The Value of Negative Reviews
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/09/26/the-value-of-negative-reviews/
Apropos with tthe recent GoodReads TOS review change announced late last week.
Category: Reviewing
Book Review: Avempartha by Sullivan (3.5 Stars)
Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan
Read in May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Good pacing and good action throughout this second episode of the Riyria Revelations series. A trimmed down cast of characters with a few guest stars rounded out the adventure. I missed Myron, my favorite character from The Crown Conspiracy. The most character development occurred among the guest stars, particularly Thrace and Theron of Dhalgren. Hadrian and Esrahaddon revealed more of themselves. I learned more about Royce, but Arista faded to two dimensions.
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Book Review: The Emerald Storm by Sullivan (2.5 Stars)
The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan
Read in August 2010
Many new characters, bit part cast members, introduced in this episode, and just like their infamous red shirted ST:TOS forebearers, they dropped like flies before the credits rolled. I felt disconnected from most of the characters, with the exception of Modina and Wesley. The plot jerked, jumped and ultimately crumbled. Not even the expected banter between Royce and Hadrian could inspire a smile.
Continue reading “Book Review: The Emerald Storm by Sullivan (2.5 Stars)”
Book Review: Fuzzy Nation by Scalzi (4 Stars)
I read Scalzi’s reboot of Piper‘s Little Fuzzy one right after the other. And I’m hard pressed to tell you which one I liked better. I really loved the addition of a dog to the story. I also appreciated the renewed emphasis on environmental consequences to disrupting and/or destroying ecological systems for the sole purpose of reaping (or ripping or raping … take your pick) natural resources for profit. And John Scalzi just has a flare for funny. I laughed out loud many times. Read both of them. You won’t regret it. Continue reading “Book Review: Fuzzy Nation by Scalzi (4 Stars)”
Book Review: The Warded Man by Brett (4 Stars)
The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
Fantasy Book Club April 2010 Selection
Read from March 31 to April 04, 2010,
I devoured this book, ravenous as a coreling in the night. Excellent world building, great character development, driving plot and riveting action. I’m panting and sweating just thinking about the last desperate battle.
Some of my favorite bits of the world building include a post apocalyptic setting, almost an alternate history of our own reality, where humanity is facing extinction from supernatural elements (demons) holding people hostage with terror as they roam the nights freely; ward magic lost in the mist of time and only rediscovered sparingly and with great difficulty; and, the presence of religious and racial prejudices dividing rather than unifying at the expense humanity’s survival.
About two-thirds finished, I yearned to give a five star rating because I became so invested in the characters I wept for their pain, misadventures, obsessions and short-sightedness. But the characters I loved were abandoned, left behind, or symbolically sacrificed and reborn into even more crazed incarnations.
The healing of mind and soul attempted during the last few chapters stretch my believability nearly to the breaking point and left me wishing that men really could walk in a woman’s shoes (or her body) before assuming we overcome, endure or recover like men. Without spoiling, I can’t convey how soured I became with the author for that one pivotal event.
Notwithstanding the sour taste in my mouth for that plot point, I couldn’t put this book down or turn pages fast enough. I plan to seek out the sequel, The Desert Spear, when I return this book to the library tomorrow.
Book Review: Hero of Ages by Sanderson (4 Stars)
Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Read in November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Strangely, this third and final book of the Mistborn trilogy was more depressing and tragic to me than the middle one, The Well of Ascension. It was also disturbing on a theological front for me.
It’s been a year since Elend and Vin were married and they are still struggling to hold their new empire together. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that nothing they are doing will stop the inevitable – the world is dying, ending, destroying itself. Sazed has lost all faith. Where he used to preach and believe in all religions, he has spent the year studying and dismissing all the religions in his research as false.
Meanwhile, even in the face of Sazed’s crisis of faith, we actually meet and get confirmation of two deities locked in a futile struggle. They are Ruin and Preservation. I long suspected, even back in the first book, that the voices in people’s heads where not internal memories or insanity, but an external force pressuring them emotionally and psychologically into actions that met it’s ends.
