Aaron

Thank goodness this is over.

I tried. I really did. I hung in there because so many have called this series a masterpiece. After finally making my way through this monster of a book, I doubt I’ll continue on. Anderson is an incredible world-builder, but all the descriptive words can’t make up for the fact that almost nothing happens in this book. At the end, I cared very little for the characters and their plights. I was able to skip whole pages without missing any important detail. I never thought I’d encounter a juxtaposition of interesting concepts and general *blandness,* but here we are.

It’s too bad. I must be missing something that many others are seeing, but I just don’t care enough to find out.

For the majority of this book, I hovered around a 3 or 3.5 star rating. It was an entertaining thriller, full of twists, transformations, and “didn't-see-that-coming” moments. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it; indeed, the overall tone was dark, exciting, and encouraged me to continue.What leaves me at 3 stars is the sad realization that after such a monumental effort, this is not a book that belongs in the Robert Langdon mythos.The book's premise - wherein Professor Langdon is called upon to save the world from the machinations of a madman (in this case, one fueled by a deep understanding of and dedication to Dante's [b:Inferno 15645 Inferno (The Divine Comedy, #1) Dante Alighieri http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333579470s/15645.jpg 2377563]) - fits. This is what we expect from a Langdon story and early on, it delivers. There is a sense that the world of Dante will permeate the story in profoundly macabre ways.Unfortunately, that premise slowly disappears. Chase scenes ensue ad nauseam, stopping only to overwhelm the reader with every historical fact about the European environment in which Landon is running (a mechanism that, although it served Brown well in [b:Angels & Demons 960 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1) Dan Brown http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303390735s/960.jpg 3338963] and [b:The Da Vinci Code 968 The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2) Dan Brown http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303252999s/968.jpg 2982101], is overplayed here). Chapters stream by and, in my case, left me with a sense of, “Well, okay - but when are we getting to the good stuff?”What is the “good stuff”, you ask? One needs only to look at the previous three Landon novels for inspiration. In all three, Dan Brown took his time to weave in the types of historical mystery that hover between ludicrous and profoundly possible. These elements made the expected thriller/chase scenes more interesting: the race fulfilled the desire to find clues, solve puzzles, and put together astounding theories. There was a sense of adventure, conspiracy, and higher meaning.Inferno only has an inkling of that. As someone who has read and enjoyed [b:The Divine Comedy 6656 The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320552051s/6656.jpg 809248], I was thrilled by the idea of Robert Landon descending into Dante's world and watching the visions of Inferno permeate that adventure. It just didn't happen. Elements of Dante, his life, his poetry, and the higher meaning exposed by his philosophies were only briefly touched on. At times, it seemed as though Dan Brown, desiring to have an archetypal “historical great work” to fit into a Langdon adventure, somewhat haphazardly settled on Inferno. It's as if Brown took his trademark thriller ingredients, tossed them into a blender, and in the middle of the process, jammed in a few pages of Inferno. The concoction just isn't satisfying.As the book hurtles towards its conclusion, the aforementioned plot twists add some spice and excitement; unfortunately, by this point, it's too late: there simply isn't enough time left to recreate the magic that came so easily in the previous three Langdon books.And so, I give this 3 stars - I wanted an Angels & Demons-esque mystery, but instead, I got [b:Deception Point 976 Deception Point Dan Brown http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266447971s/976.jpg 3135896] with some neat art and architecture thrown in.

With all due respect to Miss Ridgway (who, I'm sure, has talent and should continue to produce thought-provoking fiction), this just didn't click with me.

What should have been an interesting exposé of time travel – and the manners in which time itself will defend against such actions – left me utterly disappointed.

15% of the way in, I was hooked.

30% of the way in, I had more questions than answers, but felt okay about it.

65% of the way in, I was starting to grow leery of the fact that (a) we had no real villain thus far, (b) we had yet to explain several key plot points begun earlier, and (c) I was decidedly uncaring toward the main characters and their plights.

80% of the way in, I said, out loud, “This sucks. Nothing's happening.”

90% of the way in, I let out several loud “pssshhh” sounds as random characters showed up and began to explain the plot to me. The magical object is actual the dog that belongs to the granddaughter of the man you thought was a villain, but actually is the guy who's lover you came to know about 3 pages ago! Neat! snore

100%, I said sayonara and went to bed.

~

I've heard that this is supposed to be part 1 of a trilogy, but you know what? If part 1 doesn't hook me, why in the world would I care about subsequent parts?? (case in point: [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899])

If I'm honest, Flatirons was the first place where I began to sense God tapping on my shoulder. He did that in large part through Jim; as such, this book feels like home.

