Book Review - The Woodlands by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

The Woodlands

by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Rating ****(4 Stars)

I love the dystopian genre. I think there is something about tarring down the system and making the world a better place that resonates with our current society. Just look at the protest in Hong Kong. We are living in a world that needs to be fixed. I think that is why dystopian literature is so popular at the moment, and why it is mostly geared towards young adults.

I had no idea what to expect when I first picked up The Woodlands. It was free and looked interesting. I had no idea that it was going to be such an amazing series, well book since I have not finished the series.

The writing is good, allowing you to forget the words and get lost in the characters. The characters have their flaws, but that is what helps make them real. I found them to be realistic and agreeable given the society.

The plot is interesting. It is not majorly unique in dystopian literature. However it is not boring and overdone as well. I cannot wait until I get book two and continue on in the series.

The best part is the book is still free (check before purchasing) so you have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

Book Review - Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Gossamer

by Lois Lowry

Rating - ***** (5 stars)

I really cannot believe it took me over thirty years to discover the writings of Lois Lowry. I have no idea why I did not happen upon them during all my time in the library as an adolescent. It was my son talking about reading The Giver in his middle school that finally brought her writing to my attention. Since then I have been playing catch up. I have yet to read a book by Lois Lowry that I would not recommend. However, all of her books are so very different.

Gossamer is almost like a fairy tale. It falls in lines with fairies that dance in gardens. Except it is little wispy creatures that protect dreams. The book is truly magical, it is also very sweet. From the perspective of the little dream protector we witness an older women taking in a foster child. Even more magical is we see all of the characters start to heal with the help of these magical creatures.

While the topic of the book itself could be very traumatic, it is presented in a manner that is age appropriate for older elementary school students. This book is not exactly a must read, but I would add it to your list anyway.

Book Review - A Better World by Marcus Sakey

A Better World

by Marcus Sakey

Rating ****1/2 (4 1/2 stars)

A Better World is the second book in the Brilliant series by Marcus Sakey. It continues building on the plot and characters in the first book, so if you have not read the first book in the series, start there. But really start there - this series is perhaps the best new science fiction series in our generation (since I was born right in-between two generations that goes for quite a few people!).

The book is engaging, well written, and hits on issues that are paralleled in our own world - namely discrimination and massive protests. Perhaps no matter how the word is disrupted it is bound to suppress and rise up time and time again.

So, if you have not starting reading this series yet, do so. Even if you do not typically read Science Fiction this will be a good series to pick up.

Book Review - Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

Brilliance

by Marcus Sakey

rating ***** (5 stars)

One of the downsides of reading a lot of genre fiction is that you are exposed to a lot of very poor writers. This is especially true if you are like me and will pick up anything that remotely sounds interesting. Yet, every so often it pays off in a big way. You are exposed to a book that is not a brilliantly written genre book, but a beautiful novel that happens to fit into a genre category. It is ironic that Marcus Sakey is writing about individuals with above average talents  when he himself rises above the everyday writer to create an amazing piece of literature.

Ultimately Brilliance is a Science Fiction book that takes place in an alternate reality, a reality in which people with extraordinary abilities started being born in the 1980s. The main character is an agent sworn to protect the world from these individuals, however he is also one of them.

This book is about the harsh realities of the world. It is about the scarifies of being a parent, and of standing up for what you believe in. It is also just really good fiction. It is a book that I could not stop reading, even when I had to put the book down. The plot never seemed to leave my head, the characters walked with me throughout my day. It is that good of a book.

Book Review - Almost Adept

Almost Adept

by Olga Godim

Rating ***1/2 (3 1/2 Stars)

Almost Adeptis a fantasy coming of age novel. The main heroines, Eriale, is the half sister to the queen. She is also a mage with power beyond her years. When Eriale turns a wood be rapist into a ram she is sent away from royal life, onto her Journeyman's quest. She is expected to make her way as a mage. Since Eriale has the power of an Adept, and the judgment of a 17 year old without formal training, this journey is not as difficult for her as it should be. It is amazing what can be solved by magic when you have yet to develop an ethical code.

While Eriale is sent on a journey to aid a neighboring nation, she is mostly concerned about her own journey of loosing her virginity. This is the one thing that stands in her way of receiving adept training. It is ironic that she is expected to be able to have control over her magic during sex before she can go on to learn how to control her magic. This is one aspect of the novel that could have really been left out.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable read. The writing is well done, although at the end it felt a bit rushed and awkward. The plot was interesting, not overdone, and well thought out. It is easy to tell that this is not Olga's first novel. It was an entertaining, light read, that I enjoyed finishing. Although, it did not leave a huge lasting impression.

 

Book Review - The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World

by Robert Jordan

Rating ***** (5 stars)

I have started this series many times, yet I have never finished it to the final book. I am excited finally to start this journey. I first read this book over fifteen years ago. During my brief stint as a bookseller this was the one book I emphatically recommended. Now, I will recommend it here as well.