The one pleasant surprise was learning the true origins of the kandra.
It was a compelling story and I read it almost non-stop for three days. I was very saddened by the fates of the main characters – nearly all of whom don’t make it to the end credits. Even though we lose so many, there is hope and a resurrection of sorts in the end.
Back to my theological concerns – I could see increasing influence of Mormonism throughout this book. It’s subtle, but the Mormon worldview fits.
In the end, Sazed was raised to godhood, but limited in his knowledge and by the laws of the universe. Even with his metalminds, he was not omniscient.
He was always one of my favorite characters and Feurchemy was the essence of Balance so he was the perfect mediator for the elemental forces of Ruin and Preservation.
Since there are still two Alomantic metals undiscovered and Spook has been left in charge with the blessing of Sazed, I imagine we will have more opportunities to visit the newly rejuvenated world of the Mistborn.
Book Review: A Walk in the Woods by Bryson (3 Stars)
A Walk in the Woods 
by Bill Bryson
Read in August 2013 for the Stranger than Fiction book club sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library
Brief Summary: Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail offers some of America’s most breathtaking scenery. After living for many years in England, Bill Bryson moved back to the United States and decided to reacquaint himself with his country by taking to this uninterrupted “hiker’s highway.” Before long, Bryson and his infamous walking companion, Stephen Katz, are stocking up on insulated long johns, noodles and manuals for avoiding bear attacks as they prepare to set off on a walk that is both amusingly ill-conceived and surprisingly adventurous. John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Peter Jenkins never took a hike like this. A Walk in the Woods showcases Bryson at the height of his comic powers. Meeting up with characters such as Beulah and her fearsome husband, “Bubba T. Flubba,” readers risk snakebite and hantavirus to trudge through swollen rivers, traipse up mountain steps, and develop a new reverence for cream sodas and hot showers. But Bryson also uses his acute powers of observation to conjure a poignant backdrop of silent forests and sparkling lakes, thereby making a gentle but unforgettable plea for the ecological treasures we are in danger of losing. Fresh, illuminating, and uproariously funny, A Walk in the Woods is travel writing at its very best.
Notes from Discussion Group:
Our leader, Richard, began our discussion by noting Bryson’s book made a good summer read and was definitely lighter than last month’s tome on Lewis and Clark’s expedition. His first question asked if any of us had read any other book by Bryson. None of us had, so Richard assured us that many of Bryson’s books are humorous.
His next question asked us if any of us had ever hiked before. Richard had and at least one or two other people had hiked. One reader even brought photos from their hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). We observed that deciding to hike the AT was a major undertaking for an amateur hiker. We were curious if Bryson received a grant or other remuneration as an incentive to hike the trail. The author is quite a prolific write, so it’s not inconceivable. Richard mentioned that after A Walk in the Woods was published, Bryson received some criticism because he did not finish hiking the trail.
How did their treatment of Mary Ellen make you feel?
- Many of us didn’t think they should have left her like they did
- The talkative third wheel
- Could have left her in a more populated area
- She was an adult and knew the risks of hiking alone
We discussed the criticisms of Bryson’s depiction of southerners, specifically mentioning the incident with the Trans Am and 3/4 empty bottle of Wild Turkey. One reader spent much of the hour searching for a paragraph that denigrated Georgia or Georgians, but she never did locate it. I didn’t have an ebook edition so I couldn’t do a search through the text. Bryson also poked (or slammed) Thoreau, which seems harsh coming from an author and a New Englander.
Why did Katz join the hike?
- desperate
- Running from life/debts
Did you like the style, where the author provides non-narrative bits?
- history
- conservation
- research
- roads built by the Forestry Department
I liked the non-narrative bits and noted to the group that this seems to be a ‘trend’ in non-fiction, at least all the non-fiction I’ve been reading and/or listening to for the last year or so.
