole lot better than the movie.
The Bone Collector
Jeffery Deaver
Signet Books
©1997
ISBN 0-451-18845-4
427 pages
USA $6.99/CAN $8.99
"Lincoln Rhyme was once one of the nation’s most brilliant criminologists, a genius in the field of forensics. Now an accident has left him physically crippled and emotionally stunted. But he’s about to be dragged into the most explosive case of his already distinguished career. A diabolical killer known as the Bone Collector has been stalking unsuspecting prey on the streets of New York, and it will take all of Rhyme’s investigative skills to stop him.
"With beautiful police detective Amelia Sachs at his side, Rhyme must uncover a labyrinth of clues to prevent the next grisly crime. But a race against the clock becomes a terrifying battle of wits as Rhyme is drawn, step by chilling step, into the mind of a monstrous madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to raw bone…."
What a terrifying book. Deaver has created a protagonist that the reader sometimes loves and sometimes hates. It seems that there is nothing more important than the crime scene, and, since Rhyme can’t be there himself to process it, he commands novice Sachs to process scenes, even though she’s never been trained in forensics. She is horrified with Rhyme when he once asked her to cut a victim’s hands off so he could examine the handcuffs without opening them.
But throughout the course of these horrifying days (yes, the whole novel takes place in about a week of real time), Rhyme comes to rely on Sach’s growing sense of the criminal mind, as she realizes that he is the only one who can figure out the Bone Collector’s clues in time to save the next victim. I must admit that Deaver is sometimes too graphic, and some descriptions of the crimes being perpetrated were heinous, far more chilling in the almost matter-of-fact language Deaver uses. However, if a reader can get past the blood, the ending is phenomenal. For anyone who loves suspense, this is a good read. And a whole lot better than the movie.
The Deed of Paksenarrion (Five Stars)
fantasy
The Deed of Paksenarrion
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Publishing Enterprises
©1992
ISBN 0-671-72104-6
1024 pages
CAN $26.50 / US $18.00
"Complete at last in a single volume – the finest trilogy of the decade!
"Never in our experience has a new author burst upon the sf/fantasy field to such immediate enthusiastic recognition as Elizabeth Moon with her fantasy trilogy, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. Now at last we are able to offer all six hundred thousand words of The Deed of Paksenarrion in a single trade edition. Note that because of its size the complete Deed of Paksenarrion will probably never be offered in a mass market edition."
Well, that little blurb doesn’t say much about this truly extraordinary trilogy. This was loaned to me by a dear friend and I devoured all three books. Now, I have read fantasy all my life, some of it good and some of it rather poor, but this is exceptional. I even prefer reading this trilogy to (gasp!) The Lord of the Rings, which I have read faithfully every year for as long as I can remember.
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter introduces our heroine as a young girl who runs away from home (doesn’t want to marry the pig farmer) to become a mercenary soldier. The depictions of soldier training and battle are second to none, as I have learned that Elizabeth Moon has military experience. You will never find a more true account of mercenary companies, their travels on roads thick and muddy, their encounters with pillage and plunder, and the heroic pursuits that Paks finds herself on. Not wanting to be a hero, only wanting to serve her Duke, Paks finds within herself some extraordinary abilities that may even be Gods-gifted.
In Divided Allegiance Paks leaves the Duke’s service to follow the call of her Gods, to join the Fellowship of Gird. While in training at Fin Panir she is offered to become a paladin – a dream far beyond most peasant girls. However, in her travels she is captured by dark elves, tortured and mutilated before her eventual rescue. Evil has replaced the good in her mind and the high-ranking members of the Fellowship try to excise it, leaving her without the evil, but also without any courage and she cannot be a soldier any longer. The end of this book was the most tragic thing I’ve ever read, as this highly decorated and intriguing woman is left huddling in ditches and freezing and near death. The worst riches-to-rags scenario I’ve ever read and I was crying and crying the first time I read it.
Oath of Gold describes the lengths Paks goes to save herself, to put faith back in the common people. Beyond her wildest dreams and after many ills she is finally healed and called as a paladin once more. It becomes the deed of her life’s work to return to the service of her duke and rescue him from peril.
I wax on and on. This is a completely fabulous trilogy that anyone who enjoys fantasy should read. Parts of it are disturbing, only because they so closely echo our own hopes and pains. The reader feels like a part of Paksenarrion truly resides within them, and that we all have some of that incredible godlike potential.
