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Finished: Netherland by Joseph O’Neill

Sara — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:35:58 +0000

I have to admit, I was attracted to this book by the title, Netherland, making me wonder what the connection would be with my country, The Netherlands. It was obvious from the get go, being that the main character is Hans van den Broek, a Dutch man from The Hague, married to a British woman and living in New York. This novel is about the time Hans and his wife are separated, Hans in New York and Rachel with their son Jake in London. Hans tells the story of the time he spent alone in New York, flying back and forth to London every other weekend to see Rachel and Jake. In New York he gets involved with the cricket club, and meets Chuck Ramisoon, a hustler from Brooklyn who is trying to set up the New York Cricket Club, making cricket a big sport in America.
During the ramblings of Hans we learn about the impact 9/11 had on his wife, him and the city, his youth in The Hague, playing cricket, Hans and Rachels wedding falling apart, and his curious friendship with Chuck. He learns more about himself and the world around him, all the while growing and changing himself into someone new.
While I can’t name one thing about the story I loved, I kept being drawn to it and I couldn’t put the book down. Even though I don’t understand the slightest thing about cricket, that didn’t keep me that much from enjoying the book (even though I know someone who understands it will love it more). A very nice book, a good read. Four out of five stars.

Finished: Het einde van eeuwigheid by Isaac Asimov

Sara — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:06:44 +0000

For the Worlds Without End Grand Master Reading Challenge (read 1 book each of 12 Grand Master authors in 2012) I really enjoyed reading “Het einde van eeuwigheid” (“The end of eternity”) by Isaac Asimov. The book is originally from 1955, the version I read is the 1983 Dutch translation.
The main character is Andrew Harlan, an Eternal Technician living in Eternity. Through Eternity time travel is possible, from the 27th century upward. However, after a certain point there are the Hidden Centuries, centuries they can travel to but not enter. Together with the Computers, the Technicians make small changes in the history of mankind to prevent catastrophe and disaster in the future. The Computers calculate which changes are necessary, and the Technicians are the ones who execute the change, despite the consequences for millions of humans who will have their lives changed without even knowing about it.
Harlan is a natural talent, a famous Technician working with Senior Computer Twissell. Harlan falls in love with a non-Eternal girl Noÿs in the 482nd century, while he is also given the assignment to teach a young Eternal Cooper primitive history (ie, the history of the humanity before the twenty-fourth century). Slowly Harlan figures out why this is all happening to him, and what this all has to do with Eternity.
The book explores the paradoxes of time travel (what happens if you kill your own grand father), and the question of how far you will go for love. Because of the inclusion of characters that aren’t Eternals or are still learning, everything is explained to us readers in a natural manner. And together with Harlan we learn about the more complex issues of time travel and changing history/futures. I loved the changes in the story. As soon as you think it is going one way, you think you know what the characters are about, it turns out to be something slightly different. Harlan, while not entirely likable, is a very good main character, which completes the story with the time travel theories on one side, and Harlan’s personal problems on the other. The novel shows it age slightly (the use of punch cards for one thing), but overall it holds up well, even over fifty years later. Another great Asimov novel, five out of five stars.

Finished: The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham

Sara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:28:55 +0000

At the end of last year I read John Wyndham’s famous book, The Day of the Triffids. When I saw this book by him I was initially attracted to it because he wrote it. When I saw the title, and the picture of the Kraken on it, I couldn’t resist. I am a sucker for books about the Kraken.
Phyllis and Mike Watson are a young couple working for the broadcasting company EBC (not BBC), writing radio scripts. The book is Mike’s account of what has happened the last few years and how the world has changed. It all started on their honeymoon, when they were cruising and one night saw fast flying red orbs descent into the ocean. They made a report, but not much was made of it. Mike and Phyllis keep track of news of the red orbs, and anything else that might be connected. Soon ships start disappearing over deep stretches of ocean, and research into what is happening is violently stopped. Something is living in the Deep. Something smart, something that is attacking humankind. Slowly but surely, the threat grows, and humanity is at a loss what to do.
This book was published in 1953 and takes place in those years. The Cold War was on, so the paranoia and propaganda both from and against the Russians is a part of this story. Other than that it is a chronological account of the slow realization of humanity that they might not be the smartest species on the planet anymore. I really liked this book, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story, the slow discovery of Mike and Phyllis of what is happening, and Mike taking me as the reader along on the discovery. I loved the bantering between Mike and Phyllis, the dry humor, but also how real they were, how they sometimes get so desperate they can’t do it anymore. The book reminded me a lot of The Swarm by Frank Schätzing, also a book about strange creatures in the deep keeping humanity out of the ocean. I enjoyed both books, and I give this one a five out of five stars.

Finished: Partials by Dan Wells

Sara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:37:37 +0000

Note: I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book through the You Review program of The American Book Centre.

‘Partials’ is the new book by Dan Wells, the writer of horror and thriller novels for young adults. His last series was ‘I Am Not a Serial Killer’, about a boy who seems fated to become a serial killer. This book is a very different start to a new series.

