Book Review: Om Gud (About God)

Om Gud (About God) by Jonas Gardell

Publisher: Nordsteds

Category: Non-fiction

Challenges: GLBT Challenge, World Religion Challenge

My Thoughts: Jonas Gardell grew up in a Baptist Church and is a practising Christian, but as he himself says at the end of the book, “I am a writer, I am not a researcher and not an academic”. Despite this he manages to give, in my opinion, a very good picture of the Old Testament. The book is, as the title says, about God. It tells of the contradictory pictures of God that appear in the Bible. God as a benevolent father. God as vengeful and mean. He talks about how the image of God that we have today grew out of the many different gods that existed before him.

It was perhaps this argument that I found most interesting. Gardell argues that the mere mention of the first commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me Exodus 20:3, means that God acknowledges the existence of other Gods. He (or she) is wants you to have no other gods BEFORE him. Gardell doesn’t say that we should worship these other gods, but that the fact that they existed before what we now consider the One God means that they influenced the perception of God as noted down in the Old Testament. He further argues that these many different gods and their different characteristics are the reason why so many different versions of God exist in the old testament.

I found this book very interesting but a bit hard to follow. Lets be honest, my knowledge of the Bible isn’t all that great, I wasn’t raised in the Christian faith. I have read parts of the Bible. Some parts more than others. One of my reading goals in life is to read both the Old and New Testament (I also want to read the Koran). But right now I only know bits and pieces really. Add to that the fact that most of my Bible reading has been in English, and that I know the names of the books of the Bible in English, I was even more confused since this book is written in Swedish, with the Swedish names. Thankfully BibleGateway made it easy to look up the different passages when I got super confused. Because of this I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone as an introduction into the Christian faith. It requires a bit more background knowledge than that.

I read a review of this book in Swedish once (and now I can’t find it) and the person was disappointed by the middle parts. I can see why, although Gardell doesn’t claim to be a scholar, the middle of the book has a very scholarly feel. The first and last chapters (and bits and bobs in between) have a very personal feel, he talks about people trying to stop him from taking communion because he is gay and how his faith sometimes waivers. However the bulk of the book is about the view of God presented in the Bible. In the final chapter he does touch upon his view of God. I would like to quote that here because, although I myself am not a Christian, I do find that he has a point here (translation mine):

“The same prophet who in one breath preaches about eternal peace, love for thy neighbour and fight against social injustices, can in his next breath greedily fantasises about the bloodiest revenge and redress.

And here we stand still today, with the two paths—the path of hate and the path of love—both well described and determined in the Bible—and we must choose between them. And I assert, yes, maintain with certainty, that only one of those paths lead to God. The other is a blind track that leads to the Devils mirror which shows the shabbiest and all the worst that mankind is” (277).

This book hasn’t been translated to English as far as I can tell. I wish it had because it is an interesting read. I shall be reading the next book in the series Om Jesus (About Jesus) during 2011 and I am really looking forward to it.

 

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: The Odyssey [Audio]

The Odyssey by Homer

Translated by Robert Fagles

Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen

Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks

Category: Classic

Challenges: Really Old Classics, World Religion Challenge

Synopsis: The Odyssey tells of Odysseus journey back from Troy. Odysseus manages to anger Poseidon and therefore his journey home takes 10 years. While he is away his house becomes filled with suitors who want to marry his wife Penelope.

My Thoughts: When sign-ups for Really Old Classics went up I knew I wanted to read one of the Greeks but to tell you the truth, they scare me just a bit. Because of this I was really glad when I saw The Odyssey narrated by Sir Ian McKellen in the Audible list. I figured it was perfect, the Greek epics were made to be told. Here I would get the experience the way Homer had meant it, read the book and not be quite so scared by it.

I knew the story before I listened to it, but this was the first time I listened to it because I wanted to and I think this made me approach it in a slightly different way. I treated it more as entertainment and not as a school assignment.

I have to admit the first time I came across one of the many repetitive phrases that are in the epic I thought my ipod had done something wonky. And then I remembered that the reusing of phrases is to help both the teller of the tale and the audience. But it did jar me that first time, and I have to admit the next few times as well. I think this is because I am not used to this particular stylistic device. Sure modern authors use repetitive phrases to remind their readers but not quite in the same way. After awhile I got used to it though and I did come to really appreciate it. It helped me keep people separate.

I will admit that the story reminded me of daytime soaps to some extent. All the intrigue and disguising, it just really brought to mind those soaps. I suppose this goes to show that we today find the same things intriguing as people did way back when .

The mythology in it was very interesting as I am currently reading Om Gud (About God) by Jonas Gardell which is about the Old Testament and it talks about different views of God. Contrasting this with the Greek mythology posed some great insights into the way people viewed the world at the time. The close relationship between Gods and people and the way Gods became directly involved with their subjects. This is a way of viewing the world that I find fascinating.

