Review: Lexicon

January 20, 20146 Comments

Max Barry, Lexicon

Emily Ruff is a teenager living on the streets of San Francisco, subsisting on the change she earns by fleecing people at cards. So when she is approached by a mysterious organization that wants to send her to a special boarding school, all expenses paid, she jumps at the chance without asking too many questions. When Emily arrives at the school, she learns that its purpose is to train poets, an elite group of individuals who can use words to “persuade” people to do anything. Emily learns that people can be divided into segments based on their personality type, and each segment responds to a unique set of words. The poets want Emily because they have ascertained that she is more than usually persuasive. Meanwhile, Wil Parte is on the run, accompanied by a renegade poet called Eliot — but he doesn’t know who he’s running from or why they’re looking for him. Both Emily and Wil must eventually face violence and impossible choices as the connection between their stories becomes evident.

I picked up this book because I loved the premise, which is essentially that words have power (something book lovers already know!). Max Barry has imagined a world in which the masses can be controlled by an elite few with words alone — a world that is frighteningly close to our own. For me, the book’s biggest strength is how plausible it is; with our private lives increasingly made public through the Internet, it’s very easy to imagine governments and other powerful groups using that private information for their own ends. The book also reads extremely quickly and is chock-full of action. However, the book was a little too graphic for me, in terms of both sex and violence. And more importantly, I feel like Barry missed a great opportunity to explore some interesting philosophical questions in the novel. Clearly the poets are to some extent sinister, and the villain of the book is quite obviously the villain; but even the so-called heroes do a lot of morally questionable things, and their behavior is never really called to account. The book has a happy(ish) ending, and I just don’t think it’s justified. Still, this is a fun read if you’re interested in the premise, but I’d recommend getting it from the library rather than buying.

Review: Fer-de-Lance

January 18, 201411 Comments

Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance

This novel introduces the famous detective team of Nero Wolfe, an eccentric genius whose skill in detection is rivaled only by his fondness for orchids, and Archie Goodwin, his streetwise secretary. Although they live in comparative luxury, Wolfe and Archie have not been immune to the effects of the Great Depression, and they certainly won’t turn down any opportunity of making some hard cash. So when a worried Italian woman comes to their doorstep asking them to track down her missing brother, they are eager to take the case. Due to Wolfe’s obese build and strange fears of the outside world, he refuses to leave his home; so it’s up to Archie to investigate the man’s disappearance. He soon discovers, however, that the missing Italian man is just one piece of a much larger puzzle involving the sudden death of a prominent university professor. While Archie collects evidence, Wolfe applies his considerable talents to solving the mystery.

This is my first encounter with Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, but it certainly won’t be my last! I loved Archie as the narrator; his wry, amusing voice reminds me of the fast-talking banter of the great screwball comedies of the 1930s. It was great fun to see the investigation through his eyes, as he applies his own special brand of persuasion to the various suspects and interested parties. Nero Wolfe, by contrast, is significantly less interesting, since the inner workings of his mind remain largely mysterious. He did have some funny moments, though, and I liked his extremely formal patterns of speech. He and Archie make a nice contrast in that regard, since Archie is full of contemporary slang and has an almost aggressively casual tone. As for the mystery itself, it is quite well-plotted, even if the solution isn’t very surprising. The only thing I disliked was that the book keeps going after the culprit’s identity is revealed. For me, the fun of reading a mystery is trying to solve it; once the solution is discovered, I don’t want to read a long denouement about how the guilty party was finally caught. So I thought the end dragged a bit; but other than that, I enjoyed this mystery and look forward to reading more in the series.

Tune in Tuesday with Katelyn: You and me, we both got sins

January 15, 2014January 15, 20147 Comments

Argh, it’s getting hard for me to come up with intros for my Tune in Tuesday song choices! Suffice it to say, I wasn’t having a great day, but this song came on the radio and cheered me up. It’s almost too sappy and lovey-dovey, but sometimes that’s just what you need. Also, I’d like to learn this song on guitar so that I could play an acoustic, folky version — can’t you hear it that way in your head? So anyway, here’s the Goo Goo Dolls with “Come to Me”:

Review: Dear Mr. Knightley

January 14, 20142 Comments

Katherine Reay, Dear Mr. Knightley

Samantha Moore has been in and out of foster homes her whole life. Now, at age 23, she’s living at a group home called Grace House, but she’ll soon have to leave unless she can find a way to go back to school. One day she gets a surprising offer: if she can get into the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, an anonymous donor will pay her tuition and living expenses. The only condition is that she must write regular letters detailing her educational progress to the donor under the name Mr. Knightley. Samantha is reluctant at first, particularly because she feels much more connected to fiction than journalism. Indeed, her closest friends growing up were the classic novels that kept her company through dark times, and she frequently hides in the world of books when real life is confusing or difficult. Still, Sam agrees to the deal, and through her letters to “Mr. Knightley,” she is finally able to face her past — and her future.

