tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339863492008-07-16T18:32:36.153-05:00Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-81539919394833602442008-05-19T08:36:00.004-05:002008-05-19T09:22:06.728-05:00

by Doris Kearns Goodwin I love history books that let the reader get to know some of the most fascinating characters in history. For that reason, I really enjoyed Team of Rivals. Not only does it explore the character and strategies of President Lincoln, it also explores the personalities and traits of some of the other great men of that generation. When Lincoln was running for the presidency,

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-13786645711221858102008-03-02T07:46:00.004-06:002008-03-02T08:09:35.064-06:00

by Diana Wynne Jones I didn't even know about this book until Hayao Miyazaki made a movie version. The film was quite good in its own right, but now that I have read the book, I realize that he made quite a few changes that I can't exactly explain. And as is almost always the case in books adapted to movies, the book is better. Howl's Moving Castle follows the story of Sophie, a young woman who

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-37597086190161611982007-12-06T09:55:00.001-06:002008-03-02T07:52:15.550-06:00

by Jasper Fforde Having previously read Jasper Fforde's whimsical novel The Eyre Affair, I knew a little of what to expect when I opened The Big Over Easy. Sure enough, I was once again immersed in an alternate history filled with fantastical characters, murderous plots, and continual literary references. Fforde likes to create a world in which literary knowledge is useful in the professional

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-48891546748720193602007-10-25T22:04:00.000-05:002007-10-29T13:30:01.936-05:00

by David Feintuch Midshipman's Hope is a military/sci-fi novel that does a good job creating a universe in which humans travel to and colonize other planets using spaceships the same way our ancestors used sailing vessels. Those ships carry cargo and passengers through the depths of space for months on end, and are manned by a crew of sailors and officers similar to the naval tradition. Feintuch

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-37135357776629463012007-09-07T08:36:00.000-05:002007-12-06T09:37:21.445-06:00

This is actually my first experience in Lilian Jackson Braun's popular The Cat Who series. I was familiar the titles, but The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell was the first time I actually read one of the series. Sadly, it may be the last one I read, because I thought it was poorly written and somewhat pointless. I gather that every Cat Who book follows the character of James Qwilleran, a writer who

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-30019798999220142302007-08-06T15:04:00.000-05:002007-08-06T15:42:04.626-05:00

The seventh and final installment in this worldwide phenomenon of young adult literature brings the Harry Potter series to a satisfying close. Having improved as a writer since Book 1, Rowling capably ties up almost all the loose ends in this magical tale of good versus evil. One thing with which I was impressed was how merciless Rowling was with the characters and conventions she had built up in

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-72667502652409994382007-07-16T12:18:00.000-05:002007-07-16T12:34:24.431-05:00

Lord of Light is an epic novel that blends elements of fantasy and science fiction into a sprawling narrative of deities, wars, and religion. Set on a faraway planet after the destruction of Earth, Lord of Light follows the rebellion of the Buddha, Sam, against the gods. In this book, the gods are merely the first colonists on that planet. In order to subdue the native inhabitants of that world (

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-41708272453638480032007-06-13T15:12:00.000-05:002007-06-13T15:48:40.991-05:00

I have previously only reviewed the first book in the Honor Harrington series, but I have continued to read the sequels to On Basilisk Station. In my opinion, the first few sequels are fairly decent, but number four in the series was absolutely abysmal. However, the following books were okay, so I kept reading. In my view, Weber can only tell one story -- that of the hero that triumphs against

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-69436595616162642722007-05-18T13:45:00.000-05:002007-05-18T14:04:23.521-05:00

The Eyre Affair, the first book in the Thursday Next series, is an imaginative mystery novel set in an alternate reality. Though many of the every day parts of this imagined world are the same as our, there are constant references to fantastical elements. For example, people still travel by zeppelin, time travel is possible, and people with literature degrees can actually get a job. In Fforde's

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-55170843137697121512007-04-01T07:57:00.000-05:002007-04-01T09:54:54.667-05:00

Despite my affinity for science fiction, I have never read much by one of the genre's more famous writers, Arthur C. Clarke. It may be that watching 2001: A Space Odyssey gave me a skewed view of what his books were like, or it may have been that I never found his books at the library. At any rate, my wife picked this book up at a used book store and recommended it to me, and I enjoyed it

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-46858198995441400122007-03-15T21:09:00.000-05:002007-03-15T21:15:05.813-05:00

I read the new English translation of this Babylonian mythology, which was very accessible and easy to read. Steven Mitchell's translation is very well done. It surprises me how little I know about the traditions of ancient civilizations other than the Greeks, Romans, and the Egyptians. The tale of Gilgamesh, who was two thirds god and one third man, has some very interesting mythological

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-70288789937726418652006-09-30T12:59:00.001-05:002006-09-30T12:59:40.483-05:00

Honor Harrington on Basilisk Station by David Weber The good news is that this book is a great balance between light summer reading and thought-provoking literature. The action moves along at a quick pace, and author David Weber throws in plenty of political and strategic intrigue to make it interesting. The bad news is that this book is the first in a series of at least a dozen books. And I

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-29021233959285953762006-08-23T22:31:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:33:32.937-05:00