The Deed of Paksenarrion
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Publishing Enterprises
©1992
ISBN 0-671-72104-6
1024 pages
CAN $26.50 / US $18.00
"Complete at last in a single volume – the finest trilogy of the decade!
"Never in our experience has a new author burst upon the sf/fantasy field to such immediate enthusiastic recognition as Elizabeth Moon with her fantasy trilogy, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. Now at last we are able to offer all six hundred thousand words of The Deed of Paksenarrion in a single trade edition. Note that because of its size the complete Deed of Paksenarrion will probably never be offered in a mass market edition."
Well, that little blurb doesn’t say much about this truly extraordinary trilogy. This was loaned to me by a dear friend and I devoured all three books. Now, I have read fantasy all my life, some of it good and some of it rather poor, but this is exceptional. I even prefer reading this trilogy to (gasp!) The Lord of the Rings, which I have read faithfully every year for as long as I can remember.
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter introduces our heroine as a young girl who runs away from home (doesn’t want to marry the pig farmer) to become a mercenary soldier. The depictions of soldier training and battle are second to none, as I have learned that Elizabeth Moon has military experience. You will never find a more true account of mercenary companies, their travels on roads thick and muddy, their encounters with pillage and plunder, and the heroic pursuits that Paks finds herself on. Not wanting to be a hero, only wanting to serve her Duke, Paks finds within herself some extraordinary abilities that may even be Gods-gifted.
In Divided Allegiance Paks leaves the Duke’s service to follow the call of her Gods, to join the Fellowship of Gird. While in training at Fin Panir she is offered to become a paladin – a dream far beyond most peasant girls. However, in her travels she is captured by dark elves, tortured and mutilated before her eventual rescue. Evil has replaced the good in her mind and the high-ranking members of the Fellowship try to excise it, leaving her without the evil, but also without any courage and she cannot be a soldier any longer. The end of this book was the most tragic thing I’ve ever read, as this highly decorated and intriguing woman is left huddling in ditches and freezing and near death. The worst riches-to-rags scenario I’ve ever read and I was crying and crying the first time I read it.
Oath of Gold describes the lengths Paks goes to save herself, to put faith back in the common people. Beyond her wildest dreams and after many ills she is finally healed and called as a paladin once more. It becomes the deed of her life’s work to return to the service of her duke and rescue him from peril.
I wax on and on. This is a completely fabulous trilogy that anyone who enjoys fantasy should read. Parts of it are disturbing, only because they so closely echo our own hopes and pains. The reader feels like a part of Paksenarrion truly resides within them, and that we all have some of that incredible godlike potential.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Life Expectancy (Five Stars)
suspence/horror
Life Expectancy
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
©2004
ISBN 0-553-58824-9
476 pages
US $7.99/$11.99 CAN
"Before he died on a storm-wracked night, Jimmy Tock’s grandfather predicted there would be five dark days in his grandson’s life – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy must prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year, the last in his thirtieth. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five critical days? What challenges must he survive? The path he follows will defy every expectation and will take all the love, humor, and courage he possesses. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery both dangerous and wondrous…. Life expectancy… enjoy it while you can."
Another one of Janna’s recommendations, this has turned into one of my favourite books. From the opening paragraph, Dean Koontz leads the reader through the life of a baker, an ordinary guy, forced to live through five horrendous days. Compelling, gripping, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. Despite being a ‘horror’ book, this is also truly humorous, moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure. I have never known a protagonist who is a baker, and I loved hearing stories about the baker’s life. Every character in this book is well-thought out and rounded.
In short, I love this book. I will likely read it again and again. It may be my favourite Dean Koontz book, though ‘Lightning’ is the other of his novels that is also fabulous. Koontz’s craft only excels as he ages, and I look forward to reading more of him.
Life Expectancy
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
©2004
ISBN 0-553-58824-9
476 pages
US $7.99/$11.99 CAN
"Before he died on a storm-wracked night, Jimmy Tock’s grandfather predicted there would be five dark days in his grandson’s life – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy must prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year, the last in his thirtieth. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five critical days? What challenges must he survive? The path he follows will defy every expectation and will take all the love, humor, and courage he possesses. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery both dangerous and wondrous…. Life expectancy… enjoy it while you can."
