Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner
I like lots of different kinds of books. Mysteries, science fiction, biographies, for instance. Adult and young adult. My daughter thought watching The Maze Runner movie would be interesting, so we found it at the local library and watched it. It was quite exciting. Then The Scorch Trials came to theaters and we had to catch it. It was entertaining as well. That hooked me on the series.
I bought the next two books in the series, The Death Cure and The Kill Order. As I started reading The Death Cure, I immediately felt lost.
Movies don't always track well with their original books. No big reveal there. And this was the case with picking up a book where its movie version left off.
To reorient myself for book three, I had to begin at the beginning, and so I found a copy of The Maze Runner at the local library and started from scratch.
There are parts of the movie that track well with the book. Main character Thomas's arrival and disorientation. His brotherly relationship with Chuck, his opposition from Alby and Gally, and his leadership qualities and incorporation as a Runner. All as examples. There are, however, larger issues of disagreement between the movie and the book. Details of the map room, the discovery of the Griever hole, how Teresa affects the whole Gladers community, and how Thomas and Teresa bring the Gladers out of the Maze.
The biggest divergence is in the conclusion. The Maze Runners the book ends before the movie does. And the movie has the Gladers remaining inside a building after they leave the Maze rather than being taken on a bus ride. It's after being in the building that they escape on their own.
I have yet to begin reading the second book, The Scorch Trials. I suspect The Maze, the movie, picks up some of the story line of The Scorch Trials as the end of its movie.
As a book, I really enjoyed The Maze Runner. It was well written, well paced, featured interesting characters, and was totally believable. The main characters were likable and sensibly created and realized through the narrative. Even minor characters were realistic and well placed in the story.
Dashner even managed to build a language for the characters that allowed them to speak like the teens they were without being offensive or foul, while still giving them an outlet for angst or anger or frustration in a setting that would have surely needed emotional venting.
At the same time, the narrative was at times visceral and provocative, portraying a scary world in which kids were unleashed in a deadly future, expected to perform in a game-like world to save their lives in a scenario in which - they knew not - that they likely couldn't win.
Manipulated to lose their memories and then sent into a test ground, the last two teens were released into a group of other youths to set off the final test. A test they had themselves set up. And in the final test, everyone in that group would either succeed or fail in the attempt. Live or die.
It was a compelling read from beginning to end. A journey of faith in the author to bring you to the end in one sane piece and in the characters to help you retain your faith in humanity.
Now I can't wait to begin reading The Scorch Trials and then the next two books. Their book reviews to come.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Another Voyage, a Different Dream: Sailing Yarn of the Mind
Book Review: Another Voyage, a Different Dream by Richard Twillman
I began reading this book with one perception and ended it with quite another.
As a fan of sailing adventures - in particular, Napoleon-era age of sail sagas - I love a good sea yarn. More recently I've enjoyed more modern tales of sailing adventures, recently reading The Vega Adventures by Shane Granger and now Another Voyage, a Different Dream by Richard Twillman.
Another Voyage is really quite another voyage. It starts out with a young man who loves life aboard a beautiful sailboat, where he lives, by and large by the circumstances of his life. When that is threatened, he decides to take off for parts unknown and - he hopes - undiscoverable. But then he meets up with a man and woman who take him on a different kind of voyage than he could ever have imagined. It gradually changes from a sea adventure to an escape into mysticism, which in the end saves him.
Author Twillman takes the reader on a well-crafted journey across the sea, among tropical islands, and through the mind. At times you aren't certain where he is headed, but you want to keep reading to see where he will take you, moved by his narrative and the images he paints through his vivid language.
If you like a good sea tale, or if you enjoy sailing yarns, this book would be a good read. If you're into voyages of the mind, you likely will enjoy this read, too. It's available both on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
I began reading this book with one perception and ended it with quite another.
As a fan of sailing adventures - in particular, Napoleon-era age of sail sagas - I love a good sea yarn. More recently I've enjoyed more modern tales of sailing adventures, recently reading The Vega Adventures by Shane Granger and now Another Voyage, a Different Dream by Richard Twillman.
Another Voyage is really quite another voyage. It starts out with a young man who loves life aboard a beautiful sailboat, where he lives, by and large by the circumstances of his life. When that is threatened, he decides to take off for parts unknown and - he hopes - undiscoverable. But then he meets up with a man and woman who take him on a different kind of voyage than he could ever have imagined. It gradually changes from a sea adventure to an escape into mysticism, which in the end saves him.
