• Rated 3 stars

“Now truth in advertising here before my review - - as many of you know, I am not a fan of the fantasy genre so reading a book about dragons is pretty far outside my comfort zone. So truth be told, 3 stars is about as high a rating as I think I'd ever give a fantasy book so this was a good read for me.

Terry Pratchett's writing had a lot to recommend it. First of all, he's very funny. It's that subtle English sarcasm that can just be hysterically funny, and he uses it judiciously throughout the book.

Secondly, he's just great with dialogue beyond how funny it is. I'm a sucker for a book with a lot of dialogue, and his book has lots and through it you really get an insight into his characters.

In addition to funny dialogue, this book satirizes man's neverending quest for power and does it quite well. From this perspective, the book is elevated beyond a simple fantastical story into something much more.

Also, I appreciated how Pratchett keeps the pace moving well by using lots of scenes. Some folks might find his book too fragmented, but I think it kept things interesting as you knew if you weren't enjoying reading about character A at a particular moment in time, you'd soon be reading about character B.

Sooo, all these good things - - why only three stars? I guess what it comes down to is that the plot just isn't the type of human story that I personally get in to. Essentially the main storyline is about a group of hapless night watchmen who try to implement the law in a rather lawless town. They are perceived as a pretty useless lot, and by and large they are.

These night watchmen have a chance to prove they aren't so hapless after all when a huge dragon is summoned to their town as part of a power grab by a discontent political type.

There are some subplots detailing the lives of a couple of these watchmen as well.

Overall, the premise is interesting, but I'm just not one who can willingly suspend disbelief very well, and the whole concept of a giant dragon threatening a city is just one that I have trouble buying. And it just gets a tad dull to keep reading how the dragon renders the city into ash even though these scenes are important in setting up the more human story of the watchmen.

All in all, I'd say pick this book up if you are a fan of British humor and have any interest in fantasy at all . . .definitely one of the more engaging fantasy books I've ever read (out of what is admittedly a very limited repertoire).”

againstthetide wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I found this preachy. The author insists on how he really engages and listens to his children, but somehow in the midst of all this engaging and listening, he does manage to recite quite a few little lectures he has given them as well. I thought I'd be able to relate to this much more than I did, and there were some messages that were interesting...like the concept that our role in life is to confer dignity on others. But the way it is communicated, it was hard to absorb uncritically.”

againstthetide wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“This book is a very engaging series of short stories that are also woven together. If you are a Lahiri fan, you'll love this book as she has the same brilliant style (as the Namesake) with many wonderful telling details. The individual story quality was variable, but I had no problem finishing up this book in a matter of days.”

againstthetide wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“A quite amazing story of a woman's survival in the midst of genocide. The author is very inspirational, but I found her dedication to God difficult to relate to. Everyone around her is dying, and her faith sustains her in a way I just couldn't relate to. Still, all in all, an excellent read.”

againstthetide wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Thoroughly enjoyable read that highlights the life of one woman in the early 20th century who was torn between being a wife and mother or spending her life with the brilliant, volatile man she fell in love with, Frank Lloyd Wright, and pursuing her own intellectual interests. This book is extremely well written and propels you into the moral dilemmas faced by Wright's mistress. ”

againstthetide wrote this review Wednesday, August 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Ok, I found this book to be mind blowing. In a good way. Yet I can easily see someone else reading it and saying "what a bunch of bunk." I think how you perceive this book will totally depend on your stage of life and the degree to which you are spiritual and the degree to whether that spirituality is primarily derived from your religion or not. I consider myself to be an atheist, yet this book had a religious overtone to it that I could totally embrace. The theories in this book are complex. It is not an easy read by any means. But I think there is a great truth to its message. In some ways, it delivers a similar message as The Shack, but with much, much more finesse and with some guidance on HOW to actually achieve peace and happiness in your life. The major message of the book is that it is absolutely of the utmost importance to recognize that life is nothing more than a series of moments that take place NOW. It puts forth a fascinating theory that our personality really consists of "ego" and then our true selves. "Ego" according to the book is the part of ourselves that is thinking and evaluating all the time. It's the part that worries. It's the part that wants. But it isn't our true personhood. The book helps you to realize that the ego can be a barrier to relationships and how to put ego in its place.