Despite what the title might suggest, this book is not a Jane Austen spinoff; rather, it’s a contemporary reimagining of Jean Webster’s novel Daddy-Long-Legs. My overall opinion is that the original is far better, but I can’t get into more depth without SPOILERS for both books, so skip the rest of this review if you don’t want to know how they end! … OK, so if you’re still with me, what happens is that Samantha eventually falls in love with “Mr. Knightley,” who turns out to be the handsome mystery novelist who’s been keeping Sam company throughout the book. He knows everything about Samantha, whose letters to him have been more like a diary, yet he doesn’t confess his true identity until the very end of the book. There’s this huge power imbalance between him and Sam, and the book never really addresses it, and I just couldn’t buy it as a romantic or satisfying ending at all. For some reason I didn’t mind it as much in the original – maybe because of the time period in which it was written? So I had a huge issue with the core of the story, and I also didn’t like the author’s writing style. It’s a very readable book, and if you like Daddy-Long-Legs you may enjoy this one too, but I was disappointed.

Review: Late Nights on Air

January 14, 20146 Comments

Elizabeth Hay, Late Nights on Air

This novel centers around a small group of people working at a radio station in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Harry is a once-promising radio man who has returned to Yellowknife after a disastrous attempt at television. Eleanor, the station’s receptionist, has no life of her own but is keenly observant of the lives of others. Gwen has recently moved to town and is hoping to learn radio production at the station. And newcomer Dido is a natural on-air talent who catalyzes various shifts in the station’s social atmosphere. All these characters have been drawn to Yellowknife for different reasons, but they are united in their fascination and love for the austere beauty of northern Canada. As they develop new friendships, romances, and animosities, they also discuss the history, mythology, and current concerns of the Canadian frontier — especially as a proposed transnational pipeline threatens its very identity.

I picked up this book for its setting, and I think it does a wonderful job of immersing readers in the unique world of the Canadian North. There are lovingly detailed descriptions of weather, scenery, and wildlife; digressive anecdotes about Canadian history, especially the many European explorers who attempted to survive the brutal winters; discussions about the relationship between white settlers and native peoples; and nostalgia for a fading way of life. Hay cleverly uses the debates and hearings surrounding the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline as a framework for her story; the possible destruction of the northern ecosystem parallels the slow destruction of radio as the primary medium for storytelling due to the arrival of television. The novel is somber and contemplative in tone, and the focus is on character and setting much more than on plot. But for anyone interested in books with a unique and vividly described setting, I would definitely recommend this!

Bout of Books 9.0 Wrap-up

January 13, 20149 Comments

Well, the ninth Bout of Books read-a-thon has officially come to an end. My goals were to read 1500 pages, do some reading every day, and participate in at least 3 mini-challenges. I definitely achieved the last two goals (and ended up doing 8 mini-challenges!). But I fell short of my first goal, reading a grand total of 1061 pages. I’m pleased with my progress, though; I definitely read a lot more than I would have without Bout of Books! Overall, I read three books from beginning to end: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay, Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay, and Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout. (I also began Lexicon by Max Barry but haven’t finished it yet.) For me, Dear Mr. Knightley was the weak link, but I more or less enjoyed everything I read for this read-a-thon. Looking forward to Bout of Books 10.0, which will take place in May!

