Well, it's that time of the year when there is pretty much no year left, so we review everything that has happened since the last time there was pretty much no year left over. That lovely time when we say, "Oh, yeah! I remember that! Was that really this year?" My time flies.
In that spirit, I figured I'd make my contribution to the numerous looking-back lists that will inevitably bombard the internet. Here it is, some of my favorite reads of 2012, in no particular order:
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (fantastic author, by the by!)
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Receiving Answers to Our Prayers by Gene R. Cook
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
As Far As You Can Go Without A Passport by Tom Bodett
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Princess Ben by Katherine Gilbert Murdock
What was on your list this year? And what do you plan to read next year?
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
What kind of magic do you believe in?
I apologize for the delay in posting. There was a sudden and abrupt, albeit temporary change in my situation. I have become the single, surrogate mother of 5 kids for a week, starting last Saturday. And the Friday before that, I went to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey right after work. So, it's been hectic. Anyway...
Last week I finished reading Far West by Patricia Wrede, and I thought this is an author I should highlight. I have read three of her series: Frontier Magic, Regency Magic, and the Enchanted Forest series. Now, as I read Far West, I was struck by the system of magic Wrede creates in the series. It's very unique, not necessarily in how magic works, or the actual nature of magic, but in how magic is controlled. And it isn't just one way, it's at least three, thus far int he series.
But not only did she develop three views of magic for this series, magic is very different in the Enchanted Forest, and even between characters in the Forest, in terms of how people use and control magic.
And finally, there is a very different style of magic in the Regency series. It involves objects a lot more than her other series, and is less and inherited ability. (And, I love this particular series for the way it was written. So clever!)
This author really impressed me. I mean, it is hard enough to develop one magical world. She has created three. Granted, a couple of them are set in alternate realities, so there is a kind of blueprint to work off of, but she still had to adapt to fit in magic. It is amazing. And, it gets you thinking about magic, and what it is and how we use it.
Which is a topic for another day, but in the meantime, Patricia Wrede is an author to read.
Last week I finished reading Far West by Patricia Wrede, and I thought this is an author I should highlight. I have read three of her series: Frontier Magic, Regency Magic, and the Enchanted Forest series. Now, as I read Far West, I was struck by the system of magic Wrede creates in the series. It's very unique, not necessarily in how magic works, or the actual nature of magic, but in how magic is controlled. And it isn't just one way, it's at least three, thus far int he series.
But not only did she develop three views of magic for this series, magic is very different in the Enchanted Forest, and even between characters in the Forest, in terms of how people use and control magic.
And finally, there is a very different style of magic in the Regency series. It involves objects a lot more than her other series, and is less and inherited ability. (And, I love this particular series for the way it was written. So clever!)
This author really impressed me. I mean, it is hard enough to develop one magical world. She has created three. Granted, a couple of them are set in alternate realities, so there is a kind of blueprint to work off of, but she still had to adapt to fit in magic. It is amazing. And, it gets you thinking about magic, and what it is and how we use it.
Which is a topic for another day, but in the meantime, Patricia Wrede is an author to read.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Watch what you read
Okay, I am an information professional and as such, I sometimes feel a responsibility to read books about information. You know how it goes--gotta stay up on things. I stumbled across an article about The Information Diet by Clay Johnson while doing research for work (it was one of the serendipitous finds of internet research). I had heard of this book before and after reading the article, I really wanted to read the book. My hold finally came in at the library (go libraries) and it is definitely worth reading.
So, what is it about? Johnson basically compares the so-called "information overload" with obesity. This struck a chord with me, because I took a semester long class centered on information overload and was never really satisfied with their solutions (better technology! better organization! Better users? Not so much). There is quite a bit of fascinating information presented, and the comparison to obesity is really apt for the topic.
Now, I'm not a huge fan of self-help books, and while this isn't a self-help book exactly, it does give recommendations to the user. But the author is very open about saying they are just suggestions, and each person will need to find what works best for them, which makes it easier to take. (Anyone who tries to sell me on a one-size fits all approach makes the skepticism flare up something awful, and that just brings on the mockery).
Johnson's goal is to create a better informed populace. Too often we consume information the way we eat--we go for the 'fast food' of information, and what we get is overprocessed, high in 'calories', and low in mental nutrition. And because of that, that is the kind of information people create. He also points out that information consumption has physical effects that can be unhealthy, and so he provides some tips that can help us control our consumption and create better mental and physical health.
One example: email. When we get an email, it effects our dopamine levels, and can affect our breathing and heart rate. We get a high from new emails. So then we check every ten seconds for new email to get that high. But that prevents us from focusing, and it messes up our balance. It's just not healthy. He recommends setting aside specific times (he has two) for checking email. I can say from personal experience, I'm a lot more productive if I don't keep my inbox open all the time, and I'm a lot better at actually dealing with my inbox if I'm not always in it.
I'm not saying you should take everything in the book at face value, and I don't think Johnson is, either. But I do think there are some fantastic ideas in it that are worth considering. It can't hurt.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Metaliterature
So, maybe metaliterature isn't really a word, and maybe it isn't what I mean anyway, but meta seems to be the thing, so how could I pass up the chance to metafy?
