With the publishing of this two-part post, I've officially completed my goal of writing reviews for every book I read in 2017! I'm still a little unsure of how I'll proceed in the coming year now that I'm using Goodreads (and cross-posting my reviews there), but I do know that I want to continue recording my thoughts on what I read in some form or another.
That said, on to my quick thoughts on December's batch of books:
Waking Gods - Sylvain Neuvel (2017)
"How many people get a second chance? I got one. Look what I did with it."
This book is the second in the Themis Files series, the first being Sleeping Giants. Much of what I said for that review would be applicable here. The story is an interesting concept, but I didn't care all that much for the way it was told. And I still don't think the author did a great job with the different voices throughout the book. I'll probably read the next book in the series when it comes out, but I'm not on pins and needles for it.
Related Reads:
Insistence of Vision ["Mars Opposition"] (Brin)
Three-body Problem (Liu)
The Martian (Weir)
The History of Hell - Alice Turner (1993)
"Christianity would have had a much easier time without Revelation, though it would be a less colorful religion."
First, I'll note that the author is not religious and does not write from a Christian perspective (I think some might go into the book expecting a Biblical analysis of Hell). I actually appreciated this, as I felt it removed the bias I had been expecting. This book is set up and reads something like a textbook, though not in a detrimental way. For me, it got more interesting as it went on. The book also includes a good number of illustrations and reproductions of art pieces.
Overall, I thought this book was a good compilation of the various and changing viewpoints and concepts of Hell throughout the ages. Though there's surely enough material out there to write a book on each of the chapters here, I felt the author was able to synthesize and encapsulate a lot of information well. One of my slight quibbles was that I do wish the author had cited sources more throughout. The book left me with the feeling that I would be interested to discuss more deeply with a person who's studied specific time periods more.
Related Reads:
(See bibliography)
A Long Way Home - Saroo Brierley (2013)
"Despite having so many memories that I wish I could forget, there are some that I wish I could remember."
This book is an exploration of the author's journey of trying to remember and process his pre-adoption past. It's engaging, though I found the first portion of the book a little more interesting and well-written than the last. Brierley seems (and portrays himself as) well-adjusted and happy with his life and adoptive family, though he stresses that this isn't the case for everyone, and he gently brings up some common issues that vulnerable children in similar situations may have faced (abuse, trauma, hunger, potentially having families despite being assumed to be orphans). It's a worthy read for anyone, but perhaps especially for those interested in the subject of international adoption.
Related Reads:
Shantaram (Roberts)
A Long Way Gone (Beah)
A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas (2016)
"Love can be a poison."
After getting through this book, I don't think that I'll be able finish the series. I found A Court of Mist and Fury to be less tolerable than the preceding book (A Court of Thrones and Roses). There were at least five fairly explicit sex scenes - one almost right away, which threw me off since it's a YA book (is this what the kids are reading these days?). Many of the same problems I had with the first book also apply here; the main character is too perfect; the various characters aren't really well defined, and despite the peril aspects, there aren't really many surprises. There were interesting pieces of the story, but not enough to keep me fully engaged. The best I can say about it was that this book was a fairly quick and escapist read.
Related Reads:
Twilight (Meyer)
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (1988)
"A 'great' butler can only be, surely, one who can point to his years of service and say that he has applied his talents to serving a great gentleman - and through the latter, to serving humanity."
After reading this, I find that it's hard to come up with a worthy description of this book. It's surprisingly humorous, unexpectedly sad, and sometimes exasperating. A beautifully poignant read, and a pointed exploration into political and personal issues surrounding pre- and post-WWII Great Britain.
Related Reads:
The Road to Wigan Pier (Orwell)
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook - Christina Henry (2017)
"I didn't know how to explain to him that for all that I still looked young, I had been feeling old. The years had passed, so many of them, and they were starting to wear on me. After a while it wasn't fun to always feel like you had to have fun."
When I picked up this book, I was worried that it would be straight horror and I wouldn't be able to finish. However, while there are some violent/gruesome aspects, it wasn't as bad as I might have expected. It's well-written, and an interesting and different retelling of the classic story; here, Peter Pan is unquestioningly evil. In the end, though, the reader already knows what's going to happen - giving a "so why did I put myself through this sad retelling" feeling once the book is finished.
