Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is the 800+ page, historical fiction, 1st novel from Susanna Clarke. The plot, though as twisted as a King's Road, fulfilled every complex question and desire the reader could have while creating the vivid worlds (both Fairy and Christian) of the early 19th century. Clarke incorporates real events, such as the war against the French, with her fantasy world of practical magicians so beautifully, it's almost hard to tell exactly where the history stops and the fantasy begins. It's dark without dwelling on the darkness, and light without being silly. Perhaps my favorite thing about this novel was the language. She stays true to the almost-stuffy banter of 19th century gentlemen and ladies while occasionally changing the spelling of certain words. Whether it is the old way or her own way of spelling, I cannot say, but it is fun to read a word like "connexions" on the page of a modern book. The characters are all complex, the story moves along like a river, never stopping or slowing, and the magic is restrained for the sake of realism. I loved this book. I'm not sure if there is anything that could have made it better. I will probably read it again, even with the near 1000 page commitment.

Here is a picture of this book on my head.

5/5

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Well, things haven't really been going my way lately, and you know what that means for my reading life... FAN-TA-SY TIME!

I picked up The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly based on its cover and boy did it deliver. The story follows a coming-of-age boy through his mother's death and father's remarriage and into fairy land. Fairy land is the story world where all the humans who enter bring their own monsters and heroes. It's a simple hero's journey across a dangerous landscape. The scenes are vivid, the villains frightening, and the story exciting. While the whole story wasn't exactly groundbreaking or terribly, fresh, Connolly did put a nice old fairy tale spin on a more modern story and it did exactly what it was supposed to do - take me out of this world.

4.75/5

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 Mother Night is two things. First, it is a story, a fairly well-told story of a German's life in World War II. Secondly, it is a character sketch of a very Vonnegut-esque man in his forties, and whose only drive to live is his curiosity. My favorite quote from the book isn't even from the story itself. It's from the preface, from Vonnegut. It is this: "This is the only story of mine whose moral I know. I don't think it's a marvelous moral; I just happen to know what it is; We are what we pretend to be. So we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
I will say that of the collection of Vonnegut novels I have read this one comes in second place.
1st place Slaughter House 5
2nd place Mother Night
3rd place Breakfast of Champions
But I did like the drawings in BoC so maybe they're tied. Oh I won't fight myself over it. The point is, I recommend reading it and it helps if you pretend the main character is Glenn Beck :X

4.5/5

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

I laughed, I cried, I loved it.

5/5

The Truth About Unicorns by James Cross Gilbin

The Truth About Unicorns by James Cross Gilbin, is the third nonfiction text I have read about unicorns. I will rate it on a different scale than normal
- Quality of information 3/5
- Layout 5/5
- Quality of pictures 4.5/5
- Quality of writing 2/5

The thing is, this book didn't really make any claims at the age group it was trying to hook. The writing was not scholarly at all and implied that unicorns don't exist. As this is an ongoing debate, I think it irresponsible to not give both sides of the modern argument. Also if it's a book for kids, it should be more clear. Kids aren't the only people who care about unicorns, come on.

3/5

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is told from the perspective of a dwarf albino hunchback. She was purposefully conceived that way, to become a circus freak in her family's traveling circus act. The story, insane as it is, is so well told that amidst the tents and lions and saw dust and cooky characters, it is still completely comprehensive. Simply achieving this feat makes me bow to Ms. Dunn in literary awe. But it isn't just a story about the albino dwarf hunchback's childhood, it also simultaneously follows her present day, where she survives in Portland as a radio dj, taking care of those around her. The two stories never take away from one another or distract. I was never wishing to be in the past when I was in the present of vice versa. Presenting dueling stories that remain equally interesting is another literary task accomplished. And not only that.
THE STORY
The story is amazing. The characters are as solid as wood. The entire thing takes place before the reader's eyes, like a play on a stage. And at the end, Dunn has the reader feeling as though it was all her own history that she just learned about in the 300 pages. This story was masterfully woven, expertly told, and clearly written. If all books were this way, the world would be a better place.

5/5

Something Wicked this Way Comes

Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked this Way Comes is an attempt at a thriller. The story tries to follow two young boys and their experience with a supernatural carnival that comes to town. Where3 Bradbury failed is in another character, Will's father. Will's father is composed of Bradbury's own fears about aging and death. This character takes page after page of nearly nonsensical philosophy that has no real place in the action/adventure preteen story. I thought at first that Bradbury wrote it when he himself was too old to comprehend what he was writing but it turns out good ol' Ray was only in his 40s. Maybe I need to go back and re-read Fahrenheit 451. Maybe it's not as good of a book as I remember. Or maybe Bradbury just stumbled on this one and that's why no one has heard of it.

I have to mention two characters though that really stood out and made the story worth reading. The first is the Illustrated Man. Pure evil incarnate, he wasn't quite as enrapturing as the dust witch.
THE DUST WITCH. A witch with her eyes sewn shut. She travels in a hot air balloon and feels the earth with her hands. She struck me almost as strongly as Coraline's Other Mother.


2/5