Book Review - Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Title: Incarceron  

Author: Catherine Fisher 

Year: 2010 

Page: 448 

Genre: Fiction - Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian

New to me author? Yes 

Read this author again? Probably not 

Tearjerker? No 

Where did it take place? UK
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
The vast prison Incarceron, made of metal and cutting-edge technology, was designed as a grand experiment: all undesirables would be sealed inside and given everything for a model utopia. But the experiment failed as Incarceron grew self-aware and tyrannical, resources dwindled, and prisoners divided into factions. Centuries later, prisoners exist under Incarceron’s watchful eyes with one belief: no one from Outside enters, no one from Inside escapes. Finn, however, believes he’s from Outside, and after he finds a crystal key that opens any door, he embarks on a journey to escape. Outside Incarceron, Claudia, the warden’s daughter, is also looking for escape, from an arranged marriage and from her role in a plot to end Protocol, which forces inhabitants to live according to seventeenth-century norms. When she too finds a crystal key, she comes into communication with Finn, who she believes is the true prince of the Realm. This gripping futuristic fantasy has breathless pacing, an intelligent story line, and superb detail in rendering both of the stagnating environments. Fisher’s characters are emotionally resonant, flawed, determined, and plagued by metaphysical questions. With some well-timed shocking twists and a killer ending, this is a must-have.

First Sentence:
Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway.  

Why did I pick this book?
Learned about this book from Mel's Books and Info (check out her review!) and she gave it 5 stars! The storyline sounds original and interesting. Plus on amazon.com some reviews said those who like the Hunger Games will like this too - so how could I resist?

My thoughts:

• I was almost ready to give up after 2 (short) chapters... but decided to read a little more since it had so many great reviews... about 1/3 way through, I gave up. It was confusing, it was slow. And I didn't really care about the characters...

• I saw a trailer of the book and it looked wonderful - I think if this was ever made into a movie, I'd have liked it better. Like The Lord of the Rings, I guess - I tried reading the first page of the book and stopped... but LOVED the movies.

• I do LOVE the cover though. The title and the key are holograms. It is creepy.

 
Rating: 0 Star - Did Not Finish

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Book Review - Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

Title: Moloka'i
Author: Alan Brennert
Year: 2004 
Page: 400 
Genre: Fiction - Historical

New to me author? Yes 
Read this author again? Probably not 
Tearjerker? No 
Where did it take place? US
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
Compellingly original in its conceit, Brennert's sweeping debut novel tracks the grim struggle of a Hawaiian woman who contracts leprosy as a child in Honolulu during the 1890s and is deported to the island of Moloka'i, where she grows to adulthood at the quarantined settlement of Kalaupapa. Rachel Kalama is the plucky, seven-year-old heroine whose family is devastated when first her uncle Pono and then she develop leprous sores and are quarantined with the disease. While Rachel's symptoms remain mild during her youth, she watches others her age dying from the disease in near total isolation from family and friends. Rachel finds happiness when she meets Kenji Utagawa, a fellow leprosy victim whose illness brings shame on his Japanese family. After a tender courtship, Rachel and Kenji marry and have a daughter, but the birth of their healthy baby brings as much grief as joy, when they must give her up for adoption to prevent infection. The couple cope with the loss of their daughter and settle into a productive working life until Kenji tries to stop a quarantined U.S. soldier from beating up his girlfriend and is tragically killed in the subsequent fight. The poignant concluding chapters portray Rachel's final years after sulfa drugs are discovered as a cure, leaving her free to abandon Moloka'i and seek out her family and daughter. Brennert's compassion makes Rachel a memorable character, and his smooth storytelling vividly brings early 20th-century Hawaii to life. Leprosy may seem a macabre subject, but Brennert transforms the material into a touching, lovely account of a woman's journey as she rises above the limitations of a devastating illness.

First Sentence:
Later, when memory was all she had to sustain her, she would come to cherish it: Old Honolulu as it was then, as it would never be again.   

Why did I pick this book?
Heard about it from an online forum and quite a few people recommended it. As I tried to widen the genre I read, I decided to read this, plus I want to visit Hawaii!


My thoughts:

• I had such high hope for this book, and sadly it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I found the premise interesting - I don't know a whole lot about leprosy and the history of Molokai, so I definitely learned something. However, what potentially could have been a heart wrenching story (family separation, fear from those who were "clean", deteriorating health...), was a rather boring story to me... the pace was rather slow, and the writing was flat. More importantly, I don't feel emotionally attached to the characters. I don't dislike them, but I don't love them - when I read a good book, I couldn't wait to find out what happened to the characters; I'd be thinking about them when I couldn't read. But not this time... I didn't cry with them, I didn't laugh with them. I was more just an observer, rather than living their tales.

