World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

A world on fire

 I read this book on a recommendation from a friend. To be fair, it is not a book I would have picked up on my own, but then such was the case for my friend. This book, for both of us, was an anomaly. But what an anomaly it was. On the surface, this book is exactly what it claims to be. Through multiple first person accounts, the reader is invited to experience the first and hopefully only, Zombie War. Just hearing that, I’m sure you might expect to hear an account that might start, in the movies

“ In a World where disease has racked the land,…. the dead…don’t stay that way….”

Maybe the trailer would then cut to the scene of an innocent child, surrounded by wreckage…who turns with a bloodthirsty grin, seeking its next victim.(I know, I just stole that scene from Walking Dead, but is so iconic and unforgettable.

But World War Z is much more than a book of scare tactics and this is why I highly recommend people who have not discovered it for themselves, to read it. … Continue Reading

Dreadnought Review

Looking back, I admit I was a little too harsh initially on Boneshaker, Cherie Priest’s zombie/steampunk hybrid novel. While it turned out to be a good book, I thought the story started too slowly for me; probably because I was too anxious about the zombie swarm goodness I knew was bound to happen. With Dreadnought, the second entry in the Clockwork Century series, I am happy to report I have no complaints about this gunslinging sequel. Priest expands and builds on her wild take on Civil War America, complete with train heists, battling mechs and of course, more zombies. … Continue Reading

The Sheriff of Yrnameer, a review

The cover of my copy is silver... Not that that means anything

So, I missed a post last week because I was pretty sick from Thursday on.  Feeling much (much much!) better now, and decided to get on here and do another review.  I am not exactly sure how regularly I will be writing starting next week, as the semester starts back up, but I’ll do what I can!

The Sheriff of Yrnameer was the very first novel by Michael Rubens.  It is set in the distant future.  It centers around a fairly pathetic space pilot/smuggler named Cole.  He’s one of those characters that aspires to be Han Solo like, thinking he’s got everything going for him, but he’s more like Fry from Futurama.

In fact, the whole of Rubens’ future is similar to Futurama–in a good way.

Basically all the worst things happen to Cole.  He is captured by an alien bounty hunter who wants nothing more to lay his eggs in Cole’s brain; the girl of his dreams leaves him for his alien sidekick; and his precious ship is vaporized because he didn’t make it to the parking meter in time.  All of this terrible stuff happens in the first few chapters.

When Cole overhears his rival’s plan to take on a cargo and a couple passengers, he decides he wants in on the action.  After knocking his rival out, he steal his ship, and begins an adventure that takes him out of civilized space.  The group, with a cargo of freeze-dried orphans in tow, encounter cannibalistic business men, ornery grey aliens, and the same bounty hunter that was after Cole from the start.

… Continue Reading

The Story of Sushi, a review

I’ll be completely honest, when I picked up Trevor Corson’s book, The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, I expected a grand historical account of sushi throughout the ages.  What I didn’t expect, and what the book offered to me, was a story–though true to life–about a young woman’s struggle at a school where sushi chefs learn their trade.

I picked it up, a little wary.  I’ll admit that I didn’t read what this book was about.  I honestly decided to read it, hoping for some history on sushi.  After the first few pages, I was hooked.  That lase sentence may come across as a terrible pun, considering the book has a fish on the cover.  For that, I apologize.

The story is set in California.  More specifically, the California Sushi Academy in a restaurant called Hama Hermosa.  It follows a few students, and the instructors, of what was the last class the Academy held before Hama Hermosa was closed.  (It’s since moved to another restaurant.)

Corson does a wonderful job of blending the story aspect, following the students/instructors, and giving his readers a history lesson in sushi.  When a new fish, or sushi style is introduced, the chapter it appears in tells about how it came about to be a sushi topping or style.  Corson did a lot of research for this book, and it shows.

I enjoyed the blending of the two styles.  It was written like it was half novel and half sushi encyclopedia!

After reading it, I learned that Corson also has a book called The Secret Lives of Lobsters. I am eager to find a copy, and read that one, as well.

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, a review

“A bluebear has twenty-seven lives.  I shall recount thirteen and a half of them in this book, but keep quiet about the rest…”  So begins one of the most creative books I have ever had the chance to read. The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, written by Walter Moers, is touted as “Equal parts J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams and Shel Siverstein.”  This description is absolutely true.

The story begins with a preface from the good ol’ Captain, and soon begins with his adventures just after birth.  Each of the chapters following, delve into on of Bluebear’s “lives”.  By life, the author means different ways that Bluebear has lived and learned.  He starts by…well…being born, of course.

