2008.10.06 Monday 19:09
The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle > < Backup > < Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) > < Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) > < Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) > < Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4) >
The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle > < Backup > < Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) > < Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) > < Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) > < Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4) > Jim Butcher,Ardian Syaf
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< The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle > < Backup > < Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) > < Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) > < Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) > < Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, Book 4) > Jim Butcher,Ardian Syaf   price：Del Rey/Dabel Brothers(2008-10-14) Not yet published Rerations < The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle > < Backup > < Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) > < Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) > < Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) > freaks < The Time Traveler's Wife > < The Stolen Child > < The Adventuress > < The Mirror > < The Three Incestuous Sisters : An Illustrated Novel > < Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses the Novel "The Time Traveler's Wife" > Audrey Niffenegger   price：Harvest Books Usually ships in 24 hours customer 's review (Dealing with loss, shame, and the imperfect)  (wonderful) (One of my favorites.) (Melancholic Echo) (Warning - I'm going to spoil the ending) (+) For me, a gripping read Character flaws (realism) Emotionally engaging Entertaining Interesting character development (-) inconsistencies in the theory of time travel of of changing the the future I'm omitting many details as to not give away too much of what the book provides. Many of the reviews I read before actually reading this book alluded to the idea that it was about love. The back cover even calls it a love story. However, after reading it myself, I tend to gravitate more towards the idea that this book is really about loss: how we process it, how it tends to dehumanize us, how it simultaneously warps and reinforces what we consider as reality. Niffenegger does a wonderful job at tying the theme of love and loss throughout the pages of her book which is particularly why I was so consistently engaged while reading it. The Time Travelers Wife is at times graphic, at times very terse and very raw, but never lacking in appeal. You won't be pleased if you're looking for a heroic and solid sci-fi drama. However, if you're looking to read a fiction about how imperfect people deal with the realities of relationship, of death, of growth, and of mystery then you'll neither be disappointed. Henry and Clare's relationship isn't so static as to impose insincerity, but changes even as they change. There is an intercourse of ideas and mystery as both retain knowledge that the other cannot or will not possess. The fact that mystery tends to be interwoven even into our own lives is very prevalent in their story. This animates them in such a way as to make them more real to the reader. Selfishness, deceit, and unhealthy attachments stay paradoxically close to sacrifice, trust, and love. Buy this book, it's definitely worth your reading! I don't usually rate books that I read, but this one really got to me. I absolutely loved this book. I plan on reading it again actually. It's a little hard to follow if you don't have time to sit and read it in one day, which I don't, but it's not so difficult that I didn't want to read it. I am a lover of all different authors and different styles of writing and I really enjoyed this and I recommend it to everyone!!! This is the type of book that makes images of cold windy days, the color of fall leaves, and big cups of coffee pop into your brain. It's just beautiful. It's hard to put into words how lovely it truly is. I actually couldn't really process it once I finished, and I know that opinions are very different in regards to this book. One of my friends even told me not to waste my time with it. Still, I think it was completely gorgeous, lush, breathtaking, and...just wonderful. I know I'm going on and on but it's that type of book that just hits you in the face and makes you feel like running out and finding a man/woman to experience a life changing romance with. The Time Traveler's Wife is a heart-wrenching account of a time traveler, Henry, who spontaneously "travels." He cannot control when the time travel happens and it leads to a very unpredictable life. Henry meets Clare and thus begins a love story of two people who can never be completely together. The Time Traveler's Wife will stay with you well after you've read the ending. I read the ending over and over again wanting to relive the last moment these two lovers were together. Melancholy follows the two lovers and propels you to keep reading. There is deep symolism in the novel; though the circumstances around the two main characters is outlandish, the feelings behind it are real. How do you truly be 100% with someone who can never be there for you? It's a question a lot of relationships face and Niffenegger answers it beautifully. The movie is coming out this November and is starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. I hope that the movie lives up to the book, though it will be hard. Magical and tragic. Painful and frustrating. You have to really open yourself up to fiction to really enjoy the whole concept of a character