Summary: Sam Vimes finds himself in the midst of a past he already experienced, as someone else. And now he has to figure out how to survive and not get his past self killed and hopefully when the time comes to bring the criminal who arrived with him back to their own time.
Thoughts: I probably could've enjoyed this book more if I had had some kind of reasonable length attention span. I wonder if there's another book that tells this story from the perspective of the Sam Vimes who belongs in that time. But apparently what happened here and what happened in Sam's memory are a little different and they gloss over the effect of that.
Oh, I should say something about my reaction to the actual book besides trying to enjoy it when I wanted to do something else but wasn't sure what. Well, it was definately action-packed, and I kept feeling a need to look up things that happened or were mentioned earlier. Yeah, that's all I can think of.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Quest of the Fair Unknown, by Gerald Morris
Summary: When Beaufils sets out to find his father, a knight of Camelot, he has no idea what to expect, having spent his entire life in the forest with his mother. Along the way he meets many interesting people and has a variety of adventures.
Thoughts: When I first started the book and saw that there was likely to be an awful lot of culture-shock, I figured I wouldn't like the book because such things tend to get on my nerves (ever see the movie Elf? Much of that movie annoyed me alot because they seemed to be playing up the "dude does stupid stuff because he doesn't know any better" aspect, which is kinda sad, because what little I remember of the actual plot suggests that if they had cut most of that it would've been a good movie. Even if it would have been about 2/3 shorter... But I digress). But the culture-shock was mostly Beaufils not knowing what life was like and asking questions most people wouldn't and being determined to think the best of people no matter how horribly they might act. Maybe the Middle Ages had a higher tolearance for unusual people.
Then I read further and saw that it was Arthurian legend of some kind, and wasn't sure I was interested. I guess I'd rather read about times I know something about, yano?
But I ignored both those issues and continued reading (basically because a book has to be /really/ horrible for me to actually put it down. I think the only book I've started recently and not finished is the Bible (or more correctly, the newest one I've gotten. Not that I've finished any of the others I have), and that has more to do with having way too many library books to read to bother with a book I own than my not wanting to read it. That, and the fact that it's incredibly thick, but more that books I own tend to get put off until I've finished all my library books (which is usually never. The only time I remember that happening recently I managed to get thru all the books I'd gotten for Christmas that year before getting more. How did I get so off-topic? *looks over paragraph* I think I should start a new paragraph to finish this particular thought))
In the end, I ended up enjoying it. It's got this lovely message about everyone having their own quest and some people have no idea what theirs is, but they manage anyway. I'm not sure it can be elaborated into our here and now considering that there was a sorcerer type guy who was helping to point people in the proper direction and there were several different worlds that they traveled between at various time. But still, everyone has some quest in life.
Thoughts: When I first started the book and saw that there was likely to be an awful lot of culture-shock, I figured I wouldn't like the book because such things tend to get on my nerves (ever see the movie Elf? Much of that movie annoyed me alot because they seemed to be playing up the "dude does stupid stuff because he doesn't know any better" aspect, which is kinda sad, because what little I remember of the actual plot suggests that if they had cut most of that it would've been a good movie. Even if it would have been about 2/3 shorter... But I digress). But the culture-shock was mostly Beaufils not knowing what life was like and asking questions most people wouldn't and being determined to think the best of people no matter how horribly they might act. Maybe the Middle Ages had a higher tolearance for unusual people.
Then I read further and saw that it was Arthurian legend of some kind, and wasn't sure I was interested. I guess I'd rather read about times I know something about, yano?
But I ignored both those issues and continued reading (basically because a book has to be /really/ horrible for me to actually put it down. I think the only book I've started recently and not finished is the Bible (or more correctly, the newest one I've gotten. Not that I've finished any of the others I have), and that has more to do with having way too many library books to read to bother with a book I own than my not wanting to read it. That, and the fact that it's incredibly thick, but more that books I own tend to get put off until I've finished all my library books (which is usually never. The only time I remember that happening recently I managed to get thru all the books I'd gotten for Christmas that year before getting more. How did I get so off-topic? *looks over paragraph* I think I should start a new paragraph to finish this particular thought))
In the end, I ended up enjoying it. It's got this lovely message about everyone having their own quest and some people have no idea what theirs is, but they manage anyway. I'm not sure it can be elaborated into our here and now considering that there was a sorcerer type guy who was helping to point people in the proper direction and there were several different worlds that they traveled between at various time. But still, everyone has some quest in life.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
A Friend at Midnight, by Caroline B. Cooney
Summary: After her brother is abandoned at the airport by her father, Lily has to learn to cope with the situation, and perhaps even forgive her father.
Thoughts: I think this might be the author responsible for every single random reference to band that I've ever noticed in a work of fiction.
I wasn't expecting God to be mentioned at all, and certainly not play an important part in the storyline.
This is kind of a downer of a book. It's more reflective than most of the stuff I've read recently, possibly even moving into the realm of depressing. But I think everything works out as well as it can in the end, so it has what passes for a happy ending within the framework of the book.
Thoughts: I think this might be the author responsible for every single random reference to band that I've ever noticed in a work of fiction.
I wasn't expecting God to be mentioned at all, and certainly not play an important part in the storyline.
This is kind of a downer of a book. It's more reflective than most of the stuff I've read recently, possibly even moving into the realm of depressing. But I think everything works out as well as it can in the end, so it has what passes for a happy ending within the framework of the book.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Size 14 Is Not Fat, Either, by Meg Cabot
Summary: When a girl is found dead in the dorm where Heather Wells works, she can't help wondering why. And trying to find out more. And putting herself in dangerous situations. While trying to deal with various other facets of her life.
