What I'm Reading Now

On my nightstand:
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

On my PDA:
nothing

Diaries 1969-1979

by Michael Palin

My brother Paul, knowing my love for all things Python as well as my predilection for things historical, gave me this book for Christmas. I promptly dropped everything else I was reading (or more accurately: not reading) to pour myself into this.

I was not disappointed. Michael Palin's diary is, well, a diary so it can be dry at times and of course there isn't much of what you might call a plot, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't fascinating.

1969 begins just as Michael and his friends were starting to put together a little TV show called Monty Python's Flying Circus. The next decade would see Python go on to enormous success and the diary documents quite a bit of it, all the while providing some very interesting insights into the various personalities involved. Along the way we also get to hear about Ripping Yarns, Faulty Towers, Saturday Night Live, Holy Grail, Life of Brian and more.

If I have one complaint, it's that it ends too abruptly. Now that I've read about how Python was formed and rose to success, and how the films kept the six Pythons together through the 70s; I want to hear how it all unraveled in the 80s. Unfortunately, you won't find that story here. Still, being a fly on the wall for that first decade was fascinating!

Small Gods

by Terry Pratchett

Another of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. I found this one to be more enjoyable than The Color of Magic. This novel is a complete novel (not a collection of short stories) with a cohesive plot and an underlying, if perhaps a bit heavy handed, message.

This is the story of Brutha, a young nobody novice in the religious mecca of Omnia. Vorbis is the powerful head of Omnia's version of the inquisition. When the great god Om decides (needs) to manifest himself to a human, it's to Brutha that he turns. You see, the gods of Discworld (and there are many) thrive or perish on the number of their believers and in all Omnia, although all profess belief in Om, in actuality Brutha is the only one who really does.

It's an intriguing concept. What happens to gods when everyone stops believing in them? What can a poor god do who has been reduced to living as a lowly tortoise due to lack of true believers?

The humor in this novel is sharp and subtle and much more expertly done than in the previous one. It's an enjoyable read with an interesting premise. Well worth reading.

The Color of Magic

by Terry Pratchet

This is the first book in Pratchet's wildly popular Discworld series. This series is a satire of the popular fantasy genre. Pratchet has written dozens of Discworld novels over the years but for some reason this was the first time I've ever picked any of them up.

While I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed. I found the stories to be interesting (this novel is a collection of several) and the characters were colorful and interesting but at times I found the satire to be so understated that I was able to forget that it was intended to be satire. I was expecting something laugh out loud funny and instead I found it rather amusing and understatedly absurd. Still, I enjoyed it enough to want to explore a few more of them.

The Man in the Iron Mask

by Alexandre Dumas

This is the final installment in the D'Artagnan Romances. In this book we learn the final fate of the celebrated four: Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. A large part of this story concerns the intrigues surrounding the mysterious title character. Just in case there's anyone reading this who doesn't know the story, I won't spoil it for you.

I will say this though. I have a long standing joke with my kids. Often when I'm reading a book to them and I'm picking the book up to start reading for the evening I'll start with "And then everybody dies. The end." Well in this book, over the space of a few short chapters that's pretty much how it goes. Everybody dies. The end. I had to chuckle at that.

The D'Artagnan Romances are a monumental piece of historical fiction. I still think that the Count of Monte Cristo is a much better work but this is still one of Dumas' masterpieces. It sometimes goes too long and it often focuses too much on courtly intrigues for my taste. I much prefer the swashbuckling adventures, the plots and duels and schemes. Thankfully, this book has a bit more of what I like than the previous two books did. If you're willing to make the investment (and it's a substantial one) then this is a series worth reading.

The Sunne in Splendour

by Sharon Key Penman

This is another of Sharon Key Penman's excellent historical novels, this time about Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England. Richard III is most notorious for being on watch when his nephews, "The Princes in the Tower" disappeared. It's widely presumed that they were killed to solidify Richard's claim to the throne and if you believe the Tudors, who were the next family to own the crown, Richard was responsible.

