Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick

401 Pages

Trade Paperback

Historical Fiction

2009

Sunflowers follows Vincent Van Gogh for the last couple years of his life. It is a fictional story that uses the information available to tell a story that is realistic. My wife found this for me and I was happy to read it. I am a fan of art history in general and have always enjoyed Van Gogh's work.

The book focuses on a young prostitute named Rachel. It is told from her point of view.Van Gogh moves into Arles and by chance meets this young lady in a park. As she dozes near a tree he makes a sketch of her. He soon visits her as a customer and not long after they become a couple. A large part of the book deals with Van Gogh's mental instability and uses the relationship as a means to experience it from the outside. We follow Van Gogh through stays in asylum and his time living with Gauguin. The lovers continue their relationship through these trials and eventually ends with Van Gogh's death and Rachel's experience with that.

I found the book engrossing. I have a deep interest in the lives of famous artists and this gives an daily account of Van Gogh's work. The author uses real dates and times to authenticate the story, though the plot of the book is a fiction. There is evidence that  Van Gogh did have a lady that was part of his life at this time, but the true story is lost to the past. We are entertained with what might have been.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - I had an immediate affinity for both Vincent and Rachel. Seeing history come to life even if it isn't all true, it was enjoyable.

3 Style/Readability - The book flows well. The writing never stood out on it own. It served its purpose and that was it.

2 Long Term Impact -  Van Gogh is obviously one of the most well known artists of all time. I can see this getting lost among all the other book involving him. I imagine it also suffers a bit from being a fiction as well.

9 out of 13. I was happy to read the book and any fan of Van Gogh would enjoy it as well.

Keep Turning Pages

A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

157 pages

Trade Paperback Collected Works

Fiction

1890

I had the pleasure of reading A Picture of Dorian Gray a few years ago. I enjoyed it and became a fan of Oscar Wilde. My wife gave me a copy of his complete works as a gift and I have read a number of stories from the book. It was my time to host for my book club and I choose A Picture of Dorian Gray. 

Last time I read the book I gave it 13 out of 13. This still stands. Wilde is a writer that few can challenge. He is a master of words and uses it to satirize and entertain. Though at times I got a bit dogged down as a character goes off on the downfall of Victorian society, Wilde made it seem a part of the story and not just a means to judge others. 

I personally was most appreciative of the look into High Society at the time. Even upon second reading it I was engaged. This read through, I was able to give better attention to the social commentary that intertwines itself through the book. Lord Henry consistently has an opinion on everything. Wilde uses him and others to give something like a sermon on what really matters in life. 

It is a masterpiece and well deserved of all its accolades. Give it a read.

Keep Turning Pages

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore

304 Pages

Trade Paperback

Fiction

1999

I read Moore's other book Sacre Bleu. I really enjoyed it, but when reading more about Moore, I discovered most fans consider it one of his worst books. I decided I needed to check out more of his work. I found The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove at a used book store and gave it a read. 

The story focuses on the small community of Pine Cove. The town is a summer vacation spot, but the tourists have mainly gone home. An unexplained suicide convinces the local psychiatrist to take the town off of it's medication. A small leak at a power plant awakens a sea beast. Soon the entire town is starting to act crazy. Take a local pothead constable, add a former B-movie actress, a mechanical bartender and a traveling bluesman, tie them all together as they start to unravel why the local gas station blows up and you get a mystery comedy unlike any other book I have read.

Moore has a laid back writing style. It isn't complicated and keeps the story moving forward. His strength lies in characters that are unique, but believable. He also has a sense of humor that translates well to the written word. It mostly relies on unconventional situations caused by the actions of the characters.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - This isn't an life changing book. It is meant to entertain and it does a great job of that. The characters are what makes this worthwhile.

4 Style/Readability - You won't get bogged down with this book at all. It is quick and easy page turner. This fits the theme of the book and is exactly what makes this enjoyable.

3 Long Term Impact - Maybe it's just me, but it seems like humorous stories that aren't just "Humor" books are a rare thing. I have been pleased with Moore and I hope to read more of his stuff. I also hope his success encourages this genre to grow.

10 out of 13. Anyone looking for a entertaining book that is funny and more adult in subject matter would find this worthwhile.

Keep Turning Pages

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

357 pages
Paperback
2001
Fiction

Ah yes, another Prachett book.Whenever I am not sure what I want to read or I am looking for something humorous, I can never go wrong with Pratchett.

This book follows Jeremy as he attempts to make the perfect clock. Unfortunately, building the perfect clock can cause problems that affect the fate of the world as well as Time itself. This type of thing has happened before and Lu-Tze had to deal with the aftermath. This time, along with his new apprentice Lobsang, Lu-Tze is going to stop the problem before it starts. The four horseman of the apocalypse have to be convinced it worthwhile to ride out. Death takes it upon himself to encourage the others to join him. Susan, Death's grandaughter, finds herself pulled from her teaching duties in order to help save the world...again.

Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. It is so easy to get involved in his books. The characters are memorable and often lovable. Even the villains are characters that you find yourself rooting for. He takes the playfulness of a fairy tale and adds satire and humor that I have rarely enjoyed in another author.

In Thief of Time he takes the "coming of age" story and mixes with the end of time. I really enjoyed it.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - The main characters are endearing. As I reader I wanted Jeremy to succeed as much as I wanted Lu-Tse to stop him.

5 Readability/Style - Pratchett has a style that is unique. He infuses the fantasy genre with a humor normally reserved for the comedians stage. The saying goes, "In comedy timing is everything." Pratchett is able to do that on a page of paper and I love it.

2 Long Term - As a fan I am surprised at Pratchett lack of popularity. I think as time passes this will change. Thief of Time sits oddly in his collection as it doesn't fit in with any other series of books. I think this will always keep it a bit hidden. But I think most people would find it worthwhile.

11 out of 13. This is well deserved. It is one of my favorite books of his so far. I wouldn't recommend this as a first Pratchett book though. Guards! Guards! or Going Postal are better starting points.

Keep Turning Pages

This Is How You Lose Her by Juno Diaz

213 Pages

Hardcover

Fiction

2012

I read one of Diaz' other books called The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao a couple years ago and I really like it a lot. I had keep my eye open for his other books and I pick this up at a used book store. 

This isn't a novel. It is a collection of short stories. The book is supposedly fiction, but it comes off as extremely real. Much of the stories revolve around a man known a Yunior. Each chapter is devoted to the end of a relationship. Sometimes it is his own and other times it is people around him. It shouldn't be surprising that the book is a bit depressing as it goes forward. 

Junot Diaz' writing fits me well. He and I are of similar age and he uses language that I am used to. I feel like he is telling me a story while we are having a beer. Sometimes he is the asshole in the situation and deserves to get left. At other times our heart breaks with him. It seems as if much of the stories are meant to entertain and humor is a part of the story when we start to experience his brother's battle with cancer it is more somber.

The book is short, but it packs a punch with its subject. That said, I wasn't as into the book as I expected. Reading the story of people getting left repeatedly made it a bit difficult. The last story deals with how to deal with a break up when it was your fault. It was funny, but I found it hard to relate.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - Since is was a series of short stories it was harder to get attached to the characters. Though Yunior was a reoccurring character; I never cared all that much about him. The book does focus on love and how it can hurt. This emotion is the setting of the book.

4 Style/Readability - Diaz' writing is great. Regardless of the subject he makes things seem so real. I don't feel like it is fiction, but the real stories of his life.

2 Long Term Impact - Diaz has already won a Pulitzer Prize. He is going to be influential for some time. I think that this is going to be for his other work more than this though.

9 out of 13. I love his writing, but this subject didn't do it for me and that was the killer. I would suggest reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao then maybe looking at this is you are a big fan. Otherwise, you'll probably be happier with something else.

Keep Turning Pages

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

301 Pages
Trade Paperback
2002
Non-Fiction

I have already read two books by Gladwell, Blink and Outliers. I really enjoyed both of them. My wife has owned The Tipping Point for some time so I thought it was time to read that as well. The book focuses on epidemics, not only of disease, but of fashion, crime and more.

The Tipping Point starts with the idea of an epidemic that we are familiar with. Specifically, it studies AIDS, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. It demonstrates how these diseases at certain points were well contained or in the case of AIDS mostly non-lethal. What really drew my attention was the details of AIDS. Evidence shows that an early epidemic happened in a European hospital. This was caused by the common use of reusing syringes for inoculation. Surprisingly, from a modern view, it was determined that many people infected beat it and went on to live long lives. It wasn't until the 1980's that it mutated enough that it became the killer we now know it to be. It also studied the spread and determined that two men were instrumental in the spread of AIDS. Both of them had 100's of partners and a infected a significant percentage of those people. This in turn encouraged HIV to tip into the epidemic that we have come to know.

The book also delves into entertainment. It looks at Sesame Street and the details that made it what it has become. It follows the crime problems of New York in the 80's and how it was the small things that made the difference, not the big things. It also followed the rise of certain shoes and how they all started with a very small group of people that eventually influenced people across the country and the world.

I found it it entertaining and easy to read. The most appealing was the study of Sesame Street and the influence it had on later children's entertainment. That said, I found that the first 150 pages focused a lot on the same few situations and I found myself hoping for a bit more variety in the examples. His major point was there are three types of people, Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen. These people are what is needed to cause an epidemic.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - The book totally focuses on intellectual pursuits. This is the goal of the book and it succeeds.

3 Style/Readability -  Gladwell has a way of taking complex subjects and distilling them into easily digestible content. I never struggled with understanding his point, but I did get a bit bored with overuse of examples rather than using new ones.

