aethercowboy's reviews from LibraryThing

The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:36:42 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "Most fantasy is trite or cliche when it involved dragons to the point of including them in the title. And if you'd like to know who is to blame for this, look no further than Anne McCaffrey. Just like how much of modern fantasy that involves Dwarfs, Elves, and Quests is basically a lamprey with a typewriter securely affixed to Tolkien's underbelly (ew), any modern fantasy revolving around dragons owes a whole heck of a lot to McCaffrey. And in this omnibus edition, you'll find the books that started it all, the three original Pern books, which chronicle the tales of the noble Dragonriders and their more noble dragons. Dragons, in McCaffrey's canon, talk to their riders telepathically, must eat special stones in order to produce fire, and are capable of jumping Between, a limbo place that allows them to emerge in a different place, or even in a different time. If you've read more modern fantasies involving dragons, and have found yourself wanting, I recommend you pick up this fine collection of books and start reading. After a taste of real dragon-fantasy, you'll almost certainly want to put those other books Between."
Nelson Doubleday (1979), Edition: Book Club Edition, Hardcover, 750 pages

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:33:56 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "When Duke, a werewolf, and Earl, a vampire, come across the small Southern town of Rockwood, their biggest problems, or so they think, are the facts that they're out of gas, out of beer, and out of cash. The pull up to Gil's, a 24-hour diner, and before they can figure out what to do next, they find themselves helping the proprietor, Loretta, fend off a wave of zombie attacks, which in part explains why the nearby cemetery is somewhat vacant. Loretta needs help, both around the diner, and help with the zombies, so she hires on Duke and Earl, offering them money, which will get them both beer and gas, and help them on their way. While investigating the source of the zombie attacks, they discover mysterious cult activity in the little town of Rockwood, and must deal with the Rockwood sheriff, a couple of ghosts, a teenage sorceress, and her one-person cult to get to the bottom of things. Gil's All Fright Diner is a delightful first novel by Martinez, blending humor, hurror, and urban fantasy. It's not knock-down, drag-out hilarious, but will definitely make you chuckle from time to time. So, if you're sick of creepy vampires and angsty werewolves, then stop on by Gil's for a story that will satisfy."
Tor Books (2005), Paperback, 272 pages

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:33:32 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "Life of Pi is one of those books appears out of nowhere and is amazing. When you first notice it, you may just pass it by. "Boy on a boat with a tiger." Then you start to notice that everybody's reading it, and it's apparently been nominated, and wins, this thing called a "Man Booker Prize" (which may be more relevant if you live in the UK or the Commonwealth, and less if you're in the US). Piscine, or Pi, as he prefers, to avoid the obvious nicknames, upsets his parents when he determines that he loves God so much, that he goes out and joins two other religions, on top of Hinduism. He joins Islam as well as Catholicism. Needless to say, this not only has upset his parents, but also upsets the respective religious leaders. Nevertheless, Pi stands firm: he has justified his multiple faiths. His father, the proprietor of the Pondicherry Zoo, determines he does not like this new Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and wishes to relocate his family to Canada. Likewise, he manages to sell many of his animals to American zoos. So, they pack up the animals and the people, and make their way across the Pacific Ocean. "The weather started getting rough," the popular television theme song goes, and their not-so-tiny floating menagerie sinks. Pi, one of the survivors, finds himself, a boy, on a boat, with a tiger. The rest of the story deals with Pi's survival, Pi's religion, and a friendship of necessity. I greatly enjoyed Life of Pi, and I know I'm not alone. If you too would like a captivating tale of the deep blue sea, the wild orange tiger, and a giant, green floating island, then you'll definitely enjoy Life of Pi, a story that only comes 'round once in a while."
Harvest Books (2003), Paperback, 336 pages

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:33:06 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "Gregory Maguire, with his work Wicked, really put himself into the limelight. Of course, in this instance, his protagonist Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, really puts the "lime" in limelight. That is, to say, she's green. Maguire, following past success as a children's author, took one of the most beloved children's books and made it real, focusing on the misunderstood Elphaba, and how she became so wicked in the first place. This also firmly placed him in the caste of "parallel novelist," in which most, if not all, of his general works to date have been heavily inspired by previous works of beloved fiction. Wicked does a role reversal of the expected characterizations of Oz. We're to root for the bad guy, who really isn't all that bad; she just doesn't appreciate the oppressive government of Oz, especially as it treats animals and Animals (that is, animals gifted with speech) the same, though one is clearly capable of rational thought. Maguire's Oz is real, grizzled, gritty, and nothing like the happy magic land Baum made it out to be. If you find Oz to be sacrosanct, you may wish to avoid this one. But, if you enjoy Oz, and wish to see more work inspired by it, then this is definitely a book for you. Since it's publication, Maguire has written two other novels to follow in this parallel storyline, which may also be worth reading when you're done being Wicked."
Harper Paperbacks (1996), Paperback, 406 pages