‘Partials’ starts out quite harsh, right on the first page. Immediately we, and Kira, a fifteen year old medic, have to deal with a new-born baby dying. This is something that happens so often, the baby isn’t even given a name and the mother isn’t even give a chance to hold her. Welcome to the world of the future, Long Island in the 2080s. To fight our wars, we have created Partials, enhanced human battle machines. When they had outlived their usefulness as soldiers, we used them as cheap labor in mines and factories. This led to an uprising and The Break, a period where the Partials attacked the humans, and where they, along with a killer virus called RM exterminated all but about 40.000 humans who are immune. The last settlements are on Long Island, and are divided by near civil war.
The reason for this unrest is the fact that no babies born after The Break survive longer than three days. They are all killed by RM. The Senate, the ruling group on Long Island, has used the Hope Act to try to find a solution. The Hope Act says that any woman eighteen or older should get or be pregnant all the time. However, all the babies, and all the research haven’t led to a cure so far, and the youngest child is already 14-year-old. If this keeps going, humans will go extinct. But Kira thinks she knows the way to a cure, and despite the risk and the unpopularity of the solution, she will seek help from the one place no one wants to find it; the Partials themselves.

I liked the book. Because Kira is a plague-baby (someone who was just a young child during The Break) she knows about as much about The Break and the Partials as we do. This makes sure that the explanations of the world and times in the story don’t feel forced. The book has action from start to finish, with daring mission, chases, and attacks. Sometimes the action was a bit too much, there are so many missions it is hard to feel excited about them all, and as we go along some of the things that happen get more unrealistic. For one, a lot of people seem to get hit, and die on the spot. It is annoying that Kira refuses to accept this and put the whole party in danger because as a medic she wants to do something for them. The reason why people follow Kira is unclear to me. In at least two of the missions there was an active discussion between two of the guys on who was the leader of the mission, but as soon as Kira said something, everybody followed her nearly without question, even though her suggestions are nearly always suicidal.

But all of this doesn’t take away the fact that it is an enjoyable book, that the world that Dan Wells has created is very interesting, and that despite the ongoing mystery of the virus and the Partials, this is a very nice stand-alone story. For those that enjoy young adult dystopian stories and some action, this is a recommended read. I give it four out of five stars.

Finished: Crusader Gold by David Gibbins

Sara — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:49 +0000

When The Da Vinci Code came out I loved it, the combination of history and adventure, and the major “what-if” at the heart of the story. Ever since them it seems to be a genre on its own, all following a similar formula. Most of them aren’t brilliant in their writing and storyline, and the history is sketchy at best. But most of them are good fun to read, so I always have some in my to-be-read pile to enjoy. One of these books is this one.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story, so I’ll try to give some key players and subjects that are part of this story. The historical figure at the centre of it all is Harald Hardrada and his Vikings. Locations are Istanbul, Hereford, Iona, Greenland and more. As with the first book featuring Jack Howard, diving and underwater archeology are major in this story.
The story itself is a strange balance between action and explanation. Even though I liked the theory, I would have liked more adventure. I have the feeling I can describe the adventure in less than a page, while the theory could be an essay of its own. But, I can’t complain too much, I enjoyed this book and the theory was pretty original to me. Four out of five stars.

Finished: Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc

Sara — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:12:52 +0000

Ever since watching the great movie My Neighbor Totoro I am in love with the movies from Studio Ghibli. They have a great quality to them, very different from western cartoons. I have seen most of them, and now that we will be visiting the Studio Ghibli museum in a few months, I felt I had to read this book to learn more about Ghibli and it’s creators Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.
The book covers the careers of Miyazaki and Takahata, with a short piece about their work before Ghibli and how they came to found Studio Ghibli. It tells a bit about their lives, and where they take their inspiration from. Most of the book covers the Studio Ghibli movies, starting with Laputa; Castle in the Sky, and ending with Ponyo. It gives a short summary of each movie, with more details on how the movie was received both in Japan and the rest of the world, and what makes the movie special. In the last few pages shorts and other Ghibli projects are also mentioned.
As much as I love Studio Ghibli, this book was a disappointment. There was no consistency in the book. The parts of each movie had no general direction, jumping from one thought to another in every sentence. Some movies were linked to others, but not to the rest, without explanations. Some movies feature many Japanese traditions, and this was mentioned, but just when you think more explanation is coming, another subject is taken up. Most of this information I could have gotten from websites. Also, I would love to have know more about Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and the other people who made Studio Ghibli great, and Studio Ghibli itself, more of a history book of the Studio than this list of movies. Oh, and Tanuki aren’t raccoons, they are raccoon dogs… Three out of five stars, but that’s mostly because I like Ghibli.

