The List!

Fable: Blood Ties

2012-03-12T01:01:00.003-04:00

I recently went to Chapters with the express purpose of buying the Cowboys and Aliens graphic novel. I had a gift card left over from Christmas, and after really enjoying that book I decided I wanted to add it to my collection. Unfortunately, when I got to Chapters I discovered that they had their "buy 3 get the 4th book free" deal on. And as I started browsing, it became obvious there were four pocket books I'd like to get with that deal. So Cowboys and Aliens went back onto the shelf for another day, and instead I bought four books I've never read. Fable: Blood Ties was one of those four books.

After enjoying Fable: The Balverine Order, which was also by Peter David, finding Blood Ties was extremely exciting. I had no idea a new Fable book had been written. And unlike The Balverine Order, which was about some new characters, Blood Ties featured a couple of characters right out of Fable 3 (from the back of the book: Ben Finn and Page; while not mentioned on the back, Reaver is also in it). Finn is one of my favourite characters from Fable 3 (my most favourite is Reaver; he's so funny to listen to!) so naturally I was excited to read a book completely about his adventures after the game.

Blood Ties is a rather strange tale. Finn decides to leave Bowerstone and asks Page to accompany him; she refuses. So off Finn goes looking for adventure. He almost gets himself killed but is saved by a gnome (they appeared in the game and hurl insults at passerby's). After vowing he will not kill the gnome, the gnome decides to follow Finn around, insulting him and just generally making life miserable. Finn finds his way, gnome in tow, to a town that's under siege from a warlord. Unfortunately the warlord is the least of the town's troubles when

beast men show up. After this alarming discovery, Finn tracks the beasts down to their source and makes a virtual deal with Albion's entrepreneur devil Reaver. Blood Ties is told completely from Finn's perspective, which was quite a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, despite the great premise and my excitement over the characters, Blood Ties was a pretty slow read, particularly during the first half of the book. I don't know why, but I found myself not really caring about most of what was going on. It was honestly only when Reaver appeared to up the stakes that things picked up, but I still had a hard time wanting to sit down and read. In that regard I was rather disappointed; I loved reading The Balverine Order (well except for the premise - that needed a bit of tweaking in my opinion) and was expecting a similar reading experience from Blood Ties. Don't get me wrong, the story of Blood Ties was good and I'm quite glad to have read it. But it wasn't nearly as good at The Balverine Order was.

As a side note, the weapon code of The Balverine Order is a better draw than Blood Ties' dye pack. I don't know if I'll even bother redeeming the dye pack because I really don't care. My draw for buying Blood Ties was completely based off my expectations of Peter David's work.

Interlude: All Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder Volume 1

2012-02-28T01:25:00.005-05:00

The friend who lent me both Volume 3 and 5 of Star Wars Tales also lent me All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder Volume 1. He told me it was a really good story. And it totally was. All Star Batman & Robin is a reimagining of the origins of Robin. This volume starts with Dick Grayson's parents getting killed in front of him at the circus. The cops of Gotham are still crooked, and they take the boy. Batman follows them and saves him (while looking like he kidnapped Dick), having decided to recruit him as his protege. He sets about training Dick in much the same manner as he trained himself. Or at least he tries to - Alfred won't have much of that and takes it upon himself to feed Dick hamburgers and help him where he can.

This takes place at a time where Batman isn't established yet, and neither is the Justice League. The Justice League consists of four people: Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Plastic Man. And they aren't happy with the Batman's actions, especially now that he's kidnapped a kid. Wonder Woman wants to go hunt Batman, but the rest of the League insist on talking with him first. So they send Green Lantern.

This led to a hilarious encounter between Batman and Green Lantern. I didn't know this, but apparently the colour yellow is Green Lantern's weakness. So Batman and his new sidekick Robin (named after Robin Hood - Dick Grayson styled his costume after the hero, wanting to be called "Hood." Batman removed the costume's hood and called him "Robin" instead) paint themselves and the meeting place completely yellow. Green Lantern is unable to use his powers against them. Robin also manages to steal the Green Lantern's ring, leading to a fight between the two where things almost turn tragic for Green Lantern when Robin hits his windpipe. Batman has to perform a tracheostomy to save him.

In the aftermath, Batman realizes that he has failed in his teachings. And more importantly, he hasn't given Dick the time he needs to grieve for his parents. So they stop in the cemetary to grieve together.

All Star Batman & Robin was a lot darker than I was expecting. But it was a really good story all the same, giving origins for several super heroes (like Black Canary). I'm really glad my friend lent it to me!

Library Book: Cowboys and Aliens

2012-02-26T15:18:00.004-05:00

I recently watched the movie Cowboys & Aliens starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. I really enjoyed it and decided I wanted to read the graphic novel it was based off of as well. Luckily the Library had a copy, so I put it on hold and picked it up yesterday while at work.

I have to say: the graphic novel is nothing like the movie. Well, there are some similarities, like the cowboys, Native people and aliens are fighting. And the cowboys have to work with the Natives in order to defeat the aliens. But other than that, this is a very different story from the movie.

The main difference is the very narrative. The prologue opens by comparing tha aliens to the way the Europeans looked at the Native people of North America (and pretty much every non-European in the world): their ways are inferior and so they must move aside, join us (but as inferior savages) or be elliminated. The aliens do this to another planet. So when the aliens actually do show up to Earth, they look at all humans as savages. (And from their point of view, they have good reason to. They have the superior technology, having travelled through space. We have mastered only steam technology at this point, far inferior to them).

I also liked that the graphic novel characterizes the aliens in a way that the movie didn't. In the movie, the aliens are gross monster-like things, doing experiments for no explicable reason (other than to "learn our weakenesses"). Here the alien leader is a jerk who thinks he's superior and is damn well going to show it (ie. kill people) through all his technology. It was a lot easier to relate to him and his followers. Plus they were some sort of galactic slavers (a friend of mine compared them to pirates), which again made more sense than whatever they were doing in the movie (I know what they were doing, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers here. But it really did make less sense than the graphic novel's version).

Don't get me wrong, I really like the movie. It had a great cast and did a fantastic job of being a Western turned on its head. But I think the graphic novel was better.

List Update

2012-02-20T04:56:00.002-05:00

This really isn't much of an update. I got rid of a couple of books I hung onto but don't think I'm going to reread ever. To that end, I also discovered that I had two copies of Legends 2. I thought I'd gotten rid of the first one a long time ago, so I rebought it to read a story. Apparently the first copy was on my shelf the entire time. I'm keeping the first copy. I was also thinking of getting rid of the Mammoth Book of New Comic Fantasy, but I'm pretty sure there's a Neil Gaiman story I want to read first. I think I'll do that tomorrow and get rid of that book, too.

After reading Life As I Blow It, I've decided I'm going to read through some of my books before I read anything else, with the one exception being another graphic novel the same friend who lent me Star Wars Tales Volumes 3 and 5 lent me. This other graphic novel is a Batman story, so I'm excited about that. I'd also like to get his graphic novels back to him. :)

But yeah, I have 134 books currently on the List that need reading (although that number may go down because I may be removing a few like the aforementioned Mammoth Book of New Comic Fantasy). And I've also decided I'm going to read some of the books I have no intention of keeping once I've read them. These are books like The Help, Twenties Girl and The Lovely Bones. They're all things I'd really like to read, and once I do I can free up some shelf space for the things I really want to keep. Like my Terry Brooks.

I do have a few other library books out right now though. And I wanted to read two of them before writing an article for work. So I may have to wait until I read them before I keep my resolution to only read my books. So as of right now, I will not take any new library books out until I at least read some of my own!

I guess this ended up a longer update than I originally thought it would be!

Library Book: Life As I Blow It

2012-02-20T04:12:00.003-05:00

I was at work when I spotted Sarah Colonna's Life As I Blow It. I've never heard of Sarah Colonna before, but her book sounded like fun so I took it out. I thought it was a book of essays about random topics in her life. I guess it was, but it was more of a biography.

There isn't a lot to say about what's in this book. The cover pretty much sums it up: "Tales of Life, Love & Sex....Not Necessarily in that Order." But I would add "booze" to the list as well. A good chunk of her time seems to be spent drinking.

That being said, I really enjoyed reading Life As I Blow It. Colonna is a comedian among other things and that really came through in her writing. Her life has been rather eventful thus far, so that was a lot of fun as well.

But more than anything, I enjoyed reading Life As I Blow It because Colonna's life has been so different from mine. For me it was a lot of fun to see the differences, and to see what leading such a life might be like. I realize that not everyone would approach this book in that way, and that's fine too. It really is a good read on its own (I read it in a day). But as a glimpse of another life, this book really shined.

Interlude: Star Wars Tales Vol 5

2012-02-12T14:27:00.004-05:00

The same friend who lent me Star Wars Tales Volume 3 lent me Star Wars Tales Volume 5. Yesterday I went to see The Phantom Menace in 3D, so to get myself psyched up for Star Wars, I read through most of Volume 5.

When my friend lent it to me, he told me Volume 5 was good, but not as good as Volume 3. I am inclined to agree. Volume 3 had some really awesome stories in it, none of which were matched by anything in Volume 5. But that being said, I enjoyed reading almost everything in Volume 5. Like my run down for Volume 3, I am going to talk about the tales individually; unfortunately there will be a few spoilers.

"Planet of the Dead" was a strange tale where Han and Chewie deal with the undead. "All for You" was a story about a village. A dying Jedi gives the village a Sith holocron to keep safe, but the younger generation disagrees and wants to give it to the Sith. "Phantom Menaces" was another strange tale, where Luke Skywalker visits Darth Maul's world and finds that the Sith Lord may not be dead afterall. "Ghosts of Hoth" involves the explanation of what happened to the people who inhabited the base on Hoth before the rebels. It's another story featuring Chewie. "The Apprentice" was an interesting story involving the Sith. A Master and his Apprentice are stopped by a Toydarian slaver. The Apprentice takes offense to the Toydarian and kills him. The Master tells his Apprentice to deal with the slave girl. Let's just say that things don't go as planned for the Apprentice.

The next story, "Dark Journey," was a really twisted tale. A Jedi knight has been tracking a serial killer who has murdered both her lover and some Twi'lek girls. She encounters another Jedi knight, who tells her he's here to bring her back to the Jedi Council. She retaliates against him with her Dark side persona, revealing that she has killed all of the victims, but in her Jedi persona does not remember doing the deed. The Jedi persona then discovers that the serial killer has killed once again, this time a Jedi knight, so she renews her vow to bring the serial killer to justice.

"Number Two in the Galaxy" is the first in a bunch of stories about Boba Fett. I really liked this one. A bunch of people, led by the man who is second only to Boba Fett, decide they're going to kill Fett. They attack him when he is most vulnerable, relaxing without his weapons and armour. Unfortunately for them, there's a reason why Boba Fett is the best in the galaxy. "Payback" was another Fett story, not as good as "Number Two in the Galaxy." Here Fett is hired to get someone either dead or alive. He is set up but still manages to win, collecting the bounty (and making his employer quite sad in the process). All in all, revenge doesn't pay. "Being Boba Fett" was another good story. This is a sort of day in the life of Fett. He wakes up, and while getting ready has to deal with the image of his father staring back at him in the mirror. He takes a job and successfully tracks his target. But his target, pleading for his life, tells Fett that he knows where a Jedi is living. So Fett goes after the Jedi, but discovers that the man with a lightsaber is not an actual jedi; he is the son of a jedi, who never knew his father. What's more, this so called "Jedi" is a father himself. The story ends with Fett returning to his initial target and telling him the contract calls for the target to be either dead or alive. Finally, Fett looks in the mirror and says good night to his father. "Way of the Warrior" was an okay story that featured a young Boba Fett helping his father on a mission. I liked that the young Fett had many questions at the end of the mission; this story shows how he learned what his father was really like (and that he was like that as well). "Revenants" was the final Boba Fett story and was completely different from the others. It followed an aging Han Solo who was doing a reconaissance mission, where he is attacked by Boba Fett. He is shot down and proceeds to do his utmost to survive against his dangerous foe. After fighting (and presumably killing) Fett multiple times, he realizes there's more than one man after him. He then comes face to face with the real Fett, who tells him this was a training mission for his new army. He thanks Solo for weeding out the weak ones, then tells him they're working for the highest bidder. Unfortunately, the Yuuzhan Vong currently have all the money. The Mandalorians leave, letting Han live.

"Collapsing New Empires" was the first non-Fett story. This was a weird tale, where some crazy machine guy wanted to remove the weak flesh people from the galaxy, replacing them with his artist (and superior) machines. He is defeatd by Luke Skywalker and company. "The Value of Proper Intelligence" was a really short story that I enjoyed. The Empire arrives on a small planet, claiming it for themselves. Unfortunately the unassuming farmer they were talking to transforms into a monster who kills them all. It then goes back to farming, using their bodies as scarecrows for its field. "Rather Darkness Visible" was a sad story from the Clone Wars. A Jedi apprentice is sent with her Master to investigate the illegal cloning operation that is apparently operating out of a mine. They walk into a trap. The Master is killed but the padawan gets away, only to be blown out of the sky by Count Dooku. The miners were hoping to collect a bounty for both the Jedi and Padawan, but are only paid half of what they expected because they did not kill both. The miners are forced to leave their homes because they do not have the resources (or money) to survive there. "The Rebel Club" was a funny tale where Vader is running a class full of the Rebels. He instructs them all to write an essay as to the location of the Rebel Base. Mouthing off, Han Solo is rewarded multiple hours in the torture chamber. The rebels meet the janitor, Obi Wan Kenobi, who tells them the tractor beam is no longer operational, so they escape from the Death Star. "The Lost Lightsaber" is the story of Anakin's lightsaber, after Luke loses it in Cloud City. The lightsaber changes hands multiple times until it finally finds its way to Luke Skywalker's son.

"Into the Great Unknown" was a really different story. Han and Chewie make a blind jump through hyperspace and find themselves in parts unknown. They land on a planet which they mistakenly believe is Endor's moon. They are attacked by Native Americans and Han is killed. 126 years later, Indiana Jones comes in search of this Sasquatch, but after encountering Han's remains (which he says are "eerily familiar"), Jones decides to leave everything be. "Storyteller" was another different story. This takes place long after the Rebellion. A downtrodden race seeks a mysterious oracle. They discover the remains of C3P0, who tells them tales from the Rebellion. At the end they discover a hidden lightsaber, and begin to plot the freedom of their people.

"George R. Binks" was hilarious! It was the story of Jar Jar's father, a great whaler. Jar Jar doesn't listen to his father's instructions and they end up shipwrecked on a deserted island. The father tries to get rid of Jar Jar, but Jar Jar's mother keeps stopping him. The story ends with the father in dispair, having chosen not to marry the love of his life because she could not bear him a son. Unfortunately, Jar Jar was the direct result of that choice.

"Who's Your Daddy" was another short story. Vader practices the line "Luke, I am your father," only to completely screw it up when he finally faces his son.

"Fred Jawa" was awesome! The Jawas show up to a family to sell more droids. The droids always fall apart right before the jawas are due back in town. Fred Jawa steps in, selling them an extended warranty. The farmer is proud of his investment, having paid to keep his droids running longer. But Fred Jawa is just another scam artist, having fleeced the farmer out of more money than normal for him and his other Jawa pals.

"Luke Skywalker Detective" was alright. Luke is framed for murder back on Tatooine, but manages to solve the mystery of what really happened to the victim. "Hunger Pains" is the story of the Wampa's starving family. He greedily eats the Tauntaun by himself, but when his kids show up, he goes to get them the human. Unfortunately, that human escapes and severs his arm. The wampa feeds his arm to his children. "Falling Up With Jar Jar Binks" was a weird story. Jar Jar is in power, and gets voted back into power because he is the lovable Jar Jar Binks. The Emperor tries to get Jar Jar on his side, but fails somehow because Jar Jar Binks seems to rule all. It was weird and I didn't really like it. "Nobody's Perfect" was another short comic where Anakin confesses to all the horrible things he's done. He tells Padme he understands if she doesn't want to marry him, but she is completely unfazed by his confession. "Problem Solvers" was pretty funny. Han was too busy to fix some computers like Leia asked, so he delegated to C3P0...who hired Ewoks...! "Melvin Fett" was a story about Boba's stupid cousin. He hunts Jar Jar Binks and "finds" him. It was a really silly story.

