Book Review: Good Omens

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Published: 2007 Pages: 369
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: 5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Here is the blurb from the back, too concise, too funny, to pass up:

The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

My Thoughts

Hilarious. Loved it. Even better the second - or is it third? - time through. Okay, enough gushing.

Second only to Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Good Omens is a must read for anyone who likes to laugh and doesn't mind off-the-wall irreverent humor. Actually, I think there are many reasons why these two books are inextricably linked in my head and why they are my two favorite reads. Just as in HHG, the plotline of Good Omens is straightforwardly complex, the characters are completely neither good nor evil, and the settings are drastically simple. The common and strange blend together so perfectly in these books that the reader doesn't feel as if they are reading a SFF (science fiction/fantasy) book; you are reading the true account of something that absolutely happened, just not yet or not to your knowledge. You, afterall, know that you don't know everything that has, is, or will happen.

The writing is a fantastic mix of Pratchett and Gaiman, who themselves declare that they aren't sure who wrote what and are convinced that at some point the book started spontaneously producing its own text. Through the writing, Pratchett and Gaiman are able to give the book heart and theme without seeming preachy. When alien cops pull over Pulsifer and explain to him that "polar ice caps are below regulation size for a planet of this category" and that he "could find [the human population] charged with being a dominant species while under the influence of impulse-driven consumerism", the reader gets the message. But somehow it goes down easier this way than it does with Al Gore and the like shouting about global warming or academic types waxing philosophical about the dangers of materialistic ideologies.

I highly recommend reading this book. Actually, I command you to read this book. Er...can I do that?

Other Reviews
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Books and Other Thoughts
Fantasy Hot List
Unmainstream Mom

Caveat: No offense to academic types. I am one.
Caveat #2: No offense to Gore. I voted for you.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

September 14-18, 2009 is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, one week where book bloggers come together to award blogs and bloggers. Here's the skinny:

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact,
we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and
hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting
readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second
Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging
themes, and giveaways.
WHEN September 14-18, 2009
WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please
note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main
event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people
talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a
community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger
Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my
appreciation on you!

So head on over, register, and start voting for your favorite blogs!

BTT: One Week Late

Okay, so I'm a bit late on this one. Sue me. I was on vacation, and this one is just too fun and easy to pass up. This is so easy in fact I am going to do no more than one sentence for each.

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? I like to think, so serious.
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Paperbacks for sure as it's a pain to hold hardcovers.
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? My life is real enough so I prefer the unreal.
Poetry? Or Prose? Prose all the way.
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? I like reading what people think of themselves.
History? Or Historical Fiction? Historical Fiction or at least History told as story.
Series? Or Stand-alones? If it's a great book, series, but if mediocre, stand alone.
Classics? Or best-sellers? Classics are the best but my definition of classic is rather fluid.
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Fruity prose makes me feel like a bug in a raindrop. Exactly.
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? It depends on the mood, but mainly plots.
Long books? Or Short? I like 'em long.
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? This one is very difficult but generally non-illustrated.
Borrowed? Or Owned? I own practically all of what I read.
New? Or Used? I like to read the marginal notes in used books.

Book Review: Slaughterhouse Five

Title: Slaughterhouse Five

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Published: 1991 Pages: 215

Genre: Dark Comedy

Rating: 4.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Slaughterhouse Five is a semi-autobiographical account of Vonnegut's time in a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. But mainly it is the story of Billy Pilgrim, a time traveling man who alternately visits his life as a normal man, an alien captive, and a prisoner of war.

My Thoughts

When Vonnegut was all the rage and those who attempt to be trendy literates were scooping up his novels right and left, I hid in a no-Vonnegut-allowed literary hole and refused to even look at the covers of his books. My bad. This book was excellent.

Vonnegut quite cleverly gives readers an inside look into the world of war without making it a Book About War. He also includes an alien planet preceded by an alien abduction without making it a Book About Aliens. And finally, while Billy slips in and out of different times in his life, this is not a Book About Time Travel. Now if you were to ask me exactly what this book is about if it's not about war, aliens, or time travel, I may not have a perfect, definitive answer.

For me, the book was primarily about hope, for a better future, a better life, a better moment. Many events and quotes in the book lead me to believe this, but one main theme really struck this chord with me. Billy is trying to teach the world the Tralfamadorian perception of time which is completely non-linear. The Tralfamadorians know and can literally see that all moments are occurring at all times. Every person is existing in the now, the then, the everytime. This is why Billy can travel to his past, present, and future. This is why he can see his birth and his death.

To me, the belief and acceptance of this perception is about hope. If we are existing at all points of our lives, then death has no hold over us, nor do present-time pains and difficulties. While Billy is being held captive behind enemy lines, he gets to slip back in time to his wedding night, to his mother washing him when he was a baby. He gets to escape.

Slaughterhouse Five has more to offer than this, but it was what came to mind while writing, so there you have it. Read the book. You'll like it.

