The Twelve Passengers

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express may be one of the most difficult mysteries ever written. Her narrative of the detective Hercule Poirot on the Orient Express seems to have no solution at all. All twelve suspects have excellent alibis. All evidence seems to contradict itself. And it seems that even M. Poirot is baffled.

The mystery begins on the Orient Express as the train is traveling through Europe to Calais. One night, during a terrible snowstorm, the train is snowed in and cannot proceed. That morning, one man, a Mr. Ratchett, is found dead in his carriage, stabbed numerous times with a knife. Hercule Poirot sets to work on the case with his friend M. Bouc (the director of the train and representative of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits) and Dr. Constantine (a medical doctor from a different coach). Not much is known about the case from the beginning, but there is one fact everyone is sure of: the murderer had no way to leave the train, ergo, he or she is one of the passengers.

There are twelve passengers on the Calais Coach of the Orient Express, each of which are viable suspects for the murder:

• Countess Elena Andrenyi: wife to Count Andrenyi
• Count Rudolph Andrenyi: a Hungarian diplomat, travelling to France
• Col. Arbuthnot: a British colonel, returning from India
• Mary Debenham: a British governess, returning to Great Britain from Baghdad
• Princess Natalia Dragomiroff: a Russian noblewoman
• Antonio Foscarelli: an Italian businessman
• Cyrus Hardman: an American typewriter ribbon salesman
• Caroline Hubbard: an American woman, returning home after visiting her daughter in Baghdad
• Hector MacQueen: the American secretary to Mr. Ratchett
• Edward Masterman: the British valet to Mr. Ratchett
• Greta Ohlsson: a Swedish missionary, travelling home for a vacation
• Hildegarde Schmidt: the German lady's-maid to Dragomiroff

Christie makes this case as difficult as possible, taking the reader for a thrilling ride through lies, plot twists, and stunning revelations. While Poirot gets closer and closer to finding out the identity of the murderer and the solution to the mystery, the reader gets more and more enthralled in the plot of the book. Every clue discovered brings M. Poirot, the funny little Belgian, closer and closer to the solution. Every mystery lover will delight himself in using his little grey cells along with Poirot as he discovers the solution to the murder on the Orient Express.

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Orient-Express-Hercule-Mysteries/dp/0425200450/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231822795&sr=8-2

Grade: 8.5

Second Foundation

Second Foundation very successfully wraps up Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. In the second book, Foundation and Empire, the Mule searches for the elusive Second Foundation. In Second Foundation, the search for the Second Foundation is the main plot of the book.

The Second Foundation is the organization that was established by Hari Seldon at the same time as the Foundation. Seldon created the Second Foundation as a philosophical and psychohistorical organization to contrast with the First Foundation's affinity to science. It was originally meant to assist the Foundation in its upholding of the Seldon Plan, but had now started spoiling the Empire's plans and also infiltrating the minds of some of the greatest scientists of the Foundation.

The first part of the book, "Search by the Mule", concerns the Mule and his Empire. Two Imperial subjects, General Han Pritcher and Bail Channis, are sent by the Mule to search all over the Galaxy to try to find where the Second Foundation could be hidden.

The second part of the book, "Search by the Foundation", is about a few members of the Foundation. The bigger part of the second part concerns Arcadia Darrell, a young teenage girl. She, her father (the renowned scientist Toran Darrell), and a few of her father's friends make it their mission to figure out as much as they can about this Second Foundation that has been controlling the minds of so many people.

Second Foundation is the excellent finale to the acclaimed Foundation Trilogy. The plethora of characters with varying personalities and knowledge contrast with each other to make the reader guess where this Second Foundation can be hidden. Asimov keeps the reader's eyes bound to the book until the very last page. It is a superb novel with an excellent plot and an excellent writing style. It is a very successful ending to a very successful trilogy.

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Foundation-Novels-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553293362/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229745970&sr=8-2

Grade: 9

Foundation and Empire

My previous book review was written about Isaac Asimov's book Foundation. This science fiction book has come to be one of the most famous in science fiction history. The first sequel written about this book, titled Foundation and Empire, is the subject of this review.

Foundation and Empire is even better than its predecessor. The novel is split up into two parts: "Part I: The General" and "Part II: The Mule". The whole novel is mostly about the war between the Foundation, the organization established by Hari Seldon; and the Empire.

Part I is about General Bel Riose of the Empire as he plays a key role in the war between the Foundation and the Empire. It is also about Emperor Cleon II (current monarch of the Empire), Ducem Barr (a man from the planet Siwenna), and Lathan Devers (a trader from the Foundation). The Foundation is a small entity compared to the beast of the Empire, but they must hold their ground if they intend for the Seldon Plan to succeed.

Part II takes place about 100 years later, after the Empire is much weaker than it had been, and it relates the rise of the Mule. The Mule is a very powerful man whose goal is to reinstate the Empire, thus becoming the sovereign of the Universe. Under the Mule, the Empire fights the Foundation, and it seems that they have met their most dangerous foe. Not much is known about the Mule at all, and Part II is told from the point of view of Toran and Bayta Darell, a newlywed couple from a trading planet belonging to the Foundation.

Foundation and Empire surpasses Foundation in my opinion. Whereas the first book had five short parts to it, each with their unique characters and scenarios, the second book has only two parts. The characters are much more developed and the story-line is much easier to understand in Foundation and Empire. Isaac Asimov proves here for the second time his prowess at writing.

http://www.amazon.com/Foundation-Empire-Novels-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553293370/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229053943&sr=8-2

Grade: 9

Foundation

Isaac Asimov was one of the foremost science fiction authors until his death in 1992. Among his many achievements is the fact that he has written and edited over 500 different books, and having an asteroid named after him (the 5020 Asimov). But what may be the most amazing is winning the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966 for his Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation).

Foundation, the first book in this series, has five parts, four of which had been previously published in the magazine Astounding Science-Fiction. This novel is about the psychohistorian Hari Seldon and his quest to save the Galaxy from 30,000 years of chaos.

The novel opens with a young mathematician named Gaal Dornick as he is flying to the planet Trantor to meet Seldon. Hari "Raven" Seldon was looked upon by some to be a very intelligent and extraordinary man by most as a trouble-maker. He invented the branch of mathematics known as psychohistory. With psychohistory, one could predict the likely outcome of events in the future. Seldon discovered that the Galactic Empire would indeed fall within the next 300 years, and then would follow 30,000 years of chaos in the galaxy before the Empire rose again. But if Seldon and his followers and their descendants could create a society known as the Foundation, the 30,000 years would be reduced to a mere millenium.

And so follows the chronicle of the Foundation on the planet Terminus, at the very edge of the Galaxy. At first, the Foundation's only goal, as given them by the long-dead Seldon, was to make the Encyclopedia Galactica, a conglomeration of all the information known to mankind. They were governed by a committee whose only care was for the Encyclopedia. But, as with the rest of the Galaxy, many changes were stirring within the Foundation.