"Young Lando Calrissian" was the final story in the volume. Lando impersonates a jedi in order to fleece a tribe of aliens who had rancor troubles. Believing the rancor to be long gone, he finds himself having to deal with another rancor. He brings back proof of having vanquished this new rancor (who in reality just swam away), and finds that he was tricked by the people he was trying to fleece!

At the end of the volume, there were also some really short comics featuring the editor. They were pretty funny to read as well.

All in all, this was a really good volume of completely random tales from the Star Wars universe. It was a lot of fun to read, and you should definitely give this a try if you're a fan of the Star Wars Universe!

The Measure of the Magic

2012-01-25T20:39:00.001-05:00

Like most of Terry Brooks' new series, The Measure of the Magic takes place right after Bearers of the Black Staff. So of course I started reading Measure right after I finished reading Bearers two nights ago. And don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Bearers a lot. But after writing my post here, I found a post on another blog, A Dribble of Ink, which nicely summed up many of my problems with it. There are many tropes which have appeared in many of Terry's books, and they can get rather tiring.

But I felt like all my concerns melted away with the Ragpicker.

As I've already said, Measure picks up where Bearers left off (so sorry for any spoilers). Prue Liss has just gotten away from the Trolls, and is hiding out in Deladion Inch's fortress. Sider Ament is dead, and his staff has passed to Panterra Qu. Panterra needs to track the traitorous troll Arik Siq, both out of the need to stop him from revealing the valley's entrances to his father, as well as for revenge. And all the while, the Trolls sit camped outside of the valley, ready to attack.

The very first chapter of Measure opens with the Ragpicker. He did not appear in Bearers, so I really wasn't expecting him. I absolutely loved his character! He was well written and just so different. I really felt like Bearers needed him to be a much better book.

Measure also seemed to flow a lot better than Bearers. Bearers seemed chaotic, flipping from character to character rather rapidly. In Measure, the focus seemed to stay on one character (or at the very least one plot strand) for a couple of chapters, giving you a better idea of what was going on in each case; the whole narrative seemed to flow a lot better.

But I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the ending of Measure. The main problem was that I felt Measure wrapped up too quickly. I had about thirty pages left to go, and I found myself wondering how Brooks was going to end the whole story here. He did it, but I felt kind of cheated, like the story shouldn't really have ended where it did, and the way it did. It didn't feel properly ended. Especially after the King of the Silver River tells us that Pan has a great destiny to fulfill. I kind of expected to see more of his destiny, but got cheated with that as well.

Plus I think I expected some more closure, a bit more to tie the Word and Void series into Shannara. Where do the druids come from? What happens to the last staff? Are there more demons? How do the druids find (and start using) the Hadeshorn? (At least, I thought Pan and Phryne found their way to what would become the Hadeshorn. So there's another question: was that even the Hadeshorn?) I've never really believed that the two series should lead into one another, but now that they have, I feel like a lot more could have been done to tie them together. Or maybe he'll need one more series to bridge the gap (like something showing what brought about the beginning and end of the first Druid council perhaps?)

I also ran into problems with the characters (I felt like my favourites kind of got the short end of the stick in a lot of cases), but I don't want to complain about that here. That was more of a matter of personal taste (liking some characters more than others) than anything else.

So to make a long story short, I did enjoy reading both volumes in the Legends of Shannara series. I liked Measure a bit better than Bearers, but Measure really faltered at the end. Don't get me wrong, these are enjoyable reads, so if you're looking for a really quick fantasy story, these are for you. But be warned: these are fast books that don't go into as much detail as some readers might like.

Bearers of the Black Staff

2012-01-23T22:24:00.003-05:00

It's been three years since I last read a Terry Brooks book. So I'm not going to lie, I was extremely happy to finally be reading Bearers of the Black Staff.

Five hundred years after the events of The Gypsy Morph, the wall of mist that has encased the valley and its inhabitants is weakening. The last Knight of the Word, Sider Ament, is the first person to see the outside world. Unsurprisingly, what has survived is a rather brutal and savage land. And that land is intent on intruding on the world the valley inhabitants have created for themselves.

Two human trackers and their elf friends are the next people to make their way out of the valley. And unfortunately for them, they stumble right into the middle of the outside world's attempts to get inside. A massive army of Trolls (the people who were formerly known as Lizards) are on the lookout for a new home. And they've decided that the valley is perfect for them. So it falls to one of the trackers, Panterra Qu, to try to organize a meeting of the valley's leaders with the troll leader by the next full moon. Unfortunately, the valley's people are not as unified as Pan made them sound to the trolls.

I have to say, I really enjoyed reading Bearers of the Black Staff. Sure, there were some things that seemed rather predictable to me. But I thought it was a great extrapolation of what life would be like for the valley people when their protective mist barrier finally failed. And of course, there are some great characters, like Prue Liss (the second of the human trackers), the elven twin brothers (friends of the human trackers), and Deladion Inch, the mercenary from the outside world. Bearers of the Black Staff was a great story, and I can't wait to see how everything ends in The Measure of the Magic!

And yes, it feels great to be reading a Terry Brooks once again.

As a side note, I wandered onto terrybrooks.net today, and found, among other things, that he is offering his short story "Imaginary Friends" for sale on the Kindle and Nook for only $2.99 for the next month and a half. All of the proceeds will go to helping Shawn, his faithful Web Druid, pay off his medical bills after successfully battling cancer. You can read more info and find the links to download the story here. (As a side note to my side note, if you don't have either ereaders, you can still read the book on the free Kindle app).

Library Book: Appleseed

2012-01-21T14:11:00.003-05:00

I came across the Appleseed dvd at HMV a few weeks ago. I don't watch much anime, so while the concept intrigued me, I didn't really want to buy the movie then and there. I decided to see if the library had it instead. They didn't have the movie, but they did have a couple of the manga.

What they have labelled as volume 1 turned out to be an adaptation of the movie I was looking at in HMV. Now I'm not going to lie, but it was really hard to follow what was going on. A mercenary (?) named Deunan Knute is brought to the utopia Olympus. A lot of people are after her and I wasn't really sure why. But in Olympus, there are both humans and bioroids (a genetically modified and created new race). The city's administration have decided that humans should no longer live, so it falls to Deunan and her long lost partner Briareos (who is now a cyborg) to stop them.

I have to say, I liked the story, or at least the parts I was able to follow. But the pictures looked like they were screen captures from the movie and it wasn't always clear what was going on. For that reason, my advice is to skip this graphic novel and just watch the movie (although the movie might be just as tough to follow as this was. I'll let you know once I watch it!)

Library Book: Batman: Noel

2011-12-23T13:46:00.006-05:00

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Batman? Batman: Noel! Batman has lost sight of the people he is protecting, becoming rather akin to Scrooge in his outlook towards crime. On Christmas Eve he is visited by three "ghosts" who help him see the error of his ways, and help him change before it is too late.

Written and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, Batman: Noel is a haunting and beautiful tale. This is a must for every Batman fan. I'm hoping to pick it up myself after the holidays so I can read it every year before Christmas!

Library Book: Axe Cop

2011-12-22T13:51:00.008-05:00

Axe Cop. My brother told me about Axe Cop awhile ago. From his descriptions, I knew it would be crazy. He told me to look for it online, which I never got around to doing. Lucky for me, Axe Cop is now available in graphic novel form (and even luckier: the library has a copy!)

I don't really know what to say about it, other than it is awesome. Axe Cop is written by Malachai Nicolle, who was five years old at the time, and drawn by his much older brother Ethan. Axe Cop is a crazy story about Axe Cop and his team as they fight the bad guys in all shapes and sizes.

I really enjoyed the graphic novel because it gave commentary by Ethan. Reading the behind the scenes was just as funny. Alright, maybe not quite as funny. But still entertaining.

Axe Cop just really made me laugh. It is definitely worth reading if you enjoy random silliness. I can't wait for Volume 2 (in graphic novel form!)

Library Book: Shadow's Lure

2011-12-14T23:01:00.004-05:00

Luck was with me: the library ordered Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Lure immediately after getting Shadow's Son; I only had to wait a couple of weeks to read it!

Shadow's Lure takes place only a few weeks or months after Shadow's Son. Caim has struck off into the Northlands with only Kit for company, leaving Nimea in the hands of the new Empress, Josephine.

Caim must be the unluckiest guy in the world. He starts his adventure by getting mauled by a bear. He then stumbles his way into a conflict. The northern country of Eregoth is being taken over by a self-proclaimed Duke and his witch paramour. They have started a reign of terror, with the witch's son (known as "The Beast") murdering villages across the country.

Back in the south, things aren't much better. Josephine is on the throne, but the deposed Church refuses to lose its power without a fight; they are encouraging the people of Othir to riot against Josey. On top of that, a shapeshifting assassin is after her, making it very difficult to know whom to trust.

I enjoyed reading Shadow's Lure, but I did find Josey's chapters a bit of a drag. To me, they seemed to take away from the fun that is Caim's life. About half way through the book, I also ran into a problem with Josey's character that bothered me (I don't want to give spoilers, but it involves things that happened to her in Shadow's Son), so that made it even tougher to get through them. But her story is full of lots of political intrigue, so if you enjoy that you will enjoy reading about what happens to her.

That being said, the rest of the book was great! Caim managed to get into one scrape after another, and also really grew with his powers. He was also separated from Kit for a good portion of the book, and her sections were interesting as well. I will admit though, I was rather confused about where Shadow's Lure was heading, but it really kept me reading! I would love to read the final book, Shadow's Master, but unfortunately I'm going to have to wait until next summer for that.

Mogworld

2011-12-05T18:42:00.003-05:00

I wanted a standalone novel to read, so I settled on Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw. I've had the book for awhile now, but just never got around to reading it. Having read it in two days, laughing my head off during a few parts, I'm rather sad I didn't read it sooner.

Mogworld is the story of Jim. Jim was a student at a battle mage college and died when the college was attacked. Some sixty years later, he is brought back to the world of the living by a necromancer along with most of the people from the graveyard where he resides. He agrees to join the necromancer's undead hoarde, all the while trying just to end his unlife.

But the world he has returned to has changed. The regular living people can no longer die and are brought back to life at the nearest church. Adventures are coming down with "the Syndrome," where they start moving mechanically and lose their personality. And the world's economy has become all about rewarding points to Adventurers. When the necromancer and most of the horde is deleted, Jim strikes out on a quest to find the deleter angels and make them take him, too. But the closer he gets to the deleter angels, he finds himself closer to the world's creators (who tend to talk in gibberish and don't seem as all powerful as they would have you believe). Helping him are the only other two undead minions left, the bubbly Meryl and the dour priest Thaddeus, and the rather inept rogue Slippery John.

Mogworld was a really funny read, reminiscent of Terry Pratchett (at least his later work, not the first two Discworld novels). This is definitely a recommended read for lovers of video games, satire, and Yahtzee's particular phrasing. I laughed really hard at the ending, and just really loved this book.

Interlude: Star Wars Tales Vol 3

2011-11-26T17:02:00.009-05:00

A friend lent me Star Wars Tales: Volume 3. Like the name suggests, this is a collection of short tales (about 20 in total) set in the Star Wars universe. My friend told me this was his favourite of the three volumes; having only read this one, I can't really say if he's right or not. But there were some really great stories here.

This volume opened on a high note with "Resurrection." A secret sect of Dark Side Followers have resurrected Darth Maul. Darth Vader agrees to duel him to the death; the winner will clearly be the better apprentice for the Emperor.

"Hate Leads to Lollipops" was cute but just okay. "The Rebel Four," a parody of the Fantastic Four, was incredibly funny (in a very morbid way).

I enjoyed "Trooper," the story of the Stormtrooper who is chosen to go first when they board Princess Leia's ship at the beginning of A New Hope. "Skreej" was a funny story about the man who was supposed to be working as a guard with the Hutts. He wakes up with all his stuff gone, so he tries to track down what happened to him (and where his stuff is). "Nameless" was the story of why Darth Maul has a double bladed light sabre.

I think one of the funniest stories was "A Wookie Scorned." This one takes place after the Battle of Endor. Han is supposed to be helping Chewie fix their ship, but he keeps disappearing to "debrief" Princess Leia.

"Free Memory" was an interesting story. C3P0 wants a technician to free up space on R2D2's memory banks. The little droid doesn't appear, so C3P0 goes to find him, and in the process finds out what R2D2 has stored inside him.

"Prey" was another interesting story. Tarkin hires Boba Fett to go after a treasonous pilot. Vader believes the Empire should show no weakness and hunt the pilot on their own. So Vader follows Fett, leading to an awesome showdown between the two.

"In the Beginning" is the story of the card game where Lando lost the Falcon to Han. "The Princess Leia Diaries" was another really funny story, telling how wild Leia was as she grew up on Alderaan.

"Tall Tales" had a gang of aliens sitting around telling each other what they knew about the rebellion. It was pretty funny (and a good example of how stories change as gossip spreads them). "Ghost" was a strange tale of a younger Han going on a treasure hunt; he finds a jedi knight instead. "A Day in the Life" was just okay. It's a short story of Wedge a few days after the Battle of Endor. It started out pretty good, but I didn't like the way it ended.

"A Jedi's Weapon" was an interesting romp. On a diplomatic mission, Anakin Skywalker loses his lightsabre and attempts to get it back.

The last really funny story was "The Revenge of Tag & Bink." They left Boba Fett for dead and he's going on a personal bounty against them. And everything leads to the sarlacc pit.

"Once Bitten" was a strange story that didn't seem to fit with the others. While heading to Alderaan. Obi-Wan tells Han Solo a story of him and Qui Gon Jinn trying to help a jedi, but facing off against Aurra Sing, the jedi assassin. The story ends with Obi Wan asking Han Solo for something to help with Luke's lightsabre training.

Everything ended on a low note. "The Duty" is the story of a jedi knight defending the last of the padawans from Darth ader. Knowing he can't defeat Vader, the jedi makes a deal with the dark side.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Tales. They were a varied bunch of stories that were fun to read. If you're a fan of Star Wars and get a chance, you should definitely give this a read!

Library Book: Shadow's Son

2011-11-22T16:53:00.003-05:00

I picked up Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son at the library several weeks ago. It sounded intreguing, so I thought I'd give it a read. But then I got busy and almost sent it back. Lucky for me, I actually read the first few pages before doing so and was hooked!

Shadow's Son is the story of the assassin Caim. He is given a job where he is set up to take the fall while other men rise to power in the city. But with the help of Kit, his spirit friend who only he can see, and Josephine, the daughter of a man Caim was supposed to kill, and with his own ridiculous luck, Caim sets out to find whoever set him up and stop them.

I really liked all the characters in this book. Kit was hilarious, and I wish she didn't wander off quite so much. Josephine was the spoiled aristocrat's daughter, but she had a core of steel that refused to be put down. And Caim himself was great. Like Josephine says, "Take away the fact of his profession and he was the finest man she'd ever known" (206). Caim is loyal, repeatedly risking his own life to save this girl whom he barely knows. And I really liked that he wasn't invulnerable; he gets hurt rather early in the story, and the wound hampers him throughout the tale.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed reading Shadow's Son. I've got the sequel, Shadow's Lure on hold at the library; I can't wait to read more of Caim's story!

Short Story: Nocturne

2011-11-15T00:29:00.003-05:00

While working at the library the other day, I stumbled upon the brand new anthology Angels of Darkness. I was intrigued so I read the back. I'm not entirely sure why, but Sharon Shinn's story "Nocturne" caught my attention. So I took the book out specifically to read that story.

I have to say, I'm really glad I did. "Nocturne" is the story of Moriah, a woman working in a school as a cook. She discovers a blind angel living in a building rumored to be haunted. So she takes it upon herself to push him out of his misery.

I had no intention of reading the other stories in the book. My plan was to simply read the one story and send the book back. But I loved that story so much, I bought Angels of Darkness for my Kindle. I don't know for sure that I'll read the other stories, but I have the option to should I one day decide to. All I know is I loved "Nocturne" so much I wanted a copy of it to enjoy in the future.

I also went today and bought Sharon Shinn's novel Archangel. I liked the world and was sufficiently intrigued by it, I want to learn more!

Library Book: Toads and Diamonds

2011-11-07T20:06:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of books to read which are currently on the List. I also have a couple of library books which I took out late last week. But that didn't stop me from taking Heather Tomlinson's Toads and Diamonds out from the library today. And reading the entire book all in one day.

