Review: The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

From the author who's inspired millions worldwide with books like Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most imaginative novel yet, The Time Keeper - a compelling fable about the first man on Earth to count the hours.
The man who became Father Time.
In Mitch Albom's newest work of fiction, the inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.
He returns to our world - now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began - and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself,he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.
Told in Albom's signature spare, evocative prose, this remarkably original tale will inspire readers everywhere to reconsider their own notions of time, how they spined it and how precious it truly is.

MY TAKE:

I have read most of Mitch Albom's books so I was excited to read this one.

The Time Keeper focuses on the stories of three people. One is Dor who becomes Father Time; Victor, a rich man trying to defeat his cancer diagnosis; and Sarah, a teenager who goes through a tough time.

As someone who is always in a hurry and always worried about time, seeing as how I work for a company wherein time is very important, this book was very easy to relate to. This book is a must-read for people, I think, because it reminds us that we shouldn't rush so much.

As for the main characters, my favorite character was Victor. I could relate to his tenacity and I respected his business success. He is a well-rounded character, which is important for books like this that are almost fable-like. I wasn't a fan of Sarah, though. She's a bit too annoying and whiney for my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It has an important lesson.
2. It doesn't become preachy.
3. There are some very quotable quotes here.

THE BAD:

1. Dor's story might not be interesting to some.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Sometimes, when you are not getting the love you want, giving makes you think you will.

READ IT IF:

1. You like Mitch Albom's other books.
2. You are always rushing to finish things.
3. You like feel-good stories.

RATING:


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Review: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium is verging on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshippers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.
AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of the imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.
A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.
But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

MY TAKE:

I've never really read any steampunk books before I read Stormdancer so I only had a vague idea of what to expect.

In Stormdancer, Yukiko lives in a world wherein pollution and addiction are threatening to destroy society and the world. In this feudal Japan-like world, the Shogun tasks Yukiko's father to find a thunder tiger which he intends to ride to war.

This book felt like it could be a very good anime series. The whole time I was reading it, I could imagine it in my head as an anime in the vein of Rurouni Kenshin. It had the same dark setting and vibe, and the same occasional peppering of humorous lines. The characters are also strong warriors. The tiger, phoenix, dragon and fox houses reminded me of Fushigi Yuugi and Yu Yu Hakusho, for some reason.

Yukiko is a strong yet fallible girl. Fortunately, she isn't annoying and Mary Sue-ish. My favorite character, however, is the thunder tiger Buruu. He's intelligent and funny, and I've always liked tigers.

As for the steampunk aspect of the book, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to assess that yet, but based on what I've read, this definitely fits the bill.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Dunne Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Stormdancer is on September 18, 2012.

THE GOOD:

1. It's like watching a really good new anime series.
2. Japanese steampunk!
3. Yukiko has her weak moments but she's not annoying.

THE BAD:

1. There are parts, particularly in the beginning, that might bore some people.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

IN THE END, ALL QUESTIONS CAN BE DISTILLED INTO ONE. WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP TO GET THE THINGS YOU WANT?

READ IT IF:

1. You like anime.
2. You like steampunk but are tired of Victorian era-based steampunk.
3. You like strong heroines.

RATING:


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Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The motor-rickshaws were low-slung, made of irridescent metal that reminded Yukiko of the dragonflies she'd seen as a child.

Review: Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Who's afraid of William Shakespeare? Just about everyone. He wrote too much and what he did write is inaccessible and elitist. Right?
Wrong. Shakespeare on Toast knocks the stuffing from the staid old myth of Shakespeare, revealing the man and his plays for what they really are: modern, thrilling and uplifting drama.
Actor and author Ben Crystal brings the bright words and colourful characters of the world's greatest hack writer brilliantly to life, handing over the key to Shakespeare's plays, unlocking the so-called difficult bits and, astonishingly, finding Shakespeare's own voice in among the poetry.
Told in five fascinating Acts, Shakespeare on Toast sweeps the cobwebs from the Bard - from his language, his life, his time - revealing both the man and his work to be relevant, accessible and full of beans.
This is a book for everyone, whether you're reading Shakespeare for the first time, occasionally find him troublesome, think you know him backwards, or have never set foot near one of his plays but have always wanted to ... It's quick, easy and good for you. Just like beans on toast.
Visit shakespeareontoast.com to find out more.

MY TAKE:

I remember performing a scene from Merchant of Venice in high school. I had a pretty good time, but even so, I didn't really understand everything about the play. I knew just enough to get by, but there were certain words and passages that just seemed so foreign to me.

Shakespeare on Toast aims to demystify Shakespeare by putting a new twist on the usual Shakespeare guides. Aside from the usual history and trivia, it tries to explain the language and the context of the plays. That is, in those days, Shakespeare's plays weren't viewed by the audience as something deep that should be  analyzed again and again. Instead, it would be something along the lines of a soap opera.

The book isn't as informative as other guides, in the sense that it's less academic than other Shakespeare guides. This is more of a guide for the everyman who wants to try and understand Shakespeare without getting bored in the process.

I learned a lot from this book. I wouldn't say that I completely understand how to decode the language in the books, but I do get it a little better now that I understand it in the way his old audience did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Icon Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Shakespeare on Toast is on September 11, 2012.

THE GOOD:

1. It's Shakespeare demystified.
2. It's easy to understand but it doesn't treat you like an idiot.
3. The writing style is fun and not boring.

THE BAD:

1. You still might not be able to understand some of Shakespeare's plays.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Son and heir of a mongrel bitch... Classy.

READ IT IF:

1. You like Shakespeare but never really understood his work.
2. You want to understand what life would have been like for Shakespeare's audience.
3. You are looking for a somewhat more interesting Shakespeare guide.

RATING:
 

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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

The Art of Making Magazines by Victor Navasky, Evan CornogShakespeare on Toast by Ben CrystalStormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Review: Adventures in Cartooning Christmas Special by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Christmas is coming! The Magic Cartooning Elf and his friend the Knight join forces to make a Christmas comic for Santa to give to all the boys and girls in the world.
As with previous installments in the Adventures in Cartooning series, Adventures in Cartooning: Christmas Special is a zany adventure story seamlessly integrated with nuggets of practical cartooning tips: how to write, illustrate, print, and distribute comics! It's a terrific holiday gift, and after reading it, kids will be inspired to make more gifts…with comics!

MY TAKE:

Ah, pretty children's Christmas books.

Adventures in Cartooning Christmas Special is patterned after The Night Before Christmas. That is, it's mostly written in rhymes and the opening line is reminiscent of The Night Before Christmas.

I really like the illustrations and coloring style. It reminds me of those funny Christmas cards.

The only odd thing for me is I didn't really see the cartooning tips. It's either written seamlessly into the story or it's not really there. Although, it did teach how to choose a story for your comics, as well as how to draw panels to begin writing comics.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the e-ARC. Publication date of Adventures in Cartooning Christmas Special is on September 11, 2012.

THE GOOD:

1. Cute concept.
2. Simple but likeable illustration and coloring style.
3. The story line doesn't feel forced.

THE BAD:

1. It's more of a storybook than a cartooning how-to.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Instead of toys, we elves write code. Then we connect to the server...
AND UPLOAD!

READ IT IF:

1. You like Christmas!
2. You like funny children's books/comics.
3. You're looking for a nice book for your child.

RATING:



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