Asimov's story of how one man sought to save the Universe 29,000 years of misfortune is a success. Although it is very brief--only 255 pages--it successfully chronicles several years in the life of the Foundation, its struggles and failures, its successes and discoveries, and its role in the eventual deterioration of the Galactic Empire. This is a very good beginning to a highly-spoken-of series.

http://www.amazon.com/Foundation-Novels-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553293354/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227312127&sr=8-2

Grade: 8.5

What a Guy

Some authors write their autobiographies so that we can read a good, inspirational story. Others write stories about their lives so that we can see how they overcame challenges in their lives to rise to greatness. Still other people are just very interesting to read about. But try as I might, I cannot for the life of me figure out why Gary Soto wrote an autobiography.

Living Up the Street tells about the circumstances involving the childhood of Gary Soto, a writer from Fresno, California. From the very beginning, the story is not interesting. The first chapter, titled "Being Mean," tells of how Soto and his brother Rick greet their new neighbors by getting in a fight with them. When Gary and Rick lose, they find a stray cat, and put it and their own cat in a bag to hit their neighbors with. Oh boy, that sure makes me want to be like you, Soto.

And the time when he talks about breaking into his friend's recently married sister's house to steal her radio, food, and lamp, and then return it before she gets home just because he did not have enough money to escape to San Francico with it, that sure makes me feel good inside.

Oh, I almost forgot about the highly inspirational part where Soto talks about hanging out with his friend Jackie on the weekend. They sure are good citizens, knocking over trash cans and breaking into stores to steal their mannequins so that they can fight with them. Gosh, Soto, you're like George Washington, such an asset to society.

Living Up the Street is a very terrible autobiography. The events written about are so base as to be slightly offensive. Does Soto actually think that readers will learn something from his book, that they will want to be more like him after reading it? Because no one will. This book is not worth the ink and paper that was used to make it. I am sorry, Soto, but we just do not care.

Grade: 2.5

Miss Marple, Detective Extraordinnaire

There is something about murder mysteries that seems to make the individual want to read more and more. Murder, which is frowned upon in modern society, has continued to captivate readers everywhere for many, many years.

One of the most renowned names in murder was the author and playwright Agatha Christie. Her novels are some of the most well-known in mystery fiction, including And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. Her play The Mousetrap is the longest-running play in history. And there have also been T.V. shows made on her characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Miss Marple is the detective in The Tuesday Club Murders (also known as The Thirteen Problems), an anthology where Miss Marple solves many mysteries without leaving her armchair. The thirteen stories in the book all feature Miss Jane Marple, detective extraordinnaire, as she solves both criminal problems for Scotland Yard and miniscule, everyday problems for herself and her friends. My picks for the best stories in it are "The Blood-Stained Pavement", "The Blue Geranium", and "The Companion"

The narrator for "The Blood-Stained Pavement" is Joyce Lemprière. Joyce was on vacation in Cornwall, England, when she noticed a husband and wife next to her. They were Denis and Margery. Pretty soon, a woman drove up. Denis recognized her as his old friend, Carol. They go off swimming together. That afternoon, Joyce sees blood on the driveway near her rented house. Denis and Margery return without Carol. They go back to look for her, the blood is not there anymore, and Margery is found dead a week later. This sounds like a case for Miss Marple.

"The Blue Geranium" is about Mr. George Pritchard. His wife was a semi-invalid who was very prone to complaints, and had many nurses at different times to take care of her. One day a fortune-teller comes to the Pritchards' house. She tells Mrs. Pritchard to beware blue flowers. A number of days later, the Pritchards get a note that says that a blue primrose is a warning, a blue hollyhock is danger, and a blue geranium is death, and to beware the full moon. On the next full moon, one of the primroses on the wallpaper in Mrs. Pritchard's room turns blue. Four weeks later, on the next full moon, a hollyhock turns blue. Four weeks later, on the third full moon, a geranium turns blue, and Mrs. Pritchard is discovered to be dead.

"The Companion" another very interesting conundrum. Dr. Lloyd tells Miss Marple of a story that he encountered while living in the Canary Islands. He sees two women traveling together. They are not special at all; they are the most unimportant-looking people one could see. But the next day, while they were swimming, one of them started to drown. The other one tried to save her, but to no avail. He questions the would-be heroine and some witnesses. A few months later, a suicide note written by the survivor of the women is found and the woman drowned herself, although the body was not found. Of course, Miss Marple must discover the answer to this mystery.

The Tuesday Club Murders is an excellent example of Christie's writing skill. The thirteen stories in this book all seem very strange and confusing, but Marple solves them with the utmost ease using her incredible brain and past experiences. While it cannot be compared to novels of hers such as And Then There Were None, it is very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Tuesday-Club-Murders-Christie-Collection/dp/1579126901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225581086&sr=8-1

Grade: 8

A Worthy Sequel

Orson Scott Card has continued to dazzle and impress readers and critics alike with his excellent stories and intelligent writing. What might be his most well-known work, Ender's Game, has spawned many sequels, including Speaker for the Dead, a winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and Ender's Shadow, a book which, along with Ender's Game, has earned him a lifetime achievement award from the Young Adult Library Services Association. He wrote "The Ender Saga" (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) and "The Shadow Saga" (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant), as well as other novels in the "Enderverse" (First Meetings and A War of Gifts: An Ender Story).

Xenocide, incidentally, is the book which I just finished enjoying.

The book takes place on Lusitania in about the 53rd century. Lusitania is the only known planet in the universe on which is found the pequeninos, the only living sentient species besides humans known to mankind. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is living there with his family. Unfortunately, Starways Congress, the head of all humanity, sees it fit for Lusitania to be destroyed by a extremely powerful bomb.

As can be expected, no one on Lusitania favors this idea very much at all. So Ender's intelligent and almost living computer cuts off all communication between Starways Congress and the fleet sent to destroy Lusitania. It is as if the fleet just disappeared into thin air. People on Lusitania wonder if this is enough to save their lives and the lives of the pequeninos, while some people elsewhere, especially a young Chinese girl named Han Qing-Jao, are trying to figure out how to get the fleet back.

Card makes a book that lives up to Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. It is a worthy sequel that explores such philosophical questions as "When does a computer become more than a computer?" and "Should humanity sacrifice itself for other species?"

The characters in Xenocide are made realistic. They are believable people who seem to act just like most human beings in their capacities would. This all forms to be a book that should not be looked over.

http://www.amazon.com/Xenocide-Ender-Book-Quartet/dp/0312861877/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224356085&sr=8-1

Grade: 8.5

An Ordinary Voyage

It seems that in the past few years, 3-D movies have become much more numerous than they were before. One of the more recent movies of this kind is "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D," starring Brendan Fraser. It did very well in the box office, but I doubt it will have the same legacy as its namesake.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, was written during the time of the American Civil War. That was a very long time ago, and yet it is still a very well-known story. Journey to the Centre of the Earth is told through the eyes of Axel, a nineteen-year-old living with his strict Uncle Lidenbrock.