The reason I only give it four stars is that I thought the first and last chapters really weren't representative of the rest of the book. The first chapter seems way too new-agey and hard to comprehend. And the last chapter also had too many religious overtones to me and strayed away from the focus on the individual's peace and happiness. But the rest is just GREAT. Challenging and thought provoking to read, but the type of book that could change your life. I think it changed mine.
”

againstthetide wrote this review Wednesday, August 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The Last Lecture would get five stars from me if we were just rating it on how fun and engaging it was to read. It had that "hard to put down" quality in the book, and I totally enjoyed it. The book is written by a professor of computer science who has since died of cancer. This book is sort of a last word for his very young children to show the sort of man he is and to convey some life lessons for them. The voice in the book is totally engaging, and the author's zest for life and acceptance of his inevitable demise just totally shines through. I have nothing but admiration for him. However, his life lessons are not especially original - - you aren't going to put down this book and say "wow, I never thought of that or I never heard that before". Rather you will just feel a sense of profound agreement with the author's insights and thoroughly enjoy reading the anecdotes he uses to illustrate his points.
”

againstthetide wrote this review Wednesday, August 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“The Shack is the story of a man whose daughter is kidnapped and murdered and how this man finds God. The construct of the story is very creative in that the man meets with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit at the site of his daughter's murder. The problem is that the construct is clearly concerned with delivering its philosophical message much more than it is concerned with storytelling. The pacing is not good as the author rushes through the setup and then uses "speeches" by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to deliver the message of the book. However, the philosophical thinking behind the book is quite intriguing and thought provoking - - and that's what made it a 3 star read for me. The author really attempts to show what the love of God means and strays quite far from any fundamentalist interpretations of God and the bible. One of the things the author most tries to demonstrate is why God supposedly allows bad things to happen in the world. I found the arguments pretty unpersuasive, but I'd be curious what others who have read the book think. I'm also rather dying to discuss the segment of the book that focuses on forgiveness and whether people found it to be compelling. I did not. So for me - - very thought provoking and worth reading on that basis alone, but not persuasive.
”

againstthetide wrote this review Wednesday, August 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Forced. In my mind, Maguire was so focused on being clever, cryptic, messaging, and the use of symbolism, that he kinda forgot that he also needs to be a good storyteller. Wicked had some engaging moments, but between them there were definite stretches of dull. And to make matters worse, there were nuggets of importance buried in the stretches of dull - - so as your mind would be wandering, you'd miss some key element. The good news is the key element was often brought to your attention later on, and I'd ask myself "ok, when did so and so die?" - - and then I'd scroll back to the deadly dull section and RE-READ it again.

Is Wicked clever? Yes, I'd say it is. Maguire uses a familiar story and makes you look at it in a whole new way. He shows how blurry the line can be between good and evil. And how perspective is everything. He's also very witty at times, and there are many one liners to enjoy.

But somehow, despite the cleverness, the wit, the insights into human nature - - the whole wasn't satisfying. There was only one character to care about, the witch, and she wasn't especially appealing or sympathetic. And there was enough dull parts that the read felt like a flog. Just not my cup of tea!!

”

againstthetide wrote this review Tuesday, July 22 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This book is one amazing testament to the power of the human will. This woman swims in water that is nearly freezing (literally), and lives to tell the tale. And believe me, you practically feel every chill while you read.

It would have been five stars, but toward the end the author gets a little caught up in the whole idea of how her swimming "builds bridges" between countries, and frankly that part is the least interesting to me. But her descriptions of her swims - - the challenge and scariness - - that earns it 4 stars easily.”

againstthetide wrote this review Monday, July 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )