The indubitably creative, the slightly offbeat, the unbearably quirky, the altruistically strange, and the slightly endearing. Although many may prefer the tales where everything makes sense, the stories off the beaten path are sometimes the best. This month, the quirky tales took center stage. It began with Looking for Alaska by John Green and ended with some Neil Gaiman. Alas, I googled "quirky novels" and found some wonderful stories to read in between which filled out the month perfectly.
Whilst reading a novel, one of the things I most appreciate is an author's ability to take the ordinary, mundane, or regular and turn it into a story worth reading. I love vocabulary and an author's effective use of it within the tale. John Green is one of those authors. I love fell in with his writing style with The Fault in Our Stars and was quite excited to read his other works. Looking for Alaska had gotten such high praise, I was looking forward to reading it. However, I found it sub par to The Fault in Our Stars for a few reasons. It was more teen angst ridden and the characters were not all that likable. The main characters, in particular Alaska, was actually quite annoying. And SPOILER ALERT, I was quite glad when she died. However, I still enjoyed his writing style but the story he told just wasn't as enjoyable as his other book. I guess I would say read the book but for me, it just was not quite as good as I had hoped.
However, Warm Bodies by Issac Marion, most recently turned into a movie, and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender were certainly worth a read. Warm Bodies was clever, creative, and quite amusing. I loved being inside R's zombie mind and hearing what he was thinking and what he actually was able to express. It's a brilliant novel and a brilliant take on the recent influx of zombie tales. It still has zombie killings and fights but the fact that the lead character is a zombie who slowly moves toward being human again is a fantastic story and definitely worth the read. I'm excited to see the movie now.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was certainly a quirky novel but also very clever. The main character, Rose, when she is 9 years old discovers she can taste people's emotions in the food she eats, beginning with her mother's lemon cake. As she gets older, she learns what food she can eat without tasting too much emotion. As she grows up, she watches as her parents grow apart and her brother descends into a rather solitary place. The novel was really good. I appreciated the creativity to the story but also how rooted in reality the story stayed except for what happened to her brother. Even though I read through that part several times, I was just confused. So if you read the book, I'd be curious to know what your conclusion is. SPOILER . . . .(I think he turns into a chair . . )
Lastly, American Gods by Neil Gaiman was also quite interesting. I thought the idea of ancient gods walking amongst us is a premise to be explored. It was a good read and I enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing. A bit of language and sexual content so be prepared. But I like the idea of taking a regular human, throwing in some ancient gods who haven't gotten a lot of worship in recent years, setting the story in America and letting Neil Gaiman write the rest. In some ways, although it's probably an awful comparison and Neil Gaiman probably wouldn't appreciate it but it's sort of like Percy Jackson for adults . . sort of . . .But give it a read. It is good.
As one might expect, I like authors who do not follow the normal pattern of reality and allow the impossible to happen within a possible world. Creative words, interesting syntax, and quirky spins on age old stories are truly some of my favorite types of imaginatorium. The books of this month all had a sense of quirkiness to them which I thoroughly enjoyed. There are a lot more books as well that fall into this category. Do a Google search and see what you find. There's a lot of authors that may not have made the best seller lists but are excellent reads.
Next month: Life of Pi is the inspiration . . . stay tuned for what books follow.
Looking for Alaska- John Green
Warm Bodies- Issac Marion
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake- Aimee Bender
Still Life of a Woodpecker- Tom Robbins
American Gods- Neil Gaiman
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
And the Moutains Echoed Imaginatorium
Small town girl, fairly affluent, educated, not much trauma has ever existed within the confines of my world. But I am very aware the lives of some spin constantly in turmoil and destruction and oftentimes, we are unaware of their plights. I know very little beyond the stories the news reports of the lives of people in war torn countries. So this month, with the book And the Mountains Echoed by Khlaed Hossani, being the inspiration, I sought out other books set in the Middle East or in a war torn country in Africa.
As And Mountains Echoed was a work of fiction, the other two works were biographies. My favorite, was And Mountains Echoed. Although I enjoyed Kite Runner, his debut novel, I think I enjoyed this one even better. And Mountains Echoed was a sweeping novel over the course of three generations and several different countries. It begins in Afghanistan with a father, his daughter and son as the father brings his young daughter to another couple. As that family is torn apart, the novel continues following the different family members, their extended family, and those who have an influence in their lives. The ending is rather bittersweet ever though I was hoping for the happy ending. The prose is wonderful and engaging. At times, following the characters was a bit tough but it is still such a wonderful book. I was engaged to the end and really enjoyed the book. Definitely worth a read. It begins in a world of fairy tales but situates itself in our world and is simply captivating. I loved it!
