The opening of a book can be just as or even more important than the ending.  Sometime, long ago, in my Junior High years, I read a novel entitled The Cay for class, and I remember how my teacher lured us into the book by just focusing on the first sentence.  The Meaning of Night, although thematically a much different book, lures the reader into its pages with its very first sentences made up of very sinister words:  “After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn’s for an oyster dinner”. Read the rest of this entry »

I hesitate writing this book review.  And it is not because I see myself as a tragically flawed writer (although accusations have been made).  The reason stems from the fact that this book hits somewhat close to home.  Yes, one might say that the plot unfolds in far away England where breakfast consists of french fries, slabs of ham, grilled tomatoes, fried eggs and Heinz beans or that the fictional work is merely the refreshing efforts of a successful author.  However, I heartily disagree with those imaginary arguments.  Like Dr. Rene Belloq says, “I am a shadowy reflection of you”.  In many ways, this book is a shadowy reflection of Charles Wright. Read the rest of this entry »

The Erard Piano was, by all accounts, the most popular piano of the late 1700′s and early 1800′s.  An international success, the piano inhabited the most illustrious homes around the world.  They were even commissioned by King Louis XVI for the royal French courts.  While they have fallen out of favor in the last century or so, their influence on the piano industry will forever be remembered.  It is this type of piano, the Erard, in the midst of the British occupation of Burma in 1886 upon which Daniel Mason’s subtle exploration of the human mind revolves. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the moral powerful themes in the literary world, and the one that resonates most with people of all ages is the coming of age story.  It has been done in spectacular fashion (see Harry Potter for details).  It has been done in muted tones and shades of black and white (see To Kill A Mockingbird).  It has been done in space (see Ender’s Game), and it has been done on the streets of Barcelona (see Shadow of the Wind).  And I would argue, in all those cases, the theme was carried out successfully and with enough fanfare to warrant a good, thorough reading.  I wish I could say the same for The Magicians. Read the rest of this entry »

I imagine that years ago, this series of novels would have been vilified for it’s nearly unimaginable subplots of sexual abuse, corruption, prostitution, sadism, and violence.  However, as times changed we have grown more accustomed to the seemingly unavoidable and horrendous crimes that crop up in the news and (hopefully) shock us.  Maybe it is a result of the large population of forensically based television shows, or perhaps it is a result of the real life dramas played out in the papers.   Fundamentally, there is a very realistic and frightening aspect to the story arc of this trilogy that creates the compelling plot, which once started, races to the finish line. Read the rest of this entry »

In the recent decade, society has been inundated with a variety of zombie movies.  While zombies have not reached the dizzying romantic hype of other types of undead (vampires, anyone?), they have subtly carved their own niche into the landscape of our fascination.  Read the rest of this entry »

This series of books came highly recommended by a student of mine (thank you, Logan).  Part of being an eighth grade teacher is admitting to yourself that somewhere deep inside your inner thirteen-your old is still alive and well.  Because I was such an avid reader at that age, I managed to go through an impressive number of fantasy and sci-fiction books, most of which had sequels or prequels or both.

Due to the popularity of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, most fantasy books followed a similar plot arc complete with fictional maps, expansive histories, richly imagined languages, and epic adventures.  Hobbits were untouchable, but elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, trolls and wizards lived on.

Star Wars also influenced many science fiction books, replacing stories like 2001: A Space Odyssey with swashbuckling space tales.  Spaceships no longer plodded through space, swords became standard fare, and roguish pirates were all the rage thanks to Han Solo

But that was back in the day.

In my mind, The Bartimaeus Trilogy bucks those trends in favor of more modern ones. Read the rest of this entry »

What is your favorite Indiana Jones movie?  Is it the first Indiana Jones in which the hero (played by Harrison Ford) is pitted against Nazi Germany and the Fuhrer’s desire to possess the powerful Ark of the Covenant?  Perhaps you are a bigger fan of the third movie during which Professor Jones follows in his father’s footsteps to locate the Holy Grail and once again outmaneuver the Nazis.  My gut instinct tells me that despite your opinion about the most recent adventure, the second movie is your least favorite.  It’s darker.  The villains reflect more sadistic and evil traits than the Nazis ever do.  Children find themselves in the hands of brutal guards while they search to uncover sacred stones.  A man’s heart catches fire as his body becomes submerged in lava.

Ruiz Zafon’s second novel inhabits a similar space. Read the rest of this entry »