Book Reviews

My new book reviews for the end of May through end of August. I've been trying to whittle down my Goodreads to-read list, but it just keeps growing! (Also, the spell checker here suggests that maybe instead of Goodreads, I meant goo-dreads. Goo-dreads? Really?)

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
The worlds rotation starts slowing and this brings interesting consequences. An 11-year-old girl whose life is changing and falling apart tries to decide whether these changes would have happened even if the world wasn't slowing down. I did not love the plot or characters and for me she's way too young to have a crush/love interest. The most interesting part was to think about the day-to-day effects of the slowing rotation of the earth, like when the day gets longer do you stick to the time on the clock even though it becomes out of sync with the day/night cycle? Would plants survive? Would we get fried? That scientific aspect is interesting and thought-provoking, but overall, meh. 3 stars.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Definitely a step down from The Doomsday Book, Blackout, and All Clear, which all come from the same time-traveling world created by Connie Willis. A cat (now extinct) gets brought forward into the present and must be returned so as to not mess up history. The travels and exploits of the time-traveler who returns it, though he has no idea that is what he is doing. 3 stars.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This was a fanciful book of mystery, romance and magic. Celia learns real magic from her father and is the one of the competitors in a magic competition between her father and his nemesis, who has a talented boy he has trained in magic. Celia and the now young man compete in the venue of a fantastical circus, but each additional piece of magic saps their strength and their growing relationship saps their desire to beat the other. Pretty good and very light and fantastical. 4 stars.

All about Emily by Connie Willis
This is kind of an old book, and I don't feel like it has aged well. An insecure actress meets a sweet, young robot, Emily, whom she feels threatens her career. Emily sees the Radio City Rockettes perform and decides she wants to become a Rockette, which is a desire the robot should not be able to have. I guess the book explores humans relationships with machines that can do their job better and what makes a person a person. Two stars.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
I liked this book a lot and lucky for me it is the first in a series. The world is in trouble. Ash falls constantly from the sky, a dark Lord rules the land, and the people are oppressed by the aristocracy. A young girl, Vin, is unaware of her magical potential, when she is recruited by a mysterious stranger who wants to overthrow the apparently immortal god ruler. I really liked what one random Goodreads reviewer, Chris, wrote: "It reminds me of Ocean's Eleven meets The Italian Job, but set in Mordor after Sauron has ruled for 1000 years or so." The environment and the magic is really well developed and explained and altogether it is just an awesome book. 5 stars.

Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Deibler Rose
This non-fiction autobiographical book is about Darlene and her husband, who go as missionaries to New Guinea right before the outbreak of WWII in the Pacific. They are taken prisoner and she lives for four years as a prisoner in a Japanese prison camp. Her strength and faith are amazing and inspirational. I have always heard it can be helpful, even saving, to memorize many scriptures and good music, but Darlene's reliance on these is perhaps the biggest motivator I've come across for doing so. Really, really good. 5 stars.

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
A quick hilarious read. This is an autobiography of a girl growing up in a small Midwest town and remembering her family and adventures. My favorite is the part where her neighbor complains about their dog barking in the night. I won't spoil it. Anyways, it's pretty funny. 4 stars.

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
The sequel to Mistborn, this picks up again with the continuing story of Vin. More good magic, answers to more questions and more of a troubled world to try to save. Still a great book, but not quite as great as Mistborn. 4 stars.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
The third Mistborn book, this one is a bit darker. See my description for Well of Ascension. A nice conclusion to the series. 4 stars.

Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors by James D. Hornfischer
Innnnnnnteresting. I know much more now about the WWII war in the Pacific. The USS Houston was a favorite ship of FDR and it went into an early battle in WWII where the Japanese navy easily outmatched the allies while the allies were busy fighting their top priority front in Europe. The Houston and its fleet of allied ships disappear and neither the Navy nor the families back home know what has happened to it or its crew. The Houston was sunk and many of its crew were captured by the Japanese to be imprisoned in POW camps and forced to endure unbelievable trials, trauma, illness, and labor. There is some gross content, death, injury, illness, and brutality, but that is war so not too surprising. 4.5 stars. Maybe 5 stars.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Another good Sanderson book, not quite as good as Mistborn, but still interesting and engaging. I found the beginning a bit confusing and hard to follow, but if you stick with it, it's worth it. Kind of zombie-esque, but with magic and mystery, intrigue and a dash of romance. I liked it. 4 stars.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A teen cancer support group brings Hazel and Gus together. Hazel is struggling to live and cope with terminal cancer when she meets Gus, who lost his leg to cancer. The fact that someone like Gus would want to spend time with her turns Hazels world upside down. This book was really powerful and well-done, worth the read. And it's worth being reminded that caring about others can take our minds off our own problems. 4 stars.

The Darcys Give a Ball: A Gentle Joke, Jane Austen Style by Elizabeth Newark
This wasn't totally awful, but I think the "Gentle Joke" was that there is no plot. I think the author had had fun imagining how the future children of many of Jane Austens beloved and be-loathed characters (not just from Pride and Prejudice) might be brought together. Jane and Lizzie throw a ball, inviting all their friends and some interesting new acquaintances, with a chance for some match-making. Spoiler: That is the entire plot. But if you are curious about what their families might be like, it is somewhat entertaining. 2.5 stars.

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa
This non-fiction book is about dementia, mostly Alzheimer's. And cats, specifically Oscar, who seems to sense when the residents of the full-time care dementia home where he lives are about to pass away. Dr. Dosa investigates Oscars activities, but mostly we see the transformation of Alzheimer's and the effect on their loved ones. Oscar's presence comforts the families and indicates that the time is short. This is a sad but sweet book. 4 stars.

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
This is a classic heist story. When I started reading it I told Jeran it was pretty good and he might like it and he said, "Yeah, I think I read it in 8th grade." WELL! This is the true story of a robbery that shocked a nation (Britain), mostly because of the novelty of the railroad setting. With actual information from court documents and the like, we follow the robbers throughout the planning, the actual heist, their capture and trial. It's fun to hear the old-timey criminal slang, and even funner to hear the frustrated judge get a translation from the bailiff after a witness makes a undecipherable statement. 4 stars.