Bryson wasn’t your typical hiker. He didn’t really appreciate nature. From comments from other hikers in the group, most hikers hike to experience the beauty of nature and wildlife. Bryson, on the other hand, seemed to approach hiking the AT as something to check off a list. Our leader read this section out loud to the group as an example:
Life takes on a neat simplicity, too. Time ceases to have any meaning. When it is dark, you go to bed, and when it is light again you get up, and everything in between is just in between. It’s quite wonderful, really.
You have no engagements, commitments, obligations, or duties; no special ambitions and only the smallest, least complicated of wants; you exist in a tranquil tedium, serenely beyond the reach of exasperation, “far removed from the seats of strife,” as the early explorer and botanist William Bartram put it. All that is required of you is a willingness to trudge.
Somewhat of a conflicted statement. Yet, Bryson and Katz had their ‘Come to Jesus’ moment in Maine when they decided to ‘stop pretending we are mountain men when we are not.’
One of our readers vacationed on the beach and would often laugh out loud while reading. Her friends insisted that she share what was so funny, so she ended up reading nearly the entire book out loud while sunning near the surf.
Did it bother you that they only completed 870 miles (39%) of the AT?
That distance is equivalent to walking from the Country Club Plaza to Buffalo, New York! Still, it bothered me, and my husband, that he didn’t finish the trail.
Would you read more of Bryson’s books?
Our general consensus was yes. Suggested readings included A Short History of the Earth and At Home, a history of the rooms in your house.
Interesting Tidbits for Further Reading or Viewing:
- National Geographic documentation on the Appalachian Trail
- Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC)
- Sibley State Park, MN
- Boundary Waters near Ely, MN
Reader’s Favorite Outtakes:
Our leader’s favorite bit involved the shoe lace incident with the yuppy campers.
Another reader or two got a kick out of the author poking fun at southerners.
My favorite bit was when Katz drug his bulk and baggage upstairs the night before they embarked and Bryson looked at his wife and says ‘Don’t say anything.’
My husband thought the author’s obsession with all that could go wrong on the trail in the first part of the book provided the most laughs.
Personal Observations:
Neither my husband nor I thought this was a great book. Yes, it had it’s moments, but I consider it a weaker non-fiction offering than what we’ve read as a group so far this year. I’m also a bit perturbed in that I prefer to listen to non-fiction, rather than reading it (either printed or via ereader) and the audiobook I checked out from the library happened to be an abridged edition read by the author. I detest abridgments and I’m not overly fond of authors reading their own work. Bryson didn’t do a bad job of narration and could import appropriate dramatic and humorous overtones, but a professional voice actor he is not. I guess that’s less important in the non-fiction world, but diction and elocution are still a plus. My husband did not care for his voice at all, often characterizing it as a bit whiny.
The best parts of the book turned out to be the first and last sections, where both the author and Katz hiked together. The middle section drug on, almost torturing us, like that section of the AT in Pennsylvania. The last part, where Katz went missing, I felt, was very well written. Bryson almost had me convinced that Katz had committed suicide, but thankfully I was proved wrong.
I’m not sure I could recommend this book to other readers. As I’ve said before, non-fiction is not my normal reading experience. I joined this group to broaden my reading horizons. This venture down the AT with Bill Bryson wandered a bit, sometimes stumbled, but did shine occasionally. Hence, my three star rating. It was a good read, but not a great one.
Next Up for Stranger Than Fiction:
About This Life: journeys on the threshold of memory by Barry Lopez
Stranger Than Fiction
Sometimes humorous. Sometimes serious. Always nonfiction.
When: Every Fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Where: Plaza Branch
Contact: Dick Henderson at 816.701.3481
Book Review: Daughter of the Forest by Marillier (3 Stars)
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Read in August 2008
Part of me wanted desperately to give Daughter of the Forest four stars. Perhaps if I hadn’t read six or eight additional books during the time it took me to finish this one.