Author Twillman takes the reader on a well-crafted journey across the sea, among tropical islands, and through the mind. At times you aren't certain where he is headed, but you want to keep reading to see where he will take you, moved by his narrative and the images he paints through his vivid language.
If you like a good sea tale, or if you enjoy sailing yarns, this book would be a good read. If you're into voyages of the mind, you likely will enjoy this read, too. It's available both on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Aren't Fans of Books Also Fans of Bookshelves?
If you're looking for some interesting bookshelf designs, I've been scouring the Internet for ideas. I think sometimes lovers of books are as much in love with bookshelves as they are with books. Here are a few websites with some intriguing photos you may enjoy.
From Rank Nepal:
A couple built along stairways, which seem useful, and a couple that are simply design intensive that look fun but seem less than useful.
From Bookshelves on Pinterest:
Some gorgeous shelves full of books plus some very artistic shelves full of design that happen to be perfect for shelving books.
From Bored Panda:
Lots of very creative solutions that are both pleasing to the eye and easy to use, and some accommodate the reader.
From Life Hack:
These are all design-intensive, less about utility and more about looks.
From Corner Bookshelves on Pinterest:
A lot of these are kind of cozy corners for reading.
And there are lots more if you just search "Bookshelves" on Google Images.
From Rank Nepal:
A couple built along stairways, which seem useful, and a couple that are simply design intensive that look fun but seem less than useful.
From Bookshelves on Pinterest:
Some gorgeous shelves full of books plus some very artistic shelves full of design that happen to be perfect for shelving books.
From Bored Panda:
Lots of very creative solutions that are both pleasing to the eye and easy to use, and some accommodate the reader.
From Life Hack:
These are all design-intensive, less about utility and more about looks.
From Corner Bookshelves on Pinterest:
A lot of these are kind of cozy corners for reading.
And there are lots more if you just search "Bookshelves" on Google Images.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Best Boy: A Sunday Well Spent Reading
Book Review: Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb
I thought it was going to be a long read. I breezed through it on a Sunday. I thought it was going to be an informative read. It was insightful but a tough read for its frankness. If you know anyone who is autistic and wondered what it's like to have autism, this is a good book to give you hints.
Best Boy is the story by award-winning author Eli Gottlieb about Todd Aaron, who lives in a group facility for those who have developmental disabilities. His disability is that he has autism, and the story, written in the first person, provides details in the narrative style of what it's like to have autism: How someone with autism feels, thinks, reacts, and exists in a world dominated by people who don't understand - and often don't care - how autism affects them.
Todd's mother was very loving and protective. She tried to find facilities for Todd for the day when she could no longer care for him. And then she died. His father had died before her, leaving Todd's younger brother to look after Todd's interests. But living 700 miles away, he doesn't make it over very often to see Todd. That leaves it to the staff to look after Todd. The community is mixture of interesting characters, including Todd's roommate, who doesn't like Todd and is out to prove that Todd is a slacker, and when Todd maps out a plan to run away for home, his roommate tries to turn him in. There is a love interest, too, and a young woman who is taken advantage of by a new staff member who is also paired with Todd and who coerces Todd into keeping the details a secret. Best of all, there is a staff advocate who helps Todd through the rough times and keeps him out of trouble, especially at a critical moment in the story.
Best Boy is a good, quick read, dramatic and well paced. But what I enjoyed most about it was its remarkable descriptions of what it is like to have autism. Autism is a scale of effects, no two people necessarily having the same symptoms, but if you know someone with autism you will likely recognize many of the effects. Todd speaks of rocking back and forth when excited or upset, and feeling a jolt when antagonized, for instance. But he also details what's going on in his mind - how he sees the world and how he reads people, and how that forms his decisions and how he reacts to situations. Todd also talks about his medications and how they make him feel.
I don't know where Gottlieb got his information about the effects of autism - he has written about the topic before - but from those I know who have autism, it seems spot on.
In some ways, Best Boy was a depressing read. But in other ways, it was a very revealing read and for the character Todd, it ends well. I borrowed the book from my local library to learn more about autism and felt it was a Sunday well spent reading.
I thought it was going to be a long read. I breezed through it on a Sunday. I thought it was going to be an informative read. It was insightful but a tough read for its frankness. If you know anyone who is autistic and wondered what it's like to have autism, this is a good book to give you hints.
