Well, I have recently finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, book one of The Gentleman Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch and I really enjoyed it.
The plot of the books is fairly straightforward: Lies, swindles and betrayal in a fantasy version of Venice called Camorr. The thief and priest of the 13th,the crooked warden, unnamed god of thieves and scoundrels, Locke Lamora (aka, the Thorn of Camorr) is in the middle of a caper to trick a Nobleman out of his fortune when he is drawn into the plot of the Gray King to unseat the crime lord of of Camorr. There is magic and mayhem and crooked dealings all around.
The book shines not in its plot, but in its characterization, setting, and use of language. Lynch successfully gives each of his characters a distinct voice and mannerisms that make them unique from one another. His descriptions of Camorr flesh out the city and make it feel like a real place, with a long history and all the baggage that comes with that history. These descriptions are even more effective as they do not cause the story to drag under masses of descriptive text, being inserted naturally into the flow of the plot.
If you enjoy reading about the exploits of a charming rogue and anti-hero, then try this book.
Christopher Moore writes some pretty fun books. I am unfortunately reading them out of order, but So far I have polished off The stupidest Angel and Practical Demonkeeping and I am working on The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove After that I think I will move on to his Vampire books.
These books are comedies, with a big helping of science-fiction or fantasy thrown in. Sometimes Zombies attack the small town of Pine Cove, sometimes it is an invisible demon, and other times a Godzilla-like sea-monster. The point is the small, quiet tourist town of pine cove has a lot of bad things happen there.
The books take a look at how the varied citizens of the town deal with these happenings, mostly dealing with the problem in their own skewed way.
These books are at the heart character pieces, Moore having populated the town with a large rouges gallery of oddballs (for example Howard, owner of H.P's Cafe, that serves such dishes as Shub-Nigguraths Dark Yolks of the Wood, or eggs benedict up to normal people).
The books are a fun light read, perfect for a road trip or day on the beach.
I just finished reading Manxome Foe, the third book in John Ringo's Looking Glass trilogy. The trilogy, which begins with Into the Looking Glass and continued in Vorpal Blade is a military science fiction series dealing with the results of an experiment gone wrong that opens portals to other planets in the galaxy, some of which lead to the worlds of the ravenous Dreen, who wish to overrun Earth and devour or enslave all of humanity.
Premise sounds kind of cheezy, but the stories are solid page turners, that have kept me up until 4am with the dreaded "one more chapter" disease. The characters are interesting for the most part, and there is plenty of action against gribbly space monsters to be exciting.
The big difference in this series is it does insert quite a bit of actual scientific theory into the narrative. The insertion flows naturally, without seeming as if it were "tacked on" to the overarching story.
If you are looking for a series of action books with a little more depth than just monsters being shot in the face, check out this series.
Well, there is a trailer for the new Narnia movie:Prince Caspian. You can see it here, as well as read a transcript.
Personally, I am looking forward to what this new movie can teach me about life. The first big screen film (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) taught me many important lessons, which I will sum up in point form:
- Normal Coloured Tigers are good, White Tigers are evil.
- People who look like goats are good, people who look like bulls are evil.
- Santa Claus spends the off season as an arms dealer.
- Turkish Delight is apparently worth selling out your family for.
We have the entire series of Narnia books, as well as books on tape/CD and videos, available in our Catalogue.
Brush up on the series before the new movie. I will warn you though, the book Prince Caspian has some pretty blatant spoilers for the film.
Journalist and Author George MacDonald Fraser died on January 2nd.
Born in England of Scottish parents, Fraser joined the British Army in 1943, where he went on to fight in India and Burma. After being made an officer, he then went to fight in North Africa and the Middle East. After the war, he decided to leave the military and worked as a journalist for the Glasgow Herald. It was these wartime experiences that would shape his career as a writer.
Fraser is probably best known as the author of the historical fiction "Flashman" adventure series. These novels feature the travails of the bully Flashman from Tom Brown's Schooldays adult life as a member of the British Army. A rascal, cad and epitome of the term "anti-hero", Flashman still manages to come out on top at the end of each story.
Fraser was also an author of non-fictions works, such as Hollywood History of the World
The Flashman series, as well as Fraser's other works, are available in our Catalogue.
CBC is reporting that Peter Jackson will be helming development of the film adaptation of "The Hobbit".