In this first book of the Wheel of Time series we met three young farm boys. The future of the world is intertwined around these three boys as well as a few young women. Everyone, except Moiraine and Lan are so innocent in this novel, yet even by the end we start to see such growth in them.

This novel is the start of an epic fantasy adventure of dark versus light - good versus evil. Yet it is not always so easy to see what is which. The plot development is amazing. The storylines are so mapped out, intertwined, and developed. Even now, my fifth or six time completing this book, I find new connections. An item mentioned in chapter one becoming significant in chapter eleven, or even subsequent books. It is truly amazing.

The characters come to life right before your eyes. You can see the three boys making stupid decisions and the girls wanting to smack some sense into them. You also see their innocence slowly falling away.

As well the flow of the writing is almost poetic. I do not remember once, even having reread it so many times, where I have stopped and thought, well that was an awkward way to say that.

I will forewarn you that the series does start to drag, finishing it is also a time commitment. This book is not small, and they get larger as the series progresses. Yet, even if you do not wish to finish the series, this first book is an amazing read - so check it out.

Book Review - A Warrior's Redemption

A Warrior's Redemption

by Guy S. Stanton, III

Rating *** (3 stars)

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


A Warrior's Redemption is a Christian fantasy gladiator novel. The setting is a distant world that was settled by humans that had left Earth before the flood. While the original explorers were devote Christians over times the world had split into different fractions. One fraction is sinful and bent on not only world domination, but potential domination of Earth as well.

The main character, Roric, is the son of two devote Christians who live off in the country. Shortly after the novel begins Roric's family is slaughtered because his father refused to have sex with a high priestess. Roric alone is saved, if you consider being sold as a slave to become a gladiator saved. While in the slave auctions Roric sees a beautiful young women who he gives a permeant scar to keep her from being sold as a prostitute.

This novel is unique in its conception. It beautifully combines christian literature, fantasy, and historical war to create an epic love story. The plot of the story is engrossing and the characters have the potential to be amazing.

The story starts of slow. The epilogue is a brief historical background that is better told later in the novel. The writing of the first forth of the novel is a bit choppy and hesitant. It screams of the possibility of potential, yet does not quite deliver. As the novel continues the writing continues to improve. The reader is able to begin to look past the words on the page and be delivered into this new world. Yet, it never completely lets the reader leave the words behind.

Arguably, the biggest limitation of this novel is the misfortune of being written in first person. Throughout the entire novel it creates a gap between the characters and the reader. In the first part of the novel it makes it extremely awkward when the character is telling the backstory to the action. By the end of the novel the tense is almost abandoned going between characters. If the story was written in third person limited the novel would be extremely good. As it stands the novel is good. It is worth the time to read it, specifically if you are interested Christian fiction. However, you will have to be willing to devote the time to read past the awkward beginning.

Book Review - Winter's Awakening: The Metahumans Emerge

Winter's Awakening: The Metahumans Emerge

by Karen Luellen

Rating *** (3 stars)

This is the first in a young adult series written for children in the middle school range. The book opens up with a Doctor being led on a tour of a top secret facility. While the doctor has spent her career attempting to cure autism she has found that her research was being used to experiment on children. The introduction is a bit choppy and while the author seems like the reader will not instantaneously make a sort of connection when in the next scene the same doctor is now raising three children in the middle of nowhere. Hum. . . 

The plot is interesting, however there is one major hole. The doctor goes to a conference to present her research - while still trying to hide the children. Oh, and the research is based on the three kids. Yeah no one will make that connection - big surprise - it is a trap. 

Ok this novel is not meant to be a classic, and will never reach that status. It is a decent book with the main feature being the interesting characters. I picked this up for free, it was a decent read, but not sure I would have bought it. I will suggest to J to read it and if he is interested I could see us finishing the series (I mean if I buy it we might as well both read it). 

If you have a middle schooler who is looking for something interesting to read - this would be a decent pick. If you are looking for something to read - move on. 

Book Review - The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

by Douglas Adams

 

Rating **** (4 stars)

 

 

If you are starting to get weary of all the reviews of Douglas Adams, do not despair this is the last. (No I do not count the ones that were written after his death.) To make it even better, this is perhaps the best. Or maybe I was just so upset by the last two Hitchhiker books that this seemed like the best. Either way it is a great book.

 

 This is the second, and last, book in the Dirk Gentry series. The only reoccurring character is Dirk Gentry and his secretary - although his secretary - although his secretary is very quite for most of the book.

 

Instead of time travel, like the first book, we get to enter into the world of the Gods. Or rather, our world is getting destroyed by ours. Dirk Gentry, in his incompetent way, is put into the position of saving the world of the Gods from themselves, or ourselves, hum, depends on how you look at it.

 

Either way, a great way to end my Douglas Adams reading spree.