Best Boy is the story by award-winning author Eli Gottlieb about Todd Aaron, who lives in a group facility for those who have developmental disabilities. His disability is that he has autism, and the story, written in the first person, provides details in the narrative style of what it's like to have autism: How someone with autism feels, thinks, reacts, and exists in a world dominated by people who don't understand - and often don't care - how autism affects them.
Todd's mother was very loving and protective. She tried to find facilities for Todd for the day when she could no longer care for him. And then she died. His father had died before her, leaving Todd's younger brother to look after Todd's interests. But living 700 miles away, he doesn't make it over very often to see Todd. That leaves it to the staff to look after Todd. The community is mixture of interesting characters, including Todd's roommate, who doesn't like Todd and is out to prove that Todd is a slacker, and when Todd maps out a plan to run away for home, his roommate tries to turn him in. There is a love interest, too, and a young woman who is taken advantage of by a new staff member who is also paired with Todd and who coerces Todd into keeping the details a secret. Best of all, there is a staff advocate who helps Todd through the rough times and keeps him out of trouble, especially at a critical moment in the story.
Best Boy is a good, quick read, dramatic and well paced. But what I enjoyed most about it was its remarkable descriptions of what it is like to have autism. Autism is a scale of effects, no two people necessarily having the same symptoms, but if you know someone with autism you will likely recognize many of the effects. Todd speaks of rocking back and forth when excited or upset, and feeling a jolt when antagonized, for instance. But he also details what's going on in his mind - how he sees the world and how he reads people, and how that forms his decisions and how he reacts to situations. Todd also talks about his medications and how they make him feel.
I don't know where Gottlieb got his information about the effects of autism - he has written about the topic before - but from those I know who have autism, it seems spot on.
In some ways, Best Boy was a depressing read. But in other ways, it was a very revealing read and for the character Todd, it ends well. I borrowed the book from my local library to learn more about autism and felt it was a Sunday well spent reading.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Dust & Grooves: Record Collectors and Their Amazing Lairs
Book Review: Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting by Eilon Paz
My brother-in-law, John, has been collecting LP's -- thirty-three and a third or long-playing vinyl albums. When last I heard, he had over 300 albums, mostly Elvis Presley and '50's and '60's rock and roll music from his teen days. When I saw Dust & Grooves on the new-books shelf at the local library the other day, it made me think of John's collection.
Dust & Grooves started out as a blog by Eilon Paz, a collector himself and a photographer. When he realized the photographs of collections he had amassed and the collectors he had met, the idea crystallized to write a book. And this amazing tabletop size book emerged.
What you will find here is not your typical result of intensive interviews, although there are some longer pieces farther into the book. But what is amazing are the photos of collectors' record habitats. If you're an avid reader, imagine a tabletop book on book collectors that shows collectors' book nooks and libraries teeming with books. Imagine the characters you would meet behind the collectors. That's what Dust & Grooves exposes, only for vinyl record collectors. And they're as diverse as you might imagine.
I'm taking this book to Thanksgiving dinner so John can look it over because I think he would appreciate seeing his kindred spirits and their lairs. John keeps his hundreds of records neatly filed in a cupboard by his console record player. In this book, you will find that other collectors keep theirs in piles and heaps and stacks and shelves and along walls and in cubby holes. John will be amazed, I'm sure. I just hope it doesn't inspire him to let loose his neat stacks into loose piles.
If you're at all interested in music and the re-emerging vinyl record market, you should look through Dust & Grooves. There is probably a collector in your area, and you might well find that collector an interesting conversant. This book might well help you start a conversation and let you know what you're in for before you begin.
Dust & Grooves is a fun romp through the world of collecting, through the world of record collectors and their amazing lairs. It's fun just to browse. And if you're into music, it's fun just to imagine what you might do with your own collection. Would your collection look like any of these?
(c) 2015. Alan Eggleston. All Rights Reserved.
My brother-in-law, John, has been collecting LP's -- thirty-three and a third or long-playing vinyl albums. When last I heard, he had over 300 albums, mostly Elvis Presley and '50's and '60's rock and roll music from his teen days. When I saw Dust & Grooves on the new-books shelf at the local library the other day, it made me think of John's collection.
Dust & Grooves started out as a blog by Eilon Paz, a collector himself and a photographer. When he realized the photographs of collections he had amassed and the collectors he had met, the idea crystallized to write a book. And this amazing tabletop size book emerged.
