Posts tagged ‘SciFi / Fantasy’

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January 27, 2012

Book Review: #6 – The Gunslinger by Stephen King (audio)

The Gunslinger by Stephen King (audio; book #1 in the Dark Tower series)

Narrator: George Guidall
Source: Audible.com
Finished: 1/22/12
Rating: 7 out of 10
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Length: 7 hours, 24 minutes
Pages: 264 pages (print version)
Published: 1982, revised in 2003
Book Club: Book Eaters
Challenges: 2012 Audio Book Challenge

Synopsis (from Library Journal): The Gunslinger introduces protagonist Roland as he pursues the Man in Black through bleak and tired landscapes in a world that has “moved on.” Roland believes that the Man in Black knows and can be made to reveal the secrets of the Dark Tower, which is the ultimate goal of Roland’s quest. They journey through imaginative landscapes, over astounding obstacles, and meet with and confront a unique and fully drawn cast of characters, both human and nonhuman. 

Overall Impression: I had absolutely no idea what The Gunslinger was about when we selected it for book club. All I knew was that it was fantasy and not horror, so I was down to read it. Then Audible had it in their $7.95 sale the other day and…win!

I thought it started off a little slow for me, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect, or even what was happening. The book has a slow, sort of western-y, meandering feel to it, and it took me a while to get acclimated to the style. The world, as well, that King has created is very similar to Earth, but has some striking differences as well. A parallel universe? I think so, but I’m not sure. The plot sort of chugs along, alternating between Roland’s (the Gunslinger) current search for the Man in Black and flashbacks that explain how Roland came to where he was in the present day. The action came in short, satisfying bursts, breaking up the slow hunt that was characteristic of the rest of the novel. Roland still needs some fleshing out as a character — and as there are at least six other books in the series (I believe a seventh is due out this year?), I think that will come in due time. Really, this felt like a prequel to me more than anything. Like it was telling the back story for some great tale that is to come.

Positives: King is really great at showing and not telling — I could picture the book in my mind easily.

Negatives: A slow start, and a lack of character empathization (I just made that up). In other, non-made-up words, the characters, specifically the stoic Roland, were hard to empathize with.

Narration: George Guidall is a wonderful narrator (I read that King selected him personally for this book). I swear I’ve listened to something he’s narrated before, but none of the 900 books he’s narrated seemed familiar. Perhaps he’s done some other voice-over work that might be familiar.

Other books I’ve read by Stephen King: On Writing (read before I started writing reviews)

Other blogger opinions:

Theresa at Shelf Love: “As fans of the whole series, we’re going to naturally view this book as an exposition to a larger story, but there’s some darned impressive storytelling in this single volume.”

Jenny at Shelf Love: “I do think, though, that the tone of the book — its style — is different from what I consider “normal” Stephen King.”

Opinions of a Wolf: “I’m shocked to discover, I like a Stephen King book.”

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November 21, 2011

Book Review: #103 – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Source: Audible
Finished: 11/20/11
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Random House Audio
Pages: 384 pages (print edition)
Published: 2011

Synopsis (from the product description): Ready Player One takes place in the not-so-distant future — the world has turned into a very bleak place, but luckily there is OASIS, a virtual reality world that is a vast online utopia. People can plug into OASIS to play, go to school, earn money, and even meet other people (or at least they can meet their avatars), and for protagonist Wade Watts it certainly beats passing the time in his grim, poverty-stricken real life. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. The keys are rumored to be hidden inside OASIS, and whoever finds them will inherit Halliday’s fortune. But Halliday has not made it easy. And there are real dangers in this virtual world. 

Overall Impression: So everyone I know (especially the boyfriend) totally raved about this book, and rightly so. I put it on hold at the library, but the wait time was so interminably long that I finally signed up for an Audible account just so I could scratch the itch that everyone had given me to read it.

It was So. Frakkin. Much. Fun.

While many (though not all) of the video game references were lost on me, I still loved the world that Cline created. It was realistic enough to make me wonder about our planet’s not-so-distant future and the way that technology might play into our lives. But the way he infused the entire OASIS with his incredible love for the 1980s was the best part. How often did I have a silly grin on my face remembering Pac-Man, Rubik’s Cube, Star Wars, and Monty Python? Pretty much the whole time. So many of the movies, TV and games of the 80s are all about the “quest” — and so is Ready Player One. It’s a quest in the grandest tradition, with friends and foes, the planning and execution of battles, and a priceless grail waiting at the end for the victor.

