Well, it seems dear readers I have been neglecting this blog. I have been posting my reviews elsewhere, on my Goodreads account, and on Visual Bookshelf on Facebook. But I have forgotten about this blog!  If you have a Goodreads account or would like to create one you can follow my reviews there, its the place that I update the most.  So I will be posting the books I have reviewed since then up here. But I have a lot more to say about  book-related events in my Twin Cities, Minnesota metro area, upcoming releases & comparisons to book-related movies and other things that are not reviews. My original intent for this blog was for it to be about my hobbies in general, including crafts & genealogy so I will also consider if I still want to do that. Even if I do, it will still probably mostly be about books!

One change I would like to make would be to post pictures & links for each book, so you can click on a book that interests you and go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another site to learn more, and possibly buy it.  However, I would like to encourage you to support your independent bookstore, as many of them have been going out of business due to competition with these corporations. Keeping mom & pop stores alive helps your local economy and adds unique character to the place you live in. I will be thinking about how to solve this problem. In the meantime, you can still go to Indie Bound (formerly BookSense- I hadn’t realized they’d change their name til I just checked it today!) to find your closest independent bookstore.  Also,  try your local library. (formerly BookSense- I hadn’t realized they’d change their name til I just checked it today!) to find your closest independent bookstore.  Also,  try your local library. The price is right! And if they don’t have what you’re looking for, talk to a librarian about inter-library loan.

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Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (1 of Tales of Alvin Maker)

The book is set in an alternate colonial America, where practitioners of magic have been exiled. Alvin Miller is born the seventh son of a seventh son- and thus his family & community expects him to be destined for greatness- that is if he can survive to adulthood. For he seems continually set by accidents. Is someone- or something out to get him?
Yet while a supernatural threat may be looming, religious, political and racial conflicts are closer to home.

I enjoyed the historical scenario, as described and revealed by Card. I was reminded a bit of Little House on the Prairie, despite it being an earlier time period, settling a homestead is much the same.

I might’ve given it more stars but I thought the characters were not very well-developed. This is just the first book of a series, though so I expect Alvin and others will become more fleshed out in later books. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in early American history, folklore and folk magic.

Note: just a warning that the Native Americans are referred to as “Reds”, “savages” etc. which was rather jarring to me. I don’t think (I hope!) Card means to be racist, but rather it’s meant from the settlers’ POV.

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Book 2 of Temeraire series)

Throne of Jade begins with Capt. Will Laurence being informed by his superiors of a diplomatic problem. Since Temeraire’s egg was acquired by the capture of a French vessel, and the egg was a gift from the Chinese, they now want Temeraire back! After some negotiation, it’s decided that Laurence will accompany Temeraire on a voyage back to China and they’ll figure out what to do there.

Some have complained that the sea voyage that takes a good chunk of the book is rather slow, and it can be at times. But I found the culture clashes between the British and the Chinese to be very interesting.
Upon arrival in China they discover the very different way dragons are treated there. The Chinese were the first to tame & breed dragons, and so they are much more common there than in the west. Thus, their roles are not limited to the military. I think the best part of this book was watching Temeraire mature & grow as a character as he begins questioning the status of dragons. Novik brings up many thought-provoking moral and cultural issues. It seemed like it took me most of August to get through this book, but it was worth it!

The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart by Bill Bishop

Why is there such political and cultural polarization in America today? That is the question Bill Bishop sought to answer in “The Big Sort”. He discovered that while we were once much more mixed in our neighborhoods, cities and counties, we have been moving- often intentionally to be around “people like us”. So how and why did this shift occur? He traces it back to the year 1969- before that people trusted each other more, and trusted the government much more. After events in that year, there has been a steady decline in civic involvement, and increasing distrust among races, religious vs. secular people, liberals vs. conservatives as these groups have had less contact with each other.
There are a lot of statistics and numbers laid out in this book, which I liked being a former political science major. For others it may be more than you want to know. But it’s great to see thorough research backing it up, not just rampant speculation as many other books have done. Also while you are reading this think about how your lifestyle has been “sorted” and what impact that has on your actions and worldview.

The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson

Fleeing an unwanted forced marriage, orphan Mary runs away to the woods of England. She is worried about the wild creatures and outlaws that live there, but willing to take her chances. Her nurse Agnes follows her, and proves to be an essential companion and mentor, who is knowledgeable of herbal healing and wilderness survival. They become part of a community of people who live in the forest avoiding the oppression of local lords, including Agnes’ son Robert.

The idea of a Forestwife, a wisewoman healer who lives in the woods is cool, and makes sense- wouldn’t the Merry Men need a healer? And I also like the description of the seasons and what people did in preparation/reaction to them.
The story was well-told, and historical authenticity fleshed out the feel of the setting. The dialogue uses a lot of archaic words, which might be difficult for some, but I found it understandable.