The translation by Robert Fagles was really well done I think. I obviously can’t compare it to the original but the language felt quite authentic. Just the right mixture between “older” words such as libations but so that you could understand.

Sir Ian McKellen does a really good job with the narration. It is clear but with life in it. You can definitely tell that he is an old school stage actor. There is a certain amount of presence in the voice. He also does not give in to the stupid accents that some narrators give the different characters. The only issue I have with the audio production is actually the music at the start of each new chapter, it is REALLY grating. I actually liked having the music but just not the music itself. The reason I liked the music was that it gave me a chance to pause at a good point in the story.

Overall the story was quite exciting and the translation and narration were really good. I recommend this particular production.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Indulgence in Death

Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb

Publisher: Little Brown

Category: Crime Science Fiction

Challenges: 2010 Challenge

Synopsis: Two dead bodies in rapid succession with the only thing seemingly binding them together are the unusual weapons used to kill them with. Eve Dallas has her work cut out for her if she is to solve the murders before the body count grows.

My Thoughts: The book starts out with Eve and Roark in Ireland visiting his family and this sets up a great deal of humour because of Eve’s fear of cows. It is absolutely hilarious. They also manage to sneak in a murder mystery.

Overall this book as a nice addition to the series. It was a fairly fast read with a good mix of crime, humour and sexy steaminess. Roark and Eve do conclude that “If sex is dignified it’s not being done right” which made me snigger . Even and Roark do continue their version of a happy marriage with Roark getting in Eve’s business and them having spats* over which risks Eve should take and how much she should put on herself. One rather big change for Eve is the fact that at one point they discuss the names of future children and she doesn’t get the twitch, I found that VERY interesting.

As with most of these books it is possible to figure out who the murderer( s ) are but really this mystery isn’t so much about who did it but more about the why. At first the victims seem like someone who shouldn’t be killed, not to mention the fact that they don’t seem to have any connection to each other. It was an interesting twist.

And for a personal “yay” as in Fantasy in Death there was at one point a small nod to Battlestar Galactica which the geek in me LOVED. It just made me giggle for a slightly different reason than just the joke in which the reference was contained. You got the joke even if you aren’t a BSG fan but for the fan the joke just got so much better.

*Eve will not like the word “spat” but that is what they do

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

4 in 1 Book Review: King of the Murgos; Demon Lord of Karanda; Sorceress of Darshiva; The Seeress of Kell

King of the Murgos by David Eddings

Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings

Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings

The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings

Publisher: Corgi/Del Ray Books

Category: Fantasy

Synopsis: The age old struggle between the two prophesises is starting to draw to a close. Garion and his companions as well as Zandramas rush towards “The Place Which Is No More”, while dodging the increasing battles in the world. 

My Thoughts: As I said in my review of Guardians of the West for me reading these books is like meeting old friends. I know them well, and I am “in” on their inside jokes. For me reading these books are ultimate comfort reads.

In these books the characters continue the journey that starts at the end of Guardians of the West. Along the way they pick up new companions (most of who we met in some way in The Belgariad). These new companions add new dimensions to the established relationships allowing the characters to grow.

As with all fantasy this is a story about the struggle between good and evil, with all that entails. But the books do make very clear that really good and evil are perhaps not the right terms. At one point in one of the books Belgarath tells Garion that he prefers them and us rather than good or evil, because good and evil comes with baggage. I think this is an interesting philosophical and linguistic debate. What do we put into a word?

It is discussions like this along with the humour that for me make these books I loved in my early teens (I was 10 or 11 when my mum started to read the series to me) and still love today. The offer a little bit for everyone.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Guardians of the West

Guardians of the West by David Eddings

Publisher: Corgi

Category: Fantasy

Synopsis: We once again meet Garion, Ce’Nedra, Polgara, Belgarath and all the others from The Belgariad. This time Garion is older and starting to settle in as a king when events once again draw him into the shadowy battles between the two Prophesies

My Thoughts: The previous books in this series have focused primarily on the character Garion, with the stories being told from his point of view. The books have only deviated from this perspective on a few occasions, when they focus on Ce’Nedra. Growing up I really liked this because I was of a similar age with the characters at the time and I really felt that I could relate to them. This book goes back to a younger narrator at first focusing on the “thief” Errand and his life with Polgara and Durnik in the Vale. This makes for a very clam and slow start to the series, if I hadn’t been emotionally invested in these characters I might not have continued reading, but as it is, if you get to this book you probably will be emotionally involved, it is like getting back in touch with old friends.

The second part of the book goes back to focus on Garion and his life with Ce’Nedra. Again this book feels quite slow and episodic. Timewise it jumps in leaps and bounds. But again meeting old friends is always nice.

It is in the final part of the book where the action is heightened with the murder of a character and the ensuing battles it causes (it is a fantasy book about kings and queens and magic, of course a murder leads to battles :D). It is also here that the intrigue that has been hinted on in some of the previous episodes starts to take on a more substantial form. You start to see where it is leading to.