Shakespeare went with the Tudor version of events but Penman paints a much different picture of Richard. She describes a strong warrior and a capable, even reluctant monarch who was more of a victim of the political machinations surrounding him. The War of the Roses was a turbulent political time and Richard was doomed to be blamed for all of the events that surrounded him and by which he profited.

I have yet to read one of Penman's books that I didn't like and this is no exception. As usual, her research appears to be very thorough, the storytelling is first rate, and the characters really come alive. I highly recommend this one.

Louise de la Vallière

by Alexandre Dumas

This is the third in a four part series of etexts from Project Gutenberg that make up the third book of Dumas' D'Artagnan Romances.

This book centers around Louis XIV's affair with Louise, who was betrothed to the Vicomte de Bragleonne, the namesake of the first installment in this series and the son of Athos, one of the "celebrated four" musketeers. All of our four friends are involved in the story in one way or another and, as usual, the biggest hero of them all is D'Artagnan, who is now firmly established as the Captain of the King's Musketeers.

Like Ten Years Later, which came before it, much of this book wallows in courtly intrigues but there is a little more action in this one and enough dastardly trickery to spice it up here and there. Still, much of this book, like the two before it, is concerned with carefully building toward the climax to come in the final installment: The Man in the Iron Mask.

One point of interest: I always knew that these books were rooted in history. D'Artagnan was actually a real person, as were most of the members of Louis' court. What I didn't know is that Louise de la Vallière was also a real person and that she really was Louis XIV's reluctant mistress; not just some character invented for the story. Naturally the story has been embellished considerably (and quite frankly the really juicy bits have been made G-rated) but I'm surprised by how much of it is based on fact.

The series is worth reading but the very first book (The Three Musketeers) is easily the best so far.

The Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett

Ken Follett is normally associated with airport spy novels so I suppose it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this book reads a little bit like one. It's nearly 1000 pages of the following pattern: things are bad, things get worse, things get even worse, things get a little better, things get worse, things get even worse, and so on. Don't worry. It all ends right in the end.

This book is about the fictional English village of Kingsbridge and the people who live in and around it: most particularly the extended family and associates of Tom Builder. It's set in the 12th century: the time of King Stephen, King Henry, and Archbishop Thomas Becket. The framework that serves to bind the various elements together, and for which the book is named, is the cathedral which Prior Philip is attempting to have built at Kingsbridge.

It's a good book and it's well worth the read but the board game (which sparked my interest in the book) is even better.

Ten Years Later

by Alexandre Dumas

The second of a four part series of etexts from Project Gutenberg that make up the third book of Dumas' D'Artagnan Romances. This book covers the next 65 chapters.

Most of this book concerns the courtly decadence surrounding the early reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Bragelonne and his beloved Louise (for whom the next book in the series is named) are minor players in Louis' court. Much of the subject matter involves courtly romantic intrigues surrounding Philip (Louis' brother) and his brand new wife, the sister of King Charles of England. Madame (as she is referred to through most of this book) is quite the coquette and she flirts dangerously with several people including the king himself.

Compared with the action and political intrigue that fill the rest of this series of books, I found this one to be rather dull. I suppose that it's necessary to further the story along but out of all of the D'Artangnan romances that I have read up until this point, this one was the weakest.

Next in the series is Louise de la Valliere, and the last is The Man in the Iron Mask.

Son of a Witch

by Gregory Maguire

This is the sequel to Wicked, the best-selling alternate-Oz novel that recently spawned a musical. This book tells the story of Liir, who thinks that he might be Elphaba's son but isn't quite sure. Throughout the book he struggles with issues of identity and belonging while the corrupt government of Oz swirls around him.

I have to say that I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I enjoyed Wicked, and that's saying something since I merely thought that Wicked was interesting. This book seemed to lack a real focus or even a real point. I understand that Liir is trying to find himself and all but I kept wanting him to actually make a real splash in his world and in the end he ends up making only a tiny ripple. I found it all rather unsatisfying. Furthermore, not only is Liir confused socially, he's also confused sexually which I found just a little uncomfortable. At least it wasn't graphic although there is a fair amount of swearing (like the earlier book).