The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged) by Adam Long

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:30:18 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "If you've ever looked for humorous plays, you may have stumbled upon the Reduced Shakespeare Company, who have written several shorter plays poking fun at larger works of literature: Shakespeare, U.S. history, the Ring Cycle, and even the Bible. Here, Adam Long et al., have highlighted some of the better known Bible stories, condensed them, and added some bits of flare to them to make the audience laugh a bit. While not recommended for church picnics, this play does have very humorous appeal, especially those those who know the Bible pretty well, and won't be easily offended. Recommended for fans of humorous dramatic parodies."
Broadway Play Pub (2001), Paperback

An Image of Death by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:46:46 -0400

aethercowboy's review: "The only thing I really liked about An Image of Death was that it ended. While reading this book, I was constantly amazed by how badly written it was. Is this the state of modern mysteries? It seems they're all people writing parallel versions of themselves doing freelance investigation while the local police take turns playing good cop/bad cop. While I have nothing against semi-autobiographical works, it seems that too often these authors rely solely on their thorough knowledge of a subject or a locale, and plot a weak story around it. Such is the case with Image. Oh, you're a former video producer, Ms. Hellmann? Well, so is your protagonist. Oh, you live in Chi-town, Ms. Hellmann? Well, so does your protagonist. If I were a gambling man, I'd also guess that Ms. Hellmann is Jewish (like her protagonist), and hates it when people spell her last name "h-e-l-l-m-a-n," or just calls her "Libby Hellmann." Maybe she's a single mom with past run-ins with Johnny Law, too! If Ellie isn't Hellmann's "Mary Sue," I don't know who is. Before I talk about how utterly horrible this book is, I'd like to address one plus side: Hellmann definitely knows Chicago. Of course, when most people know a town that well, they usually become cartographers, which doesn't require any amount of literary merit, just the ability to draw accurate scale lines in the right place. I read on the cover that her first book was nominated for an Anthony award!? And what's this? A blurb from William Kent Kreuger, multiple Anthony Award winner: "...mysteries don't get any better than this." I'll assume that the ...'s replaced the word 'amateur,' otherwise, I'd not value Mr. Kreuger's integrity enough to even consider reading his work, if he thinks that Hellmann's work is the pinnacle of perfection. The book itself is about Ellie Foreman (note the similar patterns of the name Ellie and Libby; Foreman and Hellmann) who one day gets a video of a woman being murdered. She then takes it to the police, but has to meddle in the meantime, while she's doing a video editing project for some halfway house project for foster children. The problems with the book are many, and it just starts with the obvious pseudo-autobiographical nature of the work. It continues with the fact that throughout the book, the protagonist, a video editor, spends very little time actually doing her job. She goes to lunch a lot, visits her Dad a lot, bugs the police a lot, and has random epiphanies a lot. But, not so much on the video editing. And, for a professional video editor, you would think that she'd know not to pause a tape at a critical moment, as, according to one of the other video editor characters in the book, it ruins the integrity. After hearing this once, she goes on and does it with another tape containing vital information a second time, at another crucial scene. Wow! When Ellie isn't busy damaging evidence, she's making it painfully obvious that she's Jewish (and makes it obvious when other people AREN'T); or she's talking about how she met her boyfriend because her dad had a fling with his mom; or she's fluffing her narrative prose by making comments that make me think she has an Electra complex; or she's having lunch; or she's trash-talking McDonald's or Starbucks; or she's making a comment about some bit of technology that makes her look like a dinosaur Luddite; or she's bumbling around Chicago while the next piece of the puzzle gets shoved (sometimes quite literally) into her hands. And when she's not working, or doing this, we have long, long passages of exposition, or unnecessary Rod & Don dialogues (also known as: "As you know, Bob...") which exist solely for the benefit of the less-than-sharp reader. The book also shows off how much Hebrew, German, and Russian the author knows, by giving you an italic word, and then defining it. Like, how the protagonist's father uses a Hebrew word with his Jewish daughter, and then translates it to English for her. "Gee, thanks, Dad! You've been using that word all my life, and just now do I find out what it means!" And so I won't spoil the ending for you, let me just tell you: it's weak. I know why Hellmann wrote her books from a first-person perspective: so she could blame all the flaws in the prose on Foreman. "That's just the way Ellie thinks," I could hear her say. "She just starts free-associating, and then she finds what she's looking for." And, sure, I'll admit, characters can think like that, but authors are the ones who create them, and chronicle their tales. Is it too much to ask for more quality prose, less exposition, less dialogue for the sake the audience, and more believability in Ellie's voice? So, if you want a poorly written pseudo-mystery that won't challenge your intellect in any way, shape or form, then by all means, go ahead and read An Image of Death. And while you're at it, read the other of the four Ellie Foreman books, and the two Georgia Davis books. I'll personally wait for Hellmann to write a decent mystery in which the protagonist is more Sherlock than Shylock. In the meantime, I think I'd rather just spend my time perusing the Rand McNally street map for Chicago."
Poisoned Pen Press (2009), Paperback, 285 pages

