For Children’s Book Week (May 2nd till the 8th) ~ links to reviews of books we enjoyed!

 

It’s Children’s Book Week!

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated countrywide with author & illustrator appearances, parties, storytelling, and other book-related events in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs -- anywhere where kids and books connect.

It is sponsored by Children’s Book Council – CBC  and Every Child a Reader.

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One of life’s special pleasures is reading – so in an effort to support literacy and a love of reading, here are a bundle of reviews of books for children, tweens and young adults. Click on the book covers to access our reviews!

Book Crush: for kids and teens ~ by Nancy Pearl US|UK|Canada. 

A perfect reference book if If you are looking for  recommendations for books that kids, tweens and teens will want to read. Every parent, teacher and librarian should have access to this easy to handle small soft bound book with wonderful lists galore!   

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Young Adult:

Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy # 1) ~ by Lauren DeStefano  US|UK|Canada.

With a gorgeous and perfectly fitting cover, Wither is a dark young adult dystopian novel for older teens.

Delirium ~ by Lauren Oliver  US|UK|Canada.

Set in a future US, where love is considered a disease and the cause for all social ills. Everyone is to be “cured” by the age 18 via an operation which is not entirely safe or effective.

Pathfinder ~ by Orson Scott Card US|UK|Canada.

It’s a dryly humorous young adult science fiction novel which includes the elements of time travel and the building blocks of an amazing and science-filled world.

Neverland ~ by Douglas Clegg US|UK|Canada.

What happens when the horrors of family relationships cause innocent boys to seek refuge in a dark, dank place which has its own secrets and a terrible past?  A nice creepy southern gothic tale of innocence lost.

The Hunger Games ~ Suzanne Collins US|UK|Canada.

This is a clever and intriguing story with a strong character that you really root for.

The Prince of Mist ~ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon US|UK|Canada.

A diabolical entity—the Prince of Mist—can play tricks with time even on film.

Inside Out ~ by Maria V. Snyder US|UK|Canada.

A wonderful introduction to science fiction and dystopian society for younger teens - especially girls.

The Last Survivors Trilogy ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer

A young adult trilogy in which an apocalyptic event has occurred - the moon has been knocked off its orbit. Two separate stories which come together in a heartbreaking conclusion.

1. Life as We Knew It ~ US|UK|Canada.
2. The Dead and The Gone ~ US|UK|Canada.
3. The World We Live In ~ US|UK|Canada.

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Children and Tweens:

The Tempest ~ rewritten by Ann Keay Beneduce US|UK|Canada.

This is a child’s picture book and is a retelling of Shakespeare’s play.

The Arrival ~ (a wordless novel) by Shaun Tan US|UK|Canada.

With realistic and lovely pictures, done in shades of sepia and greys, this graphic novel - without words – is a speculative representation of the immigrant experience.

The Bat Scientist ~ by Mary Kay Carson US|UK|Canada.

Bats are an endangered species all over the planet. As a way to understand that they are not scary and mean, but important to our planet’s health, this book can help.

 

Mommy’s Black Eye ~ by William Bentrim US|UK|Canada.

Two wonderful non fiction books by self published author William Bentrim.

 

Daddy Goes on a Trip ~ by William Bentrim US|UK|Canada.

Keeper ~ by Kathi Appelt US|UK|Canada.

An almost ten year old girl who lives on the beach by the gulf of Mexico in Texas decides to look for her “mermaid” mother on a boat trip out to sea.

 

The Magic Warble ~ by Victoria Simcox  US|UK|Canada

Kristina is a smart girl on the verge of being a teenager. Before Christmas vacation her teacher gives her a mysterious present – an unusual and light filled globe.It is the “Magic Warble” which will save a fantastic realm from a very evil and heartless queen. 

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Remember the covers link to our review posts for each of the books above which we read and loved.

Happy Reading!

Review: The Arrival ~ (a graphic novel) by Shaun Tan

 

A review by Shellie for: The Arrival ~ (a wordless novel) by Shaun Tan

With realistic and lovely pictures, done in shades of sepia and greys, this graphic novel - without words – is a speculative representation of the immigrant experience.

About: This is a graphic novel told only in shaded colorless pictures, with contrasting elements colored in cool for darker aspects of the journey and warm for happier. It is a book for everyone but especially children; it tells of the many difficulties, complications, and of course the joys of the universal experience when immigrating from one country to another. With realistic pictures contrasted with fantastical images it mixes the familiar with the alien, which is a metaphor for the immigrant experience. It is realistic yet speculative in nature.