When Lidenbrock buys an ancient tome at a bookstore in town, he is very pleased to see that the book was once owned by Arne Saknussemm, a very famous Icelandic alchemist. He is even more thrilled when a note written in Icelandic falls out of the book. Axel and Uncle Lidenbrock proceed to decipher the mysterious note, and, after days of fruitless searching, they finally figure out the answer.

The note tells of a secret passageway in a crater called Sneffels (in Iceland) that leads to the centre of the earth. Axel and Lidenbrock depart immediately. With the help of their guide Hans, they embark on their treacherous journey to the interior of our planet.

Jules Verne wrote Journey to the Centre of the Earth over a century ago, so the writing style is often humorous how old it seems. The book is very slow for the most part; it does not have very much suspense or edge-of-your-seat action. Yet Verne wrote an interesting tale that has survived many years of history. Even if this "Voyage Extraordinaire" does not have the same features that a modern adventure novel today would have, it is still good, and should be read and enjoyed by present and future generations.

http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Centre-Earth-Puffin-Classics/dp/0141321040/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223751127&sr=8-4

Grade: 7

The Twilight Anthology

"It was a warm afternoon in early September when I first met the Illustrated Man." That is the first sentence in Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man. That is not true for myself (it was actually an afternoon in March), but I am definitely glad that I read it.

Bradbury has a very peculiar style that is distinct, but excellent. Though he wrote a few novels (Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes being two of the more-well-known), the bulk of Bradbury's writing was made up of short stories. And he was definitely good at writing them.

In The Illustrated Man, Bradbury writes dark stories with chilling lessons and creepy plots. Eighteen stories (plus a prologue and an epilogue) make up this excellent anthology. My three favorites are "Zero Hour", "The Fox and the Forest", and "Marionettes, Inc." (in no particular order).

"The Fox and the Forest" concerns a couple in Mexico, 1935. They are from the future (the year 2155, actually), and used the company Travel in Time, Inc. to get to the past. Their trip was only supposed to last a few days, but they evaded security and escaped so that the husband in the relationship would not get drafted for the war in 2155. But the government figures them out and tries to catch them....

"Marionettes, Inc." is also very good. Braling and Smith are two good friends who just had a good night at the bar, when Braling says that he has to go home. They walk to Braling's home together, and Braling shows Smith how he was able to leave the house, even with his over-protective wife. It is because he has a robot that looks and is just like himself, tailored personally for him by Marionettes, Inc.

"Zero Hour" takes place on a futuristic Earth. All the kids in a certain town are playing a game that they call "Invasion" with each other. Their parents can hardly get them to do anything, they are so busy with the game. Mrs. Morris finds out that in fact it is a game that kids all across America are playing all at the same time. Very interesting.

Bradbury made an excellent collection of stories in The Illustrated Man. They all have the feel of a "Twilight Zone" episode. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a passion for reading and a taste for things a little bit quirky.

http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Man-Grand-Master-Editions/dp/055327449X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223680907&sr=8-1

Grade: 8.5

A Household Name

Agatha Christie has proved herself to me to be a great author in And Then There Were None, a book which I consider one of the best books ever written. The plot was excellent, and it just showed the great mind that Christie had.

Again she shows her talent in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the book which claims to be "the book that made Agatha Christie a household name."

The book opens with the death of Mrs. Ferrars, an old widow. She was accused of killing her husband Ashley, and then committing suicide years later. Dr. Sheppard, the narrator of the book, goes to his friend Roger Ackroyd's house for dinner one night, and they talk over the death of Mrs. Ferrars. Later that night, Mr. Ackroyd, a widower, is found dead in his house, a dagger in his neck.

The suspects include many people: all of Ackroyd's servants, especially Parker, the butler; Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Roger's sister-in-law; Flora Ackroyd, Mrs. Ackroyd's daughter; Ralph Paton, Roger's stepson; and Hector Blunt, another one of Roger Ackroyd's friends and a big-game hunter. The evidence does not seem to point to anyone in particular, and almost everyone seems to have a motive, but no one the opportunity. Enter Hercule Poirot.

Poirot, Christie's most famous detective, comes out of retirement to inspect the case. He is a small Belgian who speaks French very often, and is confident in his skills. With Poirot on the case, some very astonishing things are found out.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is an excellent story that shows Christie's ingenuity at finding a good case and an even better investigation. The story has suspense, humor, and many quirky characters that make it a very good book that every mystery novel epicure would enjoy. Small wonder it made Christie a household name.

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Roger-Ackroyd-Christie-Collection/dp/1579126278/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221346239&sr=1-1

Grade: 9

Good, Very Good

Pop quiz! From what famous book series are these items: a dry martini, shaken, not stirred; a mysterious man named M.; a license to kill; and the immortal line, "My name is Bond, James Bond."

That's right, they are all from Ian Fleming's James Bond series, one of the most famous and imitated book series of all time. James Bond, British superspy, was created in Casino Royale, the movie of which was created in 2006.

Casino Royale is an excellent work of spy fiction. James Bond is the epitome of spies. He is cold, dark, and dangerous. Everything he does is carefully thought out. He is one of the most well-known characters in literature history for good reason. Fleming created an excellent, intelligent character in Casino Royale.

The book opens with James Bond at the Casino Royale in Royale-Les-Eaux, France. He is on an assignment for MI6, given to him because he is MI6's best gambler. Bond, armed with a double-O license to kill, has a very exciting mission.

At Casino Royale, Bond must play the international Russian criminal Le Chiffre in baccarat and win. Le Chiffre is running from the Russian government, with a lot of money from a Communist society he belongs to. He too goes to Casino Royale to make a lot more money.

Le Chiffre is the bank in a baccarat game, and James Bond must exhaust the bank. The game ends, and later that night, Le Chiffre and his henchmen kidnap Bond's beautiful assistant, Vesper Lynd. Bond goes after them, and meets up with Le Chiffre in the climax of the novel.

Fleming writes the book excellently. His portrayal of Bond as a superspy who is a master at his trade does not make him completely invincible, but it shows how tough he is. Every assistant of his, including the British Vesper Lynd, the French Rene Mathis, and the American Felix Leiter, are good characters, but they pale in comparison to Bond, James Bond. This is a very good book.

Note: While Casino Royale is very good, it has some mature material, and is not appropriate for younger readers.

http://www.amazon.com/Casino-Royale-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141187581/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221015124&sr=1-11

Grade: 8.5

The Man of Many Genres

Orson Scott Card is one of the most superior science fiction authors of our time. In one of his most recent novels, Empire, he disregards aliens and space shuttles to write about presidential assassinations and Al Qaeda actions. At first I was not sure whether Card should write political fiction as opposed to sticking with his science fiction bestsellers. It turns out, Card can write anything and surpass most authors easily.