All in all, I really can't recommend this one. It wasn't horrible; it just wasn't worth my time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

by J. K. Rowling

This book is the last in the seven part Harry Potter series. I assume you've heard of it by now.

I often read apologetic reviews for this series of books. People say things like "it's not great literature but it's a fun read". (And I admit to being one of them in the past.) That seems a little unfair. I wonder if people write that because they're secretly ashamed to be reading something that is so insanely popular. Perhaps they feel that if it's that popular then it must be no more than a passing fad. Snooty people (me again) just hate to admit that they like something that the average man (or kid) on the street likes. Well, I'm going to come right out and state that in my opinion, Harry Potter is not just some passing fad. I think twenty or thirty years from now kids will still be reading Harry Potter. I think that when my grand kids come of age their parents will be buying the Harry Potter gift set for them to read. I think that goes for my great grand kids too.

If the mark of great literature is something that touches the human spirit, evokes strong emotion, makes us think about who we are, the world we live in, and our place in it, then I think that Harry Potter fits that bill. It's not the best series of books I've ever read (although I can't at the moment think of what that might be) but it certainly ranks right up there among the best juvenile fiction I can remember reading. It's a riveting, well-told story that's fun to read from the very start and holds your interest all the way through. Along the way it touches on issues of loyalty, sacrifice, honor, love and hate, good and evil. It's good stuff.

The Deathly Hallows does exactly what a final book should do. It brings the story to the dramatic climax that we all expected. It explains everything that until now was unexplained. It ties up all the loose ends. The series that could have ended with a thud instead ends with a triumphant bang. It's sad and scary and exhilarating. The perfect ending to a wonderful series that will stand the test of time.

If you are one of those who haven't read the series yet because you thought it was too much of a fad, or for whatever reason, I highly recommend that you go out and get a copy and start reading. You won't be disappointed. This one is worthy of the hype.

Falls the Shadow

by Sharon Kay Penman

This is the second book in Penman's trilogy about 13th century wales. This book was initially intended to be about Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, otherwise known as Llewelyn the Last, the last true prince of Wales. That's what it was intended to be about but the more Penman researched the period, the more interested she became in telling the story of Simon de Montfort and the rebellion he lead in 1263 which resulted in the first directly elected parliament in medieval Europe. Llewelyn's early years are chronicled in this book but most of the focus is on Simon and his wife Nell, daughter of John Plantagenet and sister of King Henry III. As with the previous book, Here Be Dragons, this is a fascinating and well told story. Penman goes out of her way to make the history as accurate as possible while injecting life into her characters that will make you feel as if you really get to know them.

I enjoyed Here Be Dragons a bit more (mostly because I was so fascinated by the principle characters) but this certainly ranks right up there as a worthy sequel. I'm anxious to read the third book The Reckoning. You can bet it will be on my table very soon.

Here be Dragons

by Sharon Kay Penman

This is the first book in another trilogy by Penman. This trilogy is about 13th century Wales and this book is about Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Wales and his wife Joanna, illegitimate daughter to King John of England. Like Time and Chance (below) this book is also historical fiction and it's extremely good. In fact, I'd argue that it's better than Time and Chance.

Penman has a real gift for bringing historical figures and their time to life and Joanna and Llewelyn practically leap from the pages. It also helps that their real lives were so fascinating and that the subject matter is so riveting. Their relationship was deep, complex, stormy and moving. Their marriage was formed for political reasons (as were nearly all royal marriages of the day) but over time they developed a deep and abiding love for one another that weathered nearly insurmountable challenges.

Once I got beyond the first few chapters I found it difficult to put this book down. The only reason it took me so long to finish it is that my life has been so busy lately that I've barely had time to read.