As I mentioned above for me reading this book is like meeting up with old friends. Good friends whom I have missed. I chose to read the books now because school is really stressing me out and I felt that I needed something that was familiar and comforting and for me these books are all that. The books hold that feeling for me not just because I have read them several times but also because the story lines are familiar and the characters funny in a way I appreciate. There is a certain dry humour in them that I really appreciate. You do need to have read the books in The Belgariad before you read this book to really appreciate them but all the books in the series are so comforting I have to recommend them :D

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: True Compass [Audio]

True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy

Narrated by John Bedford Lloyd

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Category: Memoir

Challenges: 2010 Challenge (Up to You), Memorable Memoir

My Thoughts: I am going to start this review by saying that politically I line up very well with Edward Kennedy and that might have influenced my thoughts on this book.

I really enjoyed this book. One of my all time favourite shows is The West Wing and for me it was fun to see the amount of incidents that were taken from reality. I also really enjoyed learning more about American politics. It made me realise how little I actually knew about the history of American politics. I actually wish that there had been more of this in the book. Much of the book is taken up with campaigning and then the big pieces of legislation or confirmations. I would have liked to have heard more about the day to day work as a Senator. I liked the behind the scenes information that someone who served in the Senate for so long could provide, because no matter how you feel about him politically there is no denying that he has served for a long time.

I know that there was some criticism about the fact that he only briefly touches on the many scandals that have peppered his life but I appreciate the fact that he feels that commenting on scandals only feed them, I actually wish that more politicians took this view. And Kennedy does make this very clear very early on. This is not a book where he apologises for what he has done, he tells what happened and that is that.

One of the things that I took with me from this book was Kennedy’s unfailing wish to do good. Although he had lived a privileged life (one he fully acknowledges) he wanted to help those less privileged, not because it was politically expedient but because it was the right thing to do. I know that not everyone feels that this is the way to go, but as I said earlier politically I agree with this. And even if you don’t agree with his political ideas I don’t think he can be criticised for his motivations.

I also enjoyed getting his opinions on the different political leaders of the modern era. To get a more personal view on the different Presidents during his time in the Senate was illuminating.  Although he doesn’t always agree with the different decisions they make he does allow that they had good intentions (most of the time). Here I do have one small criticism of the book, I felt that sometimes he highlighted his own importance over that of others, but I think this is often the case when it comes to biographies, and it is somewhat tempered by the fact that he does acknowledge his own faults.

I listened to this book in audio and I am very happy with this decision. John Bedford Lloyd really brings the book to life, you almost feel as if you are sitting with Kennedy in his house in Hyannis Port, MA, listening to him tell the story. It lent a certain reality to the stories, I especially enjoyed a story about Kennedy’s mother while he is stationed in France with the Army and a pair of dancing shoes. I was sitting on a train listening to that story and I think people around me thought I was insane, I was giggling so much. Although this book is a serious book, it is also a very funny book, little anecdotes like this one are peppered throughout the book and make it an enjoyable listen/read.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and wouldn’t mind reading it in hard copy so that I can take notes. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in politics, American history and people in general.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Och jag läste att det var omöjligt att leva lycklig förutan dig (And I read that it was impossible to live happily without you)

Och jag läste att det var omöjligt att leva lycklig förutan dig (And I read that it was impossible to live happily without you) by Mark Levengood

Publisher: Pirat Förlaget

Category: Short stories (causeries)

Challenges: GLBT Challenge

My Thoughts: I want to call this collection a book of short stories but that isn’t quite right. The author often does “Thoughts for the Day” (Tankar för dagen) on Swedish Radio P1 and many of the stories in this collection come from these thoughts. Each story is very short (none longer than four pages and that includes artwork). Each story does have a point, usually something fairly superficial but at the same time incredibly profound. Something worth thinking about.

Many of the stories tell of cultural peculiarities to Sweden and Finland (Levengood is from Finland but lives in Sweden). There is a particularly funny story about winter and him wanting to curl up next to the boiler in cased in all their blanket while his husband is outside comparing frostbite stories with the neighbour. I’m pretty sure it looses something in the context.

For those who don’t know Mark Levengood is a bit of a tv profile here in Sweden and he always comes across as an incredibly nice and genuine person. He has done children’s programs and he is the voice over on the Swedish versions of the Moomin movies. He speaks with Finnish accent and quite a soft voice. It is very distinct and while reading the book I kept hearing the voice. Has that ever happened to you? That you hear the voice of the author? It made for a very interesting read.

Unfortunately this book has not been translated into English but I think it would work quite well in some respects. In others there might be some problems, especially around some of the cultural aspects that people here get straight away.

