Great Book Reviews

Bantam reissue: 1994, 270 pgs.
I have been seeing Cussler’s name around for some time but have never read his books, until now. I really enjoyed it. I have to put it in the no-brainer category for now, but honestly I need those kind of books after a heavy work flow or crazy schedule. This is “Dirk Pitt’s first adventure” and it was nice for me to start with Pitt at the beginning. The excitement of underwater adventure, brought with it some expected scenarios (the beautiful girl falls for the hero, along with the good guy winning in the end), but it allows for creative exploration in an area, at least for me, that wasn’t as familiar. Dirk Pitt is not the perfect combination of covert operation expertise, nor is he able to do everything on his own (if not for his help, Pitt’s life would have been lost in the first book). In a weird way he reminds me of a Magnum PI type of character. I do look forward to reading more of Cussler’s works. The only over the top moment for me in this book was the near the end when a few of the female characters are decidedly naked. It just seemed a bit weird and certainly not necessary for the plot to unfold. There you have it.

1986, Tom Doherty Associates, Inc. 415 pgs. This is the second book in the series by Orson Scott Card, the first of course being Ender’s Game. I think I like the first better than the second, although this work certainly deals with a deep and important concepts. How do we deal with others that are different than ourselves? What do we do with truth that can at times seem too difficult to reveal? Is there a proper way to live amongst cultures that are different than ours? What is a person’s real story? How does fear dictate our actions? What I love about Card is that his protagonist is flawed, and the solutions and road to healing isn’t always what you would expect.
Ender Wiggin has rescued the world from the evil Buggers, yet the realization that these aliens were in fact truly intelligent life not wishing to inflict harm, makes this would be hero into the personification of evil. Three thousand years pass and life has traveled to numerous worlds, all applauding the insight of the Speaker for the Dead and hating the Xenocider Ender. It is in this time that a Speaker for the Dead is called, and his arrival not only causes truth to be revealed where it has been hidden, but it also turns a planet towards revolt, unleashes unrest within the community and threatens to collapse any of the good that has been gained thus far. I think it is a mature work when compared with the first, and a worthy contribution to the development of previous ideas.

217 pgs. HNA, Inx. 2008.
Wow! I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first. Kinney has a great thing going, and I am certainly looking forward to the latest and greatest publication. If something bad is going to happen, it seems to happen to Greg Heffley. After a horrible summer vacation he now begins a dysfunctional school year. I love it. The section where Greg’s mother decides to join the roll playing world of Magick and Monsters, in order to see if it is too violent, is a thing of beauty, as is the fashion struggle he is forced to endure as a member of the swim team. When his older brother decides to have a part and cover it up, nothing but trouble seems to fall upon poor Greg. The only thing I have a problem with is that Greg seems a little too old to have certain reactions or actions. I keep feeling that Greg is in elementary school or early middle school. Oh well, he’s a “wimpy kid” after all.

A TOR Book, 1977, 324 pgs.
Wow! This book was given to me last week and I have to say it was just what I needed. What a fantastic piece of science fiction! Let the reader beware though, once you start the first, you’ll want to read the rest of the books in the series.
Ender Wiggin is chosen among a select few to save the world from alien invasion, but in the process, who will come to save him? The answer is, nobody but himself. It is a deep philosophical work centered in the not too distant or unrealistic future. What great things can be done if a person is pushed to one’s limit? What if the individual saving the world is just a child? The deception of those in leadership, can be infuriating at times, yet the protagonist not only stands to the occasion of one injustice after another being dished his way, but he also surpasses the expectations of all the scenarios he encounters. There are moments that the black and white of morality become gray, and I am not sure that any of us could do things differently, even if we had the intellect to compete with unique individual. The imagination of Card is stellar! I loved it. He is a hero, but also has flaws and personal longings that remind us of ourselves. What a great surprise! I have already ordered the other books by Card.

This book makes it official. Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite authors. She writes with the quality of a classic author and is a beautiful storyteller. This was my second Brook’s novel I’ve read and both times I have been left with such a satisfied sentiment that I feel like I had just witness an inspiring piece of art.