The Vicomte de Bragleonne

by Alexandre Dumas

This is the first of a four part series of etexts from Project Gutenberg that make up the third book of Dumas' D'Artagnan Romances. This covers the first 75 chapters of that third book which takes place in the year 1660. The next etext is Ten Years Later, the third is Louise de la Valliere, and the last is The Man in the Iron Mask.

Like The Three Musketeers, and Twenty Years After which came before it, this is a classic adventure story set in the French court. This time, D'Artagnan finds himself in the services of the fledgling king Louis the XIV, acting as a spy and (as usual) becoming involved in various court intrigues.

It's good fun.

Time and Chance

by Sharon Kay Penman

This is the second book in a trilogy (the first is When Christ and His Saints Slept) about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. It's historical fiction and it's quite good. Somehow I ended up with a copy of this book and started reading it even though I've never read the first book in the series. I didn't even realize that it was the second book in a series until I was already well into it. It didn't matter though. The book stands on its own quite well and since it's historical and since I was already somewhat familiar with the subject I had no trouble following it. This book focuses mainly on the troubled relationship between Henry and Thomas Becket. If you are at all interested in Henry and Eleanor (and is there a history lover who isn't?) then I can definitely recommend this book.

Hotel Paradise

by Martha Grimes

Every now and then I pick up one of my dad's cast-off books and I'm usually not disappointed. My dad is a pretty voracious reader and his tastes are not too far from my own. My dad finished this during one of our recent vacations and so I tossed it into my bag to read later. I'm glad I did.

Hotel Paradise is a different kind of murder mystery. It's told from the point of view of a twelve year old girl who lives in a sleepy little town that used to be a resort destination but now is just a dot on a map in the middle of nowhere. The story is almost more about the girl and her neighbors than it is about the mystery. It's filled with colorful characters that are well fleshed out and utterly fascinating. Well worth reading.

Eragon

by Christopher Paolini

As a parent of teenagers, I could hardly have gone through this year without hearing about this book. As a homeschooling parent, it was even more likely that I would hear about the author: a home-schooled child prodigy who began writing this novel after graduating from correspondence school when he was fifteen. My kids devoured this book and wouldn't let up until I read it too.

Christopher Paolini is a very gifted kid who has an undeniable flair for writing. With time, he may mature into a great author. It is extremely impressive that this book was written by a teenager. The characters are rich and interesting. The words flow well. The book is a real page turner. It's an easy read that keeps the reader well engaged throughout. I enjoyed reading it.

But here's the catch: unless you've been living under a rock for the last few decades (or, like my children, you weren't living at all until roughly a decade ago) you've heard this story before. I won't go so far as to call it plagiarism but it comes mighty close. The main plot line and major characters bear more than a passing resemblance to a certain space opera by a guy named George Lucas. (Perhaps you've heard of him?) The magic system, the mind-link between boy and dragon, the travelling adventure, even most (if not all) of the major settings in the book are all lifted almost directly from other major works of fantasy. And that's where this book falls very, very short indeed: it's not even remotely original. I can't think of a single original element in the entire story. The whole way through this book I found myself unerringly able to predict what would happen next and to whom. There were quite literally no surprises at all.

The saving grace is that, while it's all extremely cliché and formulaic, it is rather well written and it is a very fast read. It's not terribly meaty but it is sweet and it tastes pretty good, just like a good dessert. If you have nothing better to do, you could do much worse than to read this book. But I would also strongly recommend that you first read Tolkien, Donaldson, and McCaffrey (I'm assuming you've already seen Star Wars). After all, they are the ones who wrote this stuff first.

Update: I just got back from seeing the movie and all I'm gonna say is this: Rotten Tomatoes currently rates it at 13%. Enough said.

The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd

by Richard Zacks

Captain Kidd, ruthless American pirate or unjustly condemned privateer? This is the question that Richard Zacks seeks to answer in Pirate Hunter. His conclusion? That Kidd was the victim of a combination of his own hubris, several misunderstandings, the flaws inherent in the seventeenth century rumor mill, and a government smear job.

