Book Review - The Devil's Storybooks

I'm not sure when or how this book landed on my bookshelf but I found it there recently and decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did. The Devil's Storybooks is a collection of twenty short stories. It sounds like this was originally published as two separate books but the edition I have includes the stories from both books in one collection. 

Written for children, each of the stories are rather short with most being fewer than 10 pages and some quite a bit shorter than that. The language is simple and evocative and would be great for reading aloud to smaller children. My edition also includes illustrations with each story that makes for a lot of fun.

Book Review - The Midnight Library

Trigger Warning: Suicide & Depression

Life is hard. Life is messy. That is at the heart of the narrative in The Midnight Library. Nora is a woman in her thirties feeling intensely dissatisfied with her life. She not only feels that she has failed to achieve her own goals and potential but worries that she has ruined the lives of others. After the events of one particularly awful day, she decides to kill herself.

The afterlife she finds herself in isn't anything she would have expected. Rather, she enters a library with what appears to be endless rows of books. She quickly meets Mrs. Elm who acts as a sort of spirit guide and caretaker of the library. Mrs. Elm is in the form of Nora's childhood librarian who was a kind of solace during hard times in her youth.

Mrs. Elm explains that each one of the books represents an alternate version of Nora's life. It is a life in which different decisions were made that created different outcomes. Nora now has the unique opportunity to select a book and take her place in that life to see if it is the life she would like to return to. If the book/life she selects doesn't meet Nora's desires she will return to the library and select another book again and again until she finds her perfect life.

Book Review - The Eye of the World

I'm certainly late to the party on this one. The Eye of the World sat on my shelf unread for over two decades before I finally cracked the cover and it was already old and well beloved by the time I purchased a copy. Now that I've finally dipped my tip into the monumental work that is Jordan's Wheel of Time series, I can understand the appeal. 

The prologue quickly set up some tension and intriguing insights into the overarching storyline and mythos. It also left the reader with plenty of questions, just the thing to keep pages turning.

The book does a great job of introducing us to a wealth of characters, locations and stories. I was pleased that most of the characters quickly felt distinct with their own characteristics and voice. Their actions and reactions felt fairly believable given the circumstances and the nature of each character. We didn't get a ton of depth into the characters from the prologue but moving into the first chapter, the author methodically puts characters into our path and drops details to us in a slow but increasingly steady pace. 

Book Review - The Clockwork Scarab

I received an advanced reader's copy of The Clockwork Scarab ages ago, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. I remembered being intrigued by the overall premise—young female relations of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker taking on a mystical mystery in a steampunk London. It sounded like fun. I finally cracked the cover and dove in but I found myself struggling to stay as interested as I would have liked.

The overall premise is intriguing. The development left me wanting more. The story is presented in first-person narration by Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes as they pass the storytelling narrative back and forth between one another from chapter to chapter. The alternating narrative does help with the sometimes uneven delivery of plot elements since jumping from one perspective to another (often within different locations and with different knowledge) explains why we get unsteady introductions of information and plot points. 

We learn that the Stoker family is actually a bloodline of vampire hunters and that Miss Stoker is a sort of hunter in training, still working her way up to being a full Slayer. Interestingly, it seems that her brother, Bram Stoker, isn't quite as involved in the realm of the supernatural. He is merely writing what he considers to be fiction. Meanwhile, Miss Holmes is the niece of Sherlock Holmes, who is definitely a real character and not fiction. And although Miss Holmes has shown that she has intelligence and deductive skills, she is still relegated to being kept apart from all things Holmesian. 

Book Review - The Delusionist

As a child, there were a bunch of things I wanted to be when I grew up. High up on that list was the career of magician. That history alone had me interested in The Delusionist. As the synopsis outlines, this book is about a teenager named Quinn who has a lifelong goal of being a magician. He is working towards earning a spot at a super exclusive Magic summer camp but naturally there will be a few obstacles in the way.

Quinn generally performs magic with his best friend Perry and even though it seems clear that Quinn is the mastermind behind the magic, Perry is the outgoing crowd-pleaser who always gets everything right.  Quinn generally doesn't feel jealous or resentful of Perry but it's clear throughout the book that Quinn feels like he's a second class person, especially next to his best friend. As the camp audition rules arrive, the wording seems to suggest that they are looking for SOLO performers rather than group acts like the friends have. Quinn is both excited and a little sad about splitting up to try out.  At about this same time, the boys meet a girl that recently moved into town who also has a passion for magic. Watching her tricks, they are quickly in awe of her talent and it's clear that she could be their main competition in the camp tryout. Add to this that Quinn has an immediate crush on her and things are really starting to get complicated for this competition.