Book Review - Mostly Harmless

Mostly Harmless

by. Douglas Adams

Rating ** (2 stars)

 

Guess what! The Earth disappeared. . . again. Arthur got taken to another alternate universe where he lost the Earth and his girlfriend. Then he got stranded on a planet where he became the sandwich maker. He gets tracked down by Trillian who decides to surprise him with his kid - no they did not get together. The kid - well now a teenager - is a brat because she has been left in daycare centers while Trillian time traveled for her job. The rest of the book could be summed up in another two sentences - but then I would be giving away the ending.

 

However, that might be a mercy so you would feel no obligation to finish the last book in the Hitchhiker's series.

 

Once again, it is not that the book itself is bad. The writing is good. The plot just as crazy as the other books. The problem I have is that Adams took everything that had happened in the series and tossed it out to write another book. Then he tossed out the tossed out and ended up with this book.

 

I read that he had come up with an idea for his Dirk Gentley series which he rejected, and decided that instead of wasting what he would done he would add it to another book to the Hitchhiker's series. I would not be surprised if that is what happened to the last two books in this series.

 



Book Review - So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

So, Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

by. Douglas Adams

 

Rating *** (3 stars)

 

 

Do you remember when I warned you when you should stop reading this series. I am warning you, now would be a good time to stop. The first three books made a great trilogy. But I guess Adams needed to write more. So he screwed up the whole series in one book. OK, I will admit I did enjoy this book a bit. If you liked the other three books then you may just want to pick up this one as well.

 

If you can get past the fact that the Earth never got destroyed. Arthur made his way back and behold there it was. Then Ford realized that Earth had a long and luxurious listing in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (um, he never had professed to writing this before), so he headed back as well.

 

A word of caution. Where all the other books were pretty harmless. They did not contain sex or swearing, or anything that I would not mind handing to my thirteen year old son. This book does. Arthur gets a girlfriend - you remember the girl who got the brilliant insight into how to fix the world - yep that is her. I admit the book could be more graphic - but the visual of them together while flying over England will not leave my mind.

 

I really held out hope until the end of the book that Adams would explain away the Earth's existence in a logical illogical manner. All he had to do was say that they remade it and somehow repopulated it. I could have dealt with that. But no, it had to be some truly unexplained thing to do with alternate dimensions.

I gave it three stars because the writing is classic Douglas Adams. It lost some stars because I do not like the big gapping hole in his plot and I was not much for the added sex in the fourth book of a series.
 

Do not worry, the next book is even worse!

 



Book Review - Life, the Universe, and Everything

Life, the Universe, and Everything

by. Douglas Adams

 

Rating ****(4 stars)

 

 

If you have made it past the first two books in the Hitchhiker's series then you should continue on and read the third book Life, the Universe and Everything. This book continues the journey of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect who are now stranded on the prehistoric Earth. Arthur and Ford had split ways at some point between the second book and the third book. Now Arthur has been alone for years, and is contemplating going crazy. Thankfully, an anomaly in time is about to happen and the two will hitch a ride on a couch to make it in enough time to watch the destruction of the Earth - yet again. Thankfully, Slartibartfast, the artist of the fjords from the first book, is there to get them off the planet. He needs their help anyway. . . to save the universe as we know it.

Do not worry. . . I will worn you when the series becomes to peculiar to continue on. Now is not the time. If you enjoyed the first two books continue on to the third.

 

Book Review - The Resturant ot the End of the Universe

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

by Douglas Adams

Rating **** (4 Stars)

At this point it should come as no surprise that, for the most part, I think Douglas Adams is a brilliant writer. I must admit that I enjoyed him in my youth a lot more then in adulthood. However, it was still fun to reread this series.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universeis the second book in Douglas Adam's Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series. The book begins with Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Arthur Dent, and Trillian are lounging around in the Heart of Gold unknowingly being hunted by the Vogons. On the brink of being blasted out of the sky Zaphod holds a séance and summons the spirit of his great grandfather who provides him with the reason why he stooled the Heart of Gold - he is to find the person who is truly ruling the universe.

If none of that made any sense to you then you should go back to the first book in the series.

The second book is perhaps a bit more outrageous then the first. However, if you enjoy humor science fiction, or even the first book of the series, then you should defiantly read this book.

 

Book Review - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

By. Douglas Adams

 

Rating ****(4 stars)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agencyis an interesting book. If you have read, and enjoyed, Douglas Adams' more famous series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then you will enjoy the humor of this work as well. If you did not enjoy HGG then stay away from this book as well.

I suppose I would classify Douglas Adams as a humor science fiction writer. The general plots of his books are insane, yet he makes them work - most of the time. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agencyis about a young software designer who is having a mental block when it comes to his work - his work is creating a software program that turns business figures into music. To elevate his block he visits a professor from his collage days. The professor mentions an old school mate that was kicked out of school for psychically cheating. The school mate is Dirk Gently.

From here the plot gets even more twisted and abstract. Yet, it works and keeps you hanging on until the end. Although, as observed an ending as the book has, you can figure it out before it happens.