Another one of Janna’s recommendations, this has turned into one of my favourite books. From the opening paragraph, Dean Koontz leads the reader through the life of a baker, an ordinary guy, forced to live through five horrendous days. Compelling, gripping, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. Despite being a ‘horror’ book, this is also truly humorous, moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure. I have never known a protagonist who is a baker, and I loved hearing stories about the baker’s life. Every character in this book is well-thought out and rounded.
In short, I love this book. I will likely read it again and again. It may be my favourite Dean Koontz book, though ‘Lightning’ is the other of his novels that is also fabulous. Koontz’s craft only excels as he ages, and I look forward to reading more of him.
Full Tilt (One Star)
romance
Full Tilt
Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
©2003
ISBN 0-312-98328-X
342 pages
US $7.99/ CAN $10.99
"Jamie Swift has one priority in quiet Beaumont, South Carolina: running the local newspaper. Romance runs second. But with the arrival of her silent partner, the notoriously mysterious and sexy Maximillian Holt, Jamie’s life gets shaken up. Max claims he’s here to give his brother-in-law a vote of confidence. A former wrestler, Frankie Fontana’s now taking his shots in the political ring. Beaumont could use a mayor with scruples, but what it gets is a crime – and what Jamie gets is a story that’s taking her for a ride on the wild side, complete with two assassins, a washed-up stripper, and an insane poacher. Between a spray of bullets and a fast getaway, could it get any more romantic – or dangerous? Max and Jamie are betting their lives on a long shot."
Like I’ve previously stated, I don’t read much romance. But I’d heard of Janet Evanovich before, and thought I’d give her a try. I read my requisite fifty pages (I give every book fifty pages) and couldn’t go on. I found Max Holt to be the absolute cliché – rich (filthy rich), a ladies man, arrogant, and self-righteous. I almost couldn’t get past the first two pages (he has so much money he’s bought himself a state-of-the-art car with an onboard computer he calls ‘Muffin’, and the car talks back to him like a stripper.) Aside from my problems with the characters, I found the plot to be too blunt. Assassins, bullets, they seemed out of place in Beaumont, even with the characters, and I couldn’t help feeling that the authors created this book for a money grab without even trying to write a convincing plot line. It was far too cliched, and I couldn’t even finish it.
Full Tilt
Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
©2003
ISBN 0-312-98328-X
342 pages
US $7.99/ CAN $10.99
"Jamie Swift has one priority in quiet Beaumont, South Carolina: running the local newspaper. Romance runs second. But with the arrival of her silent partner, the notoriously mysterious and sexy Maximillian Holt, Jamie’s life gets shaken up. Max claims he’s here to give his brother-in-law a vote of confidence. A former wrestler, Frankie Fontana’s now taking his shots in the political ring. Beaumont could use a mayor with scruples, but what it gets is a crime – and what Jamie gets is a story that’s taking her for a ride on the wild side, complete with two assassins, a washed-up stripper, and an insane poacher. Between a spray of bullets and a fast getaway, could it get any more romantic – or dangerous? Max and Jamie are betting their lives on a long shot."
Like I’ve previously stated, I don’t read much romance. But I’d heard of Janet Evanovich before, and thought I’d give her a try. I read my requisite fifty pages (I give every book fifty pages) and couldn’t go on. I found Max Holt to be the absolute cliché – rich (filthy rich), a ladies man, arrogant, and self-righteous. I almost couldn’t get past the first two pages (he has so much money he’s bought himself a state-of-the-art car with an onboard computer he calls ‘Muffin’, and the car talks back to him like a stripper.) Aside from my problems with the characters, I found the plot to be too blunt. Assassins, bullets, they seemed out of place in Beaumont, even with the characters, and I couldn’t help feeling that the authors created this book for a money grab without even trying to write a convincing plot line. It was far too cliched, and I couldn’t even finish it.
Miranda and the Warrior (One Star)
teen fiction
Miranda and the Warrior
Elaine Barbieri
Avon Books
©2002
ISBN 0-06-001134-3
197 pages
US $4.99/$7.99 CAN
"Miranda – The only child of a U.S. Cavalry major, Miranda Thurston has grown up in a watchful, overprotective household. So even after the major’s repeated warnings of Cheyenne raiding parties on the Western frontier, Miranda never believes she is in danger – until a Cheyenne warrior captures her.
