May 3, 2012

The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Gods of Mars (Barsoom, #2)The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: ✰ ✰ ✰
e-Book, Finished reading: 5/2/2012

John Carter has returned to Mars from Earth, he knows nothing of what has happened in the past 5 years. He appears on Mars in a land from which no one returns. However since he is ‘John Carter’, he does the impossible, only to find that his wife survived, but has disappeared.

The rest of the book is spent in his efforts to find her and his enemies efforts to stop him.

It is a very simple plot line and the action comes from the fact that every time John Carter gets close to success something happens to thwart his efforts.

Another quick enjoyable read. Lots of fighting again.

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May 3, 2012

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

A Princess of Mars (Barsoom, #1)A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: ✰ ✰ ✰
E-book, Finished 4/29/2012

“A Princess of Mars” is the first in Burroughs’ eleven book “Barsoon” series, following the continued adventures of John Carter.

John Carter, a Civil War veteran is prospecting in Arizona when attacked by Indians, taking cover in a cave he encounters some strange events, then he finds himself on the planet Mars and a prisoner of the Green Men of Thark, Dejah Thoris, a red Martian princess, is also a prisoner of the Green Men. John Carter has impressive skills, due to the difference in gravity between Mars and Earth and his being a combat veteran. This is important because he must fight for his and Dejah Thoris freedom. And later to save the planet from destruction.

This was a fun easy read. Heavy on the action, lots of fighting and sword play, light on plot and character development. All in all an enjoyable and entertaining read.

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April 24, 2012

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
My rating: ✰✰✰
E-book, Library Book, Finished 4/24/2012

In the settlement of Prentisstown the men’s and animals thoughts are broadcast, there are no women and Todd Hewitt is the only boy. He has been told that the original inhabitants released a virus during the war that killed the women and broadcast men’s thoughts. When he runs into a pocket of ‘quiet’, which leads him to a girl, his world tips, then turns completely upside down. It soon becomes apparent that almost everything he has been told is a lie.

Forced to flee for his life with the girl(Viola), and his dog (Manchee, a gift from his ‘parents’, that he did not want), Todd starts to learn the truth.

This is very dark story. Which means I hated it, but I also loved it, part of me wants a happy ending, part of me wants to see characters overcome conflict. Most of the characters are well drawn, there are some caricatures, but even these are not buffoonish and have personality. There is not a happy ending, it has a cliffhanger ending that will I hope lead perfectly into the next book.

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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in 2012, Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA Fiction and tagged , , , , , , , .

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April 24, 2012

The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: ✰✰✰
E-book, Library book, Finished 4/24/2012

To be perfectly honest, I borrowed this book because I was trying to figure out how to add library books to my Kobo and it was available at the time. I really had no desire to read it. However it was only 100 pages and I was home sick so I gave it a quick read.

The year is 2137, apparently after or during the great war, the United States cut themselves off from Europe. No one was allowed past the 30 longitudinal line. United States is now called Pan-America and its Navy patrols the Atlantic to enforce this rule. Due to a series of accidents on board his ship a Navy Commander finds himself East of this line and eventually on the continent once known as Europe. There he discovers a strange and savage land.

This was a quick read, very entertaining. I enjoyed it.

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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in 2012, Classic Literature, Science Fiction and tagged , , , , , , .

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April 24, 2012

Madness Visible: A Memoir of War by Janine Di Giovanni

Madness Visible: A Memoir of WarMadness Visible: A Memoir of War by Janine Di Giovanni
My rating: 3 of 5 ✰s
Library Book, Finished 4/24/2012

In this account of the war in Yugoslavia, Di Giovanni tries to explain the politics and factions at work here, the armies and paramilitary groups and the motivations behind their actions. I could not follow any of that, it is not her fault, she explains it very well, I just don’t have a head for those kind of details. But in the interviews with the people affected, she interviews people from both sides of the conflicts, Serbians, Bosnains, Albanians and even some soldiers from Britain and France, you get the human story of the war, you see the madness of war.

She traveled extensively in the country, through dangerous areas, at one point she and some French colleagues thought they might be murdered by Serbians. She writes with candor and when she mentions destroying a notebook so her captors wouldn’t find it, I could feel how tense the situation was.

I recommend this book.

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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in 2012, History, Non-Fiction and tagged , , , , , , , , .

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April 23, 2012

Selections from Fragile Things, Volume One by Neil Gaiman

Selections from Fragile Things, Volume OneSelections from Fragile Things, Volume One by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some entertaining stories from Neil Gaiman. A story about aliens, a poem, and the months of the year telling stories.

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Posted by on April 23, 2012 in 2012, Fantasy and tagged , , , .