Toads and Diamonds is the story of stepsisters Diribani and Tana. While going to the village well for water, Diribani meets a goddess who grants her a gift: every time she speaks, precious jewels and flowers fall from her lips. At her mother's urging, Tana also visits the well and receives a gift as well; but it is snakes and frogs that fall from her lips. Diribani's gift looks much more like a gift while Tana's seems to be a curse, particularly in their province where the governor kills snakes.

Diribani finds herself in the company of a prince, while Tana attempts to seek enlightenment. Both girls strive to find meaning in their gifts, to learn what the goddess wishes to teach them.

Toads and Diamonds was a great story. I really liked both Diribani and Tana (although I will admit, I kept yelling at Tana to just understand her gift already!) While there are many other books I could have (or maybe should have) read today, I'm glad I chose this one.

Library Book: Amulet: The Last Council

2011-11-02T15:54:00.002-04:00

The Last Council continues the story of Emily. Along with her family and friends, Emily has arrived at the floating city of Cielis, the stronghold of the Stonekeepers. Finally Emily will be able to get some help from the Stonekeeper Council.

But all is not right in Cielis. The people are terrified, hiding in their homes and unwilling to talk to strangers. Emily and her family is separated from their friends. And the elves are arrested and left in prison (which admittedly isn't that strange. They are elves, after all. One of which is the Elf King's son). And Emily is further separated from her family when she is subjected to the Council's trials.

Admittedly, this wasn't my favourite of the Amulet series. But it was a great interlude where the stakes have just been increased. I look forward to the next installment, whenever that will arrive (as of right now it isn't even announced on Kibuishi's website, so I will probably have to wait quite a while).

Kindle Book: No Plot? No Problem!

2011-11-01T00:19:00.002-04:00

I have decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I've always wanted to, but November was always a terrible month for me due to school. But with school now a thing of the past, and with no other super-pressing concerns, I am finally free to try writing a novel in a month!

Before embarking on the crazy literary adventure that is NaNoWriMo, I decided to give No Plot? No Problem! a quick read through. Chris Baty, the guy who started NaNoWriMo back in 1999, wrote the book as a guide to the entire month. He details what you're up against, encourages you to get snacks, and gives you strategies to help you succeed during the month-long escapade (and beyond, should you choose to continue polishing your masterpiece). Unfortunately, the warning not to read all the chapters until you actually get to the week in question comes at the end of the book; I did read the book from cover to cover, which I wasn't supposed to. But I did enjoy reading it; I am now ready to embark on my month long escapade.

If you want to follow my novelling progress, you can find me on NaNoWriMo. You can also follow my weekly blogging updates here.

The Sleeping Beauty

2011-10-24T23:18:00.003-04:00

After reading Snow Crash, I had to read something that I knew would be all around more appealing to me. So today I read Mercedes Lackey's The Sleeping Beauty, which I have been hoarding since it was published last year. And now that I have the sixth book, Beauty and the Werewolf, now was a good time to get caught up with my reading!

The Sleeping Beauty is the retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and the story of Sigurd and Brynhild all rolled into one (with even more fun!) It begins with the Princess of Eltaria, Rosamund, fleeing an evil Huntsman and being enslaved by dwarves. Rosamund's mother was killed and her father hastily remarried an "evil" sorceress. Rosamund believes that the Huntsmen was sent to kill her by her new Stepmother.

Unknown to Rosamund (and the Kingdom), the new Stepmother is actually Lily, the Fairy Godmother of Eltaria. Lily married the King in an effort to stop the Tradition, the magic of the land, actually forcing Eltaria's king down a dark path. While maintaing the ruse to fool the Tradition, Lily works to save the Princess. But all is almost foiled by the appearance of two men: a roguish middle son, and a Hero who is trying to escape his Doom (and the woman who keeps appearing, asleep in a ring of fire....) Add to that the unexpected death of the King, which leaves Rosamund and Lily scrambling to save Eltaria from invasion.

As usual, Lackey has a wonderful assortment of characters. Rosamund and Lily are both strong heroines; I loved reading about their adventures. Siegfried and Leopold were a lot of fun to follow. And I can't leave out mentioning Luna, the unicorn with the lisp!

The Sleeping Beauty was another hilarious romp through the Five Hundred Kingdoms. I absolutely loved it (especially the end of Chapter 14! I laughed extremely hard when I read that!); The Sleeping Beauty was exactly what I needed to read after being so disappointed by Snow Crash.

Kindle Book: Snow Crash

2011-10-24T00:58:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine has been wanting me to read Snow Crash for awhile now. So when I found out that Neal Stephenson was going to be the keynote speaker at GDC Online (which I attended), I decided it was time to give Snow Crash a read. My friend lent the book to me, but in the interest of travelling as lightly as possible, I bought the book on my Kindle. I started reading it on my flight to Texas and got about 40% through it....and then didn't pick it up again until a few days ago.

Snow Crash is a really interesting book. It's got some unique characters, like Hiro Protagonist, the sword-toting hacker who delivers pizza for the Mafia's franchise, and Y.T., a young Kourier who manages to be in the thick of everything. Hiro and Y.T. get caught up in the search for information on a virtual drug called Snow Crash, which crashes the minds of hackers who are exposed to it.

My problem with Snow Crash was simple: it started out as a really interesting book with the pizza delivery stuff, but then it kind of lost my interest when Hiro started "researching." I say "researching" because it was more along the lines of the Librarian lecturing Hiro. Hiro would ask a question or two, and the Librarian would lecture him for a few chapters. At this point, there would be a chapter of Y.T., the other protagonist, doing something crazy, then back to the lecture. I don't know exactly how long this went on for, but my estimate is 30% of the book. Then, after Hiro was done listening to the lecture, he went off on his own adventure, during which he decided to regurgitate everything the Librarian had told him!

Despite this, there are some really interesting (and awesome) things that happen, particularly with Y.T. The chapters with her really helped me get through the Librarian's lecture.

All in all, the story of Snow Crash was pretty good, but I really didn't like being lectured at. I almost stopped reading Snow Crash a few times because of this. But I soldiered through and did finish the book. But I'm not going to lie, there were more than a few times when I thought I could be reading something else. And now that I'm done, I'm more excited to start something else than to dwell on Snow Crash.

Library Book: Amulet: The Cloud Searchers

2011-09-26T00:49:00.002-04:00

The Cloud Searchers continues the story of Emily and Navin. After saving their mother, they are now on their way to find Cielis, the legendary city of the Stonekeepers. Unfortunately, the city is believed to be either gone or hiding among the clouds. They will need to hire an airship to take them. But few captains are willing to chase after a dream. Few except Enzo and Rico that is.

Once again, the elves are hot on their trail. This time the Elf King has hired the assassin Gabilan to find and kill both Emily and his son. Unknown to him though, his son, Prince Trellis, and Emily have joined forces. Together they plan to take him down once and for all.

Unfortunately The Cloud Searchers is the final volume the library has. Book 4 is on order, so I'll be reading it once it comes in. I can't wait!

Library Book: Amulet: The Stonekeeper's Curse

2011-09-26T00:06:00.003-04:00

Like The Stonekeeper, The Stonekeeper's Curse was a really fast read. Emily and Navin rescued their mother, but she was poisoned in the process. So they are on their way to the city of Kanalis in search of medical aid.

Unfortunately, the Elf King has decided that Emily is too dangerous to have running around. And since she refused to join him, she must be eliminated. To that effect, he has sent his son and Luger, a dangerous elf, to find and destroy her.

Luckily, Emily and Navin are not without allies. In Kanalis, they meet the fox Leon Redbeard, a member of the Resistance. With his help, Emily heads to the Peak of Demon's Head Mountain, looking for the fruit of the gadoba tree. This fruit is the only thing that can save her mother.

The Stonekeeper's Curse continues the fantastic adventures of Emily and Navin. This is a fun story with beautiful illustrations. Once again I can't wait to read more!

Library Book: Amulet: The Stonekeeper

2011-09-25T23:17:00.003-04:00

While looking for a couple of Bone books at Chapters, I stumbled onto Amulet. I read the first little bit in the store and enjoyed it. But rather than buy it, I decided to see if the Library had it. Lucky for me, they had the first three books!

Amulet is the story of Emily and her brother Navin. The story opens with an accident where there father is killed. A few years later, due to financial problems, their mom moves them to their great-grandfather's house in a smaller town.

While attacking the housework the first day there, Emily and Navin stumble onto their great grandfather's library. While looking through some things, Emily stumbles onto an amulet. Swearing her brother to secrecy, Emily takes the amulet with her.

Later that night, everyone hears some strange noises in the basement. Their mother goes to investigate and is captured by a strange creature. Emily and Navin follow it into Alledia, an alternate version of Earth. There they meet their dying great-grandfather, who gives Emily the choice to become the Stonekeeper. Choosing to embrace the amulet's power, Emily can now use her great grandfather's mechanical creations to go save her mother!

This first book was a really quick read. I really like Kazu Kibuishi's style, and can't wait to read more!

Bone

2011-09-06T16:28:00.002-04:00

I started reading Bone a few years ago (before I started this blog). I got the first five volumes from the library. Unfortunately at that time the library didn't have the last four, so I wasn't able to finish the story at that time.

A friend of mine knew I was interested in reading this series, so he got me the one volume edition for christmas. It's taken me awhile, but I finally got around to reading it.

The story starts out with Phoney, Smiley and Fone Bone on the run from Boneville. Phoney's latest scheme got the three cousins run out of town.

The cousins get separated when a swarm of locusts appear. Fone finds himself in a valley where he meets Thorn and Gran'ma Ben. With their help he is reunited with his cousins.

But all is not well within the valley. The rat-men are testing the treay they have with the humans. They are preparing to wage war once again at the behest of the Hooded One, who is the speaker for the dreaded Lord of Locusts. The Hooded One sends the rat-men out searching for the Bone-creature with the star on its chest, which puts the three cousins right in the middle of everything.

As I've already mentioned, I've already read the first five volumes. While I didn't really remember it, as I was reading it everything was familiar. The first few books in particular are really funny with all the antics of Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone.

All in all, this is a fantastic story. Bone is both funny and epic, and well worth the read!

Kindle Book: Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling

2011-09-05T16:31:00.002-04:00

Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling is the second book my friend recommended to me on game design. Unlike A Theory of Fun, this one seemed a lot more technical and harder for me to get through. I am not a programmer and have never programmed anything, so the chapters on designing an interactive storytelling engine were especially tough for me to get through.

But with that disclaimer aside, Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling is a valuable book for game designers to read (and for game writers as well). Crawford details exactly what interactive storytelling is and how it is different from the stories present in games. He talks about the importance of verb thinking, how verb thinking is difficult for English-speakers, and how traditional games still give players the same few choices over and over. His book is difficult to wrap your head around in ways (especially if you are like me and lack certain frames of reference) but it is still worth reading.

About part way through, I came to the realization that I will benefit from rereading this book in the future. It's given me a lot to think about (and has made me want to try interactive storytelling), but I need to go off for a bit (and maybe learn some basics of scripting languages) before I come back to Crawford's theories.

Library Book: Mirror Mind

2011-09-03T18:07:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine at the library recommended Tory Woolcott's Mirror Mind. This is the story of Tory growing up with dyslexia. When it was discovered that she couldn't read, the other kids in school started making fun of her in very hurtful ways. She was eventually sent to a different school that was supposed to cater to kids who need a little more help. Unfortunately she had a rather mean teacher. It was only after she was tutored by someone who was really patient and caring, and later got a teacher who understood dyslexia, that Tory was finally able to show the world that she simply sees things differently from most people.

As someone who has always been an avid reader and never had to deal with dyslexia, Mirror Mind is very eye-opening. This is definitely worth reading whether or not you have struggled with dyslexia.

Thanks for sharing your journey, Tory!

Library Book: Prince of Persia: the Graphic Novel

2011-09-03T16:51:00.002-04:00

I was at work a few days after finishing my first play through of Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time and I went looking to see if the library had the music from the game. Instead I stumbled on Prince of Persia: the Graphic Novel.

Prince of Persia: the Graphic Novel is a really unique story. It is actually a tale of two centuries, where two stories are intertwined. Two separate princes (one an actual prince, and one a man who eventually marries a princess) confront the corruption of the ancient city of Marv.

The first prince, Guiv, is almost drowned by his brother Layth. His sister convinces Layth to forgive him. But while he was under the water, he received visions of the palace in flames and a child with a sword. So even though he is forgiven, he leaves the palace in an effort to discover what the visions mean.

The second story is more about a princess than a prince. She sets out to discover what her teacher has cryptically riddled about. She disguises herself as a boy and heads to a tree marked with a symbol near an old well. There she discovers a mysterious man who hides in the ruins.

Prince of Persia: the Graphic Novel is quite a feat of storytelling. A little hard to follow in places, it is nonetheless worth reading if you are a fan of the Prince of Persia series. And don't forget to read the afterword by Jordan Mechner! That alone has made me want to read both the Arabian Nights and the Shahnameh (although it may be awhile before I have time to get to either of them!)

Library Book: JLA: World War III

2011-09-02T13:59:00.002-04:00

A friend recommended JLA: World War III to me the other day. He said it was a really good book. So I put it on hold and got it once he returned it to the library.

World War III is the story of a super weapon, Mageddon, speeding towards the Earth. Mageddon causes anger and rage, making people fight those they once considered friends. It leaves only death and destruction in its wake.

The JLA gets attacked in their own headquarters on the moon by Lex Luthor and a new Injustice Gang right when they discover Mageddon is coming. They try to warn Luthor that Mageddon is influencing him, but he refuses to listen.

Meanwhile, the world itself is going crazy. Countries are declaring war on one another andlaunching nuclear warheads left, right and centre. Those JLA members who were not on the moon have their hands full trying to save the world from itself.

World War III was a pretty good story, but isn't one of my favourites. I don't really like it when there are tons of superheroes whom I don't know. Yes, I recognized most of them (particularly the main ones), but there were just as many I wasn't familiar with. And with so many superheroes present in the JLA, there's no way to give them all screentime. But if you like the JLA, and having tons of characters throughout a story, you will like World War III.

Kindle Book: A Theory of Fun for Game Design

2011-08-20T17:14:00.003-04:00

I've been reading Ralph Koster's A Theory of Fun for Game Design on and off for the last few weeks. A Theory of Fun was recommended to me by a friend. I was excited to find it on Kindle, which meant it was a lot easier to bring this book along with me. :)

A Theory of Game Design is not a book I would have picked up myself right now without my friend's urging. I've been focusing on books about writing video games, while this is theory about game design. That being said, Koster's book is an extremely good read. He breaks games down and starts a theoretical discussion on both games and players. He uses everyday language, making this book easy to understand. If you are remotely interested in game design, you should definitely give this book a read!

Gwenhwyfar: the White Spirit

2011-08-16T02:22:00.002-04:00

It's been a long while since I have read a Mercedes Lackey book (in fact it's been even longer than I thought- the last one I read was The Snow Queen, back in 2008 when I started this blog). I've been hoarding The Sleeping Beauty, which is the fifth book in her Five Hundred Kingdoms series (side note: I just found out the sixth book is coming this fall! I'm excited!) But my copy of The Sleeping Beauty is hard covered, so I didn't want to bring it out to camp. But then I discovered that Gwenhwyfar was also on the List. And so, since my copy is soft-covered, Gwenhwyfar accompanied me out to camp.

Gwenhwyfar tells the story of Arthur's third queen (by a twist of fate, all three have the same name). Gwenhwyfar is the third of four daughters to King Lleudd Ogrfan Gawr. As a child she has Power, and assumes she will follow in her mother's footsteps by joining the Ladies of the Cauldron. But there is another fate in store for her. For Gwen is also blessed by Epona, the horse goddess. On the advice of her hero, a female chariot driver named Braith, Gwen finds herself training to be a warrior. She falls into this life with a passion, determined to become one of her father's war chiefs.

But it is only after she has achieved all that she dreamt of that fate conspires to make her Arthur's third wife. As the daughter of a king, she always knew that such could be her fate, and so she bows to it. But how can a warrior turn her back on the life she loves?

It took me a bit to really get into Gwenhwyfar. But once I did, it was well worth the read. Gwen is a wonderful character who I really found myself empathizing with, especially when she was required to become more womanly as the High Queen. While I am not a warrior, I understood what she felt when she was confined within the palace. Someone like her will never be happy, no matter how comfortable and pretty the cage is. She needs to be free.