The characters were a lot of fun, beginning with the likable underdog Wade Watts struggling to survive his poverty-stricken upbringing. He’s resourceful, proud, sarcastic, and doesn’t take any prisoners. Then there’s Art3mis and Aech — who are opponents to start but friends to the end. And, of course, the over-the-top evil Sixers, trying to get Halliday’s egg to pretty much take over the world. Throw them in a virtual world in a struggle to the death? Game on.  

Positives: I’m not sure how Cline contained all of that 80s trivia in his head. Just the references alone makes this an awesome read.

Negatives: Because of the nature of the story,  there’s a lot of telling instead of showing. It’s a lot of explanation.

Narration: Seriously? Wil Wheaton? This is some awesomely meta audio book stuff here, considering at some point in the story Wade votes for Wil Wheaton in an election. Seriously, I’m geeking out just remembering it. Wheaton doesn’t mix up the voices as much as other readers might, but his enthusiasm and place in the geeky cult-figure pantheon make him the perfect narrator for this book.

Other books I’ve read by Ernest Cline: none

Other blogger opinions:

KellyVision: “… besides being a love letter to video games and the online experience, it’s also a love letter to the 1980s.”

Devourer of Books: “Wade is a wonderful protagonist, extremely kind-hearted, but also flawed and driven.”

My Books. My Life.: “I totally embraced the geek and fell hard for this book. My fingers just typed sigh-fi by mistake but it might apply because it was SO GOOD. *sighs*”

That’s What She Read: “ It is the type of novel where the reader will enjoy every word written, will laugh, will get a little emotional, and will close the book with immense satisfaction. I know I did.”

Posted in Book Review | 6 Comments »

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September 30, 2011

September Snippet Book Review

Only one book gets a snippet review this month. I finished up the Harry Potter series on audio!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Series book #7; book review #79, re-read)

Reader: Jim Dale, who is Perfection
Source: Borrowed from my friend Anne
Finished: 9/15/11
Rating: 9 out of 10
Publisher: Listening Library
Pages: 759 (print version)
Originally Published: 2007

A Short Synopsis: Harry has finally come of age, and finally started on his final journey to defeat Voldemort for good.

Quick Impression: While this isn’t my favorite book in the series (mostly because it drags a bit in the middle), I love it because it so nicely finishes one of my favorite series of all time. Watching Harry and his friends finally defeat Voldemort and his followers is such a rush, and I love how much heart is in this book. I also love how not only do the main characters shine, but secondary characters like Professor McGonagal, Neville, and Molly Weasley.

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September 9, 2011

Book Review: #77 – The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (book #1 in the Maze Runner Trilogy)  

Narrator: Mark Deakins
Source: Sacramento Library
Read: based on many book reviews
Finished: 9/8/11
Rating: 6 out of 10
Publisher: Listening Library
Pages: 384
Published: 2009

Synopsis (from Publishers Weekly):  Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in “the glade” for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. 

Overall Impression: This was one of those books where I wish I had a rating system for different elements of the book. Plot? It was fast-moving, original, and really interesting. Riddled with holes, yes, but I didn’t really mind. It was such a fun idea to trap some kids in a maze and watch them struggle with the puzzle. If I was going to get stuck in some nutso dystopian future, this is what I’d like to be saddled with. Use your brain! Figure it out! That’s what I’m talking about.

But then there was the writing. It was like someone said, “Here is how to write. First, have your character do something. Then write how he is feeling. Use a simile. Then have your character do something. Then write how he is feeling. Use a simile. Have your character do something…” Like the Queen’s Thief Series I’ve been reviewing, it’s a case of a lot of telling and not much showing. Problem was, the main character spent the whole book confused and/or scared (and rightfully so). The description of his confusion/fear (with corresponding simile) wasn’t noticeable at first, but was grating on me by the end.

I also didn’t understand why everyone was so secretive and mysterious about everything. Of course the new guy in the maze has questions. Stop making him feel stupid. But then the new guy has an idea, and he refuses to tell anyone else. Communication, people. It breaks down barriers. Even the barriers of a crazy-ass maze filled with blubbery knife-wielding monsters.