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April 22, 2012

Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Confessions of an Ugly StepsisterConfessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
E-book, Library book, My rating: ✰✰✰ of 5 stars
Finished reading: 4/19/2012

This is the 7th novel written by Gregory Maguire that I have read. I have enjoyed them all. In this rendering of the “Cinderella” story, he has turned it into ‘historical fiction’, in the sense that there is no fairy godmother, pumpkins turned into coaches, etc. In this version we hear the “ugly step-mother’s” (Margarethe) reasons for the actions she took, mainly to provide for her daughters, who were too plain to get husbands without a dowry.

It’s easy to forget in this century, when a woman can have an independent lifestyle and work for a living, that there was a time when this was not so. In the time period that this story occurs, if a woman didn’t have a husband or father to provide for her, or an inheritance from same, she had few options, none of them very pleasant. This is presented as the main reasons for the conniving actions that Margarethe takes. This may have been her original intentions but her greed takes over and she pushes her husband to make even more money, which leads to their ruin and drastic measures by not only Margarethe but Iris (ugly stepsister) and Clara (Cinderella).

What you end up with is a story that is Cinderella, but is not, Maguire follows the idea of the fairy tale, he takes out the magic and makes the characters real. His characters are fully formed and consistent in temperament and actions. But do they live happily ever after? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

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Posted by on April 22, 2012 in 2012, Novel and tagged , , , , , , .

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April 14, 2012

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's BerlinIn the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“I walked across the snowy plain of the Tiergarten — a smashed statue here, a newly planted sapling there; the Brandenburger Tor, with its red flag flapping against the blue winter sky; and on the horizon, the great ribs of a gutted railway station, like the skeleton of a whale. In the morning light it was all as raw and frank as the voice of history which tells you not to fool yourself; this can happen to any city, to anyone, to you.” — Christopher Isherwood, Down There on a Visit

This is the account of the American ambassador to Berlin in 1933, it contains excerpts from his letters and diaries. It also contains the writings of his daughter. It is full of some wonderful quotes, a couple I listed in my status updates. It is more than just their story though, Erik Larson has done extensive research in writing this book, when talking about the research he did, he said regarding one book he had about Hitler, that he had to keep it face down on his desk, he had come to loathe the picture of Hitler on the cover.

Because of his research this is a excellent account of Hitler’s rise to power, how it happened, why the rest of the world didn’t see it.

This is an excellent book and I recommend it.

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Posted by on April 14, 2012 in 2012, History and tagged , , , , , .

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April 6, 2012

The Quest for Freedom by Yvonne de Ridder Files

The Quest for FreedomThe Quest for Freedom by Yvonne de Ridder Files
My rating: ✰✰✰ of 5 stars
Library book, ebook, Finished reading: 4/4/2012

This is the first person account of Yvonne de Ridder Files. She was living in Antwerp, Belgium when it was invaded by the Germans. Her husband wanted to flee, as a good wife she went with him, they returned after a few months. Her husband was American and was able to return to America. That is the last we hear of him.

The rest of the book details her activities with the Resistance movement in Antwerp. She explains how she managed to contact them, what her duties were and some close calls she had with the Gestapo and other German officials. She is caught and interrogated, the interrogations involved severe beatings, and eventually sentenced to hang. This was not a surprise, she knew from the beginning that if she was caught she would be executed. Fortunately for her, the Allies arrived before sentence was carried out, the city was liberated and she was released.

She then details how she then got a job with the military, there were some events that related to her wartime activities. How she ended up living in America.

This is a rather quick read, the style is very matter of fact and pleasant to read, she tells what happens with enough attention to detail. I would recommend this book.

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Posted by on April 6, 2012 in 2012, History, Non-Fiction and tagged , , , , , , , .

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April 4, 2012

My Secret War by Mary Pope Osborne

My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York 1941 (Dear America)My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York 1941 by Mary Pope Osborne
My rating: ✰✰✰ of 5 stars
Library book; e-book; Finished: 4/4/2012

When I first saw this book I thought it was a real diary from WWII, most people know about The Diary of a Young Girl, less people know about Normandy Diary of Marie-Louise Osmont:, The: 1940-1944. I’ve read both books, I like reading diaries, a personal look at history.

After downloading, I realized it is historical, young adult fiction. It is based on the account of Nazi saboteurs that came ashore in Long Island, New York.

Ms. Osborne relies on news reports of the times and her own feelings as the daughter of a military man to keep her facts straight and the narrative believable.

This was a quick enjoyable read. I think a teenager would enjoy it more then I did. I find these books to be very similar to the books I read when I was a young teenager.

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Posted by on April 4, 2012 in 2012, YA Fiction and tagged , , , , , .

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