[Book Reviews] Various interesting ways to die
I don't do anything that actually counts as mountaineering, really -- I'm more of a hiker with a side of rock climbing. Anything that requires down jackets and hourly doses of SPF 100 is probably out of my weight class. Still, there's enough overlap in potential stupid between the things that I do do outdoors and the things that mountaineers do to make borrowing the last two years of "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" a worthwhile read for me. Unsurprisingly, there was a good amount of overlap with my wilderness medicine training... yep, HAPE and HACE sure will kill you. But there was a lot more in there about failures to plan and failures to be aware of predictable environmental hazards, and that was sobering. The more I read about people dying horribly, the less of an ultralight hiker I want to be. Funny, that. In summary, bring a layer of clothes for spending the night out even if you don't think you're gonna, don't leave your pack behind, always tie a knot in the end of your rope, turn around if you can't breathe, have some clue about what avalanche conditions look like, and leave a trip report with someone trustworthy before you go, including intended route and time expected back. These aren't fix-it books -- I have many others I would recommend for that -- but they do an excellent job of giving you a realistic sense of what failures are likely and how they happen. Read them and arm yourself against failure to plan. [grin] Four "I thought that WAS a 60 foot rope!" laments out of five.
I know I'm nearly the last person in sci-fi fandom who hadn't read John Scalzi's "Old Man's War", but, I hadn't. Unsurprisingly, I rather enjoyed it. His elderly characters read (to my thirtysomething ears; I'd love to hear perspectives on this from my older readers!) as believable, and it was cool to see a take on space war staffed by geriatric characters where their wisdom and perspective was a great part of their desirability as soldiers. There were rough spots in the narrative, sure -- when I was halfway through the book and the Old Farts had just graduated from training, I was wondering how Scalzi was going to get a whole plot arc into 120 pages without making it seem rushed. (It seemed rushed.) I would have liked to see the narrator struggle more with integrating with the Spoiler Brigade; that was a little handwaved. But there were also moments of narrative genius -- the martial arts sparring match post-rejuvenation where the combatants ended in tears and hugging was very well done. (I think every martial artist I know would give an eyetooth to be able to fight like that, even once. Good insight.) I will read on in the series, and I'm glad it *is* a series... interesting worldbuilding, good kick to the expectations of the genre. Four people-eating deer out of five.
I loved the sound of Daniel Fox's "Dragon in Chains" from the online blurbs about it, but to my sorrow I did not love the actual book nearly as much. I like big sweeping epics, and I was really looking forward to alternate-universe China, but unfortunately the book was just too awful to characters that I liked. (And I like George R. R. Martin!) I was out-grittied. It's not a terrible book, or badly written, but I still won't be getting the next one. I should just watch the unabridged Red Cliff instead. Three severed fingers out of five.
(Full disclosure: I got a free copy of this book for pointing out an error on the author's website. But the reason I was on her website in the first place was that I was trying to buy it! So, I would have given them money if they'd let me.) Kathy Jackson's "The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry" is a good solid practical approach to the topic. There's a good amount of gender-neutral information in the book -- her discussions of safety rules, the ethics behind use of force, and making sure that you stay on the right side of the law are good reading for anyone interested in guns. However, there's a lot in here that specifically addresses womens' questions as well. When I was taking a three day pistol class, I joked with my friends that I had to ask three guys how to go to the bathroom with a gun on... and none of them knew! (You don't want to accidentally drop the thing in the toilet, or freak out the woman in the next stall!) Kathy Jackson knows, and I wish I'd had this book back then. She talks about issues that commonly come up for women, from finding something that fits your grip to navigating possible complexities in your relationship if your partner is bothered by your choice in self defense to the realities of adjusting the common holster and draw methods designed for male bodies to fit you if you're curvier. There is some mismatch in assumptions in the book... the author is a Christian and a family-woman married mother, and does occasionally speak to an audience of her peers. That can be a bit jarring if, like me, that is neither your religion nor your intended family structure. However, the overwhelming amount of good information in the book that I couldn't find anywhere else more than makes up for that cultural distance. This is going to be one of those books that I end up with a lending copy and a keeping copy of; four and a half pro tips out of five.
I've had my Paperback Swap copy of Carole Nelson Douglas's "Good Morning, Irene" staring at me accusingly from the to-read pile for easily six months, but it wasn't until I got stranded in an airport for hours that I finally read it. [rueful grin] Set in the universe of Sherlock Holmes, this mystery series instead follows "The Woman" Irene Adler, one of a few characters in Doyle's canon to ever outwit Holmes. It's a well turned period mystery, and if not the most compelling thing I've ever read, it's still fun. I enjoyed the introduction of Sarah Bernhardt as a character (and ended up Googling a good bit about her life in the theater later, as she piqued my curiosity more than the titular Irene did), and this book didn't suffer for me coming in on it directly despite it being the second book in the series. Readers of Miss Marple and similar lady-detective stories may appreciate it, or anyone interested in travels through France. There was one disruptive moment of "Surely Holmes would not be THAT dense", but, it's a minor sin in an otherwise enjoyable book. Three and a half fake blackguards out of five.