3 - Long Term Impact - It is probably safe to say that The Tipping Point started a epidemic of sorts in the book world. Gladwell and many authors after him have wrote books that follow a similar form. The author takes a series of studies and ties them together with a theme. Then he or she presents them in a interesting, but not to complex, way.

10 out of 13. I did enjoy the book, but it was apparent that this was his first book. I felt his later works were better overall. That isn't to say it isn't worthwhile. In fact I think if you thought you would like this type of work I would suggest starting here. It only gets better as he progresses. Another book of the genre worth checking out is Freakenomics.

Keep Turning Pages

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

298 pages

Paperback

Autobiography

This is the second book that was read in my book club and I was unable to read it at the time, so I finally caught up to the rest of the group. When I was in college Maya Angelou came to speak at my school. I was moved by her speaking and always intended to read her book. Life got in the way and I never picked it up. How sad for me. 

The book tells the story of Maya's childhood. At a young age her brother Bailey and her are sent to live with their Grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. The book brings alive the lives of southern black folks. I grew up in white bread MN and I think we had one black kid in our entire school. It is safe to say I had a different life than Maya. Her descriptions and use of metaphor continually made me experience the life of a young black girl in a way I didn't think possible. At one point she talks about how she didn't really think white people existed because none ever came to her part of town. When she finally met some she couldn't believe how you could see through their skin. Maya moves around to St. Louis, back to Stamps and eventually to Southern California. Each place has it's affect on her life and she bares it all for us to live without reservation.

 Though the book certainly deals with the hardships involved in growing up black in the south; to me it felt upbeat and demonstrated the power to overcome the troubles of her life. I thought it was fantastic and am disappointed that it took me this long to get to experience this story. 

4 - Intellectual/ Emotional - Getting a first hand experience of her life is unique and endearing. This is a rare look into a life much different from my own.

5 - Style/Readability - There is no doubt that Angelou is a Master of language. Her imagery is among the best I have read and evokes greats such a Steinbeck and Wilde. Though simple to digest I felt I was a part of the story.

4 - Long Term Impact - Maya Angelou has already made a permanent mark on Literate and Poetry. This being her most well known work will ensure that she will influence other writers for years to come.

13 out of 13. A very rare 13. A part of me almost feels like adding another point. This book is fantastic and a must read for any reader. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Keep Turning Pages.

Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie

656 Pages

Trade Paperback

Memoir Non-Fiction

Rushdie is one of the most engrossing writers I have read. His imagery continually draws me into his stories and stands alone outside of the tales that he tells. For many years he has been one of my favorite authors. He is probably most famous not for the work he has written, but more for the reaction to one of his earliest works, The Satanic Verses. Once his book was released the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran placed a fatwa on his head sentencing him to death. For the next nine years he lived in hiding and under the protection of the British police.

Joseph Anton is a recounting of his time in exile. The name is the one he takes to cover who he really is. The book is written in 3rd person and gives the feeling of an almost fictional situation. Sadly we know this is a true story. We follow Rushdie through the end of a marriage and the beginning of another. We experience how his young child grows to manhood, while he father lives in hiding. Rushdie originally is constantly moving. As soon as one place is getting comfortable he is forced to move to another. At first he barely allowed to leave his home. As time passes things get easier and he is even allowed to go on vacation. The undercurrent of the book is his original supplication to what has happened to him and eventually his efforts to stand up against those that would censor him and other authors of the world.

For a book that is essentially about a guy that is stuck in one place for years at a time it still kept my attention. Rushdie's books normally have a magical part to them and grand adventures happen in fantastic places. Now we have relatively normal guy living in an uncomfortable situation. He still makes it work. We lose some Rushdie's fantastic writing. There isn't as much flowing prose and encompassing descriptions, but we get a treat here and there. Some of my favorite parts of the book is where is describes working on his other novels. Three men involved in the publication and translation of the book are attacked. Sadly, the Japanese translator is killed.   Disappointingly, Rushdie feels that at least two books will never be made because of the fatwas disruption of his life.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - This really stands as a defiance to censorship and opposes the feelings of a few denying the rights of the many. It is easy to feel for Rushdie. 

3 Style/Readability - The realism of the book makes it sad and less appealing than Rushdie's other work, but it was still very engaging and I quickly read through it.

3 Long Term Impact - Rushdie will probably always be more famous for the fatwa against him rather than the quality of his writing and that is a shame. Even so, this book wouldn't be his most valuable. 

9 out of 13. This feels about right. I might give it another point somewhere, but honestly if you haven't read his work I suggest starting somewhere else first. I would suggest Midnight's Children, The Moors Last Sigh and Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

Keep Turning Pages

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

473 Pages

Hardcover

Non-Fiction

This is the 3rd book we have read in the book club I have joined. The second was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I haven't actually read that yet. 

