Dee - aNobii

Books (398)

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- The Language of Bees (12)
- By Laurie R. King
- Finished on Dec 13, 2009
  
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The Language of Bees

It was only after I’d taken this book home that I realised it was one in a series, but I figured that it was more of a ‘verse type of series, so I read it anyway. According to wikipedia it is book 9 although only 2 others seem to have been published in Britain & Ireland. Or maybe it’s just that they ... (continue)

It was only after I’d taken this book home that I realised it was one in a series, but I figured that it was more of a ‘verse type of series, so I read it anyway. According to wikipedia it is book 9 although only 2 others seem to have been published in Britain & Ireland. Or maybe it’s just that they switched publishers, I didn’t really look to closely into it to be honest. I’ll check at work tomorrow and see if we have any others but I won’t be hugely disappointed if we don’t.
From that sentence you may have guessed that I didn’t fall madly in love with this book. And that is true. I did, however, enjoy it and wouldn’t be averse to reading more.
The book begins in Sussex in 1924 as Sherlock Holmes and his wife and our narrator, Mary Russell arrive back home after the events of the previous novel. And one of the first things to welcome them back is a mystery, one of Holmes’ bee hives had “gone mad”. But that investigation is put on hold when Damian Adler, Holmes’ son, shows up. His wife and child are missing and he needs Holmes’ help to track them down.
I think that my reading of this probably did suffer because I hadn’t read the previous books and so wasn’t familiar with the characters. Russell herself seems like an engaging character, but I often found myself wondering how she hooked with Holmes in the first place. A distraction that was entirely my own fault.
I’d have to say that for most of the book I wasn’t that involved with the central mystery, it just didn’t capture my attention. And in a detective novel that isn’t a good thing. However by the end I was sort of caught up in events and wanted to find out how it ended. Which *is* a good thing in any book.
Overall however I think I need to read some of the earlier books in this series to really be fair in my review.

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— Dec 14, 2009 | Add your feedback
- Time and Again (28)
- By Jack Finney
- Finished on Aug 1, 2007
  
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Time and Again

1 person find this helpful
Lovely read

Simon Morley is leading an average enough life, working for an advertising company, when a man comes calling. This man, Rube Prien, offers him a new job, working for the government, but he must keep it a secret, and until he agrees he won’t know what it is he is signing up to. At first he thinks he’ ... (continue)

Simon Morley is leading an average enough life, working for an advertising company, when a man comes calling. This man, Rube Prien, offers him a new job, working for the government, but he must keep it a secret, and until he agrees he won’t know what it is he is signing up to. At first he thinks he’ll refuse but slowly his curiosity gets the better of him. And he discovers that the secret is time-travel.
But there is no time-machine, no vortex, or wormhole. This is all about the power of the mind. And eventually Si manages to make his way back to New York in 1882. His reasons for choosing that year are innocent enough. A bit of family history he would like to witness. No interfering or altering events. But things don’t always go smooth, and soon enough Si find himself caught up in the events of 1882.
I really enjoyed this book. I knew almost nothing about it before opening it; I was vaguely aware that it was about time travel but that was it. And it was quite unlike what I expected. The method of time-travel for example. But I also enjoyed the style in which the book was written. It is a first person-narrator, and at times Si addresses the reader directly, in an almost conversational manner, that isn’t always totally direct, but lets you get to know Si.
I’m not going to say everything there is to say about Kate and me. I’ve read such accounts, completely explicit and details, nothing omitted; and when they’ve been good I’ve liked them. Sometimes I’ve even learned something about people from them, almost like an actual experience, and that’s very good indeed. But my nature is different, that’s all. I don’t like to and I could not reveal everything about myself. I like to read them, but I wouldn’t like to write one. I’m not holding back anything all that unique, in any case. So if now and then you think you can read between the lines, you may be right; or may not.
Source
A lot of the book is made up of Si describing the differences between the New York he knew and the New York of the 1880s, he also includes photos and sketches, which add to the whole mood of the book.
Not only is it a very engaging and readable novel, but it also brings up issues and big questions. Not in a preachy “I have the answer” sort of way, instead, the book seems to be asking the reader their opinion.
“I just don’t think anyone has the godlike wisdom to actually rearrange the present by altering the part. … “I don’t know! Who does know? I think the most enormous kinds of decisions are being made by people who don’t know either. Only in their own opinion do they know.”
Source
It was written in the 1970’s so it is a little dated, Si’s way of looking at women is somehow old fashioned and different, to my eyes anyway. This isn’t a negative though, simply a difference.
This is a very well written book that blends time travel, mystery and even a bit of romance together. Although if I’m honest, the romance felt a little off to me, I’m not quite sure why. Still that one slight quibble isn’t enough for me to dislike this novel. Others may feel that it is a little slow in getting the story started, I didn’t, almost immediately I got to like Si, and enjoyed his style of storytelling.