Reaction: Yes, this sounds like a fluffy book. And it kinda is, but there's way more to it than self-pity over weight gain and going "omg I'm fat. I think I'll eat an entire cheescake now even tho I'm so bloody fat" (I'm not cynical, really) (not that there isn't some of that; not that that isn't annoying. Why are some people so obsessed with their weight? I could understand it for someone who's actually fat, but most of the people who come to mind aren't. Anyway, that has nothing to do with the topic at hand, and little to do with the book...)
Mystery! Yay! This is the second in the series, and based on the few vague references to the first book, I think I know who the murderer in that one was. I suppose now I have to read it and see if I'm right. Although there's a reasonable chance I would've read it anyway. Or at least added Cabot's adult books to my list of books to look for when I'm at the library *refrains from long rant about her book reading habits, which are pretty much that she collects so many impulse books at the library that she has little time for reading books she owns and doesn't feel like she can put books on hold without really stressing herself out over how bloody many books she has to read* *remembers perhaps a little guiltily several recent instances of having one or more books that she was desparately trying to finish because she couldn't renew them any more times* *realizes that she's gotten horribly off-topic again* *is happy that she's capable of writing a long post* *decides that this isn't the best place for it and returns to trying to write a review of sorts*
Midway thru, I suddenly noticed that the book was written in present tense and it was mildly annoying for about a minute and a half until I quit noticing it. And there was one sentence that jumped out at me as ackward because it was using the word "can" in conjunction with stuff it implied happened. And a couple sentences that I thought might be candidates for the Dark And Stormy Night Contest (or whatever it was. The contest for most random f-ed up sentences to start a book.), although the sentences weren't actually at the beginning of the book, but whatever.
Reaction: Yes, this sounds like a fluffy book. And it kinda is, but there's way more to it than self-pity over weight gain and going "omg I'm fat. I think I'll eat an entire cheescake now even tho I'm so bloody fat" (I'm not cynical, really) (not that there isn't some of that; not that that isn't annoying. Why are some people so obsessed with their weight? I could understand it for someone who's actually fat, but most of the people who come to mind aren't. Anyway, that has nothing to do with the topic at hand, and little to do with the book...)
Mystery! Yay! This is the second in the series, and based on the few vague references to the first book, I think I know who the murderer in that one was. I suppose now I have to read it and see if I'm right. Although there's a reasonable chance I would've read it anyway. Or at least added Cabot's adult books to my list of books to look for when I'm at the library *refrains from long rant about her book reading habits, which are pretty much that she collects so many impulse books at the library that she has little time for reading books she owns and doesn't feel like she can put books on hold without really stressing herself out over how bloody many books she has to read* *remembers perhaps a little guiltily several recent instances of having one or more books that she was desparately trying to finish because she couldn't renew them any more times* *realizes that she's gotten horribly off-topic again* *is happy that she's capable of writing a long post* *decides that this isn't the best place for it and returns to trying to write a review of sorts*
Midway thru, I suddenly noticed that the book was written in present tense and it was mildly annoying for about a minute and a half until I quit noticing it. And there was one sentence that jumped out at me as ackward because it was using the word "can" in conjunction with stuff it implied happened. And a couple sentences that I thought might be candidates for the Dark And Stormy Night Contest (or whatever it was. The contest for most random f-ed up sentences to start a book.), although the sentences weren't actually at the beginning of the book, but whatever.
The Real Deal: Focus on THIS!, by Amy Kaye
Summary: Fiona is a New York City girl who finds herself stuck in a small New Jersey town after her parents get divorced. Not only that, but her new school is the subject of a reality TV show. How can she survive with all those cameras tracking everyone's every move?
Reaction: At first I thought it was yet another book of "transplanted teen feeling sorry for self", but by the end, I had seen that there's a lot more to it than that. I'm debating whether to call it fluffy or insightful and concluding that it's too early for me to come up with something significant. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it, after I got thru the first chapter or two.
Reaction: At first I thought it was yet another book of "transplanted teen feeling sorry for self", but by the end, I had seen that there's a lot more to it than that. I'm debating whether to call it fluffy or insightful and concluding that it's too early for me to come up with something significant. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it, after I got thru the first chapter or two.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett
Disclaimer explaining my forgetfulness: I probably should've done this right after finishing the book Thursday afternoon, but at that point I thought I'd get a chance either Thurs evening or Fri (which maybe I could've, but not with my engrained computer habits)
Summary: The Discworld is on the verge of being destroyed unless all eight Spells are said together some specific day. Unfortunately, one of the spells is stuck in the head of failed wizard Rincewind (I think that's his name), so they have to find him first. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what's going on so he tries to evade capture. Meanwhile, things are going strangely as a result of the visible signs of this potential doom.
Reaction: I rather like the Luggage. Um, yeah. This book has many amusing comments (like, for example the druid complaining about incompetent computer users (the computer in this case being something like Stonehenge)). As do all the Pratchett books I've read. Other than that, nothing really stands out right now.
Summary: The Discworld is on the verge of being destroyed unless all eight Spells are said together some specific day. Unfortunately, one of the spells is stuck in the head of failed wizard Rincewind (I think that's his name), so they have to find him first. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what's going on so he tries to evade capture. Meanwhile, things are going strangely as a result of the visible signs of this potential doom.
Reaction: I rather like the Luggage. Um, yeah. This book has many amusing comments (like, for example the druid complaining about incompetent computer users (the computer in this case being something like Stonehenge)). As do all the Pratchett books I've read. Other than that, nothing really stands out right now.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
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