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden This quirky book has serious advice in a bizarre format. It was written like an old-school Boy Scout manual, with sketch drawings and how-to diagrams. Be Prepared offers child-rearing advice like a handyman's catalog. Some of the more entertaining (but still safe) suggestions including using washing machine

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-32568859178319716502006-07-21T22:38:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:39:16.441-05:00

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne I first read The Scarlet Letter in the tenth grade. I didn't like it much then, and I forgot most of the plot. My second reading of the book was significantly different. I was gripped by the book's march towards the ruin of the main characters. It was like a car wreck in slow motion -- I was simultaneously repulsed by the impending doom and entranced by

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-83650640550763989102006-07-02T22:39:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:40:41.287-05:00

Joseph Smith by Robert V. Remini Robert Remini is a respected authority on the Jacksonian Era, having written a well-known three-volume biography of Andrew Jackson himself. In approaching the life of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church, Remini looks at Smith’s life as a product of the Jacksonian Era, Manifest Destiny, and the Second

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-18177758782874879722006-06-29T22:43:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:44:41.199-05:00

Trojan Odyssey by Clive Cussler Essentially the swan song of the Dirk Pitt series, Clive Cussler’s Trojan Odyssey deals considerably more with character development (or more appropriately, retirement) than with plot. The soap opera-like appearance of his long lost children in the previous book, Valhalla Rising, introduced new characters to play with, but these characters are mostly tertiary.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-29271016471827550412006-06-02T22:45:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:46:20.411-05:00

Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler This is a classic Dirk Pitt adventure with a Viking flavor, complete with evil multinational conglomerate and a cameo appearance by Cussler himself, who often appears in his own novels. In the novel, Dirk Pitt prevents a terrorist attack in New York, in which terrorists plan to blow up the World Trade Center. (Someone should perhaps let them know that their

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-17773413123035833842006-05-26T22:46:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:48:08.003-05:00

Persuasion by Jane Austen The last of Jane Austen’s novels, I feel that Persuasion is her most mature and most complete work. While it isn’t as celebrated as Austen’s better-known work, Pride and Prejudice, it nonetheless contains a compelling character-driven story. Whereas Pride and Prejudice promises that people can change, Persuasion tells the tale of two people whose love does not change

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-34543333842317694172006-05-07T22:48:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:49:04.691-05:00

The Peacegiver by James L. Farrell In The Peacegiver, author James Farrell attempted an interesting feat: explain profound doctrinal concepts in an accessible format through character development and dialog. While the story focuses on a broken marriage, Farrell attempts to show through the main character how the gospel of Jesus Christ can help heal all human relationships. It wasn't completely

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-20844839992775117902006-04-08T22:49:00.000-05:002006-09-06T22:50:16.697-05:00

Eldest by Christopher Paollini In the second book in his debut Inheritance trilogy, this young author continues to develop the main characters in their archetypal story arc. I was occasionally reminded while reading Eldest, somewhat to my annoyance, that it was indeed a book for young adults written by a young adult. Some parts are oversimplified, trite, or just plain juvenile. But Paollini is

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-59814045474311742482006-03-24T22:50:00.000-06:002006-09-06T22:51:22.604-05:00

Selected Writings of Soren T. Harward: Vol 3: 100 Hour Board Though I first read him under the pseudonym “La Almeja” and later “The Keeper,” Soren will always be Misaneroth in my mind. Writing under these pen names for more than half a decade, Soren amassed an amazing array of answers to an extremely wide variety of questions and topics. While he never lost his role on the 100 Hour Board as the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-57912356723176244112006-03-07T22:51:00.000-06:002006-09-06T22:51:41.174-05:00

Eragon by Christopher Paollini In his first book, Paollini creates a mythological world full of dragons, wizards, complete with an evil king and magic sword. Sounds like all the ingredients for a fantasy novel to me. In fact, it sounds like almost every other fantasy novel I've read. While I didn't find Eragon particularly remarkable, it is reasonably good as young adult fiction goes. Young

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-34450070671427142932006-03-03T22:52:00.000-06:002006-09-06T22:53:29.340-05:00

Old Man's War by John Scalzi Every good sci-fi novel is based around an idea; in Old Man's War, the idea is that aging citizens of Earth sign up for for military service rather than growing old. They are given rejuvenated bodies and sent to defend the human colonies from the most violent and vicious alien species in the universe. Most of them will die before their time is up, but they just might

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-57837023397354597862006-02-15T22:53:00.000-06:002006-09-06T22:54:15.113-05:00

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown I resisted reading this book when it was hyped a couple years ago. Now that there is a movie coming out, however, I figured I had to read it. It was a fast-paced read that took me just a couple days to finish, even with my course load. Dan Brown's strength lies in tying a bunch of trivia and tidbits into one coherent yarn, and The Da Vinci Code is his best work in

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33986349.post-91494695556817652712006-02-10T22:54:00.000-06:002006-09-06T22:55:08.790-05:00

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen I want to see the movie version of this book at some point, so I had to read it before I saw the film. It's Austen's first published novel, and I think it's a little less refined than her later novels. But it contains that same understated sarcasm that made me like Pride and Prejudice, so even though I didn't get too attached to the characters, I enjoyed the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10845310999741739328noreply@blogger.com