Empire begins in a Middle Eastern village. A small team of Americans led by a Captain Reuben Malich are gaining trust to the civilians so that they can catch some people that the United States suspect to be Al Qaeda operatives.

The first chapter may be the weakest part in the book. Yet it too is very good. After Malich and the others get back from the Middle East, Malich gets his gold oak leaves, the insignia of Major in the United States Army.

Soon, Captain Bartholomew Coleman gets assigned to Major Malich. They are together when they see and almost prevent the assassination of the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The plot thickens when the readers discover that Malich's Special Operations job three months ago was to figure out a way to kill the President so that the White House could take necessary precautions against this event.

The precautions were not taken, Malich's plan was followed to the tee, and now Malich and Coleman know two things: one, there is a leak in the White House that would give the information to terrorists, and two, Malich is going to get a lot of bad publicity as the soldier that supposedly tried to save the President after figuring out how to kill him just a few months before.

The story goes on from there with new enemies to the government, more of Malich's friends, and plenty of intelligent writing and action. Card creates an excellent story that will soon become a video game by Chair Entertainment, and the film writes of which have been acquired by Warner Bros.

Card shows that he is an excellent novelist of every genre in Empire. It is a very, very good book. No political fiction collection is complete without Empire.

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Science-Fiction-Orson-Scott/dp/0765355221/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218846971&sr=8-3

Grade: 9

Mission: Accomplished

It has been quite a busy year for Alex Rider.

Rider, protagonist of the best-selling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, is a fourteen-year-old superspy for England's intelligence agency, MI6. His adventures take him all over the world, from Cornwall, to the French Alps, to Venice.

The first book in the series, Stormbreaker, starts off with Alex Rider's uncle, Ian Rider, dying. He was orphaned as a young child and had been living with his uncle and an American student named Jack Starbright ever since. Alex learns that his uncle was not just a businessman. He was a very successful spy from MI6. And Alex learns that now they want him to take Ian's place. They send him to Cornwall, where he is to inspect the businessman Herod Sayle. Sayle is planning to give out free Stormbreaker computers to every school in England, and MI6 thinks he is a little too shady for comfort.

This first book in the series is an excellent beginning to one of my favorite series. Horowitz makes us feel suspenseful as we wonder what Alex's next move will be. It is an interesting story to which the recent movie does not do much justice. Stormbreaker is very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Stormbreaker-Rider-Adventure-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/0142406112/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Grade: 8

The second book featuring Alex Rider, Point Blanc (or Point Blank in the United States), sends Alex on another adventure. MI6 wants Alex back. There are several murders that occur that the British spy agency thinks are related. One is of a billionaire named Michael Roscoe, and another is of billionaire Viktor Ivanov. Alex goes to Point Blanc Academy, high in the Alps in France, posing as the son of a billionaire. MI6 suspects the headmasters of Point Blanc as being related to the murders.

The second book in the series might be my favorite one. It is even better than its predecessor, combining plot twists, murder conspiracies, and heart-throbbing action to make an excellent story.

http://www.amazon.com/Stormbreaker-Rider-Adventure-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/014240165X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218576420&sr=1-2

Grade: 8.5


Alex Rider returns in Skeleton Key, the third novel in the Alex Rider series. Alex's help is required by the Secret Service again, but this time, America's. Alex goes to the United States to assist the CIA in a case involving Russian General Alexei Sarov, who is a Communist living on Cayo Esqueleto, or Skeleton Key. He is to meet up with the President of Russia in a few days, and the CIA thinks that foul play might occur. Because Sarov has a nuclear weapon.

This third book is tied with Point Blanc as my favorite in the series. Horowitz writes a thrilling story with plenty of action and surprises in stock for both Alex and the reader. Horowitz weaves an excellent web in this novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Skeleton-Alex-Rider-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/0142406147/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218676422&sr=8-1

Grade: 8.5

Book 4 in the series is titled Eagle Strike, and is the first novel where Alex's services are not required by the CIA nor MI6. The superstar and philanthropist Damian Cray is one of the most famous and celebrated men in the world, but Alex thinks that this man may not be all that he seems. He knows that Cray has dealings with shady people, but MI6 does not believe his suspicions. Alex decides to use vigilante justice and reveal Cray's true identity for the world to see.

Eagle Strike, while not as good as its two predecessors, is very good. It has excellent scenes and people, along with stunning events and revelations. From the beginning on a French beach to the finale on Air Force One, Eagle Strike is a very good book.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Strike-Rider-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/0142406139/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218676869&sr=1-2

Grade: 8

The fifth book in the series, Scorpia, again has Alex working for no one but himself. He is on vacation in Venice, when he decides to delve into the mysterious world of Scorpia, the criminal organization whose name stans for Sabotage, CORruPtion, Intelligence, and Assassination. He discovers that his late parents, who had died about the time Alex was born, had worked for Scorpia. Alex is torn between his urge to help MI6, who had lied and blackmailed him before to do what they wanted, or Scorpia, who had killed many, many people, just for money.

Scorpia is not the best Alex Rider book. It is good, but there are many far-fetched scenes. For example, Alex should not be able to fight and win many people who had been doing karate their whole lives, or follow a speedboat through the canals of Venice on foot, while there are crowds and crowds of people surrounding him. I would recommend this book, but it is not the same Alex Rider adventure as the previous four.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Strike-Rider-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/0142406139/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218676869&sr=1-2

Grade: 7.5

The sixth of so far seven Alex Rider books published (and the last one I have read) is Ark Angel. Alex is in a very prestigious hospital, recovering from a sniper bullet that he received just above his heart, when kidnappers from the ecoterrorist group Force Three attempt to kidnap the patient next door to Alex. Alex prevents them from doing this, but gets kidnapped himself in the process. He escapes, and finds out that the patient next door was Paul Drevin, son of the multibillionaire Nikolei Drevin. Drevin is planning to build the first commercial hotel in outer space, Ark Angel. Drevin lets Alex stay with him for a couple of weeks in return for him saving Paul. Adventure abounds.

Ark Angel is much like Scorpia. There are some far-fetched scenes. But for the most part, it is very good. It is filled with double-crossings, action, and well-thought-out plans. If you can ignore the few ridiculous events, Ark Angel is very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Alex-Rider-Anthony-Horowitz/dp/0142407380/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218677835&sr=1-1

Grade: 8

Anthony Horowitz has definitely written an excellent series with Alex Rider. It is much like the James Bond series of books, the first book of which I will soon write a review for. Horowitz started strong with Stormbreaker, wrote excellently with Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, and Eagle Strike, fell down with Scorpia, but rose again with Ark Angel. (I have not read the seventh book, Snakehead, yet, but I hope I do soon. All in all, Horowitz has a Mission: Accomplished.