who has a genetic disorder that allows time travel. There were a few times that I felt the plot was dragged out too far, yet there are characters that could have been given more depth (Kimmie, the marriage of Gomez and Charisse). Overall, I really enjoyed this story however, it left me feeling bereft with sadness and frustration. We learned the fate of Henry, I don't understand why the author could not leave us with what happened to Clare. We know she lived at least until the age of 82 - but what happened inbetween? Did she remarry? Did the several pairs of golashes allude to grandchildren, a husband??? What happened to Gomez and Charisse (Charisse feared that Gomez would leave her for Clare when Henry was gone)? Did Clare live the rest of her life in the present like Henry asked her to? After investing so much time into this book, the ending was unfair to the reader. A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant. An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come. Rerations < The Time Traveler's Wife > < The Stolen Child > < The Adventuress > < The Mirror > < The Three Incestuous Sisters : An Illustrated Novel > freaks < Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) > < Son of a Witch: A Novel > < Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel > < Mirror Mirror: A Novel > < Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical > < Lost > Gregory Maguire   price：Harper(2007-09-25) Usually ships in 24 hours customer 's review (Love it or hate it??) (My new favorite) (Is evil born or made?) (Disappointed) (A 'Wickedly' Good Read) I know that some people really enjoyed the book, but I was not a fan. I can honestly say that I never hated a book until I read this one. It was incredibly slow, had a lot of GRAPHIC and equally DISTURBING content, and there was no resolution. I agree with an earlier review that I felt absolutely no connection to the characters, and didn't care what happened to them. I didn't know if I was supposed to feel sorry for Elphaba, or if he meant for me to hate her, but at the end, I just hated everyone in the book. No endearing qualities for anyone in Oz, apparently. I love, love, LOVED this book. It was so much more dark and twisty than I had expected, as I'm familiar with the musical version (nothing alike) and I was so pleasantly surprised. I had anticipated this book to be somewhat juvenile, but it really surpassed my expectations -- it was incredibly adult (I know I felt myself blushing a few times on the subway, shielding it from my fellow passengers!) By the end of the book I felt very familiar with the world of Oz, as though I was right there with them. Maguires descriptions made me feel so much like I was a part of the action, and really got me involved in the story. I will admit that this story is not for everyone, KNOW what you're getting yourself into, it is not a Frank Baum tale! This books touches on politics, religion, adolescence, childhood, death, and many other facets of life. However, these are sometimes too brief and undeveloped. It was a good read in that is was different and unique. The author may have tried to make it too many things to too many people. Definetly a creative and unpredictable perspective on a story most of us know. Just wish it wouldn't have left off with so many unanswered questions, it seemed a bit rushed at the end. This was far from an unworthy read, it just could have been better. After hearing so much about Wicked, I decided to pick it up at the bookstore to see what all the hype was about. I'm only about halfway through the book, and I'm not sure I'll be able to make myself finish the other half. The storyline has so far been painfully plodding and dull, without even the benefit of likeable or charismatic characters to keep me interested enough to continue. There was so little character buildup with any of them that they all tend to sound equally irritating with the unnecessarily flowery language. The plot is vague and confusing at this point, and doesn't show any signs of improving. On the whole, I'm not sure why this book has gotten so many rave reviews, although I'm glad it was made into a musical, because I DID enjoy that performance. Too bad the written version doesn't share the same appeal. There was so much to this book. It would be redundant of me to comment on the specifics of this book - it was however very entertaining and enjoyable to read. The main character, The Wicked Witch of the West, was thought provoking in her thoughts, words and deeds. Plan on staying up late a few nights! When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again.Wickedis about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. Rerations < Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) > < Son of a Witch: A Novel > < Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel > < Mirror Mirror: A Novel > < Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical > freaks < 1984 (Signet Classics) > < Animal Farm (Signet Classics) > < Brave New World > < Fahrenheit 451 > < Catch-22 > < A Clockwork Orange > George Orwell   price：New American Library Usually ships in 24 hours customer 's review (Timeless classic on the dangers of communism/big government) (1984 review) (1984) (The Greatest Love Story of Our Time.) (Past or Future?) George Orwell, in his book "1984", writes of a future dystopian society where the governments of a few nations maintain control of the world by keeping their inhabitants in submission and fear. Like in his earlier work "Animal Farm", Orwell is making a pointed attack against the Soviet Union and communism. However, Orwell's work is more importantly a powerful depiction of the power and danger of an unchecked government. He grimly depicts the psychological, economic, technological, and other weapons a government