The book mainly follows the life of Louie Zamperini. It starts with a teaser of military men stranded on rafts in the middle of the ocean. Japanese planes fly by and fire their guns. From here we are brought back in time to when Louie is a little boy. We learn that basically he was a misfit that was constantly getting in trouble. Stealing, smoking and causing trouble. It isn't until late in his teens that he finds his calling in life. He is a runner. He quickly becomes one of the best mile runners in history and eventually makes it into the Olympics. Soon after World War II is thrust upon America. We follow him as he goes through training and becomes an airman. Specifically, he runs the bombing instruments on the planes. 

He is sent to the Pacific and joins in on bombing runs in a plane called Super Man. Through a series of events he is stranded with two other men in two small rafts with no supplies and eventually gets captured by the Japanese and is held in POW camps on an island near Japan. 

I have always had a deep interest in the stories of people thrown into the hell we call war. I have read a number of books on victims of the Holocaust, stories of soldiers at war in WWII, Vietnam and others. Unbroken certainly delivers in this respect. Though I did read Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead, this is the first time I read much about POW's on the Pacific side of the war. Subject wise I was very drawn into the book. 

I found it very engrossing, but there was something about Hillenbrand's writing that didn't sit well with me. You can tell that the story is pieced together from many different accounts. The final 50 pages are all reference and notes which make this clear. There were a few sections where the book dragged a bit. These were early in the book recounting his teenage hijinks, in the middle of the book when it focuses on Louie's family and towards the end when it covers the aftermath and the declining years of his life. Not that I didn't think those things were important, just that it seems a bit overdone.

It might sound like I didn't like anything. That isn't true. The parts I did enjoy really drew me in, but I often felt like I was reading textbook material rather then a recount of a man's life, which it presents itself as.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - Experiencing a lesser known part of the War was certainly worthwhile and you can't help feeling for all the trials the men went through.

3 Style/Readability - As mentioned I had a few problems with the "cobbled" together way the book felt at times, but I also burned through the whole thing in six days so it was easily read.

2 Long Term Impact - I am not interested in reading other work by Hillenbrand maybe to my loss. I feel that other books that cover this subject has been more rewarding.

9 out of 13. It was worth reading, but if you are looking to experience the horrors of war there are a few other books you should check out first. Night by Elie Wiesel, The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

As always Keep Turning Pages

Sacre Blue by Christopher Moore

400ish? Pages Trade Paperback

Historical Fantasy Fiction

My wife gave this to me as a gift. I had never heard of Christopher Moore. I have a huge interest in art history and a murder mystery set with the Post-Impressionists seemed very appealing. 

The book is set in the late 1800's and starts with the death of Vincent Van Gogh. We know that instead of killing himself, as history tells us, that he is killed by someone else. The main character is Lucian Lessard and he is surrounded by some of the most talented artists of his age. He too attempts to create art and finds himself enamored with a young lady who becomes the focus of his work. He creates his best work ever, until he runs out of the color blue. He and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec soon find themselves trying to figure out a warning delivered in Van Gogh's last letter. Who is the color man and is he connected to Vincent's death?

I was immediately drawn into the book. Moore has a light hearted style that is easy to digest, but still takes time to describe what is happening clearly. It is advertised as "A Comedy D'art" and though I did find parts of it funny; I felt it was a more like a murder mystery with humor, rather than a humorous book about murder. Either way, I liked it and have bought a few of his other books and look forward to reading them.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - This plays on real events and a good portion of it is made up, but I really liked Lucien and cared about his adventure.

4 Style/Readability - Although I was a bit unsure at times about how the story came together, as a package it was enjoyable and entertaining. I think Moore writing is perfect for me and I am pleased I found another author I can delve into.

2 Long Term Impact - I hadn't ever heard of Moore before and from most accounts Sacre Bleu isn't considered his best work. I look forward to seeing what his other work offers.

9 out of 13 seems like a poor score from me. But I feel that it is about right. Before making a recommendation I hope to read some of his other work.

Keep Turning Pages

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

278 pages - Trade Paperback - Historical Fiction - 2013

I was invited to join a book club and the person who started it picked this book as the first read. The story setting is set close to where I grew up in MN. I have also had an interest in the Depression era of the United States and seeing how people handled it.

The book has two timelines. The first part is set in Maine in modern times. We meet a young lady, Molly, who is in a foster program. Her foster father wants to be a family, but the mother is rude and unwilling to compromise. Molly is caught stealing a book from the local library and sentenced to community service. She finds herself helping Vivian. An older lady that needs help cleaning out her attic. As the work together "cleaning" the attic, they come upon all the items Vivian has collected through the years.

The second part of the story follows is set in the depression era. Naimh, has come over from ireland only 2 years ago. Both parents die and she and her brother, Carmine, are sent on the Orphan Train across the US. They travel with her friend, Dutchy. What happened on the Orphan Trains was they took children in New York and put them on trains that would stop at places in the midwest. Any family willing to take them in was encouraged to do so. Naimh is split from her brother and Dutchy, but they swear they will find each other in the future.