Stories of Adventure by Jack London

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:29:19 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "Did you know Jack London used to publish his stories in magazines like Cosmo? Crazy, huh? Well, in Stories of Adventure, you'll find 47 short stories you've probably not read before, taking you into the south pacific, or even to the bitter cold Yukon. Recommended if you are a devout London fan. Otherwise, it may not be your book. Likewise, some stories have their original formatting (that is, two columns) and that greatly annoyed me. But that's just me!"
Book Sales (1991), Hardcover

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:28:13 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "The Call of the Wild, while synonymous with certain biological functions, is not a precursor to Everybody Poops. Jack London, in one of his many stories of adventure centering around the Klondike Gold Rush, introduces us to a pampered and domestic dog named Buck, who is kidnapped and sold into dog-slavery, being tied to a sled and forced to run, run, run! The human that befriends Buck, John Thornton, spends his time looking for gold and figuring out what he'd do for a Klondike bar, so he could get a decent drink! The story is one that is told in its title: Buck, once domesticated, proves that you can take the dog out of the wild, but you cannot take the wild out of the dog, which is why most veterinarians do not offer wildectomies. This is, by far, one of London's most read books, so you've probably already read it, if you've ever read anything by London before; but if you haven't, and you enjoyed his other work, you might want to pick up The Call of the Wild before people start giving you strange looks. They know!"
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group (1977), Mass Market Paperback

Computer Networks, Fourth Edition by Andrew S. Tanenbaum

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:19:47 -0400

aethercowboy's review: "Tanenbaum presents here, in Computer Networks, a very, very encompassing overview of computer networks, including the different layers that comprise it. If you've ever wanted to know more information than you could possibly require on Computer Networks, including the history of just about every aspect of them, then this book is for you. Granted, the edition I read, the 4th, was published about 7 years ago, when handheld devices that connected to the internet were not ubiquitous. Likewise, other aspects of the book do not necessarily represent the "bleeding edge" of network technology. But, this book will definitely satisfy your hunger with computer networks, and you may find yourself gorged with information, as sometimes it borders on giving you a little more information than you actually need. Recommended for those interested in the theory and practice of computer networks."
Prentice Hall (2002), Edition: 4, Hardcover, 912 pages

Learning C# 2005, Second Edition by Jesse Liberty

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:27:30 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "When it comes to learning new programming languages, I always turn to O'Reilly, because they have, in my humble opinion, the BEST Learning books ever. Each O'Reilly Learning book is laid out like a legitimate textbook, and each chapter provides an introduction to a new facet of the language or concept, building upon what it taught the reader in previous chapters. Likewise, each chapter ends with some very good problems, and unlike many textbooks I've read, EVERY answer is in the back (with some obvious exceptions). Learning C# 2005, while not the most recent Learning C# book out there, did help me learn C# knowing little to nothing about the language (though, I did have a background in C, C++, and Java, which helped). While you probably won't get snaked into writing too many programs in C# 2005, the more recent editions of this book are bound to provide you with the same wonderful level of education that this book provided me."
O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2006), Edition: 2, Paperback, 552 pages

