Book Review - Sphere, by Michael Crichton

Title: Sphere

Author: Michael Crichton

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5 glowing squids

In Michael Crichton's Sphere, a group of scientists and other academics are sent to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to investigate the discovery of a technologically advanced spacecraft. When they arrive, the small group of intellectuals realize that the spacecraft is anything but what they expected, and that its contents have the power to alter the fate of the world.

Sphere is a classic science fiction novel. A group of intelligent people explore the unkown and are presented with things they would never dream of as being possible. Where Crichton excells in is the fact that he blends aspects of horror and suspense seamlessly into the science fiction plot. This tension keeps the reader interested and lightens the heavy science content.

Another great thing about Sphere is that it explains many scientific theories that the reader may not know about. This ranges from special relativity, chemistry, psychology, and even the quest to discover intelligent life. These theories are explained in layman's terms, which allows anyone to appreciate the science that Crichton bases his fiction upon.

There are also many twists and unexpected plot changes throughout this novel, which is great to see.

Where Sphere could have improved, in my opinion, is in character development. We get very little backstory for the characters, and there is only a small amount of development throughout the novel. At times, it feels as though the characters in Sphere are simply puppets that the events of the novel happen around. And although a science fiction author can usually get away with this, Crichton's novel is ultimately about psychology and the mind, which requires dynamic characters to really work well.

However, Sphere is a great sci fi title!

4 out of 5 glowing squids!

Book Review - I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

Title: I Am Legend

Author: Richard Matheson

Genre: Horror / Science Fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5 well-spoken vampires

Let me first say this: If you have seen the recent Will Smith movie, I Am Legend, forget everything about it. The film may be based on Richard Matheson's horror novel, but it is so COMPLETELY different that they book and movie feel like very separate stories.

I Am Legend is the story of Robert Neville, the last man on Eart that has survived a plague that turns people and animals into vampires. We follow his attempts at survival and destruction of the undead, while also getting snippets of his past. Also, I Am Legend contains an ending that you WON'T see coming.

The most interesting part about the story is the combination of classic vampire myths with scientific theory. The vampires in Legend come straight out of historical culture: garlic, stakes, mirrors, sunlight, the whole deal. However, Neville's scientific experiments sheds light on a logical causeof the vampirism. This reconcilliation between two different schools of thought is very intriguing.

As with most Matheson novels, the main character is very three dimensional and the reader can not help but feel empathetic towards his situation.

Like I said (and although I won't spoil it for you), the ending was very exciting and surprising. It served to tie together many of the themes of the novel. My only problem with I Am Legend is that the ending seemed to come too quickly.

For a mix of classic vampire lore and modern science fiction, give I Am Legend a try!

4 out of 5 well-spoken vampires

Book Review - Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman

Title: Anansi Boys
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 spiders

Neil Gaiman's most recent novel, Anansi Boys, tells us the tale of Fat Charlie, a man that is trying to make a decent life for himself. That is, until is recloose father dies and he meets his long lost brother, Spider. At first, the reuinion is a welcomed event in Fat Charlie's life, but then Spider begins to take over Charlie's life and refuses to leave. The lengths that Fat Charlie goes to in order to make him leave will set in motion events that will change his life forever.

Anansi Boys is a classic faerie tale, as one comes to expect from Gaiman. It has quirky characters, fantastic events, and a great moral at the end. The unique aspect of this story, however, is that Gaiman bases it on West African / Carribean mythology. This gives the story a different atmosphere, while still feeling every bit like a Neil Gaiman yarn.

The characters in Anansi Boys feel a bit more three dimensional than those in some of Gaiman's other works, which is great. We watch Fat Charlie develop into a much more confident person. Spider has many layers that are uncovered throughout the novel. The "bad guy" is shocking and unique.

One of my favorite aspects of Anansi Boys is Gaiman's humor. You get a taste of it in his other works, but he really holds nothing back in this novel. This is evident both in the crazy plot developments and in the sarcastic comments that the characters often make. It serves to lighten the mood, which makes Anansi Boys a fun read.

At times, Anansi Boys can be a bit predictable, which is my only complaint about the story. Although this can sometimes be annoying, it doesn't seem to take anything away from the story in the end.

4.5 out of 5 spiders!

Giveaway - The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

The time has come for another giveaway! This time, it will be one copy of the novel The Lovely Bones, written by Alice Sebold. Check out the description on the back of the book...

"'My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.' So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her - her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy."

You can also catch my review here.

This giveaway will run for 2 weeks. It will end on 2/16/2010 and the winner will be announced on 2/17/2010. Please: United States residents only!

Here are the rules for entry:

+1 Entry - Leave a comment on this post with your E-mail address
+5 Entries - Become a follower, or tell me if you already are
+5 Entries - Refer someone who becomes a follower (they need to tell me you referred him/her)
+2 Entries - Do a blog post, sidebar post, or tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post (make sure you leave a link to it in your comment)

Good luck!

Book & Movie Review - The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

Good evening folks. I have a special treat for you today: a double review of The Lovely Bones. Both the novel by Alice Sebold and the movie directed by Peter Jackson. So, without further adieu, let's get to it!

Title: The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold

Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 keystone charms

In Seybold's Bones, we follow the lives (and afterlives) of the friends and family of Susie Salmon, a young girl who was raped and murdered in the 70's. We quickly learn that death can be a thing that tears apart the ones we love. However, it can also be the thing that draws them back together.

