Book Reviews

[vdansk]

Last week I read _Ender's Shadow_. Yeah, I know, it came out over a decade ago. It was worth the wait.

While I enjoy OSC, I like his books that center around kids the best. They're not juveniles; generally there is a lot of death and some horror and tons of moral ambiguity, and no dating. Ender's Game is a harsh book. Ender's Shadow is harsher.

How good is this book? It took me two evenings to read it, because at 3AM the first night I realized that working 10 hours the next day on fewer than three hours sleep was a REALLY bad idea. It took all my will power to put it down even so.

I know from the general geek gestalt that there is a sequel...but I don't want to read it. The ending of this was so good, that I don't want to move past it. Has anyone read the sequel? Any thoughts?

_The Humming of Numbers_ is a beautiful YA book set in the 11th century. It involves monks, viking invaders, celtic magic and feudalism with very little romanticism, and has great main characters. Secondary characters are sketched in rather than developed, but this fits the story somehow.

_Charmed and Dangerous_, by Candace Havens, is so good that I ordered the two sequels and the spin off book "Like a Charm", the same day I finished it. It's a hint more explicit than I generally prefer my paranormal romance, but has good action, believable magic, a snarky heroine, and a charmingly eccentric "home town".

Comments

[chryssalys]

While I enjoy OSC (and you will get my copy of Songmaster out of my possession only by prying it out of my cold dead hands), I will admit to not having read anything of his that has come out in the last fifteen years. I can't bring myself to buy them and give him money, as I disagree so violently with his assessment of my worth as a human being based on my sexuality.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, though. :)

[vdansk]

Hmm. I can understand that, but didn't interpret his article that way. I was actually surprised when I read it by how moderate it was compared to the reviews I'd read of it.

But there are always Libraries!

[chryssalys]

It may be a case of being more affected by it the more one is affected by it, if you get what I mean.

Libraries track their readership, and my borrowing it there could be a factor in their buying more books by him. *shrugs*

I don't eat at Chik-fil-a, I don't shop at Target, and I don't support homophobic authors if I am aware of it. I find that I am becoming more activist with every year, having attended my first equality protest just a few months ago.

But that is a choice for me - like I said, I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Also, very glad you decided that sleep was also a good idea. :)

[vdansk]

I hadn't thought of that re: libraries, and admire the courage of your convictions.

[chryssalys]

*hugs*

Now if I find it for ten cents at a used book sale... :)

[white-and-nrdy.livejournal.com]

If I remember right, there are 3 more books in this particular series. I've read the first 2, since tenderpaw doesn't own the last 2. So far, so good. You're not the only one who finds them particularly compelling. :)

[tenderpaw.livejournal.com]

I preferred the Speaker for the Dead/Xenocide/Children of the Mind trilogy that was written after Ender's Game; it covers more of Ender's life specifically.

If you don't want to know what happens with the other children after the Formic War is over, don't read more of the Shadow series or Ender in Exile which fills in gaps about what happened with Ender after the War and has spoilers about happenings in the Shadow series. They all grow up eventually.

Personally I kept going with the Shadow series out of curiosity and to see how some of the other characters and circumstances developed. I think you would enjoy getting to know one of the main supporting characters in the second book. I haven't read the final book in the series yet. I would be happy to loan you Shadow of the Hegemon if you decide that you want to read it.

[vdansk]

I think I want to keep Bean a loved and sheltered child in my mind for a bit. Yes, he can't stay there, but for now.

I am buying books compulsively. I can't understand someone dropping a few hundred dollars on jewelry, but books? Oh, yeah.