This week, I finished reading The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde. It's a good read. Not a "can't put it down" book, because I could put it down, but it did crowd out some other things I was reading, which I think makes it a compelling read at the very least, although I'm not sure I'd describe it as compelling in the connotative sense of the word. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
First, the biography of this book.
Genre: novel, sci-fi/alternate history, female protagonist, bit of a love story as a secondary plot, mystery/detective fiction.
Main character: Thursday Next
Setting: England, 1985
Premise: Time travel is a given, and this has interesting consequences on history and on literature. Then someone figures out how to travel into literature, and how to bring fictional characters into reality. Villain threatens to destroy famous piece of literature, and heroine's job is to stop him.
What really stands out about this book is the premise. What if we could travel into fiction and bring fictional characters into reality. The writing is good (it's not Dickens or Austen or anything, but it's good writing), the characters are likeable enough (although somehow I never feel like I really know Thursday Next. I think her dad is pretty fantastic, though. This may not be your experience though--who knows why I didn't connect with the main character). I will say that it helps to be familiar with the plot of Jane Eyre, and this may be part of why I felt a bit distant from the characters. I have read Jane Eyre, but it has been a long time, and I'm not extremely familiar with the plot or the characters. So when Rochester takes on a behind the scenes personality, I don't know how congruous it is with his character in the novel. You can get by with a vague idea of the plot, but I recommend brushing up on it. I think it would have improved the reading experience.
Like I say, though, what really snagged me was the premise. The idea behind the book is pretty original, and the author does a good job of not ruining a good plot idea. Nothing is so sad as a great plot with poor execution. (I myself am an idea person, but not necessarily an idea executioner, so I appreciate people who can take a good idea and make it the best it can be). I think it's an idea that can go a thousand directions, and I never would have predicted this particular direction, but I was intrigued and enjoyed it.
The premise also led the book to be literature about literature itself, although not in an analytical or academic way. There are continuous discussions by the characters about the true author of Shakespeare's plays and various poets and novels and so on, which possibly makes the book read like this blog--the author's opinion on various literary works. This thread is in and of itself an interesting thing to consider (and it reminds me of Don Quixote, which I should review at some point. Fantastic literature, that.) It's fairly overt metaliterature, so be warned if that kind of thing bugs you. But on the whole, it's just good light reading, and I'm planning on reading more Thursday Next novels.
And is it just me, or does Jasper Fforde kind of vaguely remind anyone else of Daniel Craig?
This week, I finished reading The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde. It's a good read. Not a "can't put it down" book, because I could put it down, but it did crowd out some other things I was reading, which I think makes it a compelling read at the very least, although I'm not sure I'd describe it as compelling in the connotative sense of the word. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
First, the biography of this book.
Genre: novel, sci-fi/alternate history, female protagonist, bit of a love story as a secondary plot, mystery/detective fiction.
Main character: Thursday Next
Setting: England, 1985
Premise: Time travel is a given, and this has interesting consequences on history and on literature. Then someone figures out how to travel into literature, and how to bring fictional characters into reality. Villain threatens to destroy famous piece of literature, and heroine's job is to stop him.
What really stands out about this book is the premise. What if we could travel into fiction and bring fictional characters into reality. The writing is good (it's not Dickens or Austen or anything, but it's good writing), the characters are likeable enough (although somehow I never feel like I really know Thursday Next. I think her dad is pretty fantastic, though. This may not be your experience though--who knows why I didn't connect with the main character). I will say that it helps to be familiar with the plot of Jane Eyre, and this may be part of why I felt a bit distant from the characters. I have read Jane Eyre, but it has been a long time, and I'm not extremely familiar with the plot or the characters. So when Rochester takes on a behind the scenes personality, I don't know how congruous it is with his character in the novel. You can get by with a vague idea of the plot, but I recommend brushing up on it. I think it would have improved the reading experience.
Like I say, though, what really snagged me was the premise. The idea behind the book is pretty original, and the author does a good job of not ruining a good plot idea. Nothing is so sad as a great plot with poor execution. (I myself am an idea person, but not necessarily an idea executioner, so I appreciate people who can take a good idea and make it the best it can be). I think it's an idea that can go a thousand directions, and I never would have predicted this particular direction, but I was intrigued and enjoyed it.
The premise also led the book to be literature about literature itself, although not in an analytical or academic way. There are continuous discussions by the characters about the true author of Shakespeare's plays and various poets and novels and so on, which possibly makes the book read like this blog--the author's opinion on various literary works. This thread is in and of itself an interesting thing to consider (and it reminds me of Don Quixote, which I should review at some point. Fantastic literature, that.) It's fairly overt metaliterature, so be warned if that kind of thing bugs you. But on the whole, it's just good light reading, and I'm planning on reading more Thursday Next novels.
And is it just me, or does Jasper Fforde kind of vaguely remind anyone else of Daniel Craig?
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