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— Aug 1, 2007 | 1 feedback
- The Wolf King (8)
- By Alice Borchardt
- Finished on Jun 11, 2004
  
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The Wolf King

Skip it

Found this to be a very disapointing read. I read the previous two in this series: The Silver Wolf and The Night of the Wolf and while neither of them are spectacularly great novels they were both interesting, well-written stories.
Despite being set in the same world, and dealing with many of ... (continue)

Found this to be a very disapointing read. I read the previous two in this series: The Silver Wolf and The Night of the Wolf and while neither of them are spectacularly great novels they were both interesting, well-written stories.
Despite being set in the same world, and dealing with many of the same characters this novel feels half-hearted. As though Borchardt started out with the idea of writting it, but didn't really put any effort into actually developing the story or the characters. They react and emote, but in sudden outbursts that seem to come from nowhere, and the entire story seems confused and badly laid out. There is a brief flashback that is badly executed and until I had finished reading it I wasn't actually sure when it had occured at all.
There is also the fact that there is a main character who never seems to get a name, instead is always described as "The Saxon".
Overall I just found this lacking in any commitment, as though Borchardt wasn't that interested in it.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback
- The War of the Flowers (46)
- By Tad Williams
- Finished on Jul 27, 2003
  
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The War of the Flowers

3 people find this helpful
Good stand alone fantasy

When I first started this book I have to admit that I wasn't that caught up in it, but I think that may have been whatever mood I was in at the time, because when I returned to it the next day I practicully devoured it.
The basic plot revolves around a journey from our world ito the world of F ... (continue)

When I first started this book I have to admit that I wasn't that caught up in it, but I think that may have been whatever mood I was in at the time, because when I returned to it the next day I practicully devoured it.
The basic plot revolves around a journey from our world ito the world of Faerie. The main protagonist Theo lives a pretty ordinary, but not very happy life until one day a faery called Applecore turns up and brings him to the land of Faeire where he becomes involved in political plots.
The world that Williams creates in this book is a very believable one. Normally I don't really enjoy those "crossing into other worlds" type of books, but this is a really good read. The reasons for the cross over are definite and the world of Faeire is by no means full of happy laughing unreal characters. Instead the faerie folk live realistic lives, aided in certain cases by magic.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback
- Stoner (67)
- A Novel
- By John Williams
- Finished on May 5, 2003
  
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Stoner

1 person find this helpful
A good read

No not a book about drugs but a story about a university life. Not what we might call a succesful life, but not a failure either. A suppose it could be regarded as a story about personal success, or the success of a no-body.
It is the story of an English professor who never seems to act, but i ... (continue)

No not a book about drugs but a story about a university life. Not what we might call a succesful life, but not a failure either. A suppose it could be regarded as a story about personal success, or the success of a no-body.
It is the story of an English professor who never seems to act, but instead life simply goes by and he lives. But he is a success in certain ways: he lives his life the way he wants, marries the woman he wants and although it doesn't work out and they are never happy he does manage to find a certain amount to happiness elsewhere, but that too ends. Then again everthing ends doesn't it?
Stoner spends his life teaching, the only thing that he ever wanted to do, and although a conflict with a colleague means that he never becomes a "great" or highly recognised teacher he is respected by his students and those who know him. Also it doesn't matter to him, in the end he gets what he wants. He teaches what he wants and in the end he and his wife seem to come to some form of understanding.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | 1 feedback

- The Pillars of Creation (116)
- By Terry Goodkind
- Finished on Jan 9, 2003
  
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The Pillars of Creation

The seventh book in the Sword of Truth series.
A very wierd book, imo. Almost nothing at all about Richard, instead it is all about his half-sister Jenn.
I have such an ambivalant attitute towards this series. I quite enjoy reading them but the political and philosophical meaning behind t ... (continue)

The seventh book in the Sword of Truth series.
A very wierd book, imo. Almost nothing at all about Richard, instead it is all about his half-sister Jenn.
I have such an ambivalant attitute towards this series. I quite enjoy reading them but the political and philosophical meaning behind the stories is almost the exact opposite of everything I would believe in.
In Wizard's First Rule for example the basic premise was that people are stupid. That mob rule always wins out, and by being able to manipulate that you can guide people into believing almost anything.
There is also an entire book about how democracy doesn't work, another about the evils of socialism, especially communism, and how Richard becoming a tyrant is good for the people. That he will guide them in the right direction and protect the lands by eliminating pointless discussions.
And yet despite the fact that I often end up shaking my head at what lies underneath the stories I do enjoy the books. Why I don't know; the plots are pedestrian, the characters crap, and the the prose plodding.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback
- Naked Empire: No. 1 (112)
- By Terry Goodkind
- Finished on Jul 11, 2004
  
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Naked Empire: No. 1

Don't, just, don't

Sometimes you know, people really make me wonder.
The Sword of Truth series of books started off fine. Fairly regular "epic fantasy" with an unknown becoming a hero, finding out that he was much more than he thought, and finding a girl to fall in love with as well as destroying evil.
Some ... (continue)