Related Reads:
Lord of the Flies (Golding)
Everland (Spinale)
(Continued in Part 2)
That said, on to my quick thoughts on December's batch of books:
Waking Gods - Sylvain Neuvel (2017)
"How many people get a second chance? I got one. Look what I did with it."
This book is the second in the Themis Files series, the first being Sleeping Giants. Much of what I said for that review would be applicable here. The story is an interesting concept, but I didn't care all that much for the way it was told. And I still don't think the author did a great job with the different voices throughout the book. I'll probably read the next book in the series when it comes out, but I'm not on pins and needles for it.
Related Reads:
Insistence of Vision ["Mars Opposition"] (Brin)
Three-body Problem (Liu)
The Martian (Weir)
The History of Hell - Alice Turner (1993)
"Christianity would have had a much easier time without Revelation, though it would be a less colorful religion."
First, I'll note that the author is not religious and does not write from a Christian perspective (I think some might go into the book expecting a Biblical analysis of Hell). I actually appreciated this, as I felt it removed the bias I had been expecting. This book is set up and reads something like a textbook, though not in a detrimental way. For me, it got more interesting as it went on. The book also includes a good number of illustrations and reproductions of art pieces.
Overall, I thought this book was a good compilation of the various and changing viewpoints and concepts of Hell throughout the ages. Though there's surely enough material out there to write a book on each of the chapters here, I felt the author was able to synthesize and encapsulate a lot of information well. One of my slight quibbles was that I do wish the author had cited sources more throughout. The book left me with the feeling that I would be interested to discuss more deeply with a person who's studied specific time periods more.
Related Reads:
(See bibliography)
A Long Way Home - Saroo Brierley (2013)
"Despite having so many memories that I wish I could forget, there are some that I wish I could remember."
This book is an exploration of the author's journey of trying to remember and process his pre-adoption past. It's engaging, though I found the first portion of the book a little more interesting and well-written than the last. Brierley seems (and portrays himself as) well-adjusted and happy with his life and adoptive family, though he stresses that this isn't the case for everyone, and he gently brings up some common issues that vulnerable children in similar situations may have faced (abuse, trauma, hunger, potentially having families despite being assumed to be orphans). It's a worthy read for anyone, but perhaps especially for those interested in the subject of international adoption.
Related Reads:
Shantaram (Roberts)
A Long Way Gone (Beah)
A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas (2016)
"Love can be a poison."
After getting through this book, I don't think that I'll be able finish the series. I found A Court of Mist and Fury to be less tolerable than the preceding book (A Court of Thrones and Roses). There were at least five fairly explicit sex scenes - one almost right away, which threw me off since it's a YA book (is this what the kids are reading these days?). Many of the same problems I had with the first book also apply here; the main character is too perfect; the various characters aren't really well defined, and despite the peril aspects, there aren't really many surprises. There were interesting pieces of the story, but not enough to keep me fully engaged. The best I can say about it was that this book was a fairly quick and escapist read.
Related Reads:
Twilight (Meyer)
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (1988)
"A 'great' butler can only be, surely, one who can point to his years of service and say that he has applied his talents to serving a great gentleman - and through the latter, to serving humanity."
After reading this, I find that it's hard to come up with a worthy description of this book. It's surprisingly humorous, unexpectedly sad, and sometimes exasperating. A beautifully poignant read, and a pointed exploration into political and personal issues surrounding pre- and post-WWII Great Britain.
Related Reads:
The Road to Wigan Pier (Orwell)
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook - Christina Henry (2017)
"I didn't know how to explain to him that for all that I still looked young, I had been feeling old. The years had passed, so many of them, and they were starting to wear on me. After a while it wasn't fun to always feel like you had to have fun."
When I picked up this book, I was worried that it would be straight horror and I wouldn't be able to finish. However, while there are some violent/gruesome aspects, it wasn't as bad as I might have expected. It's well-written, and an interesting and different retelling of the classic story; here, Peter Pan is unquestioningly evil. In the end, though, the reader already knows what's going to happen - giving a "so why did I put myself through this sad retelling" feeling once the book is finished.
Related Reads:
Lord of the Flies (Golding)
Everland (Spinale)
(Continued in Part 2)
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