Kidd set out with a grossly underpaid crew with a checkered past with a secret commission to hunt down pirates. Misfortune led to mutiny and Kidd found himself branded a pirate despite his best efforts to sail the straight and narrow. In the end, Kidd died a pirate's death at the hands of the government that had commissioned him. Ironically, his arch nemesis: Robert Culliford; a man who was a legitimate pirate and who had been captured and imprisoned at roughly the same time, would receive a full pardon.

This is a fascinating book. It appears to be well researched and the story that Zacks tells has the ring of truth at every turn. Best of all, it gives a detailed and riveting glimpse of what it meant to be a seafaring man in the seventeenth century.

Twenty Years After

by Alexandre Dumas

The sequel to The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After is a rollicking adventure through seventeenth century France. Our four friends have drifted apart over the years and intrigues at court, revolutions both at home and abroad, compel D'Artagnan to seek the others out and reunite them.

This is an inventive and worthy sequel. If you enjoyed the first, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. It's not what I would call required reading but it's entertaining nonetheless.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography offers a very interesting glimpse into the life of the man who in many ways gave birth to the United States. It was written in several disjointed parts and is incomplete, only describing his life up to 1758 (he lived until 1790), yet it offers a detailed and fascinating look into this brilliant mind. From its pages speaks a humble, brilliant man who overcame adversity to become one of the most influential men of his time.

This short book is well worth the little time it takes to read it.

To Have and Have Not

by Ernest Hemingway

In 1944, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall starred in a great film; a film that brought these two stars together for the first time both on and off the screen and lit up Hollywood. The film wasn't quite as good as Casablanca (which it was basically reprising) but it was still a great film.

This book is not that film. Although the film was based upon the book, the screenplay altered just about everything except the main character's name. To Have and Have Not tells the story of Harry Morgan, a down on his luck boat operator who is forced to make smuggling runs between Key West and Cuba. While the book has moments of greatness, it's not nearly as likeable as the movie.

My recommendation? See the movie.

The Fool's Tale

by Nicole Galland

This is a story that takes place in Wales in the year 1198. Maelgwyn ap Cadwallon (known to his intimates as Noble) is king of a small Welsh kingdom that is constantly struggling with its more powerful neighbors. As the book opens he takes to wife Isabel, the niece of his Norman rival, Roger Mortimer. Isabel has a difficult time adjusting to the strange, and often neo-pagan, customs of her new Welsh kingdom but she has an even harder time adjusting to Noble's philandering and most especially to the brazen and rude humor of Noble's best friend: the castle prankster Gwirion.

The book centers around these three central characters: Noble, the quintessential monarch who manages to be both selfish and selfless at the same time as only a monarch can be; Isabel who struggles with homesickness and the many restrictions placed upon her life as the political consort of a Welsh monarch; and Gwirion who in some ways is the most complex character in the story.

This was a very engaging read and I found it hard to put it down. Be cautioned though, there is A LOT of sex in this story. None of it is graphic (nothing stronger than a PG-13) but there is quite a lot of it and indeed the entire plot hinges around it.

If you have it lying around, give it a read. Otherwise, I would only recommend you seek it out if you're really into this kind of story.

1776

by David McCullough

I've heard that David McCullough wrote this book after 9-11, when some were claiming that 2001 was the most difficult year that the United States had ever passed through. I don't know if that story is true or not but this book certainly makes a strong case for 1776 being a much more difficult year for our emerging country. So little went right that year. Our army suffered one defeat after another. It seems that most of their successes were retreats. It wasn't until Washington's desperate night crossing of the Delaware the evening after Christmas and the subsequent battle of Trenton that they finally tasted a real success. And as they say: the rest is history.

This is a fascinating book about perhaps the most pivotal year in our nation's history. I thoroughly recommend it.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

by Agatha Christie

This is one of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries. It's light and fluffy and full of twists and red herrings in the classic Agatha Christie style. Certainly not a novel to change the world but it's a nice light book to curl up with on a summer afternoon. Considering I downloaded it to my PDA from Project Gutenberg (for free of course), I feel I got more than my money's worth.