Bones is a first person narrative told by Susie herself. By the time the reader comes upon her, she is already dead. However, this is just the beginning of her tale. She relates that fateful day in the cornefield, of course, but she also talks about her past and what is happening to her family as they cope with their loss. There are so many things to love about Bones. Susie's narrative is riddled with bittersweetness. She often says things that are at the same time funny and heartwrenching. This mirrors the main plot of her story nicely: her family breaks apart and eventually is healed.

In terms of character development, Sebold does a very nice job. The book deals with Susie's family many years after she dies, and the characters react to different aspects of their lives in a very real way. In addition, Susie herself finds that she comes a long way since the day she died.

The only gripe I have about The Lovely Bones stems from something I love most about the book. Sebold crams many elements into her book: Susie's life before she died, Susie's life in her personal "heaven", her family's life after she dies, her murderer's life, the polices investigation (I can go on and on...). This makes for a very rich story that one can read again and again and pick up new bits. However, Sebold often switches back and forth between these elements in a haphazard way, which can sometimes be distracting.

Never-the-less, The Lovely Bones is an amazing tale of how people cope with loss, and what might happen to us after we die.

4.5 out of 5 keystone charms!

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Title: The Lovely Bones

Director: Peter Jackson

Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 4 out of 5

Having read the novel some years ago, you can understand how excited I was when I heard that Bones would become a movie. After reading many less than stellar reviews, I was very nervous about seeing the movie. However, I finally dragged myself to the theaters and I must say, I was not disappointed.

I think the major gripe critics had about The Lovely Bones is that Jackson relied too much on flashy CGI. And yes, while this does at a few points border on needless, The visual representation of Susie's "heaven" is very stunning and brings a visual element to the audience that the book seemed to lack.

In terms of actor performances, everyone was top notch (the top of the heap, of course, was Stanley Tucci as Mr. Harvey). The emotion was there, which is absolutely necessary to a story like this.

Many things were cut out of the movie, of course, due to time restraints. However, I think that what Jackson DID use was very well done. He also included many little details that fans of the book would appreciate. However, I can see that if one had not read the book, they may feel that Bones lacked substance. And to be honest, as a stand alone movie, it did. However, when taken in conjunction with the book, I believe the movie was definitely worth seeing.

4 out of 5!

Book Review - The Somnambulist, by Jonathan Barnes

Title: The Somnambulist
Author: Jonathan Barnes
Genre: Sci Fi / Historical Fiction / Mystery
Rating: 3 out of 5 clever narrators

The Somnambulist, written by Jonathan Barnes, focuses on the exploits of an ex-stage magician and his loyal companion as they attempt to solve a murder mystery and protect London from destruction.

My review of The Somnambulist is going to end up being in two parts, because I felt very polar emotions while reading it. In terms of writing style, Barnes is an excellent narrator. However, I feel that his story as a whole suffers from lack of organization and clarity. First, the good:

From the very first paragraph of the book, Barnes draws the reader in. He utilizes narration not simply as a way to tell the story, but as a way to get the reader to relate more closely to the author. The narrator is a living being, not simply an omniscient observer. Barnes has a lot of fun with his narration, injecting humor and anecdotes into the story. This really keeps the reader coming back for more, because it makes The Somnambulist read more like a dialogue between author and reader, which is a lot of fun. However (in my opinion, of course), underneath the creative storytelling, The Somnambulist is an unpolished mystery tale.

A major flaw I see in this story is that Barnes tends to leave his audience in the dark when it comes to details. One expects a small amount of this due to the "mystery" genre, but Barnes goes on to mention past events and character relationships that he never really fleshes out or describes for the reader. This made me feel as though the author and the characters were always sharing inside jokes and stories that I was not invited to partake in. This was very frustrating at times, and serves to undermine the relationship that Barnes forges with his quirky narration. Ultimately, The Somnambulist feels like a sub-par sequel. I found myself not caring about what was currently happening. Rather, I wanted to learn more about the characters' pasts - something that Barnes teases with, but never delivers.

Another problem I have with The Somnambulist is that it feels very disjointed. The first three quarters of the book deals with the murder mystery that the main character attempts to solve, and then all of a sudden, a major plot development happens that basically throws the first part of the book into the trash and makes it irrelevant. Even the character that the book shares its name with seems inconsequential and pointless.

To be honest, I was very disappointed with The Somnambulist. It began as a very unique story and held a great amount of promise. However, it ultimately falls short.

3 out of 5 clever narrators.

My First Blogger Award!

Hi all! I just recieved by first blogger award from Haley over at the Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object. Here it is!

Thanks Haley! As a condition to getting this award, you need to tell 7 things about yourself, and pass it on to 7 other kreativ bloggers.

1. I recently drove 15 hours (and back!) to Indiana for a vet school interview.
2. I have a cat, named Khia.
3. I can play the bass guitar (sort of).
4. In third grade, I got a third degree burn on my back for leaning up against a hot radiator.
5. I'm the slowest reader I know.
6. Heather, at The Maiden's Court, is my girlfriend.
7. I share my last name with a popular canned-soup company.

Here are some more kreativ blogs:
The Maiden's Court
BookHounds
Elegantly Bound Books
Reading Daydreams and Nightmares
Ellz Readz