It becomes apparent that Vivian and Naimh are the same person and that she has changed her name. We follow her through many trials. It seems almost as if she goes from one bad things to another with only a glimmer of hope once and awhile. The book pulls itself together in the end with Molly helping Vivian deal with her past.

This book was interesting to me. There were parts of it I liked a lot. Specifically, the story of Vivian as a young lady and how things start out with her after being on the Orphan Train. But as the story went on I got a bit annoyed with the book. It seemed to me like it wasn't real. As if Kline made a list of all the terrible things that could happen to a young woman and then wrote it into the story. After reading the book I read an interview with Kline. She interviewed many people that actually did ride the Orphan Trains and reveals that she took parts of the people's stories and used them to tell Vivian's story. It wasn't that someone couldn't have had all those things happen to her, but it seemed very contrived. It was like to much was happening to one person.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - I really got into Vivian's story as a youth. I understood the point of having Molly be a character that leads Vivian into the future, but her part of the story mostly pointless to me and could have been handled in a different way.

2 Style/Readability - As mentioned, the story seemed way too contrived. I can't place my finger on it, but it just didn't seem real to me. I realize it is fiction, but it is historically accurate so I wanted something more.

2 Long Term Impact - It is a bestseller and it has positively drawn attention to folks who really did ride the trains. I would like to believe that some of their real stories would be more worthwhile.

7 out of 13. This isn't a great score. The thing is I liked the book and enjoyed reading it. I don't have another book that deals with the same subject, but I would like to believe there is something better. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it unless a person had connections to it, as in my case, where the setting was in my home state.

Keep Turning Pages.

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

278 Pages Paperback - Fiction - 1980

My wife and I both wanted to read a book together and this was chosen. I had never heard of the author or the book, but was interested in reading it. It is occasionally on the "top 100 books to read" lists. I have grown to appreciate a lot of the Indian writers I have had read. I was pleased to be starting another.

The book follows a man named Salim. He is of indian heritage, but lives on the coast of Africa. It is never revealed where he actually is in the books other than some place in Africa, though he does travel to other countries/continents for part of the story.

Salim starts the story by buying a business in a small town at "a bend in the river" in another country. He travels through the middle of Africa and finds himself in a sparsely populated town with a run down building and a hodgepodge of things to sell. He establishes himself and does moderately well. He takes on a customers boy as a boarder so that he can attend the local school. Eventually, Metty, a house slave, now free, from his home comes to join him. He works at the shop as well. 

The conflict within the story seems to be the small town vs the outside world. At first it is just this collection of buildings in the middle of the bush. At one point it had been modernized, but everything has fallen to ruin and no one takes care of anything they don't live in. Huge piles of garbage pile int eh streets. There is a rebellion and it is squashed by mercenaries. Soon "The Big Man", the president takes notice of the small town as it has become a place of local trade. The bend in the river gets an update with a section of town known as the "State Domain". It seems to be a way to show how Modern the state can be, even turning small downs into a great modern place to be.

I think that Naipaul writing is clear and precise. It was easy to imagine the places and I can see myself in this hot place in the middle of nowhere. Though the main protagonist is likable he never really does anything exciting. The book seems to be a portrait of middle Africa at the time. It's like the backdrop of his life, the town, the people, and the country is what the book is really about. As it went on it felt almost like a social/political commentary on Africa at the time. The fact that none of the major places in the book are named implies that you could be most anywhere in Africa and this would hold true. I personally don't know enough about it to fully understand all the implications of the comparisons to real life. But at the same time the characters are very real. They have worries, and love and hope and sorrow and that all is delivered with solid writing.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - I liked the characters in the book. It did jump around in focus and certain characters such as Ferdinand's Mother and The Priest were not in the book enough.

3 Style/readability - I thing Naipaul is a very good writer. If I was more aware regarding the political aspects of the book, I would probably be even more impressed.

3 Long Term Impact - The book is still break top 100 lists over 30 years later. It already has had major impact. 

I give it a 9 out of 13. I can't say I am disappointed in the book, but I can say I overly liked it. I can appreciate the writing, but it just didn't do it for me. If you are looking for other Indian writers try Rushdie or Arundhati Roy.

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

776 pages paperback (Historical Fiction) - 1961

My wife has urged me to read this book for a while. I had read Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King and she thought I would like this as well. King's book focuses solely on Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel, The Agony and the Ecstasy covers most of his life. The most obvious difference is that Stone takes liberty in making the book into a novel that uses history. King's book is non-fiction. 

The book follows Michelangelo from a young boy until his death at age 88. We see how he spent time in stone quarries dealing with marble almost from birth. He is apprenticed to merchants, but jumps at the chance to join the painting studio under the tutelage of Ghirlandaio. He studies the art of fresco, but when given the opportunity to learn sculpture carving under Bertoldo he leaves the fresco studio. He starts with small works and then catches the attention of the Medici family. He soon becomes an in house artist and continues to work for them. He is hired to make the Medici family tomb, but soon after his benefactor dies. 

