Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. It soundDisclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. It sounded like the best job in the universe. I dreamed of flight, of going into space, exploring new worlds. I still have my astronaut curtains up in my bedroom. But it was not to be. By the time I hit puberty, it was clear that my poor vision would prevent me from being a pilot. Once the Space Shuttles came along and started accepting astronauts that weren’t pilots,, my life had gone down other paths. I may never get to space.
And that’s why I was so pleased to receive this book to review. it’s a bit over-sized, somewhere between standard and coffee-table. As the subtitle indicates, it’s a series of articles about various items in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum, mostly written by Smithsonian curators, and arranged in chronological order. They range from Friendship 7, which carried John Glenn around the world in orbit, to (pieces of) the Hubble Telescope, launched in 1990.
The book is profusely illustrated, and has a lot of sidebar articles that explain topics related to the objects in question. For example, an explanation of why Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit is not currently on display. (Turns out some of the fabrics and materials have long term interactions that are harmful to each other.)
The language is formal, and younger readers may struggle with some of the vocabulary, but anyone who’s followed the space program over the years should have no difficulty. There’s an extensive bibliography, and an index.
I would recommend this as a gift for anyone junior high school and up who has an interest in the space program or related sciences. I do have to warn that this book made me a little sad. Why haven’t we gone back to the moon yet? When will we finally get to Mars?
In a setting not unlike the Middle Eastern tales of the Arabian Nights, there is a boy named Aladdin. He’s lived in isolation until now, so he doesn’tIn a setting not unlike the Middle Eastern tales of the Arabian Nights, there is a boy named Aladdin. He’s lived in isolation until now, so he doesn’t know much about the outside world, or how society works. Soon, Aladdin meets a drifter named Alibaba, who’s a poor laborer now, but dreams of conquering a dungeon, a mysterious trap-laden building filled with treasure.
After some difficulties with Alibaba’s current client, the wine merchant Budel, and a run-in with the local slavery laws, Alibaba and Aladdin find themselves with no place to go but the dungeon. It’s filled with dangers, just as described, but more dangerous may be the rival group of treasure hunters….
This is the manga the previously reviewed anime Magi: The Magical Labyrinth was based on. (Its sequel, Magi: The Kingdom of Magic is now airing.) The manga starts with a solo adventure of Aladdin, in which he helps out a caravan; this was skipped in the anime to bring in Alibaba faster, and bits reused after the first storyarc.
Aladdin has a rather annoying breast fetish, and some fanservice comes up throughout. As mentioned in the anime review, most of the characters are suspiciously pale-skinned for the Middle East setting and being out in the sun all the time.
That said, it’s a fun series that will later have a really interesting female character, Morgiana (she appears in this volume, but pre-character development.)
This will mostly appeal to fans of the anime, but might be worth looking into if you’re a fan of Arabian Nights style fantasy.
Mort is a farm boy who is completely unsuited to farming. Or, it seems, to any other occupation. He’s all elbows and knees and random thoughts. In desMort is a farm boy who is completely unsuited to farming. Or, it seems, to any other occupation. He’s all elbows and knees and random thoughts. In desperation, Mort’s father takes him to a village festival where boys are apprenticed. Mort is the last boy left after being rejected even for beggary, when Death happens by, and takes him on for an apprentice.
As an anthropomorphic representation, Death probably doesn’t need an apprentice. Or a manservant, or indeed an adopted daughter. But he seems to want these things, and there you are. As with any new job, Mort struggles with even the basics at first, but soon becomes reasonably good at filling in for Death.
So Death decides to take some time off, to investigate various things that humans do. And it’s at this point that Mort lets his feelings get the better of him, and he breaks the Rules. Once couldn’t hurt, right? Yes. Yes, it could, and reality doesn’t like it when a dead person is still alive. Can an increasingly desperate Mort convince a wizard to lend a hand to save a princess before it’s too late?
This was the fourth Terry Pratchett Discworld book, and the first to have Death as a central character, instead of an extended cameo. To a large extent, it feels like Mr. Pratchett was still piecing together the larger picture of Discworld after having decided to make it a series. There are definite signs of what will become beloved characters and institutions, but vague at best. Perhaps the most important part of the book is establishing Death’s interest in humanity, something of a soft spot for him that flowers in better books down the line.