Year of Wonders tells a fictional story that is loosely based on an actual village in England called “the plague village”. In 1666 a contaminated piece of cloth makes it out of the infected and dying London and arrives in a small village. When the plague is discovered among it’s members, the population take an oath to remain among the disease in order to prevent the spread to nearby villages. As a result, two-thirds of the citizens die and the rest are left to pick up the pieces.

This moving story is told through the experience of a young mother who is transformed as a result of witnessing the worst of humanity along with the best of love. This agonizing time becomes a “year of wonders” as she observes new life and new beginning arising out of the blackness of death. It is so beautifully written that one can not help but be moved and quite possibly brought to tears. There were moments when I ached from the wickedness that people can act on. On the other hand, you see true love displayed and hope found in the end.
I have heard it said that this novel was too dark and depressing. But the truth is life can be that way; yet the victory comes with the hope and recovery for which humanity can persevere.

I am sure it has already been stated on this website that I believe Roald Dahl to be one of the best, and probably one of my favorite, children’s author. One of my few memories of third grade is sitting in my cold (from the crazy AC) and hard chair, leaning my head on my desk listening to the teacher read James and the Giant Peach out loud. That experience endeared this classic story to my heart. So in my fanatic momentum of reading Dahl’s collection to my boys, this one could not be neglected. It has all the typical Dahl elements. There’s the selfish and child-hating adults, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. There’s the innocent, lonely and deprived boy who finally finds happiness in the end. And then there’s Dahl’s perfect way of communicating his story so that children laugh out loud and beg to have one more chapter read before bed. My audience especially loved the songs sung by the Centipede when I performed them to some made-up tune in a snooty voice. Just lots of fun!!

This 619 page novel is Meyer’s first adult fiction. Following the success of her teen series, Twilight, she heads in another direction of imaginary and unique love affairs. The Host is a story about the difficult and exhausting relationship between the alien invader, Wanderer, and her host body, Melanie. Mixed in there is the love of both for Melanie’s brother, Jamie and her former lover, Jared. Earth has been taken over by these centipede like aliens who claim the bodies of humans and erase their memories. The problem arises with Wanderer when the host’s existence refuses to disappear.

The pros of this novel are mostly found in the unique and creative concept. Overall, I was generally entertained and found the basic story line interesting. I especially liked the setting of the majority of the story, which is inside a large series of caves in the desert. It provided a “new world” feeling, even though they were on earth.

The cons are based on my overall feelings of Meyer as an author. Even after reading the Twilight series, I mostly feel her to be a shallow writer. It’s like she is writing for a movie deal, more than a great piece of literature. (which is okay I suppose … to each his own.) In comparing the two works, I think Twilight was better. Like I said, The Host was enjoyable, but it was rather slow at times, and the female character was so similar to Bella I had a difficult time not picturing her. My same irritation exists concerning the emotional craziness of the main character. She is moody and almost self-destructive at times. I can’t stand this constant inner thought process of feeling undeserved, less than everyone else, over emotional, etc. Does Stephanie Meyer really think girls feel this way? Or is she just trying to describe a deep character developement but lacking the writing ability to communicate it? It just gets annoying and shallow.

With that said, I did enjoy The Host for what is was, a piece of entertaining fiction, nothing more. I apologize for the negativity of this review. I just have to stop comparing these type of modern day novels to the great classics. When I put Meyer up next to Geraldine Brooks ( a modern author) there is just no comparison. Brooks is a beautiful writer. She communicates clearly and deeply and her stories are wonderfully told. They touch your spirit because they depict true art. Meyer is creative in her concepts, but they are relayed in flimsy design. Immediate stimulation and diversion seem to be primary aims. That is why they remind me of movies.

I do recommend The Host overall. I am sure most will like it. Even though it’s supposed to be adult oriented (I read that on her web-site once.) there was nothing inappropriate for a teen.

