BLACK HOUSE
Stephen King & Peter Straub
Jack Sawyer, hero of “The Talisman”, is forced to remember the summer he
was twelve years old and traveled to a parallel world called the
Territories, when a series of child abductions and murders disturbs the
town he has settled in two decades later.
None of the characters
we met the first time appear except Speedy Parker, but we are introduced
to new and equally interesting characters – Henry Leyden, the blind man
who could see, and the Thunder Five, bikers who happen to be college
graduates and brew great beer. The novel begins slowly but picks up
after the first hundred pages, and despite it being written by King and
Straub, it is almost purely King’s voice we hear. Most reminiscent of
another King work “It”, “Black House” is ultimately about a quest to
save the world, and like King’s other novels, tells us that despite the
horror one may encounter along the way, one needs only to believe in
good for good to triumph in the end.
Rating:
FREAK THE MIGHTY
Rodman Philbrick
A story about friendship, and about becoming more than who you are.
Rating:
THE BAD BEGINNING
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket tells us drily, a word which here means “with sly humor”
;), how Baudelaire children Violet, Klaus and Sunny lose their parents,
their home and their possessions and have to settle for their evil
guardian Count Olaf, one bed, and ugly clothes.
Rating:
THE PRINCESS BRIDE
William Goldman
“The Princess Bride” is one of my favorite novels and I reread it after
seeing the film adaptation. Sad to say the film has ruined the novel for
me. :( The humor, the witty exchanges. And Inigo “Hello. I am Inigo
Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Montoya! <3 To me
it seemed like the film made a mockery of the novel. I have to rereread
it when the film is buried in the deepest darkest recesses of my mind.
Rating:
EQUAL RITES
Terry Pratchett
Esk is the eighth daughter of an eighth son, which makes her wizard
material. Except no female can ever be a wizard. Or can she? Usual
Pratchett-style humor, but I only paid attention during the last fourth
of the novel with [SPOILER ALERT!] the budding courtship between
Archchancellor Cutangle and Granny Weatherwax. :)
Rating:
JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL
Susanna Clarke
The question, “Why is no more magic done in England?” leads to the
discovery of magician Gilbert Norrell. The belief that Norrell is the
only magician in England proves false however, when Jonathan Strange
appears and becomes his pupil. Norrell’s ambition is to bring back magic
to England, and with Strange helps the country in the war against
France. But a magic done for this ambition brings continuous misfortune,
and the return of England’s greatest magician, the Raven King.
I
would have given up reading this long novel [the paperback numbers 1006
pages] had I not wanted to know whether Lady Pole and Stephen Black
would escape from the gentleman with the thistle-down hair. I would have
enjoyed the book more were it in comic book format, for its atmosphere
reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman”. With all fairness to Clarke,
I am curious as to whether the history and practice of English magic in
the novel and its footnotes were purely from imagination or had some
basis in English mythology, legends, and folktales.
Rating:
EATERS OF THE DEAD
Michael Crichton
Ibn Fadlan, a Muslim, becomes a reluctant member and chronicler of a
company of Northmen, more commonly known as Vikings, as they battle with
the wendol, the eaters of the dead. A blend of history, adventure, and
the supernatural in one novel – what else can one ask for? I have
previously found Norse history and mythology uninteresting, but maybe I
just needed to read other books, like this one.
Rating:
MANY WATERS
Madeleine L'Engle
Twins Sandy and Dennys Murphy disturb their father’s experiment on space
and time travel and find themselves displaced back in the time of Noah
and the flood.
“Many Waters” was my introduction to Madeleine
L’Engle, and it was a favorite in grade school. I was afraid I had
outgrown it, but thankfully I still find it beautiful - An atmosphere
still pure one can see billions of stars. The sound of baboons clapping
to greet the dawn. Listening to the wind and stars talking. Unicorns and
mammoths and manticores and griffins. Silver and golden seraphim, cool
and fiery nephilim.
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
J.K. Rowling
What a journey it has been, one of laughter and of tears; happy that
there is a happy ending, yet sad to finally be leaving Harry and Ron and
Hermione as they stand on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. All I can
say is congratulations to J.K. Rowling, and thank you.
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
J.K. Rowling
The entire book is relatively light until one gets to the
heart-wrenching last chapters. I’m still in shock. And thankful I read
this only now and don’t have to wait 2 years for the next and final
book.
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
J.K. Rowling
I don’t remember the last time I couldn’t put a book down until this.
Shares the spot with Book 4 as my new favorite HP book. On to Book 6...
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
J. K. Rowling
My new favorite HP book. We learn more about many other characters,
aside from Harry Potter. The halfway point, one feels the story finally
going somewhere; I have never been more excited to get on to the next
book.
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
J.K. Rowling
It is Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, and we learn more about his
parents James and Lily Potter, their friends Moony and Wormtail and
Padfoot and Prongs, and their own stay at Hogwarts.
Book 3 was my
favorite of the 3 HP books I read. I again had tears in my eyes when
Harry’s hopes of living away from the Dursleys are dashed. On to Book
4...
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
J.K. Rowling
Another easy and fun reread, albeit darker than Book 1. During Harry’s
second year at Hogwarts we learn more about him, the Weasley family, the
Malfoys, and the history of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Rating:
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE
J.K. Rowling
I remember buying the paperback of Harry Potter Books 1 and 2 together
at National Bookstore Cubao 8 years ago when I was in my sophomore year
in university. I remember getting angry with my brother, who was in 5th
grade then, for wearing down the cover of both books because he brought
them to school every day to read. I remember my brother and my best
friend and I joining the HPatSS Trivia Game contest sponsored by NBS. I
remember buying the HP Uno and the Gnome Toss Card Games.