Thoughts:  This book has gorgeous drawings showing the main characters experiencing a range of emotions when arriving in a place completely different from their known home. It shows the difficulties of trying to communicate without knowledge of the new language, the sorrow felt when separated from family members, and of course the inevitable fear of the unknown. With images which are fantastical it is easy for a young person to relate to the “alien” feel when arriving in a different country.

Apparently, the author spent 5 years researching the book in his attempt to show the “universality of the immigrant experience”. With its pictures it “translates” for the reader in a way that is understood without language; It’s the first book I can remember “reading” that does not have words. With its talented artist/author, I recommend it highly for use in classrooms as well as homes, where an explanation is needed for around experiencing different cultures. This is a lovely and important book which I liked a lot; I’d give it 3.5 stars.

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Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada; Ages 9-12; 128 pages; Arthur A. Levine Books (October 1, 2007)

The Arrival was borrowed from our local library. We love ours, support yours!

It will be include in the Graphics Novel Challenge, Speculative Fiction Challenge, The Basics Challenge, and New Author Challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Review and International Giveaway: “Virga” series ~ by Karl Schroeder

 

We have a review by John for the first book in the “Virga” series ~ “Sun of Suns” and an international  giveaway for two copies of  Pirate Sun ~ the third in this series.

Now for John’s Review ~ of the first book “Sun of Suns”: From Virga: Cities of the Air ~ by Karl Schroeder  (this is an omnibus of two books, “Sun of Suns” and “Queen of Candesce”, originally issued in 2006 and 2007)

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Highly original – a space-based steampunk thriller set in a weird and wonderful future world.

About:  Virga is a world three thousand kilometers in diameter that is floating in space; the twist is that Virga is in effect a balloon and that people live on the inside, totally sealed off from whatever lies beyond the surface. Also inside are many artificial suns, air, water, and floating towns and cities that need to be spun to create gravity. The world of Virga contains many mini empires based around the larger cities; they live in a state of uneasy peace that often turns into conflict.

Outside of this self-contained world, the rest of the universe is very different. You get some glimpses into it and the people that created Virga, but we’re not yet sure why Virga was set up and what its purpose is. This is he first in a series of novels so I’m sure all becomes clear later.

For now, the first story in the series centers around Hayden Griffin, a boy whose home nation of Aerie is destroyed by the larger migratory empire of Slipstream. On a lifelong quest to take revenge on the leaders of Slipstream, he eventually finds himself sucked into a wild mission led by the admiral of Slipstream, who is trying to defend his own world against plotting neighbors by undertaking a daring pre-emptive raid. As Griffin becomes ever more embroiled with the leaders of the mission and things build to a dangerous climax, he starts to question some of his loyalties and motivation.

John’s Thoughts:  So why is it steampunk? The towns are made mostly out of wood and rope, the ships of Virga are also made out of wood, and most of the weapons seem like they’re out of the Victorian era. Indeed, while this is set in space, the story often seemed like an episode straight out of Horatio Hornblower.

Schroeder has a fabulous imagination and has created a unique world for these stories. He creates some interesting characters and fills in the story with lots of details that give the book a solid and believable foundation – despite its fantastic setting. The story became a little too action-packed for my taste; nonetheless it was an entertaining read and I’d rate the book 3.5 stars. If you’re in the mood for some “space opera” that’s full of action, then this one is for you.

For more information on the series please see Layers of Thought’s preview for the series. Amazon links for the first of the series which includes the story which John reviewed and the book pictured above ~ US|UK|Canada. 

Since this is a combo review and giveaway post John will be answering comments, which are specifically centered around the review. All give away entries will not be addressed.

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International Giveaway:

We have two copies of this book for two winners! Since the books will be sent by the publisher - you do not need to be a “reader” for this giveaway. Anyone can enter, copies of these book are available for mailing internationally (please note that international shipping does take some time).

Amazon links for US|UK|Canada for the book to the right.      

Contest Info:

To enter you must:

• comment
• include in the post your email so that I can contact you

You do not have to do these options but ~ for optional extra points you can do any, all or none of the below for 1 entry point each: (Please use separate comments for each entry.)

1. Be a subscriber of Layers of Thought – google or facebook. (I need to be able to see you! – to get updates in facebook feed and add me as a friend otherwise it does not count.)
2. Blog it - side bars are great - please provide links
3. Tweet it – provide links please
4. Friend on Twitter
5. Friend on Goodreads
6. Friend on Book Blogs
7. Friend on Glue  - new to glue? have questions? let me know.

As stated above, this giveaway is for anywhere.

Contest ends Wednesday January 19th, 2011 at 12 pm US Pacific time. Winner will be posted and notified on Tuesday January 25th, 2011. 

If you have a question or concern (like a typo or bad link) please email me via my profile – Shellie.

Thanks for entering and good luck! 