What is the What by Dave Eggers was my second choice of a novel. It is a fictional biography based on the life of a Lost Boy in Sudan who was rescued and brought to the United States. It is only called fiction because his memories cannot be absolute at such a young age. I had heard of the plight of those in Sudan but had not known much about it. I enjoyed the book to a point. I thought it was an interesting way of how he began the book with telling of the night he was robbed while living in the United States and then he began to tell his story to the boy who was posted by his robbers as his guard. However, I felt like there was too much jumping around and it didn't go in a logical order which normally I don't mind but for some reason, I just wasn't a fan of how it was written despite it being an interesting tale.
The last book I read was My Prison, My Home by Haleh Esfandiari. It tells her story of going back to Iran on holiday to visit her mother and finding herself taken by the Iranian Secret Police, interrogated and eventually put into prison under the suspicion of plotting something against Iran. I found her story vastly fascinating and captivating. It was amazing to read of how the Secret Police operated, how they tried to find some act of treason where there was no treason to be found. It was well written and very interesting. I appreciated how much background she put into the book as I did not know much about Iran. Oftentimes, I think I had just considered Iran and Iraq to be very similar in their political outlook as well as relationship with the United States but that had not always been the case. It's a hard read to get through when learning about her struggle and the emotions she dealt with but it is so worth a read.
Hearing other people's stories has always intrigued me and reading stories of people in other countries whose lives and experiences are very different than my own is wonderful in expanded my own world view. These three works I read this month, allowed me to experience life in the Middle East and Africa in a way I hadn't previous. Two of them were excellent and definitely recommended.
So novels of hardship and war, time for something a bit lighter hopefully. I'm thinking quirky novels. Perhaps some John Green . . .
And Mountains Echoed- Khlaed Hossani
What is the What- Dave Eggers
My Prison, My Home - Haleh Esfandiari
As And Mountains Echoed was a work of fiction, the other two works were biographies. My favorite, was And Mountains Echoed. Although I enjoyed Kite Runner, his debut novel, I think I enjoyed this one even better. And Mountains Echoed was a sweeping novel over the course of three generations and several different countries. It begins in Afghanistan with a father, his daughter and son as the father brings his young daughter to another couple. As that family is torn apart, the novel continues following the different family members, their extended family, and those who have an influence in their lives. The ending is rather bittersweet ever though I was hoping for the happy ending. The prose is wonderful and engaging. At times, following the characters was a bit tough but it is still such a wonderful book. I was engaged to the end and really enjoyed the book. Definitely worth a read. It begins in a world of fairy tales but situates itself in our world and is simply captivating. I loved it!
What is the What by Dave Eggers was my second choice of a novel. It is a fictional biography based on the life of a Lost Boy in Sudan who was rescued and brought to the United States. It is only called fiction because his memories cannot be absolute at such a young age. I had heard of the plight of those in Sudan but had not known much about it. I enjoyed the book to a point. I thought it was an interesting way of how he began the book with telling of the night he was robbed while living in the United States and then he began to tell his story to the boy who was posted by his robbers as his guard. However, I felt like there was too much jumping around and it didn't go in a logical order which normally I don't mind but for some reason, I just wasn't a fan of how it was written despite it being an interesting tale.
The last book I read was My Prison, My Home by Haleh Esfandiari. It tells her story of going back to Iran on holiday to visit her mother and finding herself taken by the Iranian Secret Police, interrogated and eventually put into prison under the suspicion of plotting something against Iran. I found her story vastly fascinating and captivating. It was amazing to read of how the Secret Police operated, how they tried to find some act of treason where there was no treason to be found. It was well written and very interesting. I appreciated how much background she put into the book as I did not know much about Iran. Oftentimes, I think I had just considered Iran and Iraq to be very similar in their political outlook as well as relationship with the United States but that had not always been the case. It's a hard read to get through when learning about her struggle and the emotions she dealt with but it is so worth a read.
Hearing other people's stories has always intrigued me and reading stories of people in other countries whose lives and experiences are very different than my own is wonderful in expanded my own world view. These three works I read this month, allowed me to experience life in the Middle East and Africa in a way I hadn't previous. Two of them were excellent and definitely recommended.
So novels of hardship and war, time for something a bit lighter hopefully. I'm thinking quirky novels. Perhaps some John Green . . .
And Mountains Echoed- Khlaed Hossani
What is the What- Dave Eggers
My Prison, My Home - Haleh Esfandiari
Saturday, July 20, 2013
It's been a while imaginatorium
I shall admit it's been quite a while since the last bout of imaginatorium. With an onslaught of busyness, my time for reading and posting seemed to slip away. But the month of July has allowed for a renewed fervor for books. But while I was missing from posting and from my normal amount of novel consumption, I did happen to read a few noteworthy works.
