Hey Folks,
It's insane that we've been spending so much time doing other things like parenting and still have time to read. You might not see a lot of reviews lately, but we're still here compiling oodles of books to create reviews for. I have around 4 or 5 books that I need to comment on. Some fun ones like The Magicians by Grossman, and others that aren't so much..... The Naked Communist or Blacklisted By History.
In many ways, my latest grouping of books has been influenced by what we have going on in our world. The Occupy movement triggered that moderately dormant political desire that resides within me. I'm not a fan of what's happening out there b/c of the people behind the scenes via endorsements or monetarily. I don't like that the propaganda arm of OWS feels like Stalinist Russia(think Bolsheviks and 99%). I don't like the encouragement for even more entitlements from our government - free programs that aren't free. We live in an enviable place and time. I feel that we forget what we have and where we are b/c we haven't seen the dirty side of life and politics that our past generations have. That led me to read up on Communism... soon to cover Socialism, Progressivism, Capitalism, and perhaps a couple that span those.
On the happier side of things, the child is growing up quite nicely. It'll be 6 months in just a few days. It's amazing how time flies and how much they change. Leah is doing a Christmas special on her blog - Seldom Made - so while we're lagging behind on our reading, you can catch up on more exciting reads. Perhaps you'll see a political post over at my oft-ignored personal blog.
Take care, and have a Merry Christmas,
Drew
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Dark Tower - The End is Here...
If you've been reading from the beginning or just trolling the old posts, you'd know that I started my foray into Stephen King two years ago with The Dark Tower series( and reviewed Book 2 here). He wasn't ever on my radar due to books like It and Pet Cemetary that were turned into horrific(genrewise) movies. After reading the synopsis of the first book, I decided that it might be worth getting into this epic. Who doesn't like a multi-book story that's part fantasy, part science fiction, and part western? The series started well and bogged down close to the end, but I have a tough time putting down a series when the end is getting close.... think Robert Jordan around Book 8 or 9. So, that paltry perseverance brings us to Book 7 of Stephen King's epic.
I don't want to get too much into the story in case folks decide they want to read the series so I'll try to get into my praise or criticism for the book. This wasn't that impressive of a book for me. In Book 6 King introduces himself as one of the characters. I wasn't sure I really liked the idea, and by the end of this book, I definitely didn't care for it. It's very self-serving. When you also consider that he's tied a multitude of other books to the Dark Tower then it almost feels like he's trying to advertise his other novels, or forcing you to read others novels to get a more clear picture. I wasn't a fan of how this works, and he does talk about it in the afterward. Then again, I have the easy job of reading the story and critiquing as I see fit - that's a far cry from the difficult job an author can have when creating readable material.
Ultimately, I wasn't as impressed with this series as I wanted to be. Maybe the expectations were high since Stephen King is considered one of the greatest authors of our time. I'll leave this up to the individual, but I can't recommend the series b/c I can't recommend all the books. I really wanted to come away liking it in it's entirety. Perhaps the new mini-series will bring it down to a level of tedium that's manageable. Sorry, Mr. King.
-D
Rating: 3 CBs.... I wanted more.
I don't want to get too much into the story in case folks decide they want to read the series so I'll try to get into my praise or criticism for the book. This wasn't that impressive of a book for me. In Book 6 King introduces himself as one of the characters. I wasn't sure I really liked the idea, and by the end of this book, I definitely didn't care for it. It's very self-serving. When you also consider that he's tied a multitude of other books to the Dark Tower then it almost feels like he's trying to advertise his other novels, or forcing you to read others novels to get a more clear picture. I wasn't a fan of how this works, and he does talk about it in the afterward. Then again, I have the easy job of reading the story and critiquing as I see fit - that's a far cry from the difficult job an author can have when creating readable material.
Ultimately, I wasn't as impressed with this series as I wanted to be. Maybe the expectations were high since Stephen King is considered one of the greatest authors of our time. I'll leave this up to the individual, but I can't recommend the series b/c I can't recommend all the books. I really wanted to come away liking it in it's entirety. Perhaps the new mini-series will bring it down to a level of tedium that's manageable. Sorry, Mr. King.
-D
Rating: 3 CBs.... I wanted more.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Anniversay Book Hoarding
We celebrated our 7th anniversay this weekend (yes, we got married on 9/11 and are happy to celebrate something wonderful while recognizing a horrendous event also occurred on that day). And on our way to our date night dinner, we strolled through the latest casualty of the economic downturn/fascination with reading words on a screen instead of on a page: Borders.