It seemed like Theresa Tomlinson really did her research, and it helps that she grew up in the areas associated with the Robin Hood legends! This is part of a trilogy, the other books are Child of the May, and Path of the She-Wolf, the latter has only been published in the UK unfortunately. However it does look like there are copies available online for decent prices.

Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna

Where do church traditions like preaching sermons, the practice of Communion or even having a church building and a paid minister come from?
If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of these things, read this book to find out! Most of these practices are of pagan origin, absorbed from the broader culture or added in intentionally to increase the status of the church. Viola believes these practices should be rejected not only because of the non-Christian origin, but also because they are harmful to building Christian communities. He supports his claims with Biblical citations.

Before you pick up “Pagan Christianity” there are some things to keep in mind- it is focused on Protestant traditions, and aimed at an evangelical Christian audience. Despite this, I think it would be of interest to anyone curious about where various aspects of institutional Christianity come from.
Frank Viola is a prominent organizer in the house church movement, and he is upfront about that. George Barna, founder of the Barna Group,

The book was quite well researched, with plenty of footnotes. It may not go into as much depth on each as an academic work would, but I think it’s great that the authors brought this information to a mass audience.

Snowwalker by Catherine Fisher

When Jessa & her cousin Thorkil are banished to the north by the sorceress Gudrun who has enchanted their land, they expect death. In a ruined castle they encounter her son, rumored to be a monster but he is more than what he seems. Thus begins an amazing adventure set in medieval Scandinavia (or Iceland) that culminates in a showdown with Gudrun beyond the world’s end.

I found the plot of Snowwalker to be as enthralling as Gudrun’s spells, and the characters had a lot of depth to them. This was actually published as a trilogy in the UK- The Snowwalker’s Son, The Empty Hand and The Soul Thieves. I had not heard of Catherine Fisher or this book before, just stumbled across it in the library and I’m glad I did! I’ll definitely be looking for more of her work.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

I had planned on reading this book for a while but when I heard a film version was coming out soon, I decided to go ahead and read it.

Wouldn’t it be fun if characters from books could come to life into our world? Sure, but it turns out it’s not all fun and games as the protagonists of Inkheart discover.

Young Meggie enjoys travelling with her father, a bookbinder and listening to the stories he tells her. But her father has a secret, and when a mysterious fellow called Dustfinger appears one day, this begins to be revealed. Inkheart had a charming and whimsical flavor to it. It took a while for things to be set up for the plot to get going, but for those with patience, there are some treats in store. I also liked that there was psychological exploration of the villain, he wasn’t just a stereotypical bad guy.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyers (Book 1 of the Twilight Saga)

I hadn’t gotten to reading this before seeing the movie, but after we saw it together, my friend lent me the book.

I liked some aspects of Twilight, like the vivid descriptions that I found quite poetic. I thought how she tied a Native American legend into it was unique and interesting. (I wonder if it is a real legend- I looked it up and did find that it is a real tribe that lives in Washington). I sort of like Bella, as I tend to identify with underdog, nerdy characters but think she needs to be a stronger character. Edward I suppose has a certain appeal, but there’s something about him that’s creepy. He seems to be written to fulfill the fantasy of an old-fashioned chivalrous guy that protects you. Is there is a message being sent about how girls should play a passive role- or are human-vampire romances just inherently unequal? Maybe I’m over-analyzing…I really like Alice and some of the other Cullens and would like to see more of their stories.

I am still going to read the next book in hopes that Bella develops more as a character, and her relationship with Edward matures. Plus I’m just plain curious to see what happens and it will be more fun since I won’t already know the plot from the film.

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Being Liberal in an Illiberal Age: Why I am a Unitarian Universalist by Jack Mendelsohn

There are some books I have a hard time reviewing, because they have so many ideas in them that no one thing sticks out, and I have trouble remembering what struck me, positively or negatively about the book- this is such a book.
Mendelsohn covers a lot- the history of Unitarians & Universalists, their relation to Christianity, the religious education of children, the nature and existence of God, ethics and social justice

His reactions to traditional Christian doctrine in his youth that he recounts was something I really identified with- I had many of the same responses- rejecting original sin, hell, needing someone to “die for our sins”. I questioned the Trinity, parts of the Bible and communion.

Despite the diversity of views in the UUA, I suspect some of his beliefs are pretty typical of many UUs: a belief in a very transcendent, Deist-like God, doubt about the afterlife, an emphasis on living a good life and use of reason in religion as with other areas of life. Reading about his theological views helped me clarify my own beliefs. I don’t really see the point of believing in such a distant God- if that was the only conclusion I could come to I would probably just be an agnostic or atheist. In the end of the book he discusses prayer- why bother praying to a “God” who is more like the force of gravity than a conscious being with willpower?
He gives examples of petitionary prayer that are rather absurd and extreme- but I don’t think asking the Divine for help in some way is necessarily like that

If that is the philosophy that makes sense and works best, more power to him. But I do think the UUs who essentially worship logic are missing out on something.