Review: The Tempest ~ retold by Ann Keay Beneduce, illustrations by Gennady Spirin

 

Reviewed by Shellie:  ~  The Tempest ~ rewritten by Ann Keay Beneduce with movie tie in information and more!

We are such stuff as dreams are made on…..

About:  This is a child’s picture book and is a retelling of Shakespeare’s play. It is about Prospero, the Duke of Milan, and his small daughter who are set adrift on the sea by the king of Naples and Prospero's evil brother. They are conspiring to acquire his land and holdings, but do not murder Prospero and Miranda since the evil doers do not want to be blamed for their deaths.

However, Prospero is a magician of great talent and he and Miranda survive the incident. They are washed up on an enchanted island inhabited by a variety of magical beings – both good and bad. Taking refuge in a cave, they try to live a peaceful and happy life. As Miranda comes of age Prospero knows she will need the companionship of others, so he conjures up a storm which blows his brother’s traveling ship onto the rocks around the island. He and the remaining crew are brought on shore, but because this includes the conspiring king as well as the king’s son, the story has just begun.

Thoughts:  Ah Shakespeare, the incredible and articulate bard from days of yore. What I would not give to understand his wonderful and archaic language. Difficult as the verbiage it is for adults, it is much more so for children. With consideration to the many wonderful tie-ins around this fantastical story, it’s a shame not to have a simpler basis on which to build an understanding. That’s where a book like this can come in, as a way for adults to help children understand and to introduce them into the language of old England, and the wonders of ~ The Tempest.

With lacey and old fashioned illustrations from Gennaday Spririn, the co-author has included current language which is understandable for children (and for adults like me). Yet for authenticity she has included some brief and easy to understand quotes from Shakespeare’s actual work – like the one prefacing this review. (I have always wondered where that familiar line had originated). Helped by the illustrations, it is a way for children and adults to further understand the basis for Shakespeare’s complex story lines and language. I liked this book a lot and give it 3.5 stars.

I am actually surprised there are not more picture books as well as a graphic novel for the tale published. If  there are I could not find one (hint to artists and publishers).

Purchasing links for this out of print book - US|UK|Canada; Ages 9-12; Hardcover: 32 pages; Philomel; 1st Ed. edition (March 19, 1996)

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A new movie version has just been released (PG-13), with an incredible cast including Helen Mirren (as Prospera – I like the gender switch) and Russell Brand (as Trinculo – who is not mentioned in the above book). We are very excited as we love these English actors. I have included the movie trailer; the movie was out on December 10th (in the USA). It’s the perfect family holiday film!

 

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Here are two books which I hope to read soon, which are based upon The Tempest from Tor. We see Miranda here on these amazing covers. I think Tor has the best covers for fantasy. Don’t you?

• Prospero in Hell ~ by L. Jagi Lamplighter; Amazon US/UK/Canada
• Prospero Lost ~ by L. Jagi Lamplighter; Amazon US/UK/Canada

For publisher’s blurbs see Layers of Thoughts preview for the L. Jagi Lamplighter series on Prospero.

For more Shakespearean spin-offs and a very fun post link to io9 ~ for the Coolest Shakespeare Riffs in Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Have a great day ~ its almost Christmas!

Review: In the Wake of the Boatman ~ by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

 

A review by Shellie for: In the Wake of the Boatman ~ by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

Set around the Vietnam war, this is a dark and heart wrenching story of identity with an atypical hero as the main character.

About: This is a story about a boy who awkwardly grows into a damaged man, in part due to his experiences of emotional abuse at the hands of his father. Putnam, the main character, endures extreme swings in his father’s attentions; in his attempts to please his difficult father, “Put” does a number of things which cause a descent into self doubt and confusion, furthering his personal misunderstandings about himself.

As he becomes a young man and in an attempt to bury his feelings, he takes steps into a lifestyle where he believes his proclivities will be repressed or changed. Choosing the military and officer training, he throws  himself into his studies and intense physical training. Yet that does not stop the temptations he is trying to mask. He takes this attempt at repression one step further, and in his depressive state volunteers for a tour to Vietnam – a mission of apparent suicide. The story has been set and this is the beginning of a number of heroic actions.

Thoughts:  In this heartbreaking yet redemptive literary novel, there is an underlying question as to whether a person who is “confused” or who has a sexual identity which is not entirely accepted  socially is less capable of defending his or her country. As a reader I could feel deeply for what was going on internally and externally for Putnam, as he tries to reconcile who he is and what social expectations are for him as a soldier and a man. Even more, the book asks - what is it that actually defines a person as a hero?  This novel is GLBTQ, and serves to show that even individuals who do not fit into our “ideal” of what a hero is, can be committed to their country and can be just as heroic as those who do. I give this powerful and emotional novel 4 stars.