The book is filled with a lot of Quinn's inner monologues as he tries to work through his emotions and struggles with his feelings of inadequacies and doubt. His parents are supportive but they are super quirky and hyper involved in their performance project. And with Quinn's friend and hopefully-girlfriend as his main competition, Quinn is left to try and figure out the path forward on his own.

Book Review - Dandelion Wine

When I think of Ray Bradbury, I usually think of science-fiction or at least fantastical-fiction. Dandelion Wine captures the magic and fantastical of his other writing but it does so in a much more subtle manner. 

This book is a story of the summertime adventures of Douglas Spaulding, a 12-year old boy in the small town of Green Town, Illinois in 1928. Douglas' experiences vary wildly in scope and nature but from a high level, they could mostly be considered fairly ordinary. And yet, Bradbury weaves them into magical tales of growth and imagination. 

The title of the book comes from the story of Douglas' grandfather bottling dandelion wine throughout the summer and Douglas presenting it as a metaphor for bottling up the various experiences and memories of each summer day. Each golden bottle represents a different memory, tucked away to be retrieved and savored at a later date. 

Book Review - Real vs Rumor: How to Dispel Latter-Day Myths

Growing up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I heard many rumors ranging from the mundane to the outrageous.  Some were presented by people trying to convince me that the church was lead by wicked frauds and others were presented during Sunday classes as potential faith building experiences.  Still others were just presented as random nuggets of information just considered interesting.

When I picked up this book, Real vs. Rumor, I mostly expected it to be a listing of dozens or even hundreds of stories that would then either be proven as fact or debunked as fake.  What I found was somewhat different.

The true content and intent of the book is elaborated by its subtitle: "How to dispel latter-day myths".  While the book does use a handful of rumors and stories as examples, the real purpose of the book is to present readers with a sort of blueprint or methodology for evaluating these stories and rumors on their own to try and determine their veracity.

Book Review - The Pillars of the Earth

I heard many people praise The Pillars of the Earth when it was released 30+ years ago and so I eventually bought a copy, fully intending to read it quickly.  I even bought the sequel at a thrift store with the expectation that I would fall in love with the story.

After sitting on my shelf for nearly a decade, I finally dusted it off and dove into this sweeping tale of cathedral building in medieval England.  Sadly, It took me nearly a year to finish reading the novel, not necessarily because it was a slow read but because I actually put the book down half a dozen times and intended to NOT FINISH the book.  I'm still not sure what compelled me to power through and finish it, but I picked it back up multiple times and eventually finished it (even though I skipped numerous passages here and there, as I'll explain later in this post).

The first thing I noticed while reading was that even though this was represented as an ambitious book with enormous scope (over 1000 pages covering 50 years of medieval life) the book seemed to take an almost microscopic view of events.  Rather than giving us an overarching history of nations, towns or events, Follett picks a handful of characters and lets us walk alongside their day to day life for decades.

Book Review - Code Name Danger: Unmasking a Villain

I read this book as a potential gift for my 8-12 year old nephews who aren't much for reading.  I felt like they might have fun with the premise....a young tweenage boy gets cast as the amazing "Agent Danger" for a new TV show only to find out that the story is based on real life and the author has cast him not only for the show but also to be the real-life Agent Danger.

Reading as an adult, the writing, plot and character development were all fairly simple and high level.  But reading from the mindset of a young boy, especially one with a short attention span who loves video game adventures more than reading, I felt like the tone, level and depth of the story is about right.

Book Review - The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse

I don't remember who recommended this book to me but I'm glad I picked up a copy.  It's a short, quick read that reminds me a bit of Winnie the Pooh, The Giving Tree or other children's stories filled with a blend of whimsy and practical life advice.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse follows a simple narrative as each of these creatures meet and interact with one another in fanciful childlike ways.  Some of the phrases read a bit like fortune cookies or other snippets of advice that feel so obvious and timeless that you wonder why you hadn't thought of them before.  The book also balances emotions between humourous, laughable moments and tender, sad situations.

Book Review - Brainrush

In reading the quick synopsis of Brainrush, you're made aware that you're in for a different kind of thriller novel.  Indeed, the story is an international, millitary-esque thriller but it expands into other genres as well ranging from sci-fi to paranormal and filled with bits of romantic and buddy comedy.  To a large extent, this is a cinematic novel filled with lots of action and quick takes but it also slows down and plods through a lot of detail and information.

The premise involves a terminally ill man named Jake.  During an MRI, an earthquake shakes the machine and rattles his body and mind and apparently unlocks some amazing mental and physical abilities.  Before long, these abilities get Jake caught up in a global adventure with high stakes.  The story continues to get more and more intricate with new threats and revelations showing up every few chapters.  Many sections read like something caught between James Bond and Jason Bourne.  As you reach the climax of the book and work through the final few chapters, you get a bit of X-files or Indiana Jones (and the Crystal Skull).