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Unseen Academicals

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Publisher: Corgi

Category: Fantasy

Challenges: Terry Pratchett 2010 Challenge, R.I.P. V Challenge

Synopsis: How can one write a synopsis for a Terry Pratchett book? I I feel like it is trying to herd cats. So bare bones here we go: It is about finding out about yourself. And also about how to make the street brawling previously known as football into a more elegant game played by gentlemen like the wizards, also about pie. And love. And fashion. But in a very Ankh-Morpork way.

My Thoughts: I loved the message of love and acceptance in this book. Acceptance of others but above all acceptance of oneself. And also not judging a book by its cover. All this done with Pratchett’s usual humour and insight.

As I said way back when in my Terry Pratchett 2010 Challenge introductory post I wanted to read this book partially because of my life long love for football (or to use classic Pratchett Foot-the-ball). And I wasn’t disappointed. The explanation of the off-side rule was just brilliant! Not to mention the discussion of fans and who is really in charge of the game.

I will admit that I have not read these books in any sort of sequence (publishing or otherwise) but I had no problem following along in the sequence of things. The wizards, with the Archchancellor always in the lead, really need no explanation. Add to that the fact that the wizards are really background characters, and it matters little if you have read the previous books. The main characters in this book are (I believe) pretty new to the series, and if not that then expertly presented in this book. 

Although this book deals with football I don’t want the non-sports fans out there to shy away from it because of it. It is much more about other things. The football aspect is (and please excuse me, I’m about to put to use my behavioural psychology classes to use) much more about the dynamics of team work, about establishing new rules for old things and as I said in the introduction about finding and accepting yourself. All themes (and now the English teacher hat goes on) that are familiar to anyone, regardless of how you feel about sports.

Overall this was a fantastic book one I really recommend (even though Death only makes a cameo in it)!

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Pettson tältar (Pettson Goes Camping)

Pettson tältar (Pettson Goes Camping) by Sven Nordqvist

Publisher: Opal

Category: Children’s picture book

Synopsis: Findus (the cat in the green trousers in the picture) finds a tent in the attic and like all small children thinks camping sounds like a great idea. Along with fishing and climbing a mountain.

My Thoughts: Just as funny and sweet as always. The stories about Pettson and Findus are always predictable. Pettson invents something that doesn’t quite work, Findus does things the normal way. Neighbours think Pettson is insane for a)invention b)talking to his cat. Reader knows there is a perfectly true explanation for what occurs. But still every story seems fresh somehow.

Part of the freshness is absolutely the artwork which is perhaps the best part of the books for adults and children alike. Each page has its own illustrative artwork that goes with the story. At the same time within each illustration there is something else going on. Take for example the page where Pettson and Findus are camping, in it you can also see a small animal of undetermined kind fishing for ants. It is just a small picture on the side of the page, but finding these little extra pictures puts a whole new dimension on the reading experience. I would love to share some of the illustrations with you, but quite frankly copyright laws terrify me. There are some out on the net so if you are interested I suggest you google them. They are hilarious.

Findus the cat also acts like a small child. Always asking questions and getting into things. Slightly (okay, very) impatient but generally a good heart. Pettson, is an older man (gubbe in Swedish indicates an older man, close to or already retired) who invents things. Therefore he has a rather messy house with a workshop. He also has neighbours who thinks he is insane and most of the time he doesn’t care about this (except when they notice him doing the really weird stuff). This sounds like an odd setup but it really really works. And if you don’t believe me, many of the books are translated into English :D

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Haunting Bombay

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal

Publisher: SoHo Publishing

Category: Horror

Challenges: POC Challenge, R.I.P. V Challenge, SAAC

Synopsis: Pinky lives with her grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins and the family servants in a bungalow in Bombay’s more affluent parts a decade after partition. The family appear normal on the outside but inside the walls of the bungalow secrets flourish, from the innocent candy hiding of one of the teenage boys to the dark secret that will forever change all of them.

My Thoughts: This was a deliciously creepy book. Seriously I was freaked out almost the whole time. In a totally good way.

The story is incredibly well told. It is full of suspense, and red herrings. I thought I had it all figured  out but then the story threw me yet another curve ball. I really hadn’t figured out the final twist when it came. I should have because there were hints of it but I really had no clue. I thought the solution would be quite different.

The Bombay after Partition is vividly portrayed. The differences in the different stratus of society is palpable. The language is so very beautiful. I loved the way Agarwal mixes English with Hindi in a way that makes the book feel authentic. It made me feel as if I was in the bungalow. The one criticism I have of this (and really the only one I have of the book in total) is the use of italics for the Hindi words. For me this was very distracting. I’m quite a visual reader, I see words as pictures and when I picture differs from the other on the page my eyes are drawn to it, the italicized words make me miss other words on the page, or at least stop my flow. It’s minor, and possibly wouldn’t cause the same problems for others.

The ghost story takes on the culture of the Indian subcontinent and allows the reader to experience a culture that might be unfamiliar (it certainly is for me).  Many of the techniques were common to other ghost stories but some were new to me.

This was another book for the R.I.P. V Challenge and although I don’t normally read spooky books this challenge has definitely gotten me interested in reading more. In addition this is my final book for the SAAC challenge which got me reading books from South Asia, something I will definitely be doing again, I also hope to be seeing more from this author!

This is definitely a book I would recommend (as a matter of fact I have every intention of lending it to my supervisor at school who showed an interest in it when she saw me reading it at lunch).

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: The Woman in White

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Publisher: Vintage

Category: Classic Crime

Challenges: R.I.P. V Challenge, 2010 Challenge (TBR)

Synopsis: Marian and her sister Laura live a quiet life under their uncle's guardianship until Laura's marriage to Sir Percival Glyde. Sir Percival is a man of many secrets. Hence, Marian and the girls' drawing master, Walter, have to turn detective in order to work out what is going on, and to protect Laura from a fatal plot (synopsis from BookDepository)

My Thoughts: The book certainly lives up to its inclusion in the R.I.P. V challenge. It manages to include several mysteries as well as intrigue and things that go bump in the night. In this respect I found the book very satisfying. The intrigue kept me going. Who was actually the bad guys and how were they bad? And why were they bad?

Now I’m going to put on my militant feminist hat and get on my soapbox. I really disliked the way Collins portrays Laura. At no real point in the book is she strong. Not only is she strong, but she is all fainty. I HATE fainty females. Yes I know this book was written in a different time and that I shouldn’t project my 21st century sensibilities onto a book written in 18?? But the thing is, Collins does make Marian stronger. She isn’t all fainty. So he obviously knew women could be capable. That said none of the female characters in the book are all that  strong. They are either very scheming or plain weak. The only righteous character in the book is Walter Hartright. Yes the other men are hardly admirable characters either (do not get me started on the uncle, I might hit something).

All that said, I really enjoyed the book. I really enjoyed the narrative style adopted. The story is told primarily by Walter, who takes on the task of storyteller and he addresses the reader directly. The other narrators are compelled to do so by Walter, to tell of the events that he wasn’t there to see himself. This makes the story seem somewhat more real. It makes you think it could really have happened.

Although it has taken me a while to read this book, it is actually an easy read. Unlike many other classics (and remember I like classics) the language in this book isn’t hard to understand. It is an intriguing story and a great mystery. I highly recommend it!

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone [Audio]

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Narrated by Stephen Fry

Category: Children’s

Challenges: R.I.P. V Challenge

Synopsis: Harry Potter lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin who do NOT like him when he finds out that all the weird things that happen to him are because he is a wizard. The wizarding world is full of interesting and frightening creatures and people, and no place more so than Hogwarts School at which Harry is now a student.

My Thoughts: It’s been quite some time since I read or listened to the Philosopher’s Stone and I got to fall in love with this book all over again. It really was a case of falling in love all over. Harry and his friends are so incredibly innocent and likeable in this book.

In addition to the general likeability of the main and supporting characters Rowling paints a picture of an incredibly wonderful magical world. I am always caught by the description of Harry’s first meal in the Great Hall. The description of the heaping platters and the general bustle of the great hall always paints such a vivid picture for me. Plus it always makes me incredibly hungry. The fantastic thing about listening to this part of the story was that these pictures somehow became even more vivid. Fry’s voice lent something a little extra to this picture. I really loved it.

The general themes that are present throughout the series are first presented in this book: friendships (and how we are stronger with our friends), good vs. evil and finding strength within. I find, now that I have read the whole series (multiple times), that especially the theme of friendship is very strong in this book. Throughout the growth of the friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione the reader is shown how they complement each other and how each is made stronger through the others. In today’s world I think it is so important to emphasise the strength we can take from each other.

As I have previously said I do really love Stephen Fry’s narrations. He has a very comforting voice at the same time as he manages to make each of the characters their own and make the story come alive.

Purchase Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in audio from BookDepository

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: The Graveyard Book [Audio]

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Narrated by Neil Gaiman

Category: Children’s Horror

Challenges: R.I.P. V Challenge

Synopsis: Nobody Owens aka Bod grows up in a graveyard where the inhabitants of the said graveyard keep him safe (for the most part) from the Man Jack who wants to kill him. Along the way Bod learns about the graveyard, how to do certain non-living things and above all how to be a good person. However, as he grows older the threat from the Man Jack looms ever nearer.

My Thoughts: I really really enjoyed this book. Although it was quite predictable it was also sweet and mysterious and…I don’t know had some sort of indefinable characteristic that had me gripped from the word go (or should that be from the word boo?)

Bod was a very likeable character who had just enough curiosity to keep the story flowing without making him seem overly precocious or annoying. He was very ordinary (if ordinary little boys lived in graveyards and could fade), he doesn’t always do what his parents and guardian tell him. He feels like the whole world is against him at time, and consequently falls in with a bad lot. I found the story to be simple but profound. Sometimes we have to do things that might seem horrible in order to save ourselves and others. And above all stay true to ourselves.

The writing style in the book is fantastic. I love how the different inhabitants of the graveyard are referred to by their name and epithet. It contributed to the overall feeling of different I got from this book

I loved the narration of the book. I have a particular fondness for authors who read their own books and Gaiman reads his work to perfection. He is soft spoken and this lends itself well both to comfort and to the slightly sinister tone that is present throughout the book. He also uses a particularly British inflection when reading the name and epithet of the different ghosts which lends a certain tone to the story.

I find this review very hard to write because I loved it but I can’t put my finger on what I loved about the book, I do however highly recommend it.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: John Adams

John Adams by David McCullough

Category: Biography

Challenges: 2010 Challenge (TBR), Memorable Memoirs

My Thoughts: This book left me with two overarching thoughts: 1) Nothing has changed in politics in the past 150 years. 2) Those who use the term “this wasn’t what the Founding Fathers intended…” really need to study some history, ‘cause the Founding Fathers couldn’t and didn’t agree on almost anything.

I really enjoyed this biography. I enjoyed getting to know John Adams and Abigail Adams both through McCullough’s narrative and through the great use of primary sources, primarily letters written by the different people in the book. I enjoyed learning more about a period in history of which I (to my embarrassment) know very little. I enjoyed the vivid portraits painted by McCullough.

As I mentioned I enjoyed getting to know John and Abigail Adams and I felt that although McCullough is clearly a fan of Adams he still managed to give a fairly balanced view. Or at least he manages to point out the faults that Adams undoubtedly had. However, he is far more critical of Adams contemporaries than he is of Adams himself. As much as I enjoyed reading the book, I would like to, in the future, read a biography written by someone else, in order to get a more balanced view. I would also like to read biographies written about the rest of the “cast”. They all seem to be fascinating characters.

As someone whose favourite subject in school was history I was very pleased with the extensive use of primary sources used by McCullough. This was clearly helped by the fact that Adams was a prolific letter writer, in the closing pages of the book McCullough remarks that in a letter exchange between Adams and Jefferson, Adams wrote at least two letters for every one of Jefferson, often more than that. And Jefferson wasn’t Adams only correspondent. At various points in his life Adams corresponded with his wife, his children, his in-laws, his grandchildren and various friends, acquaintances and enemies. In addition to writing many letters Adams also kept diaries and notebooks, wrote pamphlets and reports, not to mention being on the committee charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence. McCullough therefore had a large amount of primary sources from which to learn about the man. In addition to all this written material Adams also argued with his books, in his books. Yep (and I hear some of you gasp out there) Adams WROTE in his books (you can guess how vindicated I feel here). Adams enjoyed arguing with his books in pen, at the source. 

As I said in my opening paragraph this book showed just how similar politics then are to politics now. Even in Adams time the different factions pursued campaigns of defamation of character centred around the different individuals political and/or religious affiliation (or lack thereof), their personal choices (who really cares who warms whose bed?) and other sundry political missteps. Part of me wanted to be really depressed at this intrigue and part was glad to know that at least we haven’t sunk from great heights (we are currently in the last two weeks of a general election campaign here, at let me tell you, politics on this side of the pond? just as muckslingingly disgusting).

Although the biography is about John Adams, it also heavily covers Thomas Jefferson as he had a large impact on Adams life, for good and for bad. And despite the fact that the hero of the book is most definitely Adams I felt some sympathy for Jefferson, even though he is portrayed as a bit of a clueless dandy at times. This sympathy is perhaps what really marks McCullough’s writing, all of the people are show at their best and their worst and this both heightens the hero status many of these people have, but at the same time makes them feel very approachable. And I must admit that I actually cried when first Abigail and later Adams and Jefferson passed away (partly I think it is because I was not at my best when reading those sections, but partly it was because these people, who died long before I was a twinkle in anyones eye, were real people to me now). I really wish I could have known these men and women, and I really hope that McCullough writes a biography about Abigail.  

At the end of the book there are extensive source notes as well as an extensive bibliography for the reader who wishes to continue their study of this time period and the people connected with it. In addition McCullough has also has several other books and audio series concerned with the same time period. I highly recommend 1776 as well (review from when I was a very baby blogger before this blog was really a book blog).

Overall I thought this was a very good biography. It gave me a good feel for both the man, John Adams, and the time in which he lived, as well as the historical events in which he was involved. In addition I felt like I learned something about humans and the human condition. I would recommend this book to others.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Gaudy Night

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

Category: Classic Crime

Challenges: Women Unbound, 2010 Challenge (Bad Blogger)

Synopsis: Harriet Vane finds herself returning to Shrewsbury College, Oxford, much to her own surprise. While there she discovers a poison pen note in her gown and a disgusting drawing on the College quadrangle. When the college faculty later asks her back to deal with a spate of notes and “mischief” from the poison pen she does not hesitate. As the year goes on and she comes no closer to finding out the identity of the poison pen she asks Sir Peter Wimsey for help and the two are left to deal not just with someone trying to hurt others, but also with their feelings for each other.

