Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Review: Zip-Zip and his Flying Saucer

Zip-Zip and his Flying SaucerZip-Zip and his Flying Saucer by John M. Schealer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book probably doesn't deserve the five stars I am giving it, but I am going to give them, anyway, because of the effect the book had on me. I read it probably about 55 years ago and still remember at least a little of it. More than just the memory of the book though, I remember that this book introduced me to science fiction - the idea that things in my culture shouldn't necessarily be taken at face value. Other beings would experience them differently and value them differently. I suppose I could have gotten the same thing from cultural fiction, historical fiction, and even biography. But I was drawn to the completely implausible. There was also Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint and there were books of similar ilk.

As a young adult, I continued to read a lot of science fiction. I read less of it now, but I am still drawn to the exploration of cultural differences, when the cultural differences effect human and/or human/alien interactions. I am also drawn to exploration of cultural differences in general. I am not so much interested in the technical marvels of futuristic inventions themselves, but rather their effects on living beings.

And to think, a simple kids' book like this got that all started. That's why it gets 5 stars.

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Review: Matthew Looney's Voyage To The Earth: A Space Story


Matthew Looney's Voyage To The Earth: A Space Story
Matthew Looney's Voyage To The Earth: A Space Story by Jerome Beatty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Like many who have commented on this book, I read it many, many years ago - probably when it was brand new. It was one of my first "science fiction" books and I loved the whole series, which I read repeatedly. It was the right mix of adventure, humor, and something out of the ordinary.

The date is the date of the annotation. There is no way I can remember when I really read the book.



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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Review: The Green Book


The Green Book
The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I don't seem to have annotated this when I read it, but I remember enjoying it. The date shown will be today, but that isn't when I read it. It was probably several years ago.

Good introduction to SF for kids.



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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Review: What Came from the Stars


What Came from the Stars
What Came from the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



My jury is still out on this one. I like science fiction and I like this author a lot, but I am not sure if the book will work for me. I like the MC and his family, but the SF connection is a bit dubious for me right now. I haven't given it up yet, though.



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Review: The Encyclopedia of Me


The Encyclopedia of Me
The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book is cute and very true to life for this age group - the anxieties and changes in friendships, the relationships to family members, the first boyfriend. It got a tad boring to me after while, but I think it would be very appealing to this age group.



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Review: Dead End in Norvelt


Dead End in Norvelt
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I am sorry, but this book just didn't appeal to me. The bloody noses were the first turn off and the unappealing characters were the second. Yes, there is humor, but it was a painful kind for me - more at other people's expenses than laughing at life.

I respect others' evaluations of the quality of the book, but it didn't work for me. I am halfway through and I am abandoning it with relief. Please take this into consideration when reading this review.



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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is a very well written book. The gradual unfolding of each story and their ties together are masterfully done. I haven't seen the movie and I am not sure I want to. There is a lot of pain in the story. I should probably give the book 5 stars, but I usually reserve 5 stars for books I undoubtedly want to read again. This is almost that status, but not quite.



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Review: Leviathan


Leviathan
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I wish I liked steampunk better, but, alas, I don't really and I am not sure why. I like science fiction and I like exploring the "what if" of alternative histories. But, for some reason, steampunk annoys me. Given that, I actually liked this book a bit better than I expected to. The characters are interesting.



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