In terms of believability, the story stretches things as paper thin as many adventure movies.  As such, the general character and plot development is a little weak, but an entertained reader can employ their suspension of disbelief to ride alongside Jake and his friends.  As more and more outrageous plot elements showed up, I found my willing to suspend disbelief to be waning but I continued on and generally enjoyed the story.

Book Review - Dept of Speculation

I had heard and read a fair amount of praise for Jenny Offil's Dept. of Speculation so I was excited to finally pick it up and give it a whirl. Among the reviews and details I'd heard was a lot of commentary about the style and structure of the book so I jumped in with a decent sense of what to expect. Having read the book, I can say that the plot of the book is fairly straightforward and somewhat unremarkable (at least In My Opinion) so it makes sense that most of the praise is about the structure, style and technique of the book. 

The story tells about the life of a woman over the course of a few years. It describes her dating life, her work life, her married life, her life as a mother and (*spoiler*) her life as a divorcee. The course of her life is often rather mundane, though she does have numerous sparks of interest that come off as humorous or at least a little intriguing (for example, her work as a fact checker or ghost writing for an 'almost astronaut'). Even though it's not entirely predictable, the plot line felt very familiar and didn't really strain the reader too much to dive into the life of the narrator.

Book Review - The Murder on the Links

I've taken a very random approach to my reading of the Hercule Poirot stories so it felt very interesting to read Murder on the Links (the second in his series?) after having read some of the later ones.  It was fun to see ways in which Poirot's character and stories evolved over time.  The most notable feeling I had was that Christie was still working out the nature of the relationship between Poirot and Hastings. Their interactions in this novel felt closer to a Holmes/Watson pairing than in later books.  At the same time, I appreciate the points in which Hastings took a more central role in the plot (even if he did make a mess of it *spoilers*).

As you might expect, the writing is fantastic and the plot is tight.  From the initial few chapters you are knocked off balance while thrown into the thick of things.  Poirot receives a mysterious letter from a man worried for his life.  

The day Poirot arrives, the police are there investigating his murder. The French inspector, Giraud, is resentful of Poirot's help and treats him with antagonism and condescension, claiming that Poirot's methods are outdated and useless and that he should leave the job to the professionals and their modern training and methods.  

Book Review - Four Just Men

The Four Just Men is a story about a group of men with a degree of intellect and financial means that allows them to dispense their own form of justice when they feel that conventional justice will not do an adequate job. In this book, they have sent a death threat to a ranking politician threatening to kill him unless he kills a Bill that he's working to put into law.

We are only given a few details about the Four Just Men and their history. In addition to trying to stop this bill, they have also meted out their own justice in other countries around the globe where they feel only they are able to bring balance where the law has failed.

I found it intriguing that the book focuses on this group of vigilantes, setting them up as the heroes versus the government and the police. The idea of vigilante justice like this is something that's pretty common in dystopian novels or in cases where justice is meted out against a person or organization that is blatantly criminal (as seen in superhero stories) but in this story, I didn't feel that sufficient evidence was given to show that the actions of the Four Just Men was wholly warranted.

Book Review - The Hand of Fu-Manchu

As a child/youth, I have vague memories of seeing a movie or TV show featuring the nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu and I seem to recall him (or someone like him) making an appearance in Scooby Doo cartoons. I also knew that the "fu manchu" mustache was named for this character. Those vague memories and associated details left me pretty much in the dark as to the novels and movies of Dr. Fu Manchu. My reading adventure with the Dr. began with his third book, The Hand of Fu-Manchu.

The style and structure immediately felt familiar. Published in the early 1900s, the writing had that formal feel. It also felt very similar to a Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story. I sensed a direct parallel between the Fu-Manchu pair of Nayland Smith / Dr. Petrie and the Conan Doyle pair of Holmes / Watson. Smith has his own distinctive methods for puzzling through problems and coming up with solutions. Meanwhile Petrie (also a Doctor) serves as narrator and foil for Smith as he works through the case.

Book Review - The Importance of Being Earnest

While reading The Importance of Being Earnest, I kept wondering how I managed to skipped over this one. It seems like something that should have been part of my curriculum in college. Or at the very least I should have seen one of the movie versions of the play. But somehow I did not.

And yet, as I read it recently, it felt very familiar. Part of the familiarity comes from the use of tropes common to comic writing. We have cases of mistaken identity, intentional deceit, unlikely coincidences and more. The dialog is witty and playful but with a biting undertone that gets at the heart of the theme.