• The book really was about Rachel's life, from when she was a young child up until her death - I suppose some would argue that 400 pages isn't too long for one's life story... but everything seemed to just tied up too neatly. 

• I did find something I like - Keo - the name of one of the minor characters

•  All in all, I felt like the book presented more fact, than stories; but not enough to call it a non-fiction book.

Quote:

"There's only one disadvantage, really, to having two mothers," Ruth admitted. "You know twice the love... but you grieve twice as much." (p382)

 
Rating: 3 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Global

"No TV? What do you do then?"

Yes, it is true, we have no TV.

Well, we have a TV set, just that because of where we live, we have very bad reception of the local channels (even rabbit ears won't help). For budget reasons, I told my husband we won't get cable TV (I wish they'd let us subscribe to the channels we want only for a lower price... I don't need 200 channels!). Sometimes I do miss watching shows on HGTV or the Food Network... but I usually just borrow free DVDs from the library and they have a pretty good selection (Project Runway, Boston Legal, The Unit, America's Test Kitchen, Lost... and various movies) - and no ads! Sure, there's usually a long wait, but I can wait. Plus I like watching a whole season of shows over the weekend, so I don't have to wait week after week!

When people found out we have no TV, their first question usually is, 'What? What do you do then?"

Ummm... I read? (Plus I can get the latest news/weather forecast and what not from the internet...)

Book Blogger Hop!

Crazy For Books hosted "Book Blogger Hop" every Friday-Sunday. This sounds like fun! AND a great way to find new blogs with similar interests!

This is what she said about the Hop:

ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know!  Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added!  And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

Two new blogs I found this week are:

• Primo Reads (various fiction & non-fiction)
• Afterthoughts for Adults (adult fiction)

Join this week's hop by click here!

If you're visiting from the hop, please say G'day! :)

Book Review - Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Title: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Author: Chip Heath and Dan Heath  
Year: 2010 
Page: 320 
Genre: Non-Fiction - Human Behavior

New to me author? No 
Read this author again? Yes 
Tearjerker? No 
Where did it take place? US
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
The Heath brothers (coauthors of Made to Stick) address motivating employees, family members, and ourselves in their analysis of why we too often fear change. Change is not inherently frightening, but our ability to alter our habits can be complicated by the disjunction between our rational and irrational minds: the self that wants to be swimsuit-season ready and the self that acquiesces to another slice of cake anyway. The trick is to find the balance between our powerful drives and our reason. The authors' lessons are backed up by anecdotes that deal with such things as new methods used to reform abusive parents, the revitalization of a dying South Dakota town, and the rebranding of megastore Target. Through these lively examples, the Heaths speak energetically and encouragingly on how to modify our behaviors and businesses. This clever discussion is an entertaining and educational must-read for executives and for ordinary citizens looking to get out of a rut.

First Sentence:
One Saturday in 2000, some unsuspecting moviegoers showed up at a suburban theater in Chicago to catch a 1:05pm matinee of Mel Gibson's action flick Payback.  

Why did I pick this book?
I had read the authors' first book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, and really enjoyed it. It was very helpful, especially for my job. So I was excited that they had a new book came out this year, which is even more relevant to my job (we deal with change management a lot.)

My thoughts:

• I found some useful tips in this book, but I still like Made to Stick better in terms of content. I think Made to Stick was clearer, and I knew which part of "SUCCES" we were at (SUCCESS = Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and Stories). In Switch, I like the Elephant and Rider analogy used (more of that later in the quote), but sometimes I got confused because some examples were mentioned in different parts of the books, so it seemed like we were talking in circles

• Nevertheless, this is a pretty easy read as the writing was simple and clear, there are lots of examples (some of which I had known before, from college - I was a psych major - or from other books). It is NOT a self-help book though. The authors gave us the framework, and gave us some case studies, but you have to apply the principles to your own situation accordingly. So how much you get out of this book will depend on how well you can transfer the knowledge.  

• Their website has more info: http://heathbrothers.com/switch/

• What looks like a people problem is often a situational challenge

• "See, Feel, Change" works much better than "Analysis, Think, Change" 

Quote:

Direct the Rider (our logical, rational side)

•     Follow the Bright Spots -- learn from what is working
•     Script the Critical Moves -- give clear directions
•     Point to the Destination -- what is the ideal state?