My Thoughts: Oh how I loved this book! I read it because Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot, HIGHLY recommended it and I am just so incredibly glad I did! (I’m also glad I read them in order)

This book had me captured from the very first page, when it transported me to Oxford. The opening passages felt like one of those time traveller movies where you’re current location gets blurred and instead another location comes into focus. I went from being curled up in my bed, dressed in my pjs, with the wind howling and the rain smattering against the window, to the quadrangle at Shrewsbury College, Oxford, in the 1930s. Sayers wrote so vividly that I felt as if I was there.

The vivid writing was one of my favourite aspects of this book, it allowed one to really feel the fear and suspicion that was present at the college. Although the tempo of the book felt slow this contributed to the unease of the situation. One never knew when the poison pen would strike, but life still had to go on, especially if they are to catch the poison pen and all they stands for. Throughout the book I had a vaguely uncomfortable feel of being constantly on edge. Not only about when the poison pen would strike next and what they would do, but also about who they were. The strain of not knowing who the enemy was took their toll on me as well as the characters. Sayers really did a masterful job with creating the tension.

Part of the tension also came from Harriet’s feelings for Peter and her coming to terms with them, and what they meant. As well as Peter’s feelings (although to a much lesser degree) as he grappled with Harriet and her feelings. These multi-levelled tensions just had me captivated and forced to continue reading (really bad case of just one more chapter had me finishing the book in two days, at 3.30am).

A theme that was hinted on in previous books (and one that I highlighted in my reviews) was brought to the forefront in this book, and that is the role of women in society. The story takes place in the, still relatively early days, of co-education at university level, in one of the all female colleges at Oxford. The poison pen’s actions are very much directed towards those women who seek a higher education, and therefore to their* mind attempt to supplant a male field. Through the characters we meet at Oxford Sayers actually manages to make a very compelling argument for education (one of her dear to heart topics). Although we meet more men who are not serious about their education, Sayers also introduces us to women who are at the university for completely the wrong reasons. She manages to show us, the readers, that education only matters if we take it seriously, but that taking it seriously shouldn’t mean let it consume us. A balance is important. Further she argues that a well educated woman isn’t a threat to men, but rather a benefit to society, if she is allowed to use her education (an argument that is nailed down very early on in the book).

For me one of the great enjoyments of the book was seeing Harriet’s emotional growth. She had been so badly damaged in previous books that to see her grapple with her feelings for Peter was very gratifying as one could see a real growth throughout the book. And, as Nymeth mentioned, the river scene, oh my the river scene. Possibly the most perfect scene in the book (although I have another favourite in the final scene of the book). It was just packed with emotion and vividness. Like in the opening scene I felt as if I was in one of the boats on the river. I could see it all in front of me.

If I have one criticism of this book, it isn’t for Sayers writing but rather for the edition I read. It was a modern reprint with a new foreword and I would have loved a glossary at the back explaining all the academic terms. Although I myself am a graduate of one of the Ancients, my Alma Mater has been thoroughly modernised (well excepting the whacking with the Geneva Bonnet at graduation) and I had to do some googling to understand the differences in gowns and some of the academic terms. Now this might just be me and my general academic geekedness but I think that a book where much hangs on the academic world it would have been nice to explain it further to those who are not as involved in it. However, this is a VERY minor point.

Overall I agree with Nymeth on her assessment that one MUST read the books in order, otherwise one misses out on much of what makes this book great. The book also left me wanting to read the books that feature Peter Wimsey and Sayers essay “The Lost Tools of Learning” In addition I want to say that everyone should read this book, it is AWESOME!

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [Audio]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Narrated by Stephen Fry

Category: Children’s

Synopsis: Harry finds out that convicted criminal and Voldemort supporter Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban (wizarding prison) and is after him. Then he finds out that Black was his parents best friend and is his godfather.

My Thoughts: Prisoner of Azkaban has always been one of my favourite Harry Potter books. There is a great mixture of excitment, humour, and scariness. Along with it moving the story forward and introducing new characters in a good way.

I love the development of Hermione in this book. Emotionally not that much happens with Harry and Ron (which feels true to the age they are), but Hermione starts to really bloom. This book always makes me wish I had read it when I was the same age as the characters (I was in my late teens when I started reading HP). Hermione is so much like me. The obsessive need to know everything, and to show it off. Taking on more than she can chew, and then refusing to admit it before almost having a nervous breakdown. These are all me (both then and now). And I think it would have been great to have someone to whom I could relate to growing up.

I also love the relationship between Harry and Lupine. It is nice to see Harry bonding with a teacher that was also his parents friend. Someone who can connect him to his past as well as his future.

