Fiction

Dodger

Background

Dodger is a historical fiction novel by Terry Pratchett, set in early Victorian London. It was first published in 2012. The story follows the adventures of Dodger, a young orphan who lives in the slums of London. Dodger is a clever and resourceful boy, and he uses his wits to survive on the streets. One day, Dodger meets a young woman named Simplicity, who is being pursued by her abusive husband. Dodger helps Simplicity to escape, and the two of them set out on a journey to find a new life together. Along the way, they encounter a variety of characters, including Charles Dickens, Henry Mayhew, and William Morris.

Dodger
Dodger

My Thoughts

This book had me thinking in a cockney accent for a full day after I was done. The story itself is somewhat like Forrest Gump as the main character “Dodger” keeps blundering into historical events and people. However, it is forgivable because he is just such a likeable person as a whole.

I think there is something very primal about a man with integrity and a code of honor. Dodger is definitely a thief but has a Robin Hood like view of wealth redistribution and he genuinely cares for people. It’s fun to see him put in all types of circumstances and particularly facing the usual traps and pitfalls of youth.

I was also surprised by the publication date as there is a good deal of stereotyping of Jewish people in the character of Solomon. Perhaps it was historically accurate though…

Recommendation

Slightly unbelievable but I enjoyed it.

The Long Earth

Background

The Long Earth is a science fiction novel by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, first published in 2012. The story follows the adventures of a group of people who discover that they can step sideways into parallel universes that are almost identical to our own, but with subtle differences. The group uses this ability to explore these new worlds and to try to find a way to stop a mysterious force that is trying to destroy them.

The Long Earth was a critical and commercial success, and it was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award. It has been praised for its humor, its originality, and its thought-provoking exploration of the nature of reality.

The Long Earth
The Long Earth

My Thoughts

This was such and interesting book and was one of those concepts you can step back and reflect on for some time. Terry Pratchett is a master of storytelling and really brought me into the story. Much can be extrapolated from the text; theories of evolution, science, chaos theory, multiverse, and so on.

Recommendation

Long but enjoyable.

The Carpet People

Background

The Carpet People is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. It was first published in 1971, and was later re-written by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. The story follows the adventures of a group of small people who live on a carpet. The carpet is their world, and they have no knowledge of anything else.

The Carpet People
The Carpet People

My Thoughts

This was my first Terry Pratchett book and right from the beginning, I was hooked. I love his sense of humor and it is reflected in pretty much everything in the story. There are certainly some elements that are a little less refined and I’m curious to have read the original that he released when he was 17 to compare and contrast.

Recommendation

It was worth the time.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass

Background

Published in September of 2015, “The Aeronaut’s Windlass” by Jim Butcher is a steampunk adventure that follows the exploits of a group of characters as they navigate a world filled with airships, magic, and political intrigue.

The Aeronaut's Windlass
The Aeronaut’s Windlass

My Thoughts

I loved the “Dresden Files” series and so I thought I’d try another from the same author. This book started off pretty slow to me but picked up as it went along. I really enjoyed the new take on technologies, wildlife, and the world as a whole. Toward the end, I couldn’t get enough. I was sad to see the series hadn’t moved along for almost a decade.

Recommendation

I really enjoyed it.

Legacy Earth

Background

Published in September of 2021, “Legacy Earth” is a science fiction novel by author Mike Buzzell. Set in the year 2256, the story follows the adventures of a group of humans who have been living on a distant planet for generations after Earth was destroyed in a catastrophic event. When they discover evidence that Earth may still exist, a small team is sent on a dangerous mission to confirm the discovery and possibly reclaim their ancestral home. Along the way, they encounter unexpected allies and enemies, and must confront the consequences of the choices their ancestors made in order to survive. The novel explores themes of environmentalism, the search for identity and belonging, and the impact of technology on society.