Tune in Tuesday with Katelyn: They say you stand by your man

January 7, 20146 Comments

It’s the first Tune in Tuesday of 2014, so I wanted to make it special by sharing one of my very favorite songs in all the world. I believe I’ve mentioned before that I have a thing for jaunty songs about heartbreak, and this one is a classic! I think I heard Annie Lennox’s cover first, oddly enough, but the original song is much better! So without further ado, here’s “Train in Vain” by the Clash:

And if that video was too boring for you, here’s a pretty good live recording with a faster tempo:

Review: Retribution Falls

January 6, 20144 Comments

Chris Wooding, Retribution Falls

Darian Frey is a freebooter and small-time criminal whose most treasured possession is his airship, the Ketty Jay. His so-called “crew” is disorganized and questionably competent, and they all have something to hide. Crake, a daemonist whose magical skills have made him an outcast, is crumbling under the weight of a guilty consience. Jez, the new navigator, can’t let anyone know about her mysterious secret abilities. The ship’s doctor, Malvery, is a drunk, and outflier pilot Harkins has been completely traumatized by the Aerium Wars. Frey and his motley collection of renegades travel around taking odd jobs, but they barely make enough money to live on. That is, until Frey is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: steal the cargo of a particular airship and receive fifty thousand ducats as payment. The offer seems too good to be true, and it is — the target airship turns out to be carrying the heir to the Archduchy, who is killed when the Ketty Jay attacks. Now Frey and his crew are on the run, but Frey is determined to discover who set him up and why — even if it means losing the freedom and detachment that are so precious to him.

This book, quite simply, was a ton of fun! I picked it up at a Borders going-out-of-business sale because the premise reminded me of “Firefly,” and if you enjoy that type of space Western with a healthy dose of grim humor, I think you’ll really enjoy this book! The plot is predictable but packed with action, and the pacing is great, but my favorite part of the book was definitely the characters. I really liked the way Frey was portrayed; he’s definitely no hero — selfish, misogynistic, irresponsible, and entitled — but he does grow and change throughout the course of the novel. I loved the other characters too, particularly Crake and Jez, both of whom I’d like to learn a lot more about! I think one weakness of sci fi/fantasy/adventure novels is that they tend to make the characters too heroic or powerful right from the start. But in this book, nobody is a hero until (arguably) the very end; the characters actually develop throughout the book. For this reason, the book really exceeded my expectations, and I’m thrilled to discover that it’s actually the first book in a series! It can be read as a stand-alone, but I will definitely be continuing to read about the Ketty Jay and its swashbuckling crew!

Bout of Books 9.0 Goals and Progress

January 5, 2014January 13, 201413 Comments

My Goals

The Bout of Books 9.0 read-a-thon starts this Monday, January 6, so it’s time to post my goals and progress! My main goal for the week will be to read at least 1500 pages, which will probably be about 4 books. I also hope to read at least a little bit every day and to participate in at least 3 mini-challenges. I will update this post every day with my progress and any mini-challenges I attempt.

Possible Books

It’s not an all-inclusive list, but here are some books I might read during this read-a-thon:

Updates

Monday, January 6

Pages read: 58
Books read from: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Mini-challenges:

1. Bookish Comforts asked us to fill a basket at Book Depository with the books we’d buy if we could spend $100. Here’s my basket:

2. Cheap Thrills repeated her Mad Libs Challenge from the last read-a-thon! Go do it for yourself before reading my paragraph, below:

I just read the greatest book!

This guy Emma ends up in the middle of a polysyllabic conspiracy. Turns out her ancestors were pirates, and she might be the key to finding the scarlet crucible. It’s a mythic artifact that disappeared centuries ago, and now a shadowy group of detectives are looking for it. No one knows what uncovering it might do, but these guys are willing to bewitch for it.

I won’t say anything else. But believe me, if you like impossible stories with vagrants and peas, you have to read this one.

Books I used: (1) Emma by Jane Austen. (2) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. (3) The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. (4) Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik. (5) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. (6) Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle. (7) Impossible Things by Connie Willis. (8) Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. (9) Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

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Tuesday, January 7

Pages read: 89
Books read from: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Mini-challenges:

3. Sarah Says Read asked about our reading tactics: “How do you fit in as much reading as possible during Bout of Books? How do you squeeze in those extra pages?” I snatch free moments to read whenever I can — usually on my commute to work (yay public transportation!) and during my lunch hour. I also try to make some time every night before bed.

4. The Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog challenged us to cast an audiobook version of our favorite book. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I chose Pride and Prejudice! I would cast Parminder Nagra as Elizabeth Bennet because I adored her spunky personality in “Bend It Like Beckham” and think she would make a strong, sassy Elizabeth. As for Mr. Darcy, I have to go with Benedict Cumberbatch — I mean, that VOICE! (Also, I’ve been binge-watching “Sherlock” recently in preparation for the Season 3 premiere, so I’m a little bit obsessed with him right now!)

