Fiction – Page 29 – Ryan's Book Blog

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

April 26, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Douglas Adams’ classic is read by the comedian Stephen Fry and brings us all back to a time when digital watches were the bleeding edge of technology. The Hitchhiker’s Guide is the first of a series of 5 books first published in 1979. It has since gone on to be a TV series and a full motion picture.

My Thoughts

This book has brought a smile to me several times over my life. I really enjoy the dry wit and the general ridiculousness of each situation. Author’s character keeps getting placed in situations from ridiculousness to impossible. In each situation he somehow maintains his demeanor and sanity. Of course, this simply serves to juxtapose the ridiculousness of our daily lives against the over the top situations presented in the novel. Author somehow moves forward just as we do.

Recommendation

Don’t panic! Just read the book. You’ll enjoy it.

Eragon

April 20, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle. Written by Christopher Paolini in 2002, it delivers the classic hero’s tale of a orphan book who is more than he appears.

My Thoughts

Eragon was fun to read and goes down pretty easy. Outside of it being more or less unbelievable at times, it was an enjoyable book.

Recommendation

Great book if you like the genre.

A Wrinkle in Time

April 19, 2019 by Ryan

Background

A Wrinkle in Time is a 1962 science fantasy novel by Madeleine L’Engle. The story follows Meg Murry, a young girl who, along with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O’Keefe, travels through space and time to find her father, a brilliant scientist who has been missing for five years. Along the way, they encounter three mysterious beings—Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which—who help them on their journey. The novel explores themes of love, courage, and self-acceptance, and it has been praised for its innovative use of science fiction and fantasy elements.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I wasn’t that taken with the story and don’t remember that much about it.

Recommendation

I will have to re-read it.

The War I Finally Won

March 31, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The War I Finally Won follows the book The War that Saved My Life. It is the story of a young woman in England during WWII. Now orphaned, she is finally able to have the surgery to correct her club foot and be more like other people. Yet, she soon learns much more about the wide world as a German immigrant comes to stay with them.

My Thoughts

This is a good book to transport yourself to a time and place where there is a war going on. In today’s America, we don’t know a great deal about having to go without or having to come together for a greater cause outside our own desires. I think back to after 9/11 and the feeling in the county. The unity and lack of backbiting was a silver lining to the tragedy. Sadly, it was short lived.

This book isn’t my usual fair. As with the book proceding it, I read it because others were and I wanted to understand where they were coming from.

Recommendation

I don’t know if I would recommend this book or not. I didn’t really enjoy reading it and I don’t know what I got out of it in general.

The Last Mile

March 29, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Last Mile is a story of the vindication of a death row inmate, Melvin Mars, after 20 years of false imprisonment. A washed up detective, Amos Decker, helps to put the pieces together the murder of his parents who and why his parents were killed.

My Thoughts

This book was well written and kept me engaged and entertained. I’m not quite sure what I was looking for but the plot took another direction

Recommendation

If you like mysteries, this is a great book.

The Titan’s Curse

March 28, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Titan’s Curse is book three in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The Titan Kronos is slowly coming back to power and his general Atlas is freed of his burden. Percy and his friends have to save an innocent creature from sacrifice or Kronos will return.

My Thoughts

After I read book 2 I had to move along to book 3. Another fun read from Rick Riordan. Percy is getting more familiar with his powers and is noticing he has feelings for his friend Annabeth.

Recommendations

Another great book

The Sea of Monsters

March 27, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Sea of Monsters is book 2 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Percy finds himself back in adventures as his beloved Camp Half Blood is under siege.

My Thoughts

I hadn’t remembered I had read this till I started through it again. There are more books in the Percy Jackson series and I thought this was one of them. However, I was glad I read it again.

Recommendations

Great read. Perfect for the teenage boy.

The Secret Lives of Wives

March 25, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

This book on how to stay married by Iris Krasnow was written to counter the focus on divorce. It is a collection of stories of women who have stood by their man and made the best of what they had.

My Thoughts

This really isn’t my normal fare but I was interested in the idea of what makes people stay together. There just isn’t much focus on the majority of people who slog it out year by year and keep their marriage together. Like many, I assume, I thought my first marriage was going to last. It didn’t. There were lines I wasn’t willing to be crossed… This book has stories of women who had all manner of nonsense happen in their marriage and yet they stuck with it.

There is a lot of research on how we become happier with age. How having social connections positively correlates with health and longevity. How a married person is more likely to have long term financial success than their single counterparts. In short, it’s good to get married and stay married.

Getting married and staying married is a daily choice. Sometimes the choice to stay together is easier than at other times. Marriage is constant communication, compromise, forgiveness, and service. I’m convinced there is no one way to do it and it was interesting to hear how others went about it.

Recommendation

An interesting read. I would recommend it to anyone who is married and wouldn’t mind a look what keeps other marriages going.

Slaughterhouse-Five

February 26, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Slaughterhouse-Five is a novel written by Kurt Vonnegut that follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II soldier who becomes “unstuck in time” and experiences his life in a non-linear fashion. The novel explores the themes of the destructiveness of war and the inevitability of fate, while also incorporating elements of science fiction and satire. Billy’s experiences as a prisoner of war and a witness to the bombing of Dresden are juxtaposed with his later life as an optometrist and his encounters with aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. Through Billy’s story, Vonnegut challenges traditional notions of storytelling and the linearity of time, ultimately questioning the human capacity for compassion and understanding in the face of senseless violence.

My Thoughts

I wasn’t impressed with this one. Vonnegut is a master writer to be sure. His method of writing comes across as both easy and sincere and the reader is effortlessly transported to the story.

However, the story was very strange. I actually liked that it was disjointed and the concept of time travel through life moments was a very interesting thought. When put in context of when this book was released, it was lightyears ahead of it’s time (pardon the pun).

My Recommendation

This book belongs to a different era and was written for a different audience. It is great for historical perspective but I didn’t enjoy it. “So it goes.”

Memory Man

February 24, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Memory Man is a thriller novel by David Baldacci that follows the story of Amos Decker, a former professional football player turned police detective who suffers from a rare condition called hyperthymesia, which gives him a perfect memory. Decker’s life is forever changed when his family is brutally murdered in their home, leaving him devastated and with a thirst for justice. The case goes unsolved for years until a man walks into a police station in a small town and confesses to the crime. However, Decker is not convinced and begins to investigate the case on his own, uncovering a web of lies, corruption, and secrets that lead him to the shocking truth about what really happened to his family.

My Thoughts

This kind of book really isn’t where I tend to spend my time. It is a mystery-drama and I tend to stay away from both. However, I really enjoyed it. I found I was engrossed in the story and I really didn’t expect it.

The protagonist had a little too much super power for my liking but he was effectively balanced by his general crustiness. The surprise inclusion of rural Utah peaked my interest as well. It was reminiscent of the old Fletch movies which pictured folks from Provo as illiterate pig farmers.

My Recommendation

This was an enjoyable read but it isn’t for the kids.