Let me just say this: we are supposed to be on a book buying ban, until we can get through some of the hundreds (literally hundreds) we need to read. BUT, we struggle with book lust just like the rest of the book blogging community. Thus, here are our latest purchases/future (although likely distant future) reads:
We got all these, plus The Book of Basketball for $30.00! Not bad.
But we promise, really, we are on a book buying hiatus, really.
Any good reads/buys for your ever growing pile?
-L
Let me just say this: we are supposed to be on a book buying ban, until we can get through some of the hundreds (literally hundreds) we need to read. BUT, we struggle with book lust just like the rest of the book blogging community. Thus, here are our latest purchases/future (although likely distant future) reads:
But we promise, really, we are on a book buying hiatus, really.
Any good reads/buys for your ever growing pile?
-L
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Guide to Digital Photography
If you clicked on this from your blog reader thing (yes, that's what I call mine) because you thought it was a clever title and wondered what book I would be reviewing, well...I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is I have a very funny quote for you from the book. Wait for it...
The bad news is this is a review of The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography with the D40 Digital Camera.
Here's the quote in case you don't want to get to the end:
Thank you Nikon! I don't know what I would do without your sage advice.
The above quote appears not once, but twice in this dry read of a book. And without that quote, I don't think I could have made it through the rest of the book. "Why?" you ask did I read this. Because we just had a beautiful (I can say that, right?) baby and I would like to be able to take better pictures of her. In my quest for beautiful pictures I came across a blog series from October of last year about getting better photos. I have not completed the series, but the first assignment was to read the owner's manual for my camera.
The result? I know very little more about shooting better pictures than I did when I started, but I do have a working knowledge of each tiny part of my machine. Sadly, I did not understand half the stuff they talked about. This left me with the feeling that I should take a professional photog course at the the local community college; but as a new mom, I think I will work my way through the blog series instead.
Here's hoping I take some better shots in the future. Oh, and although my fellow photog blogger recommends reading the owner's manual - I can't recommend it the way I would other books. Maybe you could do a drinking game for every time the manual writer wrote a "this is common sense and you, reader would be an idiot to do what I just told you not to do but I am covering my butt for the legal department" sentence. Yeah, that would make it more fun.
Rating: 3 out of 7, but only because it is tabbed (I like a sense of order in my owner's manuals).
-L
The good news is I have a very funny quote for you from the book. Wait for it...
The bad news is this is a review of The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography with the D40 Digital Camera.
Here's the quote in case you don't want to get to the end:
When operating the viewfinder diopter control with your eye to the viewfinder, care should be taken not to put your finger in your eye accidentally.
Thank you Nikon! I don't know what I would do without your sage advice.
The above quote appears not once, but twice in this dry read of a book. And without that quote, I don't think I could have made it through the rest of the book. "Why?" you ask did I read this. Because we just had a beautiful (I can say that, right?) baby and I would like to be able to take better pictures of her. In my quest for beautiful pictures I came across a blog series from October of last year about getting better photos. I have not completed the series, but the first assignment was to read the owner's manual for my camera.
The result? I know very little more about shooting better pictures than I did when I started, but I do have a working knowledge of each tiny part of my machine. Sadly, I did not understand half the stuff they talked about. This left me with the feeling that I should take a professional photog course at the the local community college; but as a new mom, I think I will work my way through the blog series instead.
Here's hoping I take some better shots in the future. Oh, and although my fellow photog blogger recommends reading the owner's manual - I can't recommend it the way I would other books. Maybe you could do a drinking game for every time the manual writer wrote a "this is common sense and you, reader would be an idiot to do what I just told you not to do but I am covering my butt for the legal department" sentence. Yeah, that would make it more fun.
Rating: 3 out of 7, but only because it is tabbed (I like a sense of order in my owner's manuals).
-L
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Daughter's Walk
A walk to remember? Hmm...oh wait, that is another book altogether (one I haven't read - missed out on the Sparks phenomenon). No, this is a whole other genre: historical fiction.
It may surprise many people who know although I love history (it was my major in college), I do not like historical fiction. I would rather spend my time reading a biography or book on events in history than reading someone's imaginings of a certain historical period or person. Oh, and it may surprise others that although I am a Christian (did I mention my major in college was actually church history?), I don't like Christian fiction - again the same thing applies. So, when I signed up to get The Daughter's Walk as an ARC, I really don't know what I was thinking.