"The Warrior – Respected by the Cheyenne, Shadow Walker has earned his reputation as a warrior. At first, he is dismayed to find that his captive is just a girl – a girl worth little in his vengeance against the military. But he comes to realize that she is not just a girl, but a headstrong woman. And even as she defies him at every turn, he wonders if she may be worth something to him in a way he never expected.
"As captive and captor, Miranda and Shadow Walker grow closer, and soon uncover feelings they had thought impossible. But would they risk everything they once held dear – for each other?"
I took a long time to finish this book because it interested me so little. I found the characters typecast, their foibles transparent, and their every move predictable. The plot was lacklustre and, again, predictable. For her part, the author researched the book well. I currently live among natives (Cree, not Cheyenne), but the familial spirit they possess is well represented in this book. As a teen love story, it does what it intends, but neither of the characters is someone that will live long in me, and I doubt I will ever read this book again.
Miranda and the Warrior
Elaine Barbieri
Avon Books
©2002
ISBN 0-06-001134-3
197 pages
US $4.99/$7.99 CAN
"Miranda – The only child of a U.S. Cavalry major, Miranda Thurston has grown up in a watchful, overprotective household. So even after the major’s repeated warnings of Cheyenne raiding parties on the Western frontier, Miranda never believes she is in danger – until a Cheyenne warrior captures her.
"The Warrior – Respected by the Cheyenne, Shadow Walker has earned his reputation as a warrior. At first, he is dismayed to find that his captive is just a girl – a girl worth little in his vengeance against the military. But he comes to realize that she is not just a girl, but a headstrong woman. And even as she defies him at every turn, he wonders if she may be worth something to him in a way he never expected.
"As captive and captor, Miranda and Shadow Walker grow closer, and soon uncover feelings they had thought impossible. But would they risk everything they once held dear – for each other?"
I took a long time to finish this book because it interested me so little. I found the characters typecast, their foibles transparent, and their every move predictable. The plot was lacklustre and, again, predictable. For her part, the author researched the book well. I currently live among natives (Cree, not Cheyenne), but the familial spirit they possess is well represented in this book. As a teen love story, it does what it intends, but neither of the characters is someone that will live long in me, and I doubt I will ever read this book again.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Curse of Chalion (Five Stars)
fantasy
The Curse of Chalion
Lois McMaster Bujold
Harper Torch
©2001
ISBN 0-380-81860-4
502 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment that Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge – an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous…and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death."
This is my favourite book. I own more than a thousand titles, and this is the best of them all. This is the only book I had read from cover to cover then turned back to page one to read the whole thing entirely again.
Most fantasy novels are written of sword-toting and law-breaking heroes whose divine purpose leads them to break all the rules. This is the first fantasy novel I read where the hero is a scholar, and a sickly scholar at that. Cazaril grabs your heart like no other hero possibly could, because he is trapped in a diseased body and doomed to certain death. It makes his struggles all the more real, the price all too high, and you are never certain he will actually succeed. The romance in this book is subtle and fine, as Cazaril falls in love with Iselle’s attendant, the Lady Betriz, and knows he can offer her nothing except a funeral.
The theology of fantasy worlds always interests me, and the Quintarian theology of this book is astounding in its simplicity. The political structure of this world is easily described, never leaving the reader too dazed with endless political schemings.
This book is fantastic. You should read it.
The Curse of Chalion
Lois McMaster Bujold
Harper Torch
©2001
ISBN 0-380-81860-4
502 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment that Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge – an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous…and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death."
This is my favourite book. I own more than a thousand titles, and this is the best of them all. This is the only book I had read from cover to cover then turned back to page one to read the whole thing entirely again.
Most fantasy novels are written of sword-toting and law-breaking heroes whose divine purpose leads them to break all the rules. This is the first fantasy novel I read where the hero is a scholar, and a sickly scholar at that. Cazaril grabs your heart like no other hero possibly could, because he is trapped in a diseased body and doomed to certain death. It makes his struggles all the more real, the price all too high, and you are never certain he will actually succeed. The romance in this book is subtle and fine, as Cazaril falls in love with Iselle’s attendant, the Lady Betriz, and knows he can offer her nothing except a funeral.
The theology of fantasy worlds always interests me, and the Quintarian theology of this book is astounding in its simplicity. The political structure of this world is easily described, never leaving the reader too dazed with endless political schemings.
This book is fantastic. You should read it.