Baby, I Can Dig This Book

I am not a horror reader. When I was in elementary school, I used to occasionally enjoy reading a scary story, but, to use a phrase very ironically, "nevermore." I assume it is for this reason that I have never gotten around to reading a single Stephen King book, even though he may be the most renowned author of our time.

Well, I have been missing out.

Just recently, I finished Stephen King's The Stand. It is an excellent book, that is not very scary, but is very powerful and well-written. The Stand is a post-apocalyptic story. The United States government creates a superflu with a 99.4% death rate. The virus leaks out into the country through a morbid mistake. Within a few weeks, only .6% of the world is still alive. In 1985, when the story takes place, that would leave almost 29,000 people in the whole world.

Among the survivors, of whom the story is obviously about, are the following important characters:

Larry Underwood, singer of the hit song "Baby, Can You Dig Your Man?";

Harold Lauder, a teenager with impure thoughts;

Frannie Goldsmith, a pregnant unwed young woman;

Stuart Redman, a tough Texan who does what he can for others;

Glen Bateman, a retired sociology professor;

Nick Andros, an intelligent deafmute;

Lloyd Henreid, a convicted murderer from a Nevada prison.

These people and all the other survivors of the superflu are spread out across the United States. At night, though, they have strange dreams. One dream is of a very old black woman in Nebraska, the picture of goodness and purity. The other dream is of a very dark and evil man west of the Rockies. Every person is drawn to one of these two for their own reasons.

King writes the story excellently. It is not a quick read (800+ pages), so he can truly tell the story of every person and their quest to make a new life when all others have gone. Anyone who loves fiction or science fiction should read this excellent addition to writing.

Note: This book has two versions. I read the original version, although there is also an uncut version of the story that I have not read. Also, younger readers should wait to read this, as it has a lot of mature content.

Original Version:
http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Modern-Classics-Stephen-King/dp/0517219018/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217964325&sr=8-1

Uncut and Expanded Version:
http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Expanded-First-Complete-Signet/dp/0451169530/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217964325&sr=8-2

Grade: 9

A Well-Rounded Pi

After reading 20 pages of Yann Martel's Life of Pi, I was not enthusiastic at all about reading it. It was a very weird book about a kid named Piscine living in India who just talked about random things.

But I am so glad I stuck with it.

Life of Pi is an excellent book. It is much like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but much, much better. The first half of the book is devoted to Piscine explaining himself. He is an Indian teenager. His father is a zookeeper. Piscine Molitor Patel was born and raised a Hindu, but adopted Christian and Muslim beliefs in addition to his Hindu faith. Piscine was teased by the other schoolkids because of a word his name sounded like, so he gave himself the nickname "Pi", and it stuck.

Near the middle of the book, Piscine's family gets fed up with Indira Gandhi and the Indian government, so they decide to sell all of their animals and move to Toronto. The second half of the book is the main storyline. While in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a great storm arises. Piscine is the sole survivor. The bad news is that now Piscine is in a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific with a Bengal tiger.

Life of Pi is very introspective. I personally loved it, but most of my friends did not. The book has little or no action at all, and can be very boring to any reader that thrives on adrenaline. A good 200 pages is just Piscine talking about himself and his interests (while foreshadowing events from the second half of the book), so that may bore many people.

All in all, I implore any patient reader to get Life of Pi. It is definitely worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Yann-Martel/dp/0156030209/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215633260&sr=1-1

Grade: 8.5

This Is What I'm Talking About

Rick Riordan has gone up and down on the scales with his books. The Lightning Thief was a good book, that I gave an 8 out of 10. The Sea of Monsters was terrible, and it earned a 3.5 out of 10. The Titan's Curse was not bad, but it was not the best, so I gave it a 7 out of 10.

I was not even going to read Book 4 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Battle of the Labyrinth. The second two were not good enough to make me want to come back. I was over with the series.

Lucky for me, my friend convinced me to read it by saying it was the best of the four and had a lot of action. My inner bibliophage instincts told me I coul not resist reading it, and I was sold. And thank goodness for that.

The Battle of the Labyrinth starts out with Percy at high school orientation. Soon enough, just like every other year, he gets himself into trouble. He and his friend get attacked by empousai, monsters from Greek mythology. The school gets set on fire, all Hades breaks loose, and Percy and his friend escape through the window before the principal catches them. That is pretty much what happens to Percy in every book.

But the story quickly changes. Percy and his demigod friend Annabeth (a demigod is a half-Greek god, half-human) go to Camp Half-Blood (a half-blood is another name for a demigod). Camp is different: for one, their satyr friend Grover is in trouble; for two, the head counselor Dionysus is gone; and for three, Kronos's army is about to attack the camp.

Percy and some of his friends soon embark on a quest to stop Kronos from taking over the camp and the Greek gods. If he wins, the Titans will rule again. But Percy must go into the very depths of danger...into the Labyrinth.

Riordan does try for humor, but not as often as with his other books, which makes The Battle of the Labyrinth the best one of the four, humor-wise. I do like humor in books, but, to put it mildly, Riordan is not funny. The jokes are dumb. But in this book, the "humor" is deficit. I applaud Mr. Riordan for that.

The plot is also worthwhile and enticing. While The Sea of Monsters has a plot that is not great, The Battle of the Labyrinth has suspense, escapes, and plot twists that make for a good story.

Riordan has suffered terribly with his second and third books in the series, but the fourth try reminds me of the first. It is so good it is worthy to be in the same series as The Lightning Thief. This is what I'm talking about!

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Labyrinth-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/1423101464/ref=pd_sim_b_title_1

Grade: 8

Something Average This Way Comes

Ray Bradbury has proved himself to be a great author before in The Martian Chronicles. That novel had suspense, mystery, twists, and even a little horror. It was a really good book.

Something Wicked This Way Comes, though, does not live up to that high standard.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. But my expectations of Bradbury were a little bit higher after reading The Martian Chronicles. I liked the book, but not as much as I wanted to.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is about two boys: Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway. Jim is impulsive and can't wait to be older. Will is more practical and hesitant. They are inseparable, and the best friends in the world. Enter the carnival.

Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show, as can be guessed from the title, is a very evil and subfusc group of people. They appear normal, but strange things happen at night. Will and Jim have to fight hard to stay friends...and to stay alive.

The novel has quite a bit of horror. Darkness is everywhere at the carnival. It makes for a chilling piece, if not terribly scary.

Maybe the best part of the novel is Bradbury's style. His writing is so unconventional and different from the norm that it is perfect for the book. He makes Jim and Will truly seem like one person. The writing alone is enough for me to recommend this book to someone.

Bradbury scores another home run with this novel. If only it were a grand slam.

http://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes/dp/0380977273/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210980737&sr=8-2

Grade: 7.5

What Matters?