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Purchasing links for Amazon are US/UK/Canada, The Book Depository Euro/AUD.

For further information on this book please see Layers of Thoughts preview for the book.

This book will be included in a variety of challenges – GLBT 2010, Feel My Sorrow, War Through the Generations – Vietnam, New Authors Challenge.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Buddha’s Orphans ~ by Samrat Upadhyay

 

A review by Shellie for: Buddha’s Orphans: a novel ~  by Samrat Upadhyay

A sweet contemporary tale of family love and social changes in Nepal, with a great cover.

About:   Set in Nepal during the 1960’s and up until the near present, it’s a love story about two people – Raja and Nilu. Yet it feels like a family saga, with the two main characters telling their life’s tales with all their inevitable ups and downs

With a variety of nationalities living in Nepal, the two main characters are Nepalese and of middle class standing. Having known each other since childhood they fall in love and are linked by their religious belief in past life attachments. It is set during a period when the small country is attempting to move towards a more democratic government, rather than the monarchy which has been in place for centuries, so the backdrop is one of change, ensuing difficulties, complexities, and political and social uprisings.

Thoughts:  I enjoyed this sweet novel and liked that it gave me a picture of this special area located at the bottom of the Himalayan mountains. It speaks of the poverty and the racial tensions between the Nepalese and India’s natives – with  the lingering and archaic caste system and repression of women; which are still very prevalent. It also covers the complicated political changes which have occurred over the past 60 years.

The two lovers are progressive and have a modern view of life, with Raja actually taking part in some of the political demonstrations. This is not the case with all the characters; many have a very stagnant perspective. We read about the poverty, the lack of amenities which most of us take for granted, and we see that their lives share some similarities with our own in the Western world, although obviously they are very different in so many ways.

I liked that the author has an accessible writing style and enjoyed this literary novel. I would recommend it for anyone interested in a contemporary historical fiction story about the area. I give this novel 3 stars. It was a very readable book, and the cover is so simple, yet elegant, and gives insight into the culture which is not readily apparent.

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Amazon links for US/UK/Canada; Hardcover: 448 pages; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1st edition (July 14, 2010) For more information on this book please see Layers of Thought’s preview for the Buddha’s Orphans.

This book will be included in The Basics and the New Author Challenge.

Thanks for reading!

Review by JD: The Naperville White House ~ by Jerome Bartels

 

The Naperville White House ~ by Jerome Bartels

When a tired and staid old political system can’t find solutions to world crises, democracy takes a startling new course. A complex, intriguing and clever book set in a near future where gaming enthusiasts set up fantasy governments which come to rival the real thing.

About: The book appears to be by Jerome Bartels – a “crusading vagabond journalist” who is hired by the ex-President to write a book about the Stockdale Hostage Crisis which happened in the fall of 2018. During 2019 Bartels drove thousands of miles, conducted many interviews with key figures, watched weeks of video, read volumes of transcripts and tapped his own anonymous sources. At the end of it all, via this book, he attempted to recreate the events of the fateful three weeks of the Crisis, and ultimately drew his own conclusions about the events and some of the mysterious people involved in them.

The President in question is Jay Weise.

Through Nationizer gaming software, people have set up fantasy governments and compete with each other by tracking and responding to real-life events and by making decisions which are logged into the gaming system. With no ties to big business and unburdened by the dead weight of a failing political system, the fantasy governments take a fresh approach and generate creative new ideas. Jay Weise is the President of one of the most well developed of the fantasy governments, which is based in Naperville, Illinois. He has turned his house into a mini replica of the White House, complete with its own Oval Office, Situation Room and replica furniture and paintings. His government has a full cabinet, including a Chief of Staff, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence and Press Secretary. Most have mundane jobs in the real world, but still dedicate huge amounts of time and energy into their fantasy government roles.

At the time of the story, the United States has been fighting three separate terrorism wars for nearly a decade, abductions and bombings occur regularly around the world, the economy is ailing, and America’s relationships with traditional allies around the world are crumbling. Regular politicians continue to promise solutions, but nothing ever seems to be solved. Then the US is rocked when an Al Qaeda backed terror group kidnaps five partners of senior politicians and holds them hostage; through a series of events (I’ll not spoil the story by describing them) Jay Weise and his government are drawn deeply into the crisis. His prime objective is to help free the hostages; the objectives of the real US government are much less clear and its motives and actions are shrouded in secrecy. Meanwhile someone else seems to be working behind the scenes to push things to a head.

