2015 Books I
The Comedy of Errors, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall,
And by the doom of death end woes and all.
Thoughts: This is a little better than Two Gentlemen. Two sets of twins are separated in an accident and reunite after a set of wacky adventures. I give it a solid "eh."
The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley
5 stars
First Sentence: She scowled at her glass of orange juice.
Thoughts: Angharad "Harry" Crewe comes to live in Daria where her brother is stationed after their father dies. She resigns herself to a life of boredom when the King of Damar (the unconquered part of Daria) kidnaps her in the middle of the night because his kelar (magical gift) demands it. Harry discovers she, too, has kelar and that she is expected to help the Damarians in their upcoming war with the demonspawn Northerners. Fortunately she has a good horse and a helpful cat to keep her company on this strange journey.
Dragondrums, Anne McCaffrey
4 stars
First Sentence: The rumble-thud-boom of the big drums answering a message from the east roused Piemur.
Thoughts: I don't like Piemur as much as I do Menolly, but he's a lot more fun to follow around on his adventures. He's one of those people who gets into more trouble than he's prepared for but always manages to land on his feet. I'm always surprised he doesn't catch more hell for stealing a queen fire lizard egg, though.
The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe
3 stars
First Sentence: Not marching now in fields of Thrasymene
Where Mars did mate the Carthaginians,
Nor sporting in the dalliance of love
I n courts of kings where state is overturned,
Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds
Intends our Muse to vaunt his heavenly verse:
Only this, Gentlemen, we must perform,
The form of Faustus' fortunes good or bad.
Thoughts: It's the classic story of a student who's trying to decide on a major and picks black magic. He makes the inevitable pact with Satan and loses his soul. It was also a lot more all over the place than I expected. The introduction mentioned a lot of additions (mainly in the form of unfunny clowns) in the main text after Marlowe's death, so maybe that's why.
The First Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!
Thoughts: Man, the English really did not like Joan of Arc, did they? After hearing all my life about how saintly she was, the evil witch in this play came as a bit of a shock. The best part of the play, though, was the garden scene at the Temple Bar explaining how the Wars of the Roses came by their name.
Out of Time's Abyss, Edgar Rice Burroughs
4 stars
First Sentence: This is the tale of Bradley after he left Fort Dinosaur upon the west coast of the great lake that is in the center of the island.
Thoughts: I've never read the first two books in this trilogy, but it doesn't matter because Burroughs catches you up in the first chapter. The story is a bit thin, but that's okay because the real treat is the explanation of the reproductive biology in The Land That Time Forgot. Burroughs' strength lies more in world-building than plotlines, anyway.
The Second Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: As by your high imperial majesty
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator to your excellence,
To marry Princess Margaret for your Grace;
So, in the famous ancient city of Tours,
IN presence of the Kings of France and Cicil,
The Dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Britaine, and Alencon,
Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend bishops,
I have performed my task, and was espous'd:
Thoughts: I'm not a big fan of war movies or war plays. All the battles run together after a while. The only part of this play that really sticks with me is the scene where Queen Margaret is crying over the head of her dead lover in front of her husband.
The Stone of Farewell, Tad Williams
5 stars
First Sentence: The wind sawed across the empty battlements, yowling like a thousand condemned souls crying for mercy.
Thoughts: Williams manages to shake most of his Tolkienesque influence in this volume and strikes out on his own territory. I personally like this book better than the first one for that reason. Prince Josua and the survivors of the siege at Naglimund make their way down to the Thrithings where they immediately run into more trouble. Simon and his companions are making their way south, one step ahead of the Storm King's minions. Miriamele is being completely unfair to Cadrach who isn't helping matters by being entirely too mysterious about his past. (I wanted to slap both of them.) Simon is separated from his friends and ends up staying with Jiriki and his sister Aditu for a while until the Sithi can decide what to do with him. I wanted to shake all the Sithi and yell "DO SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE" until I was hoarse. But then Miriamele did something intensely stupid and I got distracted yelling at her.
This is a great series because it provokes reaction in its readers.
The Three Pillars of Zen, Phillip Kaplan
5 stars
First Sentence: Westerners eager to practice Zen yet lacking access to a qualified master have always faced an imposing handicap: the dearth of written information on what zazen is and how to begin and carry it on.
Thoughts: Where has this book been all my life? :)
The Third Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: I wonder how the king escap'd our hands.
Thoughts: The War of the Roses is fully engaged at this point and important people are dying. Edward IV takes the throne and immediately manages to tick everyone off by marrying the not-quite-noble-enough Elizabeth Woodville while an emissary is trying to arrange a marriage with the French Princess. Richard of Gloucester sneaks around and delivers menacing monologues while Henry VI tries, too late, to actually be a king.
You know, I actually like Richard III and I don't think he deserves the hate he got from Tudor propaganda. I mean, the guy ended up in a car park. Didn't he suffer enough?
