The previous 13 reviews are now archived and cross-linked on the main site.
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Newport Tower: Unsettled History (B. Lynn Bryant)
Newport Tower: Unsettled History
B. Lynn Bryant
Amazon Digital Services
Nonfiction, History
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: In Newport, Rhode Island, stands one of the most enigmatic structures in North America: a two-story stone tower. Many attribute its construction to one Benedict Arnold, grandfather of the infamous Revolutionary War turncoat, who allegedly built it in the late 1600's as a windmill... but there are several holes in this theory. The eight pillars supporting the structure wouldn't have withstood the stresses of being a windmill, and the costs of building it in stone - especially during a lean time, as colonial Newport was experiencing - seem impractical, especially for a man with a thrifty Puritan mindset. The tower has far more in common with medieval structures, including the geographic and astrological alignments of the pillars and irregular windows... meaning that it might predate the English colony by at least two centuries, a relic of a previous generation of explorers who sailed for the New World long before Columbus.
An eBook-exclusive title.
REVIEW: Despite my armchair interest in oddities, I don't recall hearing of the Newport Tower, so when I saw this as a freebie download for my Kindle I decided to educate myself. It is, indeed, an intriguing and enigmatic structure. The politics of the differing viewpoints prove just how human archaeologists and researchers are: it often becomes more about finding evidence to support a dearly-held theory than clinically analyzing the facts. Bryant does not claim to be unprejudiced, but offers this as a rebuttal of the claims of the so-called "Arnoldists," who insist the tower had to be built by the English colonist to be a windmill. The idea of explorers reaching the Americas before Columbus isn't as radical as it seemed many years ago, with some compelling evidence in favor of it found in recent years. (Indeed, I read a book from the early 1900's that took it as a given that there was contact between the New World and the Old, another indication of how pet theories grow and fade over the years; the truth never changes, but the attitudes of the people examining the available evidence have.) Barring further investigation, which (unfortunately) seems unlikely given various limiting factors, there seems to be no "smoking gun" one way or the other, but Bryant makes a convincing argument. I clipped it for repetition, and because, at several points, my eyes started to glaze as Bryant waxed lengthy on minutia that probably meant a lot to those with a horse in the Newport Tower origin race, but didn't particularly interest me as a casual observer.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Abandoned Places (Lesley and Roy Adkins) - My Review
The Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places (Robert Ingpen and Philip Wilkinson) - My Review
Leepike Ridge (N. D. Wilson) - My Review
B. Lynn Bryant
Amazon Digital Services
Nonfiction, History
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: In Newport, Rhode Island, stands one of the most enigmatic structures in North America: a two-story stone tower. Many attribute its construction to one Benedict Arnold, grandfather of the infamous Revolutionary War turncoat, who allegedly built it in the late 1600's as a windmill... but there are several holes in this theory. The eight pillars supporting the structure wouldn't have withstood the stresses of being a windmill, and the costs of building it in stone - especially during a lean time, as colonial Newport was experiencing - seem impractical, especially for a man with a thrifty Puritan mindset. The tower has far more in common with medieval structures, including the geographic and astrological alignments of the pillars and irregular windows... meaning that it might predate the English colony by at least two centuries, a relic of a previous generation of explorers who sailed for the New World long before Columbus.
An eBook-exclusive title.
REVIEW: Despite my armchair interest in oddities, I don't recall hearing of the Newport Tower, so when I saw this as a freebie download for my Kindle I decided to educate myself. It is, indeed, an intriguing and enigmatic structure. The politics of the differing viewpoints prove just how human archaeologists and researchers are: it often becomes more about finding evidence to support a dearly-held theory than clinically analyzing the facts. Bryant does not claim to be unprejudiced, but offers this as a rebuttal of the claims of the so-called "Arnoldists," who insist the tower had to be built by the English colonist to be a windmill. The idea of explorers reaching the Americas before Columbus isn't as radical as it seemed many years ago, with some compelling evidence in favor of it found in recent years. (Indeed, I read a book from the early 1900's that took it as a given that there was contact between the New World and the Old, another indication of how pet theories grow and fade over the years; the truth never changes, but the attitudes of the people examining the available evidence have.) Barring further investigation, which (unfortunately) seems unlikely given various limiting factors, there seems to be no "smoking gun" one way or the other, but Bryant makes a convincing argument. I clipped it for repetition, and because, at several points, my eyes started to glaze as Bryant waxed lengthy on minutia that probably meant a lot to those with a horse in the Newport Tower origin race, but didn't particularly interest me as a casual observer.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Abandoned Places (Lesley and Roy Adkins) - My Review
The Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places (Robert Ingpen and Philip Wilkinson) - My Review
Leepike Ridge (N. D. Wilson) - My Review
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Blood of Tyrants (Naomi Novik)
Blood of Tyrants
(The Temeraire series, Book 8)
Naomi Novik
Del Rey
Fiction, Fantasy
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: En route from South America to China, disaster strikes the British dragon transport Potentate, and Captain Will Laurence is washed away. Waking alone on a foreign shore with no memory of the past eight years, he finds himself marked for torture and death: Japan only allows foreigners at the harbor in Nagasaki, and the Chinese-made sword he carries automatically marks him as an ally of their ancient enemy across the sea. Temeraire desperately wishes to find him, but the British are already losing precious time... and every day lost means another day away from the struggle in Europe. Napoleon's armies have turned toward Russia, one of the last holdouts between France and world domination. If the Chinese cannot be convinced to lend assistance, all may be lost... and a mission this vital cannot be risked for the life of one man, not even Temeraire's beloved captain.