Although I attempted to read some of the books that had been on the New York Times Bestseller's List within the last year or so, I only ended up reading two of them. One was excellent and I very much so recommend it. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern was one of the most tantalizing books I've read in a while. There was just magic and mystery that surrounded the book. It was wonderfully creative and her characters were fabulous. The story follows two dueling magicians who do not know that they are in a duel with one another. Their competition takes place in and around a Night Circus, a circus, that as the name suggests, only opens at night and sweeps into the town without much warning. Brilliantly written, the imagery of the night circus itself is just magical. It definitely became one of my favorite books and I can't wait to read it again.
I also read the Curious Case of the Dog in Nighttime by Mark Haddon. It follows an autistic boy who comes across his neighbor's dead dog and decides he is going to discover who killed the dog. Because he's autistic and doesn't know how to tell lies everything is written very factually from his point of view. At first, the book was quite interesting in the style of writing and how true to form the character was written. However, about half way through, I just kind of felt like I was done reading it. It got to a point where the pedanticness of the novel got a bit tedious. But I appreciated the book all the same.
Within the time of not much reading, I did read a few inspirational books which were excellent and challenging. The first was The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, Crazy Love by Francis Chan and The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. It was nice to take a break from straight fiction and read more autobiographical and academic works. All three, I definitely recommend as well.
As the month of July has already allowed for more of a break and for the opportunity to dive into some books, I promise the posts will become more regular. The theme of this month is books set either during war or at least in foreign countries who have in recent years been war torn.
The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon
The Circle Maker- Mark Batterson
Crazy Love- Francis Chan
The Insanity of God- Nik Ripken
Although I attempted to read some of the books that had been on the New York Times Bestseller's List within the last year or so, I only ended up reading two of them. One was excellent and I very much so recommend it. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern was one of the most tantalizing books I've read in a while. There was just magic and mystery that surrounded the book. It was wonderfully creative and her characters were fabulous. The story follows two dueling magicians who do not know that they are in a duel with one another. Their competition takes place in and around a Night Circus, a circus, that as the name suggests, only opens at night and sweeps into the town without much warning. Brilliantly written, the imagery of the night circus itself is just magical. It definitely became one of my favorite books and I can't wait to read it again.
I also read the Curious Case of the Dog in Nighttime by Mark Haddon. It follows an autistic boy who comes across his neighbor's dead dog and decides he is going to discover who killed the dog. Because he's autistic and doesn't know how to tell lies everything is written very factually from his point of view. At first, the book was quite interesting in the style of writing and how true to form the character was written. However, about half way through, I just kind of felt like I was done reading it. It got to a point where the pedanticness of the novel got a bit tedious. But I appreciated the book all the same.
Within the time of not much reading, I did read a few inspirational books which were excellent and challenging. The first was The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, Crazy Love by Francis Chan and The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. It was nice to take a break from straight fiction and read more autobiographical and academic works. All three, I definitely recommend as well.
As the month of July has already allowed for more of a break and for the opportunity to dive into some books, I promise the posts will become more regular. The theme of this month is books set either during war or at least in foreign countries who have in recent years been war torn.
The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon
The Circle Maker- Mark Batterson
Crazy Love- Francis Chan
The Insanity of God- Nik Ripken
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Winter imaginatorium
To quote Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd; "Times is hard, Times is hard". Granted she had the worst pie shop in London so I can understand her sentiments. Yet often times, making it through the winter months can be excruciatingly painful. There's cold, there's wet, and there's darkness. I love my boots and my coats but oftentimes, curling up with a book and doing nothing is precisely what cures the winter blues. Getting enough motivation to blog about them is an entirely different story. So since we're quickly approaching May and the onset of Spring, it is thus time to close out those winter months, not dragging it out any longer but quickly saying the best and the worst of my choices.
February was Young Adult fiction which I believe is pertinent and should be read no matter what age you are. All were decent choices, the best were Dodger by Terry Pratchett and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I love all things British and I love Charles Dickens' character of Dodger. What was brilliant about the book was Charles Dickens was a character and someone who took Dodger under his wings. It's a good read and an interesting one as Pratchett revisits and reconfigures the character of Dodger quite artfully.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was unique and combined story and still photographs, photographs which, at the outset, look a little to good to be true but within the realm of the story, they worked perfectly. Super creative and the photographs added an eerie yet interesting twist to the story.
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick is the finale to the Hush, Hush series that I ranted over the atrociousness of about a year ago. It was still bad, still really bad but the redeeming factor was that she killed characters and she made her battle scenes legit so for that, I give her props. If you're looking for a companion to Twilight that's not Twilight, give it a read but if you're not, just stay far away.
For March, I decided to size up my stack of books and see what I found. What I found was a lot of Orson Scott Card material I had yet to read. All were very interesting and it was interesting to see how Card's view of the world, religion, and politics are put into all of them, although Treasure Box was the least political of the four I read. Xenocide is the third book in the Ender series and I enjoyed it heaps better than Speaker for the Dead. It was interesting and it kept my attention the whole time.