Motivate the Elephant (our emotional side)

•     Find the feeling -- what moves us?
•     Shrink the change -- make the change look smaller than it is, take that first little step
•     Grow your people -- we have room for growth

Shape the Path (the surrounding environment in which change will be made)

•     Tweak the environment -- make it easy to change!
•     Build habits -- we are creatures of habits
•     Rally the herd --people tend to do what the majority does

(Here is a good summary with examples from a blogger Timothy Zaun)

 
Rating:

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Non-Fiction Five

Book Review - Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

Title: Poison Study
Author: Maria V Snyder 
Year: 2008x  
Page: 416x  
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy

New to me author? Yes 
Read this author again? Yes 
Tearjerker? No 
Where did it take place? US?
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
Shivers, obsession, sleepless nights—these are the results not of one of the milder poisons that novice food-taster Yelena must learn during her harrowing job training but of newcomer Snyder's riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance. Through a stroke of luck, Yelena escapes execution in exchange for tasting the food of the Commander, ruler of Ixia. Though confined to a dank prison cell and doomed to a painful death, Yelena slowly blooms again, caught up in castle politics. But some people are too impatient to wait for poison to finish off Yelena. With the help of Valek, her steely-nerved, cool-eyed boss and the Commander's head of security, she soon discovers that she has a starring role to play in Ixia's future—a role that could lead to her being put to death as a budding magician even if she hits each cue perfectly. The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.

First Sentence:
Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories.

 
Why did I pick this book?
I haven't heard of Maria V Snyder before. Saw a review on om The Library of a Distracted Musician about this book and it sounds like it has an interesting premise! 

My thoughts:

• I quite enjoyed it! Not quite as much as I like The Hunger Games, but I thought it was a fun book, and I went to book #2 (Magic Study) and #3 (Fire Study) after I finished this book!

• I wish though that it talks a little bit more about poison and poison testing

• While this book is classified as Fantasy in my library, it isn't like the typical fantasy book at all - I don't really read fantasy - my last effort was probably back in high school, of David Eddings' The Diamond Throne series (don't really remember the story now). I like this type of fantasy books :) 

• I like the characters as well - Yelena, Valek, Ari, Janco, Commander Ambrose...  can't wait to find out what happen to them... though reviews of #2 isn't as good as #1, and #3 is even worse... we'll see...

Quote:

I felt like the unlucky cockroach that got caught by the light. Always scrambling to stay one step ahead while the shadow of a boot crept closer. (p64)

 
Rating: 4 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading

Book Review - The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

Title: The Red Tree 
Author: Shaun Tan 
Year: 2008 
Page: 32 
Genre: Graphic novel

New to me author? No 
Read this author again? Yes!!
Tearjerker? No 
Where did it take place? Anywhere!
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
An astonishing fable in picture-book format. A girl moving through landscapes of hopelessness and isolation encounters an image of hope on the book's final page. Through the weight of her sorrow, readers conclude, on both intellectual and emotional levels, that living in despair is waiting for hope. Tan's sophisticated mixed-media illustrations include fantasy and dream elements, and subtle symbolism packed together with an array of art techniques ranging from complicated cut-paper collages to Drescher-like paintings, but serious. These complex pictures send visual impressions powerful enough to cause readers to gasp as a new page is revealed. The simple, direct text ("darkness overcomes you" or "sometimes you just don't know what you are supposed to do"), often poetic ("the world is a deaf machine"), serves both as an entryway into the complicated illustrations, and as an enhancement to them. Perhaps too sophisticated in its point of view for some youngsters, this is nonetheless a book of amazing beauty, high quality, and distinguished artistry.

First Sentence:
Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to...

 
Why did I pick this book?
After reading the Arrival by Shaun Tan, I can't wait to read his other books! I have also borrowed Tales From Outer Suburbia and The Lost Thing.

My thoughts:

• This book has a bit more words than The Arrival, which is wordless :) 

• The story is rather simple, but on-so-true...

• While the drawing is not as detailed or realistic as that of The Arrival, but I really, really love the drawings (or are they paintings?) of this book - it is simple but beautiful. I am very, very tempted to buy the book just to frame the pages up. (need to finish painting the rooms before I can decide where I could hang up art... so not buying the book yet)

• I think I like the Red Tree just a tad better than the Arrival just because of its whimsical quality

• Shaun Tan is no doubt very talented! I will probably read The Lost Thing (a little more words yet!) before Tales From Outer Suburbia which has a lot more words (short story format)! So it'll be interesting to see the balance of words and drawings.

• No Quote (I'll probably end up quoting the whole book!) but I'll leave you some pictures!

 













Rating: 5 Stars

 

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think! I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading