Book Review: The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons

The Basics

In this continuation of the previous story, we see Aenea's adult life and how she became known as a messiah.

My Thoughts

I don't really want to say more than that about the plot. If you've read the previous book, then you know that's what was established from the outset, that Aenea's story eventually leads to her being considered a savior of the known universe. Typical of Simmons, he means that in the religious sense, and Aenea does become a Christ figure. I didn't really have a problem with this other than Simmons is typically very clever, and this was utterly transparent. There was nothing subtle about it. That doesn't mean it was bad, just surprisingly straightforward for someone who loves his obscure references.

Compared to the other books in the series, which were all epic and covered so much ground, this one was slower. In particular when Aenea was giving her "sermons". If you're not fond of pages and pages of exposition, you won't be fond of that. They weren't just info dumps either, but these drawn out, philosophical debates concerning the inner-workings of the world Simmons has built, and I was checking my watch trying to get through that. It rankled a little, as well, that my favorite character for the past two books, De Soya, was having adventures that got glossed over while we listened to Aenea create a new religion. If I could've chosen, I would've been reading about De Soya.

That was the only low spot though. In fact, that is the only low point of the entire Hyperion Cantos, and I'm not exaggerating. This was a strong finish to an immense series. When I use that word, I don't mean long. I know series exist that take twenty books to tell their story. I mean that it's rare when you read about a world built as intricately and fascinatingly as this one was. If you like world building, you've come to the right place, especially if you have a taste for hard SF. But he didn't stop there. He populated that world with characters that you couldn't help being interested in and told their stories thoroughly.

This book carried some bitter-sweetness to it, and not just because I knew that if Aenea was going to play out her Christ role, it wasn't going to be pretty. But because it's officially become one of my favorite series I've ever read, and it was sad to end my journey with it. All I can do now is encourage everyone out there to pick these books up, because they are well worth your time.

Final Rating

4/5

Book Review: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris

The Basics

A series of human situations as lived by animals.

My Thoughts

I really don't know who this was for. It's written like a series of fables in a minimalist, almost young style, as if for children. The illustrations are whimsical with a dark twist. The stories are adult in nature, but they aren't engaging or even guilty pleasures, just depressing. Depressing stories written as if for children but they're clearly for adults. I guess Sedaris thought he was being cute and clever, but I had a very strong, negative reaction to it.

If I'm being honest, it wasn't just the mix of disparate styles that bothered me. I know what juxtaposition is, and I do think it can work, but this felt like someone reaching for heights they weren't capable of. These stories were dark and raw and focused on bleak moments and nasty characters. And there never seemed to be a point to it. I don't know what Sedaris was trying to say, why he wanted to say it, or particularly why he wanted to say it with cute pictures of animals. Maybe it was supposed to be simply ironic or sarcastic, but if so, I find that lazy.

I'm all for bleak fiction, telling the stories that aren't happy, but I was genuinely pissed at how he seemed to want it to be funny. It's a shame this was my first Sedaris, because I've heard that he really does have a good sense of humor, but I'm not up for laughing at misfortune. I think that's too easy and a more than a little cruel. It's burned me to the point that I'm reluctant to read any of his other work.

Final Rating

1/5

Book Review: Othello by William Shakespeare

The Basics

Othello has just recently married the love of his life, Desdemona. He has also just recently made an enemy of Iago without even knowing it. He gave Cassio a promotion when Iago feels he was the more deserving man. Now Iago is plotting against Othello and Desdemona, seeking revenge.

My Thoughts

I feel completely incapable here of speaking on the topic of Shakespeare. I'm not a scholar, and I haven't even read very much of his work. I went for this play because I have found that I love his tragedies, and this was one that I wasn't entirely familiar with. I knew what you learn from pop culture osmosis, but I didn't know details. Having read it, it was a rewarding experience.

There is a reputation Shakespeare has of being difficult, and I won't pretend this was a cakewalk. Sometimes the meaning of a turn of phrase was lost on me, and I had to pause and do some Googling. But overall, there's such a music to it that you get the gist as you read. Like most lyrical writing, once you're there, you sink into it, and it proves easier than you thought it would be. It pays to attempt to be fearless about these things.

As for the themes, I think Shakespeare did an incredibly brave thing here, writing about race in a time when I'm sure most people either didn't care or had very strong, negative opinions. I also think that by today's standards, there are some problems. Yet even with its issues, I'm just so impressed that Shakespeare made a person of color a living, breathing character in a time when that was taboo.

I also think on the topic of Desdemona that it was important that she had a voice amidst what goes on. She suffers abuse and defamation of character, but she's never silent. The tragedy is inherent in the time she and Othello lived in, meaning Desdemona has no means of escape. Unfortunate implications abound when considered under a modern light, and I could see how Desdemona's fate could destroy any merit this play has for some readers. For me, I still see something that was ahead of its time in even caring how Desdemona might have felt, and again it impressed me.

The character that shines here is Iago. He's an early example of a villain with philosophies and personal excuses for his awfulness. That doesn't make him likeable, but he is fascinating. He argues at one point about people making their own misery while he makes misery for others, and it almost makes him seem like an agent of chaos rather than a man. He manages to act burned by Othello, but his plan is so elaborate and executed so coldly as to make him seem like a sociopath. I could see shades of so many villains who have come since in Iago, and I think the evolution of what we think of as an irredeemable antagonist might not even be the same without him.

Even with all this talk of character and theme, the bottom line is it was entertaining. High drama. I could easily imagine the first audience ever to see this play being shocked into gasps and shouts at the plot twists. I think at the end of the day, that's the ruler we measure plays by: did it entertain? In this case, I can easily say yes.