Something that Arthur says near the end beautifully summed this up: "I tried to make you - what you were not. I took a warhorse, and tried to fit it to a plow" (397). Gwen tries - and fails - to be what she is not in order to please everyone else. And in the end this fails because she is not meant for ploughing.

Gwenhwyfar was a beautiful book, especially for anyone who has ever struggled with trying to be something they are not.

The Faerie Locket

2011-08-14T22:44:00.002-04:00

The Faerie Locket is the companion novel to the Dungeon's and Dragons A Practical Guide to Faeries. I found it at the Bookshelf and thought it sounded rather intriguing. While it is written for a younger audience (and it's very obvious about this as soon as you start reading it) I thought it was an entertaining book overall.

Twelve-year-old Jade finds a faerie locket, which transports her to the Feywild. Once there she is transformed into a Pixie. She finds herself at the heart of a war between the Ice Queen and the Summer King. Despite having lost her trove of power, the Ice Queen is trying to conquer the Feywild by freezing it and thereby killing the summer fey. As a desperate last hope, the Summer King has sent the locket to a human girl in the hopes that she will fulfill a prophecy and end the war. There's just one problem: the locket was meant for Vira, Jade's older sister. Can Jade do the impossible and stop the war within three days? Especially when almost everyone doesn't believe she can?

The Faerie Locket is a really quick, light read. I read it in one night while I was at camp. Keeping in mind that this is a story meant for a younger reader, The Faerie Locket is an all around fun story. At its heart it is the story of Jade becoming a hero, even when all the adults dismiss her because she is too young (and later for also being a pixie). My one problem with it came from a misunderstanding: when originally reading the plot synopsis, I thought it was a girl from "our" world that is brought to the Feywild. Instead it is a girl from a fantasy world who is transported to the realm of faeries which exists alongside her realm. Once I got over that, I found the book extremely enjoyable.

A List Update

2011-07-27T21:40:00.003-04:00

Today I decided that enough was enough: I'm cleaning up the List! At the last count I had over 170 novels to read, which realistically would take me over a year. Plus I want to read all of the newer ones I've bought, not the random books I bought on a whim (mostly from the Library).

So I went through my room (mostly my closet), getting rid of both the books I no longer want to read and the books that I read awhile ago and hung onto (but now don't want to reread). I don't know how many books I am getting rid of in total, but I am reducing the List by 46 books.

In case you're curious, here are the titles I am getting rid of:

The Jester

Preludes Volume 1 Darkness and Light

Preludes Volume 2 Kendermore

Preludes Volume 3 Brothers Majere

Heroes Volume 1 The Legend of Huma

Heroes Volume 2 Stormblade

Heroes Volume 3 Weasel's Luck

Demon Lord of Karanda

Queen of Sorcery

Magician's Gambit

Castle of Wizardry

Enchanter's Endgame

Changing Planes

The Cursed

One Hundred and One Ways

The Tower of Beowulf

The Spiral Dance

The SFWA European Hall of Fame

The Dark Beyond the Stars

Alien Chronicles: The Golden Ones

Emperor the Death of Kings

A Plague of Angels

The Death Gate Cycle Volume 1: Dragon Wing

The Shattered Chain

The Genesis Quest

The Tragedy of the Moon

The Left Hand of Darkness

Witch Hill

Restoree

Sleep With Evil

Crusade

London Fields

The Mists of Avalon

Lady of Avalon

The Way the Crow Flies

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

The Doomsday Conspiracy

Mr. Murder

The Deep End

Jurassic Park

Are You Afraid of the Dark

Ford County

Year's Best Fantasy 5

Year's Best Fantasy 6

30th Anniversary DAW

Best New Fantasy

By getting rid of these books, the List is now down to 132 books. While this is still a lot, the number is now a lot more manageable. And now it's full of books I actually want to read.

Between you and me, there are still some books I could probably let go of. If push comes to shove then I will. But for now, I'll hang onto them in the hopes that I read them. I feel better already in getting rid of just this much clutter!

I'm planning on donating these books to the Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline Program. Normally I would trade them at a used book store for more books. But I think I need to actually get through some of the stuff I have right now.

Tales from Wonderland Volumes 1, 2 and 3

2011-07-24T02:33:00.004-04:00

I bought all three Tales from Wonderland graphic novels when I was reading the Wonderland trilogy. I was originally planning a separate entry for each volume, but the stories are all interconnected in ways that don't make much sense until you have read the entirety of the Grimm Fairy Tales Wonderland series. So rather than trying to separate everything, here they are altogether.

Volume 1 has four stories, with one ("The Experiment") rather longer than the other three. The three shorter stories give the origins of the Queen of Hearts, the origins of Mad Hatter, and the story of how Alice "escaped" from Wonderl

and. The final story ("The Experiment") actually ties into the Queen story, and shows how the King of Hearts came to be.

Volume 2 tells the story of what happened to the Cheshire Cat between Beyond Wonderland and Escape from Wonderland. During that time he was trapped as a house cat and taken in by a Japanese college student. This was a great story because it gives the origins of Lina, the girl with him who was never explained in Escape from Wonderland.

The story about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum didn't make a lot of sense in the scheme of things until the end. It actually explained who exactly the Carpenter is. The story about the Red Queen was another really cool tale, but it didn't make sense to me until after I read "The Arrangement," which is the story of how Dodgson bargained with Wonderland to live through his illness. Finally, there was another Mad Hatter story. This one showed the Hatter at peace, and set the stage for his war against the Queen of Hearts.

So that brings us to Volume 3. Volume 3 had a few more origin stories, starting with the White Knight, who becomes corrupted and finally serves the Queen of Spades. There is also the story of the Red Rose, who voluntarily went to Wonderland long before Dodgson made his bargain. Then we get the war between the Hatter and the Queen. And finally we see how Dodgson tried to break his pact with Wonderland all in the name of love.

As I said above, only after you've read all six volumes (the Wonderland trilogy and the Tales) do you really get the full story of Wonderland. So if you have any interest in the trilogy, be sure to give these a read as well!

The Stepsister Scheme

2011-07-21T23:44:00.000-04:00

While wandering around Minneapolis I inevitably ended up in a Barnes and Noble. Browsing the new paperbacks, I found a book by Jim C. Hines, an author I had never heard of before. I wandered into the Fantasy section and found the first book in the series (The Stepsister Scheme), so I decided to buy that instead.

The Stepsister Scheme tells the story of Danielle Whiteshore (aka Cinderella). After her honeymoon with her prince charming (Armand), she is attacked by one of her stepsisters. The assassination attempt is ultimately unsuccessful, but the stepsister reveals that Armand has been kidnapped. And so Danielle, aided by Talia (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow (White) set off to rescue Armand. The Stepsister Scheme takes the girls all the way to Fairy Town as they track down Danielle’s stepsisters.

I really liked the three princesses. Danielle is a friendly girl trying to adjust from being a servant to now being royalty. Talia is a blunt fighter who distrusts almost everyone (most especially the fairies, with good reason). And Snow is a sorceress and a flirt , someone who takes innocent joy in almost everything along the way. It’s great fun to see the three of them interact, and to witness how their friendships grow throughout the book.

Hines does a great job of twisting the fairy tales we all know in a rather believable direction. This book is proof that the stories we all know may well differ from the “truth.”

Wolfsbane

2011-07-16T11:17:00.002-04:00

I've put off reading Wolfsbane for quite awhile now. I really enjoyed the first story of Aralorn and Wolf and was rather excited to start the second. But I've been busy working on other things (getting ready for a conference plus working on a video game) that I didn't really have time for it. And the few times I did, I decided to either read something else (like library books and graphic novels) or whatever else. But now, on my way to my conference, I decided to bring Wolfsbane with me. On the first part of my journey, a seven hour car ride, I started reading it. And I found I couldn't stop! Now in the hotel, I finished the final 40 pages last night (meaning I read the book all in one day!)

I love Aralorn and Wolf, and was really glad to return to their world and story. This time around, Aralorn has received word of her father's death. So after 10 long years, she finally makes her way home to pay her respects. Her family welcomes her back with open arms. Except for Nevyn, her sister's husband who hates magic (even though he himself is a magic user). He discovered that Aralorn was a shapechanger and has hated her ever since (which is why she has been uncomfortable returning home).

When Aralorn goes to pay her final respects to her father, she makes a shocking discovery: her father is still alive! He was ensorcelled as a means of luring Aralorn and Wolf back to her home.

As Aralorn and Wolf evade the traps set for them while trying to free her father, they are left with the mystery of who has done this to her father. And all of the clues lead toward Wolf's father the ae'Magi whom they thought they'd killed...

Wolfsbane is a fantastic story. It is yet another example of why I love the work of Patricia Briggs!

Library Book: Loki

2011-07-14T15:47:00.002-04:00

After seeing the movie Thor about a month ago, I realized that I know very little about Marvel's version of the god. Sure, I am relatively familiar with the Norse mythology thanks to my studies of The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. And in my travels I've seen a few Thor graphic novels that have caught my eye. Finally I decided to read one from the library.

The one I chose was Loki. This graphic novel gives Loki's point of view of events. The trickster god has defeated his step-brother and step-father and is now Lord of Asgard. After parading Thor's humiliated form through the streets, Hela, the Goddess of Death shows up asking for Thor's soul. Loki then debates with himself over whether he is going to have Thor executed. He speaks with those he has conquered, Sif, Baldur and Odin in particular, who paradoxically convince Loki (in his own mind) that he should kill his brother. But he gains other doubts along the way. And the whole time, Thor is locked in prison, slowly regaining the strength to free himself.

This was a really interesting look at Asgard from Loki's perspective. I enjoyed reading it and can't wait to get a hold of more Thor stories!

Escape From Wonderland

2011-07-14T02:59:00.002-04:00

Well here it is: the final part to Calie's story. At the very end of Beyond Wonderland, Calie's newborn daughter was taken from her by her brother Johnny. Johnny has become the Mad Hatter and is serving the evil of Wonderland. They need Calie's daughter so that the evil can break free of Wonderland and invade the real world.

But this time, Calie is through with running and hiding. So she heads back to her home and storms Wonderland with the intention of saving her daughter.

Escape from Wonderland was an epic conclusion to the Wonderland story. As a quote on the back of the book from pendragonpost.com says: "This is very much a thrill ride from start to stop." The artwork through the whole series was fantastic and I am extremely happy to have read this story. Yes it is a darker version of Alice, much darker than pretty much everything I have encountered thus far. But it is a brilliant reimagining of the tale and well worth reading for yourself!

Beyond Wonderland

2011-07-14T02:03:00.003-04:00

Beyond Wonderland takes place a few months after Return to Wonderland. Calie and Brandon have started a new life together in New York City. But Calie is suffering from nightmares of Wonderland. She tries to tell Brandon about what happened but he doesn't believe her - he thinks she's suffering from mental illness like her mother was.

So Calie attempts to go about her life but starts to question her own sanity. On top of that, Brandon goes missing (she believes he leaves her), then her best friend is brutally mauled to death in her apartment. And when her friends throw her a baby shower, a mysterious package shows up - with the dress she found in Wonderland in it.

While a little slow at the beginning, Beyond Wonderland really continued to draw me into the continuing saga of Calie Lidel. I can't wait to finish this trilogy off!

Return to Wonderland

2011-07-14T01:01:00.004-04:00

For my birthday, a friend of mine got me the Grimm Fairy Tales Wonderland trilogy. Before reading it, I decided to reread Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and to read Through the Looking Glass for the first time. Now that I have read both of those (and watched both Disney versions of Alice), I was finally ready to start reading the Wonderland trilogy.

Return to Wonderland is mainly the story of Calie Liddle, Alice's daughter. Alice herself is mentally ill and attempted suicide as the story begins. To help Alice recover, the doctor recommends that her family get her a pet: a white rabbit.

Calie comes home to find the place a wreck. Her mother is in tears, hiding in a closet, with her rabbit missing. Calie follows it into the basement where she falls into a hole and ends up in Wonderland.

But this Wonderland is a gruesome place. She finds the Carpenter and the Walrus (or what's left of him). The Carpenter then tries to kill her too. Escaping, she continues on the path, following rather closely to the path of Alice in Alice in Wonderland but everything has a gruesome twist (and is trying to kill her). Luckily Calie manages to escape with the help of her mother, but she returns to a rather darker home life. The madness of Wonderland is starting to bleed through to the real world, and nothing short of a human sacrifice will stop it.

Yes, it is dark and rather gruesome. But Return to Wonderland had an excellent story and I can't wait to read about what happens to Calie next!

Nonfiction: The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World

2011-07-13T03:30:00.004-04:00

I've had The Introvert Advantage for several years now but never bothered to read it. I think that at the time I read the first little bit and decided that I am an Introvert, and that was good enough for me. But after reading Networking for People Who Hate Networking, I decided that I wanted to give The Introvert Advantage a read before I head to my upcoming conference. I was hoping that I could gain some more valuable networking tips for someone who isn't extroverted.

I took this book's introversion quiz and came to the same conclusion as when I took the one in Zack's book: I am someone in the middle of the introversion/extroversion continuum, but I have tendencies towards introversion. That means that I recharge my energy as introverts do (through alone time, which I was well aware of), but I didn't identify with some of the other common characteristics of introverts. I'm kind of thinking that this may be due to upbringing and other circumstances. And even if I didn't label some of my behaviours as "introverted," I've known for a long time that I like (and need) alone time or I do sometimes feel overwhelmed.

So while I didn't identify with everything in this book, it was good to go over. It didn't have a whole lot on networking as The Introvert Advantage focuses on your entire life rather than just networking. But I got some helpful hints that will hopefully help me retain energy while I'm at my conference. And hopefully they'll translate into my everyday life, too. I'm really glad that I got this book (and finally read it) because I can always go back and reread things as I need to. Which is a good thing, as I didn't quite read the entire book. I skipped over a few chapters that I felt didn't pertain to me (like the one on parenting).

Overall, The Introvert Advantage is a great book to read (or at least skim), for both introverts and extroverts. Introverts can learn some great tricks that can help them survive in this extroverted world (as Laney says, 75% of people are extroverts). And extroverts can learn about the introverts in their life, how they're different and how to deal with that difference. It's a win-win for everyone! :)

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

2011-07-10T03:20:00.003-04:00

I'm really not sure what to make of this one. I finished rereading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and started reading the sequel almost immediately afterwards. But right away I found it more confusing than the first book (although that may be because I have read the first story a few times, while this is only my first time reading Through the Looking Glass).

Where Alice's Adventures in Wonderland uses a deck of cards, Through the Looking Glass revolves around chess. Alice herself is a pawn who must travel across the entire board to be crowned Queen. Along her travels, she meets both the Red and White Queens, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, a White and Red Knight (who fight over her), and many other characters. While it isn't explicitly stated, she also encounters the March Hare and the Mad Hatter from the first book (but she does not recognize them).

Through the Looking Glass is a crazy adventure. It's worth reading, especially if you are interested in all of the newly envisioned Alice stories (like those I mentioned in my last post), particularly if you are interested in seeing how some of the well known characters like Tweedledee and Tweedledum fit into her story. But overall I enjoyed the first book better.

Reread: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2011-07-09T00:57:00.004-04:00

A number of years ago, I wanted to read Alice in Wonderland. So my brother bought me a copy as a present. But before I read that copy, I ended up reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in a treasury I bought for a Children's Literature class. With the wealth of Alice related stories that are now out there, such as the made-for-TV movie I really enjoyed, the video game, and even the new Disney movie, I decided that it was high time I reread the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. And it was high time that I read the version that my brother bought for me!

Alice is a ridiculous but fun romp through Wonderland. After witnessing a rabbit check his pocket coat watch and run off, Alice follows him through a rabbit hole. While attempting to follow him, she meets many strange creatures and has many strange adventures. From growing and shrinking in size, finding a never-ending tea party and playing crochet with live flamingos and hedgehogs, Alice never has a dull moment in Wonderland.

As I said, I originally read Alice for a Children's Lit course. I'm actually really glad that I did so, because I wouldn't have gotten the allusions had I simply read it on my own. Alice likes to try showing off her learning, and every here and there she attempts to recite what were well-known poems at the time the story was written. But Wonderland is a backwards place, and all of the poems turn out wrong. Luckily I was familiar with some of the original poems because I had read some of them earlier in the class, and the others were referenced within that edition of the book.

Alice is a quick read and it was fun to go back to it. But now I am excited because I am going to read Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There for the first time ever!