As Michelangelo fame grows, after sculpting David, he gets the attention of the Pope. He soon is forced into painting the Sistine chapel even though he declares it isn't his art. We continue to following him as he makes some of the greatest works of art ever created on earth.

I immediately got sucked into this book. Michelangelo has always been one of my favorite artists and since it was presented in novel form it was easy to get wrapped up in the story. Before reading it, I had reservations that it was a novel. I was worried about what would be real and what would be false. As I read I looked up each of the works that he created and tried to keep an accurate account of what happened. There were references in the book to a couple works of art that I couldn't find real life reference to, but for the most part the book seems to be accurate.

I enjoyed his style overall. I was influenced by my interest in the subject, but I found it to be engaging and I read through most of the book very quickly. The last two hundred pages or so focused less on the art he was creating and had more to do with the politics that Michelangelo was forced to participate in. He dealt with numerous Popes as they ascended to the papacy and then eventually died. Each one had different views on what he was doing and different work each one wanted him to do. Throughout it all he continued to create and inspire.

4 - Intellectual/Emotional - I became invested in the story and also appreciated getting a realistic view of Michelangelo's life. The only draw back was not being 100% sure what is accurate and what was not.

3 - Style/Readability - Overall, it was great and I was very pleased. As mentioned the last 200 pages or so was less appealing.

4 - Long term Impact - The book has been around for 50 years already. It has been read by millions and was made into a movie. I would say if you are interested in Michelangelo's life this is a great place to start.

11 out of 13. If the subject is at all appealing, or you have interest in Renaissance Italy this book is well worth the read.

Keep Turning Pages

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

260 Pages, Paperback (Fantasy Fiction)

I am again reviewing a Pratchett book. It is so easy to pick up another one of his books after reading something else, it just keeps happening. Most fans of Pratchett agree that he improves as a writer the further into his career he gets. I am not totally sure of the placement of Sourcery in the book release order, but we can see the quality of humor and writing is starting to shine at this point.

A long time ago a powerful wizard had his soul sucked into a staff. Generations pass and the eighth son of an eight son comes into possession of this enchanted staff. Through it he has the ability to tap into Sourcery, the source of magic. This is way more than the simple magic the Wizards in the Unseen University normally use. They all are soon drawn into a world where the most minor of wizards can do things they previously only dreamed about. As more wizards start to take advantage of this new power it starts to become apparent as to why Sourcery Magic has been unused for so long.

I found the book to be a quick and satisfying read. I wouldn't put it in with his best works, but it is certainly entertaining and worth a read for any fan of Pratchett. We start to see the writing that makes Pratchett great. He entertains amusing juxtapositions of ideas and humorous use of language. 

2 Emotional/Intellectual - Rincewind is the only characters I care much for in the book and that is mainly because of  interaction with him in other books.

4 Readability/Style - We see where Pratchett style really start to take hold and that is where this book really shines.

3 Long Term Impact - I can only see Pratchett's writing to become more and more appreciated as time goes on. That said I don't see this ever become a "must read" of his books.

9 out of 13. I would have liked to give it a 10, but I couldn't really justify it. Any Pratchett fan should read it, but this wouldn't be the place to start as a new reader.

Keep Turning Pages

The Lion of Camarre and Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke

213 pages (Hardcover) Fiction

I have been a fan of Clarke since I was teenager and first got into reading science fiction. This blog actually came into being because of Clarke in its own way. He has written over 50 books some fiction and some non-fiction. Many of them have similar names. I started writing brief reviews of each book I had read so when I was looking for a new one I could make sure I hadn't read it before. This is one of the curses of buying all your books in used book stores. Anyway, Clarke has entertained me repeatedly through the years and I was happy to find one that I hadn't read. This is actually two stories in one book. The Lion of Comarre is a short story and Against the Fall of Night is more like a novella.

The Lion of Commare follows a ingenious young man, Peyton, who attempts to find Commare, an almost mythical city made far in the past that was supposed to be a Utopian place to live. Many others had searched for it and either failed or never returned. Peyton concludes that the hidden city must reside in a wildlife preserve and flies there in an attempt to locate it. He parks outside the preserve and walks in. On his journey he ignores numerous warning signs and eventually meets a lion. It is docile and quickly becomes a traveling companion. Peyton find the city of Commarre, which seems to be a self sufficient enclosed building. Once inside he realizes why those that came before them never left and only with the help of his new found friend is he able to keep the city defenses at bay.

Against the Fall of Night seemed very familiar to me. I realized later that the idea of the novella was later expanded into a whole book called The City and the Stars  which I had already read. It was a bit confusing, because some things seem very familiar: a huge isolated city with people that never age. A young person one of the first people born in ages, a city park the was the center of the the living quarters. There were differences as well and once I figured out that I had read a similar story it made sense.