What you will find here is not your typical result of intensive interviews, although there are some longer pieces farther into the book. But what is amazing are the photos of collectors' record habitats. If you're an avid reader, imagine a tabletop book on book collectors that shows collectors' book nooks and libraries teeming with books. Imagine the characters you would meet behind the collectors. That's what Dust & Grooves exposes, only for vinyl record collectors. And they're as diverse as you might imagine.
I'm taking this book to Thanksgiving dinner so John can look it over because I think he would appreciate seeing his kindred spirits and their lairs. John keeps his hundreds of records neatly filed in a cupboard by his console record player. In this book, you will find that other collectors keep theirs in piles and heaps and stacks and shelves and along walls and in cubby holes. John will be amazed, I'm sure. I just hope it doesn't inspire him to let loose his neat stacks into loose piles.
If you're at all interested in music and the re-emerging vinyl record market, you should look through Dust & Grooves. There is probably a collector in your area, and you might well find that collector an interesting conversant. This book might well help you start a conversation and let you know what you're in for before you begin.
Dust & Grooves is a fun romp through the world of collecting, through the world of record collectors and their amazing lairs. It's fun just to browse. And if you're into music, it's fun just to imagine what you might do with your own collection. Would your collection look like any of these?
(c) 2015. Alan Eggleston. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Washington Post Best Books Lists
Looking for a good read or two to get you through the doldrums of the coming winter? Here are the lists of 10-best books from The Washington Post. Some great sounding titles.
If you can't find something entertaining to read here...
Enjoy!
- The 10 best books of 2015
- Notable fiction books of 2015
- Notable nonfiction books of 2015
- Best mystery and thriller books of 2015
- Best science fiction and fantasy books of 2015
- Best romance novels of 2015
- Best audiobooks of 2015
If you can't find something entertaining to read here...
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
The Martian: Post-Movie Symposium You Will Want to Watch
Video Recommendation: Adam Savage, Astronaut Chris Hadfield, and Andy Weir Talk 'The Martian'
I reviewed the book, The Martian, and I reviewed the movie, The Martian, and I liked them both. Adam Savage of Discovery Channel's MythBusters is a huge fan of both and after viewing the movie he invited author Andy Weir and Astronaut Chris Hadfield for a public symposium, which has now been posted on YouTube.
If you liked either or both, you will enjoy this discussion of the movie, the public response, some of the inside story of book and movie, how Weir's life has been affected by response to the book and movie's success, and from Commander Hadfield, his perspective on the science of the story and space travel, today and in the future.
Around the time I became enthralled with the story, someone suggested calling anyone who visited Mars a Martian. And I thought that was preposterous. A Martian, I thought, should be someone who was born there or who lived there permanently. But Commander Hadfield has a great explanation of why it makes perfect sense from a psychological perspective that someone who visits Mars would become a Martian.
This video is full of very interesting perspectives. Certainly from Hadfield as an astronaut, sharing stories of his experiences as an astronaut in training and in space. And from Weir in writing the story and getting it published, as well as his amazing experiences since the book became a phenomenon. And from Adam Savage, who is no slouch in science and a collector of science fiction memorabilia.
This video lasts just short of an hour, but it's well worth the time to sit back and enjoy a conversation between three well-informed space enthusiasts. Especially if you love science or science fiction.
I reviewed the book, The Martian, and I reviewed the movie, The Martian, and I liked them both. Adam Savage of Discovery Channel's MythBusters is a huge fan of both and after viewing the movie he invited author Andy Weir and Astronaut Chris Hadfield for a public symposium, which has now been posted on YouTube.
If you liked either or both, you will enjoy this discussion of the movie, the public response, some of the inside story of book and movie, how Weir's life has been affected by response to the book and movie's success, and from Commander Hadfield, his perspective on the science of the story and space travel, today and in the future.
Around the time I became enthralled with the story, someone suggested calling anyone who visited Mars a Martian. And I thought that was preposterous. A Martian, I thought, should be someone who was born there or who lived there permanently. But Commander Hadfield has a great explanation of why it makes perfect sense from a psychological perspective that someone who visits Mars would become a Martian.
This video is full of very interesting perspectives. Certainly from Hadfield as an astronaut, sharing stories of his experiences as an astronaut in training and in space. And from Weir in writing the story and getting it published, as well as his amazing experiences since the book became a phenomenon. And from Adam Savage, who is no slouch in science and a collector of science fiction memorabilia.
This video lasts just short of an hour, but it's well worth the time to sit back and enjoy a conversation between three well-informed space enthusiasts. Especially if you love science or science fiction.
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