Legacy Earth
Legacy Earth

My Thoughts

This was an interesting book as it took several liberties with history and the military to build out a possible scenario for the future. It took a bit to get started as the main character is a little too good for belief. He doesn’t seem to slow down as the book goes on but the other characters become more likeable as they become fleshed out. There were a few things that were discordant to me which likely shouldn’t have been given that it is set 500 years in the future. Still, my exposure to Marines makes me less-than-sympathetic to people who haven’t done their research on their culture. I got over it though.

Recommendation

It was a good enough book for me to get in the door to the series. Let’s see where it goes from here.

The Great Gatsby

Background

The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man known for throwing extravagant parties in 1920s New York. The narrator, Nick Carraway, becomes Gatsby’s neighbor and befriends him, learning of his mysterious past and his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby tries to win back Daisy’s heart, despite her marriage to the wealthy and unfaithful Tom Buchanan. The novel explores themes of love, wealth, power, and the corruption of the American Dream, culminating in a tragic and ultimately empty pursuit of a life that cannot be regained.

The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby

My Thoughts

That background was written by ChatGPT. I think it did a great job…

The book was quite the throwback and some of the thoughts were pretty jarring. (E.g. The treatment of Jewish characters and so on.) One can pull a number of lessons out of the text beyond the surface levels of money and power. The central notion of the fundamental character of people was so bleak that it was hard to read.

How much of our suffering is really for our own good? That’s a terrifying question when you stop to consider the implications.

Recommendations

It’s a classic so you should read it. However, I didn’t enjoy it.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Background

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first novel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The story begins in the peaceful Shire, where hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a powerful and dangerous ring from his uncle Bilbo. Realizing the true nature of the ring, Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, aided by a fellowship of eight others, including the wizard Gandalf, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the humans Aragorn, Boromir, Merry, Pippin, and Sam. As they journey through treacherous terrain, they encounter dark forces in the form of the Ringwraiths, who are seeking the ring for their master, the evil Sauron. The Fellowship must overcome numerous obstacles and challenges in their quest to save Middle-earth from Sauron’s tyranny. (By ChatGPT)

The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring

My Thoughts

I ran a race Saturday and wanted to have something familiar to listen to while I ran. As this was a race, there usually isn’t a lot of brainpower to learn another story and this seemed to be a good choice. Also, my oldest son just finished it again in the last month so it’s good to keep up to date. The last time I read it, I was in the dentist’s chair so this was a little more comfortable.

Recommendation

It’s a classic… A little wordy at times and I can do without all the songs but a familiar story. I keep coming back!

Barbarian Lord

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Background

Published in July of 2014, Barbarian Lord is a graphic novel of fighter who goes on adventures for honor and revenge.

Barbarian Lord
Barbarian Lord

My Thoughts

My son had read it and said my daughter had said it was basically He-Man in graphic novel form. So I was bound to read it. It didn’t take long at all to finish and I can’t say I’m a better person to have done so.

Visually, my daughter is correct. It is basically He-Man complete with a Skeletor-ish villain. However, there were some very graphic scenes in it which certainly wouldn’t have slipped by the censors of the early 80’s.

The plot was pretty sparce but you can’t really expect too much. It is basically a action movie in book form. (Spoiler alert, Barbarian Lord wins in the end…)

Recommendation

If this gets your kids to read then it’s all good. If not, you don’t need to spend any time with it.

The Four Winds

Background

Published in January of 2021, The Four Winds is the story of a woman and her kids leaving the farm in Texas during the dust bowl and heading to California. Things didn’t work out like they planned.

The Four Winds
The Four Winds

My Thoughts

I read this book because our church’s adult women put it out there as their book club pick. In short, I didn’t like it. It was reading the Grapes of Wrath again but this time with an empowerment story complete with a worthless husband.

Recommendation

I wasn’t a fan.

A Darkling Plain

Background

Published in 2007, A Darkling Plain is set 6 months after Infernal Devices. Hester is presumed dead as is the Stalker Fang. The world is getting ready for the last war.

A Darkling Plain
A Darkling Plain

My Thoughts

This was a good resolution and I love what happened to Shrike at the end in particular.

Recommendation

You have to finish it…