Library Book: Firelight

2011-07-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

I read Firelight in one night. I was at camp and couldn't sleep. And when I was finally tired enough to sleep, I was so close to the end that I decided to finish it.

Firelight tells the story of Jacinda. She is a draki, descended from the dragons. But she is rare even amongst her kind because she is a fire breather.

Jacinda and one of her draki friends break their pride's rule about flying only during the night. Hunters come after them and Jacinda is almost killed, but she is saved by a beautiful boy named Will. Her pride is going to make an example out of her (and heavily punish her at the same time) but her mother takes her and her twin sister out in the middle of the night. Her sister never manifested and her mother's draki is dormant (dead). Her mother takes them to the middle of the desert with the intention of killing Jacinda's draki so the three of them can live safely among the humans. But Jacinda tries to fight back, refusing to let her draki die.

On top of that, she once again finds Will. And in the middle of the scorching desert heat, the beautiful hunter is the only thing keeping her draki alive.

I thought that Firelight was a Romeo and Juliet type of story about forbidden love between two people. Unfortunately, once I got to the end, I stopped enjoying it so much. The book was very obvious that it was setting itself up for a sequel by leaving things in a very unsatisfactory manner. According to Sophie Jordan's website, the second book in the series is due out this fall.

Two of the reviews on Amazon.com really nailed this book. The one written by Tiger Holland brought up how whiny Jacinda is. And that's really true. She whines no matter what happens. As you get to know her, you really start to lose respect for her. She's a rebellious teenager who doesn't put anyone before herself. And that gets really boring to read about.

The second review I read (by GreenBeanTeenQueen) also made some good points: the interesting part of Firelight is the draki pride. But we don't get to see them, because Firelight quickly becomes all about Jacinda "trying" to fit in at school. GreenBeanTeenQueen also mentions how the other characters seem rather flat, which was very true as well. (Her example is Xander, Will's cousin. We're told he's dangerous, but never shown why that is. We have to take Will's word for it).

So overall, Firelight was entertaining to read, as long as you overlook its flaws. And as long as you don't mind waiting for a sequel (or possibly more) before the story gets resolved.

Library Book: Batman: Long Shadows

2011-06-30T00:12:00.002-04:00

I found Batman: Long Shadows while I was at work today. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to keep reading!

Batman is presumed dead, so it is up to Dick Grayson to don the cowl and convince everyone that Batman lives on. The problem is that Dick Grayson is a very different man from Bruce Wayne. He fights differently and even acts differently from his predecessor. And unfortunately for him, Two-Face has noticed the differences.

So now Dick has to convince everyone (including himself) that he IS the Batman.

This was a really good story. But the graphic novel ends in the middle of a larger story arc. And unfortunately, Batman: Long Shadows is part of a longer story arc which includes Batman: Battle for the Cowl, Batman: Life After Death and a few other volumes. The library has neither of these titles, so it may be awhile before I get my hands on the rest of the tale.

Library Book: The Iron King

2011-06-29T13:06:00.002-04:00

Julie Kagawa's The Iron King caught my eye a couple of months ago. I put it on my Chapters Wish List and then forgot about it. But then a few days ago I saw it go by while working at the library. So I decided to grab it then.

The Iron King is an interesting take on fey. Meghan Chase is the half-human daughter of Oberon. She is unaware of her fey heritage until her brother is kidnapped and replaced with a changeling. Meghan will risk everything to find him and bring him home safe.

And so Meghan embarks on a quest through the Nevernever with her best friend, who happens to be Robin Goodfellow. Along the way she'll meet a cast of fun characters like Grimalkin, a fey cat (who reminds me a lot of Edgewood Dirk from Terry Brooks' Landover series). And all the while, she is being fought over by the other fey, particularly her father and the Winter Queen Mab.

The Iron King was a very good story. It's the first book in the Iron Fey series. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue on with this series, but this book was really good.

Nonfiction: Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames

2011-06-07T02:01:00.005-04:00

My goal was to read Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames in about two weeks; I would have read about a chapter a day. But it looks like I powered through the book a bit faster than planned!

I bought Game Writing while I was reading Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing. Both books were created by the IGDA. While reading Professional Techniques, I quickly discovered that it was the more advanced book. And so I snagged Game Writing from Amazon.

My original problem with Professional Techniques was that, while it is full of extremely useful information, the book is relatively advanced. The problem with Game Writing is that it tends to be a little too basic. The first few chapters were all about the basics of writing a story in general. I found myself very familiar with the majority of the concepts in the first half of the book. And then the last couple of chapters seemed a bit more on the advanced side. I think I need something that's like a happy medium between the two books right now.

Another thing that I didn't like was that unlike Professional Techniques, Game Writing does not have any exercises to try out. With the chapters in Game Writing covering more basic concepts, it would have been nice to attempt actually using them, especially now that I am feeling a bit more confident about what I know. But that's okay. I can either go back to some of the exercises in Professional Techniques or see what the next book I read on the subject of video game writing has to offer!

While I'm on the subject, I think I am going to take a brief break from the game writing books. My brain feels like it needs a fiction break!

Library Book: Networking for People Who Hate Networking

2011-05-29T15:04:00.009-04:00

I am planning a trip to a conference in the near future. Somewhere during my planning, I realized that I have never been to an actual networking event (especially with the intention of networking). So I ran off to the library to grab a few books. I immediately gravitated towards Devora Zack's Networking for People Who Hate Networking because I know I am an introvert; I'm uncomfortable with the traditional networking "rules."

Luckily, Devora Zack provides some great alternatives which work with an introvert's strengths. One big tip is that introverts need to work in some time to themselves so they can recharge their energy reserves. I really enjoyed her book, and I can't wait to give some of these tips a try at my upcoming conference!

Also, I liked the book so much that I decided to buy it on my Kindle! Now I'll be able to bring the book with me and go over things on the plane!

Nonfiction: Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing

2011-05-25T01:07:00.003-04:00

I made a real push to finish Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing tonight. I started reading it a few days ago. While I did persevere, I quickly did realize that it's a bit more advanced than where I'm at. I'm going to need to go and read some of the other books on game writing that I have (which are more basic) before possibly re-reviewing this one. But I am really glad that I read it. I now have a lot more knowledge and insight into video game writing than I had before.

Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing is a book full of articles written by actual game writers. It covers a whole range of topics, from writing game manuals and tutorials to writing for all audiences and for new intellectual properties. I read it from cover to cover, but it's the kind of book you can easily peruse, reading the chapters that pertain to you. Reading the whole book all at once is a bit overwhelming, especially when you are new to game writing. But this is definitely a good book to digest in smaller chunks.

Oh, and my favourite chapter was by Andrew S. Walsh on Writing Tutorials. It was funny and super informative!

Masques

2011-05-23T01:33:00.002-04:00

I've been reading a lot of nonfiction book lately. I was going to bring one of them to work with me yesterday when I changed my mind, opting to bring a fiction book instead. I was going to bring Mogworld, but at the last second changed my mind, choosing Masques instead. And I'm completely glad that I did!

Masques is Patricia Briggs' first book. It's been out of print for years, but was finally reprinted this past fall. Masques is the first book that takes place in Briggs' Sianim world. And while Briggs might think the book isn't as polished as her newer stuff, it was still fantastic to read! I didn't want to put it down!

Masques follows the adventures of Aralorn, a half-blooded shapeshifter, and her mysterious companion, Wolf. Employed by the Spymaster of Sianim, Aralorn is sent to spy on the ae'Magi, the head mage of the land. The Spymaster believes there is an assassination plot against the ae'Magi. But Aralorn uncovers something much worse - that the ae'Magi is not at all what he seems and is using dark magic to fuel his plots. So Aralorn finds herself and Wolf helping a dethroned King lead a ragtag army against the ae'Magi.

As I already mentioned, I really enjoyed reading Masques. I loved the characters, particularly Aralorn and Wolf. Aralorn was a young woman who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself (and who "Does not take orders, [but] will occasionally listen to suggestions"). She was funny, strong and just a joy to follow throughout the book. Wolf was in some ways her opposite, but he was still interesting. Together they were quite a pair! So if you're looking for a good tale with quirky characters, Masques is for you!

Nonfiction: The Woman in the Story

2011-05-19T00:59:00.004-04:00

I bought this book on the advice of a friend from the screenwriting class I took last summer. When my first draft of my screenplay sort of fell apart and I decided I should restructure it with one of my female characters in the lead, I decided it would be a good idea to look The Woman in the Story over.

I have to admit, I had a bit of a hard time getting through this. Yes, I got some good ideas for some things to consider when reimagining my screenplay. But the book seemed to really drag on with lots of lists and parallel lists. And even though I'm not normally bothered by the odd awkward phrase in a book, I found a few too many that they really started to annoy me. Maybe it's the fact that I've been marking papers for a few years. Or maybe I just expect better proofreading from a published book. But either way, if this book is ever republished in a second edition, I hope it's better edited.

My honest opinion is that this is a good book to peruse if you are interested in screenwriting. You should definitely look it over if you want to write heroines. Informative but a bit dense, this is a hard book to read from cover to cover.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Inferno

2011-05-16T15:20:00.002-04:00

I found this series at Chapters the other day. I've never heard of it before, but it seemed really interesting. I decided to buy Inferno because it seemed to sort of stand alone from the others.

Grace Dante suffers from amnesia. She was told she was in a car accident; she can't remember her life before that time. Grace has started having schizophrenic hallucinations. She's also being sexually harrassed by her boss, abused by her boyfriend, and over-medicated by her therapist. But then she meets Sela Mathers, who promises to help Grace see the world more clearly and remember her past.

There's a lot of really cool stuff that happens in Inferno. But I kept feeling like I was in the middle of the story, and that I was missing some major pieces of what happened before this. Inferno helps a bit with that by reprinting a couple of the missed bits at the end of the story, so when you're finished reading this volume you have a pretty good idea of what happened. But I think you'd be better off starting at the beginning of the Grimm Fairy Tales series before jumping into Inferno.

Halo: Helljumper

2011-05-12T01:43:00.002-04:00

I was hoping to learn a bit more about the Rookie from ODST for a blogging project I'm planning. So I decided I'd read Halo: Helljumper in the hopes that I would. Unfortunately Helljumper isn't about the Rookie at all. It's about Dutch and Romeo, two of the other Helljumpers from your squad in ODST.

Romeo and Dutch are best friends. But Dutch's girlfriend, who is also an ODST, was injured and is stuck planet-side. She wants Dutch to take a different position so they can be together. Unfortunately, Dutch doesn't tell Romeo about this (or about his decision) until they are fighting for their lives.

I also have to add, my favourite part of the graphic novel was when a pair of jackals was trying to figure out what was being said on a Helljumper's comm. They don't realize that "blow" means more than just "a strong breeze."

Overall, while I've never really liked Romeo (moreso from the game. He was okay here), I thought this was a great story that doesn't take long to read. It gave a little more background to the game and was just plain fun.

Ever World: Entertain the End

2011-05-02T17:59:00.002-04:00

After everything that happened, the end of Ever World was a bit of a let down. Entertain the End itself was pretty good, but the very end seemed to come too soon. It was like the series should have kept going for a few more books.

Senna is dead, killed by April. And with her death, the group can no longer get home to the "real world." To make matters worse, they are fading; they have to choose: Ever World or the Old World. To David it's a no brainer; he is the first to disappear entirely. Christopher is now tied to Ever World because of Etain. And Jalil is free from his OCD. Only April is left wanting to go back. But even her conviction is waning.

With Senna dead, her army now has no leader. Like the group, they are trapped in Ever World. But they came prepared with heavy weapons and machine guns. They are a rogue force marauding the countryside. And the group is afraid they will join Ka Anor.

So they hatch a desperate plan to create the beginnings of a grand army to eliminate first one threat then the other. Etain's mother will gather the elves. Merlin will go find Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. The group will go to the Dwarves (who hate them because they destroyed their dam on the Nile and killed a few dwarves in the process) to make a deal: Etain's hand in marriage for the dwarves' help first in hiring fairy archers, and in tunneling into Hel's domain to free Thor and Baldur. Jalil sweetens the deal by offering to make the dwarves more technologically efficient. Of course, Hel won't be too happy with this, especially since the group escaped her before. Oh, and Christopher isn't happy with this plan either because he's in love with Etain.

April, David and Christopher succeed in freeing Thor and Baldur. But then Hel appears. April, like a lunatic, attacks Hel and is captured. Just when she believes she is doomed to be tortured by the death-goddess for eternity (and believes she deserves it for killing her half sister), Loki appears, accompanied by Merlin and Odin. The three demand that Hel release April, and then the four return to the dwarves. The book ends with a newspaper clipping, saying that the four kids have disappeared in the wake of Senna. So they all chose Ever World. But you don't get to find out what happened with the grand army. It's kind of a let down of an ending: while they succeed in their immediate goals, you don't get to know what happens in the end. I guess you have to use your own imagination to decide what happens.

So that's it. That's all of Ever World. Overall, the series is definitely worth reading. I really liked the characters (even if I wasn't very fond of some, like April, narrating). The group worked really well together, with their own strengths and weaknesses. It was a lot of fun to figure out what was going on in Ever World and how they were going to get out of the messes that seemed to spring up around them. I also loved how certain characters, like the Norse gods, kept recurring. Loki in particular was a great villain.

On the negative side, some of the things that happened (like the African adventure in Brave the Betrayal) didn't really fit and seemed to come out of nowhere. It was neat that Applegate used many varied religions and deities in the books, but some of the adventures, particularly near the end, seemed to be added on with no real reason or advantage to the plot. Both the African adventure and the Atlantis adventure fit this bill. They both just sort of happened to the group without fitting into the overarching plot. And what did happen in them could have come up in some other way. These adventures were like busy-work (like in the video game Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2 where bandits or trolls or something attacks every single time you travel from one city to the other), detracting from the main story. The books that were really good, such as Mystify the Magician, dealt very explicitly with the main plot.

Ever World: Mystify the Magician

2011-05-02T03:22:00.004-04:00

Wow. Mystify the Magician was fantastic! I didn't want to put it down, it was just so good!

Mystify the Magician starts off where Understand the Unknown leaves off: Christopher is being eaten by a giant. The gang has found themselves in Eire, where giants guard the coastline. After escaping the giant, they meet Etain, the daughter of the king. And for Christopher, it is love at first sight.

Eire is the most civilized land in Ever World. Etain's father rules Merlinshire, which has electricity and even a street car. But during their first night, the gang is awakened: the giant they encountered is dead. Dead by gunshot. To everyone's horror, they have discovered that Senna has brought people into Ever World; people with guns.

Using her army, she besieges the castle. But when the gang manages, through the real world, to stop her from bringing a mortar into Ever World, she changes the game by bewitching Christopher into opening the gate for her army. They take over the castle and leave Christopher for dead. Luckily he encounters Merlin to help him be the hero and stop Senna. But the bad news is that no man can kill her.

Oh, and for more bad news: Loki is here. And he brought Fenrir.

This really was a fantastic read. Hands down, this was the best book of the series. But you need to read everything that came before Mystify the Magician to really appreciate it.

Only one more to go!

Ever World: Understand the Unknown

2011-05-01T22:49:00.003-04:00

This time around it's David narrating once again. After leaving Egypt, the group found a boat that would give them passage back to Greece. A little way into their journey, they realize they're being followed by a magical boat: Merlin. Merlin is after Senna, but not to use her like Loki wants, but to lock her up so no one can use her. Merlin is about to catch them when Neptune appears, upset that the wizard has used magic and in so doing challenged the God. Neptune then throws a hissy fit, sinking the two boats and sending all of the occupants into his city beneath the waves.

After escaping Neptune's wrath (and city), the group finds themselves in Atlantis, where they meet another man who has crossed over from the "real world" (the mayor of Atlantis). He tells them about the Great Scroll, which has all of the rules of how Ever World works written on it. Whoever has the scroll can rewrite the universe. Senna now wants it so she can seize power. April, Christopher and Jalil want it so they can go home. And David, unknown to the others, has a sneaking suspicion of where it is.

I'm approaching the end game of the Ever World series now. Understand the Unknown is book 10, meaning there are two to go. It was also the only book the library was missing from the series, so I'm going to donate it now that I've read it. Understand the Unknown wasn't the best of the bunch, but it was full of important revelations, making it a must-read.