John’s Thoughts:  This book was like a breath of fresh air – a clever idea, very novel, thought provoking and an entertaining read. It’s one of those storylines which is, at one and the same time, both outrageous and almost plausible; for me that’s a winning combination. Certainly it’s not too difficult to imagine a political world similar to the one created here; in truth we’re close enough already. On top of that the internet and the world of gaming are advancing so rapidly that the fantasy governments of the novel don’t feel like too much of a stretch. And, goodness knows, there is enough frustration at the political system and lame politicians to fuel the motivations of people like Jay Weise.

So there is a very cool idea as a foundation, and Mark Pedriani (the real author) adds to it a nice writing style, a good pace, some humor and big dollops of twisty, intriguing plot. There are some pretty neat characters too. Weise and all of his main cabinet members are well structured and have some depth. I think the technique of using Bartels as the author and voice of the story also works well. All in all, a fun read that I blew through in two days. I’d rate this book 4 stars. If you like somewhat futuristic political thrillers, or get a kick out of regular folks (ok – somewhat nerdy folks) winning out over Big Brother, then I’d most definitely recommend this book.

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Amazon purchasing links for US|UK- Kindle only; Hardcover: 320 pages; Bancroft Press (November 15, 2010)

If you are interested in reviewing this book yourself it is available on Net Galley. This book was sent to John for review from Bancroft Press. Thanks Harrison!

Thanks for reading.

Review: The Christmas Knot ~ by William Bentrim (illustrations by Christi Schofield)

 

The Christmas Knot ~ by William G. Bentrim  (illustrations by Christi Schofield)

A young Hardy Belch, his cousin Mardi and his dog Tiny discover even problems can end up beautifully at Christmas.

Shellie’s thoughts:  A self published book, it is a short story with cute illustrations that helps children to realize that no matter how hard we try, at times things don’t always work out as planned. But even if they don’t, it is not always a bad thing. With a slightly Christian theme in the story, which includes the Nativity scene, it is a pleasant story for the season that children and parents will love. I liked this cute light story with a positive message and would give it 3.5 stars.

Unfortunately the cover pictured here does not do The Christmas Knot justice, and is not very clear. However, you can see how nice it is from a YouTube review which the author has created about the book. It only lasts a little over two minutes and is quite funny with a little skunk giving the review that children will love.

Amazon purchasing links for US|UK|Canada; Ages 9-12; Paperback: 30 pages;  CreateSpace (July 10, 2010)

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Bill’s other children’s books reviewed here:

• Review for ~ Mommy’s Black Eye; Amazon links US|UK|Canada.
• Review for ~ Daddy Goes On a Trip: Dealing with Travel and Deployment; Amazon links US|UK|Canada.

I loved the above books, with their difficult subject matter and sweet yet sad illustrations. They are important additions to homes and families in transition, as well for professionals who work with families.

Previewed here:

• Preview for ~ The Adventures of Hardy Belch (Volume 1);  Amazon links US/UK/Canada.
• Preview for ~ What About Me? (illustrations by Christi Schofield); Amazon links US/UK/Canada.

Reviews for the above books coming soon!

William G. Benetrim is our friend. He has several blogs where he does short and interesting reviews in a variety of genres – mostly mystery, science fiction and fantasy. To contact him you can link to one of his personal blogs ~ Pick of the Literate, The Azure Dwarf, Money Saving Tech Tips, his professional website, or his author’s page on Goodreads.

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The holiday stuffing (for the turkey and yourself), family fun, and partying is almost here. Do you have all your shopping done?

Review by JD: Corn Flakes with John Lennon ~ by Robert Hilburn

 

Corn Flakes with John Lennon ~ by Robert Hilburn

Sub-titled “and Other Tales from a Rock ‘n’ Roll Life”, this is a series of vignettes spanning 40 years from a renowned music critic for the Los Angeles Times.

The first thing to be said is that Hilburn isn’t just any old critic; he’s made a name for himself over decades as a well-respected writer who clearly loves his subject matter. He’s also managed to build personal relationships with many of the leading lights in the world of rock music, enabling him to get interviews that others can’t, and allowing him to glean deeper insights into some of the more famous and interesting characters that have shaped music trends since the 1950’s.

As a youngster growing up in the South his first musical love was country music, and his tastes then widened to take in rhythm and blues. Like many of his generation, he was blown away when Elvis Presley came along and turned the musical world on its head. His adoration of Elvis stayed with him and one theme running through the book is the way that many of the biggest stars from the 1960s onwards shared that love and were deeply influenced by Elvis.

Having opted for a career in journalism, Hilburn managed to start working for the L.A. Times covering music in the mid-1960s – albeit focusing on country music as the paper already had someone covering rock music. He started to make a name for himself and his first big coup was covering Johnny Cash’s live concert at Folsom State Prison. In fairly short order he was able to take over as the main writer covering the whole spectrum of pop music and from there his coverage and reputation blossomed.