has at its disposal against its people. I recommend this book highly to everyone; I would even say that it is a must read. The writing is not difficult to understand, however, the political concepts are better appreciated with first hand experience and interaction with government and its potential for power abuse. I first read "1984" as a sophomore in high school and did not fully comprehend the books meaning. The book is even more valuable as a comparison to modern day political events. I highly recomend this book because its interesting and it relates to real life. I find that interesting that the government is always watching, I always felt like someone somewhere always knows what you are up to 24 hours a day. Hopefully the terminator doesn't see everything like when we go to the bathroom or that would just be mest up. This book changed me a little bit, now i think twice before doing stupid stuff because I know someone out there might be watching and I might get in trouble. It doesn't have to be the government, the popo can be watching you from far away and you think he is probably not watching and 5 minutes later after you did the dumb thing, your screwed and you will get in trouble with the law. I highly recommend this book because it will change your view on the goverment, and on the world we live in now. I don't know how many people read this for enjoyment, but this is pretty much an amazing novel that manages to capture so many intriguing and frightening ideas. And yet at the same time it is remarkably entertaining--it's a great story of romance, intrigue, and betrayal. 1984 is a social commentary on history and the appalling state of public policy and society generally told through a love story that resonates with a deep familiarity for all modern readers. "In the old days, he thought, a man looked at a girl's body and found it desirable, and that was the end of the story. But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act." The year is 1984, or so Winston Smith thinks. Nothing is ever certain anymore except he lives in Oceania and they are constantly at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. They had always been at war with Eurasia, until a quick announcement and falsification of thousands of records made them always at war with Eastasia. The Party is always right, or so it would seem. By looking at records you know existed, you would find only lies. Winston Smith knows this because he works for the Ministry of Truth, which deals with the falsification of records. The Party is the single reigning body of totalitarianisim for 1/3 of the world. But, is this simply a mere story, or something more? Was George Orwell trying to warn us of the direction our own government is heading? This version is a little extreme, but it proves its point. Winston Smith is an average man working for the Party. Scared of it, but also hating it, Winston believes that he is good as dead. He does not believe in the Party or its values, and in this world, that will earn you an arrest from the thought police for thoughtcrime. The Party can virtually read your mind through the telescreen; a two- way video broadcast system. You can never be alone with your thoughts. "Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere." The year is 1984; the scene is London, largest population center of Airstrip One. Airstrip One is part of the vast political entity Oceania, which is eternally at war with one of two other vast entities, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any moment, depending upon current alignments, all existing records show either that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, or that it has always been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia. Winston Smith knows this, because his work at the Ministry of Truth involves the constant "correction" of such records. "'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" In a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind, Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. He knows the Party's official image of the world is a fluid fiction. He knows the Party controls the people by feeding them lies and narrowing their imaginations through a process of bewilderment and brutalization that alienates each individual from his fellows and deprives him of every liberating human pursuit from reasoned inquiry to sexual passion. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be. Newspeak,doublethink,thoughtcrime--in1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance.--Daniel Hintzsche George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision of "Negative Utopia" is timelier than ever-and its warnings more powerful. Rerations < 1984 (Signet Classics) > < Animal Farm (Signet Classics) > < Brave New World > < Fahrenheit 451 > < Catch-22 > freaks < Slaughterhouse-Five > < Cat's Cradle > < Catch-22 > < Breakfast of Champions > < A Clockwork Orange > < The Sirens of Titan > Kurt Vonnegut   price：Dial Press Trade Paperback(1999-01-12) Usually ships in 24 hours customer 's review (a short book about slaughter) ("So it goes.....") (Crazyness) (The Why of Tralfalmadore) (A great book) This is a book I'd always put off reading because of the title. I couldn't figure out what it meant, and it sounded too weird for me. In fact it is more literal than I imagined: it refers to five army personnel who survive the bombing of Dresden by taking shelter in a slaughterhouse. It must have seemed a very clever book back when it was written, some 40 years ago now, but all the time-travel and general avant-garde story-telling is so mainstream today that it hardly registers. In other words, the impact has lessened, and it's probably even dated a little. I don't want to be too harsh, though. This is a very powerful work, and once you know |
