Goblet of Fire comes out on11/18... Lion Witch and the Wardrobe comes out at Christmas I read all the books out last month once I discovered the Jax Library system is a vast and awe-inspiring entity that I must patronize. I loved Goblet the most after Azkaban... but I hated the latest one out... Pheonix. I got very frustrated with Harry and recalled how unpleasantly stubborn teenagers could be once they got fixated upon what they perceive to be truth.
My husband has me working on the Wheel of Time series now... comparing and contrasting them as we go to the Sword of Truth series.
Terry Goodkind is a hack and a wacko.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Post Recovery:1c
Been on a reading streak myself lately. After I finally finshed the Great Hunt (Robert Jordan, A-rate stuff for originality and character depth) I realized that the library books I had put on reserve were about to come due and needed to be picked up. So I picked them up and read a young adult novel (Dragon's Blood by Jane Yolen- C rate for good premise but really slow pacing) for purposes of compare and contrast with another like themed book (Joust by Mercedes Lackey- A rate although it is in a different category of reading than WoT).
It wasn't as easy to get engrossed with after the rich detail and adventure in GH. I was happy to continue to book 3 of the Wheel of Time, Dragon Reborn. I like the series so far, so much better than Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth (More like Swory of Imitation and Poor Mockery), I refuse to rate such blatant plagarism. However the first three or five chapters I have to force myself past with a will in order to go at any smooth pace. I suppose after reading the large amount of fantasy I have lately, a lot of the beginning chapters sound the same at first.
This results in a read taking three days as oppoosed to one and a half or two, highly annoying. I'll spare the space here from any real review- for now.
Three days though, and I look online- I have returned only one book this past week and a half, and another five are in posession, two of which are close to being overdue. Thank god for their account renew button.
I had let my husband que up a couple books he had recommeneded from when he was a kid, since I'm currently obsessed with making a list for my elementary school nephews to grow on and read. Mike Laumer's Plague of Demons, a short scifi story. Now, crucify me if you wish-but something fantastically outrageous and enthralling was produced in 1965 and hasn't been mangled by Hollywood yet.
Crap like War of the Worlds (multiple times!) and Signs get made, and this slips through the cracks. Seriously, I think it is wild that this was penned in the Silver Ages of comics, it really helps define the era. It's a B+ pick, since it has to do with aliens, cybernetics, and brain snatching. Very thrilling.
I was going to contnue with my alteration of WoT, but I want to get those library book knocked out. So today's pulp is Patricia McKillip's Riddle Master trilogy. God most teen literature sucks, no wonder more poeple don't read for leisure as adults.
It wasn't as easy to get engrossed with after the rich detail and adventure in GH. I was happy to continue to book 3 of the Wheel of Time, Dragon Reborn. I like the series so far, so much better than Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth (More like Swory of Imitation and Poor Mockery), I refuse to rate such blatant plagarism. However the first three or five chapters I have to force myself past with a will in order to go at any smooth pace. I suppose after reading the large amount of fantasy I have lately, a lot of the beginning chapters sound the same at first.
This results in a read taking three days as oppoosed to one and a half or two, highly annoying. I'll spare the space here from any real review- for now.
Three days though, and I look online- I have returned only one book this past week and a half, and another five are in posession, two of which are close to being overdue. Thank god for their account renew button.
I had let my husband que up a couple books he had recommeneded from when he was a kid, since I'm currently obsessed with making a list for my elementary school nephews to grow on and read. Mike Laumer's Plague of Demons, a short scifi story. Now, crucify me if you wish-but something fantastically outrageous and enthralling was produced in 1965 and hasn't been mangled by Hollywood yet.
Crap like War of the Worlds (multiple times!) and Signs get made, and this slips through the cracks. Seriously, I think it is wild that this was penned in the Silver Ages of comics, it really helps define the era. It's a B+ pick, since it has to do with aliens, cybernetics, and brain snatching. Very thrilling.
I was going to contnue with my alteration of WoT, but I want to get those library book knocked out. So today's pulp is Patricia McKillip's Riddle Master trilogy. God most teen literature sucks, no wonder more poeple don't read for leisure as adults.
Riddle-Master
Just finished Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillip. Don't let the teen fantasy marking fool you, this is not exactly light reading. I was referred this by my husband- he had read the first book in the trilogy back in the day and brought it up in a conversation. I thought about stopping after the first, it seemed slightly Prydain-ish but somehow unfinished. I'm glad I resolved to finish out the entire trilogy. I won't claim to fully grasp the amount of descriptive imagery that I read, but I finished today feeling highly impressed for the first time in a few weeks.
Fresh Ink
This will be a long on-going effort.