Alvin is the first person born in thousands of years. His society has learned how to extend life indefinitely and people are only produced when people have died of accidents. Alvin finds himself in a stagnant society that doesn't explore or invent anymore. He has a creative drive that has no partner. He explores the back areas of the city and wants to find a way out. On one of his adventures he find a note seemingly left there thousands of years in the past. It says: THERE IS A BETTER WAY. GIVE MY REGARDS TO THE KEEPER OF RECORDS. Alvin contacts Rorden, the Keeper of Records. With his help they start to find the path way that was blocked and eventually leads out of the city. From there the real adventure begins.

One of the things I find most appealing about Clarke is that he makes things seem real. Everything that is portrayed in his books, although fantastic, are based in reality. His novels focus on the future, but from my perspective, they are from the past. This book was written before we even landed on the moon yet many of the things described such as personal airplanes and cell phones are now a part of our every day life.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - I find the ideas of the future intellectually entertaining, but I found little emotional substance.

4 Style/Readability - Clarke is always easy to read. The ideas can be complex, but it is always presented in an easily digested way. I never struggle to understand what is happening, but never feel like it is simplified.

2 Long Term Impact - Clarke is a monolith in science fiction and has had an enormous impact on sci fi writing. This is a lesser known book, but still worth while.

9 out of 13. I enjoyed it, but think many other books by Clarke would be a better place to start.

Keep Turning Pages

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

337 Pages (Paperback) Fiction

I have been a fan of Cormac McCarthy ever since reading The Road. I found it to be one the of the best books I had read in many years. My wife suggested that when I was ready for a heavy book I give Blood Meridian a try. Man, she wasn't kidding.

The book loosely follows the "adventures" of a character referred to only as the kid. The boy witnesses a killing right away in the book and soon finds himself traveling with Captain Glanton. They travel across the Texas/Mexico boarder hunting Indians for their scalps. The cover of the book describes is as, "A classic American novel of regeneration through violence." That is a huge understatement. Most of the book is dirty men traveling across wastelands, hunting Indians and killing them. Then using the gold they make to drink, whore and destroy everything they come upon. It takes the classic Western novel and turns into a slaughterhouse.

I felt it was a bit much and I struggled to get through the book. I read a number of other books while I was reading this one since often times I didn't want to pick this one up. It doesn't change my opinion of McCarthy's writing though. It was crisp and clean and minimal. The writing itself was engaging and I enjoyed it, but the reality and grittiness of the subject matter was hard to handle. Although the book is fiction it is certainly based in reality and you know the things described, despicable as they are, happened again and again as people spread out across our country.

It takes the idealized vision of westward expansion in America and presents it realistically horrifying and disturbing.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - This is tough one to rate. I can't say I liked any of the characters and that makes it hard to get invested, but I certainly had an emotional response to the book. It made me feel uncomfortable. Since that seems to be the point I have to conclude it is a success.

2 Style/Readability - I rate this low not because McCarthy isn't a master of modern literature. He is. The writing is superb, but the nearly endless slaughter and violence made it very difficult to read.

4 Long Term Impact - McCarthy is already considered among the best of authors producing work in our time. Many consider this the best of his writing and it will go down in history accordingly.

10 out of 13. I can't recommend this book. It can only be defined as brutal. If you are looking for "the truth until it hurts" this may be for you. I do recommend you pick up The Road instead.

Either way, Keep Turning Pages.

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

416 pages Hardcover (Non-Fiction)

I saw a Ted Talk by McGonigal a couple years ago and when I heard that she had written a book I wanted to give it a read. I was lucky enough to receive it as a Christmas gift so here we are. 

McGonigal puts forth the idea that games can be put to work changing the world for the better. Each week millions of man hours are used accomplishing goals in video games. She asserts that these hours could be used in games to make the world a better place. The book focuses a lot on various gaming accomplishments that don't affect the "real" world, but have effects on the the people involved in positive ways. Gamers are more likely to come back from set backs, are more satisfied because they have a place to achieve recognizable goals, and know how to attain those goals. Right now that that might not have much significance, but it sets them up to be successful in the future.

The last half of the book focuses on games that have had a positive effect on the world. She took part in developing a game that put the players in an oil shortage. The players then advanced in the game using real life oil saving strategies. Cruel 2 B Kind has people spread kindness in crowded areas encouraging happiness to those participating but also those that weren't playing the game. Another game had people interacting with elderly in nursing homes and giving them chances to connect with life outside their living areas. One game made a contest out of cleaning the house. All of these games had a positive effect on the world even if it was just a clean bathroom.

McGonigal does a good job of demonstrating how games can make the world a better place. The ideas in the book were fantastic and just reading it made me want to get involved in some way. A couple things did bother me about the book: She comes across as a amateur writer. She continually used the same turns of phrase such as "this is just the back of an envelope figure" and that stuck out as weak to me. As the book went on it began to come off as a list of games she has developed and didn't focus much on what other people have done. The last thing was the book focused almost exclusively on the positive aspects of gaming. She spent about one page addressing some of the negative things involved in gaming, but I felt as a gamer myself glossed over a lot of the problems that comes about because of and within games.

