Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson

Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson

420 pages Hardcover (Non-Fiction)

This is a follow up book to Three Cups of Tea. I will start with a little background to make sense of everything. At the beginning Mortenson attempts to climb K2. While coming down the mountain, after failing to reach the top, he gets lost. After almost starving he finds himself in a tiny mountain village called Korphe. Haji Ali is a town elder and brings the best of everything in the village to help this total stranger. After recovering from his ordeal he wants to help the village for their kindness. He sees the children in “school” in a field, writing in the dirt. He vows to make a school for the village. The first book focuses on the building of that school and how it opens up the floodgates for many more schools to be built in Pakistan.

Stones into Schools takes up roughly were the first book left off. At the beginning of the book a group of Afghani horsemen ride across a pass into Pakistan to meet with Mortenson. They convince him that a school needs to be made for the Kirghiz people in the Wakhan region of northern Afghanistan. He makes a solemn oath to build the school. Unfortunatly, soon after America attacks Afghanistan.

Over the next ten years in the midst of a war and through a major earthquake Moretenson’s organization, the Central Asia Institute, start to build schools across Afghanistan. They are plagued with bureaucratic nonsense, political upheaval, attacks from the Taliban, resistant family members, sickness and natural disasters. Mortenson meets Sarfraz Kahn. He is fluent in many lauguages and has the personality needed to persuade people into doing what is needed. Sarfraz Kahn and the other members of “The Dirty Dozen” work together to start making peace by spreading education. The ultimate goal is to build the school for the Wakhan Kirghiz.

Greg Mortenson writes from the heart. It feels as if he is writing this out to someone close to him. He reveals his owns weaknesses and worries as he attempts to build schools at the “Last Best Place” in the world. I tore through the book easily reading 50 pages a night before realizing I needed to go to sleep. The subject matter is something that is very dear to me: Education and an alternative to war.

5 Intellectual/ Emotional: The whole point is to be doing something constructive rather that destructive. More has been done by a small non-profit organization to encourage peaceful resolution than all the money spent on wars.

4 Style/ Readability: Mortenson presents himself in a humble and straight forward way. It feels as if you are being recounted the major events that he has been involved with. At no point do you get bogged down. You can just keep turning pages.

3 Long Term: As the “current event” status of what is happening with the school wanes so will the popularity of the book. BUT I think that this has the potential to be the start of a whole new way of doing foreign relations. Hopefully those that make these decisions can take from what Mortenson and the CAI has done and make peaceful resolutions rather than bombs.

12 out of 13. I personally feel both of his books should be required reading for most people. When the money it makes to make a bomb could go to make a school and we are still making bombs then there is something wrong with what we are doing. I think anyone with an opinion on how American involves itself in other countries can gain something from both Stone into Schools and Three Cups of Tea.


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The Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

657 Pages PB (Fantasy Fiction)

This book is hard to review. There is so much going on and so many characters and so many factions all intermixed with each other it is hard to know what is going on. After having read the book and am not 100% sure I know what was going on. It is written as if you are living on the world. You already know what has happened in the past so you are only told what is happening now. Some things that happen now aren’t explained enough to know what really happened. You throw in some magic explosions, portals and warring armies and gets confusing. Oh yeah, some gods come up to mess with things. Some people die and come back to life. Some die and turn into evil puppets and some live for thousands of years.

Let’s see if I can make some sense of it all.

Empress Laseen rules the Malazan Empire. Her goal is total domination. The jewel of the continent, Darujhistan, stands yet untaken. The siege of Pale is finished and Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners have been sent to infiltrate this ancient city. Here they hope to encourage the city to become a place of complete chaos once the Empire shows up.

The Assassins are on the brink of war within the city and it is dangerous times to be on the rooftops. Rumors claim of the Empire’s Claw assassins have entered the city and are looking to cause trouble.

Lorn, a high ranking official in the Empire, is searching in the hills looking to wake an ancient force. The Jaghut, a member of an ancient race, was imprisoned within the earth thousands of years ago. Lorn has been sent to release that power.

The men at the Phoenix Inn have agendas of their own. Kruppe, a babbling old wizard, that seems to have his hand involved in a little of everything. Crokus has fallen in love with a maiden who’s standing does not allow him a chance. Rallick is intermixed with the problems of the assassin’s Guild.

Paran is a noble born officer in the Empire. He is put in a command of the after fall of Pale. He is quickly killed. Before walking through the gates of the afterlife the Gods of Luck, Oponn, stop him and give him his life back. Just before he returns to the land of the living he sees, Shadowthorne, King of the High House Shadow and his Hounds. They beckon him through the gate. He stands up against them, but in doing so makes some enemies. His relationship with the gods is not fully revealed, but from that point on he becomes a pawn in a much greater game.

The tales of these characters as well as MANY others are intertwined and clashed together in this book. Stephenson was nice enough to include a glossary of sorts to help identify the various characters, factions and places. The beginning of the book can be hard to follow. As the book goes on you do start to understand who is who. It feels very much like this is the start of epic tale. It is the first of 10 books. I have been told that the following book makes this even easier to follow.

The writing is very rich and descriptive and the characters are unique and you sympathize with those on both “sides” of the war. That being said I did find it difficult to really get “into” the book. Many times with a fantasy book such as this I get lost in the story and don’t want to put it down. With Gardens of the Moon this wasn’t as apparent. This mostly had to do with the confusion. Not knowing exactly what was happening made it hard to get involved. That said, when I finished the book I wanted to start over again. Now that I have an understanding of what was going on a second read would make it all make sense.

4 Intellectual/Emotional: The characters are deep and well written. Although it’s in a fantasy world the characters act “real.” The Empire is dominating the world, but you feel for the characters that are “fighting” on the Empire’s side. The unending list of characters and places are enough to keep any reader busy keeping them all straight.

3 Style/ Readability: Stephenson writing style is Epic and engaging. It is difficult to keep track of it all and that makes the readability suffer. It seems to me that it will be worth it as you continue into the books.

3 Long Term Impact: This is one of the hardest to judge. I certainly has the potential to be a hit for the long term. It stands in the same category of Epicness as Martin, Jordan and Tolkien, but could get lost with so many competitors considering is difficulty to get through.

10 out of 13. A fine score for a lesser known book. I certainly will read the next in the series. I don’t think this is a good starting point for people just trying out fantasy, but many dedicated fantasy fans will find this worth their time.

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

210 Pages PB (Fantasy Fiction)

This is the first in a series of books that all involve a world called Discworld. It is a disk floating though space on the back of four enormous elephants. These in turn are standing on the shell of an even bigger turtle. Pratchett takes the fantasy genre and turns it on its ear for a humorous and fun ride.

Rincewind is a pretty unfortunate wizard. In fact, he isn’t much of a wizard at all. In fact, in fact, he only knows one spell. And he can’t use it. Most likely it would destroy the world. He isn’t sure. Death is on his tail, but he is doing everything he can do avoid the appointment.

Twoflower is a tourist from the other side of the disc. Luckily for him gold is very easy to come by where he comes from. What he considers a normal tip for a small service is enough to keep a family happy for many years. He has a set of Luggage. This Luggage is a fantastic magical device that will protect and follow its owner anywhere.

Twoflower offers to hire Rincewind as a guide. Unfortunately, the city is soon consumed by a terrible fire. This sends the two into the wild country side of Discworld.

The book is broken into 4 chapters that cover the length of their journeys. Each one has its own story, but involves the same main characters. Rincewind and Twoflower find themselves in the tomb of a forgotten god, fight in an upside down mountain where dragons are made with a thought and find themselves captured by water fearing wizards when they thought they were about to fall off the edge of the world.

Pratchett has an entertaining way of writing. He uses plays on words and unexpectedly spins “traditional” fantasy so that it is very engaging. Since the world is filled with magic many impossible things are easily done and he uses it in a creative and humorous way.
I found myself laughing at parts, but the book wasn’t so silly as to turn a reader off. This leads to having a lighthearted feel. The book is also very fast paced. The “heroes” are swept from here to there encountering all types of strange people and fantastic places.

2 Intellectual/Emotional: The books focus is to have fun in a magical world. It really doesn’t get too deep.

5 Style/Readability: This is where this book shines. Pratchett’s humor reminds me of Douglas Adams, but has his own style and it is filled with creative ideas that you won’t expect. It is also an extremely easy read.

3 Long Term: It was printed over 25 years ago. I have heard about him for many years and sadly hadn’t read him until now. I sure this book and series will be popular for some time. I certainly intend to read more.