Dracula

by Bram Stoker

The classic vampire thriller. Not the first vampire tale ever written but certainly the most influential. I was actually quite surprised by how entertaining and captivating the story is. It's certainly not an example of the world's greatest literature; it's basically a pulp adventure story; but still, it's an exciting tale that is reasonably well written and I found myself reluctant to put it down.

As is true of most Victorian horror stories, the original book is not nearly as scary as the forms that followed it, but it's definitely more chilling than Frankenstein was. There isn't nearly as much of an overt message in this story but there are some interesting themes that lie beneath the surface. Still, this isn't a story that you read for deep thinking, it's just a fun adventure.

I didn't think that I would enjoy this as much as I did but I was quite pleasantly surprised. This was a very enjoyable read.

Incidentally, if you like this story, there is a very good board game that is quite true to the book called Fury of Dracula. One of the reasons I picked up the book was because I had recently played this game and I was curious to know how true to the original book it was. I'm pleased to report that the game follows the spirit of the book very closely, particularly the latter half where Van Helsing and friends are hunting the count like hounds at a fox hunt.

The Wicked Day

by Mary Stewart

This is the afterward to Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment.

This book completes Arthur's legend, picking up just before the trilogy leaves off and ending with Arthur's death. Where the trilogy is told by Merlin himself, this book is told in the third person, omniscient point of view. It's basically a narrative of the final days from Mordred's point of view, but since Mordred wasn't a poet, it wouldn't have really made sense for him to have told his own story. Also, this allows the author to explain some things that Mordred wouldn't have understood. It makes for a much different feel but it's a worthwhile addition to an excellent series.

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

by Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley

If all you know of Frankenstein and his monster is what you've seen in the movies then you don't know Frankenstein. There is more to this tale than dark laboratories and goofy electrical gadgets. And there's nary a mention of neck bolts anywhere in this book.

This is a pretty fast read and it's actually a surprisingly good story. It's not particularly scary but the subject matter is relatively deep. Written at the dawn of the industrial revolution, it questions the wisdom of man wandering too close to God's territory. Is it wise for man to understand the secrets of life? It also raises questions about good and evil. Is man born evil or is it something that he learns from his environment.

Frankenstein's monster (who never receives a name) is not the lumbering grunting hulk of the movies. He's huge and hideous but at the same time he's also superhuman and extremely intelligent. By the time we actually meet the monster, he has learned to speak flawlessly and he's learned to reason. He's also learned that man is terribly unkind to those he fears. He claims that he wanted acceptance and companionship. Frankenstein has denied this to him and so has everyone he's met since his creation. Was the monster created evil or has he merely become such? And is mankind (and Victor Frankenstein) to blame for his turning out evil?

This is certainly not the best book I've ever read but it was quite enjoyable and the questions it raises are thought provoking. It's definitely worth the short time required to read it.

The Arabian Nights Entertainments

edited by Jonathan Scott

The classic collection of Arabian tales. These tales have inspired countless other creative works ranging from books, to films, to video games. Unfortunately, I can't say that they did quite the same for me. Perhaps the fault is with this version (not the one pictured), which is particularly long and could have benefited from the services of a good editor. The version I read was produced in the late 19th century and comprised of four volumes of the most syrupy and overly romanticised prose I've had the misfortune to slog through. After about the fiftieth tale of star-crossed lovers who fall devotedly in love at first sight, I was ready to put it down and move on to something else. I eventually dragged myself through most of the first two volumes before skipping to the end.

The story is promising at the start. A woman voluntarily becomes the wife of a woman-hating sultan who has vowed to wed and kill a different bride each night. Her plan is to distract him by telling him stories which so captivate his attention that when she is obliged to stop for the morning, he'll delay her execution until he's heard the end. The trick, of course, is that the story NEVER ends. And I found that to be the most annoying feature of these stories. Just as one story appears to be winding down, the principal character of that story will find an excuse to begin another story, which will never fully resolve because the principal character of THAT story will start another story, which will lead into another story, and so on and on and on.