C++ Unleashed by Jesse Liberty

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:25:01 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "This is a big, comprehensive book. It's probably one of the better ways to go, if you're looking to fine tune your C++. Though, go elsewhere if you're trying to learn the language from scratch. Liberty, one of the voices of C++/C# presents, with a laundry list of other C++ pros, a detailed look at the C++ programming language. The book is good for a read-through, and then keeping nearby for a paper reference (though, keep in mind that most programming languages come, these days, with the manual included, and for those that don't, and internet connection is all you need). This isn't a beginner's book, so try something else if you're wishing to dip your feet into C++. But, otherwise, it's a valuable reference with helpful examples, including a CD-ROM with the code snippets included."
Sams (1998), Paperback, 944 pages

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:24:19 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "In what is one of Lewis' lesser-known works Till We Have Faces, he presents a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, through the eyes of the older sister of Psyche. Here Lewis presents a parallel account of the classic myth, which at times borders on a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," in more than one way. If you are a fan of Lewis' writing, or would like to try something different than Wardrobes, Wormwoods, and Westons, give this Face a look."
Harcourt Brace & Company (1980), Paperback, 324 pages

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:20:12 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "The Silver Chair is the last book of the Caspian Triad. In this volume, Eustace Scrubb and his classmate Jill Pole get sucked back into Narnia. They befriend a Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum, and partake on an adventure to find the lost prince Rilian. The gang ends up discovering that Rilian is being detained by the Emerald Witch, who may or may not be Jadis, the White Witch. All in all, this book is a must read for readers of the other Narnia books. While it is not the most literary of the seven, it does fit nicely within the series, segueing nicely to the next chronological book, The Last Battle."
Macmillan Publishing Company (1970), Edition: 5, Paperback

Discipline With Dignity by Richard L. Curwin

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:11:19 -0400

aethercowboy's review: "Discipline With Dignity is a book that deals with the difficult world of academic discipline, especially with troublesome children. It pertains, primarily, to school-age children up through high school. While the subject matter in the book is a bit dated (students able to actually TOUCH the children!?), the psychological principles seem to make sense (says the non-teacher): don't expect anything from the students you wouldn't expect from yourself, don't get caught in power plays (c.f. the Dollar Auction), try reverse psychology on students who systematically fail to get homework done, positively reinforce for good behavior, and, of course, punish bad behavior. While I never actually intend to teach children, I found some of the concepts in this book to be helpful and informative. I probably wouldn't not recommend this book to a teacher, however. Solely, at least. I would rather suggest a teacher find a selection of recent publications dealing with in-school discipline practices before just taking this one and running with it (it could have potentially bad side-effects, being that the book is about 20 years old). But, if you're interested in some practical advice that can be applied to several different aspects of life, it may be worth reading. But, again, there are many better, more recent books for that."
Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve (1989), Paperback, 267 pages

The Non-Designer's Design Book, Third Edition by Robin Williams

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:40:36 -0400

aethercowboy's review: "Don't be a wimp. At least, that's what Williams tells us just about every other page. You'd think it would get annoying, but it doesn't. That's premise of the Non-Designer's Design Book, which was written to help us every-day average Joes not make ridiculous layouts that will be so horribly ugly that they will blind passing children and puppies, or something. I found this book to be a great help, explaining many things I didn't even learn when I was editing (and winning state-wide awards for editing, writing and laying out) a newspaper. Just don't tell anybody, okay? This book, complimenting Williams' "The (computer system you're using) is Not a Typewriter" books, takes your through what makes layout work, and what makes it aesthetic. You know an ugly ad when you see it, and after reading this book, you'll not only know WHY it's hideous, but also what they could have done to make it better. Do you need the Non-Designer's Design Book? Well, if you're a professional designer, you won't. Also, if no other person will ever see your design work, you also won't. But if you're anything less than a professional (or even a professional with some level of curiosity), and you're making things that the public will see, it would benefit you greatly to invest in this book (and for heaven's sake, stop using Comic Sans!)."
Peachpit Press (2008), Edition: 3, Paperback, 208 pages

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:21:45 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "C. S. Lewis' strength is in writing letters, which is why it should come to no surprise that one of his better known non-children's book is written in an epistemological way. This work is, of course, The Screwtape Letters, which is a collection of letters written by a demon named Screwtape to his dear nephew Wormwood, whose duty it is to corrupt a man, and thus deny him any eternal reward. Wormwood faces trouble daily as his "patient" begins to sway towards "the Enemy" (that is, God). Lewis takes one on a spiritual journey through the perspective of two demons wracking their brains, trying to find way to keep people from knowing God. While an enjoyable work of Christian fiction, it does require some thinking to appreciate, as the letters in the book are solely those written by Screwtape, with no sign (only mention) of Wormwood's. Thus, you must read between the lines to determine what's going on with Wormwood and his patient. An enjoyable and short work."
Barbour Publishing, Incorporated (1992), Mass Market Paperback, 160 pages