3 stars
First Sentence: Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall,
And by the doom of death end woes and all.
Thoughts: This is a little better than Two Gentlemen. Two sets of twins are separated in an accident and reunite after a set of wacky adventures. I give it a solid "eh."
The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley
5 stars
First Sentence: She scowled at her glass of orange juice.
Thoughts: Angharad "Harry" Crewe comes to live in Daria where her brother is stationed after their father dies. She resigns herself to a life of boredom when the King of Damar (the unconquered part of Daria) kidnaps her in the middle of the night because his kelar (magical gift) demands it. Harry discovers she, too, has kelar and that she is expected to help the Damarians in their upcoming war with the demonspawn Northerners. Fortunately she has a good horse and a helpful cat to keep her company on this strange journey.
Dragondrums, Anne McCaffrey
4 stars
First Sentence: The rumble-thud-boom of the big drums answering a message from the east roused Piemur.
Thoughts: I don't like Piemur as much as I do Menolly, but he's a lot more fun to follow around on his adventures. He's one of those people who gets into more trouble than he's prepared for but always manages to land on his feet. I'm always surprised he doesn't catch more hell for stealing a queen fire lizard egg, though.
The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe
3 stars
First Sentence: Not marching now in fields of Thrasymene
Where Mars did mate the Carthaginians,
Nor sporting in the dalliance of love
I n courts of kings where state is overturned,
Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds
Intends our Muse to vaunt his heavenly verse:
Only this, Gentlemen, we must perform,
The form of Faustus' fortunes good or bad.
Thoughts: It's the classic story of a student who's trying to decide on a major and picks black magic. He makes the inevitable pact with Satan and loses his soul. It was also a lot more all over the place than I expected. The introduction mentioned a lot of additions (mainly in the form of unfunny clowns) in the main text after Marlowe's death, so maybe that's why.
The First Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!
Thoughts: Man, the English really did not like Joan of Arc, did they? After hearing all my life about how saintly she was, the evil witch in this play came as a bit of a shock. The best part of the play, though, was the garden scene at the Temple Bar explaining how the Wars of the Roses came by their name.
Out of Time's Abyss, Edgar Rice Burroughs
4 stars
First Sentence: This is the tale of Bradley after he left Fort Dinosaur upon the west coast of the great lake that is in the center of the island.
Thoughts: I've never read the first two books in this trilogy, but it doesn't matter because Burroughs catches you up in the first chapter. The story is a bit thin, but that's okay because the real treat is the explanation of the reproductive biology in The Land That Time Forgot. Burroughs' strength lies more in world-building than plotlines, anyway.
The Second Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: As by your high imperial majesty
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator to your excellence,
To marry Princess Margaret for your Grace;
So, in the famous ancient city of Tours,
IN presence of the Kings of France and Cicil,
The Dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Britaine, and Alencon,
Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend bishops,
I have performed my task, and was espous'd:
Thoughts: I'm not a big fan of war movies or war plays. All the battles run together after a while. The only part of this play that really sticks with me is the scene where Queen Margaret is crying over the head of her dead lover in front of her husband.
The Stone of Farewell, Tad Williams
5 stars
First Sentence: The wind sawed across the empty battlements, yowling like a thousand condemned souls crying for mercy.
Thoughts: Williams manages to shake most of his Tolkienesque influence in this volume and strikes out on his own territory. I personally like this book better than the first one for that reason. Prince Josua and the survivors of the siege at Naglimund make their way down to the Thrithings where they immediately run into more trouble. Simon and his companions are making their way south, one step ahead of the Storm King's minions. Miriamele is being completely unfair to Cadrach who isn't helping matters by being entirely too mysterious about his past. (I wanted to slap both of them.) Simon is separated from his friends and ends up staying with Jiriki and his sister Aditu for a while until the Sithi can decide what to do with him. I wanted to shake all the Sithi and yell "DO SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE" until I was hoarse. But then Miriamele did something intensely stupid and I got distracted yelling at her.
This is a great series because it provokes reaction in its readers.
The Three Pillars of Zen, Phillip Kaplan
5 stars
First Sentence: Westerners eager to practice Zen yet lacking access to a qualified master have always faced an imposing handicap: the dearth of written information on what zazen is and how to begin and carry it on.
Thoughts: Where has this book been all my life? :)
The Third Part of King Henry VI, William Shakespeare
3 stars
First Sentence: I wonder how the king escap'd our hands.
Thoughts: The War of the Roses is fully engaged at this point and important people are dying. Edward IV takes the throne and immediately manages to tick everyone off by marrying the not-quite-noble-enough Elizabeth Woodville while an emissary is trying to arrange a marriage with the French Princess. Richard of Gloucester sneaks around and delivers menacing monologues while Henry VI tries, too late, to actually be a king.
You know, I actually like Richard III and I don't think he deserves the hate he got from Tudor propaganda. I mean, the guy ended up in a car park. Didn't he suffer enough?