Sometimes you know, people really make me wonder.
The Sword of Truth series of books started off fine. Fairly regular "epic fantasy" with an unknown becoming a hero, finding out that he was much more than he thought, and finding a girl to fall in love with as well as destroying evil.
Somewhere along the way it all went wrong, but even now when I look back I see that preaching was always important in these books, it was just kept fairly subtle until later ones.
After all when you think about it, Wizard's First Rule simply told us that people are stupid. Then we had the "democracy doesn't work" lecture, then the "socialism is evil" now we have "pacifists are moral cowards" and that "not fighting means you agree with whatever happens to you" that to be weak is to be evil."
Hmmmm.
Yet still I read these books, but let me tell you I'll not be buying any new hardbacks of them and thats for sure.
The story of Naked Empire isn't all that great, and having a hero that is as in the right as richard really starts to get a bit wearing. So even if it didn't have all the really political subtext I don't think I'd be recommending this book. As it is, I suggest you leave this series and read something else.
Basic message seems to be, people are either stupid or evil, therefore need a strong hand to rule them, ie a benevolent dictator. Its the only way to go.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback
- Moon Dance (9)
- By S.P. Somtow
- Finished on Jan 16, 2005
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- Million Dollar Baby (34)
- By F.X. Toole
- Finished on Mar 1, 2005
  
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Million Dollar Baby

Much better than the film

I bought this because I saw the film version and wasn't impressed. I'm not going to go into why I felt it was way over-hyped here, but it did interest me enough to read this book.
And I'm glad I picked it up, because these short stories are a lot better than the film. The author, F.X. Toole, w ... (continue)

I bought this because I saw the film version and wasn't impressed. I'm not going to go into why I felt it was way over-hyped here, but it did interest me enough to read this book.
And I'm glad I picked it up, because these short stories are a lot better than the film. The author, F.X. Toole, was a cut-man and professional boxing trainer, and so he knew the business. He knew the people and the amosphere and all of that comes across in the stories.
The best of the stories, imo, is Rope Burns. That was the title he gave to the collection before Eastwood's film gave the book the attention. Like most of the stories it involves a boxer and a cut-man/trainer, but it also deals with issues that the other stories mentioned but never investigated; race & crime.
Most of Toole's stories involve an older white man as the main protagonist, but race is never a major issue. Anytime it is brought up all of the other characters seem to have no problems or racial tensions. is set around the riots surrounding the Rodney King court case. In the story the role of the media is looked at, as is the way race is such an emotive subject. The main character, Mac, an ex-policeman, thinks about how the film shown on the news has been edited to remove the reason the police were in pursuit, as well as King's violence while resisting arrest. Now I don't know enough about the incident to comment, I saw bits of the tape on the telly, and it looked terrible to me, but I still find what was brought up in the short story interesting to read.
Overall the stories are well told, and apart from Million Dollar Baby, which I felt was told more like a report than a story, I really enjoyed them all. A lot more than the film of the same name.

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback
- The Lions of Al-Rassan (54)
- By Guy Gavriel Kay
- Finished on Jul 7, 2004
  
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The Lions of Al-Rassan

1 person find this helpful
Loved it

Loved this book. Pretty much devoured it in one day, and it isn’t the shortest of books.
The version I read was published by EOS and is catagorised as fantasy, as are all the books by Kay that I have come across so far, but in reality this has very few elements of what most people woul regard o ... (continue)

Loved this book. Pretty much devoured it in one day, and it isn’t the shortest of books.
The version I read was published by EOS and is catagorised as fantasy, as are all the books by Kay that I have come across so far, but in reality this has very few elements of what most people woul regard of fantasy. Yes it has a map at the start, and the countries involved are made up, but the history and culture of these places are based on that of Spanish history, medieval Iberia with its African aspects as well as European.
This is my third Kay book recently, I’ve read Tigana and A Song for Arbonne and loved them both. Lions has the same wonderful writing, and similar themes, in that it dealt with love, loyalty, honour and friendship. I’ve rated this one higher than the other two, but now that I think about it I’m not really sure if it is better. But that would make me move the other two up rather than this one down. Think I am just reluctant to give out 10s )
Lions of Al-Rassan tells the story of many different characters, all from different backgrounds and cultures, how they meet and form relationships. How these relationships deepen, yet are challenged by history and culture, by the differences between the countries/religions. It is a story of loyalty,and love, and how they are not enough.
Despite being gutted by the ending, I loved this book

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— Jul 20, 2007 | Add your feedback

- The Sunne in Splendour (33)
- By Sharon Kay Penman
- Finished on May 9, 2007
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- Vampire Diaries #1 (49)
- The Awakening (Vampire Diaries)
- By L. J. Smith
- Finished on May 10, 2007
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- Grass (22)
- By Sheri S. Tepper
- Finished on Mar 29, 2007
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- Quozl (5)
- By Alan Dean Foster
- Finished on Jun 10, 2007
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- Blood Meridian (210)
- Or the Evening Redness in the West
- By Cormac McCarthy
- Finished on Feb 6, 2007
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