The book follows him over the years as he tracks and reviews the changing music industry, and as some of his favorite rock stars mature and develop as artists. In particular, featured throughout the book are John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and U2. You get some fascinating insights into all of these artists as Hilburn seems to have developed strong bonds with them all. While these four provide the cornerstone for the book, others who feature heavily include Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Yoko Ono, Elton John, Phil Spector, Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain.

I love rock music, am an avid collector and listener, and also read about it voraciously, so I suspect that this book was written with me in mind! I was almost bound to like it and I did. It certainly helps that Hilburn has a writing style that is interesting and easy to read. While thoughtful and insightful, he isn’t one of those annoying critics who get so wrapped up in wanting to prove how clever they are that they over-intellectualize everything and produce gobbledygook; if he was I wouldn’t have got past the first ten pages. I have to say that my musical tastes are not the same as his, but that didn’t make the book any less interesting. He is writing mainly about artists that most music lovers will be familiar with or at least know something about, so it’s easy to relate to the stories. And I have to say that although I’m a voracious reader about music, most of what’s contained in the book was new to me. Perhaps surprisingly, most of the artists covered come across as really nice people, though many end up being damaged by the industry and some of them are just plain weird (please take a bow Phil Spector and Michael Jackson). For me, the most interesting of them all was John Lennon and Hilburn’s obvious affection for him positively shines from the book.

I’m probably a wee bit biased with this book but I’d have to rate it 4 stars. I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes music or who is interested in finding out more about some of the leading cultural lights from the last couple of generations.

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Here is a YouTube video that John has picked out to share and is classic John Lennon.

 

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For basic publisher’s information on the book please see our preview post including the book. 

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (October 13, 2009)

As always John/JD will be addressing comments so please don’t forget to check the follow up response box.

Thanks for reading.

Review by Shellie: The Healer’s War ~ by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

 

The Healer's War is a 1988 novel by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, which won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1989.

A realistic fantasy novel set in Vietnam during the ill fated war against communism. With a touch of the magical/paranormal it shows a realistic, difficult, and heartbreaking picture of Vietnam from the perspective of a female veteran of the war.

About:   Kitty, the main character, is a twenty-something nurse from the Mid West who decides to go to Vietnam to help in the war efforts, since her life at home in the US is not working out as she had hoped. Within the relative safety of the American base she experiences Vietnam in a privileged bubble.

As she works in the hospital caring for the wounded and civilians, she ultimately ends up relating to the natives on a more intimate basis than the soldiers. This is due to the nature of her job and her heart, where US soldiers are moved in and out of the hospitals at a quick rate yet those who are local stay. This gives Kitty time to get attached to many of the Vietnamese injured.

This is where the speculative comes into play; on his death a local holy man and healer gifts Kitty with an object which will allow her to accelerate the healing process of the sick and injured. Of course it will be needed in some very harrowing and gut-wrenching situations as the story progresses.

Thoughts:   Kitty tells her story in the first person, speaking as a nurse in the Army would, with a voice that is down to earth and casual. Through her voice we see that humanness is not granted to just an individual country or race, and we look beyond the horrific loss of human life to the cultural and ecological losses as well. Below is one quote where the author describes Vietnam and its incredible beauty. Here Kitty is taking a helicopter ride over the countryside:

….. We flew over fishnet-strung seas, lush green mountains fading to purple in the distance, golden rice paddies, and aquamarine waters. Gauzy mists puffed up beneath us, veiling the valleys. It was still extraordinarily beautiful. But even from the air the beauty was marred by the bomb craters pitting its surface, like Never-Never Land with smallpox scars. I was used to thinking of Vietnam as ugly, hot, smelly, dirty. It had never dawned on me that the Rice Bowl of the East, as they called it in social studies, would have to be lush, that a country that was once a resort area for the French would of course be lovely. What a crying shame to hold a war here.

From the quote above we see another casualty of war.

The Healer’s War is an incredible novel which shows the horrors and senselessness of war within the exotic beauty of Vietnam; its natives are very much like ourselves, and we realize that within the context of war atrocities inevitably occur on both sides. In my opinion Elizabeth Ann Scarborough definitely deserved to win the Nebula for this book in 1989. It is a realistic picture of the war with a bit of light fantasy, and is recommended for those who do not generally read fantasy and very highly recommended for those who do. It is rated as at 4.5 stars.

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Link to find out more about the author,  her books, and an article from New Scientist which talks about auras and if they actually exist - which are a key element of this novel.