Treasure Box I also enjoyed because it wasn't just straight up sci-fi but grounded in our world with the characters fighting the spiritual forces of evil. It was intriguing his take on the spiritual battle and the way the spiritual realm worked.
Memory of Earth and Pastwatch were both good but towards the end of both of them, my attention was waning a bit. The conclusion drawn about Christopher Columbus in Pastwatch is a bit of a leap and I don't think I really agree but I can see how he drew his thesis to come up with the idea. I won't spoil his hypothesis just in case you do read it. But on a whole, I do like Orson Scott Card's novels and writing style. I have a few more on my shelf still but they will have to wait.
The winter was long. There was lots of reading but not a lot of motivation to do other things. But alas, the sun is beginning to shine and there is hope for warmth and more imaginatorium of the creative side. With the month of April, I've chosen to read some best sellers but stay tuned for my choices! I promise it won't be another two months!
Happy Reading Imaginatorium!
February was Young Adult fiction which I believe is pertinent and should be read no matter what age you are. All were decent choices, the best were Dodger by Terry Pratchett and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I love all things British and I love Charles Dickens' character of Dodger. What was brilliant about the book was Charles Dickens was a character and someone who took Dodger under his wings. It's a good read and an interesting one as Pratchett revisits and reconfigures the character of Dodger quite artfully.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was unique and combined story and still photographs, photographs which, at the outset, look a little to good to be true but within the realm of the story, they worked perfectly. Super creative and the photographs added an eerie yet interesting twist to the story.
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick is the finale to the Hush, Hush series that I ranted over the atrociousness of about a year ago. It was still bad, still really bad but the redeeming factor was that she killed characters and she made her battle scenes legit so for that, I give her props. If you're looking for a companion to Twilight that's not Twilight, give it a read but if you're not, just stay far away.
For March, I decided to size up my stack of books and see what I found. What I found was a lot of Orson Scott Card material I had yet to read. All were very interesting and it was interesting to see how Card's view of the world, religion, and politics are put into all of them, although Treasure Box was the least political of the four I read. Xenocide is the third book in the Ender series and I enjoyed it heaps better than Speaker for the Dead. It was interesting and it kept my attention the whole time.
Treasure Box I also enjoyed because it wasn't just straight up sci-fi but grounded in our world with the characters fighting the spiritual forces of evil. It was intriguing his take on the spiritual battle and the way the spiritual realm worked.
Memory of Earth and Pastwatch were both good but towards the end of both of them, my attention was waning a bit. The conclusion drawn about Christopher Columbus in Pastwatch is a bit of a leap and I don't think I really agree but I can see how he drew his thesis to come up with the idea. I won't spoil his hypothesis just in case you do read it. But on a whole, I do like Orson Scott Card's novels and writing style. I have a few more on my shelf still but they will have to wait.
The winter was long. There was lots of reading but not a lot of motivation to do other things. But alas, the sun is beginning to shine and there is hope for warmth and more imaginatorium of the creative side. With the month of April, I've chosen to read some best sellers but stay tuned for my choices! I promise it won't be another two months!
Happy Reading Imaginatorium!
Finale- Becca Fitzpatrick
The Orphan King- Sigmund Brouwer
Dodger- Terry Pratchett
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom
Riggs
Daughters- Joanne Philbin
Xenocide – Orson Scott Card
The Memory of Earth – Orson Scott Card
Pastwatch- The Redemption of Christopher Columbus – Orson
Scott Card
Treasure Box – Orson Scott Card
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
While I've been waiting Imaginatorium
It could be argued we wait a lot in life. The waiting comes in a variety of forms from silly things like waiting for a red light to change, waiting for the sun to rise, or waiting for a TV show to start. Other times, the waiting has much weightier consequences like waiting for a job, a school, or maybe a future with someone. Regardless, I argue we wait around a lot. Sometimes, as inconsequential as it may seem, we make seemingly inanimate objects wait for our attention as well.
Whilst reading various novels from various different authors, I also fell in love with used bookstores and frequented bookstores in general. What I found growing was a stack of over thirty books haunting my nightstand. With a new year, I decided many of those books had waited long enough. Inside each of the six books I swept the dust off of were unique stories, perspectives, and a fair amount of waiting the people who lived inside the world of the book endured as well. But instead of going into grave detail about each one, a snapshot view and a small blurb are what is called upon this time.
My favorite by far was The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho. Brilliantly written, it contained a wealth of truth about humanity, how we operate in society and whether we are inherently good or evil. "The Devil" goes into a small town and offers a simple conundrum. He has gold and if the townspeople decide by the end of the week to offer a victim to be murdered, they will have that gold. Based on the outcome, the man will know whether people are good or evil. I dare not ruin the conclusion. All I will say is it really is an exquisite book.