This is good news for everyone who loved Jackson's take on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and hope that he brings the same level of quality to the prequel. Apparently the book will be spun out over two separate films.
"The Hobbit" films have a tentative release date of 2010 and 2011, so to keep us occupied while we wait, have a look at some of these books and films:
On the heels of the good news that Robert Jordan's final novel will be completed comes the less good news that Terry Pratchett has a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's.(From Diskworld News)
This begs the question of why all the authors that I like seem to be suffering misfortune. First Robert Jordan now this. The only thing I can say is that Harry Turtledove better get himself to a doctor quickly. John Ringo and Max Brooks should probably go too.
In all seriousness, I recommend all of those authors if you like Terry Pratchett. They all have different fantasy and comedy works. Well I find them funny, but not everyone might find a Zombie Survival Guide humourous.
Fans of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels can breath a sigh of relief as an author has been chosen to complete the final book.
According to Dragonmount.com Brandon Sanderson has been selected to finish the work. He will work closely with Jordan's widow and editor, Harriet Popham Rigney, to complete the book in Jordan's "Voice".
If you would like to read some of Sanderson's work before the new book comes out, we at the Pickering Public Library have two options for you.
For adults we have Elantris. A fantasy tale of intrigue, magic, and curses.
For children, we have Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians in both book and book on tape formats. I would like to note that we at the Pickering Public Library are not evil, and you should report anyone who says we are evil to us so we might grind their bones to make our bread. Delicious delicious bone bread. Mmmmmmm.
Rhet Butler's People
McCaig, Donald
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2007.
Check Catalogue Availability
Was it strictly necessary to our understanding of Gone With the Wind's dashing hero to flesh out his backstory, replay famous GWTW scenes from his perspective, and crank the plot past the original's astringent denouement? Perhaps not, but it's still a fun ride. In this authorized reimagining, Rhett, disowned son of a cruel South Carolina planter, is still a jauntily worldwise charmer, roguish but kind; Scarlett is still feisty, manipulative and neurotic; and the air of besieged decorum is slightly racier. (Rhett: "My dear, you have jam at the corner of your mouth." Scarlett: "Lick it off.") But it says much about the author's sure feel for Margaret Mitchell's magnetic protagonists that they still beguile us. McCaig (Jacob's Ladder) broadens the canvas, giving Rhett new dueling and blockade-running adventures and adding intriguing characters like Confederate cavalier-turned-Klansman Andrew Ravanel, a rancid version of Ashley Wilkes who romances Rhett's sister Rosemary. He paints a richer, darker panorama of a Civil War-era South where poor whites seethe with resentment and slavery and racism are brutal facts of life that an instinctive gentleman like Rhett can work around but not openly challenge. McCaig thus imparts a Faulknerian tone to the saga that sharpens Mitchell's critique of Southern nostalgia without losing the epic sweep and romantic pathos. The result is an engrossing update of GWTW that fans of the original will definitely give a damn about. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review from Publishers Weekly Review
The Remains of the Day.
Ishiguro Kazuo.
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1990, c1989.
Greeted with high praise in England, where it seems certain to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Ishiguro's third novel (after An Artist of the Floating World ) is a tour de force-- both a compelling psychological study and a portrait of a vanished social order. Stevens, an elderly butler who has spent 30 years in the service of Lord Darlington, ruminates on the past and inadvertently slackens his rigid grip on his emotions to confront the central issues of his life. Glacially reserved, snobbish and humorless, Stevens has devoted his life to his concept of duty and responsibility, hoping to reach the pinnacle of his profession through totally selfless dedication and a ruthless suppression of sentiment. Having made a virtue of stoic dignity, he is proud of his impassive response to his father's death and his ``correct'' behavior with the spunky former housekeeper, Miss Kenton. Ishiguro builds Stevens's character with precisely controlled details, creating irony as the butler unwittingly reveals his pathetic self-deception. In the poignant denouement, Stevens belatedly realizes that he has wasted his life in blind service to a foolish man and that he has never discovered ``the key to human warmth.'' While it is not likely to provoke the same shocks of recognition as it did in Britain, this insightful, often humorous and moving novel should significantly enhance Ishiguro's reputation here
Review from Publisher Weekly Review
We also have the DVD available.
- March, 2007 (1)
- April, 2007 (14)
- May, 2007 (28)
- June, 2007 (24)
- July, 2007 (18)