Amazon purchasing links for US|UK|Canada.

This book will be include in a number of challenges ~  War Across the Generations, Mind Voyages, The Basics, New Author, Speculative Fiction, and Feel My Sorrow.

Thanks for reading!

Review by Shellie: PATHFINDER ~ by Orson Scott Card

 

It’s release day for PATHFINDER ~ book one in the Serpent World series!

It’s a dryly humorous young adult science fiction novel which includes the elements of time travel and the building blocks of an amazing and science filled world.

My Blurb:  Our main character, Rigg, is a teen boy who has a special ability that he has taken for granted. He can see the paths of almost every living thing including those who have existed in the past. He lives in what appears to be a “medieval like” world which is not as it first appears. He is joined by a variety of interesting characters including several other young adults with other curious abilities all related to time travel, as well as a few supporting adults. All setting up for what I imagine to be an epic young adult hero series.

Here is the interesting bit - juxtaposed through the story is a ship traveling through space which houses another young man, Ram, who is the human caretaker of its immense and valuable contents. As the ship does some time travel of its own, which the author blends via multiverse theory, both stories are linked and interwoven and will keep the reader guessing.

Thoughts:  I love young adult science fiction, and this is it at its best. Although we are given only a taste of what the extensive world will entail in this first of the series, it’s just enough to excite me to read more when the others are released.

Orson Scott Card has included some great characters - strong women, men of character, feisty teens, and with antagonists that are not clichéd and which feel human yet flawed. There are some interesting lessons for the main targeted audience, young men (and perhaps geeky girls), such as rhetoric theory, and the beginning of understanding a business savvy of sorts. The author does a wonderful job of telling the story from dialog which I think a lot of young men would enjoy. There is light potty humor and realistic and light references to sexuality which grounds the book for a mature young adult audience.

My only niggle about the book would be my inability to “completely get” the “magical time travel” aspect of the story. It was just beyond my grasp and I was left feeling confused. So instead I focused on the science, character building, great dialog and dry humor, and trusted in the story’s process. The version I read was an ARC so perhaps some of this concern was addressed.

The most exciting bit is that there are quite a few interesting scientific theories progressing within this first book of the series. It looks like this promising world will bring in some theory around genetics and what appears to a grand biological experiment. But that’s the thing with experienced story tellers, you can only guess what will happen next since they toss you little bits at a time. 

As my first foray into Scott Card’s fiction writing I would say that I enjoyed this book immensely and would rate it a 4 star, and am very much looking forward to finding out what this promising world entails.

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Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

*This book will be a great holiday gift for a number of nerdy folks, children and adults – highly recommended!

For more information on Pathfinder please see Layers of Thought’s preview for the book, which includes publisher’s blurb, author data, as well as purchasing links.

This book will be included in The Basic’s Challenge, The 42, and The Speculative Fiction Challenge.

Thanks for reading!

Review by JD: Neverland ~ by Douglas Clegg

 

What happens when the horrors of family relationships cause innocent boys to seek refuge in a dark, dank place which has its own secrets and a terrible past?  A nice creepy southern gothic tale of innocence lost.

About:   As usual the Jackson family gathers for a summer vacation at the decrepit old family house on Gull Island that is owned by old grandmother Rowena Wandigaux Lee. And, as usual, the parents, auntie, uncle and grandmother are soon drinking, squabbling and arguing. A mixture of embarrassment, boredom and annoyance drives the young children to seek escape and entertainment beyond the confines of the house and the grown-ups.

Beau’s cousin Sumter has found an old abandoned shed in the woods, and the fact that they are forbidden to go near the shed adds greatly to its appeal. The somewhat strange cousin soon starts to play somewhat strange games in the shed. At first Beau willingly joins in, but as their imaginations run wild the games become ever stranger, inexplicable things start to happen, and Beau’s sisters are also drawn into the circle. As the group plays at worshipping a god that Sumter seems to have created, events (and Sumter) start to spiral out of control.

It transpires that both the place and the family have some dark secrets which the children gradually start to uncover, but as they do so a terrible past starts to open up and plays havoc with the family and the island.

John’s Thoughts:  I found the book a little slow to start, but once it got going it moved along at a good pace and kept me hooked. Told from the point of view of the young Beau, the story is a nice mix of strained family dynamics, growing pains, believable characters, creepiness, and a scary tension that builds to a nice climax. I think that Clegg does a really good job of capturing the essence of young pre-teens and how they react to people and to situations. I also like that there isn’t an overly simplistic demarcation between right and wrong, leaving you to ponder some of the complexities, much as you have to in real life. But above all else, this is a really strong piece of storytelling.