The Illusion by Frank Peretti was also at the top of my list this month. Growing up, I loved his novels and this one continues that love. The difference between the back flap of the book and what's actually contained within the story is what made the story so good. I love the fact Peretti works more sci-fi/fantasy elements into the story but still keeps it grounded in our world and with our elements. It's a really good read.
Another treasure I found almost a year and a half ago was A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian. Think Bride and Prejudice, East meets Western ideals. I feel it's a rare gift for an author to make me strongly dislike every single one of her main characters at some point. I was never quite sure who I was to be rooting for at various times. But she's a good writer and it's an interesting look into the culture of India, the United States and arranged marriages.
Four people come up to a rooftop to commit suicide on New Years Eve. Somehow the solidarity of a common purpose draws the four of them into an unbreakable bond to which none of them actually go through with the intended suicide that night. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby truly was an imaginatorium I wasn't expecting. With a premise like that, it's hard not to assume the depressing but instead it becomes a novel filled with humor, with real human emotion, and also a look as to how important community is and how it's the simple things which keep each of us wanting to live. A bit of language but it's an interestingly quirky and good book.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and Pompeii by Robert Harris were the last two books I read to finish out the month. Angela's Ashes takes a look at the early childhood of Frank McCourt beginning in the United States and then as his family moves to Ireland. He has a great writing style, no punctuation for quotes which is interesting. Not my favorite book ever but definitely worth a read.
Pompeii, on the other hand, not so much. Having been there, I was hoping for so much more. It was definitely event driven with not enough character development for me. Much too scientific. I also felt like he didn't know the society well enough in writing the book. We know what happened to Pompeii as far as the science and history are concerned, now let's imagine the people who lived there and their stories but I did not feel he did a good job with that and was a bit disappointed.
To keep some books waiting is a crime, some other books deserve a world of waiting. So my encouragement this month is to pick up that book you've been meaning to read forever. Give it a go and see what you've been missing. If nothing else, read one of the books I read this month, at least the good ones and see what sort of treasure you can find hidden.
Next month: Young adult fiction. There are some really good authors who are writing young adult fiction and I'm not talking about Stephenie Meyer either. So I'm excited to see what I'm going to discover and read for this month.
Whilst reading various novels from various different authors, I also fell in love with used bookstores and frequented bookstores in general. What I found growing was a stack of over thirty books haunting my nightstand. With a new year, I decided many of those books had waited long enough. Inside each of the six books I swept the dust off of were unique stories, perspectives, and a fair amount of waiting the people who lived inside the world of the book endured as well. But instead of going into grave detail about each one, a snapshot view and a small blurb are what is called upon this time.
My favorite by far was The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho. Brilliantly written, it contained a wealth of truth about humanity, how we operate in society and whether we are inherently good or evil. "The Devil" goes into a small town and offers a simple conundrum. He has gold and if the townspeople decide by the end of the week to offer a victim to be murdered, they will have that gold. Based on the outcome, the man will know whether people are good or evil. I dare not ruin the conclusion. All I will say is it really is an exquisite book.
The Illusion by Frank Peretti was also at the top of my list this month. Growing up, I loved his novels and this one continues that love. The difference between the back flap of the book and what's actually contained within the story is what made the story so good. I love the fact Peretti works more sci-fi/fantasy elements into the story but still keeps it grounded in our world and with our elements. It's a really good read.
Another treasure I found almost a year and a half ago was A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian. Think Bride and Prejudice, East meets Western ideals. I feel it's a rare gift for an author to make me strongly dislike every single one of her main characters at some point. I was never quite sure who I was to be rooting for at various times. But she's a good writer and it's an interesting look into the culture of India, the United States and arranged marriages.
Four people come up to a rooftop to commit suicide on New Years Eve. Somehow the solidarity of a common purpose draws the four of them into an unbreakable bond to which none of them actually go through with the intended suicide that night. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby truly was an imaginatorium I wasn't expecting. With a premise like that, it's hard not to assume the depressing but instead it becomes a novel filled with humor, with real human emotion, and also a look as to how important community is and how it's the simple things which keep each of us wanting to live. A bit of language but it's an interestingly quirky and good book.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and Pompeii by Robert Harris were the last two books I read to finish out the month. Angela's Ashes takes a look at the early childhood of Frank McCourt beginning in the United States and then as his family moves to Ireland. He has a great writing style, no punctuation for quotes which is interesting. Not my favorite book ever but definitely worth a read. Pompeii, on the other hand, not so much. Having been there, I was hoping for so much more. It was definitely event driven with not enough character development for me. Much too scientific. I also felt like he didn't know the society well enough in writing the book. We know what happened to Pompeii as far as the science and history are concerned, now let's imagine the people who lived there and their stories but I did not feel he did a good job with that and was a bit disappointed.
