Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I've been trying to write a decent review on this book for the last few days and I just can't seem to come up with anything that does it justice, so I'll just post what it says on the author's web site (sorry, it is a bit long).

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.
"The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.
"The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.
I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.
My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.
But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant "to know."
I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of Kvothe—from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But The Name of the Wind is so much more—for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend.

This book is fabulous! It was long and involved and it took me a little while to get through it but it was worth it. But now I have to wait until the next book comes out, which according to Rothfuss won't be for a while.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan


Mary lives in a small village where life has very strict boundaries and rules. Surrounding the village is a fence, beyond the fence is the forest, within the forest are the Unconsecrated- humans who have been infected by a disease causing them to Return to a zombie like existence. The existence of the community depends on the limits imposed by the Sisterhood. Despite all that Mary has been told about the world she lives in she questions that there might be more to life, more outside her small enclosure. When the time comes she must determine what she is prepared to give up and how far she will go to learn the answer to her questions.
This book reminded me a lot of the movies The Village and I Am Legend although it certainly has it's own unique twists and turns. I can't say that I loved this book, because I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but I can say that I was hooked. I finished it in just over 24 hours (24 hours that included sleep and work and normal life stuff) and when I wasn't reading I was wanting to be.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Before I get going on my recommendation I have to let you know that I have a very hard time with memoirs. I always feel that I am getting a very slanted story. I simply have a hard time trusting the authors. I guess I am a pretty big skeptic. It seems the main characters are always the total victim or the total hero and I have a hard time buying their stories. But, with that said, this is a memoir I highly recommend. Imaculee's story, even if embellished, is one everyone should read. It will make you completely rethink your relationship with God, your faith, and most of all it will teach you how incredibly powerful the act of forgiveness can be. Immaculee is a woman who knows what it means to pray and to have perfect faith. She is a woman who truly has a personal relationship with God. I was afraid to read this book because it is about the Rwandan Genocide, but it was uplifting, not depressing and disturbing. Imaculee tells a powerful story and I think this is one of those books that leaves its mark. It is a must read.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

"Lights shine in the city of Ember—but at the city limits the light ends, and darkness takes over. Out there in the Unknown Regions, the darkness goes on forever in all directions. Ember—so its people believe—is the only light in the dark world. And now the lights of the city are beginning to fail. Is there a way to save the people of Ember? No one knows. But Lina Mayfleet has found a puzzling document, and Doon Harrow has made discoveries down in the Pipeworks. With these clues, they start their search."
I enjoyed this book. It is a quick read and a fun read. I did find the darkness clausterphobic and it made me anxious,and made me crave the imagry of a tree and blue sky. But that is because the writing is well done. This is the first in a series of four. I am looking forward to the other three books.