I want every child to have the opportunity to love reading- instead of hating it because its something your teacher assigns you to do in school. I've seen too many kids grow up with the mentality that reading is in a way associated with punishment since it is reinforced in school with unpleasant things like homework, tests, and essays. We enjoy things we want to do and have an interest in, and these preferences are founded and bolstered at a very young age.
So, to hopefully make posts easier to apply, I will color code book titles as follows:
Ages 4-5 Kindergarten - First Semester 1st Grade orange
Ages 6-7 Last Semester 1st Grade – 2nd Grade blue
Ages 8-9 3rd Grade – 4th Grade green
Ages 10-11 5th Grade – 6th Grade purple
Pre-teen 7th Grade – 8th Grade red
Teen High School black
I want every child to have the opportunity to love reading- instead of hating it because its something your teacher assigns you to do in school. I've seen too many kids grow up with the mentality that reading is in a way associated with punishment since it is reinforced in school with unpleasant things like homework, tests, and essays. We enjoy things we want to do and have an interest in, and these preferences are founded and bolstered at a very young age.
So, to hopefully make posts easier to apply, I will color code book titles as follows:
Ages 4-5 Kindergarten - First Semester 1st Grade orange
Ages 6-7 Last Semester 1st Grade – 2nd Grade blue
Ages 8-9 3rd Grade – 4th Grade green
Ages 10-11 5th Grade – 6th Grade purple
Pre-teen 7th Grade – 8th Grade red
Teen High School black
To Light a Candle
Earlier this year I picked up the paperback of the Outstretched Shadow on impulse. I was still working at Wal-Mart and didn't have as much time on my hands as I do now, but I had the itch of needing to expand my brain beyond the dullness. I didn't immediately launch into the book, it wasn't very different at first from any other juvenile hero fantasy. Until I noticed the emphasis on the character's emotional state of mind.
I have a complaint about generic fiction. Too many people paint teenagers as serious young capable adults with just enough moodiness to paint them being immature. It lacks the genuine flavor though. I have found the standard in this book. Reluctant but desperate hero? I think most fantasy readers could easily identify with Kellen Travadon. I finished the book in less than three days after I hit the fifth chapter.
I have found that To Light a Candle has not lost the flavor that brought enjoyment to the Outstretched Shadow. I'll post a full review as soon as I'm done, which should be soon since a lot of these library books are due next weekend and I'd rather drop them all off on my way to the office on Wednesday.
I have a complaint about generic fiction. Too many people paint teenagers as serious young capable adults with just enough moodiness to paint them being immature. It lacks the genuine flavor though. I have found the standard in this book. Reluctant but desperate hero? I think most fantasy readers could easily identify with Kellen Travadon. I finished the book in less than three days after I hit the fifth chapter.
I have found that To Light a Candle has not lost the flavor that brought enjoyment to the Outstretched Shadow. I'll post a full review as soon as I'm done, which should be soon since a lot of these library books are due next weekend and I'd rather drop them all off on my way to the office on Wednesday.
Book Report Day
Well, one area of my life that doesn't differ too greatly. : )
I've been blitzing against time and the library system the past two weeks, and I think I'm starting to win. Yesterday I finished the last Philip Pullman book, the Amber Spyglass. It was interesting read, and I know its directed at teens, but jeez talk about some controversial topics. So first off, I wouldn't let my nephews touch this until they were in high school where they have the opportunity to be exposed to a lot more ideas and opinions from other people as well as moderation to dicuss them. Random House thoughtfully has teacher materials on their website for this purpose.
I say this because of the HEAVY religious themes that are in these books (the Golden Compass, the Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass), not in the presence of trying to influence in favor of religion, or one sect versus another, but heretical concepts to those who are religious or have been of religious upbringing. Angels and humans, church rebellion and government, saying God isn't God - but an old decrepit angel who took the name despite not being the Creator... deep stuff. If you don't feel comfortable having these kinds of ideas or themes challenging you, don't pick up this series.
Despite the themes, it is a different flavor of literature for the age range. That is the redeeming factor in its favor. Well developed characters and plot, the only detracting point being the ability to suspend disbelief against pre-existing ideas such as religion, nature, standard fantasy/fiction, and science. If the reader can keep an open mind, His Dark Materials is a marvelous journey across many worlds and filled with peril.
Definitely PG-13 here, kiddies. Some sexually suggestive content, war, violence, deceit, cruelty, sadness, manipulation... but it's a good read - four out of five stars so to speak.
I've been blitzing against time and the library system the past two weeks, and I think I'm starting to win. Yesterday I finished the last Philip Pullman book, the Amber Spyglass. It was interesting read, and I know its directed at teens, but jeez talk about some controversial topics. So first off, I wouldn't let my nephews touch this until they were in high school where they have the opportunity to be exposed to a lot more ideas and opinions from other people as well as moderation to dicuss them. Random House thoughtfully has teacher materials on their website for this purpose.