Another book I've been meaning to read for a while -- R. A. MacAvoy's "The Grey Horse". She does do a quite credible presentation of rural Ireland, and I appreciated the skill and sympathy she brought to her portrayal of the Irish-speaking western Gaels and their sometimes awkward interactions with the well-meaning Irish-identified limpingly-bilingual lord of the manor. The more you know about Ireland or colonialism in general, the better this book will read, and MacAvoy does a truly wonderful job at not telling a simple story. There are many layers of cultural context recognizable to those who are steeped in it; I would be interested to hear the opinions of anyone who read it and didn't grow up with a strong dose of Irish Republican culture. "The Grey Horse" has a quieter magic than most fantasy novels I read, but it's arrow-true to the mythology and culture of western Ireland and my hat is quite off to MacAvoy for writing it. Five frustrating magic ponies out of five, and my pick of this batch.
This entry was originally posted at http://ivy.dreamwidth.org/54074.html . Please feel free to comment on either site; comments rock.
I know I'm nearly the last person in sci-fi fandom who hadn't read John Scalzi's "Old Man's War", but, I hadn't. Unsurprisingly, I rather enjoyed it. His elderly characters read (to my thirtysomething ears; I'd love to hear perspectives on this from my older readers!) as believable, and it was cool to see a take on space war staffed by geriatric characters where their wisdom and perspective was a great part of their desirability as soldiers. There were rough spots in the narrative, sure -- when I was halfway through the book and the Old Farts had just graduated from training, I was wondering how Scalzi was going to get a whole plot arc into 120 pages without making it seem rushed. (It seemed rushed.) I would have liked to see the narrator struggle more with integrating with the Spoiler Brigade; that was a little handwaved. But there were also moments of narrative genius -- the martial arts sparring match post-rejuvenation where the combatants ended in tears and hugging was very well done. (I think every martial artist I know would give an eyetooth to be able to fight like that, even once. Good insight.) I will read on in the series, and I'm glad it *is* a series... interesting worldbuilding, good kick to the expectations of the genre. Four people-eating deer out of five.
I loved the sound of Daniel Fox's "Dragon in Chains" from the online blurbs about it, but to my sorrow I did not love the actual book nearly as much. I like big sweeping epics, and I was really looking forward to alternate-universe China, but unfortunately the book was just too awful to characters that I liked. (And I like George R. R. Martin!) I was out-grittied. It's not a terrible book, or badly written, but I still won't be getting the next one. I should just watch the unabridged Red Cliff instead. Three severed fingers out of five.
(Full disclosure: I got a free copy of this book for pointing out an error on the author's website. But the reason I was on her website in the first place was that I was trying to buy it! So, I would have given them money if they'd let me.) Kathy Jackson's "The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry" is a good solid practical approach to the topic. There's a good amount of gender-neutral information in the book -- her discussions of safety rules, the ethics behind use of force, and making sure that you stay on the right side of the law are good reading for anyone interested in guns. However, there's a lot in here that specifically addresses womens' questions as well. When I was taking a three day pistol class, I joked with my friends that I had to ask three guys how to go to the bathroom with a gun on... and none of them knew! (You don't want to accidentally drop the thing in the toilet, or freak out the woman in the next stall!) Kathy Jackson knows, and I wish I'd had this book back then. She talks about issues that commonly come up for women, from finding something that fits your grip to navigating possible complexities in your relationship if your partner is bothered by your choice in self defense to the realities of adjusting the common holster and draw methods designed for male bodies to fit you if you're curvier. There is some mismatch in assumptions in the book... the author is a Christian and a family-woman married mother, and does occasionally speak to an audience of her peers. That can be a bit jarring if, like me, that is neither your religion nor your intended family structure. However, the overwhelming amount of good information in the book that I couldn't find anywhere else more than makes up for that cultural distance. This is going to be one of those books that I end up with a lending copy and a keeping copy of; four and a half pro tips out of five.
I've had my Paperback Swap copy of Carole Nelson Douglas's "Good Morning, Irene" staring at me accusingly from the to-read pile for easily six months, but it wasn't until I got stranded in an airport for hours that I finally read it. [rueful grin] Set in the universe of Sherlock Holmes, this mystery series instead follows "The Woman" Irene Adler, one of a few characters in Doyle's canon to ever outwit Holmes. It's a well turned period mystery, and if not the most compelling thing I've ever read, it's still fun. I enjoyed the introduction of Sarah Bernhardt as a character (and ended up Googling a good bit about her life in the theater later, as she piqued my curiosity more than the titular Irene did), and this book didn't suffer for me coming in on it directly despite it being the second book in the series. Readers of Miss Marple and similar lady-detective stories may appreciate it, or anyone interested in travels through France. There was one disruptive moment of "Surely Holmes would not be THAT dense", but, it's a minor sin in an otherwise enjoyable book. Three and a half fake blackguards out of five.
Another book I've been meaning to read for a while -- R. A. MacAvoy's "The Grey Horse". She does do a quite credible presentation of rural Ireland, and I appreciated the skill and sympathy she brought to her portrayal of the Irish-speaking western Gaels and their sometimes awkward interactions with the well-meaning Irish-identified limpingly-bilingual lord of the manor. The more you know about Ireland or colonialism in general, the better this book will read, and MacAvoy does a truly wonderful job at not telling a simple story. There are many layers of cultural context recognizable to those who are steeped in it; I would be interested to hear the opinions of anyone who read it and didn't grow up with a strong dose of Irish Republican culture. "The Grey Horse" has a quieter magic than most fantasy novels I read, but it's arrow-true to the mythology and culture of western Ireland and my hat is quite off to MacAvoy for writing it. Five frustrating magic ponies out of five, and my pick of this batch.
This entry was originally posted at http://ivy.dreamwidth.org/54074.html . Please feel free to comment on either site; comments rock.