I am not a big fan of historical fiction books, and definitely not a fan of historical nonfiction. I just thought I'd say that right now, just to let you know that I have nothing against the book that I'm reviewing, just the genre.

In fact, Ann Rinaldi's The Secret of Sarah Revere is pretty good, considering its genre. But a beautiful rat is a rat nonetheless.

The book revolves mainly around Sarah Revere, daughter of the legendary Paul. Sarah constantly asks herself, "What matters? What's true? Or what people think?" This is one of the main themes of the book. That's where it is better than a normal nonfiction book, or even some historical fiction books. The characters seem dead, as in a history book. In Sarah Revere, however, this is not the case. The characters are as lively and sentient as most books.

Sarah lives in a world full of strife. Her mother, of whom she is named after, died years before. British soldiers are constantly terrorizing the colonists living in Boston, Massachusetts. Suspicious acts revolve around her stepmother Rachel and a family friend, Dr. Joseph Warren. The many brothers and sisters (Debby, Paul Junior, Mary, Frances, and Elizabeth were the ones who didn't die at birth) all have their own problems and fears and lives. Sarah struggles to survive emotionally through all this.

The story can get to be kind of confusing at times, and a little boring in other places, but for the most part, it works. The book, though historical fiction, is a decent story. I would recommend this for people who like historical fiction or that time period (American Revolution times), but would be very hesitant to do that for anyone else. So I ask myself: What matters? What's true? Or what people think? And for books, it's what people think.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sarah-Revere-Ann-Rinaldi/dp/0152046844/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208555276&sr=8-1

Grade: 6.5

Parallax to More Than the Plot

Orson Scott Card, as you know if you have read my previous reviews, is my favorite author. He wrote Ender's Game, one of my favorite books (see post "Ender Scores" and "My Favorites"). There have been three sequels to that book as of yet, one forthcoming sequel, six short stories that take place in the universe, one other novel that takes place at the same time as Ender's Game, and one short story collection about the Ender universe. In addition to all these, there is a parallel series, the Shadow saga, the first of which is Ender's Shadow (as Card calls it in his foreword to Ender's Shadow, a parallax).

And just like its parallel, Ender's Shadow rocks.

The book opens on the streets of Rotterdam, in what used to be called the Netherlands, but what is now International Territory. A four-year-old (who is the size of a two-year-old) is sitting by himself, homeless. He scavenges for food sometimes, but usually just watches the other homeless kids, inspecting their hierarchy. He is incredibly smart. Soon enough, he has the whole order of Rotterdam inverted and mixed up. A recruiter for the International Fleet takes the kid to Battle School, where Ender Wiggin (the protagonist of Ender's Game) is a student. The kid is Bean, one of Ender's friends in Ender's Game.

As expected by his intelligence and his incredible entry test scores, Bean thrives in the school. He advances quickly, and has many adventures (and misadventures) in Battle School.

Card doesn't write with humor per se, but with his incredible wit and intelligence that made me fall in love with Ender's Game. The amazing story, incredible characters, and the superb writing combine to form an amazing piece that anyone could enjoy.

When writing a parallel novel, a writer could easily fall into the trap of making events that don't go with the book it is parallel to. Card, though, successfully makes it so that nothing contradicts anything in Ender's Game, and so that there is enough different to make it not just another interpretation of Ender's Game. It seems like a completely different book that just takes place at the same time and place. Many characters are cast in completely different lights. Many events are interpreted completely differently by the two characters. And most importantly, even though both Bean and Ender are cognitively incredible, they think differently enough to make both books worth reading.

After reading this, I feel Ender's Shadow is a parallax to more than the plot of Ender's Game. It also parallels the excellence. I can hardly wait to read the other Shadow saga books. Thank you, Orson Scott Card.

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Shadow-Ender-Book/dp/0765342405/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Grade: 9.5

A Great Return

You may have seen my previous reviews for Rick Riordan's series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (see "Riordan Makes it Work" and "Ridiculous"). If you haven't, then here's a summary: The Lightning Thief I liked. It was a good idea, and the author delivered it pretty well. The Sea of Monsters, though, was not good at all. The jokes were ridiculous, and it stunk.

But Riordan made a successful comeback with the third book in the series, The Titan's Curse. It wasn't perfect, but compared with his last try, it was worthy of Zeus.

The Titan's Curse opens with Percy Jackson going to a military school with some companions of his. They heard that there is a new half-blood or two there, waiting to be brought to Camp Half-Blood. (A half-blood is a child of both a human and a Greek god, and Camp Half-Blood is their summer camp.) Soon enough, both members of Camp Half-Blood and some Hunters of the godess Artemis are on a search and rescue team to find half-blood Annabeth and Artemis, both of whom have been captured by the titan Kronos.

Riordan is definitely not my favorite writer. (As a side note, that would be Orson Scott Card and J. R. R. Tolkien.) He cannot write particularly well, and he can be borderline offensive in some cases. But The Titan's Curse was really good for his standards. Some of the jokes were actually kind of funny. The story was pretty good and pretty well developed. The characters were plenty and had their own personalities. I wouldn't recommend it per se, but it was definitely better than its predecessor.

Riordan made a great return with his third book in the series. Hopefully the fourth will follow in its footsteps.

http://www.amazon.com/Titans-Curse-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/1423101456/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206984644&sr=1-2

Grade: 7

Time Rages Not

When writing a book that takes place 50 years in the future, there is a large element of danger and a small margin of error. If it is read when the setting takes place and it is too far away from reality, it becomes history (literally and figuratively). If one were to read a book that takes place in modern-day but has too many differences from modern culture, it's a joke. Some authors can make it work. But there are not too many people who could make it near perfect.

Enter Ray Bradbury.

The Martian Chronicles, the second book by one of science fiction's most renowned authors, is one of those that work. True, there are a few instances where a 1950s writer can mess up in foretelling the 2000s. A modern-day rocket cannot fit as many people as it did in the book (at least to my knowledge). And there is one chapter which, if it were to take place today, might cause a small uproar. But there are not too many of these instances, and it's not like Back to the Future Part II, where there are already flying cars and 3-D posters in 2015.

The book takes place from 1999 to 2026, mostly on the planet Mars. People seeking new lives, astronauts, and murderers alike come to Mars looking for adventure. The Martians don't take it all that well, but, as one character near the beginning of the book says, since when has humanity cared about anyone but itself?

The book provides suspense, terror, philosophy, and adventure alike for anyone who reads it. Even though it is 50 years old and takes place today, there are only minor inconsistencies. Bradbury successfully tells a tale using several short stories, each from a different person's perspective, to create a whole novel. Anyone interested in science fiction should add this to their collection because, as Ray Bradbury can prove, time rages not when you're talking books.

http://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Grand-Master-Editions/dp/0553278223/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206463171&sr=8-2

Grade: 8.5

A Seventh Son's Saga

Orson Scott Card is an excellent author, as I said in a previous blog (see "Ender Scores"). He has written many books, most renowned of which are the Ender Saga books (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind). Card has proved his skills again in Seventh Son, the first book in The Tales of Alvin Maker.