Deception Point (Four Stars)
mainstream fiction
Deception Point
Dan Brown
Pocket Books
©2001
ISBN 0-671-02738-7
558 pages
$7.99 US/$11.99 CAN
"When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory – a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery – a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all."
It was my best friend, Dene Eva, who introduced me to Dan Brown. I had heard of him, through the making of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read him. She went into transports of glee talking about his books and convinced me I needed to read him. She warned me to read ‘Angels and Demons’ before ‘The Da Vinci Code’, and I did so. And loved them.
I found ‘Deception Point’ at a flea market and bought it immediately. Anything by Dan Brown has to be good. And boy, it is. I rocketed through this book. He is a master storyteller – knowing just how much information to give the reader, and just how much to keep secret. Only at the very end does he reveal his hand, in conclusions that make perfect sense all along. I marvel at his research capabilities – he comes up with the most amazing stuff! It is no wonder to me that this man is a Bestselling Author. Bravo.
Deception Point
Dan Brown
Pocket Books
©2001
ISBN 0-671-02738-7
558 pages
$7.99 US/$11.99 CAN
"When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory – a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery – a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all."
It was my best friend, Dene Eva, who introduced me to Dan Brown. I had heard of him, through the making of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read him. She went into transports of glee talking about his books and convinced me I needed to read him. She warned me to read ‘Angels and Demons’ before ‘The Da Vinci Code’, and I did so. And loved them.
I found ‘Deception Point’ at a flea market and bought it immediately. Anything by Dan Brown has to be good. And boy, it is. I rocketed through this book. He is a master storyteller – knowing just how much information to give the reader, and just how much to keep secret. Only at the very end does he reveal his hand, in conclusions that make perfect sense all along. I marvel at his research capabilities – he comes up with the most amazing stuff! It is no wonder to me that this man is a Bestselling Author. Bravo.
Still Life With Crows (Four Stars)
horror
Still Life With Crows
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Warner Books
©2003
ISBN 0-446-53142-1
Pages ?
US $25.95 CAN $36.95
I was talking with Janna about 1408 and it’s author, Stephen King. King is the only author I have ever been so scared that I had to quit reading at night and finish in the morning. Two of his stories did that to me: The Boogeyman, and 1408. Janna revealed that this is the book that she had been scared enough to stop reading at night. I had read previous novels by Preston and Child (Relic), and knew I was in for a good read.
This novel was spectacular. After a bizarre murder in a cornfield, an FBI agent comes to investigate of his own volition, not at the agency’s behest. He befriends a girl, Corrie, who becomes his assistant, driving him around town, introducing him to the people and places of Medicine Creek. As the numbers of victims continue to grow, in ever-increasing deaths of savagery and gore, he discovers that the secret to this crime lies in the infamous Indian Massacre that also took place in that locale a century ago.
Tightly paced, riveting, and descriptions almost too vivid make this book a quick and exciting read. I admit that the descriptions of the dead bodies were almost too much for me to handle. You couldn’t really guess who the murderer was, given the clues, but it still made sense in the end. For mystery and horror buffs, this is a good choice.
Still Life With Crows
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Warner Books
©2003
ISBN 0-446-53142-1
Pages ?
US $25.95 CAN $36.95
I was talking with Janna about 1408 and it’s author, Stephen King. King is the only author I have ever been so scared that I had to quit reading at night and finish in the morning. Two of his stories did that to me: The Boogeyman, and 1408. Janna revealed that this is the book that she had been scared enough to stop reading at night. I had read previous novels by Preston and Child (Relic), and knew I was in for a good read.
This novel was spectacular. After a bizarre murder in a cornfield, an FBI agent comes to investigate of his own volition, not at the agency’s behest. He befriends a girl, Corrie, who becomes his assistant, driving him around town, introducing him to the people and places of Medicine Creek. As the numbers of victims continue to grow, in ever-increasing deaths of savagery and gore, he discovers that the secret to this crime lies in the infamous Indian Massacre that also took place in that locale a century ago.
Tightly paced, riveting, and descriptions almost too vivid make this book a quick and exciting read. I admit that the descriptions of the dead bodies were almost too much for me to handle. You couldn’t really guess who the murderer was, given the clues, but it still made sense in the end. For mystery and horror buffs, this is a good choice.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Counting Stars (Four Stars)
LDS fiction
Counting Stars
Michele Paige Holmes
Covenant Communications, Inc.
