The Terror February 28, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, General Fiction.Tags: Dan Simmons, Franklin Expedition, The Terror
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—4—
I finished this behemoth of a book! 766 pages! I know you’re impressed. Haha, anyway…
Dan Simmons The Terror is a wonderful, horrific book about the Franklin expedition’s trek to find the Northwest Passage in the 1840’s. Needless to say, once you’ve read that title, it’s a doomed trip from the start. Sir John Franklin is captain of Erebus and his second in command is Francis Crozier, captain of The Terror. The two ships become trapped in the ice, and then everything begins to spiral downhill, and Captain Crozier finds himself more and more responsible for the crew’s lives. Between disease, cold, and wind; starvation and desperation, the men are struggling to survive. And that’s when the situation gets worse. Something is out on the ice, killing and mutilating them. The novel takes a paranormal turn here, with this creature who is more intelligent and much larger than anything these men have encountered before.
Simmons never strays too far from the historical fiction into the supernatural, and the book remains tense throughout. The Terror is a remarkable read despite its length, or maybe because of it; it seeps you into the hopelessness and fear of these 100 men trapped on the ice, sitting ducks for whatever may come their way. Each chapter is titled after a man on board, and is told from their point of view, either in thoughts, memories, or journal pages. There were about 10 different narrators throughout the book. I really enjoyed this approach; it prevented the book from becoming too weighted, and it showed reactions from men involved in all aspects of the ships, from captain to surgeons and in between. Unfortunately, my favorite narrators kept dying! And then I’d pick another, and just a couple chapters later…
Overall, The Terror is frightening and powerful. You cringe at some of the decisions made, although you know if you were in these positions you too wouldn’t know any better. There were parts I wished moved a little faster, but in its entirety this is a masterful novel.
4/5
Dating- For Book Nerds February 26, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book News, Randomness.1 comment so far
If my boyfriend wasn’t dating me, he might want to check out this website: http://www.theatlasphere.com/
Yes, that’s right, it’s a dating site for Ayn Rand lovers. What will they think of next?
Discover Magazine’s Essential Reading List February 22, 2008
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I know this article was published in 2006, but I just ran across it in my files again, and we know I’m a sucker for a good reading list. Plus, as you’ll be able to tell, timeliness isn’t a huge factor for these. It is Discover magazine’s “All-Time Essential Reading List” of what they consider to be the 25 best science books ever written. I’m just embarrassed I haven’t read these, although I do own one (pathetic still, huh). Check out the article too, but I’ll run down the top 10 titles and authors here.
1. Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
2. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
3. Philosophiae Naturalis Principa Mathematica by Isaac Newton
4. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei
5. De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium by Nicolaus Copernicus
6. Physica by Aristotle
7. De Humani Corporis Fabrica by Andrea Vesalius
8. Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein
9. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
10. One Two Three… Infinity by George Gamow
Ariana Franklin’s New Book February 21, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book News, Randomness.Tags: Ariana Franklin, The Mistress of the Art of Death, The Serpant's Tale
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According to my BookPageXTRA Ariana Franklin has a new book out. The Serpent’s Tale appears to be a follow-up to The Mistress of the Art of Death which I really enjoyed. Amazon says that the main character, Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, is back and once again investigating the secrets of the dead. This time the novel, set in 12th century England, surrounds the death of Henry II’s mistress. Sounds good!
Order The Serpent’s Tale from Amazon. com
or
Read my review of The Mistress of the Art of Death, which I gave 4 stars!
New York Times Bestsellers 2.21.08 February 21, 2008
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Top 5
1. THE APPEAL, by John Grisham
2. 7TH HEAVEN, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
3. DUMA KEY, by Stephen King
4. STRANGER IN PARADISE, by Robert B. Parker
5. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
Top 5
1. IN DEFENSE OF FOOD, by Michael Pollan
2. AN INCONVENIENT BOOK, by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe
3. REAL CHANGE, by Newt Gingrich with Vince Haley and Rick Tyler
4. I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!), by Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Allison Silverman et al.