That said I really enjoyed the book. If she did focus a lot on her achievements it could be because her ideas are on the the edge of what is happening and right now there aren't a lot of other examples.

5 Intellectual/Emotional - Harnessing the time put into games and funneling toward positive things is a good goal and I found it extremely interesting.

2 Style/Readability - McGonigal has some room to grow as a writer. Thankfully the content makes up for that.

4 Long term impact - It seems as if she is promoting something that is certain to catch on. As the world continues to become more connected the ideas presented in this book will become more popular and then they can have the impact the are designed to have.

11 out of 13. I think if you have any interests in games, not just video games, then this book is a good read. Even those that aren't into games can see how they can have a positive influence.

Keep turning pages.

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

370 pages Paperback (Fiction)

What? Another Pratchett book. Am I only reading comic books and Terry Pratchett? I realize I have had a bunch of reviews of Pratchett lately, but it is a bit misleading. I am reading about four other books right now. Pratchett is awesome though and well worth reading a bunch in a row. You will do the same if you pick up some of his better books.

My wife and I bought each other this book as a gift last year and we were taking a trip together so we decided to have a little fun and race each other through the book. The Fifth Elephant follows the continuing adventures of the Ankh-Morpork guards. The main character, Sam Vimes, is promoted to a diplomat. He is being sent to Uberwald to attend the coronation of the new Low King. Of course nothing goes smoothly in on Discworld. There is an assassination attempt and a theft of the Royal Scone. Soon families of werewolves and vampires stick their nose into the problem and the help of trolls and dwarves is needed. An investigation in a foreign country makes life difficult for everyone, they hope they can solve the crime, but more importantly the hope to survive until they do.

Pratchett, as usual, tells a entertaining tale intertwined with humor in a fantasy world. The reader finds themselves in a story built on the foundation of myths and fairy tales. I enjoyed it and any fan of Pratchett deserves to add this to their reading list.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - Although I care a lot about the characters in these books. I wasn't as drawn into this story as much as I have in others in the series. 

4 Style/Readability - Pratchett's writing is engaging without ever losing the reader. It isn't simple, but it comes never makes it hard on the reader.

2 Long Term Impact - Prachett seems to skirt the edge of popularity in the fantasy genre, but the more well known he becomes the better it will be for fantasy in general.

9 out of 13. This is respectable. This wasn't may favorite of his books, but this is in comparison to some of his best works. It is a worthwhile read for any fan. I would suggest anyone that hasn't delved into Discworld start somewhere else such as Guards! Guards! or Going Postal.

As always, Keep Turning Pages.

On Deck:

A Bend in the River

Blood Meridian

Reality is Broken

The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

354 pages (Fiction) Paperback

It didn't take me long to read another Pratchett book. He really is a fantastic writer and since it was almost Christmas I decided to give this book a read. This has actually been made into a two part miniseries on the BBC. I have seen the show and knew what was going on already, but there was enough additions to make the book interesting.

It is Hogswatch night, a night that is eerily similar to our Christmas Eve. The main difference is that instead of a jolly old elf sweeping the world delivering gifts; The Hogfather, a half man, half pig, pulled by a team of wild boars; distributes toys to those who believe. Only this night the Hogfather isn't showing up, someone else is. Death has noticed a lack of belief in the world and if the Hogfather doesn't deliver then there won't be enough belief in the world and that will have drastic consequences.

The tale follows Death as he attempts to fill the role of the Hogfather. It accompanies Susan, Death's granddaughter, as she attempts to find out what happened to the Hogfather. We look in on the Unseen University as the wizards there start to figure out that effects of belief are strangely out of whack. We also join an assassin and his band of ruffians who are attempting to make sure the Hogfather never delivers another present.

Pratchett delivers again. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. In the show it is a bit confusing as to what actually happens at the end of the story, but in the book it seems to make more sense. It is lighthearted as all of Pratchett's books are and entertaining. Not only does he come up with interesting tales that poke fun at everyday happenings of our world, he ties it all together with interesting characters and a magical world. In addition to that he has a great way with language and uses that to add depth and humor to the book.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - Susan is becoming a favorite character as she has appeared in a few books. Death is a major player in this one and has always been a favorite. Even the bad guys are likable.

5 Style/Readability - Pratchett doesn't spoon feed a reader and allows you to figure out things for yourself. I never find it difficult to read, but find pleasure in the way he puts sentences together and uses the language to describe as well as amuse.

3 Long Term Impact - I don't understand why Pratchett isn't more renown. I have seen people glamorize his early book, The Color of Magic, but I honestly didn't think it was anywhere as good as his later stuff. Hogfather is one of his better books and deserves more recognition than it gets.

On Deck: The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (HA HA Another one!)

As always, Keep Turning Pages