Summary: It turns out that Alice in Wonderland was based on a true story, but horribly mangled. This is the story of Alyss and her struggle against Queen Redd.
Reaction: I rather enjoyed it. It was rather neat how it was a new take on a somewhat familiar tale. The fact that I might describe it as an adventure doesn't hurt either...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama
...a book that too me over an entire quarter to read, a book that I only read because I got it for Christmas (over a year ago), a book that I only finished now because my computer is going annoyingly slow and giving me time to read, but still a book I enjoyed.
Basically, he laid out his view of that should be done to improve America, or something along those lines. And I found myself agreeing with most of his points. Whether this was because he was very persuasive, I'm easily persuaded, or I already agreed with much of what he had to say I don't know. Still, I enjoyed it. It's nice to know what our president wants to do to our country.
Basically, he laid out his view of that should be done to improve America, or something along those lines. And I found myself agreeing with most of his points. Whether this was because he was very persuasive, I'm easily persuaded, or I already agreed with much of what he had to say I don't know. Still, I enjoyed it. It's nice to know what our president wants to do to our country.
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel
and now for the book I've been reading all quarter...
Summary: Strobel investigates eight of the biggest obstacles to faith that people have by talking to experts on the various topics.
Comments: Very thought provoking. It seemed like on several occasions, something I read coincided with a discussion I had with someone a few days before/after. Do I believe that's a coincidence or that it was God's work? I only ask because towards the end of the book, he points out that in general people explain away evidence of God actually working in the world. I suppose it's possible that coincidences are God pushing things in a direction of his choosing. But it's also possible that things just happened that way or that we're making something of nothing.
Anyway, I think I've gotten off-topic. It's very much a thought provoking book, and ...I think it would be redundant to say it made me think. It expanded my thinking. Or maybe it propelled my thoughts in directions I might not have considered. I kinda want to go find the other books he's written and read those too. I seem to recall The Case for Christ being similarly thoght provoking.
Summary: Strobel investigates eight of the biggest obstacles to faith that people have by talking to experts on the various topics.
Comments: Very thought provoking. It seemed like on several occasions, something I read coincided with a discussion I had with someone a few days before/after. Do I believe that's a coincidence or that it was God's work? I only ask because towards the end of the book, he points out that in general people explain away evidence of God actually working in the world. I suppose it's possible that coincidences are God pushing things in a direction of his choosing. But it's also possible that things just happened that way or that we're making something of nothing.
Anyway, I think I've gotten off-topic. It's very much a thought provoking book, and ...I think it would be redundant to say it made me think. It expanded my thinking. Or maybe it propelled my thoughts in directions I might not have considered. I kinda want to go find the other books he's written and read those too. I seem to recall The Case for Christ being similarly thoght provoking.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
101 Thinks You Need to Know ...and Some You Don't!, by Richard Horne and Tracey Turner
Summary: a collection of random facts on a wide variety of subjects.
Comments: I think this was aimed at a younger audience than I (hence each page of facts had a page of "consider similar things and/or try something at home"). But it was still an amusing collection of random facts (there were various amusing comments sprinkled throughout).
Comments: I think this was aimed at a younger audience than I (hence each page of facts had a page of "consider similar things and/or try something at home"). But it was still an amusing collection of random facts (there were various amusing comments sprinkled throughout).
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Nation, by Terry Pratchett
Summary: After a rather large wave destroys Mau's village and many others and leaves the ship Daphne is on stranded on the island where Mau lives, they, and soon other people as well, band together to learn to survive in the aftermath of the storm.
Reaction: Very thought provoking. Definitely raises issues about what is really "savage" and opposed to unfamiliar, and aren't people pretty much the same everywhere. I rather enjoyed it.
(And of course the bits in the romance direction made me consider certain parts of my own life)
(Note that the first book I post about in two months is one I read in two days. The one I've been reading for most of that time is still not done on account of my hardly having time to breathe, let alone read.)
Reaction: Very thought provoking. Definitely raises issues about what is really "savage" and opposed to unfamiliar, and aren't people pretty much the same everywhere. I rather enjoyed it.
(And of course the bits in the romance direction made me consider certain parts of my own life)
(Note that the first book I post about in two months is one I read in two days. The one I've been reading for most of that time is still not done on account of my hardly having time to breathe, let alone read.)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Lives of the Planets, by Richard Corfield
Summary: This books describes what we know about the various planets and how we found out.
Comments: This book was a bit dense to read straight through (hence I didn't manage to do that), but it was written in a way that was easy to comprehend. Very informative, but I'd suggest reading it gradually.
Comments: This book was a bit dense to read straight through (hence I didn't manage to do that), but it was written in a way that was easy to comprehend. Very informative, but I'd suggest reading it gradually.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Time Paradox, by Eoin Colfer
Summary: Another of Artemis Fowl's many adventures. In this case, his mother is horribly sick and he's trying to saveher by going back in time to find an extinct lemur.
Comments: Incredibly conveluted. I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly how some of the time stuff worked out. Gripping tale of suspense and survival at the last minute (or maybe after the last minute).
Comments: Incredibly conveluted. I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly how some of the time stuff worked out. Gripping tale of suspense and survival at the last minute (or maybe after the last minute).
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