Fiction – Page 31 – Ryan's Book Blog

The Maze Runner

January 18, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Maze Runner was written in 2009 by James Dashner and is the first book in the Maze Runner series. It is a post apocalyptic juvenile fiction book that centers on a gifted 16 year old named Thomas. He finds himself placed in a maze without memories and needing to survive.

My Thoughts

This was a good book and may even want to see the movie. (If nothing else, I’d like to see how they depicted the reavers. Though it was pretty campy at times it was an engaging read and I didn’t get bored reading it.

Recommendations

Be aware there is some nasty violent scenes and some messed up situations. However, if you are good with that, I would recommend the book.

Divergent

January 16, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Divergent is the story of post-apocalyptic world where the main character is just coming of age. It is part of the Divergent Trilogy and was made into a movie by the same name a mere 3 years after the book’s release.

My Thoughts

I haven’t seen the movie and I don’t know that I will. This book reads a lot like the Twilight Series. That is to say it is teenage girl fodder. It is a decent story and all but there are some surprisingly sensual parts of it that I don’t think the average teenager needs in their life. As a forty something man, it was a bit comical to read about the male characters. If you dropped a teenage girl in the body of man and she tried to act male, this is what you would get.

Just like Twilight, it was made into a movie pretty quickly after the books. It feels a bit like it was made for it.

Recommendation

Probably stick to the movie on this one and skip the book.

The War That Saved My Life

January 9, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2015 Kimberly Brubaker Bradley intended this book to be a historical fiction for middle school students. It became a best seller and has a sequel The War I Finally Won.

It is a story of an English girl and her brother were moved out to the country during the German assault on the UK in WWII.

My Thoughts

I read this because my 13 year old son was reading it for school. It really wasn’t a bad story but it isn’t my normal genre of book. Ms. Bradley does a good job of keeping the reader engaged and wanting to continue.

I was glad to hear there was a sequel to the book as it left off without much closure.

Recommendation

I’m about half way on this. I’m not sure why my son was reading it for school but it isn’t a bad story.

The Fellowship of the Ring

January 8, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

I don’t think there needs to be too much introduction to this book. The Fellowship of the Ring is J.R.R. Tolkien’s the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this rendition of the book. I’ve read it a few times now and I enjoyed the audiobook. It was much quicker and still enjoyable. However, it did skip a good deal of the details.

The story itself keeps you engaged throughout the story. The whole series is the classic hero’s epic of how Hobbits saved all of Middle Earth.

Recommendation

Read it rather than watch the movies. They are good but the book is better.

The Hobbit

December 27, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Hobbit is the first book which kicked off the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien over 80 years ago. It is the tale of a halflings, or Hobbits, or rather, one Hobbit and an adventure he hadn’t planned on taking. This is a fantasy story of dwarfs, elves, dragons, goblins, trolls, and others… The book was originally a children’s book before it was taken and made into 3-PG-13 movies.

My Thoughts

I’ve read this book several times and this go around was the most unique. I was scheduled for 2 teeth which were in need of root canal re-treatments and was facing at least 3 hours in a dentist’s chair. I wanted something to take my mind off of the drama and felt this was a good way to go.

For the most part, it worked. I still enjoyed the book, which is saying something as I was literally being drilled during it. Particularly, I enjoyed the BBC radio version. All the characters had their own voices and it really made it come to life.

Recommendation

Great book! Well worth the time and effort.

A Study in Scarlet

December 18, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

A Study in Scarlet is the first novel with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Written in 1886 by Arthur Conan Doyle. This work introduces Mr. Holmes’ famed powers of deduction and sets up his rocky association with Scotland Yard.

Also included is a short story of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” which is a quick murder mystery which is solved by Mr. Holmes.

My Thoughts

Surprisingly, it was more a story of the killer than of Sherlock and Watson. More surprising, it gave a description of the Mormon Pioneers and life in frontier Salt Lake City before Utah became part of the United States after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was surprised and a little dismayed by the light cast on the church and how they did business at that time. Conan Doyle stated it was a work of fiction and “best to let the matter rest”. I will also let it rest but simply to say, I didn’t expect it.

Recommendation

I enjoyed the read. It also spurred me to check out a number of sources regarding the time period. I would recommend it.

Animal Farm

November 26, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

George Orwell made such a splash with this book it is still used as required reading in schools across the nation. Animal Farm is the bedrock of anti-totalitarian books and was published during the second world war.

The book is a story of the animals on a farm who throw off their oppressive masters and start living their lives as equals. As time passes, many things change and very quickly the animals learn that some are “more equal”.

My Thoughts

I’m so glad my daughter was given the assignment to read this book as it had been far too long since I had even thought of it. I remember the phrase “more equal” being quoted to me while I lived in Bulgaria and was being told about where the “party members” lived. The Bulgarians were very familiar with the concepts of communism and much of the story rung true their experience.

I think the story does a great job of showing even how the best of intentions can go astray. How the best of us can be corrupted and misused if we are simply given something we can believe in. The horse Boxer’s mottos of, “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right” are good examples of this. He had the ability to stop what was happening but he clung to the ideals and ended up working himself to death.

Recommendation

A good quick read. No one has put it better than Orwell.

The Last Battle

November 20, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The last book of the Narnia Series is the Last Battle. It is the seventh novel in the series and was published in 1956. The story starts many years after the last visit to Narnia with King Tirian now leading the country. There has been peace throughout the years and no one has seen Aslan for so long… Narnia is fooled by a false Aslan and is soon overrun by enemies. The Last Battle is indeed the last battle for Narnia.

My Thoughts

So much Christian symbology… Aslan even sets up the analogy of Christ and Satan when he sets himself opposite of Tash. It really was an odd story when you back away from it. The notion all the Narnians could get so worked up over a false prophet… There is precedent enough in history I suppose. Still, it seemed too easy. They were too trusting…

I enjoyed some of the off moments such as when Aslan demonstrates the dwarves wouldn’t allow themselves to be helped. Also the description of Susan, to paraphrase, ‘she was in such a hurry to get to the silliest part of life and then tries to stay there as long as possible.’

My Recommendation

A fun story and a good read.

The Silver Chair

November 12, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Silver Chair was published in 1953 and Decades have passed in Narnia since the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and now King Caspian is an old man. Eustace Scrubb, now in boarding school and having learned not to be such a selfish jerk, finds his way back to Narnia with his school mate Jill Pole. They quickly find themselves on a quest with a “marshwiggle” named Puddleglum.

My Thoughts

The marshwiggle character was interesting. Why not make up your own creature and put him in the middle of everything. Part mud, part Eeyore, part superhero, Puddleglum is interesting to say the least. He would be a much more fun character if it wasn’t for his worldview. I found I couldn’t connect with the humans very well as neither were that likable.

The story seemed to have a lot of inspiration from Jack and the Beanstalk. (There is a whole giant section…) The whole story seemed to meander around. When we finally meet the missing Prince, the story seems to go very quickly.

Recommendations

Though I enjoyed it more than the last and it was still a good read, it is not my favorite.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

November 11, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the next book in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia Series. Published in 1952, it distinguishes itself by being the only book in the series that doesn’t have a main villain. The Dawn Treader is a ship commissioned and sailed by Prince Caspian. They are trying to get to the far East (Aslan’s county). It brings in a new character, Eustace Scrubb. He is the cousin of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. Eustace is nuisance and ends up learning a great lesson.

My Thoughts

This was an interesting book. I’m not the fondest of boats and the like so it wasn’t my favorite setting. However, the islands were interesting. This book reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Not my favorite but a good read none the less.

Recommendation

My least favorite of the books thus far but still worth reading.