The wonder of this book is that with his usual candor, charm, humility, and poise, Jim shares Jesus' truth. And through Jim, Jesus speaks louder than ever: “I don't hate you; I love you and I want to be with you always.”

The process of being freed from a dragon hurts, both in the moment and in life to come. But as this book drives home again and again, we never have to endure that process alone. Christ — who understood the pain — chooses to be with us. He never leaves us alone.

Thank you, Jim, for allowing God to speak through you. It hasn't always been easy — sometimes, it's been downright infuriating — but through it all, it's been worth it.

Like many, I picked up this book because of the Goodreads-inspired notoriety that Colleen Hoover had been receiving. Somewhere around 7pm last night, I began to think I'd made a big mistake. 3 chapters in, this book was clearly not intended for 20-something males. My only Goodreads comment to that point? “Starting to feel like Twilight without sparkly vampires.” I seriously thought that I was going to have to bail out.

Around 1am, I finally, groggily, turned off my light and went to bed. In the 6 hours that had preceded, I had somehow, mysteriously, finished the book. I literally had not been able to sleep until I was done.

So what happened?

To be fair, Slammed is not the greatest work of fiction ever. There is a high degree of unbelievability (some might say Twilight-esque) in how quickly Lake, the main character, and Will, her “omgsohotz” neighbor fall in love. The story proceeds rather bouncily from junction to junction, dragging the reader along in the expectation that he will simply accept the characters and their current predicaments. All the common elements of the teenage love story - a love that society will not allow, a family dynamic that is all at once frustrating yet uber-advanced (including the proverbial wise sage of a younger brother), a rebellious, yet equally sagacious best friend, etc. - are present within the first few chapters of this book. Early on, I felt as though I could see every plot point and difficulty.

What transpired over the course of that 6 hours changed my mind. The biggest driver of that change: I got to see characters who were not all that different from me. No one had superpowers or mystical abilities; there was no omnipresent villain that everyone was running from (heck: apart from one exception, there weren't even overly ugly humanistic natures chasing after our heros). There was merely life, along with all of its joys and heartbreaks.

This book forces your soul to bare itself. Any author who can do that - even just a little bit - deserves recognition.

On to book #2.

First off, know this about me: I am simultaneously a man of intense faith and rigorous scientific/analytical background. I believe in God. I am also an computer engineer/scientist. My life is a constant journey toward understanding the harmony between spirituality and science.

Before deciding to read this book, I prayed. I asked God to give me guidance. If this was a deceptive work whose purpose was to entangle my mind in crazy, supernatural delusions (and their accompanying flights of fantasy), I asked that He turn me away. If, on the other hand, there was a message within worth hearing, I asked Him to give me the proverbial “eyes to see and ears to hear”.

The result? It's currently been 5 hours since I purchased the book. Between then and now, I stopped only to eat dinner; in every other second, I devoured this text. And now, having completed it, here I am, carrying a heart that simultaneously feels immense hope and incredible heaviness.

Without spoiling the particulars, this book details (in narrative form) the author's encounter with a man who makes statements befitting a slightly modernized Old Testament prophet. As his base of discussion, this man uses scripture found in Isaiah 9:10 (which details Israel's defiant response to the siege laid against it by Assyria); what follows is an amazing, heart-wrenching account of how those same events – and their consequences – have come to unfold in the United States.

10 pages in, I was interested. 50 pages in, I was slightly skeptical. 125 pages in, I began to consider the validity of what was being said. 150 pages in...and my eyes began to open. This is a grand story that teeters on the edge of impossible, but which, when considered carefully, strikes a chord that often accompanies the deepest truth.

Once I'd completed this, I went to my Bible. With apologies for how “do-this-for-me” my request seemed, I asked God to once more show me if what I'd read had any measure of truth. I asked Him to show me through Scripture (which doesn't conform to – and isn't bound by – fantasy or supernatural leaps of nonsense) whether this meant anything.

Somehow, I opened directly to Isaiah 9:10. I'm not one to believe in chance or happenstance; you be the judge as to whether this was coincidence.

For the reader who is brave enough to read this book, put its contents under the microscope of whatever world view he subscribes to, and merely listen, there is much to examine here. At its core, it is simultaneously a message of hope and ominousness, disobedience and repentance, rebellion and the call to return. Try, for a moment, to suspend the box into which you fit the world; allow yourself the opportunity to consider something outside of your everyday experience.

You won't regret it.