The Daughter's Walk is the story (based on actual people) of a mother-daughter team who decide to walk across the United States, sponsored by a group of investors to promote dresses (that ladies can walk in) and save the family farm at the turn of the 20th century (an actual time). I think this is where actual history and fictional history part ways and the author takes over in the storytelling department. The story becomes a basic prodigal story without the squandering of inherited fortune and without the loving father taking back the wayward daughter.
So, what is missing? Um...my interest. I did not really enjoy this book. I got through it but I found it tedious and mundane. Each of the story elements seemed to be attempts to be historical fiction. Yes, I do know that should be an accomplishment, given it's intended genre. But what I mean is the author seemed to be working to make it historical in nature. She has entire paragraphs where she attempts to show the passing of time by almost listing the things she found out about the period when she was conducting research. It is not woven into the story, it is an obvious "this is the time we are talking about" device.
Which brings me to the question: What would it take for historical fiction to capture my interest?
I think it should be the type of work where the reader feels like they are actually reading a work of history. Where the author has done the research so well and so intertwined it with the story that it could feel as though it was written during the historical period or by the best historian EVER! Have you ever watched the Ken Burns series for PBS on the American civil war? The historians in there never met, nor walked this earth during the civil war (I know because I have done the math and they would have to be over 150 years old); yet they speak about the men and women of the day as though they grew up with them - they breathe life into the dead. That doesn't mean they are right all the time. There is no way they could know the emotional lives of these people; but they use inference and a little bit of imagination to bring the viewer right on the scene, experiencing the war right along with them.
So, until authors can approach their subjects this way (or someone can recommend an author who does), I'll take my actual history the way it was intended to be digested - in fascinating non-fiction.
Which brings me to the question: What would make you enjoy Christian fiction?
This I have less of a grip on. As it goes right now, I am on a case-by-case basis for Christian fiction. I absolutely loved The Great Divorce and Redeeming Love. But other Christian fiction has not captured my heart the way these two did. So, I am not scanning the shelves of the Christian fiction section of the local Barnes and Noble very often; but I have not closed my mind on the genre the way I have for historical fiction. All that to say, I will take your recommendations for Christian fiction, just don't make it Christian historical fiction - I don't think I could take it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
-L
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program. If you enjoyed or hated this review, you have recourse: rate my review. You just may get a free copy of this book.
It may surprise many people who know although I love history (it was my major in college), I do not like historical fiction. I would rather spend my time reading a biography or book on events in history than reading someone's imaginings of a certain historical period or person. Oh, and it may surprise others that although I am a Christian (did I mention my major in college was actually church history?), I don't like Christian fiction - again the same thing applies. So, when I signed up to get The Daughter's Walk as an ARC, I really don't know what I was thinking. The Daughter's Walk is the story (based on actual people) of a mother-daughter team who decide to walk across the United States, sponsored by a group of investors to promote dresses (that ladies can walk in) and save the family farm at the turn of the 20th century (an actual time). I think this is where actual history and fictional history part ways and the author takes over in the storytelling department. The story becomes a basic prodigal story without the squandering of inherited fortune and without the loving father taking back the wayward daughter.
So, what is missing? Um...my interest. I did not really enjoy this book. I got through it but I found it tedious and mundane. Each of the story elements seemed to be attempts to be historical fiction. Yes, I do know that should be an accomplishment, given it's intended genre. But what I mean is the author seemed to be working to make it historical in nature. She has entire paragraphs where she attempts to show the passing of time by almost listing the things she found out about the period when she was conducting research. It is not woven into the story, it is an obvious "this is the time we are talking about" device.
Which brings me to the question: What would it take for historical fiction to capture my interest?
I think it should be the type of work where the reader feels like they are actually reading a work of history. Where the author has done the research so well and so intertwined it with the story that it could feel as though it was written during the historical period or by the best historian EVER! Have you ever watched the Ken Burns series for PBS on the American civil war? The historians in there never met, nor walked this earth during the civil war (I know because I have done the math and they would have to be over 150 years old); yet they speak about the men and women of the day as though they grew up with them - they breathe life into the dead. That doesn't mean they are right all the time. There is no way they could know the emotional lives of these people; but they use inference and a little bit of imagination to bring the viewer right on the scene, experiencing the war right along with them.