To keep some books waiting is a crime, some other books deserve a world of waiting. So my encouragement this month is to pick up that book you've been meaning to read forever. Give it a go and see what you've been missing. If nothing else, read one of the books I read this month, at least the good ones and see what sort of treasure you can find hidden.
Next month: Young adult fiction. There are some really good authors who are writing young adult fiction and I'm not talking about Stephenie Meyer either. So I'm excited to see what I'm going to discover and read for this month.
The Devil and Miss Prym – Paulo Coelho
Illusion- Frank Peretti
A Good Indian Wife – Anne Cherian
A Long Way Down- Nick Hornby
Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
Pompeii – Robert Harris
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The road goes ever on imaginatorium
It may be 2013 already but not all of 2012's reads have been shared. Below are my December reads.
It would appear like our society really enjoys sequels. If we love the characters, the story, and the writing enough, we don't want the final page of the novel or the final credits of the movie to be the end. We want to join our new found friends on new adventures with new problems. We want them to overcome new obstacles and find success in new opportunities. Of course, all of these are only productive if the story truly doesn't end. Hamlet 2 or even a sequel to Phantom of the Opera doesn't really make sense in my mind. The story is over, people are dead, or at the very least an unbreakable resolution has been reached.
But there are those stories that most certainly need to continue. There are imaginatoriums which encompass so much and call out for a greater deal of storytelling. There are also those tales which could have a perfectly fine ending with one telling but the imaginatorium is such that the author cannot stop because the characters and the world itself has more stories to be unearthed.
After all the books I read over the course of the year, there were a few series I began which had sequels. I'm not one who must read the sequel right after. My patience in waiting to find out the next part of the story has been perfected over the years. However, after awhile, whether it be just the need to power through the rest of the series or because I do actually want to know what happens next, I do get a little antsy to read on. I went through my lists of everything read and found some of the sequels I was anxious to read which is what December was. I finally finished the Hunger Games series and the Percy Jackson series. Wither, which I had read in January, had a sequel which I read. There was another Inspector Lynley mystery as well. Then continuing from last month, I picked up the fourth book in the Dark Tower series.
After reading the first Hunger Games in January, followed by the second one in July, I figured one book every six months would be sufficient so I finally picked up the third one. Again, it was one of those books that kept building and building, and then suddenly we were at a resolution. The ending may have made sense within the world of the book but, without giving away any spoilers, I felt like she tried to take on too much story, got tired of what she was writing, and quickly found her resolution so she could be done. It's certainly the most violent of the three books. I also felt like it was still too much of a cop out ending of the Jane Austen variety. Yet, I'm thankful I finished the series and I did enjoy it. The last one was different enough and made for a good read. In regards to violent all out wars, the final Percy Jackson book is one giant battle of awesomeness! That series came to an awesome conclusion but also left room for the other series that Rick Riordan wrote. What I appreciated about the end of the Percy Jackson series was that he tied up all the loose ends, brought together his overarching themes but took his time to do it within the realm of a young adult novel. It was satisfying and a fun read.
But there are those stories that most certainly need to continue. There are imaginatoriums which encompass so much and call out for a greater deal of storytelling. There are also those tales which could have a perfectly fine ending with one telling but the imaginatorium is such that the author cannot stop because the characters and the world itself has more stories to be unearthed.
After all the books I read over the course of the year, there were a few series I began which had sequels. I'm not one who must read the sequel right after. My patience in waiting to find out the next part of the story has been perfected over the years. However, after awhile, whether it be just the need to power through the rest of the series or because I do actually want to know what happens next, I do get a little antsy to read on. I went through my lists of everything read and found some of the sequels I was anxious to read which is what December was. I finally finished the Hunger Games series and the Percy Jackson series. Wither, which I had read in January, had a sequel which I read. There was another Inspector Lynley mystery as well. Then continuing from last month, I picked up the fourth book in the Dark Tower series.
After reading the first Hunger Games in January, followed by the second one in July, I figured one book every six months would be sufficient so I finally picked up the third one. Again, it was one of those books that kept building and building, and then suddenly we were at a resolution. The ending may have made sense within the world of the book but, without giving away any spoilers, I felt like she tried to take on too much story, got tired of what she was writing, and quickly found her resolution so she could be done. It's certainly the most violent of the three books. I also felt like it was still too much of a cop out ending of the Jane Austen variety. Yet, I'm thankful I finished the series and I did enjoy it. The last one was different enough and made for a good read. In regards to violent all out wars, the final Percy Jackson book is one giant battle of awesomeness! That series came to an awesome conclusion but also left room for the other series that Rick Riordan wrote. What I appreciated about the end of the Percy Jackson series was that he tied up all the loose ends, brought together his overarching themes but took his time to do it within the realm of a young adult novel. It was satisfying and a fun read.