©2007
ISBN 987-1-59811-357-0
384 pages
$16.95
My sister, Janna, recommended this book to me. It is written by an author of my faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of it. I found it to be a beautiful tale of love and hope.
Jane is nearing 30 and nearing desperation being single in a church that celebrates family above all else. She finally turns to the personals page in a newspaper and finds a singularly interesting entry: someone seeking a mother for two young children. As it turns out, Paul has terminal cancer and his wife just died in a car accident, leaving two babies behind for him to care for.
Knowing that marriage would be impossible, Jane takes the job anyway, and becomes a legal mother to the two babies after Paul dies. Unknown to her, Paul had another surprise in mind for her as his twin brother, Peter, returns home from Afghanistan. At first they merely tolerate each other as they raise the children, but their minds softly turn to love.
This book was well-written, had an engaging plot line and an easy reading pace. I greatly enjoyed reading it and will probably add it to my library.
Counting Stars
Michele Paige Holmes
Covenant Communications, Inc.
©2007
ISBN 987-1-59811-357-0
384 pages
$16.95
My sister, Janna, recommended this book to me. It is written by an author of my faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of it. I found it to be a beautiful tale of love and hope.
Jane is nearing 30 and nearing desperation being single in a church that celebrates family above all else. She finally turns to the personals page in a newspaper and finds a singularly interesting entry: someone seeking a mother for two young children. As it turns out, Paul has terminal cancer and his wife just died in a car accident, leaving two babies behind for him to care for.
Knowing that marriage would be impossible, Jane takes the job anyway, and becomes a legal mother to the two babies after Paul dies. Unknown to her, Paul had another surprise in mind for her as his twin brother, Peter, returns home from Afghanistan. At first they merely tolerate each other as they raise the children, but their minds softly turn to love.
This book was well-written, had an engaging plot line and an easy reading pace. I greatly enjoyed reading it and will probably add it to my library.
The Devil Wears Prada (Four Stars)
Mainstream fiction
The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger
Anchor Books
©2003
ISBN 0-307-27555-8
432 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
I had quite enjoyed the movie made from this book, so when I saw it in Jocelyn’s room, I asked to borrow it. I am always wary reading adult fiction – I don’t always appreciate skin and swearing. This book had some swearing, but at least it was never gratuitous.
Andy Sachs somehow lands ‘the job a million girls would die for’ working at Runway Magazine. She sticks out like a sore thumb in her size 6 (gasp!) and ordinary wardrobe. Before she really realizes what is happening, Runway and Miranda Priestly take over her life.
Talk about the boss from Hades. Miranda Priestly is a character you love to hate and for the entire novel you wonder why Andy puts up with it all. We know that it’s because she wants to become a journalist and one year at Runway will put you in the fast lane of publishing in New York. But, by the end, Andy realizes that she has had enough of Miranda’s impossible demands and returns home to family and friends.
I cringed my way through the entire novel, spellbound by Miranda’s antics. I enjoyed the book very much, the character development was first-rate, and the story unwound in a marvellous manner. I do wonder now why they made so many changes for the movie, but I guess that’s what producers do.
The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger
Anchor Books
©2003
ISBN 0-307-27555-8
432 pages
US $7.99 CAN $10.99
I had quite enjoyed the movie made from this book, so when I saw it in Jocelyn’s room, I asked to borrow it. I am always wary reading adult fiction – I don’t always appreciate skin and swearing. This book had some swearing, but at least it was never gratuitous.
Andy Sachs somehow lands ‘the job a million girls would die for’ working at Runway Magazine. She sticks out like a sore thumb in her size 6 (gasp!) and ordinary wardrobe. Before she really realizes what is happening, Runway and Miranda Priestly take over her life.
Talk about the boss from Hades. Miranda Priestly is a character you love to hate and for the entire novel you wonder why Andy puts up with it all. We know that it’s because she wants to become a journalist and one year at Runway will put you in the fast lane of publishing in New York. But, by the end, Andy realizes that she has had enough of Miranda’s impossible demands and returns home to family and friends.
I cringed my way through the entire novel, spellbound by Miranda’s antics. I enjoyed the book very much, the character development was first-rate, and the story unwound in a marvellous manner. I do wonder now why they made so many changes for the movie, but I guess that’s what producers do.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Five Stars)
children's fiction
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2007
ISBN 1-55192-976-7
607 pages
$45.00
"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?"
