10.22.2011
the Half-Made World
by Felix Gilman, 479 pgs, hardcover
Book 1 of the Half-Made World duology
Overall Grade: A
Despite its lackluster ending, this one gets a solid A.
The Wild West is such ripe pickings for the steampunk genre, and Gilman makes heavy use of it. The West is dominated by the forces of Gun and Line, where otherworldly spirits seem to inhabit guns, binding their wielders to their bidding, or monstrous steam engines, dominating their stations and enslaving their people as ant-like drones. Into this craziness comes Liv, a newly widowed psychologist from the civilized East, following the request of a mysterious letter to help with war-ravaged patients at the House Dolorous. But one of those patients holds a secret in his addled mind that Gun and Line will do anything to get (and keep the other side from getting). Liv literally gets swept up into an adventure to the edge of the world, the far west, where the world is actually still forming and shifting.
Labels: genre: fiction, genre: steampunk, media: book, series: the Half-Made World
The Magician King
by Lev Grossman, 400 pgs, hardcover
Sequel to The Magicians
Overall Grade: A-
An excellent sequel to 'The Magicians'. Here the story focuses on Quentin, but also Julia, and we learn of the trials and tribulations in learning magic without enrolling in Brakebills. It's not pretty. For Quentin, having been established a king of Fillory for a while, is looking for a quest and he'll get to learn just what a hero is, and that he really needs to be more careful with interdimensional doorways.
Labels: genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, media: book
10.10.2011
The Pack
by Jason Starr, 341 pgs, hardcover
Overall Grade: B
Simon Burns is an ad exec. Or he was until he was abruptly fired. Now adjusting to the life of a stay-at-home dad and a struggling marriage, he meets a trio of other single dads at the park. He quickly finds camaraderie with these guys, but after a chill evening of dinner, beer and hanging out turns into a nightmare of blacked-out memory and Simon's former boss turns up dead, mauled by a wolf, things quickly spiral out of control. Just what is going on with the mysterious Michael and their friends?
A satisfying, modern take on how one's life would be royally messed up by becoming a werewolf, or werewolf-like. The tale is short on how the transformation process actually works (aside from the necessity of biting), and it does end somewhat suddenly when you'd like more resolution.
Labels: genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, media: book
A First-Rate Madness
by Nassir Ghaemi, 273 pgs, hardcover
Overall Grade: A-
The author sets forth the idea that some of the best leaders in history have some significant degree of mental illness (usually depression or bipolar); and not just coincidentally, but benefited from it. He sets out examples (some recent, some a few centuries old), and examines what we know of their mental state. From the energy and creativity of mania to depressive realism, the author looks at what benefits were derived from their illness. And why we might want leaders (especially crisis leaders) that aren't of sound mental health. Of course, he proves examples of what can go wrong (Hitler) and looks at cases were the mental health of the leader was detrimental.
Having depression myself it was nice to see the stigma of mental illness addressed, and look at the positive aspects (which you'd hardly ever think of).
Labels: genre: historical, genre: non-fiction, genre: science, media: book
10.02.2011
Higher Institute of Villanous Education
by Mark Walden, 320 pgs, hardcover
Series: H.I.V.E. #1
Overall Grade: B+
Labels: genre: fiction, genre: superhero/villian, genre: YA, media: book, series: H.I.V.E.