The other series I continued with was the Inspector Lynley series. Thank goodness that the second installment, Payment in Blood, was not as dark and twisty as the first one. I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading any of Elizabeth George's novels if they were all as dark as the first but the second one still has it's dark bits because she deals with people and real people it seems like. The mystery is a central part of the story but her stories are much more character driven which I really like.
Also, I powered on with more Stephen King with the Wizard and the Glass which was good but basically the whole book was the back story of Roland. I understand the purpose of the back story but there wasn't a lot of moving the plot forward in the fourth book. Hopefully the fifth one will move along and get the current characters further along in their journey.
Lastly, Fever, which was the sequel to Wither, was good until the end where I just got frustrated as to what she did with her characters. I'm all for trying to overcome obstacles and creating new conflicts but I had really hoped for a better ending. Granted, there will be a third one so I suppose she had to bring Rhine back into a place of vulnerability to keep the story going but I still do not like where she placed the characters again.
It's been a year of books. There have been some really good one and some ones where I've questioned the sanity of the publishers and the authors for that matter. But sometimes, imaginatorium and good imaginatorium is all subjective. If you've walked through these blogs, I hope something has peaked your interest and intrigued you in such a way to discover the magic that lies within the pages of books. . .
So my New Year's Resolution: To be better at posting sooner and to make exciting posts as well. The reading will continue and perhaps there will be a bit of a different format as the new year comes about. Stay tuned!
Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins
The Last Olympian- Rick Riordan
Fever- Lauren Destefano
Payment in Blood- Elizabeth George
The Wizard and the Glass Sunday, December 23, 2012
Follow the Dark Tower imaginatorium
It takes a certain amount
of imaginatorium to create a world that is not our own within our own minds.
It takes a greater amount of imaginatorium to situate readers into the
world, to make it believable, to make it alive, and to make it be a place
that we might want to reside. To praise Tolkien for Middle Earth may be
beating a dead horse to an even greater death but the brilliancy and history
that lies within the pages of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and all the
companions to the stories suggest that Tolkien is a master of imaginatorium.
But being a master and in control of the fate of a world brings with it
great responsibility. It requires a thorough telling, finding stories within
the world to keep people interested and to know enough about the world
to find new imaginatorium to share.
With all that being said, it's a rarity that I attempt to read an entire series in succession with no breaks in between to read other things. The Lord of the Rings may be one of the few series I have done that with and there were only three books to read. But the month of November led me to the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. My goal was to read through all seven books within the month. However, business overtook me and I only made it through three of them but even then, I could feel an overwhelming sense of needing to pull myself out of the series just for a time to take a breath.
Now let me address the reference to Tolkien before I go much further. In the new forward written by Stephen King, he gives credit to Tolkien as an inspiration for him to write his own epic story of fantasy and as far as I'm concerned, what he set out to do, he accomplished. The Dark Tower series follows Roland, the Gunslinger, the last of his kind on an epic journey to the Dark Tower. Although he is unsure of what he will find or really what lies for him in the Dark Tower, that is his quest to journey across the Mid World to the Tower. Along the way, he comes across companions, Jake, Eddie, and Susannah, who slowly make Roland's quest a quest of their own.
Although I only got through the first three books, I will continue the rest of the series because I did enjoy it. The first book, The Gunslinger, follows Roland as he's chasing after "the Man in Black" while searching for the Dark Tower. The books brings about more questions than answers as Roland's past and his upbringing are addressed but yet not fully stated. As he journeys, Roland meets a young boy named Jake who becomes his companion before he is sacrificed along the journey. In the end, Roland meets with the Man in Black who essentially warns him of his future and what lies ahead. Book Two, The Drawing of the Three, introduces Eddie and Detta/Odetta to Roland, two people from our world who are mysteriously and magically drawn into Roland's world and come alongside him in the journey. The third,The Wasteland, is the continuing journey of the three to the Dark Tower as they draw closer and also regain a companion, Jake. How he fits back into the story is unique and clever and a spoiler I won't delve into it. The third book ends with a cliff hanger and I'm look forward to seeing where the series leads.
As a fan of fantasy, I appreciate authors who have created their own worlds and histories within that world. What was interesting about this series was the mixture of modern Earthly things and the fantasy aspect. Books, songs, and references from our world have seeped into Mid World, besides just the people who join Roland. King adds modern technology like trains, planes and robots to a world that appears more Old West than anything else. Stories from our world come alive and twist in Roland's world which allows for an interesting cross cultural, cross world meeting point. The three companions enter Roland's world from New York City at three different times in history, each having some kind of connection to each other in various ways.
King does an excellent job of making the books multi-layered, throwing in obstacles for the characters, and creating his own world in which these characters operate. I won't go into much more detail as to not give up valuable plot points. But the series is definitely worth a read. The first book I definitely found the least dense and also the most flowery. King, in the forward, even explains the pretend pretentiousness that he had when he began the series. The second book, although begins in Roland's world, spends more time in our world as we meet Eddie and Odetta/Detta for the first time and then the third goes back to spending most of the time in Roland's world but bumping into Jake's at the same time. The books do get increasingly more intricate as the characters intermingle and the world of Roland the Gunslinger opens up. For what it's worth, the first and third were great, the second one wasn't my most favorite although it's essential for the series and the plot.