The play centers on the interactions of two young men, Earnest and Algernon. At the onset we encounter the two men discussing the merits and virtues of life. During the discussion, we learn that Earnest’s real name is Jack but that he assumes the name Earnest while in London.

Book Review - The Girl Who Drank the Moon

After seeing the great cover and reading the summary, we picked up a copy of The Girl Who Drank the Moon but it took a while to finally crack the cover and start reading. In the meantime, it won the Newbery Award a number of friends recommended the book to me which helped move it further up on the "to be read" pile. I finally read it and frankly was a little sad that I hadn't jumped in sooner.

The story is set in an unknown fairy tale type world. In this world there is a walled city called the Protectorate that is surrounded by dangerous swamp, forest and volcanic territory. Each year, the city sacrifices their youngest baby to a wicked witch by leaving the baby on a rock in a nearby clearing to be claimed by the witch.

Little do they know that the witch is actually a good witch and she discovers and saves these abandoned babies each year and carries them to adoptive families living in cities on the other side of the swamp. Sometimes when carrying the children, the witch feeds them sips of magical Starlight to strengthen them. One night, she mistakenly feeds the baby Moonlight instead which "enmagicks" the girl. The witch feels responsible and adopts the girl for her own. The novel tells the story of the people in the Protectorate, the witch and her friends and the upbringing of the young girl Luna...the girl who drank the moon.

The narrative structure jumps primarily between three main narratives.

Book Review - Bambi

I suspect I'm not terribly unique in never having read Bambi and having my only knowledge of the story being the Disney film. Bambi is a short novel written by Felix Salten in the early 1920s and was widely popular when it was released. It even had a sequel (Bambi's Children).

For those unfamiliar with the concept of the novel, Bambi is a book set in a forest and centered around the character of Bambi. It just happens that Bambi is a deer. We start the novel learning of Bambi's birth and then continue through the various stages of his life. Initially, the only characters are Bambi and his mother. Slowly, Bambi's circle of existence expands and he meets other animals and eventually even meets other deer, including a pair of other fawns born the same season as him.

The story progresses at a leisurely pace, letting us grow slowly with young Bambi. We learn about the way of life in the forest, the way things are balanced, the various small dangers lurking about. We also see Bambi's innate curiosity when he discovers various topics that his mother is unwilling to expound to him. She teaches him that there is danger standing out in the open meadow in the middle of the day, but she isn't willing to go into detail about the threat of Man. She only tells him that they must only go to the meadow at night and that if they are ever in the meadow and she starts to run, that he must run as well and keep running no matter what.

Book Review - The Circular Staircase

Having recently re-read a bit of Agatha Christie's work and also recently watched movie and TV adaptations of her things, I was intrigued when I heard of Mary Roberts Rinehart referred to as the "American Agatha Christie." I had never heard of her but figured I'd give her writing a try. A general consensus suggested that The Circular Staircase is her most well-known and lauded work so I started there.

The book began (and continued) with a style and pattern that felt rather familiar when compared with other 19th and early 20th century writing. In this novel we are introduced to a wealth spinster named Miss Rachel Innes. Miss Innes has decided, in a moment of uncharacteristic impulsiveness, to rent a summer home with her niece and nephew. We are quickly drawn in by her idiosyncrasies and those of the people around her, particularly her servant Liddy.

Almost immediately upon arriving in the home, Miss Innes encounters strange happenings. That first night she's there, she encounters a number of strange noises from an unknown trespasser and a tumble down the circular staircase in the middle of the night. Then, the night her niece and nephew arrive, a man is mysteriously murdered at the foot of the staircase with no apparent witnesses or suspects.

Book Review - Norse Mythology

I've always enjoyed mythology. I remember studying the Greek and Roman myths numerous times in school and personally had a couple of books of Greek myths as a child. I even remember having a brief segment about ancient Egypt and some of their myths. But through my school years I never remember any lessons on Norse mythology. My High School mascot was the Viking. Even then, the most Norse mythology we had were a handful of names for various rooms in the school or some allusions referenced during assemblies or games.

Most of my knowledge about the Norse myths is a hodgepodge of misinformation from comic books and TV shows. And yet, I've always enjoyed the concept of Norse mythology. The image of the ancient Viking and his lore has often intrigued me but I never felt like pulling down the Eddas and diving in deep. So I was excited when a modern author I enjoy decided to take a stab at sharing Norse Mythology.

One thing I appreciated was that Gaiman's writing is very approachable and allows the stories to really shine without language or structure getting in the way. It was pointed out that this compilation of myths is structured as though we were sitting around the fire and the author is just telling the tales. The language is beautiful and elegant without being onerous or distracting. The style and format really drew me in and added to my enjoyment.