Ever World: Inside the Illusion

2011-04-30T15:21:00.002-04:00

After finishing Brave the Betrayal, the eighth book which was narrated by Jalil, I was expecting David to be the next narrator. But instead, Inside the Illusion is narrated by Senna. This is the first glimpse into Senna's mind, showing you what she's planning and how exactly she thinks. And truth be told, Senna is as cold-hearted as the others think she is. Her mother abandoned her when she was seven, a magical little girl left to learn by herself in Chicago's suburbs. Senna grew up knowing she was different, and rather than trying to fit in, she retained her differences, learning how to use her magic and more importantly how to use people.

After the gang's jaunt through Africa, they find themselves in Egypt. The Nile has been dammed by Dwarves. Sobek, God of Crocodiles, is trapped on one side of the dam, while Egypt is on the other. The group agree to smash through the dam and help him return home. Once in Egypt, they discover that the city has turned within itself. The gods and goddesses are practically dead, remaining almost asleep and immobile. And the city is now run by Amazons. And more importantly, Senna finds herself face to face with her mother, the woman she thought would be a powerful witch, but who turns out to be a self-centred, pathetic thing. Senna decides to use her mother as the gateway for the Coo-Hatch, but she neglected to think of what might happen if her mother refused. If her mother called Merlin....

Ever World: Brave the Betrayal

2011-04-30T02:07:00.003-04:00

I have to admit that Brave the Betrayal was the weirdest Ever World book I have read. During a battle against the Hetwan, the gang heard a gun shot go off. Back in one of the earlier books they had traded a chemistry book to another alien race, the Coo-Hatch (pictured), in exchange for Coo-Hatch steel which can cut through anything (the Coo-Hatch outfitted their Swiss-Army knife with the steel, and the gang has jokingly called the blade Excalibur). While Excalibur gave them protection, the chemistry book gave the Coo-Hatch gun-powder. And now they are threatening to use the gun-powder against the Gods unless the Gods can send them home.

And so it falls to the gang to fix the mess they made. According to Senna, her mother is the only witch powerful enough to open a gateway to send the Coo-Hatch home. But her mother is in Egypt, serving Isis. So they must go find her and convince her to help.

The only problem is that Egypt lies through some "lands that are very strange," as Athena says. And indeed they are. After leaving Greece, the gang finds themselves in sub-Saharan Africa. They encounter Eshu, one of the Orisha, a messenger for the higher gods. He tells the gang repeatedly that they must make a sacrifice to the gods, but the gang refuses. April is Catholic and refuses to respect a false god. And Jalil (who is the narrator) is an athesist who refuses to change his belief because he is told to. Senna, who is with them, becomes livid that they refuse, and with good reason: all five of them get dragged into this weird upside-down world that is like an underworld of Ever World. And so they have to find a way back to the "real" Ever World. And all the while Jalil finds his refusal to make the sacrifice turning into a personal battle of wills with Eshu.

I have to admit, the only Gods that I sort of know that come from Africa are the ancient Egyptian gods. While I have heard of the Orisha before, I do not know what they are like. So I found this whole adventure to be extremely confusing.

But on the plus side, it had Vikings. The gang meets up with their old friend, Thorolf, the Viking they stayed with in Search for Senna.

Ever World: Gateway to the Gods

2011-04-28T13:29:00.002-04:00

I have finally started reading the Ever World books I got from the library! The first one is of course Gateway to the Gods which is narrated by April. The group managed to save Dionysus (but they were unable to save Ganymede) from the Hetwan and have made it to Olympus. Christopher, as promised, is offered immortality (although he turns it down because he feels he owes Ganymede a debt which cannot be repaid). The rest are promised immortality should they defeat the Hetwan who are even now surrounding Olympus. And so David jumps up to the task, becoming the general like Senna had predicted back in Search for Senna. The problem the Greeks face is multiple: the Hetwan greatly outnumber them and they have no central figure to rally around. They're also fighting war without the centuries of innovations the real world has experienced. So David is able to bring his knowlege of the 21st century in to help the Greeks succeed and save Olympus (and more importantly their gods) from the Hetwan.

Ever World: Fear the Fantastic

2011-04-24T21:39:00.002-04:00

Well, here I am, half way through the Ever World series. This time around it's Christopher narrating. The gang had just escaped Fairy Land (well, left Fairy Land and will probably never be able to return after they brought Nidhoggr, who had destroyed parts of the Goblin Market). And then they stumbled into Hetwan country. Welcome to Ever World. The geography has been rather messed up from the get-go as they went from Viking lands to Aztec lands with only a day of travel. But now they're in the alien Hetwan lands, which is one of the last places they want to be.

Not long into their journey in enemy territory, they get caught and brought to join the revels of Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine. He's being brought to Ka Anor, the god of the Hetwan who eats other gods. After promising Christopher immortality, Christopher and the others agree to help Dionysus escape and return to Olympus. The only problem: Mount Olympus lies on the other side of the Hetwan lands. To get there, the group will have to pass right through the Hetwan's city, which is the stronghold of Ka Anor. And while they have a god on their side this time, Dionysus can't do much more than throw a party.

Yet again, Fear the Fantastic was a good read. I can't wait to start Gateway to the Gods, which is also the first Ever World book that I got from the library.

Batman: R.I.P.

2011-04-20T21:49:00.002-04:00

When I started reading Batman: R.I.P., I had a bit of trouble figuring out what was going on; it felt like I was starting in the middle of the story, with Batman going steady with some girl (and it took quite awhile before they even mentioned what her name was). But once I got over that, more and more I was reminded of Knightfall, Part 1. But unlike Knightfall, where Bane was physically trying to break Batman, coming after him while he was physically very weak, Batman R.I.P. was concerned with breaking Batman's mind.

In Batman R.I.P., The Club of Villains has targeted Batman. They have gone after Batman, targeting his friends and releasing the Joker, all in the name of gambling. Assurred by their host that the Bat will break, it is simply a matter of deciding how and when. But have they severely underestimated him? Or is the world's greatest detective's mind about to fracture into insanity forever?

While I didn't enjoy this as much as Knightfall, I felt like Batman R.I.P. was written in the same spirit. Both stories were concerned with breaking the Bat. And both were good reads. Knightfall was just a lot less confusing (and in my opinion just overall better).

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader

2011-04-20T03:11:00.003-04:00

I took a bit of an Ever World break in favour of some Batman; I'll be writing a column for work on books in the near future with Batman as my chosen topic so I thought I should read one or two more before it's due. I was also in a Neil Gaiman kind of mood so Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader was perfect.

The main story was really interesting. Everyone whom Batman touched, both friend and foe, were gathering for his funeral. And everyone was telling stories of how he both lived and died. Unfortunately these stories were all extremely different, leaving you with no real idea as to what was the truth. And over it all, the Caped Crusader himself watched, invisible along with a mysterious other. Whatever Happened was, in true Gaiman style, very intriguing; a fun read that leaves you trying to solve the mystery of what's going on right along with the Bat.

My version was the deluxe edition, which included a few other tales There four stories were all in widely differing art styles. It took me a bit to realize that they were also written by Gaiman. The first one, "A Black and White World," was pretty fun, featuring Batman and Joker rehearsing and acting out their roles for the comics; here they are just two guys who chose a career as comic book actors. "Pavane" was a strange story featuring Poison Ivy. It was a little hard to figure out (and, in my opinion, the worst story in this edition). Finally, "Original Sins" and "When is a Door" were related. "Original Sins" is the story of a man wanting to film a documentary on the human side of the villains; he is visited by Batman, who warns not to proceed. "When is a Door" is the interview of the Riddler. It was a bit confusing, but that was okay, because you do not go to the Riddler for answers. While not my favourite, this tale had the best ending.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. This was by no means my favourite Batman graphic novel (or my favourite Gaiman stories), but altogether this was entertaining and makes you think.

Ever World: Discover the Destroyer

2011-04-19T16:31:00.004-04:00

This time it's fairies. At the end of Realm of the Reaper, the group stumbled on Nidhoggr, the dragon who lives rather close to Hel's underworld domain. They have agreed to help him recover four treasures which were stolen from him by Leprechauns. But to ensure that they return with the treasures, he replaces their hearts with rubies (except Senna's. It's later revealed that her heart is too hard, and the dragon is too cheap to use a diamond); after six days the rubies will explode in liquid fire, killing them.

And so they find themselves in a Goblin-style Market with the very capitalist Fair Folk. After mentioning Nidhoggr, they then find themselves in the Fairy Castle. So everyone else can get away, Senna claims her half-sister April is the witch, which the Fair Folk and their resident Hetwan believe. But Jalil comes up with a very capitalist plan (introduce the Fair Folk to the telegraph) in an attempt to raise money to buy the treasures and free April. But in case that doesn't work, David heads back to Nidhoggr, having figured out how the dragon can fly in and simply get his stuff back (and April).

Discover the Destroyer had a very different feel from most of the other books (Realm of the Reaper in particular). It was a bit ludicrous, but all in all rather light-hearted and fun.

Ever World: Realm of the Reaper

2011-04-18T23:37:00.003-04:00

Realm of the Reaper. This time it's Jalil's turn to narrate. And this time the group heads straight back into Norse mythology. After wandering in the woods, they find themselves in "Her City," guarded by eunuchs. The eunuchs keep everyone (almost entirely good looking men) inside of the city so they cannot escape her. The "her" everyone is talking about is Loki's daughter, Hel, goddess of the underworld, half beautiful woman and half corpse (also pictured on the cover). It seems she has her way with her chosen man/men and then submits them to eternal torments in the underworld. And this time around it's Jalil, David and Christopher she wants because they're from the "Real World."

Realm of the Reaper was also a great learning point. It gives some insight into exactly why Jalil is present. Where April is her half-sister, Christopher her ex and David her current boyfriend, Jalil didn't really fit with them. But Senna specifically chose him to be there. And for all of his outward appearances, in the "Real World" he fights OCD.

In a series that can be rather creepy and gruesome, Realm of the Reaper was probably the creepiest. But it was still a really good read. Now I can't wait for Discover the Destroyer (which is once again narrated by David).

Ever World: Enter the Enchanted

2011-04-18T01:06:00.005-04:00

I guess I'm still quite interested in Ever World as I just powered through book 3! This time around it was April, Senna's half-sister, who was narrating. And they had a run-in with Merlin and some of the knights of the round table (Galahad, Gawain, Perceval, Gareth and Kay in particular). In the spirit of Sarah Zettel's Camelot series, I found Enter the Enchanted to be quite a good read, especially since it gave a new look at many of the people I enjoyed from Zettel's series.

This time around, the gang has found Senna. But they are attacked by a dragon, which is sent off by Sir Galahad. They find themselves the guests of the knight at one of his castles. Unfortunately, they are not the only guests as Loki has also shown up, demanding Senna.

Enter the Enchanted had a lot more adventure than Land of Loss. Rather than wandering around lost, this time around the gang seemed to make more decisions for themselves. And while my favourite narrator is still David, April was a lot better than Christopher. So I guess that means Jalil will be next in Realm of the Reaper.

Ever World: Land of Loss

2011-04-17T21:45:00.002-04:00

Well, my suspicions were correct: Ever World is a lot like Animorphs. Not the subject matter or anything. But the whole idea that it's a group of teenagers. And every book is narrated by a different one.

Land of Loss picks up right where Search for Senna leaves off: the vikings are battling the Aztecs (although now you get Christopher's narration rather than David's. If you're familiar with Animorphs, Christopher is rather similar to Marco). And all I can say is that these are the luckiest kids ever. They not only survive Loki's keep in Search for Senna, but now they have to deal with their team (aka the Vikings)losing to the Aztecs. And yes, they somehow survive. But now they are left wandering in the jungle outside of New Tenochtitlan (the Aztec city). They encounter some alien people (the Coo-Hatch) who have also been brought into this world; unfortunately, the Coo-Hatch have been here for 100 years and have yet to find a way home. And so their story continues as they try to survive in Ever World.

While Land of Loss had a different feel from Search for Senna, I still found it hard to put down (although I much preferred the narration of David over Christopher).

Ever World: Search for Senna

2011-04-16T20:02:00.006-04:00

School is over, leaving me free to read whatever I want now. I was originally going to read something like Mogworld by Yahtzee Crowshaw, but in the end I decided to go with the first Ever World book. I apologize for the spoilers that will inevitable happen as I review all twelve books.

Ever World came out around the time when K.A. Applegate was also working on Animorphs. I was really into the Animorph books, so I was interested in reading something else by the same author. For reasons I don't remember anymore, I just never picked these books up at that time (probably because I was already into one indefinitely long series and didn't want to get into another one at the same time). So a year or two ago, I found the first six books for sale at a used book store. It was a really good deal, and I thought that might be all of them. Unfortunately, when I got home I realized that this was only the first six of twelve books. But with the help of the library and a local used-book store (the Bookshelf) for the 10th book which the library was missing, I was able to get a hold of all of them; I'm going to read them all one after the other (as long as I stay interested in them).

Search for Senna opened with a bunch of teenagers sort of fighting in a parking lot. I was intrigued with some of the stuff that was going on (it was a fight over a girl between two guys), but I wasn't sure that I cared enough to keep reading. But I soldiered on, and am extremely glad to have done so! Not long after the fight, this group of teenagers gets transported into Ever World when Fenrir, the wolf from Norse mythology, kidnaps Senna. The rest of the group finds themselves prisoners of Loki. They escape and find themselves in a viking village and later heading off to war. Meanwhile they have no idea where Senna is, and everytime they fall asleep they find themselves awake in the "real world."

After all of my viking reading late last year, how could I not be intrigued by this? I even knew more about some of the stuff that happened than the know-it-all smart kid Jalil (of course the giant snake is Loki's son - it's the world serpent!) I honestly think I'm enjoying Ever World more now (thanks to my readings of the Eddas) than I would have back then! Ever World is off to a great start and I hope it keeps my interest through all twelve books!

School Book: Convent of Pleasure

2011-04-03T15:38:00.002-04:00

Here it is: the final School Book of my MA. In a way, Margaret Cavendish's Convent of Pleasure (which is included in Paper Bodies: A Margaret Cavendish Reader) was the perfect last reading because it is an extremely short play. At a time when it's getting harder and harder to concentrate on school related things, short is a good thing.

That being said, I thought Convent of Pleasure was just okay. It is the story about the Lady Happy, who decides she wants to retire from the world of men and live only in the company of women. Her father has just passed away, leaving her as his sole heir, so she has the money and the grounds to provide for herself and her selected ladies, to the vexation of the men who wanted to woo her. Convent of Pleasure starts out as a fun romp, but loses its appeal by about Act 3. Both Acts 3 and 4 have weird plays which are meant to show the pleasuarable activities the ladies are occupying their time with. But the way it is written, these scenes kind of go all over the place so it isn't always clear what is part of the play within a play and what is the character's own lamentation. I guess it was a good idea that just didn't quite work.

But now that I have read this, I just have to write a few papers and then I am free to read the books that matter to me! I can't wait!

Reread: Charlotte's Web

2011-03-28T01:41:00.005-04:00

For the class I TA, I had to reread Charlotte's Web. I've read it a few times in the past (both when I was younger and when I took Children's Lit a few years back). And I have to say, reading it again felt like revisiting an old friend. There were a few things I didn't remember until after they happened, but otherwise everything was very familiar, especially all of the characters. Charlotte's Web really is a wonderful story and I'm glad I had this chance to reread it.

For those that don't know this story, it is all about the young pig, Wilbur. He discovers that he is going to be killed by the farmer in the winter. His best friend, the grey spider Charlotte, decides that she's going to save him. It really is a lovely tale, and well worth reading, no matter how old you are!

Also, here is a picture that I had drawn on the back inside cover of my copy when I was younger. :)

School Book: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore

2011-03-28T01:37:00.003-04:00

Today I read John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. I've never read anything by John Ford before, and this was quite the introduction to his work.

The play starts out with Giovanni telling his tutor that he is in love with his sister. His tutor, a Friar, tells the young man to pray to heaven in the hopes of redemption from this wicked path. But Giovanni goes to tell his sister, Anabella, about his feelings, only to discover that she feels the same way about him. But she is being pressured to choose a husband.

And so this is the story of their incestuous relationship and all of the complications that arise around it. I wasn't expecting the subject matter, but it was a really good play and I really enjoyed reading it.