Sorcha is the seventh child (she has six older brothers) of the household of Seven Waters in Erin. Her mother died bearing her and her father seemingly can’t interact with his daughter because she reminds him of his beloved wife. He throws himself wholeheartedly and ruthless into the defense of Seven Waters.
This is a re-telling of an old Celtic faery tale (the Wild Swans). The ‘evil’ stepmother arrives, seduces and blinds the father and drives a wedge between the siblings. This culminates in an enchantment or curse that transforms the six brothers into swans. Sorcha barely escapes the spell.
To break the spell and save her brothers, she is required to never speak, never to tell her story by any means and to weave and sew six shirts for her brothers out of a spiny weed called starwort.
Sorcha struggles on for years. Since this tale is told in the first person from her point of view, it is easy to identify with her travails. However, even though it seems like if it weren’t for bad luck she would have no luck at all, I grew bored at times with the internal dialogue.
Sorcha has a nearly impossible task to complete that at times requires superhuman strength of will to inch forward. I was deeply moved by her plot and the few individuals who saw her strength and struggled and helped as the could without any understanding of her task.
I guess the biggest disappointment for me was that the second half of the tale seemed to be a thinly veiled romance. I literally saw that coming from miles away and it ended just as nearly all faery tales do, happily ever after.
Book Review: The Help by Stockett (4 Stars)
Read in April 2012
I found this book to be a quick read. I can’t speak to its veracity or historicity, since I was born after most of these events took place and at a significantly northern latitude. I hope Kathryn Stockett portrayed the Help with empathy. I believe she succeeded, for I came away from the book with a better understanding of the plight of African-Americans at the cusp of the Civil Rights movement.
Book Review: Undaunted Courage by Ambrose (4 Stars)
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose
Read in July 2013
Large, thick books do not scare me. If you’ve delved into my blog here at all, you’ll quickly learn that I read constantly and I read epic fantasy for fun. The longer, the better. The more characters and plot lines, even better. With one exception, or wait, two exceptions. I tried but didn’t like G.R.R. Martin‘s Game of Thrones series and Steven Erikson‘s Malazan Book of the Fallen. Not my cup of tea.
So when July rolled around and saddled me with the 521 page Undaunted Courage by Ambrose, I barely batted an eye. I even took a stab at actually reading the print edition our Stranger Than Fiction discussion leader handed out to us last month when we turned in our Unbroken copies. I think I made it a couple of hundred pages before I decided listening to the audiobook would be faster (and less painful on the eyes grammatically). I checked out the audiobook on CD from the Kansas City Public Library. One thick 521 page paperback translates roughly to twenty-one hours and twenty-seven minutes (21 hr 27 mins) of narration. While technically, I could have completed listening to this audiobook in less than one day, practically and physically, I can only handle about two to three hours a day of listening, with long breaks between to give my poor eardrums a rest. The disadvantages to listening include the absence of 1) maps, 2) illustrations and photographs, 3) footnotes, 4) end notes and 5) the bibliography. The greatest advantage to listening to the audiobook was not having to learn how to properly pronounce the names of less commonly known objects, tools and places. Luckily, I had the best of both worlds at my fingertips.
I learned an incredible amount about Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase and the Corps of Discovery Expedition to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean via the Missouri River. Since I grew up within twenty miles of that river, I also grew up with the names “Lewis & Clark” plastered on various road signs and parks. While I had some idea of the adventures of those early trailblazing frontiersmen, Ambrose provided me with an incredible wealth of detail and anecdotal gems to keep me forging ahead. One of my favorite moments involved a nearly indestructible grizzly bear and four members of the Expedition.
