For Odd's village, winter seems like it will never end - more so than usual, that is. It is especially tough on Odd, who doesn't quite fit in with his village, and at last he resolves to set forth into the wintry forest to figure out why spring does not come. When he runs into a bear, an eagle, and … [Read more]
The Luminaries
Oh my word. I have no idea where to begin with The Luminaries. It is amazingly complex, overwhelming, and a readable mystery all at the same time. I finished this 800 page tome and wondered what the heck I had just experienced. I’m not sure if that is a criticism or a compliment. Set in Gold Rush … [Read more]
MelBivDevoe’s CBR Review #4 – We Must Take the Current When It Serves
In Chang-rae Lee’s dystopian vision of the future, America is divided into three classes living in three extremely different types of settlements. At the top are the Charters, protected cities in which the rich and successful dwell, spending their money on whatever fancy suits their … [Read more]
's CBR6 Review No:4 ·
Genres: Fiction ·
Tags: #CBR6, Chang-rae Lee, Dystopian, Fiction, MelBivDevoe, On Such a Full Sea ·
A Story Of Masks And Costumes
While not my favorite read so far, Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring is at least moderately enjoyable. More importantly, though it is set in the 1660s in Europe, this novel highlights the illusion of social mobility we cling to and our obsession with appearances. We like to think as a … [Read more]
On Catastrophe, Martian Potatoes, and Displaying Adaptability
I'm a firm believer in the First Paragraph Test. If you're on the fence about a book, reading the first paragraph can be a good indicator of whether or not you should actually take the time to read it. "Hey, isn't that like judging a book by its cover?" you may ask. Well, no, since an author often … [Read more]
It’s really all about the cat
It's probably not surprising to anyone that I heard about To Say Nothing of the Dog [Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump At Last] (1998) by Connie Willis from another Cannoball review. Time travel and science fiction aren't my go-to genres but the review was more than convincing enough for me to … [Read more]