But somehow, I still kind of liked it.

Positives: I really loved the concept. I didn’t even mind that it ended in a way that makes you have to read the next one. Despite The Maze Runner‘s problems, I’m sure I’ll pick up The Scorch Trials at some point.

Negatives: As I write this review, I realized this book made me feel frustrated with the writing, as if I was trapped in a maze with blubbery knife-wielding monsters.

Narration: Deakins did a fairly good job, but it wasn’t anything to write home about.

Other books I’ve read by James Dashner: none

Other books I’ve listened to narrated by Mark Deakins: none

Other blogger opinions:

books i done read: “And I KNOW that many people loved this book, and are going to be all Verily, haters to the left.  And you are right.  I will go sit over here on the left and bear you no ill will, because taste is subjective and the things that rankle me may not even ruffle your tail feathers.”

The Avid Reader: “The book feels like a combination of The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, but it falls short of attaining the same impact as either of those books.”

That’s What She Read: “ The creation of a new dialect is perfect and adds to the eerie sense of familiarity combined with the unknown.”

We’ll Always Have Books: “The ending left me intrigued and wanting to read the next novel in the trilogy, The Scorch Trials. I’m definitely wondering how everything fits together.”

Posted in Book Review | 12 Comments »

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September 8, 2011

Book Review: #76 – The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (book #3 in the Queen’s Thief series)  

Source: Gift from Brittney
Read: For my book club retreat last weekend, where we discussed the entire series at a cabin while drinking some (lots of) wine.
Finished: 9/2/11
Rating: 5 out of 10
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 368
Published: 2000

*** Contains spoilers from books #1 and #2 ***

Synopsis (from Publishers Weekly):  Fans of the irascible Thief of Eddis will recall that Gen and his frosty nemesis, Attolia, exchanged vows of love in The Queen of Attolia (2000). This second follow-up to Turner’s 1997 Newbery Honor Book, The Thief, follows the turbulent months just after their union, primarily from the perspective of Gen’s reluctant personal assistant, Costis, who despises the “goat-footed throne-stealing interloper” as much as the rest of Attolia’s insubordinate court. Gradually, though, Costis gleans that there is more to King Gen than his oafish, irascible behavior would suggest. 

Overall Impression: I didn’t think I was going to get this read before our book discussion last Saturday night, but a lazy day at the cabin left me with exactly eight minutes to spare after I finished and before we sat down to dinner and discussion. Time management FTW!

Of all three books I’ve read in this series, this was probably my favorite. I liked the narration from Costis’s point of view, and how Gen’s character was more clearly defined in his role of king. That being said, I still didn’t enjoy the series all that much. I was trying to figure out what bothered me so much, and I think I’ve finally determined that it’s Turner’s writing style. There were several things I found difficult. 1) Often, she would create a whole scene, dialogue and all, and not reveal who was talking until well into the scene, or even the end. I read most of the book twice, after going back and re-reading whole sections. 2) This was exacerbated through a lack of dialogue tags. Can I get a “Gen said” up in here? 3) I think this vagueness was sort of intentional, to create suspense and set up big twists and turns, but to me, I was lost so much of the time that when the twist and turn came, I still wasn’t sure what was happening, or why it was particularly twisty and turny. I mean, I read a lot. I read complicated things with lots of interesting, convoluted plots, and usually I can keep up. But I had a hard time with this YA novel! I feel sort of thick-skulled not seeing what other people see in them.

Positives: A new point of view that allowed Turner to do new things with the same characters.

Negatives: Turner’s writing style does not compute in my brain.

Other books I’ve read by Megan Whalen Turner: 

The Thief (review)
The Queen of Attolia (review)

Other blogger opinions:

Dear Author: “Readers who have been following [Eugenides] adventures since The Thief have the chance to see him grow from a daring boy into a haunted man and now into a worthy leader for the kingdom of Attolia.”

A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy: “If there is any justice in this world, TKOA will be an award winner. This is one of my Best Books of 2006.”

The Literate Mother: “”While this book lacked the twists and surprises the other two books had, it had a depth that I enjoyed.”

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