Finished: Stad onder de sterren by Arthur C. Clarke

Sara — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:37:37 +0000

Another classic science fiction story, this one from my dad’s collection. Even though I have only read 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke before, he is already on my list of science fiction writers I like and want to read more from.
This is the story of Diaspar, a city on Earth a billion years into the future. The city is huge and completely self-containing, in fact, the rest of Earth is nothing but a desert. The people in Diaspar live completely reliant on the Central Computer. Everything in the city, including furniture and food is created on the fly by this computer from patterns stored in its vast memory-banks. The people live a thousand years, after which they are stored in the memory-banks to be reborn in the future. The people have an immense fear of outside Diaspar, because of the threat of the invaders which drove humanity into Diaspar, and leaves them alone on the condition they never venture out again. In this city, Alvin is “born”. Alvin is unique, he has no previous lives, and no fear of the outside. His curiosity and refusal to accept things as they are mean big changes for the future of Diaspar.
Because Alvin is unique, we discover the city and the world along with him. He is close to us in his manners and way of thinking, which makes the story very accessible. Slowly we discover Earth, and the history of Earth, and the way forward for humankind. I loved the sense of mystery and discovery in this book, and the pace which is fast, even though there is not much action going on. A great what-if science fiction book, five out of five stars.

Finished: Tiger! Tiger! by Alfred Bester

Sara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:12:09 +0000

After reading The Demolished Man last year, I put Alfred Bester on my list of must read science fiction writers, so when I saw Tiger! Tiger! (or, The Stars My Destination), I just had to get it. And I wasn’t disappointed.
This is the story of Gully Foyle, a nobody living in a future where mankind has learned to jaunte, or teleport. Teleportation is only possible on the planet, for a maximum of 1000 miles, if you know the exact location and look of the place you are leaving and going to. The discovery of this technique has changed the world, relationships, communication, trade and wealth so much that a war has started between the inner planets (Venus, Terra and Mars) and the outer satellites (moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune). In all this Gully is trapped in the wreckage of the spaceship Nomad, trapped in a supply closet, trying to survive, which he has been able to do in great danger for the last six months. When he finally gets out he is a changed man, a man on a mission. He and his mission are set to change the future of the galaxy forever.
This book was one of those classic science fiction stories I love. It tries to imagine the future, and does a pretty good job. Jaunting means that mankind finds no need for technical tools for communication, everybody tells everything in person. Space travel is easy and possible. It also philosophizes about the consequences of all this, and the new developments because of Gully. A great story, with the only draw back being that it should have been longer. Four out of five stars.

Finished: Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A. E. Moorat

Sara — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:09:51 +0000

Ever since Pride, Prejudice and Zombies was released a couple of years ago, many books in the [standard work] + [horror element] formula were released. We have Sense, Sensibility and Sea-monsters, Android Karenina, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and many more. I have enjoyed every book in this genre, they are just good fun to read. So when I found Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter with this great cover for a couple of euros I just couldn’t resist.
This book tells the story of Queen Victoria, from just before her becoming queen, to just after the birth of her second child. It stays true to most facts of her life, such as the strained relationship between her and her mother on account of her mother’s comptroller, Sir John Conroy. Other real people who appear are of course Prince Albert, Lord Melbourne, King Leopold, Baroness Lehzen and Lady Hastings. However, everything is seen in a whole new light with the addition of demons walking the earth, and the descendants of Baal trying to gain power to rule the world.
A. E. Moorat does a really good job weaving in the demons with history. An example is the scandal of Lady Flora Hastings, who was allegedly pregnant with Sir John Conroy’s baby. In reality it turned out to be liver cancer, in the book… something else. Queen Victoria kicks ass and is everything as powerful, ethical and royal as I expected (and wanted) her to be. All in all a very fun read, very well done. Four out of five stars.

Finished: Miss Peregrine’s for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Sara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:17:26 +0000

Ever since I saw this book, and saw the beautiful pictures in it, I just had to have it. I couldn’t find it anywhere during our trip to England last year, so when I was ordering some books online I just had to include this book. Just looking at it is great. A gorgeous hardcover, red under the dust cover, filled with gorgeous page-filling old black-and-white photographs that are just a bit eerie. All it is missing is a reading ribbon.
It is the story of Jacob. He loves his grandfather, Abe, who tells amazing stories about the orphanage in Wales where he lived in his youth, just before World War II. He shows Jacob photographs of the amazing children he lived with, children who are peculiar. A girl that floats. An invisible boy. A strong girl. And many more. Jacob enjoys the stories until he grows too old to believe them. But when his grandfather suddenly dies, and Jacob is dealing with the loss, Jacob goes to Wales to find out the truth about his grandfather’s past. And his life, and how he sees the world, is never the same again.
Like the previous books I just read, this book is written as a part one of a series, and it shows. It introduces us to this version of earth where peculiar children live. There is a big adventure, but it ends on a cliffhanger. But, all in all, that is the only downside to this wonderful book. The characters, especially the children, are great and magical. The world created is (at least to me) original to me. I cannot wait for the next part, and I hope it will be as beautiful as this one. Four out of five stars.

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