10 out of 13

I feel having a large background in fantasy reading made this even more enjoyable. It takes your view of what is possible in a “Magic Place” and makes fun of it. I think most readers would find this a quick and fun book, but fantasy fans would have even more to enjoy.

Change of Rating!

So I am changing how I rate books (again). I found that some books were being graded low that I actually liked more than my rating would reveal. The main issue was I had categories for intellectual and emotional. Although I feel these are important parts to consider in a book I found they were often at odds with each other. Some books focus on intellectual achievement and others on emotional. I also felt that how a book reads wasn’t a part of my system and is also important. SO here is my new grading system:

As always the system will go up to 13 points. 4 in each category with a bonus point available to put in special cases I feel warrant it.

Intellectual-Emotional Impact

Rather than have these qualities at odds with each other I have combined them. If the book focuses on one or the other I will describe that accordingly.

Readability-Style

Some books are easy to read and you can’t put them down. Some authors writing styles are just a joy to read. This will rate that.

Long-term Impact

This piece will remain the same. Many books hit the best seller list, but few are still popular 50 years later.

As always I will attempt to explain my reasoning along with the points.

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Legends edited by Robert Silverberg

Legends edited by Robert Silverberg

715 pages (Paperback)
Fantasy Fiction


Legends is a collection of short stories and novellas by some of the most prominent authors in fantasy. They include: The Little Sisters of Eluria by Stephen King, The Sea and the Little Fishes by Terry Prachett, Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind, Grinning Man by Orson Scott Card, The Seventh Shrine by Robert Silverberg, Dragonfly by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Burning Man by Tad Williams, The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin, Runner of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, The Wood Boy by Raymond E. Feist and New Spring by Robert Jordan.

I felt that the stories fell into three categories: Introductions, Stand Alones and Humorous. I should note here that I have read the books these stories are based on for Jordan, Le Guin, King and Jordan. This could influence my outlook on these stories as I know a lot of background that isn’t necessarily a part of this book.

The introduction stories by King, Goodkind, Silverberg, Le Guin, Williams and Jordan all seemed to be an introduction to their “world.” This isn’t to say that they weren’t interesting in themselves, but that they seemed to be saying “Hey! This is what my world is about now go check out the “real” story.” Since I feel this was the point of this book that is ok. I am just trying to be honest about what I read. The Sisters of Little Eluria involves Roland the main character in the Dark Tower series. He gets laid up in a small town on his search for the man in black. Debt of Bones introduces you to Zed a main character in his Sword of Truth series. The Seventh Shrine probably stands by itself the best of this group. Silverberg draws you into a murder mystery while drawing you into his world. In fact, I will be picking up a full novel by him as the world did seem very interesting. Dragonfly follows a young lady on a quest to learn the way of magic. Although it doesn’t tie into the other books directly it feels very much like the books in her world. The Burning Man also stood by itself but felt like an world introduction as well; having not read his books this could be misplaced. His story telling has me interested in finding out more about the world he has created. This story was creepy. A young girl comes to live in a haunted castle and a captured witch is forced into servitude. New Spring by Jordan could be the Prologue for his Wheel of Time series. We meet Lan and Moiraine. We discover how Moiraine becomes an Aes Sedai, a magic user, and how Lan is bonded to her as her protector.

McCaffrey’s Runner of Pern also fits in the “introduction” category as well. Unfortunately, I had to keep it separate because this was the worst story of the entire book by far. All though the others in the “introductions” were stories that could be enjoyed by themselves Runner of Pern wasn’t much of a story at all. Although it started out seeming like it could lead somewhere it had no climax and went nowhere.

The Hedge Knight and The Wood Boy both seemed to stand on their own feet. As I said the books in the introduction section could as well, but seemed to lead onto something else or only tell part of the story. Both of these had a beginning, middle and end that was satisfying by itself. I am a big fan of Martin, I know this story doesn’t relate to the rest of his books so that could have some influence. In it we follow Dunks ascension to knighthood. The Wood Boy tells the tale of a young man’s journey to save a kidnapped young lady at great danger to himself.

The last too stories are focused on having fun. Both the Sea and the Little Fishes and The Grinning Man take the fantasy genre and have fun with magic. The Sea and Little Fishes is about a witch contest that is always won by the same woman. This year she is asked not to participate; she agrees, but still has an impact on the contest. The Grinning Man follows travelers using their knowledge and magical powers to outwit and chastise those that are taking advantage of others. Both stories were lighthearted and enjoyable.

I found the book to be an easy engaging read. All of the writers are enjoyable to read and other then McCaffrey each story was very entertaining. Magic, witches, knights and mystery fill the book.

Style-Readability: 4 Great read over all. This is a must for any fantasy fan. Shouldn't be to surpising considering the great authors involved.

Intellectual-Emotional Impact: 2 The book isn’t about intellectual matters and it is hard to get emotionally involved in less than 100 pages.

Long Term Impact: 4 Most of the writers were famous at the time it was published. Fans of even one of the authors will be interested in this for years to come.


Overall 10 out of 13. Anyone somewhat interested in fantasy would find this a good read. It is a must is you are a fantasy fan.

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Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut

Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut (1979)

283 pages Paperback
Fiction

Walter F. Starbuck is getting out of prison. He was jailed for his part in the Watergate Scandal. The book takes us on a trip through his life leading up to this point. As a young man Walter’s mother works as a cook in a rich man’s mansion. Having no one to entertain him, Alexander Hamilton McCone took Walter and made him into a playmate. “He taught me hearts and old maid, checkers and dominoes – and chess. Soon we were playing only chess.” Along with teaching him the finer points of the game McCone also made a promise to Walter’s mother and father. “You are going to find yourselves the proud parents of a perfect Harvard gentleman someday.” True to his word Mr. McCone sent him to Harvard.

Eventually, Mr. Starbuck is hired by the Nixon administration of the President’s special advisor on youth affairs. It quickly becomes obvious that he job entails doing nothing, but still goes to work faithfully every day. He really doesn’t have much to do with the scandal, but much of the evidence is found within his “office” basically a whole floor of the Executive Office Building of which he only uses a small bit. He is charged with embezzlement, perjury and obstruction of justice.

Vonnegut tells this story jumping back and forth. At one point we are in a lavish unearned mansion and the next we sit waiting in a cell to be released from our time in prison. A few paragraphs detailing his friendship with a prison guard is juxtaposed with the first date with his wife. Walter seems amused by life. Prison isn’t much of an inconvenience to him. His wife died shortly before being arrested and he determines it can’t be that bad.

After being released from prison he starts to walk about New York. He gets a room and continues to roam. He comes upon a bag lady that attaches to him claiming to know him. After a bit he realizes this decrepit old woman is an old girlfriend of his that he had never devoted himself too. Her rambling keeps him mystified until an unfortunate series of events implicate him in yet another crime he has nothing to do with.

Vonnegut has a delightful writing style that is easy to read, but harder to digest. In this book he pokes fun at American politics and corporations and relationships as well. I think the book would have been a little easier to follow if I had been alive as the scandal was happening. This isn’t to say that it takes away from the book. Overall it is a light and quick read.

Emotional: 3 – Vonnegut’s writing is humorous and entertaining.

Intellectual: 2 – He picks on some of the systems in America, but overall it is light reading.

Long- Term 3 – Kurt Vonnegut has been established as an off the cuff writer. His work will be cherished by many for years to come. That being said Jailbird doesn’t stack up to his more famous work and just isn’t as memorable.

8 out of 13. Seems a bit blasphemous for such a revered writer, but I would suggest Breakfast of Champions, Slaughter House 5, and Cat’s Cradle or other books of his first.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X
With Alex Haley

526 pages Paperback (Autobiography)

I didn’t know anything about Malcolm X other than he spoke up for black Americans and was killed. Honestly, I thought I knew some things that turned out to be wrong. I felt it was impossible to write this with out spoiling a large part of his life so beware.

The book starts by following Malcolm Little through his childhood. He remembers his father and uncles dying at the hands of random white men. His mother is badgered and eventually sinks into insanity by the “good intentioned” welfare workers. He jumps from foster home to institutions. Eventually, Malcolm ends up living in Boston with a sister and later moves into Harlem. In Harlem he learns to be a hustler. He gets involves in drugs, prostitution and crime. He sinks to the lowest lows that he can; constantly on the move to avoid the police and other enemies he has made.

In Malcolm’s early twenties he is imprisoned for burglary. It is here that he starts to change his ways. He starts by teaching himself to read and then devours each book he can get his hands on. He is transferred to a less restrictive prison and gets to visit with his family more often. His family introduces him to Elijah Muhammad and the Muslim religion. At first he is skeptical, but gradually starts to turn to Islam.