So, until authors can approach their subjects this way (or someone can recommend an author who does), I'll take my actual history the way it was intended to be digested - in fascinating non-fiction.
Which brings me to the question: What would make you enjoy Christian fiction?
This I have less of a grip on. As it goes right now, I am on a case-by-case basis for Christian fiction. I absolutely loved The Great Divorce and Redeeming Love. But other Christian fiction has not captured my heart the way these two did. So, I am not scanning the shelves of the Christian fiction section of the local Barnes and Noble very often; but I have not closed my mind on the genre the way I have for historical fiction. All that to say, I will take your recommendations for Christian fiction, just don't make it Christian historical fiction - I don't think I could take it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
-L
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program. If you enjoyed or hated this review, you have recourse: rate my review. You just may get a free copy of this book.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Age of Misrule
Here's a hearty welcome back to the blogging scene! We've sort of caught folks up on what's been happening with our personal lives, and now we can get back to writing about what's been happening in our reading lives. Having a child has been exciting, and her weird sleep schedule (although that's pretty much normalized now) had led to some decent reading time in the wee hours. With that said, let's get back to it!
This first book since our hiatus was the first book sent out by Pyr after asking if they had any review copies. It took me a little longer than it should have to get to reviewing their books, but I'm very grateful for the opportunity to do so. Picked up a book by Mark Chadbourn by the name of World's End. It's the first book in his Age of Misrule trilogy. You start the story with a couple of English folk..... then it really gets weird! Something quite strange is happening in the natural world that appears to be connected to old mythology. After a short introductory period, you're taken on a whirlwind of destruction and oddities.
World's End wasn't a bad book, but it's definitely a tedious book. Mark Chadbourn, the author, has quite the vocabulary and he isn't afraid to use it. I'm not one to shy away from a long word every now and then, but the usage is quite prolific(ding!) in this first novel. It's very proper and, perhaps, that's the way our English brethren prefer it. It was also a little difficult for me to get into just after delving into mythology with American Gods by Neil Gaiman (another English author). American Gods was a dichotomy of great storytelling and graphic situations. It was good, but dirty. World's End is exhausting in it's definition and sometimes feels lost when coming up to story progression. It makes you wonder upon finishing the book if it was really worth it.
All in all, if you are looking for perfect punctuation, grammar, and to expand your vocabulary then you will want to pick up this book. If you are looking for a book that touches on a bit of the ol' mythology you are more than welcome to pick this up, but I would recommend American Gods - especially the 10 year anniversary edition that can be found here.
Rating: 4 of 10 CBs
-D
Friday, August 19, 2011
In the Hopper
Alrighty, we are trying to get back in the swing around here. So, we thought we would get the blog juices flowing (that sounds inappropriate somehow) by joining the global book blog hop hosted by Crazy for Books. It has been a while for us. But, then again, it has been a while for almost everything around here.
The question for the week is: what is the longest book you have ever read?
-D said (sleepily): "probably some Robert Jordan book, I guess." Fear not, lovely readers of fantasy/sci-fi fiction, the reviews on this site are plenteous.
and
-L says: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is THE book I recommend to almost anyone who will sit still long enough for me to tell them it is the best Lincoln biography out there. It actually ends up being a four-for-one deal because it is also a biography of Lincoln's rivals for the 1860 Republican nomination for president. Go...read it...be happy I told you about it...then pass it on!
Anyway, if you are new around here (or if it has been a while) feel free to browse around, leave a comment, start a conversation with other readers, whatever makes you feel at home. Glad to have you here and glad to be back.
-L
The question for the week is: what is the longest book you have ever read?
-D said (sleepily): "probably some Robert Jordan book, I guess." Fear not, lovely readers of fantasy/sci-fi fiction, the reviews on this site are plenteous.
and
-L says: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is THE book I recommend to almost anyone who will sit still long enough for me to tell them it is the best Lincoln biography out there. It actually ends up being a four-for-one deal because it is also a biography of Lincoln's rivals for the 1860 Republican nomination for president. Go...read it...be happy I told you about it...then pass it on!
Anyway, if you are new around here (or if it has been a while) feel free to browse around, leave a comment, start a conversation with other readers, whatever makes you feel at home. Glad to have you here and glad to be back.
-L
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