The Time-Traveler's Reading List

I remember writing an essay in Secondary school about whether I'd want a short exciting life or a long boring one if I had the choice. Short and exciting was definitely enticing, but then I thought of all the short exciting lives I could enjoy vicariously during long boring years. As a reader and writer I could live and die over and over again in a million different worlds and cities and eras. What more could a teenager dream? And so I chose long and boring (though I have to admit, it's been more like long and exciting on many an occasion). And here, in my book reviews, are those dream-lives, written-lives, history-lives and more--a time-traveler's reading list perhaps?

Starting in pre-history, I've been reading The Dictionary of Biblical Symbolism, by Stan I. S. Law, a fascinating book that combines dictionary with application, and views the Bible's original words through lenses of symbolism. Enjoy your deep intense studies with an intense 5-star cup of coffee. And keep going back to the Bible itself to find more.

Next, in the 1600s, the Astrologer, by Scott G. F. Bailey, imagines the world of the Court of Denmark as science, technology and political intrigue intertwine with myth and mystery. The narrator's inept attempts to avenge his master's possible murder just lead to more and more trouble till castles burn and peasants revolt while Swiss Guards sweep the eaves. It's a curious tale, with a curious blend of truths perceived and clouded, best enjoyed with a nicely complex 4-star cup of coffee.

Moving forwards to the 1800s, the next book on my list is a beautifully illustrated children's book, Custer's Last Battle, by Paul Goble. Definitely the sort of book that becomes a family treasure, this tells the tale of a famous battle through the eyes of a fictional Oglala Indian, treating friend and foe with respect and honor, and offering a pleasing alternative to over-simplified imaginings. Enjoy it with a rich, elegant and complex 4-star coffee--and yes, I do believe six-year-olds will enjoy its elegantly complex lessons just as much as their grandparents.

And now we reach the mid 1900s, and  Aaron Paul Lazar's Don't Let the Wind Catch You. Combining coming-of-age story with intriguing mystery, and adding the author's trademark touch of thought-provoking human-kindness, this is a great standalone slightly-paranormal mystery for middle grade and up. APL has written lots of adult mysteries starring Gus LeGarde, but it's fun to meet the younger version of his character, and I'm hoping there'll be plenty more in both iterations of this series. Enjoy with some well-balanced, smooth-flavored 3-star coffee.

Then there are some short stories for the present day in Love Advice for the Dog of Action, and other funny stories, by Oleg Medvedkov, which bring Monty-Pythonesque illogic into the realm of lunch-break ebooks. Enjoy these short sharp thoroughly confusing off-beat tales with some 2-star lively easy-drinking coffee.

Finally, heading off to a somewhat dystopian future where greyskins chomp on the remnants of humanity and a young teen braves all to save what's left of her family, Out of Darkness: Book 1 of the Starborn Saga, by Jason D. Morrow, introduces some interesting twists on teen sci fi, fantasy, and zombie fare. The story's fairly complete in itself, and introduces some fascinating ideas to build a series on. Enjoy this lively tale with a lively 2-star cup of coffee.




Comments

CA Heaven said…
A boring life is impossible when there are plenty of good books >:)

Cold As Heaven
August 22, 2013 at 10:59 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Connect those Connections

Taken from a talk I gave on Sunday at the Writers' Mill. This is a very low-level approach to getting connected, from one beginner to another... Internet Writing, Marketing and Networking If you’ve got an email address you’re on the internet. If you’ve got a book out or an article in a magazine, you’re into marketing. If you’ve got friends, you’re networking. And if you use Google, you can do almost anything. Google Google is your friend. Google “how to join facebook” “How to join goodreads” “How to join Twitter” etc… Google “facebook badges” “blogger widgets” etc… to spice up your pages. Anything you want to know, a nice simple question to google will almost certainly tell you. But keep safe . Don’t just click on the first link you see. Make sure it looks vaguely genuine. “F*@!book.com/badges” might take you somewhere you don’t want your computer to go. “Facebook.com/badges” tells you all about badges. Why would you want to join all these interne...
Read more

Eternal curse might hide a blessing too.

Image
Today is the official launch day for Toi Thomas's paranormal romance, Eternal Curse, and I was lucky enough to be offered a free preview copy some while ago. The novel creates an intriguing mythology of angelic beings and the Fall, binding it nicely to modern day characters in search of meaning for their lives. There's an interesting blend of the paranormal, faith and science, and the story has a nicely old-fashioned feel with separate underlying tales taking center stage on the way to resolution. So... here's the cover, the blurb, and my review: ABOUT THE BOOK 'You have plenty of time to change your mind. You have not yet seen the monster I can be.' Giovanni has been waiting his whole life to meet someone like Mira, someone from the outside world who might be able to help him. He wonders if there really is help for him as he continues to hold tightly onto dark secrets and even darker memories. Giovanni wants to be hopeful and he wants to accept Mira...
Read more

Author or transcriber, reader or visitor, greatest or least? Meet Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Image
 Today I'm delighted to welcome Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of " I walked with Jesus ," to my blog. I very much enjoyed her short stories retelling miracles from the life of Christ - we clearly have faith and short fiction in common with each other.  I loved how historical, real, and relevant Kathryn's stories felt. You can find my review here:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4904771188 . I'd love to meet the author and chat in person, but inviting her to my blog is the next best thing, so I asked her to let me and you how she finds her audience. Here's what she told me. Why I think my audience is beginning to find me by  Kathryn Elizabeth Jones One of the hardest things to do as an author, other than writing or marketing a book, is to find that often illusive audience. It’s easier with mysteries or children’s picture books, probably because you know who reads them; adults and teens who love sleuthing and children and their parents who love reading....
Read more