Final Rating

5/5

Comic Book Review: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith

The Basics

Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone just got kicked out of Boneville. Wandering in the desert with nowhere to turn, they get separated, yet each finds their way into the fertile valley full of talking animals and fantastical creatures. And it's looking more and more like they're on the path to adventure, whether they're ready or not.

My Thoughts

Have you ever been shocked by how much you enjoyed something? Like it just seemed as if it shouldn't be your thing. But Jeff Smith's Bone series immediately starts with such a strange and unique marrying of genres that I think I was destined to like this. Somehow he put together the ascetic and comedy of old, black-and-white cartoons with a fantasy setting, and it's not awkward. In fact it's funny, sweet, exciting, and very readable.

Something I have to say first and foremost about this is it's surprisingly funny. There is a lot of humor, but it doesn't feel choked with it, and none of it is insipid. In fact, it's some of the most well-timed comedy I've ever seen in a comic book format. I was giggling all over the place at this. But it also clearly has a more serious end game that's only beginning here. I have seen other readers say that it gets more epic as it goes along, and I can already see hints of that. Incredibly intriguing hints that make me eager to read more.

It's not yet quite the fantasy epic I've heard it is, but I did find it really charming. If you're looking for something very different, fun, and a bit experimental, try this out.

Final Rating

4/5

Z. ZZZ-Snatcher (last book that kept you up WAY late)

Dark Dance by Tanith Lee. I could. Not. Stop. I was dying to see what happened next, and I'm actually also dying to get to the next book in the series. Very compelling read with a great, gothic atmosphere.

Y. Your Latest Book Purchase

Because I received an Amazon gift card from my close friend Jean, I went on a teeny spree. They haven't arrived yet, but I am expecting:

Bookish Resolutions: 2015

Before I get started, a slight recap of last years resolutions. I didn't do well on my Dean Koontz challenge, again. I was supposed to read at least five of his books, and I believe I managed to read none. So. I think that means I'm done forcing myself to do that, since it isn't working.

But as far as the amount of books I set myself up for, I wanted to read 50. I read 69 (heh). Not only is that pretty darn good, but it's the most books I've ever read in a year. I'm not going to try to top that or anything, but I am proud of it.

Now onto the new goals!

There you go. This isn't anything I'm going to beat myself up over. These are just things I have on my mind, ways that I want my reading to grow. Wish me luck!

X. Marks The Spot (Start On Your Bookshelf And Count to the 27th Book)

I decided to start on my graphic novel shelf, and I got Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. Which I have not read but really want to. Typical of me, I have volumes one, three, and four, and that sort of discourages me from starting since I can't blast through a bunch at once. But it sounds like a fantastic premise.

We follow Spider Jerusalem, who seems a good bit like a Hunter S. Thompson sort. He's even an investigative reporter and everything. It's in the future, and it sounds darkly funny, and I've heard great things.

V. Very Excited For This Release More Than Any Other

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman comes out in February. It's a new collection of his short works, and I'm pumped for it.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King comes out sometime in the summer of 2015. It's the sequel to Mr. Mercedes, and it sounds absolutely wonderful.

And Joe Hill has been talking about his new book, The Fireman, in hopes it'll be released in 2015 around September. Though that's not an official date, just super tentative.

W. Worst Bookish Habit

Collecting too many books. I have way more than I can ever hope to read in a timely manner. And I keep getting more. "Hoarder" is a word people like to use flippantly, and no, it isn't that bad. But it probably isn't good either. I'm trying to chill, but with Christmas here... and Christmas money... and generous friends... Yeah.

U. Unapologetic Fangirl For

Bret Easton Ellis. He is a controversial guy, both in his writing and his life, but I cannot get enough of him. I'm practically going through withdrawal waiting for him to publish another book. And I realize "fangirl" is a weird word for how you would feel about someone who delights in making transgressive art, but I do. I really do. I could go on about any of his books for hours. Anyone that even vaguely resembles him in style or purpose immediately gets my attention. I can't say this about many authors, but I've read his entire bibliography, because I just couldn't stop. Love. Blind, crazed love.

T. Three Of Your All-Time Favorite Books

I'm going to avoid my usual, pat answer here and list some I don't talk about as much.

S. Series You Started and Need to Finish

I've actually been doing better about this. But there are still a few:

I think that covers it, but even I'm not sure. And then there are the series I haven't started, because I hesitate to put more on my plate. Phew!

R. Reading Regret

While I do mostly believe that things happen in their own time, as they're meant to, I wish I had been more of an avid reader when I was a kid. I struggled with reading, but not only that, I struggled to find books that were what I wanted to read. I see a lot of people talking about how they devoured books from the time they first learned how to read, and I wasn't like that. That didn't happen for me until I was about eleven or twelve. So I wish I had found my fictional calling sooner.

Q. Quote From A Book That Inspires You/Gives You Feels

Most recently, that was from Stephen King's Revival:

"She was just a year old, but she had wanted me to stay longer. That’s how you know you’re home, I think, no matter how far you’ve gone from it or how long you’ve been in some other place.

"Home is where they want you to stay longer."

P. Preferred Place to Read

In bed. I can recline and get comfy there. I find when I try to read sitting up, I end up straining my neck, so I do better lying down. This is going to get dirty fast if I don't shut up in a second.

Stephen King 2015 Reading Resolution

This just occurred to me, and I'm running with it while it's on my mind. I'm a big Stephen King fan, but there are still books by him that I haven't read. Only a handful, but still. I want to have read them all. So 2015 is the year I do it. The following are what will be on the table:

And he'll probably have a second book come out sometime in 2015, because his track record lately has been two books a year. But I mean, that's it. That's a really short list. I can do that, easy. I keep asking myself why I haven't, and usually the answer is this weird fear of running out of King to read. But on the flip side of that, I'd rather feel the accomplishment of having gotten to all of them. So completion, here I come!