There is no gentle saunter into the story in this final instalment of the Harry Potter series. It starts with a bang and keeps a relentless pace throughout its six hundred pages. It may be the finest book I’ve ever read. Every single thing ever uttered in the books preceding it is explained, even the origin of the blood on the Bloody Baron’s clothing. The death count is inconceivable; I think I cried all day while I read it.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione don’t return to Hogwarts for their final year. Instead they set out on a quest to find and destroy all the horcruxes of Lord Voldemort so he can finally be beaten. It is a journey filled with trepidation and horror, as they are captured, escape, and are captured again. But in the end, every question is answered and the theme of the whole series comes into focus: love. It is all about love. The love that Severus Snape had for Lily Potter saved the world. The love that Harry Potter had for his friends also saved the world. And the courage of Neville Longbottom proved greatest of all.
It is a fitting conclusion to the series that has rocked the foundations of our world. Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for bringing it into my life.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2007
ISBN 1-55192-976-7
607 pages
$45.00
"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?"
There is no gentle saunter into the story in this final instalment of the Harry Potter series. It starts with a bang and keeps a relentless pace throughout its six hundred pages. It may be the finest book I’ve ever read. Every single thing ever uttered in the books preceding it is explained, even the origin of the blood on the Bloody Baron’s clothing. The death count is inconceivable; I think I cried all day while I read it.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione don’t return to Hogwarts for their final year. Instead they set out on a quest to find and destroy all the horcruxes of Lord Voldemort so he can finally be beaten. It is a journey filled with trepidation and horror, as they are captured, escape, and are captured again. But in the end, every question is answered and the theme of the whole series comes into focus: love. It is all about love. The love that Severus Snape had for Lily Potter saved the world. The love that Harry Potter had for his friends also saved the world. And the courage of Neville Longbottom proved greatest of all.
It is a fitting conclusion to the series that has rocked the foundations of our world. Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for bringing it into my life.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Four Stars)
Children's fiction
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2005
ISBN 1-55192-756-x
607 pages
$41.00
"It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys’ house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can’t quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys’ of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks’ time? Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine…
"J.K. Rowling charts Harry Potter’s latest adventures in his sixth year at Hogwarts with consummate skill and in breathtaking fashion."
So the world knows of the existence of Lord Voldemort and Harry may expect his life to get a little easier. Especially as he is getting private lessons from Professor Dumbledore. Yet to his dismay, Professor Snape is finally handed the Defense Against the Dark Arts position he had been vying for every single year. A new Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, is an intriguing character who holds the key to Voldemort’s downfall.
As Harry and Dumbledore search for hidden objects that contain bits of Voldemort’s soul, tensions between magic and muggle escalate, and battle lines are drawn even within Hogwarts itself. The greatest mystery of all? Who is the Half Blood Prince?
Rowling once again proves her mastery over the world she has created, and her narrative style brought me to both tears and laughter.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2005
ISBN 1-55192-756-x
607 pages
$41.00
"It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys’ house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can’t quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys’ of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks’ time? Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine…
"J.K. Rowling charts Harry Potter’s latest adventures in his sixth year at Hogwarts with consummate skill and in breathtaking fashion."
So the world knows of the existence of Lord Voldemort and Harry may expect his life to get a little easier. Especially as he is getting private lessons from Professor Dumbledore. Yet to his dismay, Professor Snape is finally handed the Defense Against the Dark Arts position he had been vying for every single year. A new Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, is an intriguing character who holds the key to Voldemort’s downfall.
As Harry and Dumbledore search for hidden objects that contain bits of Voldemort’s soul, tensions between magic and muggle escalate, and battle lines are drawn even within Hogwarts itself. The greatest mystery of all? Who is the Half Blood Prince?
Rowling once again proves her mastery over the world she has created, and her narrative style brought me to both tears and laughter.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Four Stars)
Children's fiction
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2003
ISBN1-55192-570-2
766 pages
$43.00
"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. ‘It is time,’ he said, ‘for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.’
"Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down…
"This is a gripping and electrifying new novel full of suspense, secrets, and – of course – magic, from the incomparable J.K. Rowling."