That's it. I'm done. I tried. I really tried. [b:Divergent 13335037 Divergent (Divergent, #1) Veronica Roth https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg 13155899] held my attention long enough to make me think there was hope for this series. Then this sucker came along and I discovered that I didn't really care about anyone or anything Ms. Roth was feeding me. Zero caring.I wanted this series to fill the gap that had been left since [b:Mockingjay 7260188 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) Suzanne Collins https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275419s/7260188.jpg 8812783] ended. No such luck. :(

I picked up this book because I saw the slew of four-star and five-star reviews. If so many of my fellow readers thought so highly of this book, how could I not feel the same?

On my first attempt, I gave up about two chapters in. The next day, thinking that I had ejected the book in haste, I picked it up again and started over. This time, I made it 26 chapters in before I gave up again. I can safely say that despite my best efforts, I won't be attempting a third try.

The problem is simple: I just don't care about these characters. I have no clue why they're in the situation they're in, nor why I should care about any improvement in or destruction of their journey or lives. In the hodgepodge of post-apocalyptic distress, teenage girl issues, and characters that are as milquetoast as they come, there is no discernible “higher purpose.” Again, why should I care? The plight of these characters is so flimsy and half-baked that I'm not even given a chance to care.

Of particular distress is the oh-so-obvious, disguised-under-layers-of-seething-sarcasm romance that leaks out between the two main characters. Why bother with this over-the-top charade when it's clear that that's what's building? Where I a girl and in Penryn's shoes, you can bet I would do a little more due diligence before clumsily drooling over the amazing attractiveness of my mortal enemy.

I realize now that I've been hunting around YA books in search of the next Hunger Games. I think it's time I give that notion a rest – this is yet another disappointment in a long string of disappointments within the genre.

Freakonomics 2.0, this is not. Unfortunately, Ian Ayres only occasionally manages to capture the spark and charisma that Steven Levitt so easily wielded in Freakonomics.

Much of this book is spent reiterating previously made points (if I have to hear about regressions' ability to explain results AND error factor one more time, I'm going to scream). Ayers frequently trails off into personal opinion, something that is grossly distracting and serves only to shine a light on Super Crunchers' more solid “cousin.”

Do yourself a favor: read Freakonomics and avoid Super Crunchers. You won't miss anything.

Son of a...

Let's start with The Magicians. At the time, I thought it was “okay” - being a fan of series like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc., I had a difficult time merging new-age teenage sullenness - no matter how true-to-life - with my idea of those playful, magical fantasy worlds established elsewhere. That said, I thought The Magicians explored some very interesting themes: disillusionment with one's current status/life/the state of the universe, the adolescent feeling of invincibility that comes with college life, the somewhat stagnant realization that life-after-college isn't all its cracked up to be (even when infused with magic), etc.

I picked up The Magician King because there was enough in the first book to interest me. I wasn't expecting a lot, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

Boy, did this book catch me off guard. It was good. It was very good (much, much better than I'd expected).

Quentin, the main character, has landed on top of the magical world: he's the king of Fillory, the fantasy land that he's idolized his entire life. However, even after gaining everything he ever wanted, he's bored. He needs some sort of quest because, after all, that's what every fantasy hero needs (and no one knows that cliche - and that it is a cliche - better than Quentin). So, along with his fellow King (Eliot) and Queens (Janet and Julia), our hero sets off to find his adventure.

What follows is a multi-layered tapestry of discovery, adventure, pain, suffering loss, disbelief, love, and destiny. The story bobs and weaves between time and space, switching between the present story of Quentin's adventures, the past story of Julia's transformation from Stanford-bound know-it-all to power-hungry hedge witch, and the strange, heart-wrenching thread that ties these two plotlines together.

I loved this book. However, let's go back to that first sentence. I won't spoil it, but the story's ending is a sure-as-shootin' cliffhanger. It's okay - even exciting - that Lev Grossman plans to write a third novel in this series; however, this book ends too quickly and quirkily, as if Grossman needed to stop before he wove his third time into this one.

Oh well. Minor quibble. The Magician King (and, truly, this whole series) is flawed, yes, but so is the reality it describe: our reality. These books speak to the deep part of us that, like Quentin, wishes magic could solve the world's problems. Give this one (and its a predecessor, if you haven't already) a shot.

Early on, I was going to give this book 4 stars. The opening chapters are exciting and while they may or may not be true, they inspire a sense of the mystery that has surrounded Area 51.

Unfortunately, the wheels begin to come off in the middle of the book.