Other Reviews

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Just a Reading Fool

things mean alot

Book Review: The Dark Knight Returns

Title: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Author: Frank Miller

Illustrators: Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley

Published: 1997 Pages: 224

Genre: Graphic Novel

Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Batman comes out of retirement, older, weaker, and more tortured, but still capable of taking on Gotham City's criminals. Over the course of the four books in the novel, Batman meets up with Harvey Two-Face, the Joker, a new Robing, and *drumroll please* Superman. And through it all the public is still engaged in a neverending battle discussing whether Batman is a hero or a villain. I'm not sure even Batman himself knows the answer to that question.

My Thoughts

I loved it. I enjoyed this new twist on the Batman character. Always a bit darker than his "superhero" counterparts, Batman's dark side and his mental anguish are given free reign in Miller's adaptation of the Batman icon. The inclusion of Superman into the mix was a nice foil, helping the reader to see Batman as the black sheep among his kind, but one who is doing what's necessary to help society. That has always been a theme within the series, then and now, in novels and film: Batman is whatever Gotham City needs him to be. As always, James Gordon is my favorite character. He had a decent sized role in this story with his retirement and thoughts on his replacement as well as a short and nice action sequence.

On the down side, there were a few times where the repetition got to me. All four stories had numerous lines on how Batman was getting old and tired, and all four included none-too-small segments showing the media debate over the necessity, sanity, and morality of Batman. Now and then I was thinking "yeah, I get it already". But overall, those two annoyances did function as literary devices within the text, foreshadowing events mainly. Despite the downside, this was an excellent novel and I highly recommend reading it.

Other Reviews
Let me know if I've forgotten your review, and I'll add it to the list

An Existential Nightmare

Asa Winstanley

The One and Only Blog

Book Review: Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere

Title: Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, Glenn Fabry
Published: 2007 Pages: 224
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: 3.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Richard Mayhew is in a rather dysfunctional relationship, being controlled by his girlfriend rather completely. But on the day he defies her and stops to help a mysterious woman, his life changes. Now he's in a strange place being pursued by dangerous men, and he's partially responsible for saving this new world.

My Thoughts

When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was the graphic novel version of a full length Neil Gaiman book. Now, all I can think about is reading the actual book. Reviews indicate that this version is a pretty true adaptation with just a few plot points missing.

For some reason though, I wanted more when reading this. I like graphic novels; I appreciate the art work, the concise dialogue-based writing, but certain stories leave me thinking that the back story and further plot development are practically necessary. This is one of them. Perhaps my feeling of "something lacking" is a sign of how good the novel is...I want more.

Other Reviews

Muse Book Reviews

Miscommunication

Most people look at this and think "oh my god that is so cute/funny/etc.". I look at it and I wonder how frustrating it is for babies to know all the secrets of the universe but be unable to communicate with the intellectually stunted adult population.

Book Review: Raven's Gate

Title: Raven's Gate

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Published: 2005 Pages: 254

Genre: YAL, SciFi

Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Matt made a mistake trusting his new friend Kelvin, and now he has to pay for it by working at the farm of some old crazy woman. It's that or jail. His new foster parent is more than she at first appears, as are the townspeople in Lesser Malling, and now Matt has found himself in the middle of a battle between good and evil. He should have chosen jail.

My Thoughts

This book is exactly what it is meant to be; hence the high rating. Raven's Gate is interesting, easy to read, full of action, and mysterious enough to get me primed for the next book in the series. I read the book in three short hours, and it kept my interest the whole time.

Horowitz said he likes to think of Raven's Gate as Stephen King for kids, and I would have to agree. The plot calls for blood and violence and Horowitz delivers in a style toned down just enough for young adult readers.

Other Reviews

Pizza's Book Discussion

No Page Books

Mama Kat at Mama's Losing It has a writer's workshop on Thursdays, something I found out over at Jenners' Life with a Little One and More . For my first week's assignment, I chose Prompt 2 which reads as follows:

Prompt 2. Write five "Incredibly Short Books". Some examples:
"Chemical Contraception Choices for Catholic Couples"
"Teenage U.S. Presidents"
"The Book of Female Popes"
"The 2008 Book of General Motors Profits"
Dan, the inspiration for this prompt, says, "The point is that the book is of zero size since the title is a contradiction with reality."

I love it! Too fun! Now, I'm not particularly creative when it comes to stuff like this but I do so enjoy trying my hand at it. If Brandon is reading this - It's right up your alley; now come up with some good ones!

Mine:

• "Lost: The Full, Correct, and Comprehensible Explanation"
• "Book Lover's Guide to Book Burning"
• "So Many Husbands: A Fundamentalist Mormon's Guide to Managing Her Household"
• "Choose Chunk: How to Gain Weight, Appear Short, and Find Love Fast"
• "Madonna and the Purity Pact"
• "Logical Approaches to Fortune Telling"
• "Modesty for Monks: How to Stop Lifting that Robe"
• "The Discerning Public's Guide to Unbiased News Sources"

Okay, so I want to keep going, but I'm thinking I should stop now. Maybe this is an activity that should take place once a month or something.

If you complete Mama Kat's Writing Challenge or if you just come up with a quick list of your own, please let me know and I'll add your link to this post.