Category Archives: Book Reviews

In which the reader shares his thoughts on the books that possess his imagination throughout the year.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Back in March of 2005, at the passing of science fiction mistress Andre Norton, I lamented the fact that there were so many acclaimed science fiction authors whose work I had not yet taken the opportunity to read. One of those authors, whose nonfiction work on writing I had previously read, was Orson Scott Card. I sought to remedy that oversight by going out that day and purchasing a few science fiction novels, including this beautiful copy of Ender’s Game, Scott’s most celebrated work.

I dove right in and was really enjoying the story. But as is the way of things, I ended up putting it aside and starting something else eventhough I was enjoying it. In my defense, during that period of my life I had the habit of having 4 or 5 or more books going at the same time. Over the past year I have really worked on lessening this amount and concentrating on whatever I am reading. Defense over.

The recent arrival of Chris’ uncalled for yet heartily appreciated Christmas gift, including an equally beautiful* copy of Speaker for the Dead, the sequel to Ender’s Game, prompted me to take up where I had left off. Amazingly enough I only had to back up a few pages and I then remembered everything that was going on with the story.

Thank you Chris!

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The Toff and the Deep Blue Sea

Back when I did my Origins post, I pretty much stuck to my science fiction influences. What I failed to mention was that this same uncle who had nurtured my science fiction reading also had several copies of books about the Toff by John Creasey. I never borrowed any of these books from my uncle, but one day I was in a department store in the mall and saw several paperback volumes of his books being sold for $.50 per book. As a kid this was a bargain too good to pass up and I found myself hooked on the adventures of the Honourable Richard Rollison.

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Doctor No by Ian Fleming

Doctor No, the sixth book in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, picks up immediately following the events of the cliffhanger ending of From Russia With Love. 007, in need of rest and recuperation, is sent on what is supposed to be a ‘holiday’ mission, only to find himself in the worst and most torturous predicament of all his previous documented adventures. Interestingly enough, Doctor No not only ties in with events of From Russia With Love, but the story returns James Bond to the Jamaican island of his expoits in the novel, Live and Let Die, and once again pairs him with his very likeable jack-of-all-trades, Quarrel. You may recall that although I thoroughly loved the intensity of the adventure in Live and Let Die, the racism prevalent in the book was a real turn off. This being set in the same territory, there is a slight return to form, this time with mixed race Chinese/African Americans being the target. There is, however, significantly less of this than in Live and Let Die and this feels much more like a product of the time than a deliberate judgement on a race of people. All in all, Doctor No is an engrossing tale that turned into a real page-turner before the end.

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Mary Modern by Camille DeAngelis

It should be no mystery at all to those who know me well that the cover of Camille DeAngelis’ debut novel, Mary Modern, was what drew me in to picking up this book in the first place. In fact, I found the cover image to be so hauntingly seductive that I made it a point to pick up this book every time I went into the bookstore. After several such clandestine meetings, it seemed very untoward not to buy the book and take it home, so I did. As with most books I buy, it ended up sitting on the shelf for awhile as I read other selections I was currently involved in. Then came our Halloween party and I was looking for something to decorate our table with and this book, with its illusions to my wife (they share the same name, Mary), became part of the centerpiece for our table. All it took was holding it in my hands once again to decide that this would be my final read for the R.I.P. II Challenge, and I was off and running…er, reading.

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