174 Pages, 2008 Houghton Mifflin Company.
I just love Louis Lowry’s writings. I can still vividly remember reading The Giver while substitute teaching in SW Florida so many years ago. From that moment on I became a fan. Having read everything by her that I can, this was a must have when we happened upon it at the local bookstore. It was a delightful read, and I can see all ages enjoying this cute little book. I have heard the only complaint given about this recent contribution by Lowry is that it is similar to the Series of Unfortunate event books, but having never read those, I was not distracted in any way. Even if there are similarities, I think Lowry’s writing is so excellent, and her story-telling ability so unique, that this is a worthy contribution regardless of a common display of dysfunctional family scenarios.
Okay, the plot behind the Willoughby’s is simply this: a pathetic parenting duo tries desperately to find a way to leave their children so they can continue to live in selfishness, all the whole the kids have had it with mom and dad, and long to be orphans. This is clearly an unhealthy relationship, which is certainly key to the story. A nanny is hired to watch the kids while the parents spend their remaining days traveling to dangerous locations. The nanny turns into a hero, the children eventually become whole in a place of love and somehow all works out as it should. The inclusion of numerous children’s story expectations was fun to experience. All the stereotypes we have come to appreciate in classic works are wonderfully entertained in The Willoughby’s. I really liked the Glossary included in the book, as well as the recommended readings.

This classic novel received the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, which is what primarialy attracted me to this work. It certainly wasn’t the cover art, which (on my copy) has a photo of Michelle Pfeiffer with a ridiculous look on her face from the motion picture based on this book. As I read it, I was conscious of hiding the cover from the people who sat next to me on the plane because I felt that it looked like a cheap romance novel (which I don’t read). Even though the picture makes one assume that there is a ton of sensual and steamy scenes, it is a classic in the fullest sense. The emotional complications and inner struggles of the characters are what is emphasized, rather than shallow sexual reactions and stimulations.

The story is set in late 1800’s “old” New York City. The families make up the Manhattan upper middle class that have been set in their ways of stifling social standards and expectations for generations. The main character, Newland Archer, deals with this internal struggle of the old ways in which he must continue with his marriage and job, while he all of a sudden feels alive after meeting Countess Ellen Olenska who contradicts all of those societal demands. He keeps referring to his “real life” as those moments where he steps out of the norm, either during his private contemplations or his rare moments with the Countess.

Not that I’m an expert at receiving the fullnest meaning of such a great work of writing, I do beleive that Edith Wharton was a gifted author who clearly explained her real intentions. The innocence that the title refers to is the false “reality” that existed in those societal protocals that “proper” individuals had to follow. One quote that summarizes it so well is the following. “…the innocence that seals the mind against imagination and the heart against experience!” Wharton was probably relating the transition in that era that ushered in the “Roaring 20’s”.

After reading several works of fiction that have been based around those times in history that appear more romantic and pure (Jane Austen novels, the Bronte’s works, and the like) I am realizing that there is no perfect era. Even though they may have seemed wonderful and peaceful, a lot of the literary classics show the true masks that were worn to cover the common mistreatments and the oppressive management of individuals. Though we may currently miss the politeness and seemingly courteous interactions between people, I think we are blessed to live in a time where we are free to be ourselves and allow for imperfections in our lives. Some standards should never be relaxed (such as the value of life), but most of the time we take things too seriously.

548 pages, Grand Central Publishing, NY 2007
This was Baldacci’s thirteenth novel (pg. 547) but my first experience reading his work. It was a nice introduction for me into the style of this best selling author. I enjoyed it a lot, although near the end I was ready for him to wrap things up. Apparently the main characters are ones who have appeared in earlier work/s. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are the protagonists, although we find out early on that Maxwell is near a crisis as she picks a fight with the largest guy in the seedy DC bar. Her cry for help lands her in a rehab center, while Sean attempts to place things back in order, both financially and emotionally for his wearied partner. The job King begins is one that he won’t be able to wrap up alone. In time, Michelle unites with Sean in the wooded secret community that happens to be across the river from a private CIA training camp. With two murders, along with mystery and suspense the books invites the reader into the world of underhanded acts and heroic sacrifices. I liked it, although I am not sure there was anything really new for me. At times I felt that Sean King was in scenarios that his Secret Service/FBI training may not have really prepared him for; I guess I’ll have to read more about him in the earlier works. I like that Michelle is a flawed character, and the attempts to assist her to become reconciled with aspects of her past were very good. By the way, the good guys win in the end!