I say this because of the HEAVY religious themes that are in these books (the Golden Compass, the Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass), not in the presence of trying to influence in favor of religion, or one sect versus another, but heretical concepts to those who are religious or have been of religious upbringing. Angels and humans, church rebellion and government, saying God isn't God - but an old decrepit angel who took the name despite not being the Creator... deep stuff. If you don't feel comfortable having these kinds of ideas or themes challenging you, don't pick up this series.
Despite the themes, it is a different flavor of literature for the age range. That is the redeeming factor in its favor. Well developed characters and plot, the only detracting point being the ability to suspend disbelief against pre-existing ideas such as religion, nature, standard fantasy/fiction, and science. If the reader can keep an open mind, His Dark Materials is a marvelous journey across many worlds and filled with peril.
Definitely PG-13 here, kiddies. Some sexually suggestive content, war, violence, deceit, cruelty, sadness, manipulation... but it's a good read - four out of five stars so to speak.
To Light a Thought
Sorry to have put this post on the back burner. I finished this up on the nineth or the tenth. I had to hurry up and get on to the Pullman books since I had already used up all my renews and I still have one more book right now that I need to finish before another week. And of course it is a part of a whole trilogy I need to read. Lol.
Full marks so far for the Obsidian trilogy. To Light a Candle charges forward from where the Outstretched Shadow left off. New characters, new scenery, new mobs to fight. Good stuff. Of course, just as a warning for the particular- warning- dragons, elves, magic, demons, and unicorns therin. And they all talk.
Now, for those that don't mind a little bit of cliche.
I enjoyed the departure from standard magic systems. Incantations, sacrifices, showy fireworks, accompanied with high drama, is boring. Cost is taken away from your lifetime magic pool or what not. Many writers put more development in character and economy than they do the arcana. What then is irritating, to then rely heavily upon said magic for turning points, major events, and character development. To me, taking for granted having a working magic system is building the house on shifting sand.
So far, the trilogy not only has one magic system, but three entwined within it - differing rules to boot in their usage.
Main plot so far - the demons are trying to take over the world. Sorry folks, I guess there is only so many ways to serve peril. Plague, war, prophecy, nuclear winter, pestilence, boredom... and I can't think of anything that tops annihilation and demonic enslavement. Moving along.
So far, I'm a huge fan for the amount of depth in the characters. Deep emotion, sincerity, plausible train of thought are what making up engrossing characters. Put offs are that the actions of a character should be naturally understood, or within reason - denying the reader to become closer to the story by seeing the whole journey rather than the beginning and the outcome. So far the detail hasn't ruined the story that has still held some surprises. Big political intruigue, personal sacrifice and perseverance, death, life, beauty.
My only regret is that I knew when I started reading the books is that it is a trilogy. That in and of itself gives part of the story away- you know when things will end, how long a character will live, and that there will probably not be any surprise cliffhangers or stories at the end or soon following. Rumor has it that Book 3 will be the Fall of Night.
Full marks so far for the Obsidian trilogy. To Light a Candle charges forward from where the Outstretched Shadow left off. New characters, new scenery, new mobs to fight. Good stuff. Of course, just as a warning for the particular- warning- dragons, elves, magic, demons, and unicorns therin. And they all talk.
Now, for those that don't mind a little bit of cliche.
I enjoyed the departure from standard magic systems. Incantations, sacrifices, showy fireworks, accompanied with high drama, is boring. Cost is taken away from your lifetime magic pool or what not. Many writers put more development in character and economy than they do the arcana. What then is irritating, to then rely heavily upon said magic for turning points, major events, and character development. To me, taking for granted having a working magic system is building the house on shifting sand.
So far, the trilogy not only has one magic system, but three entwined within it - differing rules to boot in their usage.
Main plot so far - the demons are trying to take over the world. Sorry folks, I guess there is only so many ways to serve peril. Plague, war, prophecy, nuclear winter, pestilence, boredom... and I can't think of anything that tops annihilation and demonic enslavement. Moving along.
So far, I'm a huge fan for the amount of depth in the characters. Deep emotion, sincerity, plausible train of thought are what making up engrossing characters. Put offs are that the actions of a character should be naturally understood, or within reason - denying the reader to become closer to the story by seeing the whole journey rather than the beginning and the outcome. So far the detail hasn't ruined the story that has still held some surprises. Big political intruigue, personal sacrifice and perseverance, death, life, beauty.
My only regret is that I knew when I started reading the books is that it is a trilogy. That in and of itself gives part of the story away- you know when things will end, how long a character will live, and that there will probably not be any surprise cliffhangers or stories at the end or soon following. Rumor has it that Book 3 will be the Fall of Night.
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