Now don't get me wrong, there are some good stories in here. Some of them are quite entertaining. The problem is that most of them are not. The version I read was downloaded from Project Guttenberg so I could read it on my PDA. If you'd like to give these stories a try, I would suggest you try and find a more modern compilation and look for one that is heavily abridged. (The Richard Burton collection pictured at the top looks promising.) 1001 nights is just a bit too much; I'd have been much happier with about 20.

Peace Like A River

by Leif Enger

This is the story of Reuben Land, a young boy who suffers from asthma. His older brother Davy gets into trouble with the law and seeks refuge in the Dakota badlands. Reuben, his father and his sister set out after him. Along the way, there's some spirituality, some coming of age, and several well turned phrases.

This is a good book but it's not a truly great book. I doubt anyone will even remember it a decade from now. Still, it's worth reading if you've got access to a copy. I enjoyed it.

Best of all, the title brings to mind several really bad puns such as: "Why should you plant your garden on the water's edge?" or "What happens when a horse drinks too much?" (I'm so sorry.)

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

One of the more unusual books I've read in a long time, Life of Pi is the story of Piscine Molitor Patel, Pi for short. He's a boy from India who has a zookeeper for a father and who loves God far more than most. His story is truly unbelievable. His family leaves India for Canada and what happens along the way is guaranteed to make you think.

I'm not sure how much I can say without giving away the surprises. The cover should give you a bit of a hint. There are at least two stories here and I think that ultimately this book is about which one you choose to believe and why. Personally, I still haven't made up my mind.

This book is well worth reading.

The Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Written in the late 14th century by the man who many consider to be the father of the English language, the Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by various pilgrims on a holy pilgrimage to Canterbury. Their host (or guide) suggests a contest to keep them entertained along their journey: each member of the pilgrimage will tell two tales and then they will judge whose was best. Chaucer never finished this work, which is apparent by the fact that most of the members never tell both of their tales, but there are still dozens of tales (most written in rhyming verse) which provide an interesting peek into Chaucer's world. The tales are told by a variety of different people belonging to a variety of different classes and they range from the bawdy to the downright boring.

The Canterbury Tales is an important piece of English literature because it was written at a time when English was a young language and it had a huge influence on shaping the language for works that came after it. The language used later by Shakespeare and in the King James Bible owes much to the language found in Chaucer's work, and indeed isn't too far removed from it.

I found the Canterbury Tales to be interesting from a historical perspective but all in all, it's a pretty difficult read. Many people will find the language difficult but for me, having grown up reading the King James Bible and being pretty comfortable with Shakespeare, the main difficulty wasn't the language at all. The main difficulty for me was that a goodly portion of it is really quite dull reading. Still, it's fascinating to me that more than six and a half centuries later, mankind still struggles with many of the same issues: love, hate, religion, sex, dishonesty, and so on.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

by Gregory Maguire

An interesting reimagining of the classic story of the Wizard of Oz told from the point of view of the Witch herself. This book tells the story of Elphaba's life and adventures. It examines how a misfit idealistic youth who is misunderstood by everyone she meets eventually becomes the WWotW. Naturally, she's not really so Wicked as we might have thought.

It's a good read but be warned that it can get a little racy at points and there is liberal swearing througout.

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

by Slavomir Rawicz

A very interesting and sometimes moving account of a Polish soldier's escape from a Siberian gulag. The author claims to have been captured by the Russians in 1939 and falsely convicted for espionage. After suffering torture, imprisonment and relocation to Siberia he and a few fellow political prisoners escape from the camp with help from the commandant's wife.

It's a fascinating story if it's true. Unfortunately there is absolutely no evidence other than the author's word. Is it true? We will probably never know. It could be true but at times it seems rather hard to believe. Certainly there were many people who suffered similar fates and there are documented instances of people who escaped from Siberia on foot. I'd like to believe this account is true but I remain a little skeptical.