5. TOM CRUISE, by Andrew Morton
Zuckerman Unbound February 14, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, Classic Literature.Tags: Nathan Zuckerman, Philip Roth, Zuckerman Unbound
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—4—
Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth returns us to the life of Nathan Zuckerman, now in his 30’s (The Ghost Writer introduced him in his 20’s). An author with new-found fame, he finds life a little too much to deal with. Between being recognized on the streets, hobnobbing with a famous actress, and humiliating his mother (and slowly killing his father), it’s amazing he has time to divorce from his 3rd wife, be stalked by a game-show contestant, and anger Jewish people throughout the country. It’s the last years of the 1960’s, and everything around Zuckerman is turbulent, but perhaps the most turbulence is within himself.
Zuckerman Unbound again showcases Roth’s comic abilities and his impeccable timing. I found myself laughing while shaking my head, unsure whether to be compassionate and understanding, or appalled and frustrated. I guess that’s what makes these “Zuckerman books” so entertaining.
4/5
Congo February 6, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, General Fiction.Tags: Congo, Michael Crichton
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—2.5—
I may be one of the only people (besides my sister) who truly enjoys the movie Congo. I know, it’s bad, but a talking gorilla, priceless! I had hoped the love would carry over to the book the movie is based on. And in theory, the Michael Crichton Congo should have been better. Basically, the novel should be more plausible and less corny. And, I suppose it was both of those things. But I still came away disappointed.
Congo begins with the disappearance of a research team in the heart of Congo, caused by strange gorilla-like creatures attacking their camp. A second team is sent in by the technology company that sent the first in. This team is lead by young Karen Ross, eager to prove herself and acquire the blue diamonds her company is so desperate for. Along for the ride is zoologist Peter Elliot and his tamed gorilla Amy, who has been taught American Sign Language. Congo is in political unrest, there are cannibalistic natives, and the gorilla-like animals that greet them among the diamonds are ruthless trained killers.
The book spends a MASSIVE amount of time discussing technology, which now seems ridiculous and ancient, considering it was written in 1980. But, I’ll forgive them for that - books can’t be blamed for dating themselves. However, there were so many digressions from the plot that the story dragged and dragged. Explanations of politics, technology, and primates add up to more of the book than the story about a talking gorilla. Which is all we really want to read about, isn’t it? I was hoping for excitement, and instead I felt like I was reading an outdated textbook. What a shame!
2.5/5
New York Times Bestsellers 2.6.08 February 6, 2008
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Top 5
1. DUMA KEY, by Stephen King
2. PLUM LUCKY, by Janet Evanovich
3. PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, by Geraldine Brooks
4. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
5. WORLD WITHOUT END, by Ken Follett
Top 5
1. IN DEFENSE OF FOOD, by Michael Pollan
2. AN INCONVENIENT BOOK, by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe
3. TOM CRUISE, by Andrew Morton
4. REAL CHANGE, by Newt Gingrich with Vince Haley and Rick Tyler
5. FREE LUNCH, by David Cay Johnston
Silent in the Grave February 5, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, Mystery.Tags: Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Grave
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—4.5—
Silent in the Grave is the first mystery in the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. In it, Julia’s husband dies suddenly of what’s believed to be a family heart defect. However, as she begins to cope with her widowhood a rogue detective Nicholas Brisbane implies that perhaps her husband’s death was not natural. Julia’s deceased husband had hired Brisbane when he began receiving threatening letters. Now, Julia and Brisbane team up to figure out the murder, although they don’t usually (or ever) see eye to eye. Julia discovers that her husband was not who she thought he was, and no members of her household are above suspicion.
This book is dark and suspenseful. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Julia and Brisbane. And I never even got close to figuring out the mystery. At over 500 pages, I was unsure if I wanted to start such a project. But once I began, I couldn’t put the book down, and read it in less than three days. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
4.5/5
Intro: The Terror February 18, 2008
Posted by sadiejean in Current Read Comments.Tags: Dan Simmons, The Terror
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“Captain Crozier comes up on deck to find his ship under attack by celestial ghosts. Above him- above Terror- shimmering folds of light lunge but then quickly withdraw like the colourful arms of aggressive but ultimately uncertain spectres. Ectoplasmic skeletal fingers extend toward the ship, open, prepare to grasp, and pull back.”
Intro to The Terror by Dan Simmons