My thoughts

Posted : 4 days ago on 22 July 2008 06:33 (A review of Such A Long Journey)

This was a beautifully written book highlighting journeys both physical and emotional. I liked the interactions between Gustad and his friends and family, as even when things were rough, I knew that Gustad cared. I also liked the ways political and religious news affected Gustad and his neighbors.

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My thoughts

Posted : 4 days ago on 22 July 2008 06:30 (A review of Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie)

This was a good mix of the real and fantastical. I liked the way Val finds the strength in herself to help her new friends, both human and other. I also liked how Black interspersed faery folk among the buildings and parks of Manhattan and New Jersey. I look forward to reading the first book in the series, Tithe.


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My thoughts

Posted : 4 days ago on 22 July 2008 06:27 (A review of Apocalypso)

While this rather strange and quirky book made me chuckle at times, I felt that it could have used some trimming here and there. In particular, some types of jokes, while funny, were overused from time to time. Still, I liked the story of the put-upon Porrig learning about other worlds and creatures and finding the courage to save this world.

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Bloodline review

Posted : 4 days, 2 hours ago on 22 July 2008 05:03 (A review of Bloodline)

This book acts as a great, unofficial sequel the Bram Stoker's Dracula. It even features a few of the older characters, and continues their story to some extent.

The interesting part was reading the story as if it were a series of letters or journal entries. A very interesting aspect, though a little awkward and spoilery. After all, if we're reading their diary entry, then they must have survived (at least long enough to write the entry). So, occasionally I was too hyper-aware of that and therefore it negated any suspense that might have been present.

Other than that, the story subscribes to Stoker's traditional vampire myths, like the holy water, wooden stakes, crosses, and the lot. It seems to stay quite true to the original vampire novel and makes for an interesting companion.

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Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture review

Posted : 4 days, 2 hours ago on 22 July 2008 04:47 (A review of Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture)

Interesting novel. I think the slang terms in the margins proved to be far more entertaining than the story itself. A great read nonetheless, for those of us who are introspective, or like storytelling.

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Street Pharm review

Posted : 4 days, 2 hours ago on 22 July 2008 04:44 (A review of Street Pharm)

This read more like a movie script than it did a novel. I felt it just had more of those elements that play great on screen, but sort of fall short in print. Again, we're given the happy ending and I imagine if the author is attempting to be authentic doesn't quite fit.

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Curious Pursuits: Occasional Writing review

Posted : 5 days, 15 hours ago on 21 July 2008 03:56 (A review of Curious Pursuits: Occasional Writing)

Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors so a chance to take a look inside her writing process was one that I couldn't pass up. For fans of Atwood's work, this book is a treasure trove: a collection of book reviews and obituaries she has been asked to read, transcriptions of lectures and talks she has given and musings on her own novels.

It's often the book reviews that are most fascinating, giving, as they do, an insight into what Atwood thinks is good writing. The range of material here is wide - from HG Wells's The Island of Dr Moreau to obscure foreign-language titles that have only just made their way to an English translation. Atwood's familiarity with the titles is testament to an almost ferocious appetite for reading, something that she mentions time and again. It's easy to get the impression that reading got Atwood through some tough times, especially as a child, and as a fellow book obsessive this is something I can relate to. Where would we be without our trusty tales?

Atwood's thorough reviews have certainly taught me to look beneath the surface of a book to the possibly endless layers beneath.

The book also gives an idea of the extent of Atwood's friendships. Many of the obituaries she has been asked to write are for personal friends. This lends a bitter-sweet tone to the obits, for while Atwood conveys admirably well a celebration of a life lived, there is a certain amount of personal sadness at a good friend lost.

Possibly the most interesting pieces for fans of Atwood's work and for anyone hoping to follow her are those on writing itself. She has given many talks on this subject over the years, as well as written various thoughts on it. These pieces won't teach you how to become an author, but they do give an interesting insight into how Atwood became an author.

All the pieces are well-written with Atwood's customary wit and a certain amount of self-deprecation that leads me to believe Atwood to be a thoroughly charming person in the flesh. A must-read for anyone with more than a passing interest in Atwood's novels.

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Book of Shadows (Sweep 1) review

Posted : 1 week ago on 19 July 2008 01:32 (A review of Book of Shadows (Sweep 1))

if you are into magik and that
kind of stuff this series is
perfect for you......
this series is so awesome it
you cant put the book down
and you will be dying for more

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Lost in the crowd of peace advocacy works

Posted : 1 week, 1 day ago on 18 July 2008 04:15 (A review of Flink)

Conrad, a young teenage boy, gets to go on his first hunting trip with his father, who works for some government agency tasked to capture one or more bigfoot creatures. Conrad doesn't seem terribly interested in the hunt, since he never stops playing video games. When the plane crashes into a lake, Conrad assumes that his father died in the crash.

Conrad tries to make his way out of the Washington forest on foot, but he has only a small pocket knife and no provisions. Upon waking up after the first cold night, Conrad finds a trail of berries, which he follows. The berries lead to a cave, which unfortunately houses a bear. As the bear chases Conrad, the adultbigfoot who left the trail of berries comes out of hiding and helps Conrad escape from the bear.
During the rescue, the bigfoot gets bitten by the bear, and Conrad does his best to provide first aid.

TenNaple's art consists of lots of broad strokes. He draws with excellent consistency from frame to frame, but the broader brushes give a feeling more like a storyboard than a finished product. The art does well enough to convey the story, but I think some finer details could have conveyed more subtle emotions beyond base emotions like fear and sorrow.

Read my full review at interrogation reports.

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A piece of my heart

Posted : 1 week, 1 day ago on 17 July 2008 09:33 (A review of Elfquest)

Before it was Star Trek, and after it was Harry Potter, but for me, Elfquest took up a significant chunk of my heart once I found it. Still does. This is one of those comics that I feel like everyone should read, at least once. Wendy Pini created a masterwork when she came up with this original idea. I'm just so glad she decided to share it with the world. (Or maybe I should thank her husband? :) )

For those who don't know the story, let me just tell you that it transcends its setting. Yes, it's a fantasy world setting with elves and trolls and humans, but there's so much more to it than that. This isn't just sword and sorcery like we've come to know it. There's a depth here, and a spirituality that you just don't find in most fantasy. The characters are rich and vibrant, and the story is much more complex than the simple title suggests.

It taught me a lot about acceptance, and being who you are, and being happy with your own talents. And more, it pulled on my creativity. Elfquest was the first world I deigned to write in that was not my own. None of the stories from that period are worth the paper they were written on, but it expanded my creativity in so many ways.

And all I have to do to remember it all is pick up this book and read it all over again.

If you're a fan of elves, fantasy, or spirituality, I highly recommend this book. And if you enjoy it? The rest of the series is just as good.

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