I’m not entirely sure if the book was intended primarily for a YA or an adult audience, but I think it bridges the needs of both and could appeal to either. If you like a strong story with well-developed characters and a big dollop of horror, then this one is for you. I’d rate it 4 stars.

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Neverland ~ by Douglas Clegg

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Vanguard Press; Reprint edition (April 13, 2010)

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

For more information please see our preview post for Neverland.

As always John/JD will be addressing the comments for this book. Please don’t forget to check the follow up box for his response.

Thanks for reading.

Review by JD: Palestine by Joe Sacco ~ a graphic novel

 

This is a dark, thought-provoking and deeply disturbing graphic “novel” detailing the time that he spent in the Palestinian Territories – the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

About:   Sacco has become well known for his journalism in the comic book medium. He has based this book on several months of research and two months that he spent in the Palestinian Territories in late 1991 and early 1992 – during the time of the First Intifada (or uprising). He conducted over a 100 face-to-face interviews, and lived among the Palestinians in their towns and refugee camps. He specifically set out to focus primarily on the experiences and views of the Palestinians, feeling that in the West the Jewish side of the story was already well known.

The book follows him as he moves from town to town, house to house, interview to interview. He lives with and befriends some of the locals as they show him around, introduce him to people and make him welcome. And they make tea for him; lots and lots of tea. The book recounts their stories and histories, and the grim reality of their day-to-day existence. Meanwhile the graphics capture the people and the abysmal conditions quite brilliantly.

John’s Thoughts:  This is not an easy read. Sacco leaves you in no doubt that he feels strongly that Palestinians have been treated appallingly – ejected from their home lands, deprived, brutalized and dehumanized (and a word of caution – he pulls no punches in depicting those horrors graphically). But he does provide some balance and he is also clear that there is no simple solution. While the Israelis and the Palestinians remain locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle, there are also deeply divided factions within each side. And the intervention of other countries is usually unhelpful and driven by their own local politics, with all commentators in the book deriding the supposed “Peace Process”.

This whole situation is both horrible and horribly complex. I’ve been fortunate to visit Israel a handful of times so do have some first-hand experience, though for sure that doesn’t make me any more knowledgeable or enlightened than most other observers. Sacco does sum up the experience (and human nature) rather well towards the end of the book:

“That’s the thing about coming to the Holy Land or Palestine or Israel or whatever you want to call it … no one who knows what he’s coming here looking for leaves without having found it…”

I also liked one of his final questions on the nature of power and humanity, made after he observes a soldier mistreating a boy:

“… what can happen to someone who thinks he has all of the power – and what becomes of someone when he believes himself to have none?”

While the book does include some humor (most of it directed at Sacco himself), this is a difficult and provocative read and not one that I could describe as enjoyable. But I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their understanding of the Middle East and some of its complex dynamics. And if you have any doubts about the use of the graphic novel/comic book format, you shouldn’t – it works remarkably well in the hands of this gifted artist. I’d rate this book 4.5 stars.

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Palestine ~ by Joe Sacco

2001  (this is a collection of individual comics that were originally published separately 1993-1995)

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books; First Edition. states edition (January 2002)

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

This book will be included in the Graphics Novel Challenge.

As always John/JD will be addressing the comments for this book. Please don’t forget to check the follow up box for his response.

Thanks for reading.

Review by Shellie: The Principles of Uncertainty ~ by Maira Kalman (a graphic novel)

 

A stylized yet simple graphic novel which questions life and its inevitable uncertainties, where the author asks about the meaning of life and death within a one-year segment of her life.

Thoughts:   Author Maira Kalman is the illustrator for The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, as well as the author and artist for a number of children’s books.  As a collector of many curious things, she has compiled her thoughts, drawings, and photographs in this book which reflect her feeling on some of the oddities within life. All compiled here in an adult’s picture book of sorts. It’s a philosophical, sad, yet mildly funny trip where the examples of human experience she shares also have a very universal feel. As the reader follows her path and the author questions life and the inevitable ups and downs of it all, we are left with more questions than are answered.

She has included her lovely drawings and photos she has taken, with her simple yet dryly lyrical thoughts around a year in her life. A lovely books which is easily read in one sitting but is one I would like to pick up again and again – it’s a meditation on life, art, human nature, all of its disappointments and within them, hidden joys. Asking the quintessential human questions in a slightly different and adult way: what is life about? Why do I feel sad? What happens after we die?

Highly recommended reading for adults who like stylized art and contemplating the nature of life. It’s a 4 star in my opinion and would make a lovely Christmas or Hanukah gift for the right person.

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• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 27, 2009)

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

This graphic novel will be included in the Graphic Novel Challenge, the New Author Challenge, and Feel My Sorrow.

Thanks for reading.