School Book: The Changeling

2011-03-19T19:07:00.002-04:00

Today I read The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. It's the final play that was included in Three Revenge Tragedies. I don't normally like to do this, but I am going to talk about some very specific points in the plot (particularly the ending), so *Spoiler Alert* for anyone who plans on reading it.

I thought The Changeling was a really great read. Like The White Devil, it is about a strong female character, in this case Beatrice-Joanna. Beatrice is due to marry Alonzo by her father's orders within a few days, but she meets and falls in love with Alsemero. Deciding that she would rather marry Alsemero, she enlists the help of De Flores, her father's servant who is in love with her, to off Alonzo so she can be with the man she loves. But De Flores will not be bought off, but instead insists that she pay him with her virginity.

The most surprising thing about this play was the ending. The sub-plot involves two gentlemen who are respecitively feigning being mad and being a fool to gain the love of Isabella, the wife of the Doctor. They are found out, and the Doctor's man, Lollio sets them on a collision course to kill one another. At the same time, because they are both missing from court, they are blamed for Alonzo's death. Alonzo's brother seems ready to go after them in revenge. But none of that happens. Alsemero finds out that Beatrice was unfaithful to him, and he discovers with whom. The two confess to Beatrice's father and Alonzo's brother, but kill themselves before anyone else can make a move. And so they die, but bring everyone else back together.

While I did really like The White Devil, I thought the ending of The Changeling really put it apart from pretty much all of the revenge tragedies I have read so far. There wasn't a big pile of bodies at the end. Instead only the two who deserved death were dead at the end. And by dying by their own hands, no one had to be punished for seeking their own revenge. The Changeling was a fantastic play, which was well-worth reading. It was definitely one of the best out of this class!

School Book: The White Devil

2011-03-19T19:04:00.004-04:00

I read The White Devil over a week ago, but I guess I forgot to write about it.

I liked The White Devil a lot more than The Revenger's Tragedy. I think this was partially because The White Devil wasn't built up as much as The Revenger's Tragedy was. It was also a lot easier to figure out what was happening. It also had a lot more happening much quicker than The Revenger's Tragedy.

The White Devil is the story, rather loosely based on the real-life figure, of Vittoria Corombona. Vittoria is married to Camillo, but her brother panders her to his lord, the Duke of Brachiano. They fall in love with each other, and hatch a plot to kill off their spouses so that they can be together. The plot succeeds, but brings about some unexpected complications, such as the ire of a Cardinal, Brachiano's wife's husband, and Lodovico, an Italian count who loved Brachiano's wife. Things quickly get out of hand, ending quite tragically for almost everyone involved.

The White Devil isn't quite as crazy as The Revenger's Tragedy, but I thought it was the better of the two plays. It had a better pace and was just a lot easier to relate to. And the character of Vittoria was far better crafted than any of the characters from The Revenger's Tragedy.

School Book: The Revenger's Tragedy

2011-03-05T20:12:00.004-05:00

Like Women Beware Women, Three Revenge Tragedies has multiple plays in it (The Revenger's Tragedy, The White Devil and The Changeling). Like the plays in Women Beware Women, I'll write about these plays separately

Today I finished reading The Revenger's Tragedy. I was rather excited to read it because a few people have told me that it's really good. And it was pretty good, once you can figure out what's happening. I think the main problem is that the protagonist enters the play already seeking revenge. It seemed to take a lot to figure out what had happened to make him want revenge against both the Duke and his son. But not knowing what had happened didn't really hamper the play. It still built up momentum and came to a fantastic (and somewhat hilarious) conclusion.

So even though it seemed a bit tough to figure out the beginning of the play, it was a great read. This is another one which I heartily recommend!

Kindle Book: The Frugalista Files

2011-02-21T02:00:00.005-05:00

I have just finished reading my first entire book on my Kindle! And I have to say: it is awesome to read on! :D

I found The Frugalista Files while browsing through the Superstore's book selection. Rather than buying it, I decided to see if it was available on the Kindle Store. I was super excited when it was - I saved a few dollars in true Frugalista style! ;)

The Frugalista Files tells the story of a pivotal year in Natalie's life. At the beginning of the year she was $20,000 in debt. Employed at the Miami Herald, she was unhappy with her job. So she decided to turn her life around. She took a vow of frugality for the month of February in which she would not spend money frivolously. And she pitched the idea of blogging about her experience to her paper's editors. And thus Frugalista was born!

Her blog was such a success that she kept it going after February. Over the remaining months of the year, she stayed smart about her money, whittling her debt down to about $14,000 by the following January. But on top of that, becoming a Frugalista made her take a serious look at other aspects of her job. Eventually she gained the courage to strike out on her own, becoming a freelancer and promoting her brand full time.

Natalie's book was a lot of fun to read. She has her own unique voice that really came through. And while I can't even imagine living life like she did (my city isn't the party or shopping-central that Miami is), I even learned some great tips for a more frugal life! Thanks Natalie! :)

School Book: The Tragedy of Mariam

2011-02-13T03:31:00.002-05:00

I haven't really felt like reading any school books lately. But I buckled down and actually read The Tragedy of Mariam earlier this evening. It was a short read, which was great. Some of the speeches were a bit long and there were a few places where I wasn't altogether sure what was happening, but it was an okay read.

The basic story (spoilers!) is that the king, Herod, is presumed dead by his people and his queen, Mariam. This turns out to be false, leaving many people, Mariam included, rather unhappy. But Herod's sister, Salome, turns this to her advantage, getting rid of her unwanted husband and her sister-in-law to boot. In the end Herod realizes his mistake: Mariam was not untrue to him. But unfortunately it's too late, as he's already put her to death. The argument, which is right at the beginning of the play, gives all of this away, which was why I didn't feel too bad repeating it here.

The really interesting thing about this play is that it is what's known as a "closet drama." It was written by a woman in the 17th century. It was intended to be read by her friends and herself; it was not intended for publication. I thought that was pretty fascinating as we always hear of the male playwrights of the period (like Shakespeare, Middleton and the like), but no females. For that reason alone, this is worth a read.

The List Update

2011-02-06T17:53:00.006-05:00

Today I was trying to clean up my closet a bit and decided that I wanted to read something. I've had a stack of books that were more or less along the lines of romance that I've picked up pretty cheaply from the library used book sales. So I went through that and picked one that sounded pretty interesting.

The book I chose was Full of It by Wendy French. I got about 50 pages in when I realized that I really, really don't care. And so I did something that I don't normally do: I stopped reading. Normally I power through books whether I like them or not. But this time I decided not to. When I was at work the other day, a lady came in and told me that she doesn't keep reading; if a book doesn't catch her interest in the first 50 pages or so, she puts it down. While I doubt I'll do that for every book that I can't get into, I felt totally okay with putting this one down.

So that gave me the courage to get rid of several books that I'm really not interested in. Most of them were romance, which I'm not overly thrilled to read. Yes I like Linda Howard books, but most of the stuff here sounded vaguely interesting when I bought it several years ago. And a few were books that I had started reading and just couldn't be bothered to finish (I put them down thinking I'd pick them up again one day. But no, I don't really want to).

So here's what I have decided to get rid of without reading:
Star Wars Rogue Planet by Greg Bear
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Full of It by Wendy French
4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell
The Spy Who Loved Me by Julie Kenner
Dates From Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland
A Fiend in Need by Maureen Child
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie (I can't remember if I read this or not)

I also decided to get rid of a few books that I have read and hung onto. I think I intended to read them again in the future someday, but looking at them now I'm not really interested in them.

It's not a lot, but this will help clean things up so the List has books that I actually intend to read on it. All of these books will either be traded in for credit at my local used book store or be donated back to the library (I think the library used book sale was looking for romance).

This brings the List officially down to 156 books (although I know there are a few books in my closet that aren't included on it. I'll have to fix that one day).

School Book: Bartholomew Fair

2011-02-06T03:22:00.003-05:00

Today I read Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair. I didn't really feel like reading it, but now that I have I can work on other things tomorrow (and sleep in! I'm super tired right now!)

But that being said, Bartholomew Fair was a pretty entertaining read. It was a bit hard to follow at times (particularly when one of the characters started speaking in stage-Scots). But the characters were all pretty funny. Like most of the other plays I've read so far for Sex, Gender and the Early Modern, Bartholomew Fair was a city comedy, so it shows the citizens engaged in daily life (although you can't take this as a depiction of accurate daily life for the Elizabethan/Jacobean people).

Bartholomew Fair tells a strange tale about marriage and courtship. A widow will only marry someone who is mad. A young gentlewoman is supposed to marry a rather childish man, but would prefer to marry anyone else. These people are all running around the Bartholomew Fair, encountering prostitutes and cutpurses.

As I said, it's an entertaining read. If you're looking for something a bit different from Shakespeare, definitely give Bartholomew Fair a try!

Library Book: Adventures in Cartooning

2011-01-31T00:12:00.002-05:00

I saw this while I was at work the other day. I started reading it, and had to finish it just because. It wasn't very good, but it was reall, really funny.

This book teaches you how to cartoon, thanks to the Magic Cartooning Elf. He helps a knight on the way to rescue a princess by teaching the knight all about how cartoons work.

I really don't have a lot to say about this. It's funny and worth reading because of that. I think it's a great book for kids to learn a bit about cartoons.

School Book: A Chaste Maid in Cheapside

2011-01-22T20:27:00.002-05:00

A Chaste Maid in Cheapside is one of the other plays included in Women Beware Women. I didn't have to read A Chaste Maid in Cheapside yet, but it was rather short so I decided to read ahead a bit so I can concentrate on my second class this week.

I have to say that I really enjoyed A Chaste Maid. There's a lot going on in this play, and once you understand just how bad most of the characters are, it's really funny. Moll, the daughter of a goldsmith, is being courted by two men. One of them, Sir Walter Whorehound, is an adulterer, and happens to be the man her parents approve of. The other one, Touchwood Jr., is the man she loves, but her parents want nothing to do with him. Moll and Touchwood Jr. try multiple times to get married in secret, but every time they are thwarted by her parents. Sir Walter has many kept women, including the wife of Master Allwit, by whom he has three children. Master Allwit knows he is being cuckolded, but could care less - he gets to coast through life without having to pay for anything. So the subplots tend to revolve around adulterous affairs with the other women in the play.

I have to say, I love the irony with Moll's name. As I learned from The Roaring Girl, "Moll" was a common name for a whore. And the Moll of this play happens to be the only chaste maid in Cheapside (which is another irony - the joke is that there are no chaste maids in Cheapside).

I admit, right near the end I wasn't quite sure if this was going to be a tragedy or a comedy. The very end was unexpectedly surprising. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this. It was short and good fun.

School Book: Epicoene or the Silent Woman

2011-01-21T02:07:00.002-05:00

This is the first play I've ever read by Ben Jonson. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Luckily Epicoene or the Silent Woman was a lot better than The Roaring Girl. It wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but it was highly entertaining and all came together in the end quite nicely.

Epicoene is the story of the gentleman Morose. Morose has decided that his nephew and heir, Dauphine, is good for nothing, so he wants to marry so his nephew will be disinherited. The only problem is that Morose absolutely hates noise, so he needs to find a woman who is relatively silent. He finds what he thinks is the perfect woman and marries her immediately, only to find that things aren't what they first seemed. Epicoene is a hilarious comedy full of all kinds of unpredictable twists. The only problem was that the dramatis personae gave away the biggest twist of all, which really took away from the play as a whole. Other than that it is a great read.

School Book: Women Beware Women

2011-01-10T01:50:00.003-05:00

This book has four of Thomas Middleton's Plays: A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, Women Beware Women, The Changeling, and A Game at Chess. I won't be reading all four of these plays for this class, so I decided to write about each play as I finish it. So far from this book I have only read Women Beware Women.

Women Beware Women is a strange tragedy. It takes you on a crazy adventure through lies, lust and more lust. It starts out with a man who has just married a gentlewoman; he tries to hide her in his mother's house while he is away for a few days. But by chance the Duke sees her sitting in a window and desires her. At the same time, an uncle desires his neice, so his sister spins a false tale to make her brother's dreams come true.

Women Beware Women is largely a tale of deceit. But the treachery goes so many ways, it will keep you reading out of curiosity to see the story through to the end!

The List 2011 Update

2011-01-04T03:14:00.004-05:00

Last year was my worst reading year since starting this blog in 2008. Back then I made 59 posts so read almost that many books in half a year. In 2010 the number was only 51 for the entire year, which made me incredibly sad (and most of them were school books. Although I didn't seem to have much luck with the non school books I read over the summer). Couple that with the List exploding to 160 books (and I don't know how many nonfiction books I have right now) and I am really sad. But on the positive side, as I mentioned in the post on The Roaring Girl, I have only one term left of my MA, so that means I am almost finished reading school books for a long time (I don't want to say forever because I don't know if this really is the end of school for me forever)! I am a bit worried that this number will get way bigger now that I have the Kindle, but I'll deal with that when it comes. I am considering going through the List though and getting rid of things I probably won't enjoy (like some of the romance novels I've picked up from the library book sales). I don't like doing that though because sometimes books surprise you when you read them. So that's how things stand right now. I might try to utilize the anthologies I have stocked up for when I really need a break from school reading (which is what all the anthologies were for - I stocked up on them when I thought I was going into Psychology, not English). Well, hopefully I'll be able to start knocking the List back down soon!

School Book: The Roaring Girl

2011-01-03T23:16:00.005-05:00

I'm really sad that I had to start the year off on this blog with a school book. I was in a reading mood this holiday season and really wanted to read one of my Mercedes Lackey books that are backed up. But on the plus side this is my final term before I am free to read whatever I want, so here's to plowing through these last few books.

The Roaring Girl sounded to me like it would be a lot of fun to read. I mean, the title character is a woman from the 1600's who dresses like a man and generally stirs up trouble. The basic idea of the story is that Sebastian Wengrave wants to marry someone whom his father thinks isn't rich enough. So Sebastian tries to shock his father into letting him marry her by pretending to be madly in love with the Roaring Girl. From the back of the book, the play sounded hilarious and I couldn't wait to read it.

Unfortunately, the summary was a lot better than the actual play. The Roaring Girl doesn't make an appearance until quite a ways into Act 2. And Act 2 is full of random people who aren't really interesting in the whole scheme of things. (It's a bunch of women and men who run some shops. Gentlemen show up and try to cuckold the shopmen). Quite generally, everything that happened seemed rather boring. I honestly had a hard time reading this and I'm glad it's over. I'm also really glad that I did finish it rather than letting it linger on. I'm sure we'll have some interesting things to say in the class about it, but if you're just interested in the play on its own, you're better off giving it a pass for something by Shakespeare or Marlowe.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

2010-12-29T03:24:00.003-05:00

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this one. I finally bought the Arkham Asylum 360 game and decided I wanted to read the graphic novel before beating it (I've played through quite a bit of the game at a friend's place so I know a lot of the story for it). I was prepared for the graphic novel to be a bit weird, especially with the art of Dave McKean, but I really wasn't prepared for this. My big problem was that I had a hard time following the story. There were quite a few parts where I wasn't sure what was going on. There were other parts where I couldn't follow the panels (by the end I figured them out but there were a few places where it looked like you could read them in a couple of ways). And I had a hard time reading some of what the Joker said (his speech was written in crazy letters in red ink).

The basic idea is that the inmates of Arkham take over and want Batman. Batman rises to the challenge (mostly going so the inmates will give up their hostages relatively unharmed). But once inside he has to struggle with his own sanity as well as those inside. Running parallel to Batman's story is the story of Arkham, the owner who converted the house into an insane asylum.

There were some cool moments (like Two-Face being weaned off of his coin). I'll probably try rereading it one day (as an attempt to better follow the action). But all in all this definitely wasn't one of my favourites.

I Got a Kindle!

2010-12-28T00:18:00.004-05:00

I was going to write about this a few days ago but just never really got around to it (and I couldn't decide if I should write about it here or on Shauna's World, but decided here was more appropriate being the book blog). I got a Kindle! My Kindle was a completely unexpected Christmas present from my family. Hilariously, I'd just told my mom that I didn't need one right now because I think it'll be great for travelling (and I have no travelling plans in the near future). I thought it was a bit expensive and was planning on buying one with birthday money (which would also be right after I've graduated with my MA, and so I would be free to travel!) So I was extremely surprised to find one under the tree for me! And to top it off, my brother is giving me a mini-shopping spree as well! So I'm getting a case and several e-books!