The story begins with Alvin Miller's family crossing the Hatrack River. It is a raging current, and the mother is about to go into labor. It is very important that they get to safe ground. If the child is born, he will be seventh son of a seventh son, said to have certain qualities, or hidden powers, that separate them from everyone else.

Years later, Alvin Junior is a young kid, growing up with his parents, brothers and sisters, and a new church being built that Alvin Senior and his wife disagree on. The father is not much of a Christian, but the mother would rather die than be a heretic. There are many characters that have different sides in the church, and others with no sides at all.

The story is very interesting and intriguing, and has many thought-provoking lines. The characters are very interesting, and if the story has a fault, it is that it ends all too quickly. With only 200-odd pages, I feel I could go on for another several-hundred more. But I guess that's what the six sequels are for, including the one that has yet to be released.

I hope to get my hands on the second in the saga of a seventh son of a seventh son soon, for Orson Scott Card has proved again just how good of a writer he is.

http://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Son-Tales-Alvin-Maker/dp/076534775X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204931910&sr=1-1

Grade: 8.5

Never Thought I'd See the Day

I love to read books, as it is obvious from my previous entries and the whole subject of this blog. And there are almost no books that I would quit reading in the middle because of their worthlessness.

Notice the word "almost." That wouldn't be there before I started Donita K. Paul's DragonSpell.

The book was so terrible that I stopped reading it in the middle of the book. The story isn't very good, the author is not a good writer, and the only appealing part of the book is the front cover.

The story is about a girl named Kale, who finds a dragon egg and is sent to the center of the country she lives in. She has to deliver the dragon egg and figure out what to do with it. But she gets sidetracked from her quest, and then is told by people from the center to not go there. It is not bad yet, but read on.

There are so many characters and weird words that it gets confusing to the point of ridiculous. What is an o'rant? Who is Paladin? What are the seven low races, and what is their difference from the seven high races? What in Wulder's name (by the way, who is he?) happened to the people that were sent to help Kale but were lost on the quest, or were they even lost?

Is this confusing to you? If your answer is yes, don't read the book. It is full of several characters with weird names and weird roles, characters who disappear and never show up, and weird species (o'rants, emerlindians, mariones, grawligs, etc.) And Donita K. Paul cannot write. It is like reading a novel by a teenager who thinks she can be like Tolkien or Shannara author Terry Brooks. Most good authors can do good descriptions. Paul thinks she can, and tries to, but can't. She describes a cup of tea at one point of the story, and it is ridiculously boring.

One of the things I despise in most books is when one author tries to copy another. Reading DragonSpell is like reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, but worse. Most of the themes are the same. A mind-link with dragons. Dragons cannot be owned, only befriended. Try to block your mind so others can't read it. You almost expect to have Saphira, the dragon from Paolini's novels, appear. It is like a terrible rendition of the Inheritance Cycle. Don't get me wrong, Paolini is a great author, and his stories are really good. Not so for Paul.

I never thought I'd see the day where I would actually quit reading a book in the middle. But after reading a boring 100 pages of DragonSpell, I couldn't stand 200 more. I'm sorry, Donita K. Paul, but you can't write.

Grade: 2

Death: A Comparison

There are many, many, many books that have been written that include death as one of the events, topics, or even themes. Not all writers, though, portray death as the same thing. This blog entry will be devoted to studying death in books, and how it is portrayed.

Most books view death as a very, very sad beast that claims the lives of innocent souls. This is how most people view death in real life, too. There are many scenes in books where the hero or heroine dies, and people crowd around his or her corpse, as tears drip off their noses to the body before them. There are many scenes where people are sitting around silently, thinking of the dead one's life, and their legacy. Death as a beast, a sad, sad, creature, is very common.

Other books, such as the Harry Potter series, view death as not the worst thing that can happen. Some characters do not realize that there are much worse things than death, and that is what brings them down. Others do believe this, and it makes them much stronger. Books such as these think that moral values should be more important than whether you live or die.

Like that theme is the theme that books such as The Bible and parallel stories use. Jesus died for the sins of the world. By laying down his life, others could live. This is repeated in many other books, of which I will not write their names for fear of spoiling the end. Death is necessary, in some novels, for lives to be saved.

The character Peter Pan, who was appeared in many stories throughout the years, has a different take on death. "Death would be a great adventure," he says. Death in Peter Pan's perspective is just part of the fun of life (oxymoronic, I know). This view of death is not offensive, because Peter Pan is all fun and adventure, and he thinks death would be a great addition to his repertoire of adventures.

But one series that is very offensive and annoying is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I have previously commented on the first two novels of this series (see "Riordan Makes it Work" and "Ridiculous"). Death is a joke. At the summer camp Percy goes to, he is warned to do what the camp director says or he'll be eaten by harpies. If he's late in leaving, he'll be killed. In the camp's training, he could die by lava. No one actually does die by these causes, but the mere suggestion of it I find offensive and grotesque. I cannot believe an author would actually make the good guys be so bad as to kill their companions, and even worse, the children they are supposed to look after. It slaps death in the face. And anyone who has ever known someone that died knows that it is not something to be mentioned jokingly.

Death is viewed differently in different books: monstrous, bad but not terrible, necessary, an adventure, or a joke. Some work, others don't. But an author that successfully makes their idea work, as long as it is not too offensive, is a great author indeed.

Two Months, Three Weeks, and One Day

That's the time it took me to read what is for good reason one of the best-selling series of all - Harry Potter.

I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on December 3, 2007. Yesterday, on February 25, 2008, I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

J. K. Rowling is one of the richest women in Great Britain (if not the richest), and for good reason. Her books are written with a good mix of literary elements, from humor to action to suspense. The plots are very enthralling and have little, if any, weak spots that would bring the series down.

There is and has been much controversy over the Harry Potter series. Many schools have banned the series, and many families do not allow their children to read the books. After reading the series, I believe that there is not as much sorcery and witchcraft as the name of the school suggests (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), but it is still a safe choice for parents to not allow their children to read it, especially because this very day I read a quote by a Potter fan saying she sometimes wished she was a witch.

The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is Harry's first year at Hogwarts. He is confronted with the facts on his lineage as the son of magical people, and brought into the wizarding world.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has Harry returning to Hogwarts to much fear. It seems the legend of the mysterious Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin may be true.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is Harry's third year at Hogwarts. The dangerous criminal Sirius Black has escaped from prison and is heading for Hogwarts. Harry may have something to do with it.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the wizarding event known as the Triwizard Tournament will take place for the first time in years, a tournament between Hogwarts and two other wizarding schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Through different challenges the competitors must go to claim the title of Triwizard Champion.