… Continue Reading

The Boneshaker

I think his hair may actually be on fire

A while back, I went to the Brooklyn Book Fair and it brought me into contact with many new authors and works I knew nothing about before.  One large source of new material was the young adult tent, as I waited to see Libba Bray’s YA  band, Tiger Beat.   In the session before the band, I heard from the authors of Bamboo People, Marcelo and the Real World, and The Boneshaker.  Hearing them speak prompted me to get a copy of each of their books from the library.  Without a doubt Marcelo and Boneshaker won the day for me.  I am working on another post about Marcelo, but right now, I have to share my enthusiasm for The Boneshaker.

I read the description for this book, and I thought I knew what I was in for.  This turned out to be only partly true.  The Boneshaker begins in a sleepy turn of the century town.  The plucky heroine loves understanding the why of things, which she has had ample time to practice, learning at the workshop of her father, who fixes  bicycles, and practically anything else mechanical.

Her father fixes the doctor’s old car in the opening scene and the doctor leaves town, to deal with a flu epidemic in a nearby town, which leaves most of the town uneasy.  They trust the poor pharmacist left behind to take care of them, but only so just.  Unfortunately, but perhaps not unexpectedly,  with the good doctor’s departure, wicked this way, does, indeed, come. … Continue Reading

My first foray into Ayn Rand–a review of Anthem

The story is not as boring as the cover...

I like to think of myself as an equal-opportunity reader.  I’ll give (most) anything a fighting chance, as long as it hooks me.  I mean, I read a story about the creation of The Oxford English Dictionary (The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester.  READ IT!), and it was great!  Why, then, did I find myself shying away from Ayn Rand?

I have friends who have tried, and have given up, to read both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged so maybe their negative commentary got to me… I don’t know for sure.  So, when I saw that a Rand book was required for my English class, I kind of balked at reading it.  I was ready to not give Ayn Rand a chance.

In short, I am pretty glad I had to give her a chance (had to as Anthem was required, as I said).  Did I enjoy Anthem?  Yes, I did.  This is the long of it:

… Continue Reading

The Way of Kings Review

I just finished the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series – his magnum opus – and let me tell you, The Way of Kings is serious. Twenty years from now, young newcomers to fantasy and aspiring writers will look up to this series the way we look up to late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I suppose that makes it all the more fitting that Sanderson has been named his literary successor, as well as the man to finish Jordan’s absurdly epic series. Sanderson in his own right has laid the foundation for something I will be pleased to share with my own children someday… when I have children, that is. … Continue Reading

The Name of the Wind Review

Before you read this, just know that it took me an absurdly long time to finish this review. I’ve written this over for the third time, and I still feel that I can’t quite adequately describe how much I loved this book. Suffice to say it is perhaps one of the best books that I have ever read. Take my last statement with a grain of salt; some of the emotions described in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind seem to have an extra amount of resonance with my life right now. It is essentially about a hero telling the story of how he became a hero, something that sounds routine, yet never would I have expected it to be pulled off with such skill. Rothfuss certainly has a gift; a talent with words I would sacrifice a limb to have for myself. Most amazing to me is the fact that this novel is only the first day of his retelling, and only covers his life from age eleven to fifteen. Maybe that doesn’t impress you, but when put in the perspective that the memoirs are being told by a man who only looks to be 25, it’s clear Kvothe has lived a lot of life during that span. … Continue Reading

Yokai Attack!, a review.

I love this book!

It’s that time of year, again: the time when one’s fancy turns to the ghoulish.  I love Halloween, and the feel of the season changing as it comes upon on.  This time of year, I find myself digging out old horror movies (though it’s not a horror, I did just watch Return to Oz, again…it’s pretty scary) and watching all those reality shows featuring “Ghost” or “Haunted” in the title.

Though the subjects of the amazing book–cleverly put together by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda–aren’t Halloween-based, I couldn’t help but think of using it as a blog post. 

Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide is essential for any fan of supernatural beings or Japan.  Within the book is a collection of what are, basically, dossiers for certain Japanese yokai (a word that means demon, spirit or monster).  The book is broken down into several categories based on the personality of the creatures within it.

For example the first chapter, “Ferocious Fiends” has a dossier for my favorite of the yokai: the Tengu.  The Tengu are bird-like spirits who inhabit the mountainous areas of Japan.  They are noted swordsmen and, though they can be antagonistic toward humans, can also be quite helpful toward them as well.

The dossier on each creature contains several tidbits of information including: what their name means, what they look like and, most importantly, how one would survive an encounter with one.  In some, there are even explanations about what sorts of actual phenomena can explain the appearances of some yokai.

The research on the yokai is quite thorough, and the artwork–done by Tatsuya Morino–in each of the dossiers is gorgeous.

As a fan of the supernatural, and a huge fan of Japan and it’s culture, this book is quite an awesome example of both.  I received this book for Christmas just after it was release, and constantly find myself going back to it.  I even wrote a paper in English about yokai, and used the book as a reference.  I can’t recommend this quirky book enough!