The Kindle is absolutely amazing! The screen is totally readable (like in the picture). It saves your place in the books you're reading (so you can read multiple things at once if you want). And it comes equipped with a dictionary so you can look up new words within the book you're currently reading! Oh yeah, and I can buy books (or get free older books) from anywhere I have internet access! There's a bunch of other really cool features as well, but those are the main ones I've used thus far. It's going to be hard to get through all my list books now that I can buy new books whenever I want (and they're delivered within a minute or two)!

Starcraft

2010-12-26T02:38:00.004-05:00

For some reason this graphic novel doesn't have a subtitle of some sort. But after a quick search online I was able to confirm that it IS book 1, which means that the comic series is still ongoing.

The Starcraft graphic novel tells the story of the War Pigs, a band of mercenaries who are reassembled on orders to hunt down and kill Jim Raynor. All of the War Pigs are criminals who were not resocialized, but allowed to retain their independence as a sort of experiment. Unfortunately, along with their independence comes their memories in graphic and sometimes debilitating detail. I found it a bit hard to follow at times (especially when people would start talking about other people who I don't think were mentioned yet but I might have just missed it), but overall it was a good story. I can't wait for the next volume, which will be able to jump into the story without the introductions that were necessary in this one (the War Pigs are, afterall, new characters for the Starcraft universe).

Shades of Twilight

2010-12-24T03:33:00.003-05:00

Back when I read Linda Howard's To Die For, I said that I do not really like romance novels but I do like Linda Howard's books. And that still holds true. While I haven't touched a romance in a long time, I was immediately hooked when I started reading Shades of Twilight last night. The story was really interesting and I really liked the characters. Oh, and like Heart of Fire, Shades of Twilight is told from both the man's and the woman's perspective, which I really like.

Shades of Twilight is all about the Davenport family who lices in Arizona. Roanna and Jessie are cousins who lose their parents in a car accident and are taken in by their grandmother Lucinda. Jessie grows up like a princess, popular and beautiful, while Roanna is the clumsy, mischievious one. Roanna is in love with their other cousin, Webb, but he is the heir to the majority of the Davenport fortunes. As expected by everyone, he marries Jessie (although their marriage is far from happy).

But then one night Jessie is murdered and Webb is briefly accused. Everyone in the family except Roanna does not support him, so after the whole business is cleared up he leaves for 10 years because of their betrayal. Nearing the end of her life, Lucinda wants to make amends with Webb and asks Roanna to bring him back.

The years have been hard on Roanna. She always felt like she couldn't do anything right and that no one loved her, especially after Webb betrayed her by leaving. To protect herself she has withdrawn into herself and tries desperately not to feel anything so she will not be hurt. But the only person who can pierce through her armour is Webb, whom she still loves.

Shades of Twilight is the story of two people finding each other even after all of the betrayals and heartaches. It is also the story of the entire Davenport family and what becomes of them, especially after Webb's return brings out someone trying to finish the job that started with Jessie's murder by killing him. While it's not my usual read, I did enjoy it (having powered through over two thirds of it last night).

Marvel Fairy Tales

2010-12-22T21:55:00.003-05:00

A few years ago (I think it was right before I started this blog) I read both X-Men Fairy Tales and Spiderman Fairy Tales. I found out Marvel was also writing an Avengers Fairy Tales, so I was really excited, having enjoyed the other two. But Avengers Fairy Tales took years before it was collected into a graphic novel. I finally got it this past June when I was visiting Toronto. I thought I would read it right away, but as you can see it's taken me about six months before I finally did (I attempted to read it a few months back but put it aside in favour of school books).

I'm not a big reader of Marvel comics, so I don't really know who most of the people are, specifically the Avengers (I'm a bit more familiar with Spiderman and X-Men). But that didn't stop me from enjoying this collection. As with the other two volumes, these fairy tales are retold using the Marvel characters. Marvel Fairy Tales has two stories I've read before (one each from the Spiderman and X-Men fairy tales) and then the 4 new Avengers tales: Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland. All four stories were a lot of fun to read, and I really wish I'd gotten to them sooner!

I was going to say that I have now read all of the Marvel Fairy Tales, but Wikipedia notes that there may be a fourth collection forthcoming starring the Fantastic Four. I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for that one (and will hopefully get to it a bit sooner)!

Serenity: the Shepherd's Tale

2010-12-21T23:52:00.002-05:00

I was really excited when I found out what the 3rd Serenity graphic novel was going to be. Shepherd Book is an amazing character who has remained shrouded in mystery. And after the events of the movie Serenity, it seemed like that was how he would remain. But then out came Zack Whedon's Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale which promised to shed some light on his mysterious past.

Unfortunately, I was expecting something a bit more from Book. There is nothing really wrong with his back-story here (and there's even a few really cool details), but I was expecting him to be like a crazy-awesome bounty hunter or a special forces operative (spoiler alert: he's neither). So while this is a neat story, especially with the way it is written (every few pages goes back in time a few years in his life), it failed to live up to my admittedly high expectations.

Library Book: Masters of the Universe: The Shard of Darkness

2010-12-20T17:02:00.004-05:00

When I saw that there was a Masters of the Universe graphic novel, I had to read it. Unfortunately, right when I started reading it I felt like I was in the middle of the story. I know the basics of He-Man, having watched the show when I was younger. But I've never seen the new show, and even though this is volume 1, this book seems to assume that you've been following that and know what's going on.

The story itself is alright though. Orko finds a shard of an ancient evil crystal and it's up to He-Man to find the rest of the crystal and destroy it. Meanwhile, Evil-Lyn is trying to back-stab Skeletor and needs the shard as part of her master plan.

I thought the art was pretty cool, but that was really the best thing this had going for it. If you're not really up on the origins of He-Man, you'd probably want to give this one a pass.

Library Book: The Arrival

2010-12-19T20:04:00.002-05:00

A friend at work recommended The Arrival to me. He told me it was a fast read that was quite good. By "read," he meant "look" because The Arrival is a book told entirely through pictures, not words. It tells the story of a man who emigrates from a land of nightmares to somewhere better, leaving behind his wife and daughter. It is the story of him settling into the new land, which is a fantastical place with strange creatures (like the little white guy on the cover). It is incredibly quick to go through, but it is a nice little story with fantastic artwork. I liked it.

Fable: The Balverine Order

2010-12-19T17:58:00.004-05:00

Fable: The Balverine Order was my first non-school book since the summer. I found it at work, but decided to buy it because it comes with a code for a free weapon in Fable 3. As I told a friend, I was hoping the weapon would be awesome (because I've been so busy with school, I still haven't actually redeemed the code so I don't know). As far as I was concerned, the book itself might be an added bonus if it was good.

I was a bit doubtful on that score. The very premise made me laugh. Two guys go off on a search for the rare and illusive balverine. This sounds like a great premise - except that within the Fable games that I have played, when you hit a certain level you can't go about 10 feet within the game without tripping over balverines (I exaggerate - the actual number is probably closer to 50-100 feet). So everytime someone in the book talked about the "rare" balverine, I thought it was really funny.

But hilarity aside, The Balverine Order was really good. This is the story of Thomas and his servant/friend James. Thomas is haunted by the past - when he was younger, his brother was killed by a balverine (which is kind of like a werewolf, but specific to the Fable universe) and he was the only one who saw it; everyone thinks this story is the imagination of a young boy because balverines aren't real (they say it must have been a big wolf that killed Thomas' brother). After years of being called a fool, Thomas' mother's death serves as the catalyst that sends Thomas off on a quest to prove to himself that what he saw was real. He is accompanied by James, his only real friend in the world. Together, they travel through Albion and beyond on their hunt for the illusive creatures.

This was the first book that I'd ever read by Peter David. Before buying it, I did a bit of research and he seemed to come highly recommended. And after finishing The Balverine Order, I am inclined to agree with the recommendations. It's a quick read, but it's filled with excellent characters and grand adventure; I really enjoyed it.

School Book: The Poetic Edda

2010-12-04T02:48:00.002-05:00

I was working on a different paper, but was having a lot of trouble with it. So to take a break, I decided to read The Poetic Edda, which conveniently also helps me with school work.

The Poetic Edda was a really interesting read. I'm glad I read The Prose Edda before it though, because Snorri's work really helped me understand a lot of what was going on. I also found that I'm getting familiar with the Norse structures and allusions (kennings in particular. There aren't many in Eddic poetry, but I can pick out some of the more simple ones referring to blood and warriors).

That being said, The Poetic Edda is still a bit confusing. I think a lot of the confusion stems from us just not knowing a lot about their mythology. There were a number of instances where the note for a confusing line might say that the original is confusing or there is debate among scholars.

But overall, I really enjoyed the Poetic Edda, both the first poems about the gods and the later heroic poems (particularly the poems relating to the Volsungs). I think the only poems I wasn't too fond of were the ones concerning Helgi. There were three of these. The first one was alright, but the second was confusing and the third seemed like a confusing copy of the first poem. They were alright, but not as good as the other poems in this collection.

School Book: The Prose Edda

2010-11-21T02:57:00.003-05:00

I know I said The Reluctant Fundamentalist was the last book on the term's reading list. And that's true. But Snorri Sturluson's The Prose Edda was a book I wanted to read to help me with a final paper (and it will be followed by the Poetic Edda).

The Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson back in 13th century Iceland. In it, he recorded the old pagan mythology as best he could (he was writing a few centuries after Iceland was converted to Christianity and the old ways were being lost). As such, The Prose Edda gives us most of what we know of pagan Viking culture.

The Prose Edda was a fun read. It's pretty easy to get through, as long as you can make it past the long sections of ancestry (which were not as bad as those found in the Tain). It's a great overview of Norse mythology (and was a really good introduction for someone like me who only knew a very limited amount).

School Book: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

2010-11-18T23:17:00.004-05:00

This is it: the last book on this term's class reading lists. And I have to say, it was an excellent read, perfect for the last book of the term. I don't know what exactly I was expecting but Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist definitely exceeded all of my expectations. And I'm not 100% sure why.

A big part of the appeal was how it was written. The main character, Changez, narrates the entire book. He is telling an American visitor to Pakistan his history, how he came to America for school, how he loved a woman named Erica, and the circumstances that brought him back to Pakistan. But it is an unusual first person narration. Changez doesn't give you the words of the American, but instead replies to what the man tells him. It makes for a really interesting read.

Another appealing part of the book was Changez himself. The more I read, the more I genuinely liked him. He has a sophisticated way with words that was extremely unique, but also put you at ease; he is a likeable guy. And while his is a narrative that you do not see very often in North America (it tended to be a bit anti-American near the end, but this was completely understandable within the narrative), Changez was always a regular guy who was easy to relate to.

I also agree with Philip Pullman's endorsement on the front cover: "Beautifully written . . . more exciting than any thriller I've read for a long time." The Reluctant Fundamentalist was beautifully written. And it really was a page turner, even if it wasn't really like your typical thriller. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading.

All in all, The Reluctant Fundamentalist was an excellent book. I definitely recommend it, no matter your reading preference.

School Book: Captain America: The New Deal

2010-10-22T00:44:00.003-04:00

It isn't every day that I get to call something like this a school book. But Captain America: The New Deal is indeed on the reading list for my Literature After 9/11 class! And I was really lucky to find a copy locally - it's been out of print for awhile and will be reprinted in December of this year.

I don't know a whole lot about Captain America. To be perfectly honest, I think most of what I know (and my opinion of him) was formed while playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 with a friend on Xbox 360. When all was said and done in that game, he seemed like a real jerk and I didn't really like him. And while my opinion hasn't really changed, it didn't stop me from enjoying this book.

Captain America: The New Deal has such a ridiculous concept: Captain America takes on terrorists! I kept telling everyone before I read it that I don't think the terrorists have much of a chance (unless there's some kind of super villain behind them). I don't want to give any spoilers here, so I won't discuss one way or the other what happened. But the basic plot is that several months after 9/11, a small town in the middle of the US is held hostage by terrorists. It's up to Captain America to save the day, defusing the bombs and rescuing the entire town. The story itself is very exciting, although there were a few confusing pages. Nick Fury appears, which is always a plus. And there was a really great sequence right near the beginning with Captain America searching for survivors at the Twin Towers' Ground Zero.

Like I said, it's a bit on the ridiculous side, but all in all Captain America: The New Deal was a really good read.

School Book: The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun

2010-10-03T00:34:00.004-04:00

I was a bit leery of reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun. I've read The Lord of the Rings several years ago and found it a bit dry, so I was sort of expecting the same type of writing. Luckily I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, I wasn't really expecting Norse poetry, but was sort of expecting prose (like Ackroyd's Canterbury Tales). But even in the explanatory stuff that his son, Christopher Tolkien, included, there was no dry anything; I genuinely enjoyed what pieces of Tolkien's lecture notes were included.

I read The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun out of order. I started with the poems, then went back to the introduction and later the commentaries on the poems. This is how I normally read school books, specifically Shakespeare and the like. I want to enjoy the work without anyone else's comments first, and then I'll go back and read whatever the editor/translator/whomever has to say.

The poems themselves were rather entertaining, but a bit hard to figure out at first. The style in which they were written is just so foreign to a modern English speaker. But once I got over that, I just enjoyed the story. Of course, the introduction and commentaries did help a bit. Once I'd read the poems I went back to these areas and some of the points I'd had trouble with started making more sense.

In the end I read the entire book from cover to cover, and I really enjoyed all of it. Tolkien's lectures were quite interesting and well-written, and I liked how his son explained how the poems came to be the way they are.

Reread: Beowulf

2010-09-21T00:51:00.002-04:00

This was, I think, my third time reading Beowulf. The first two times I read it were both the year before I started this blog (when I was finishing up my first degree). I remember talking to a friend who said he absolutely hated reading it. But I really enjoyed it. Right off the bat I realized it was a viking story, which was a lot of fun. I watched Beowulf and Grendel that year, before rereading it a second time in preparation for the exam. And now I got to read it a third time for my "Translating the Middle Ages" class. I even lucked out: we're reading the Seamus Heany version, which is the version I have.

Going back to Beowulf was like going back to an old friend. Sure, I didn't remember the specifics, but I still remembered the just of the story. I also still remembered the ways in which the CGI Beowulf differs from the poem. (In case you're wondering, read the poem; it's better!)

Beowulf tells the hero's story, from his coming to help the Danes defeat Grendel to his downfall fifty years later saving his people from a dragon. It has a lot of battle and adventure in it. But more than that, it also gives you a glimpse of what life was like during the end of the 1st millenia AD. Now I know there weren't dragons and Grendels running around, but you can at least see some of what life was like in the halls of the vikings.

I don't want to say much more about it, other than to restate how much I like it. Sure, it isn't for everyone. But give it a try - you just might be entertained!

School Book: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2010-09-16T16:27:00.003-04:00

When I first started reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, it reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. The main characters in both books are rather similar: they are young boys who are both socially awkward. But from the first chapter, I knew that I would enjoy Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a lot more than The Curious Incident. It was funnier, and overall a better story.

Extremely Loud is the story of Oskar Schell. His father is killed in the Twin Towers. While snooping in his dad's room afterwards, Oskar discovers a strange key hidden in a vase. He decides to embark on a quest to discover what the key opens, even if he has to open every lock in New York City!

At the same time, this is also the story of his family. His grandfather left his grandmother when she told him she was pregnant. Interspersed throughout Oskar's story are chapters written from both of his grandparents' perspectives trying to explain why things happened the way they did. These narratives were just as interesting as the main story.

While Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was rather different from what I normally like to read, I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for something different, then I recommend giving it a try!

School Book: The Testament of Cresseid & Seven Fables

2010-09-12T23:21:00.002-04:00

Today I read Robert Henryson's The Testament of Cresseid & Seven Fables, translated by Seamus Heaney. It was a really easy and quick read. I was really interested in the first part of the book, which was The Testament of Cresseid. Having studied Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida last year, I was interested in a different take on the material. And this was an extremely different take!

After abandoning Troilus, Cresseid was herself abandoned by Diomedes. She returns to her father's house and curses both Venus and Cupid for her plight. Cupid takes exception to this and asks the other gods to intervene on their behalf. And so the other gods curse Cresseid to become a leper. Cresseid passes the rest of her days in a leper house, but encounters Troilus one day (although neither recognizes the other). It is an extremely sad tale, especially at the end when they realize who each other was.

Included in this book are also seven Fables. The Fables were pretty entertaining to read. All in all, this was a quick but enjoyable read.