In the series's longest novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the good guys are beginning to fight against the forces of evil by recreating the Order of the Phoenix, an anti-Dark Lord group.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince may be my personal favorite of the series. Harry returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts. Strange things are happening, and some people have already died over the summer. Harry gets help in his classes by the mysterious Half-Blood Prince, an anonymous wizard.

And the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I do not want to give away any of the last book's plot, but it is also one of the best in the series, filled with action and adventure.

The Harry Potter novels will for years to come be a much-loved book series by youngsters and adults alike. Filled with characters that are both helps and hinderances, lovable and hated, and traitors and friends alike, the series has heart and humor, action and adventure, mystery and suspense. And whether or not they can read the series in two months, three weeks, and one day, I hope many other readers for years to come can enjoy the spell cast by Harry and his friends.

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Boxset-Books-1-7/dp/0545044251/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204088378&sr=8-6

Grade: 8.5

Ridiculous

When reading Rick Riordan's The Sea of Monsters, one word that comes to mind is "ridiculous."

The first novel in Percy Jackson of the Olympians, The Lightning Thief, was a promising start to the series. Its humor was good enough, and the story was good (see previous blog, "Riordan Makes it Work").

Not so the second.

Here's an example from the book of the characters' logic: Percy Jackson, Annabeth, and Tyson are in the woods. Annabeth tells Tyson to go find donuts just so he'll get out of the way. In under five minutes, Tyson returns with a box of donuts. Instead of congratulating Tyson on his find, or even eating the pastries, Annabeth gets scared and realizes that the Hydra is near. Because everybody knows that every time a Hydra's head gets cut off, another donut shop pops up somewhere. Duh.

The jokes Rick Riordan thinks are funny are not. Whereas the first book had some good lines and an interesting plot, the second has no lines even remotely amusing, unless you have the sense of humor of a four-year-old. The main idea is fine, but it does not live up to The Lightning Thief in the least.

Percy's summer home he shares with his other half-blood friends, Camp Half-Blood, is falling. The magical borders are dying. Someone has to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back in order to save the camp. Meanwhile, Percy has to save Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus. Not a terrible idea, but the delivery stinks like Pegasus dung.

This book could've been a lot better. It could have been a really good book, but Riordan fails to make it enticing. The series just took a dreadful dip to Tartarus. And not even Percy can save it.

Grade: 3.5

Ender Scores

There are not many books that truly excite a person, seduce them into a series, captivate their interest, make them crave for more. There is an even smaller number of authors who are able to put this spell upon a person.

Orson Scott Card can.

In Card's novel Ender's Game, a futuristic science fiction novel, a young boy is forced to go to a battle school in outer space. His older brother Peter was too violent to be given this honor, and his older sister Valentine was too soft. They were both close, but no cigar. So the government allowed Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin to have another kid. That's where Ender comes in.

The idea of a two-kid limit is a theme used in many books, including Lois Lowry's The Giver and Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series, both of which were published after Ender's Game. Yet this book does not focus on that idea too much, and thus makes it very original.

So Ender is sent to Battle School with the warning that he might never see his parents again until he is an adult. But six-year-old Ender goes with many other boys, to learn how to fight, and more importantly, to win, against the alien buggers, who are coming back for another war, even bigger than the last.

The book does not portray Ender as a superhuman, mindless fighting machine, nor as an over-emotional wimp. It has very realistic characters, an exciting plot, and is filled with action and thought-provoking lines. It has spawned several sequels (the first of which is Speaker for the Dead) and parallel novels (including Ender's Shadow). In my opinion, it is one of the best books ever written. Orson Scott Card has joined the ranks of the authors who can weave the spell of captivation. Keep writing, Mr. Card, and I will keep reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Orson-Scott-Card/dp/0765342294/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203115439&sr=1-1

Grade: 9.5

Riordan Made it Work

Rick Riordan had a good idea when he decided to write the first book in his series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." The Lightning Thief mixes humor, adventure, and mythology to create a pretty good book.

The story starts with Percy Jackson, a failing student at Yancy Academy in New York, on a field trip with his class to a museum. There, he gets lost and ends up alone with his math teacher, Mrs. Dodds. Instead of being the friendly teacher, she tries to kill him, but Percy gets saved by his Latin teacher. Starnge, huh? But the odd thing is that no one has any recollection of ever having a math teacher named Mrs. Dodds.

Percy goes home, and gets taken by his mom and his friend Grover to a place called Camp Half-Blood. They reveal the shocking truth about his true parentage: his father was a god.

Using knowledge of Ancient Greece and the gods, along with a prophecy and an enticing plot, Riordan made the story good for anyone up to the age of 15. The humor can sometimes be over the top, but is also a good help to the story.

This could have went dreadfully wrong, if the jokes were too dumb, or the allusions to mythology were too few (or too much) or too unrealistic. But this is a good read for mythology and adventure lovers alike.

http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203116540&sr=1-1

Grade: 8

My Favorites

These are my favorite books:

Card, Orson Scott - Ender's Game
Card, Orson Scott - Speaker for the Dead
Card, Orson Scott - Ender's Shadow
Card, Orson Scott - Empire
Christie, Agatha - And Then There Were None
King, Stephen - The Stand
Paolini, Christopher - Eragon
Paolini, Christopher - Eldest
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Snicket, Lemony - The Bad Beginning
Snicket, Lemony - The Reptile Room
Snicket, Lemony - The Wide Window
Snicket, Lemony - The Miserable Mill
Snicket, Lemony - The Austere Academy
Snicket, Lemony - The Ersatz Elevator
Snicket, Lemony - The Vile Village
Snicket, Lemony - The Hostile Hospital
Snicket, Lemony - The Carnivorous Carnival
Snicket, Lemony - The Slippery Slope
Snicket, Lemony - The Grim Grotto
Snicket, Lemony - The Penultimate Peril
Snicket, Lemony - The End
Tolkien, J. R. R. - The Hobbit
Tolkien, J. R. R. - The Fellowship of the Ring
Tolkien, J. R. R. - The Two Towers
Tolkien, J. R. R. - The Return of the King

Introduction

bib - li - o - phage [bib-lee-uh-feyj] - noun

an ardent reader; a bookworm


Most people have an obsession. Maybe it's coffee. Maybe it's football. Maybe it's music.

Mine is books.

Ever since the age of two and a half, I have felt an urge to read. Nothing would satisfy that urge but books. At two and a half years old, my life changed. I entered the world of reading.

My repertoire of books read include the Lord of the Rings trilogy (in fourth grade), the first six Harry Potter books (read within two months and one week), and A Series of Unfortunate Events (the first of which I have read no less than six times, including once or twice in Spanish).

I have come to share that love of reading with the world, and write book reviews for some of the best -- and worst -- books you can read. Every blog will emphasize a different book, be it old or new, long or short, happy or sad.

I am the bibliophage.