Jacobsen's treatise on Area 51's use as a nuclear testing facility during the cold war - via former Nazi engineers relocated to the U.S. during the ultra-secret Operation Paperclip - is fairly riveting. However, the next several chapters - which detail the development of spy planes (such as the Oxcart) at Area 51 - follow the same weary pattern: a plane is tested, it crashes somewhere, and "The Agency" rushes out to collect the remains before anyone could find out. I know that I shouldn't be so callous, but that gets extremely boring after a while.Throughout the book, Jacobsen alludes to "the dark purpose of Area 51" - however, it takes until the very last chapter for her to about-face and actually confront a very intriguing scenario: that the UFOs that crashes in Roswell were Russian-made remote-controlled hover drones, and that their "alien" pilots were actually genetically-altered humans designed to inspire fear in the American public (similar to the War of the Worlds radio broadcast).*This* is the kind of exciting stuff that I think about when pondering Area 51. Late in the book, Jacobsen details a discussion with one of her chief informants, who tells her that these kinds of genetic experiments are still going on at Area 51, and that if a crouton detailed what the public knew about Area 51, its entire truth would be the size of a long dining table and chairs. Wow, right?Sadly, Jacobsen's floundering writing style - which jumps around far too much to inspire intrigue - and an seeming obsession with the elements that of Area 51 that, today, are common knowledge (Predator drones, the SR-71 and F-117, etc.) just don't shed much light into the story of Area 51.

For what could have been and what ended up being: 2 stars.

What started as a 3-star “eh, not too bad” experienced morphed into 4 stars when I learned that there would be a follow up to this book. That's a good thing; there are so many neat ideas to explore in this pseudo-Earth that I would have been supremely disappointed had there not been any follow up. As it stands now, I eagerly anticipate #2.

I really enjoyed this book until I didn't.

The first 70-80% is a fascinating look at the development of nuclear energy, told through the lens of countless mathematicians, physicists, and brilliant thinkers. The last 20% feels like a hastily slapped together op-ed in which the author laments that nuclear energy has gotten a raw deal (an example: nothing that the 55 confirmed deaths at Chernobyl pale in comparison to the number of deaths prompted by other man-made disasters).

Don't get me wrong: I generally agree that nuclear energy has gotten a raw deal and will be vital in our fight against climate change. But if this is meant to be the perfect bridge from retrospective history to a guidebook for the future, it falls flat – it is too brief to give proper historical context to the many events of nuclear energy and it is too rushed to be a guidebook.

As I man of both deep spiritual faith and scientific acumen, I found myself shaken to the core by this book. I truly wonder what it will mean for my life going forward.

In short, this book covers a conversation between the author and a man who came into his hotel room late one night. What followed were incredible claims about the nature of our relationship to God, the true nature of sin, and humanity's destiny (should it choose to be courageous enough).

Is there any way to prove any of this? Of course not. All Average Joe can do is read these words and see if some deep part of himself reacts. I myself was initially skeptical, but after giving this a shot, I have to wonder whether the realm of reality has been expanded for me.

To every skeptic: I understand. You have every right to disbelieve. My only invitation to you: this book is short and won't take months to read. What it potentially offers is so much more. Give it a shot and be open to its ideas.

This book is what happens when you mix equal parts 500 Days of Summer and House of Leaves, but fail to capitalize on the emotional/relational turmoil and supernatural mystery that made those two works of art so poignant.

I really liked this novel's beginning. Mike's initial sense of unexplained panic and the backstory that brought him to the current point is intriguing enough to settle the reader in. Futhermore, his random meetings with the mysterious Gepetto serve to heighten the sense of high strangeness that is encroaching on Mike's life.

The problem with this story is its overall execution. Too often, characters are introduced without rhyme or reason and fade off into the background without any explanation of why they appeared in the first place. Inexplicable events occur and although Mike does a good job of mirroring what readers inevitably feel (“why?”), answers are all too often lacking. The biggest frustration comes from a reunion scene in which Mike is given the most bland, boring excuse for why his life has shifted so radically; it's a letdown of the highest order and serves only to drain the story of whatever suspense it had left.

This story has all the hallmarks of an author who has definite talent, but (at this stage in his career) lacks the ability to pull a story into a tight, cohesive weave. So, as a recommendation, I would say that if a friend/family member already has this on their shelf, give it a shot.

This is a story that has stood the test of time. For many, it is the basis of an all encompassing way of life. As one of those who is humbled by the words and teachings of Jesus, how special it is to see these same familiar stories told in such a fresh, new manner.

From the beginning of the world, to a story of God's chosen people, to tales of woe and suffering, and finally, to a story of redemption and peace for everyone, this gospel is timeless.