Malcolm joins the Nation of Islam and starts to dedicate himself to the teaching of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. After being released from prison he soon takes charge of his own Mosque. He quickly rises among the ranks and starts to make appearances for Elijah Muhammad because of his failing health. He gives speeches on the “white devil.” How, for the entire history of America the white man has exploited the black man and continually kept him down. How even black folk had joined into façade by trying to be “more white” by conking their hair, and dressing and talking like white people. How the white man had pushed blacks into the slums and provided them with drugs to keep them down. How the white man would start businesses in the slums only hire white people and take the money out of the slums. A large part of the book focuses on this part of his life. He travels across the US and pretty much becomes the “face” of what others call the “Black Muslims.” As Malcolm X would say; “We are not black Muslims, we are Muslims.” It is during this time that he takes the name Malcolm X. The white man had given his ancestors the name Little and the Muslim people would take X until God came and gave them back their rightful name. He preaches hatred of the white man and is accused of reverse racism and anti-Semitism during this time.

Envy and jealously start to take hold of others within the Nation and soon Malcolm X is soon “silenced”. He is not allowed to speak on the Nations behalf and he takes it upon himself to start his own organization; Muslim Mosque Inc. He decides that he needs to make a Hajj. A Hajj is a holy trip to Mecca, something every able Muslim is supposed to make at least once in his life. He borrows money from his sister and makes the trip to Mecca. On the way he meets many other Muslims on the same path. On his Hajj Malcolm comes to realize that the “white devil” isn’t something that is about skin color. The “white devil” is who the people are, not the color of their skin. He soon finds himself being treated as a guest of the state. At first he was denied entrance into Mecca, but after a phone call to family of a friend he is given a suite and personal guide and chauffer. Upon coming to these conclusions about the “white devil” he sends a letter to American newspapers confessing his past mistakes and describing racism as a cancer that is eating away at America.

Malcolm changes his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He returns to America and starts to spread his message of brotherhood among races. The Nation of Islam and others are at odds with Malcolm. He tells Haley that he doesn’t think that he will live long enough to see the book published. If you are interested in reading this book most likely you know that he was shot and killed soon after.

The end of the book is narrated by Haley. He describes the whirlwind that the last few months of Malcolm X’s life is and describes his death.

Honestly, I was unsure how I would feel about this book. I quickly became interested as the Malcolm’s life developed. One thing I noticed was the writing style seems to match the style of what was occurring in his life. It seems loose and quick and angry while he was young. The style became more formal and somewhat preachy as the book focused on his life as a minister. You could feel the relief he had once he opened himself to true Islam.

Emotional: 3 – This is a true display of Malcolm X’s life. He displays everything both good and bad.

Intellectual: 3 – I found it intellectually interesting as I knew nothing about his life of his fight before this. I’m not sure how it would hold up against other books from this period.

Long-Term: 4 – Obviously, this book will always have a place in black history. It will be required reading for anyone studying black history and will stand the test of time because of this.

10 out of 13. I think that as a white American I can’t know what it is like to grow up black in America. The type of freedoms that we take for granted is something that doesn’t come so easily for other people. This book allows you to see the struggle that black folk have had to deal with and that makes reading this worthwhile.

The World is Flat By Thomas L. Friedman

The World is Flat
A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century


By Thomas L. Friedman

Pages 365 (Paperback) Historic Non-Fiction

This title of the book is a bit misleading. Although the entire twenty-first century is mentioned it really is about the last 30 years. The book focuses on the major influences that encouraged globalization in the world. Friedman terms this “making the world flat”.

The first thing to happen was the falling of the Berlin wall. This opened the world up for all the technology that was coming to be able to take hold almost anywhere in the world. Of course, a huge push for globalization came with the personal computer. The personal computer ability to hook up to the internet along with people being able to share and view all this information made the world flatter than ever.

This is not like a typical book that I review. I feel like if I was assigned to read this for a class it would have been drudgery. Since I was reading it by choice it wasn’t. It mainly focuses on the rise of personal computers, the internet and all the companies and ideas that have formed since than. A huge part of this is the ease with which people can communicate and collaborate regardless of their physical location. It doesn’t matter if you are in Bangalore or Burlington, if you have an internet connection you are hooked in.

I found his writing to be easily digested and usually easy to comprehend. The first half of the book focuses on what made the world flat. I was really engaged with that. The next couple chapters touched on education and how American compares to the rest of the world. Being a teacher this was interesting to me. The rest of the book became very dry. It seemed as if it was reiterations of what had been said earlier and was only enforcing what was related rather than adding much that was new.

This copy was labeled 3.0. I’m not sure where the new things are added, but I know that the criticism of earlier books was the writer was entirely pro-globalization. It’s great, can’t stop it, join in or get left behind. The very end of the book does take a look at some of the bad things that can happen because of globalization such as making terrorism easier.

The book ends telling us that for better or worse the world is getting smaller. We have the ability to use this to make the world better or worse. One person can have a lot more impact than ever before. It is up to us to make the best of it.

Intellectual: 4 – This is a technical look at the last 30 years.

Emotional: 1 – Not the point of the book at all.

Long – Term: 3 – Although it will be outdated in a few years as its prediction and relevance, it still does tell us a history of the computer age which can be built on in the future.

8 out of 13. This book is only for someone that is interested. If you find the subject interesting than you will find it worth while. I don’t suggest reading it straight through. If you aren’t interested in the subject you would rate this lower than me, skip it.

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The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard

The Ride of Our Lives

By Mike Leonard

225 Pages Hardcover (Non-Fiction)

Mike Leonard decides he is going to take his family across the country in a pair of RVs. His parents are in their 80’s and he wants to show them the United States. He hopes to provide them with a final view of where they came from and where they have never been. Their plan is to make it to Chicago before Mike’s daughter has his first grandchild.

The trip basically starts in Arizona once they pick up his parents and start heading east. They travel through Texas and Louisiana to the east coast. They follow the coast north and turn west again towards Chicago.

The book reads extremely quickly. It took me just a few days to finish it. Mike isn’t a first class writer. It is very simple and to the point. He jumps around a lot in his writing and one subject slides into another. This isn’t a criticism just an observation. He describes what it happening to them in various places and that usually segues into a piece of his family history. These stories are touched with humor and humility. You soon realize this is more like a family history than a trip around the country. His history is more of the focus than the trip itself.

His strange parents are the “stars” of the book. His mother is an 80 year old pessimist who drinks and swears about everything that bothers her. His father is an optimistic, calm guy who can talk the ears of anyone with a pulse. Their daily battles are a big part of what makes this book endearing.

5 Emotional: You get to know the quirky Leonard family and feel as if you know them. A little like you a travelling with them and hearing all their stories.

1 Intellectual: This books focus is family and doesn’t delve much into anything else.

2 Long Term: This book reminded me a lot of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. Most likely it will be over shadowed by other more notable authors.

8 out of 13. This score makes it look worse than it is. It is still worth reading for anyone interested in a light hearted family book. I wouldn’t buy it, but borrow it if you want.

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The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie

The Ground Beneath Her Feet

By Salman Rushdie

575 pages Hardcover (Magical Realism)

If you keep up with my book reviews you already know that I am a huge fan of Rushdie. I find the way he writes to be a complete joy to read. Even so I was even more enamored with this book.

There are a number of characters in the book, but it mainly focuses of three people Ormus, Vina and Umeed “Rai” Merchant. The book is written from Rai’s point of view, but focuses on Vina and Ormus. It is as if the narrator is sitting down to tell you a story about these people he knew and his story intertwines and occasionally takes over.

The book jumps around in time somewhat, but generally follows the lives of these three people. Early on you get sense that Ormus and Vina are some type of famous rock stars. But that is all gotten to later on. Rai, the narrator, reveals things about himself to show the truth of the story he tells. We are then told about the mysterious birth of Ormus. His twin brother named Gayomart was stillborn and Ormus was not discovered until the doctors were cleaning things up.

When Ormus is in his teens he “hears” songs in his head. He talks about how he can go to a place inside of him where his dead twin lives and Gayomart plays music for him. 1001 night later that music starts to become a hit rock and roll song. He first realizes this when going into a music shop and hearing this world’s version of Elvis play one of his songs. Ormus gets upset when he hears it claiming that he had wrote that song years ago. It is in this same shop that he meets Vina. At this point we realize that the narrator’s world is not the same as the world we are in. A lot of the things are the same, but famous songs are sometimes written by others. Minor things are different from our world.

