Tag Archives: recommended read

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

It appears I read the first book in this series before I started writing about the books I was reading, which is annoying to me, and possibly to you to. Or maybe it’s just a bit of my need-to-have-some-part-of-my-life-in-order-so-I-choose-odd-small-things issue coming though and no one is annoyed other than me.

Regardless of who is or is not annoyed by this out of order book review I’ll attempt to put my own issues aside and carry on.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman was a recommendation from Pat Rothfuss’s blog. And since we should all have read at least The Name of The Wind by now we know he is a super author, and we should probably at least check out his recommendations right?

Right.

If you would like to do so yourself here is his link http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2009/08/things-i-like-magicians-and-faeries-of/ 

Personally I’d call The Magicians something of a Harry Potter meets Narnia in an adult sort of way.

(And by that oh best beloved I mean we’ve added, sarcasm, sex, drugs, alcohol, death and other assorted nasties)

I recall it being a fairly wonderful, if slightly startling book, so therefore I found the second in the series (see large title above) and brought it home.  I then proceeded to read this book in a much shorter time frame than I should have which resulted in a much shorter night sleep than was really prudent.

And it was worth it.

Would I recommend it? Why yes, yes I would, thanks for asking.

And on a slightly different but still sort of related subject I feel compelled to share this flow chart of NPR’s top 100 science fiction and fantasy books (also recommended by Pat Rothfuss) because it’s funny if you’ve read enough of them to be dorky enough to get the jokes and possibly helpful in finding a new book to read if you haven’t.

NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Flow Chart

Zen Ghosts by Jon J. Muth

I hate Halloween.

I’ve mentioned this before here but hate it or not it’s coming up and as with all holidays the library has kept us on track with their rack of seasonal/holiday appropriate books. Normally I love the seasonal rack, but these are Halloween books, and I hate Halloween, I also hate Clifford. I really don’t want to read about Clifford and Halloween in the same book.

Ivy does.

It’s a problem.

When I saw that Jon Muth who wrote Zen Shorts had a Halloween book out I pounced on it. I was a little apprehensive since it did involve the word “ghost” but there was no big red dog or ugly drippy monsters on the cover so I thought it was worth a try. I’d like to say it was just as wonderful as Zen Shorts but I can’t get my Halloween hating completely out of my system so I will just say that it is the only Halloween book that I have ever enjoyed.

The illustrations were again beautiful.  And the story.. I’m not even sure what to say, it was a ghost story, sort of, and it was a zen-like-make-you-think-story, and once again Ivy enjoyed it more than I ever would have guessed she would have.

Would I recommend it? Yes indeed! Please replace a certain large red dog with a giant panda named Stillwater, I promise life will get better.

The Patron Sait of Liars by Ann Patchett

This is one of those books that I’ve always heard the name but never actually read.  Since reading State of Wonder  by the same author ( I thought I wrote a review on that book but just discovered that I didn’t. But I should have because it was one of my favorite books I have read lately, definitely a recommend read that one, check it out!  – anyway-)   I thought I’d read some more of Patchett’s books.  I’ve always heard this title come up and now I can see why, it’s good!

I like when books switch character perspectives, but I like it more when they go back. I enjoyed this book, I read it quickly, it was good, but I missed the characters voices when I never got to hear them again.

Would I recommend it? Yes.

The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley

This is the second (after The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) Flavia de Luce Mystery I have read and they are fast becoming my new favorite books.

Think precocious, english, eleven year old solves mystery’s with an ample dose of chemistry, while tormenting her sisters.

If that’s too difficult to imagine go find yourself The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  It’s excellent, and this one is just as good!

Would I recommend it? Yes!

Painted Ladies by Robert B. Parker

I’m only including this book to say I’m no longer putting Parker’s Spencer novels on here. They are all good, I recommend them all.

Well, I’m also including it because Storm is weird. Can anyone tell me why her foot is hovering in midair over the book?

Would I recommend it? Yes.

What do you recommend? I love the super quick reading, non-gruesome murder and humor of these books. Does anyone have any other suggestions of like books?

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

First off I’d like to take this opportunity to mention something that has irritated me for years.

Ahhem…

Why are science fiction and fantasy always grouped together?

They are not the same.

The end.

This book is science fiction but please don’t run away yet, I have a sci fi theory. Sci fi, has it’s good, it’s bad and it’s ugly when it comes to books, just like every other genre, it’s just that people have a low tolerance for the bad and the ugly when it involves  science fiction and write the whole lot off. So here is my advice – do what I do, only read the ones people recommend. You get rid of just about all of the bad and the ugly and will hopefully end up with a book you may not otherwise have looked twice at that falls firmly into the good category.

P.S. Also never judge a science fiction book by it’s cover, I just finished this book and I’m not really sure what the deal is with the picture, please ignore it.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It was recommend to me, so following my own advice, I read it. I got sucked in, stayed up too late reading and by the end my head was reeling and I told John he needed to start it immediately.