It's difficult to explain why the Scott Pilgrim books are so good. They encompass so many interesting, unique qualities that blend together into a tapestry of epic epic-ness.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Scott Pilgrim exists in a world where the mechanics, ethos, and aura of video games (random fights with random robots, enemies exploding into heaps of coins - which may or may not be enough to cover bus fare - and other loot, etc.) are as common as breathing. And seriously, how can you dislike a guy whose band is named Sex Bob-omb?

2. Scott's paranoia, randomness, forgetfulness, and eccentricity - combined with the fact that underneath it all, he's a decent guy with the same problems as everyone else - make him an extremely likable character. The first time I saw Scott obsess over getting his hair cut - and what's more, freaking out that other people were getting haircuts before him - I was hooked.

3. At it's core, the Scott Pilgrim story is one that every guy can relate to: being utterly infatuated with a girl and knowing that you're going to have to kick some serious ass to get her. It's a story that stands the test of time.

Even if you despise comic books, graphic novels, etc., I encourage you to put aside your doubts and pick up this series. You're life will be changed for the better. 1-2-3-4!!!

There are two ways to look at the quality of this book: standing on its own and as part of a larger whole. Far beyond whether you enjoy the books that the publishers liken it to – World War Z, the Martian, etc. – I think that the perspective you choose will ultimately decide whether you enjoy Sleeping Giants or not.

On its own, Sleeping Giants is a 3 or 3.5 star book. It's premise is fascinating, but the surface is barely scratched. Its interview-style format is engaging, but doesn't quite carry the backward-facing, “what was it all for?” gravitas and confusion that World War Z employed so beautifully (while using the same style). It's dialogue and characters are interesting and feel real (for the most part), but they don't carry the blend of intelligence, wit, and sarcasm that made The Martian's Mark Watney so appealing. Viewed in this light, Sleeping Giants is creative enough to be noticed and fresh enough to avoid feeling derivative, but ultimately comes across like a “half effort” that never quite finds its footing.

However, when viewed as part of a larger whole (read: when understood that it is intended to be part of a series), Sleeping Giants is easier to swallow. The idea that this book serves as a premise to a larger story is intriguing enough to continue on.

This novel definitely has shades of other books: the feudal politics of Dune, the unearthly narrative of Book of the New Sun, and the combat stylings of something like Red Rising. Not much happens until the last 10% of the book, and even then, this is clearly a precursor to a much larger story in the rest of the series. I’m interested enough to continue (and hoping that this book 1, while not my favorite, was a worthwhile investment).

I can't exactly describe why I'm giving this book 2 stars instead of 1. Perhaps it's a stilted sense of respect to a “classic.” Who knows. The point is, I put this on my “abandoned” bookshelf for a reason.

First, a little backstory. I picked up this book after seeing The Mothman Prophecies movie, which, although sub-par overall, did have some suspenseful moments. Therefore, it seemed logical that the book might carry the same quasi-suspenseful feeling. WRONG.

Keel's manner of reporting-as-a-book doesn't sit well. His method of creating/collecting various reports, stapling them together, and calling the result a book destroys any level of continuity. That wouldn't be so much of a problem if some of the stuff in the book was actually threatening/scary ... but it just isn't. All too often, Keel's descriptions fail to carry any sense of excitement, peril, or true mystery. Do yourself a favor and don't waste time with this one.

I waited for months to obtain this book from my library. When I finally received it, it didn't disappoint.The story revolves around Jesus Christ's second return to Earth, in which he decides to run for President of the United States. He chooses a variety of “suspect” individuals for his crew of campaigners/assistants: a TV reporter, his girlfriend, parents, and brother (who has Down Syndrome) a low-income boyfriend/girlfriend pair, and various others.What I really liked about this book was the powerful message that Merullo communicates through his depiction of Jesus: what would it look like if the inhabitants of arguably the most affluent nation in the world addressed the root causes of their disagreements, rather than their symptoms? An especially powerful example concerns abortion - when questioned by reporters about his stance on this issue, Jesus states that some people feel like begins at conception, and others that life begins at birth - rather than nitpick over which is “right,” could proponents of both sides sit down and discuss a resolution (not necessarily regarding abortion, but addressing the division that issue has caused the inhabitants of the USA).The depiction of some of Jesus' ideas will no doubt grind against some of traditional Christian belief (in much the same way [b:The Shack 1812457 The Shack William P. Young http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1188677589s/1812457.jpg 2666268] did. However, the historical perspective that Jesus exists to break apart preconceived notions on life exist easily here.While very well written, the one difficulty with the book is the ending. Sufficed to say, it leaves one with a feeling of, “After all that story, that's it?” It's unfortunate that such a well written book ends so abruptly; a more devised ending would have wrapped up an otherwise tremendous story.