Book Overviews
Wrote these a while back in one of my many half-used junk notebooks... might as well type it up now.
Pyramids by Terry Pratchett (323 pages, paperback): A-
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
I love Pratchett to pieces for his unfailing ability to make me LOL--laugh out loud. Many times I've picked up one of his books and hesitated after reading the description, but I've never regretted it. This particular Discworld novel is about Teppic, a teenage boy who trains to become an assassin, only to be forced into a powerless role as pharaoh and god of a tiny country obessed with tradition and pyramids. There's the obligatory love interest, of course, but Ptraci is her own person and the ending is quite original. A hilarious satire of the real world--I loved the intimacy of laughing at the inside jokes. Fantasy is also cleverly woven in, mainly concerning the ingenious pyramids. In fact, the only negative aspect of this book is the cover, a cliche magenta-and-cyan mess. I dunno, maybe that's a Brit thing. XD
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (353 pages, hardcover): A-
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
This book opens with a shocking death and then travels back in time to revisit Ali's brutal childhood and upbringing. I cried at certain parts; it's amazingly poignant. Ali tells her story eloquently, and gives background when needed, from Islamic submission and genital mutilation to politics and feminist movements--she isn't afraid to reveal the painful truth of life in other parts of the world. Highly recommended for anyone who is willing to try non-fiction once in a while. I''ve added her book of essays, The Caged Virgin, to my library to-read list; I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I don't find it repugnant either. Infidel is a great example of why I still read memoirs.
Pyramids by Terry Pratchett (323 pages, paperback): A-
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
I love Pratchett to pieces for his unfailing ability to make me LOL--laugh out loud. Many times I've picked up one of his books and hesitated after reading the description, but I've never regretted it. This particular Discworld novel is about Teppic, a teenage boy who trains to become an assassin, only to be forced into a powerless role as pharaoh and god of a tiny country obessed with tradition and pyramids. There's the obligatory love interest, of course, but Ptraci is her own person and the ending is quite original. A hilarious satire of the real world--I loved the intimacy of laughing at the inside jokes. Fantasy is also cleverly woven in, mainly concerning the ingenious pyramids. In fact, the only negative aspect of this book is the cover, a cliche magenta-and-cyan mess. I dunno, maybe that's a Brit thing. XD
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (353 pages, hardcover): A-
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
This book opens with a shocking death and then travels back in time to revisit Ali's brutal childhood and upbringing. I cried at certain parts; it's amazingly poignant. Ali tells her story eloquently, and gives background when needed, from Islamic submission and genital mutilation to politics and feminist movements--she isn't afraid to reveal the painful truth of life in other parts of the world. Highly recommended for anyone who is willing to try non-fiction once in a while. I''ve added her book of essays, The Caged Virgin, to my library to-read list; I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I don't find it repugnant either. Infidel is a great example of why I still read memoirs.