Author J.K. Rowling steers her incredible craft into seething waters in this novel. Considerably darker than the novels that have preceded it, The Order of the Phoenix chronicles Harry’s obsession with dreams that lead him down a mysterious hallway to a prophecy that tells the final truth about he and his enemy, Lord Voldemort. The Ministry of Magic proves that it is under the thrall of power-seeking wizards who try to tell the wizarding world that Harry is lying about the return of Lord Voldemort to power. They even send an evil witch, Umbridge, to be a High Inquisitor at Hogwarts, who eventually takes over the running of the school.
Whatever boundaries Rowling may have created in previous books are shattered in this tale, as Umbridge devises cruel detentions, Snape’s past is revealed and Harry’s own fond memories of his father and Sirius are blown apart. At the close of the book there is an explosive battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore, and the whole wizarding world is finally forced to believe the awful truth: Voldemort is back.
The longest book in the series and, personally, the most painful to read, this book stays true to modern teenagers in their angst, their inadequacies, and their first loves. This book is phenomenal.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
©2003
ISBN1-55192-570-2
766 pages
$43.00
"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. ‘It is time,’ he said, ‘for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.’
"Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down…
"This is a gripping and electrifying new novel full of suspense, secrets, and – of course – magic, from the incomparable J.K. Rowling."
Author J.K. Rowling steers her incredible craft into seething waters in this novel. Considerably darker than the novels that have preceded it, The Order of the Phoenix chronicles Harry’s obsession with dreams that lead him down a mysterious hallway to a prophecy that tells the final truth about he and his enemy, Lord Voldemort. The Ministry of Magic proves that it is under the thrall of power-seeking wizards who try to tell the wizarding world that Harry is lying about the return of Lord Voldemort to power. They even send an evil witch, Umbridge, to be a High Inquisitor at Hogwarts, who eventually takes over the running of the school.
Whatever boundaries Rowling may have created in previous books are shattered in this tale, as Umbridge devises cruel detentions, Snape’s past is revealed and Harry’s own fond memories of his father and Sirius are blown apart. At the close of the book there is an explosive battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore, and the whole wizarding world is finally forced to believe the awful truth: Voldemort is back.
The longest book in the series and, personally, the most painful to read, this book stays true to modern teenagers in their angst, their inadequacies, and their first loves. This book is phenomenal.
Twilight (Four Stars)
Juvenile Fiction
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, and Company
©2005
ISBN 0-316-16017-2
498 pages
I have been going through a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ craze lately, maybe that’s why my sister, Janna, recommended this book to me. Meyer’s debut novel is a wondrous tale of love and vampires. The vampire craze that may have begun with Anne Rice’s "Interview with a Vampire" has continued to swell, decades after the fact. There are many different views of a vampire, and this book is no different.
Edward and his family live in a sheltered and sunless spot on the Washington coast. For the sake of appearances, he and his ‘siblings’ attend the local high school, where he meets Isabella. Their first encounter didn’t go too well; he doesn’t drink human blood, but she smelled positively delicious to him. It was after he saves her life that they begin to slowly fall in love, kept in check by the obvious: she was a woman, he was a vampire. She is embraced by his family, but on an outing one day they come into contact with other vampires, one who immediately decides that killing her is all he wants to do.
I blazed through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The love scenes are tenderly written, and my heart melted again and again throughout their impossible path through life. I love reading about vampires, maybe it’s the Romania in me. She does have three in the series and I look forward to reading them as well.
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, and Company
©2005
ISBN 0-316-16017-2
498 pages
I have been going through a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ craze lately, maybe that’s why my sister, Janna, recommended this book to me. Meyer’s debut novel is a wondrous tale of love and vampires. The vampire craze that may have begun with Anne Rice’s "Interview with a Vampire" has continued to swell, decades after the fact. There are many different views of a vampire, and this book is no different.
Edward and his family live in a sheltered and sunless spot on the Washington coast. For the sake of appearances, he and his ‘siblings’ attend the local high school, where he meets Isabella. Their first encounter didn’t go too well; he doesn’t drink human blood, but she smelled positively delicious to him. It was after he saves her life that they begin to slowly fall in love, kept in check by the obvious: she was a woman, he was a vampire. She is embraced by his family, but on an outing one day they come into contact with other vampires, one who immediately decides that killing her is all he wants to do.
I blazed through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The love scenes are tenderly written, and my heart melted again and again throughout their impossible path through life. I love reading about vampires, maybe it’s the Romania in me. She does have three in the series and I look forward to reading them as well.
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