I really do love this book, but since I have read it many times it is very hard to review it :D

Narration: I’ve previously declared my love for the narrations of Mr Fry and this book is no exceptions. His voice is very soothing but not to the point where one falls asleep. He changes his voice to distinguish characters but not in a way where it seems out of character (unlike my rant regarding Dean Thomas accent in the US version). It is just, for me, the perfect narration of these books.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: My Most Excellent Year

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

Category: YA

Challenges: 2010 Challenge (YA), GLBT Challenge, POC Challenge

Synopsis: My Most Excellent Year is the story of three friends (or soon to be friends at least) and their first year of high school. T.C. Keller, Augie and Alé, all have things to learn about who they are and where they fit in the world.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It is so far removed from reality as one can get without being a fairytale that the implausible events and people and connections become part of the joy in reading it.

The characters were a incredibly likeable if slightly unbelievable. There was something sweet and innocent about all the characters, children and adults alike. Even if the parents were not exactly believable (and my own parents fall on the accepting and cool side of the scale) one still feels a connection to them and their children.

I think what really drew me into the book was the narrative style. The book is told in the form of diary entries as part of a school project the three main characters have. In addition to this there is a series of letters, IM conversations and e-mails. This meant that you got a different perspective on many of the events. And to tell the truth the letters between the adults were often hysterically funny, and showed that adults don’t always have their stuff together either (as an adult I find this to be very reassuring). The diary entries also very clearly shows how the characters grow throughout the year covered in the book. One of the characters even changes who the diary is written two as she realises some truths about herself and others.

On the point of the parents, not only was it reassuring to see that they didn’t have their stuff together but also that they were involved in their children’s lives, if I may drag out my dry, dusty, academic side here, there is a theory in children’s lit criticism that the adults in children’s books have to be distant and uninvolved in order for adventure and growth to take place. I didn’t feel that this was the case in these books. Yes one character had parents who were so far removed from her and her reality that they might as well have been on Mars, but the other two characters had parents who saw and understood more than what their kids gave them credit for. I think this is very refreshing!

Although this book deals with GLBT issues, it didn’t go into the conflicting emotions that The Bermudez Triangle covered, rather it presented a view that could be seen as a wish for the future. No one takes the coming out of one of the main characters in a negative way, rather it is presented as him being the last to know and others already having figured it out. And everyone sees it in a positive light. I wish this was always the case, but I can’t help but to compare it to a reality that isn’t always so excepting.

Overall this book often had me in absolute stitches (I would love to share some of them, but they all seem to reveal major plot points and I wouldn’t take that away from new readers). Although I wasn’t the intended audience I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who remembers what it is like being a teenager or even someone trying to figure out how to make the next move.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: The Bermudez Triangle

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson

Category: YA

Challenges: 2010 Challenge (YA), GLBT Challenge

Synopsis: Nina, Mel and Avery have been friends forever. However one summer changes them and their friendship. While Nina goes away to a pre-college program Mel and Avery stay at home and start dating. But that is a bit of a secret.

My Thoughts: At first I found this book difficult to read. It was hard to distinguish between the three main characters. They didn’t seem to have their own voice. They all “sounded” similar and because I couldn’t hear the difference I couldn’t keep them straight even with physical differences. This made the physical descriptions seem forced, especially when they were repeated several times. It doesn’t really matter how many times you tell me Mel is tiny if I can’t hear Mel’s voice. It took about a third of the book before I could distinguish the three different girls and once I could I found the book easier to read.

What I did like about this book was how it explored the way in which we love the people we love. At one point Mel explains why she fell for Avery and not Nina. This is always interesting as this doesn’t really matter what gender the people are. Falling for one friend and not another is always tricky.

I thought Johnson handled the confusion felt by Avery very well. Avery acted in an awful way, but at the same time you could see why she acted the way she did. I think the confusion about do I like this person or do I LIKE them is one that teenagers (and older) often feel. When does caring for someone you have known forever go over into LOVE? And how do you react when it does how do your react or act?

I also like the way Johnson handled Nina’s reactions. From her confusion over her own sexuality, to her struggle with living up to her own image of herself as a tolerant open person, to her jealousy over being excluded. It all felt very true. Overall Nina felt like the character who was the most developed, the least flat in a YA book that wasn’t quite as littered with stereo types as one might suspect. However, I never felt like I got to properly know Avery and Mel, the other two main characters, the same way I got to know Nina.

The book contained quite a few snarky comments on theme bars which I found highly amusing. As well as Avery’s distain for management and their “incentive schemes”. One of my big problems with working in retail was trying to “up-sell”. I like helping people find what they were looking for (even if they didn’t know what they were looking for) but trying to get them to by that extra thing just felt squicky!

Overall this was a nice read but not one that rocked my world, but then again I don’t think I’m the target audience. I would definitely recommend it to my students though.

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Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.