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Administrator's Companion by Bill English

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:44:31 -0400

aethercowboy's review: "This books is for SharePoint Administrators who want to know simply every little thing they can about SharePoint administration. To everyone else, it's boring, and quite a bit of information which borders at time in the "too much" zone. At times, I was toiling through each novel-length chapter, trying to reach that glorious signal of the end: "Summary." While the book was informative, I found the writing to be dry, and not really captivating like the computer and technical books I normally read. So, in the end, I was left unimpressed by this massive volume. Perhaps if SharePoint were more central to my life, I would have devoured this book, but as it's only an aspect on the periphery, my time is better spent reading interesting (to me) books about interesting (to me) topics."
Redmond, Wash. : Microsoft Press, c2007.

Perelandra by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:23:27 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "In the second volume of C. S. Lewis' allegorical science-fiction trilogy, Elwin Ransom is sent by the ruler of Mars to Venus, or, as it's called Perelandra. Ransom discovers that Venus has a society at the beginning: it's Garden of Eden state, with free floating islands drifting on a sweetwater ocean populated with mythical and strange creatures. He meets that's world Eve, called Tinidril, and discovers his adversary, Weston, who is actively working to corrupt the Venusian society by encouraging Tinidril to do the one thing forbidden by Maleldil (the God character): sleep on the Fixed Land. Ransom and Weston battle for the future of this world and its inhabitants, which is made more complex when Weston becomes the subject of demon possession. While the story may sound a bit fantastic (and it is quite allegorical, acting as a sort of commentary on Dante and Milton), Lewis considered this volume the best of all his works, which would probably make it a must read for a true fan of Lewis. For everybody else: It's worth reading if you enjoyed Out of a Silent Planet, and worth looking into if you liked Narnia, Screwtape, or any of Lewis' other fiction."
Collier Books (1965), Paperback, 224 pages

Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:22:49 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "C. S. Lewis, who most of you will instantly associate with either children's fantasy or epistemology, wrote a trilogy (or arguably, 3 and some proper fraction) of science fiction stories. Staying true to his evangelizing form, this series is very, very allegorical. The initial novel came to be as the product of a challenge between Lewis and Tolkien. Lewis would write a space travel story, while Tolkien would write a Time Travel story (find fragments of it in The Lost Road and Other Tales). The trilogy starts with the end. Not the end of the series, mind you: the end of Martian society. But let's back up... Elwin Ransom, philology professor, when taking a hike, ends up the subject of a scientific experiment by two fellows, Weston and Devine. After being drugged to sleep, he finds himself aboard a space ship headed for Mars, or Malacandra. It is here he meets a civilization nearing the end of its life, in contrast to Earth, which is somewhere in the middle. Ransom and his captors are caught in an endgame struggle between the three races of Mars. Lewis is able to write science fiction that isn't overly preachy, like many Christian sci-fi writers. And this makes it a bit more enjoyable thean the rest. This book, like many of Lewis' fiction, is very allegorical, even to the point of character names, like Pilgrim's Progress Through Space, or something. Nevertheless, those familiar with Lewis' writing, or of other allegorical science fiction, may find Out of the Silent Planet a nice way to break up the quiet period between your last and next book."
Scribner (1987), Paperback, 160 pages

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:21:25 -0500

aethercowboy's review: "This volume marks the end of The Chronicles of Narnia, at least where Lewis was involved. This volume is an allegory for the Book of Revelation, which in itself, seems very allegorical. An ape named Shift convinces a donkey named Puzzle to pretend to be Aslan. Through this, he is able to convince Narnians that he, Shift, speaks for Aslan, and as such, he makes ridiculous requests of them, which they blindly follow, furthering Shift's own wealth and power. But, well, not everyone in Narnia is stupid, and some start to catch on, only to be overpowered by the overwhelming forces of the weak-minded. In a call to Aslan, the heir of Caspian, requests help, which comes in the form of former human visitors to Narnia. Good works to triumph over evil, but there are many casualties along the way. And since it's allegorical, you can probably guess how it ends. This book is a good way to end your reading of The Chronicles of Narnia. If you've enjoyed the series thus far, there have been loads of works written to both compliment and criticize the series, including one of the key events in the book involving a train, but I'll say no more on this subject. Definitely recommended if you've made it this far."
Macmillan Publishing Company (1970), Paperback, 184 pages