I finished listening to the audiobook edition with just 26 hours to spare. After a full day of work in the same building, I arrived just a few minutes past seven o’clock to a nearly full meeting room. A couple of the usual suspects were missing, but I thought nothing of it since it’s summer time and many normal people take vacations. I arrived in the middle of a conversation involving the August 2013 edition of Car & Driver, specifically the review of the 2013 supercharged Land Rover Range Rover, which was tested in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana and specifically mentioned the Lewis & Clark expedition.
Our discussion leader soon roped us back into discussing Undaunted Courage by relating a hand-written note he received from one disgruntled Stranger Than Fiction reader. That person only made it to page 28, where they couldn’t stomach the ‘run on sentences’ and ‘sixteen adjectives for the same word’ or the fact that it appeared the author was being ‘paid by the word’ to write. ‘Life was too short and there are too many good books to waste time with such poor writing.’ I made the comment that long sentences were the norm for early 19th century writing, but apparently Ambrose was being accused of this egregious error. Our leader did confirm that he found a sentence written by Ambrose that surpassed one and a half pages.
We moved on from that dead-end when one of the readers mentioned that they watched all four hours of the Ken Burns’ documentary of Lewis & Clark, which our local PBS station, KCPT, conveniently re-aired in mid-July.
At least one reader struggled with this book, commenting it felt too much like being in a history class. She half-expected to see questions at the end of each chapter.
Our leader began posing questions to spark discussion, one of the first being on our definition of “discovery.” Only to the Western World (aka Europeans) could any of these plants, animals, rivers, mountains, etc. be considered “discoveries.” To the Native Americans, none of it was new or unknown. He also asked or mentioned a scenario wherein Native Americans hopped on a boat and visited Europe, is it still considered a “discovery” because all of that would be new to them?
We also discussed Sacagawea and the plight of Native American women. Are they just footnotes in history? Were most of them little better off than slaves, doing the majority of hard labor for their communities?
And speaking of slaves, how about poor old York? He had a good sense of humor, but was mistreated and not freed upon his return.
With respect to Manifest Destiny, the Corp of Discovery Expedition was just the first phase (and the origin of the phrase). There was a religious aspect – God deemed Europeans should have the North American Continent from short to shore. Our leader asked us if this was similar to eminent domain today? Or was it just theft?
We discussed Jefferson, and by extension, Lewis’ policy towards the Native Americans. Their vision of an American Trade empire and the integration of the Native Americans proved an impossible mountain to scale. The ‘civilizing’ of the Indian Nations by forcing them to become peaceful among themselves and then ultimately wholly dependent upon America was either naiveté or hubris or both. With the exception of the Mandans and the Nez Perce, the Expeditions’ interactions with the Indian Nations were strained at best and left a legacy of lies and distrust that resulted in even worse relations for generations to come.
Does man ever progress without harm?
At this point, our leader recommended another book by Ambrose entitled Nothing Like It In The World about the transcontinental railroad.
On a lighter note, one of the readers related that her favorite story from Undaunted Courage involved the collapsible boat. Recently, some archeologists believe they have found it near Great Falls, Montana.
I related that my favorite story involved the grizzly bear that refused to die and jumped after two of the Expedition’s men from a twenty-foot high bluff into the Missouri after being shot eight times.
We returned to the more depressing tale of Lewis’ death. Our leader asked us if we believed it was murder? We all agreed it was not murder, unless you consider suicide self-murder. Some contributing factors could have included the amount of mercury consumed by Lewis (and the rest of the Expedition). One of the readers noted that archeologists today have no trouble tracing the Lewis and Clark expedition because of the incredible amounts of mercury still present at their campsites. Other contributing factors includes Lewis’ alcoholism, use of opiates, lead poisoning (from being shot), he could have been bipolar and/or recurrence of malaria.
Suggested field trips included the Lewis & Clark museum in Nebraska City and Ft. Osage in Missouri.
After some more tangential and heated discussions on right and wrong, good and evil, our leader brought us back down to Earth and distributed next month’s book of a much lighter fair: A Walk in the Woods by Billy Bryson
Looks like next month I may get to encounter bears … again.