However,
I stopped reading after Book 3 for several reasons, including the long
time it took for the local release of the paperback [I was living on a
student budget] of Book 4, and later and more importantly, losing my
interest in the series after learning that Sirius Black dies in Book 5.
I
reread Book 1 because it would have been difficult to pick up where I
left off 8 years ago. The experience has been nostalgic [as you have
read above]. It was easy and fun to get into Harry’s world again, from
the night he is left on the doorstep of Number 4, Privet Drive to 10
years later when he starts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. And I could now imagine it better, having seen the film
adaptation 6 years ago.
I still have Books 2 and 3 to reread, and
I only hope the experience will be the same if not better after that
even though I have a general idea of how everything will turn out,
because I do not want to drop the series again before I get to the end.
Rating:
ACROSS THE WALL
Garth Nix
One must not read the book expecting all the short stories to be set in
the world of the Abhorsen trilogy, except “Nicholas Sayre and the
Creature in the Case”. I honestly would not have given the book a chance
if not for the abovementioned story, which features my favorite
character in the Abhorsen trilogy.
Most of the stories do have an
element of fantasy and/or science fiction. Two stories were inspired by
Arthurian legend, two are parodies of the fantasy genre, one was
inspired by Westerns, one a fairy tale set in modern times. But
interestingly, it was the stories with barely a mention of fantasy that I
liked most - “Charlie Rabbit”, a story of children in a war-torn
country, and “The Hill”, about family and legacy. Still, my most
favorite in the collection is “Three Roses”, about roses and love.
Rating:
CANONE INVERSO
Paolo Maurensig
A story of the violin that links the stories of 2 prodigies, a story about music and obsession.
Rating:
DREAM BOY
Jim Grimsley
In simple yet lyrical words, Jim Grimsley describes the life of Nathan
and his family, newly moved into a small religious town and harboring a
shameful secret, and Nathan’s developing relationship with (literally)
boy-next-door Roy. At first engrossing, then sad and haunting, this book
holds you in its grip up to the last page.
Rating:
POSSESSION
A.S. Byatt
Roland Michell, a Randolph Henry Ash scholar, stumbles upon drafts of a
fervent letter by the 19th century poet to an unknown woman, soon
determined to be writer Christabel LaMotte, and embarks on a journey of
discovery with LaMotte scholar and relation Maud Bailey.
The
reader may find him- or herself intimidated by the seeming verbosity of
the novel, as I was when I first attempted to read it, but will soon be
caught up in the mystery of the Ash-LaMotte correspondence and the
beauty of A.S. Byatt’s words. I am especially impressed with the way she
has written in different, distinct voices – Randolph Henry Ash,
Christabel LaMotte, Blanche Glover, Ellen Ash, Sabine de Kercoz – in the
form of letters and poetry and journals.
Rating:
DUMBBELLS, EAR CAPS AND HAIR RESTORERS:
A Shopper's Guide to Gentlemen's Foibles - 1800s-1930s
Jane Furnival
After rereading “The Historian” for next month’s unofficial FFP
discussion (which I will try to write a review on later), I wanted
something light and quick and easy to read.
“Dumbbells, Ear
Caps and Hair Restorers: A Shopper's Guide to Gentlemen's Foibles -
1800s-1930s” features the must-haves for the gentleman-of-the-world in
the 19th century. It contains images of actual advertisements, from
Dunhills’ Bobby Finders - “Will spot a policeman at half a mile even if
disguised as a respectable man” - to my favorite, The Acme Mustache
Guard - “Solid Comfort While Eating. No Use for Napkins. Does not
interfere with free use of mouth.” (LOL!) - and reads like a brochure.
Think home TV shopping, only in book form.
The author also
inserts amusing comments and trivia, like how the Prince of Wales served
as the fashion icon of his time, even if he continued to commit several
faux pas! An interesting glimpse into everyday life in the 19th
century, and it makes one realize that men can be as vain about their
looks as women.
(Since I started to keep a book diary I’ve found
it easier to arrange my thoughts and impressions on the books I’ve read,
so thanks to Marie for the inspiration!)
Rating:
PAGAN IN EXILE
Catherine Jinks
"Pagan in Exile" is the second in a four-book series about Pagan
Kidrouk, a Christian Arab from Jerusalem who joins the Order of the
Temple. In this book, 17-year-old Pagan serves as the squire of Sir
Roland Roucy de Bram, a Templar Knight, who has gone home to recruit men
for the Second Crusade. However, Sir Roland's family is content to stay
and wallow in dirt, eat and drink to oblivion, and fight petty wars
with neighboring fiefdoms.
The reader experiences the story
unfold through Pagan’s eyes and thoughts, and at first I found the
chopped up sentences Catherine Jinks uses disorienting, as well as how
Pagan can sound devoted to his master one moment and belligerent the
next. Still, the book provides a good glimpse into the everyday squalor
and violence that characterized the Middle Ages. I would want to go back
and read the first book "Pagan's Crusade", as well as read the third
and fourth books "Pagan's Vows" and “Pagan's Scribe”, if only for more
glimpses into life during that period.
Rating:
Jack Sawyer, hero of “The Talisman”, is forced to remember the summer he
was twelve years old and traveled to a parallel world called the
Territories, when a series of child abductions and murders disturbs the
town he has settled in two decades later.