The Last Enchantment

by Mary Stewart

The third book in Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy.

I love Arthurian legend and this is one of the very best modern tellings.

The story is told in the first person through the eyes of Merlin. The focus is on Merlin's life, legend and accomplishments. Merlin is put in a very human light with only a hint of magic. Mary Stewart makes Merlin and Arthur come to life as three dimensional, believable characters.

This book focuses on the years after Arthur has become the high king, up until Merlin's "death".

I highly recommend it.

The first two in the series are: The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills. There is also a fourth book: The Wicked Day which picks up where this book leaves off but it's not officially part of the Merlin trilogy; it's more of an afterward. All are excellent and I've read them several times.

The Hollow Hills

by Mary Stewart

The second book in Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy.

I love Arthurian legend and this is one of the very best modern tellings.

The story is told in the first person through the eyes of Merlin. The focus is on Merlin's life, legend and accomplishments. Merlin is put in a very human light with only a hint of magic. Mary Stewart makes Merlin and Arthur come to life as three dimensional, believable characters.

This book focuses on Arthur's upbringing, culminating with his being hailed as the rightful king of all England.

Highly recommended.

The Crystal Cave

by Mary Stewart

The first book in Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy.

I love Arthurian legend and this is one of the very best modern tellings.

The story is told in the first person through the eyes of Merlin. The focus is on Merlin's life, legend and accomplishments. Merlin is put in a very human light with only a hint of magic. Mary Stewart makes Merlin and Arthur come to life as three dimensional, believable characters.

This book focuses on Merlin's early years and ends with Arthur's conception.

Highly recommended.

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

This book grabbed me and didn't let me go until the very end. It's a gripping, heart-wrenching story told by an Afghan who is forced to flee his shattered country for America, only to return to it in the most brutal of circumstances. Along the way he must come to grips with who he is and what he has done. One sin from his past haunts his life and this story is about how he atones for that sin and struggles to find some sort of redemption.

The vivid description of Afghanistan's political history, from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan to the horrible oppressive regime of the Taliban was moving, but that's only the backdrop for the deeper story of Amir and Hassan which left me in tears.

This book is dark, moving, and at times horrifying but once you start reading it you won't want to put it down.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

by Harriet Beecher Stowe

I'm amazed that it took as long as it did for me to get around to reading this book.

This book may not have been directly responsible for igniting the American civil war but it certainly fanned the flames. It eloquently (and at times verbosely) captures the mood of northern abolitionists by painting a believable and horrifying picture of what it meant to be a slave in the mid 19th century.

If you've never read this book, it probably isn't the book you think it is. The words "Uncle Tom" may have entered the American lexicon but they've come to mean something very different from what they mean to anyone who has read this book.

This is one of those books that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas

This is a rollicking adventure full of hedonism and debauchery (good stuff). Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan are almost more anti-heroes than heroes. They are likable to be sure, but they are about as flawed as they can be. They sleep around, drink, fight, and use the French gentleman's code of conduct as an excuse for all-around bad behavior, all in the name of loyalty to the Queen. It's all quite entertaining.

This isn't nearly the masterpiece that Monte Cristo is but it's a good read none the less.

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The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

This is a classic, mesmerizing tale of betrayal and revenge. Edmond Dantes is wrongly imprisoned on the eve of his betrothal by men who are jealous of his increasing good fortune and promising future. From within his dungeon cell he learns the location of a vast fortune and plots his revenge. Then the story really begins...

The way Dantes goes about getting revenge on the men who have wronged him is elaborate, brilliant, and fascinating. This is a first rate page turner.

Also worth seeing is the 1998 French television miniseries starring Gerard Depardieu. I've seen a few dramatized versions and this one is the best. It's lavishly produced and relatively faithful to the book. The fact that it's in French (with English subtitles) only added to the experience for me.

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