My introduction to Stephen King has only been through a few of his "lighter" horror novels so I was excited to read something that was more fantasy than horror. It is a different kind of series for Stephen King and certainly a great amount of imaginatorium emanates from it as well. It's is a series I would recommend. There is a bit of language for forewarning but the world is well worth a trip. I believe I've had more conversations with various people when I was reading them then I have had with many other books and conversations that others have started with me because they've enjoyed the series themselves. Give them a read and join Roland the Gunslinger and his quest for the Dark Tower.
Next Month: Sequels. Mostly due to the fact that I want to continue with the Dark Tower series, there are several books I've read over the course of the year which are merely the first in the series. I believe it's time to dive back into some of the best imaginatorium series of the past year.
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Wasteland
With all that being said, it's a rarity that I attempt to read an entire series in succession with no breaks in between to read other things. The Lord of the Rings may be one of the few series I have done that with and there were only three books to read. But the month of November led me to the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. My goal was to read through all seven books within the month. However, business overtook me and I only made it through three of them but even then, I could feel an overwhelming sense of needing to pull myself out of the series just for a time to take a breath.
Now let me address the reference to Tolkien before I go much further. In the new forward written by Stephen King, he gives credit to Tolkien as an inspiration for him to write his own epic story of fantasy and as far as I'm concerned, what he set out to do, he accomplished. The Dark Tower series follows Roland, the Gunslinger, the last of his kind on an epic journey to the Dark Tower. Although he is unsure of what he will find or really what lies for him in the Dark Tower, that is his quest to journey across the Mid World to the Tower. Along the way, he comes across companions, Jake, Eddie, and Susannah, who slowly make Roland's quest a quest of their own.
Although I only got through the first three books, I will continue the rest of the series because I did enjoy it. The first book, The Gunslinger, follows Roland as he's chasing after "the Man in Black" while searching for the Dark Tower. The books brings about more questions than answers as Roland's past and his upbringing are addressed but yet not fully stated. As he journeys, Roland meets a young boy named Jake who becomes his companion before he is sacrificed along the journey. In the end, Roland meets with the Man in Black who essentially warns him of his future and what lies ahead. Book Two, The Drawing of the Three, introduces Eddie and Detta/Odetta to Roland, two people from our world who are mysteriously and magically drawn into Roland's world and come alongside him in the journey. The third,The Wasteland, is the continuing journey of the three to the Dark Tower as they draw closer and also regain a companion, Jake. How he fits back into the story is unique and clever and a spoiler I won't delve into it. The third book ends with a cliff hanger and I'm look forward to seeing where the series leads.
As a fan of fantasy, I appreciate authors who have created their own worlds and histories within that world. What was interesting about this series was the mixture of modern Earthly things and the fantasy aspect. Books, songs, and references from our world have seeped into Mid World, besides just the people who join Roland. King adds modern technology like trains, planes and robots to a world that appears more Old West than anything else. Stories from our world come alive and twist in Roland's world which allows for an interesting cross cultural, cross world meeting point. The three companions enter Roland's world from New York City at three different times in history, each having some kind of connection to each other in various ways.
King does an excellent job of making the books multi-layered, throwing in obstacles for the characters, and creating his own world in which these characters operate. I won't go into much more detail as to not give up valuable plot points. But the series is definitely worth a read. The first book I definitely found the least dense and also the most flowery. King, in the forward, even explains the pretend pretentiousness that he had when he began the series. The second book, although begins in Roland's world, spends more time in our world as we meet Eddie and Odetta/Detta for the first time and then the third goes back to spending most of the time in Roland's world but bumping into Jake's at the same time. The books do get increasingly more intricate as the characters intermingle and the world of Roland the Gunslinger opens up. For what it's worth, the first and third were great, the second one wasn't my most favorite although it's essential for the series and the plot.
My introduction to Stephen King has only been through a few of his "lighter" horror novels so I was excited to read something that was more fantasy than horror. It is a different kind of series for Stephen King and certainly a great amount of imaginatorium emanates from it as well. It's is a series I would recommend. There is a bit of language for forewarning but the world is well worth a trip. I believe I've had more conversations with various people when I was reading them then I have had with many other books and conversations that others have started with me because they've enjoyed the series themselves. Give them a read and join Roland the Gunslinger and his quest for the Dark Tower.
Next Month: Sequels. Mostly due to the fact that I want to continue with the Dark Tower series, there are several books I've read over the course of the year which are merely the first in the series. I believe it's time to dive back into some of the best imaginatorium series of the past year.
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Wasteland
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