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Wednesday, January 8

Pages read: 66
Books read from: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Mini-challenges:

5. Doing Dewey asked us to introduce our favorite genre to the other BoB participants. Though I read in a variety of genres, lately I’ve been very interested in books about World War II (which isn’t technically a genre, but bear with me!). Some of my favorite books in this category are:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows — A charming epistolary novel that manages to be a “feel-good” story despite being set on the German-occupied island of Guernsey. This is honestly one of my all-time favorite books!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein — An emotionally wrenching story of friendship and courage, with two amazing female protagonists and a lot of historical background about women pilots during WWII. I sobbed through the last 60 or so pages, but it’s definitely worth reading!

Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis — A meticulously researched WWII novel focusing on London during the Blitz. There’s also a time-travel element, for you science fiction fans! The story is very long and the pacing is quite slow, but that just gives the setting plenty of time to shine. 🙂

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory by Ben Macintyre — A nonfiction book that reads like a novel. It’s about a real spy mission in which the Allies spread misinformation by planting false documents on a corpse dressed in a British uniform.

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Thursday, January 9

Pages read: 148
Books read from: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay (completed!)
Mini-challenges:

6. Writing My Own Fairy Tale asked us to set up a bookish “double date,” or two books you think should be read together. I think Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey and The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart make a great pairing. In both books, the main character is an impostor who is pretending to be someone else. But each book takes this premise in a totally different direction! I highly recommend both books, especially if you’re the kind of person who likes con movies or mysteries with lots of plot twists.

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Friday, January 10

Pages read: 116
Books read from: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
Mini-challenges:

7. Never Too Fond of Books challenged us to create a story using the last word of every line of the last page we read. My words (from Dear Mr. Knightley, page 5) are: back, so, help, and, be, again, stand, hard, help, hope, for, honest, write, right, anonymity, and, paper, well, paper-based, Medill, letter, honest, Bennet’s, sincerely, Moore.

Bennet’s letter — paper-based hope —
Help stand, help be well
For honest Moore;
Paper anonymity, so honest and hard and right…
Write back again.

Sincerely,
Medill.

What is it about? I think I’ll leave that open to the reader’s interpretation… 🙂

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Saturday, January 11

Pages read: 285
Books read from: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (completed!); Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Mini-challenges:

8. Midnight Book Girl asked us to “stage” a book by taking a picture of it in a setting or with items that represent the book. Here’s my picture:

The book, as you can see, is Dear Mr. Knightley. I’ve placed it with a DVD of the Gwyneth Paltrow version of “Emma” because the movie is mentioned in the book (and also because of the book’s title, obviously). There’s also a Jane Austen action figure because the main character, Samantha, loves Austen and frequently quotes from her novels. Finally, the purple thing you may not be able to identify is a graduation tassel, because Samantha is struggling to complete a grad school program in journalism.

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Sunday, January 12

Pages read: 299
Books read from: Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout (completed!); Lexicon by Max Barry
Mini-challenges: none

Review: Just Like Heaven

January 2, 2014January 6, 20141 Comment

Julia Quinn, Just Like Heaven

Lady Honoria Smythe-Smith is desperate to be married. Though she is part of a large, affectionate family, things have been very quiet in her parents’ house ever since her brother Daniel fled England after seriously wounding a man in a duel. Honoria longs to start her own family and once again feel surrounded by love; and as an added bonus, once she is married, she’ll no longer have to perform at the Smythe-Smiths’ infamous musicales. Meanwhile, Marcus Holroyd, the Earl of Chatteris, is Daniel’s best friend and has always felt more at home with the Smythe-Smiths than with his own distant family. Marcus and Honoria have always been friendly, but when a sprained ankle and a dangerous illness throw them together, they both begin to suspect that their relationship is deepening into something more.

I basically picked up this book for two reasons: 1) It shares a title with a really great Cure song, and 2) I’m a sucker for ridiculous British surnames. Fortunately, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit! Marcus is a delightful hero; he comes across as proud and brooding, but only because he feels shy and socially awkward (shades of Mr. Darcy!). And Honoria is a sweet girl with just enough humor to keep her from being insipid. Somewhat unusually for a Regency romance, most of this book doesn’t take place during the London Season; rather, Honoria spends a good portion of it nursing Marcus back to health from a life-threatening fever. Some might find the sickroom scenes tedious, but to me they underscored why Marcus and Honoria make such a great pair. All in all, I’d definitely recommend this light, quick read to fans of Regency romances, and I’ll probably pick up something else by Julia Quinn in the future.