Mort is much in the line of comedic fantasy’s unlikely protagonists, the sort of good-natured but clumsy fellow who dies quickly in more gritty works. If you’ve read a few of the other Discworld books, you’ll quickly figure out where the intended twist of the normal fantasy romance storyline will come in. Even if Mr. Pratchett is engaged in tweaking serious fantasy’s nose, he’s a big softy at heart and all ends well…mostly.
There is a bit of talk about suicide, but it isn’t a plot point.
If you’re new to Discworld, you might want to start with one of the later books in the series, when Mr. Pratchett really hit his stride, then come back to this. It’s decent, but not his best....more
Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
It’s coming up on the Fourth of July in tiny Park Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
It’s coming up on the Fourth of July in tiny Park County in Tennessee, and Sheriff Tony Abernathy must deal with not just the heat and increased traffic, but a sudden wave of crime. Someone is going around assaulting people in an attempt to find “Bob”, a man is found impaled on a tree, and a woman is murdered–by sunlight! Good thing the sheriff’s wife Theo runs the local quilting shop, where she can catch the gossip while a charity quilt is being made.
This is part of the “Quilted Mystery” series, none of which I have read before. Amusingly, the fact that several high-profile murders have occurred around one small town is acknowledged, and may be causing political problems for the sheriff.
The story reflects the business of a sheriff’s department, with many issues popping up, some connected to the main plotline, others mostly irrelevant. I found most of the characters likable, or at least believable–as often happens in murder mysteries, the central victim has a personality that leads you to question why she wasn’t murdered before this.
I really liked that volunteerism leads to at least one character having as happy an ending to their part in the story as is possible under the circumstances. And crafty people may enjoy putting together a quilt pattern that’s slowly revealed through the book.
It’s a good fast read and a fun mystery. Thrifty readers may want to check to see if there’s paperback editions of the earlier books, or consult the library, as the hardback is $25.95 new....more
This is another themed anthology, this time around the concept of revenge. That’s a pretty loose theme as these things go. It’s got a big-name author This is another themed anthology, this time around the concept of revenge. That’s a pretty loose theme as these things go. It’s got a big-name author list going for it though.
“Like a Bone in the Throat” by Lawrence Block starts the book off strong with a tale of a man condemned for a crime he certainly did commit. The death penalty isn’t enough for some people, but who gets revenge in the end?
“Power Play” by Mary Higgins Clark is most notable for starring Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter (this book came out in 1998, after Philosopher’s Stone came out, but well before the J.K. Rowling series became huge.) An ex-President visits an old friend in the Middle East, and is kidnapped by what appear to be terrorists.
“Fatherhood” by Thomas H. Cook retells a familiar story from a different perspective, one drenched in revenge.
“West End” by Vicki Hendricks is about a sailing trip with a control freak. That won’t end well.
“Caveat Emptor” by Joan Hess features a woman in distress who is taken further advantage of by a real estate agent, the story being told by a neighbor.
“Eradicum Homo Horribilus” by Judith Kelman is a bit over the top. It has a bully of many years trying to trick his favorite victim into coming around for one last humiliation. Too bad for him she’s taken up botany.
“Dead Cat Bounce” by Eric Lustbader is almost nothing like his usual novels. On the eve of a wealthy couple’s daughter’s wedding, it’s discovered that the groom has a few dark secrets. And so do everyone else.
“Angie’s Delight” ” by Philip Margolin has a man facing the death penalty unless he gets a good lawyer, one who can prove he didn’t commit murder. Luckily, this public defender is a tiger. Or is it luck?
‘Front Man” by David Morrell is about growing old in the world of Hollywood writing. Mort Davidson is still a heck of a writer, but the new blood in the front office doesn’t think he can connect with the money-heavy young audience.
“Murder-Two” by Joyce Carol Oates features a relationship between a lawyer and her client that might be the worst thing that fate could have arranged for either.
“The Enemy” by Shel Silverstein is a poem of revenge long-plotted and well-planned. Revenge served very cold indeed.
The volume finishes with “Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff” by Peter Straub. A financial planner hires hitmen, or thinks he does–their specialty may be a little different. It’s the longest story in the book, and is the poorer for it–Mr. Straub becomes self-indulgent and goes on and on. Chilling ending, though.
Overall, a strong collection, worth picking up if you like at least two of the authors (except Peter Straub as this is not his best work.)...more
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