We also follow this childhood of Vina. She was born in America. Her father dies young. Her mom gives up the life she wanted to settle for a simple life raising goats. She eventually goes crazy and kills her family and herself. Vina was not home when this happened and ends up in New York, but soon after circumstances bring her to India. This is where she first meets Rai. He quickly falls in love with her only to find out that Ormus is also after her affections. Ormus being technically too old for her vows not to touch her until her 16th birthday.

Right after Vina comes of age everyone gets split up. Vina travels the world and sings in America. Ormus’s father dies and his mother moves to England. He moves with, but leaves her and joins a pirate radio station. Rai stays in India and builds his photography career which eventually lands him in New York.

As they are separated Vina occasionally shows up at Rai’s door looking for one night stands and to complain about the world. This all starts when Rai is living in Ormus’ old apartment. Vina comes looking for Ormus and finds Rai instead.

Eventually, Orums and Vina come back together as a couple and soon after a band. This band takes the mystical writings of Ormus and fuses is with the no holds barred angelic voice of Vina and forms a Rock and Rock legacy to which all others are compared. The two lovers go through their normal ups and downs. Ormus craving a final union, Vina scared of love. At last Ormus puts his foot down. He forces Vina to make a date for the wedding. She says in ten years. In response Ormus says he will be celibate until they are married. She choose the time he choose the terms. She replies, don’t expect me to wait. This becomes a part of there appeal. Together on stage this enormous tension being blown out through the speakers. Everyone can’t help but be interested in the Rock Duo.

I found something very interesting about this book. Rushdie is not the easiest author to read. He uses rare words and sometimes tangents to a point that it is hard to keep track. Since his characters are mainly foreign there are also cultural things to understand. The book was engaging but hard to get through. I wasn’t that I didn’t like it; I just needed to take my time to keep up and understand what was going on. In fact overall the difficulty of the book was higher than what I typically read. Even more so than Rushdie’s other books I have read. (The Satanic Verses was too difficult for me in high school, but I will tackle that soon.) On to what was interesting. It seemed that as the characters fame increased the momentum of the book increased. It was easier to read. That may have been me getting used to the style, but I think it was a part of the book almost as if the story wanted you to get into it as it went or it flowed smoother as it went on.

3 Emotional – The book focuses on the lives and loves of the three main characters. Their love triangle is what pushes the story along.

4 Intellectual – Rushdie’s writing style is what makes reading him so great. He takes a normal scene and fills it with comparisons and wordings that entrance the reader makes all of his books very intellectually entertaining.

3 Long Term – Many of Rushdie’s fans rate this as the best of his work. I am not denying its impact, but for me I felt other works such as Midnight’s Children and The Moor’s Last Sigh to have more long term appeal.

A total of 10. A great read and well worth it for any Rushdie fan. If not a die hard I would check out one of his other books first get used to his style and then give this a read.

As always Keep Turning Pages

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (for real this time)

A Storm of Swords (apologies to anyone that keeps up with this my previous entry was labeled A Storm of Swords, but was for A Clash of Kings.)

By George R.R. Martin

1216 Pages (Fantasy Fiction)

Spoiler Alert: This book is the third in the series. See my entry for A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings before reading this.

The warring continues in this Third installment. Brienne of Tarth is charged with escorting Jamie Lannister to King’s Landing. Catelyn Starck’s only hope for her daughter’s safe return is the “Imp”, Tyrion Lannister, will hold true to his word and return them. They travel south by river and eventually are turned inland. They are soon captured by the Brave Companions and brought to Harrenhal. Here Vargo Hoat chops off Jamie’s hand. Jamie is released by Roose Bolton with regards to Tywin Lannister.

Beyond the wall, Jon Snow is still traveling with the wildlings and hopes to find a way out of their service. He takes a liking to Ygritte who he took captive earlier. They soon become lovers. Samwell Tarly is with the main contingent north of the wall which is attacked by the Others. The living dead. Almost all defends are killed as nothing seems to kill them. The men are forced to run for there lives. As the others catch up to them Sam “luckily” kills one with an obsidian blade. Jon Snow convinces the leader, Mance Rayder, that he has joined the wildlings and is sent with others to climb the wall and attack Castle Black from the other side.

Robb Starck reveals that he has betrayed his oath to marry a Frey. Instead he has married Jeyne Westerling after being cared for her after battle. It soons becomes evident that he must make amends with Freys because his army needs to pass over their bridges in order to follow through with the King in the North’s battle plans.

Arya Starck joins in with the group known as the Brotherhood without Banners. Sandor Clegane, The Hound, is captured by the Brotherhood. He is offered trial by combat and succeeds and killing Beric Dondarrion, their leader. A red priest soon after brings him back from the dead. The priest says he gets his powers from R’hllor. Arya decides to leave and is captured by Sandor Clegane.

Davos Seaworth stranded on a rock in the water and is rescued; only to be jailed as soon as he is brought to Dragonstone for treason. Melisandre has seen his murderous intent in the flames.

Daenerys Targaryen is trying to build an army to retake what is rightfully hers in Westeros. She is convinced to trade one of her dragons for an army of the greatest warriors in the world. The leads to one of the most memorable scenes in the series so far, but I wouldn’t ruin that for you. I’ll let Martin tell the right way.

At over 1200 pages you can imagine this is just a brief overview of what is going on in this book. Martin is in full form drawing you into the story and you have to keep reading. Again and again I found myself having to stop myself because I was reading late into the night. It felt like a much smaller book. His writing style is top notch. The characters have become extremely developed. You don’t have the Evil Villain versus the Good Knight. There are people acting the way they think they should. Some are vile and some are good, but most fall into a middle grey area. The story is filled with battle, intrigue, back stabbing, friendship, hatred, kindness, humor and horror.

I told myself I needed to hold off on the next book, A Feast for Crows, but I am already itching to get into the next book. The fifth book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, is not even confirmed to be finished. My hope in rereading the series was to get reacquainted with the story before the next book comes out. Since it now looks like that is a long way off I need to put a little time between this and the 4th book.

This is Martin’s Masterpiece. The Song of Ice and Fire series is the best Fantasy Fiction series I have read and will surely go down as a classic. Any reader owes it to themselves to pick up this series and give it a try.

Emotional 5: The depth of the characters and the ease with which you can jump into this story make this an easy one to grade.

Intellectual 3: This books focus isn’t on grabbing you intellectually, but it succeeds in trying to figure out who and what are involved in all the details that affect the rivaling kings.

Long-Term 4: I have no doubt this series will stand the test of time and potentially rise to the top of the crowd of epic fantasy series.

Me Talk Pretty One Day
By David Sedaris
288 pages (Humorous Essay Collection Non-Fiction)

This book is a series of stories. Sedaris breaks it into part one and part deux. The first part involves his life growing up with his family and part of his life in New York. Part Duex involves his moving and living in France.

Sedaris is a humorous author. He draws the reader in with laughter, but makes valid and meaningful points about life. It is extremely easy to read. Each chapter is a story by itself. He starts with his speech teacher as a young man. David’s lisp lands him in Speech Therapy and his uncomfortable “relationship” with his teacher becomes a source of amusement. He spends a whole quarter with her and not until the last day does he know anything about her. Sedaris has an easy way of sliding from subject to subject and he juxtaposes seemly unrelated things. He delves into being one half of a gay couple and a great part of his book focuses on his short comings while trying to live in a small town in France.

I found the book to be entertaining and funny. Part of the book focuses on Sedaris and his father and it honestly made me feel uncomfortable as he revealed “weird” things about his dad. In fact it seemed like a part of the books humor was derived from finding faults in other people. This put me off a bit.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is considered by many to be one of the funniest books. I don’t fall into this category. It was funny at times and entertaining throughout, but also parts of it put me off. I imagine most people would find it worth a read, but I’m not going to say it’s the greatest thing out there.

4 Emotional: The whole book delves into the personal life of Sedaris and the reader gets to view life as if they were David.

2 Intellectual: I didn’t find it to be intellectually engaging, but of course that wasn’t the point. It was a memoir of sorts and it was more emotional.

2 Long Term: I think many would disagree on this. It is a very popular book and probably will be so for a while, but I feel there are better reads out there and eventually this will fade.

8 out of 13. Not Bad, Not Great.

Keep Turning Pages

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings

George R.R. Martin

1009 Pages (Fantasy Fiction)

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read A Game of Thrones, this is a sequel to that book. Therefore everything is a spoiler. Please see my previous entry on that book.

As mentioned in the previous book review I am re-reading the Song of Ice and Fire series to get reacquainted with it before the 5th book comes out. Followers of my book review will see that it has been a few months since my last review. That is not because of a lack of reading. It is because I have become so enthralled with this series that I have just kept reading rather than write reviews. Plus, at over 1,000 pages a piece it isn’t like it’s a quick read.

We start a Clash of Kings with 5 kings vying for the Iron Throne. Joffery Baratheon is now the “Official” King. We have learned that he is a child born of incest and not actually the true heir. Stannis Baratheon is former King Robert’s eldest brother and the rightful heir to the throne though most do not know that. Renly Baratheon is next in line to the Throne and although not the rightful heir has raised the southern lords armies to his cause. Robb Stark has been declared the King of the North and is supported by his bannermen. The Greyjoys rule the sea and are also making a claim for the throne.

Martin continues with the same method of writing. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a character and you get part of the story from each one in turn. Each book in this series is massive and it is extremely hard to stop reading. I find many times when I sit down to read for a few minutes that I have read 50-60 pages and I still want to keep reading. The people are extremely real. Some vie for power, others are trying to protect what is theirs, another betrays for some small gain, while the next does their duty against what is in their heart. Even the characters that you dislike are a joy to experience.

The book is aptly named; battle after battle is intermixed with pillaging, political maneuvering and out right betrayal. The Baratheon brothers attempt to reconcile, but that only ends in bloodshed. The Stark family is now spread across the continent. Each scattered after the death of Eddard Stark. Most believe the rest to be dead or captured by the enemy. The Black Brothers of the Wall head into the land beyond the wall to find out what has happened to all the wildlings and to further investigate why men have risen from the dead. Daenerys Targaryen is the mother of the only Dragons in the world. She leads her people on a death march across the Red Waste. She hopes to find a way to save her people and get enough support to lead a war against the Seven Kingdoms and take the throne that was taken from her family.

I can’t recommend these books enough. This is the second time I have read this series and I am more involved the second time through. For anyone intersted in fantasy fiction these books are a must read. Martin tells a very historical feeling story with romance, honor, knights and battle. He then adds a sprinkle of fantasy and magic that draws a reader in and makes you become a part of this fantastic world. A reader can believe that the world could be found here on Earth.

4 Emotional: Each character is very indepth. Even someone who isn’t a “main” character has motivations and feelings that become a part of the story.

4 Intellectual: The politial aspect and the “game of thrones” that is played constantly keeps the mind intrigued and entertained.

5 Long Term: As mentioned before I am even more into these books the second time through. I think the more people read this the more popular they will become and the will easily stand the test of time.

Update: Old posts fixed

I has an issue with a lot of my old posts being cut off on the right side so you couldn't read everything. These old posts had been transfered from an old blog I had. I have gone in and removed all the old html code and left the text. They might have some issues still but you should at least be able to read everything now.

Thank you for reading and Keep Turning Pages.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

674 Pages (Fantasy Fiction)

The Song of Fire and Ice is a series of books that begins with A Game of Thrones. Martin is in the middle of writing the series. (The fifth book is supposedly coming out soon.) Apparently there will be a total of 7 books in the end, but you can never be sure.

I have already read the first four books and I am reacquainting myself with the series hopefully before the 5th book is released. You can probably figure out that I enjoy the series a lot if I am re-reading them. I have a huge bias towards Martin and not just because we have the same last name.

In the cold north of Westoros, the Stark family has ruled Winterfell for generations, back to the time of the old kings. A huge hustle and bustle is happening because King Robert has come to visit and ask Lord Eddard to be his Hand. Some say, the King sits upon the throne, but the Hand rules the land. Unable to refuse, Eddard takes his daughters and leaves his sons to run the castle is his absence. Right before leaving, the young Bran is pushed from a tower in order to hide the Queen’s improprieties. Leaving his son unconscious and crippled Eddard must go south to fulfill his duties. Soon after, Lady Stark is hurt defending her son from a late night attack. A letter comes from her sister advising to beware the Lannister Family. Robert’s queen is a Lannister.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, Prince Viserys Targaryen sells his sister to the horse lord, Khal Drogo. He plans to uses the armies that the Khal provides to take back the Iron Throne. Jamie Lannister killed Viserys father. King Robert took the throne. The Taragaryen, the blood of the Dragons will have their revenge. Daenerys Targaryen is given many fine Bridegifts. None are so fine as the three ancient dragon eggs. All three turned to stone over the centuries. All the dragons are dead, but the mythical beasts still live on in stories and these three stones.

In King’s Landing, where the King sits upon the Iron Throne, Eddard is pulled into a mystery as he tracks down the reasons for the death of the previous Hand. He tracks down more clues and starts to piece together the mystery. Unfortunately, before Eddard can inform him a boar gores the King. The queen tells Eddard, “When you play the game of thrones, you either win, or you die.” The Game of Thrones is about to begin.

The series is written from a different point of view with each chapter. This sets the book up to change the reader’s perspective constantly. As you read about certain characters you start forming opinions about them. You may like one character and dislike another. As “their” chapter comes around you see things from their point of view and can sympathize with them.

I have always been a fan of Fantasy Fiction and I have never been so drawn into a series as I have with these books. Martin makes the people come to life and have real reasons for doing the things they do. The knights in shinning armor do evil deeds. The seemingly evil help those in need. The reader is never sure about a character and depending on what point of view you are reading you might root for opposite sides. Martin’s writing is clear and colorful. He doesn’t overdose you with fine language, but entices with flavorful metaphors.

I think most people would get drawn into the books. It is hard to judge just the book by itself since I have read the following books. I know that A Game of Thrones is actually set up for all the epic things that are to come. Anyone that has a taste for intrigue, honor, and battle, thrown in with emotion and adventure will enjoy this book.

Emotional: 4 You become very involved with the people that live in the book. You soon find your favorites and live with them through their trials and success. It is easy to get lost the fantastic world and become a part of the story.

Intellectual: 4 This book is more about the story, but you get a look into the lives of great houses and all the dealings and twists that come with that. The mystery and underhandedness are stimulating as well. Each characters personal reasons for their actions are huge part of what makes this book successful.

Long Term: 5 I am going to make a bold statement here. I have read a lot of fantasy books in my day and I feel that this series had the best fantasy books I have ever read. I realize that makes me a Tolkien Blasphemer. And if it weren’t for Tolkein, Martin would have had nowhere to start. I still find Martin to be the better writer. These books will easily stand the test of time.

13 out of 13. It is extremely rare that I re-read a book, much less a whole series. Only what I see to be some of the best books would be worth it. A Game of Thrones is well worth anyone’s time to read. Grab a copy and become a part of the world. And remember to Keep Turning Pages.

The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth

By Ken Follett

973 Pages (Realistic Fiction)

The book was actually discovered through a boardgame. My wife had read the book and saw a boardgame with the same title. The game is loosely based on the book. Having a background in art history I thought reading about the building of a cathedral would be quite interesting.

The book starts in the mid 1100’s by following a mason named Tom Builder. Tom has aspirations to become a master builder of a cathedral. His means of livelihood soon are lost and his family becomes homeless and destitute in the wild. Terrible things continue to happen as the family travels across southern England looking for work. Eventually this leads them to Kingsbridge. The night they stay there the current church burns. God has sent them to fulfill Tom’s dream of building a Cathedral.

I expected this to be all about the building. The book isn’t so much about the cathedral, but more about the people that surround it. The king needs to verify that it be built. The political maneuverings of the local lords and bishops play in how money is supplied. The fighting for the leadership of the land makes work hard to continue. The small village grows and the cathedral needs more workers. The town is attacked and the building has to stop, as there is no money. So many people lives become entangled with the building that its success is necessary for so many lives. Although the actual building doesn’t exist it is based on similar cathedrals from real life. You get a real look into the lives from that era and that is what makes the book enjoyable.

When I first started reading the book I was a little disappointed in Follett’s writing. It seemed overly simple. As the book went on I was either sucked into the story enough to not care or Follett improved. I did get very involved and would not want to put the book down. That said, I don’t feel that Follett ever impressed me with his writing style.

Intellectual: 5 – The intellectual side of the book is what makes it interesting. You see all sides of the building process and get to experience the lives of the people first hand.

Emotional: 2 – The characters really aren’t that deep. Most of them are fairly one sided and I personally never became really attached to any of them. There is a human side to the characters but it is more of a means to an end.

Long Term: 3 – The book has the potential to have lasting impact. It is about an interesting time of history. It takes something historical and brings it to life and is very readable.

10 out of 13. My interest in art history made this book very compelling to me. I think people interested in this era or cathedrals would be entertained. As I mentioned I don’t feel that Follett is the greatest writer, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an enjoyable book. Sometimes simple writing allows the reader to get lost in the story and in this case Follett succeeds.

Keep Turning Pages

The Yiddish Policeman's Union

The Yiddish Policeman’s Union

By Michael Chabon

414 pages (Fiction)

 

 

What if the state of Israel was dissolved right after being formed? What if instead of an exodus to Israel in WWII all of the Jewish folk in war torn Europe moved to Alaska instead. From our perspective that seems pretty outrageous, but apparently Eisenhower had it as a plan that never saw the light of day. This book explores the land of the Sitka Jews in Alaska, if the past had followed this path. This background provides the setting for a murder mystery.

 

The book opens with Meyer Landsman, an alcoholic detective, investigating a murder that happens in his own apartment building. He gets his partner involved and soon they are trampling across the Jewish lands sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. Landsman’s ex-wife is soon put in charge of his department and tells them that the murder is no longer a concern.

 

Sitka is a “reservation for Jews” that in a few short months will revert back to Alaska ownership. There is no place for anyone to go. Most know they won’t be able to stay where they are. Everything is up in there air. This includes the current police department. Their job is to solve all the cases they can and sweep the rest under the rug before “reversion”.  Landsman blows this off as easily as he polishes of a bottle of liqueur and quickly finds deep into all the local troubles. The local version of the Mafia and others with political clout all seems to be involved and Meyer’s investigation draws him further into trouble.

 

Chabon has been a great interest to me of late. I find his writing style to be impressive, thought provoking and easily digested. My first book review was his Pulitzer winning The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. While his writing was pleasing I was not as engaged by this book. Making a comparison to his earlier work I found it wasn’t as all encompassing. Towards the end of the book I just wanted to be finished. The writing was good, but I wasn’t as drawn to the story.

 

Emotional: 4 – This is where the book does shine. The characters are deep and live by real life standards. The plight of the Jews in this fictional setting is engaging.

 

Intellectual: 2 – The “Jewsishness” of the book finds a place of interest intellectually, but as I said I was losing interest by the end of the book. Chabon’s writing is worthwhile.

 

Long Term: 2 – The main draw is Chabon’s writing. That will keep this book on people’s shelves, but it will be overshadowed by his better work.

 

Overall and 8, A decent piece of Chabon’s work. If you are a fan it is certainly worth reading. If not I would suggest The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

 

 

 

First Two Book Reviews

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

WOW. This book is about a man and a young boy traveling in the United State sometime in the future after some great apocalypse. You follow along these two characters as they travel down the Road. Information is given to you slowly to help you figure out what has happened. It is all given basically from the point of view of the two main characters. As if the reader is an invisible observer that they never acknowledge, but is always there. These two men, whom you soon enough learn are father and son, are on a path of survival. They continue heading south through ash covered landscape to make it to warmer lands so they can live through the coming winter. The sky and sun blotted out by ash. No food and a gun with few bullets is all they have.

McCarthy strips down the novel to its absolute bare minimum. No unused wordiness, only what is absolutely necessary to tell the story. This book is truly a masterwork. McCarthy finds some of the elements of human nature, love, survival and endurance and simply draws you into their lives. Each page draws you further in and farther along. The entire book seems to have this overhanging doom. As if you the reader are a ghost haunting them on their journey. You hope they will make it to a place of refuge, but it seems as if they never will.

I cannot recommend the book high enough. There is no doubt that will prove to be an American Classic. On my scale from 1-13 I solidly put this at 13. This book will be a book that could be read again and again and its simple elegance will make it as enjoyable as the first time. I plan on keeping a running review of the books I have read. Starting with this and continuing with books I finish in the future. I will post them as blogs. Since I don't use the blogs really for anything else, I suggest, if you are interested in some books or just want to know what I am up to you can subscribe. I promise no advetising to my naked webcam or penis enlargement pills. Unless it's a good book about it!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

The book begins in Pre- World War II New York. Jospeh Kavalier and cousin Sammy Clayman (Clay) are brought together after Joe escaped the oppression of the Third Riech in Prague. It explains how, as a child, Joesph had an interest in the careers of escapists such as Houdini. He is then trained by one of the greatest of his time, Kornblum. Eventally getting a visa to the United States using the fact that he was originally born in Poland on a family vacation. The boys get involved in the comic book profession and invent a character named The Escapist. Eventually, this leads to them meeting the loves of their lives and how that comes to affect their lives in a strange love pentagon.

The thing about this book is that you become vested into the lives of the charecters. You are with them from when the boys are just coming of age, until they are well on in years. You feel like a friend that is reading about someone that was close that you have lost contact with. This element gave the book a biographical flavor which was very enjoyable. (Going so far as to have notes at the bottom of pages.) In fact, the entire book gave a feeling of realism. There was just a touch of the mystical. Just as real life will occasionally give you a touch of the unbelievable, so does this book..

Intermittently, a chapter would come up that would seem totally unrelated to the story, or a side tangent that didn't seem to be connected to the main story line. Chabon uses the this method to add substance to the story and even add whole new elements. I found this to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the book. Whenever I came to one of these chapters I was excited to find out what was going to happen and was usually surprised where it ended up.

I have been lucky to have been reading a multitude of great books. I would put this as one of the best books I have read lately. After having finished it I miss being a part of the world I was in. One of the things I really enjoy about reading is occasianlly finding that paragraph or sentence that strikes you in a way that leaves you feeling good. A sense of wording or comparison that sits well with you. This book repeatedly does this. I would definitly recommend this to anyone interested.

I plan a grading on a scale from 1-13. This is a normal 1-10 scale with the extra three for great books.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay I would rate at an 11. This books goes above and beyond what most books are and I would consider it one of the best books written in the past ten years.

Lot of old book posts from Myspace blog

-Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk.
Pages: 297

Recently, when on vacation I was looking for a quick read after realizing that the book I had brought, Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck, had already been read…by me. (Great book check it out…can't go wrong with Steinbeck…well, I didn't like Burning Bright.) I stopped at a bookstore and picked up Invisible Monsters. I find it is difficult to read too many Palahniuk books in a row. All of his characters are insane and he gets so involved in their thinking processes it is hard to not get sucked into their way of thinking, this can lead to a truly surreal experience. I imagine dropping too much acid too many days in a row will be the equivalent of reading 4 Palahniuk books in a row.

Invisible Monsters doesn't have a normal time flow. Jump to the end of the story. Jump to the middle of the story. Jump to an unrelated story. Jump to childhood. Jump to the end of the story(again). Jump to your first Dr. Seuss book. Jump to the middle-end-beginning where you find everyone is totally off their rocker including yourself and Chuck as well. It involves an accident victim that has had her jaw blown off. Jump to her as a fashion model. Jump to her in grocery store where no one will look at her. Everyone is just turning away as she looks at them. Jump to her stealing things since she won't get caught. Jump to the child saying "Look mommy that Monster is stealing food."

Palahniuk always writes books that are engaging and very different. I don't think there are too many "popular" authors out there willing to write about the subjects he thrives on. This book delves into the minds of people unhappy with who they are and what they do to make that change. Each character is interesting and deep.

To appreciate Palahniuk's books you need to enjoy his style. They can be overbearing and if that bothers you; you won't like his books. I feel this is one of his better works and definitely worth reading if you are a fan.

From now I will be giving a little more in depth rating on the books. I will be grading on three different points. Each will be worth 4 points and an extra bonus books fro great books for a total of 13. Readability will grade how easy the books are to read. Dr. Seuss is going to rate pretty high here. (Except Fox in Socks, That book is hard.) Long Term impact will be how I feel these books will stand in the years to come. (Steinbeck will rate high here) Engagement will judge how intrigued I was with reading the book. Sometimes a book will be great, but it is hard to stay with it.

Chuck Palahniuk
Invisible Monsters

2 Readability
2 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement (After consideration this was raised a point)



The Sparrow by Mary Doria.Russell
Pages: 432

In the early part of the 21st century radio signals from another solar system beams music that scientists pick up proving once and for all the we are not alone in this universe. The governments of the world take there time deciding what to about it. Emilio Sandoz a Jesuit Priest and a group of scientists and other priests are quickly set up and sent unknown by the rest of the world on a trip to make first contact with sentient beings from another world.

The book starts after the mission has failed and Sandoz, the only survivor, is back on Earth with maimed hands and a destroyed spirit. The chapters jump back and forth from the time of the discovery to the aftermath of the failed mission. Each time you are in the "present" you get a few clues explain what happened. And when you are in the "past" you find out more about the people and the relationships that are formed.

Reading this book gives you the feeling of many science fiction books. It delves into the wonders of the universe and what it takes for people to explore it. As the book continues you get more involved emotionally with the characters and how there lives are changed because of this mission. You find yourself feeling connected to characters and there problems emotionally and physically affect you as well. Each character, from the Jesuit priests to the scientific atheist, all are forced to redefine their relationship with God in the light of the new experiences.

I was truly surprised with The Sparrow. It drew me in and wouldn't let go until I had read the entire book. I stayed up night after night reading as much as I could.

4 Readability
3 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement

A total of 11 for Russell's first book. I look forward to continuing the adventure in the sequel, Children of God. Almost anyone would find this book appealing in some way.












Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie.

Yet another great book by Rushdie. As stated before I find Rushdie to be a great author and I have never been disappointed with his books, so take that into account with this review.

Be warned although I don't like to give away a lot of book in a review some of the following will gives hints of what happens. I will not reveal any of the really important parts.

This book tells of the life of Shalimar the Clown. His childhood, his youth, middle age and beyond all described. Not only is his life splayed across these pages so are the lives of all the people surrounding his life. The people around him and his family, at his birth. The color characters that fill his small village as he grows up. Eventually the story takes a turn after Shalimar is married. His wife leaves to get ahead in life and finds herself giving up what she had to get that which she didn't really want. This sends Shalimar down a different path. He get involved in militant Muslim uprising and becomes a killer. As his wife's life degenerates into a life of sloth and gluttony; Shalimar's life becomes a life of vice and death. Each losing the life they had for something less than that.

I found the book interesting in that you would get to know a character. Then as you met people in that person's life they would fade into the background as you focused on the new character. Eventually the lives of the people would start to get intertwined and the plot of the story would thicken. A stew of stories mixed together in a pot. Each person's life adding a different spice to make a wonderful literary meal.

Rushdie's world of magical realism is richer with the addition of this book. His life like characters, his mastery of language and engaging stories make for another fantastic book. It is hard not to give this living legend a perfect score.

4 Readability
4 Long Term Impact
3 Engagement
1 Bonus Point

A total of 12 for one of the greatest living authors. I imagine some would disagree, but there are only so many great works of literature and Rushdie has added to that list.




Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

It is hard to describe this book. The book is about the largest gangbang ever. An aging porn queen, Cassie, is attempting to have sex with 600 men in one session. Now reading that might turn a lot of readers away from the book. That is probably why Chuck picked this as a subject. The thing is a huge gangbang isn't what it is really about. It is about the characters that are waiting in line for their turn. It is more about what happened in their lives to bring them to this point. I would say there are about 5 main characters. Sheila who is in charge of the movie, Mr. 72 who thinks he is the porn queen's son, the original man who got Cassie into porn in the first place Mr. 600, a fallen from grace TV star, and of course the star herself.

I have read a number of Palahniuk's book now and there are some similarities between the ones I have read. Usually some gross subject and an attention to detail that is encyclopedic in nature. Something such as cyanide gets describe in the book almost as if it was taken from an entry from Britannica. I find this usually leads to a hyper kind of reading. I'm not saying that to be critical, if anything it is something that makes his work unique. In this book he uses a style that makes each chapter a different character's point of view. This gives insight into the characters and gives them a truly personally feel. In fact I think this is the best aspect of the book.

Palahniuk has a huge cult following and if you are a fan you should defiantly pick it up. If you find pornography offensive or think a descriptive book in that genre would be, then I suggest you skip this one. If you are looking for something far from the beaten path of books or are looking for something new give this book a try. I give it a 7.The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

Obama's book is part autobiography part study of American values. Each chapter focuses on American Ideals that we hold dear. Values, Opportunity, and Family are a just a few of the topics he talks about.

Obviously, this book has a little more impact then just any book that I have reviewed. Senator Obama has a good chance of becoming the most powerful man in the world. I started reading this before he was the Democratic Nominee for president, but have supported him from the beginning of his campaign. I feel this book gives true insight into the man trying to lead our country. One thing I find comforting is his focus on what America has in common with itself. It seems like Republicans and Democrats are always touting what is different between them; how conservatives are this way and liberals are this way. Barack talks about the ways that we are the same. All of us want certain things, security, health, and steady income. When it comes to things that may conflict with others views he explains why he feels a certain way about it.

A media that has to have constant conflict to keep up ratings dominates our political landscape. Liberals argue that the media is biased towards conservatives. Conservatives say we have a Liberal Media. I think we can all agree when you watch the evening news you never get the whole story. Reading the books of our presidential candidates gives a more in depth view of what is really going on in the heads of our potential leaders.

So far as enjoyable reading this isn't the greatest book. I feel that wasn't the point. Barack Obama is trying to show people how he really feels and give a guideline as to what direction he will take as a our new president. I should point out this book was released in 2006 and I wasn't until late 2006 that he decided to run for president. I imagine that it was going through his mind as he wrote the book though. As a book to read I would rate it about a 7, sometimes he gets bogged down in wordy idealist writing that could come across a bit smoother. Considering its importance in our current political situation I feel everyone should read it so I would rate it a 9.

Anyone have McCain's Book? I would like to give a fair comparison.

I'm not going to hide it though!

OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein

Normally I don't review two books together, but I read these one after the other and since they stand on common ground I thought it was appropriate.

Three Cups of Tea is autobiography of Greg Mortenson. After a failed attempt at K2 he gets lost coming off the mountain and finds himself in a small village. The extremely poverty stricken people give all that they have to this strange foreigner. Mortenson soon decides to make up their kindness by building a school for the local children, because they have none. Little does he know that his entire life would change and he would dedicate his life to schools and poor people in need.

The Kite Runner is a work of fiction that reads like and autobiography. It is a story of redemption. The main character, Amir, as a young man witnesses the rape of a childhood friend/servant and because of his embarrassment, at himself for not helping, eventually has his "friend" removed from his house. The rest of the book focuses on his life and what he does to make up for the things that have troubled him from his childhood.

These books are similar on many levels. Both are set in Pakistan/Afghanistan and both show the rise of the Taliban and the after effects and how the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan have made things much worse for all involved. Three Cups of Tea shows how one man with determination is fighting the problems with peaceful actions like building schools and helping those misplaced by the wars. It gives a real sense of how American's can be viewed in a good light if only we made actions worthy of revering. The Kite Runner is a more personal story. It gives a clear view of Afghanistan before the war and the terrible effects of what has happened since. 

Of course they are not the same book. Greg is a person to be looked up and who put his life and family at risk to do the right thing for people he doesn't know. He found his life's calling and dedicated himself to it. Amir on the other hand is a privileged person who does nothing to stand up for himself or those he cares about. Only after a long life does he realize he needs to make up for the mistakes of his childhood.

I think both books are worth reading. They are especially important to American readers so we can see how we have affected the world and what we can do to make it a better place. I feel Three Cups of Tea is especially important. If we were to take the Trillions we had spent on killing and put it towards Greg Mortenson's goals the entire world would be a better place and much closer to peace. I give Three Cups of Tea an 11. It is an interesting and timely read about a great man. The Kite Runner wasn't as impressive. I found the author use of circular writing to be interested and appreciated the story, but I found it hard to care a lot about the main character and that did detract from the book. I think its main interest is its relevance to our times. I will rate it an 8.

Happy Reading! 
I grade on a scale from 1-13. This is a normal 1-10 scale with the extra three for great booksHaroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Rushdie has written a fairy tale filled with fun and adventure. It is interesting especially when compared to Rushdie's other works, but not all surprising. Typically his works have an element of fantasy. This book takes it to the extreme. Haroun the young man and hero of the book has a story telling father. His father, tragically, has lost the ability to tell stories any more. Haroun wakes one night to find a genie in his father's bathroom taking out the story water supply. After stealing the genie's wrench Haroun is soon taken on a fantastic trip into space and eventually to the source of all tales ever told, the Sea of Stories . There he is drawn into a plot to save the world from a future filled with sadness and no stories.

I found this book very entertaining. I was pleased as an adult, but the book could be read as a bedtime story for a child. (Over many nights of course) The use of words within the book is very unique. From characters that talk like a walking thesaurus to fish that only speak in rhyme;Rushdie makes the English language as fun to read as the story itself.

I admit that I am a huge fan of Rushdie and have always enjoyed his books. I think he is one of the greatest living authors and therefore my opinion of his books are somewhat biased. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a fun, quick, if a little predictable book this makes a great choice. If you have young children I would say this is a must.

On a scale from 1-13 I would give this a ten. I really think this should be a classic story read by children the world over. Because of Rushdie's somewhat tarnished reputation I doubt this will ever reach that level of popularity; much to the world's misfortune.




The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

The book is set in the Pacific side of WWII. The main focus of the book is on one platoon. The platoon is part of a 6,000-man force poised to take the Japanese-held island in order to clear the way for a larger American advance into the Philippines . You soon find yourself in the heads of the different characters and lost in the war that happened years before you were born.

The chapters begin with a description of one of the characters and then give you the story from his point of view. You start out with a group of men playing poker the night before the main attack on the island. You travel with them as they take the beach and head inland. Eventually, following them on an information gathering mission. I found that the book wasn't so much about the story by purely character driven. You go through each man finding out about there past, what made them who they are. You'll see a character from one person's point of view and later see it for his own.

I was surprised to find that my favorite character was the general of the army. His thought process was on a deep level that I hadn't seen in other books about military and war. Getting a look at the ideas going on in the upper reaches of the Army was something I hadn't ever thought about.

Mailer puts this book out as a work of fiction. Certainly, these exact people didn't do these exact things. But no matter it is a work of Realism. You become so involved into the lives of the men and it be comes impossible to not see them as real people. One thing that stuck me as different was it wasn't about what you would expect. It's not all explosions, gun fights, and death. It is a true account of what the men go through. The book takes you from floating on the cool ocean to digging latrines and building roads to sitting through the night on watch.

Interestingly enough Mailer claims this is one of his weaker works. Yet it is one of the most intense and in depth works about men in war I have ever read. 50 years after it's writing it stands as a classic, and rightfully so.

On my scale from 1-13 I give it an 11. Anyone with even a passing interest in what men live through in the horrors of war should read it.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

This book presents itself as a story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who travels about North America on a journey of the soul. I found it is more of a journalistic report of what happened. It is labeled as a travel essay. Krakauer, admittedly more of a journalist than a novelist, searches for Chris' backtrack and retells his story through journals, letters and interviews with people who met McCandless on his travels. You find out at the very beginning of the book that he doesn't make it. A group of hunters/hikers find his rotting corpse in the hull of a deserted bus in the Alaskan wilderness. It follows his travels from a privileged upper class family in the east back and forth across the country into Mexico and eventually into Alaska. It seems interesting in that each place he goes he has a definite impact on the people he meets. Each interviewed person seems to think that Chris was a very special person.
I walk the fence on this book. I find the idea of just leaving everything and traveling around appealing. In fact, I have done it, just not to the extent that he does. The open road and wilderness and not having to answer to anyone appeals to most young American men, I imagine. I just don't seem to like the Chris as he is presented. He seems pretentious and overconfident of himself. He starts out by leaving and never letting his family know where he is. Leaving loved ones worried about your safety is unacceptable in my opinion. He then tries all of these half-thought out dangerous trips through rigorous terrain. On multiple occasions he seems to get himself back out alive, but only barely. It really seems like he was looking to die in the wilderness and it was only a matter of time before it happened. I was expecting a story about a possible hero to whom something went terribly wrong. Instead I got a biography of a troubled young man that seemed to care for few or himself.
I found the book somewhat entertaining. I can't really say I would suggest it to everyone. If you find the idea of leaving everything behind and just going off interesting I think you would find the book worth reading. If you don't think you would be interested then don't bother. I give it a 6 out of 13.










This is a non-fiction book about the environment. The premise is that by some means, either the second coming or a human specific disease, the entire human race is gone. No one is here to run the machines, pumps, nuclear devices that keep things running smoothly. All the cars in the world stop moving and stop pumping out carbon emissions.

In each chapter you are taken to a different part of the world to see what would happen. It starts in New York City and you soon find out that all that needs to happen is a decent rainfall and NYC would start falling apart. The whole city is built on marshy land and riddled with underground holes for pipelines and subways. All these are kept empty by massive pumps under the city. Once humans were gone the place would fill up with water and start eroding the understructure of the city.

In other chapters you go to mostly untouched areas of nature. One of these is an old growth forest in Poland that was always off limits to people because it was a king's domain. Eventually it became a sanctuary and is one of the only places in the entire world that hasn't been changed by human activity. Here you get an example of what the world could be like if we weren't here.

The author takes us to places that were once occupied by humans, but because of wars or other catastrophes are no longer inhabited. This shows us what would happen to a city after being deserted for a long time.

This book really gave me a feeling that as humans we have really done some damage. Do you realize that in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there is a floating pile of garbage (mostly plastic) three times the size of Texas ? I know that we have done irreversible damage to this planet, but this book puts it in terms that can't be ignored. As a book I found it captivating and felt a need to always keep reading. It is current and a very appropriate message for our times. I do feel that every American needs to read it to get a clue about what every single person does to add to the destruction of our planet. That said the book won't be able to stand the test of time because its message and need is in the present.

On my scale of 1-13 I rate it at an 8. (See I can rate under 10.) This is mostly because the highest ratings are only for books I think could be read a hundred years for now and have just as much impact. At that time this book will be more of a history book. Hopefully, we will have gotten our act together and books like this will get us to make the right choices.
Please read this book!






The Shadow of the Wind (Spanish: La sombra del viento) is a 2001 novel by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón,


The novel is set in Barcelona right after the cival war. Daniel, the protagonist, and his father go to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge library of old, forgotten titles lovingly preserved by a select few initiates. According to tradition, everyone initiated to this secret place is allowed to take one book from it, and must protect it for life. Daniel selects a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. Daniel becomes engrossed in the book and soon into the life of the author. He starts to search for the other books written by the author only to find that it is next to impossible. Daniel adventures soon run him into a mysterious figure that confronts and threatens Daniel. He claims to be Lain Coubert, a character from one of Carax’s books, who in the book is the devil. Paraphrased from Wikipedia


The story presents itself as a mystery, which at it’s heart is is. The parallels between Daniel’s and Julian’s life continue to draws you into this exciting book. As Daniel digs deeper trying to find answers to long unsolved questions he seems to just find more quesitons. As the mysery seems to get more confused so does Daniel’s personal life.

Zafon evokes the environment in a way that make you live in the book. You feel the heavy streets of old stone buildings, the dust filled chambers as you enter old mansions, the pounding of the rain as Daniel runs through the streets, you feel the fear that grips him as he goes down a long black flight of stairs. For the most part things are written in a straight forward manor that, filled with detail, makes you become lost in the streets of Barcelona.

The tale twists and turns like few do. Written with intense passion each character is fleshed out to the point that you feel that you have met them. From the main character to a minor one used to introduce more information you meet a "real" person. Just when you think you have figured out what is happening you turn the corner to find that you were wrong; only later to find you were right the first time.

I grade books on a 1-13 scale. 1-10 for normal book the extra three for the greats All of my books up to this point have been above 10. I imagine that readers probably think I am grading to high. I feel really lucky in the books I have been reading lately. I haven’t read a mediocre book in a while. Again I go above the scale and rate this 11. I feel this book can be a classic and in it’s native spanish I believe many already feel it is.

Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

Ross King takes on one of the greatest works of art made by one of the greatest artist's of all time. The book covers Michelangelo's life. Mostly focused on his time working on the Sistine Chapel, but covering other times as well as the work going on around him at the time. It also delves into a lot of the work being done by Raphael in the Pope's Apartments at the same time.

King does a wonderful job of bringing you into the time and feel of Rome in the late 1400's and early 1500's. In 1508 Pope Julius the 2nd commissions Michelangelo to make a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine's Chapel. This is much to the dismay of the accomplished artist for many reasons. He had been focused on making a masterpiece of a sculpture for the pope that was set to take many years. Although he had some experience in painting it was not what he wanted to work on. Fresco was even more of a troubling medium and Michelangelo was not interested in learning it. At first he avoided it, but eventually "the terrible pope" got what he wanted. Over the next four years Michelangelo would devote much of his time to this grand work.

King intermixes stories, letters and quotes from the time to make the book come alive. Of course it is a work of non-fiction, but the interplay of the characters, the wars and relationships make it read like a work of fiction. As the artist is reluctantly working on the artwork, the pope is waging war across Italy, other artists are vying for attention and plague spreads through Rome. All of these elements make it a fast paced and interesting book.

As an artist my self I have looked at Michelangelo at the greatest artist to capture the human body. I studied his techniques for a number of years and to see what he went though to make this masterpiece was very thrilling. Anyone who finds interest in art would find this an interesting book. If art isn't your thing, the accuracy of the time and what was going on can interest many. I found the beginning of the book to be somewhat slow. There were many issues in getting things started, but once the book gets into the meat of the story it really starts to fly. Its importance in the long term is tremendous. The work was made 500 years ago and stills stands as one of the greatest ever. The book will stand with it.

3 Readability
4 Long-term Impact
3 Engagement
Overall a 10. I could see this not being a great read for some people, but anyone who thinks it would be interesting I am sure would enjoy it.
Keep turning pages!