REVIEW: I admit I cringed when I opened the cover to find one of the oldest literary chestnuts in the book - amnesia - greeting me on Page One. Fortunately, the general rush of events carries the story along. Indeed, with seven previous volumes of side-plots and characters and backstories, I started feeling overwhelmed, with too many spare pieces cluttering the chessboard. I still enjoy Temeraire and the dragons, and some of the people, and Novik continues to fill out her fascinating, dragon-influenced world. The story trundles along at a decent pace, wending through trouble and treachery and unexpected reunions, culminating at last on the battlefields of Russia. It all ends on an unsettled note, with one plot development at least that seems to exist solely to create trouble down the line. I sincerely hope that the next volume is the final one; much as I liked visiting Temeraire and Will again, the main story arc feels stretched thin, threatening to collapse under the weight of unresolved subplots. (I also still don't get why Novik felt the need to resort to the amnesia chestnut, save as a padding gimmick to stretch the story, or maybe catch new readers up on the general storyline.)
You Might Also Enjoy:
Jhereg (Stephen Brust) - My Review
His Majesty's Dragon (Naomi Novik) - My Review
Leviathan (Scott Westerfield) - My Review
(The Temeraire series, Book 8)
Naomi Novik
Del Rey
Fiction, Fantasy
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: En route from South America to China, disaster strikes the British dragon transport Potentate, and Captain Will Laurence is washed away. Waking alone on a foreign shore with no memory of the past eight years, he finds himself marked for torture and death: Japan only allows foreigners at the harbor in Nagasaki, and the Chinese-made sword he carries automatically marks him as an ally of their ancient enemy across the sea. Temeraire desperately wishes to find him, but the British are already losing precious time... and every day lost means another day away from the struggle in Europe. Napoleon's armies have turned toward Russia, one of the last holdouts between France and world domination. If the Chinese cannot be convinced to lend assistance, all may be lost... and a mission this vital cannot be risked for the life of one man, not even Temeraire's beloved captain.
REVIEW: I admit I cringed when I opened the cover to find one of the oldest literary chestnuts in the book - amnesia - greeting me on Page One. Fortunately, the general rush of events carries the story along. Indeed, with seven previous volumes of side-plots and characters and backstories, I started feeling overwhelmed, with too many spare pieces cluttering the chessboard. I still enjoy Temeraire and the dragons, and some of the people, and Novik continues to fill out her fascinating, dragon-influenced world. The story trundles along at a decent pace, wending through trouble and treachery and unexpected reunions, culminating at last on the battlefields of Russia. It all ends on an unsettled note, with one plot development at least that seems to exist solely to create trouble down the line. I sincerely hope that the next volume is the final one; much as I liked visiting Temeraire and Will again, the main story arc feels stretched thin, threatening to collapse under the weight of unresolved subplots. (I also still don't get why Novik felt the need to resort to the amnesia chestnut, save as a padding gimmick to stretch the story, or maybe catch new readers up on the general storyline.)
You Might Also Enjoy:
Jhereg (Stephen Brust) - My Review
His Majesty's Dragon (Naomi Novik) - My Review
Leviathan (Scott Westerfield) - My Review
Friday, May 23, 2014
Find Your Passion (Derick Van Ness)
Find Your Passion
Derick Van Ness
Derick Van Ness, publisher
Nonfiction, Self-Help
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: It's easy to get bogged down in life, merely eking out an existence instead of living fully. Some people seem to be able to make a living doing what they love, while the rest of us remain chained to jobs that drain our energy and enthusiasm. It doesn't have to be that way - learn to find and follow your passions.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: As self-help books go, this one hits its marks. It points out how doing what we hate ultimately backfires, and offers to help the reader find ways to escape the dullness and drudgery that made them seek a self-help book to begin with. Some questions and exercises help one start figuring out just one one would rather be doing. The actual process of creating a viable income doing something one enjoys, though, remains largely unexplained here; further research is recommended, or the services of a life coach... which, by a coincidence, the author just happens to be. I can't fault him for self-promotion, nor can I fault the overall message he offers. It's just a lot more work than a single short eBook can hope to cover.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Supplies (Julia Cameron) - My Review
Making a Living Without a Job (Barbara J. Winter) - My Review
Derick Van Ness
Derick Van Ness, publisher
Nonfiction, Self-Help
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: It's easy to get bogged down in life, merely eking out an existence instead of living fully. Some people seem to be able to make a living doing what they love, while the rest of us remain chained to jobs that drain our energy and enthusiasm. It doesn't have to be that way - learn to find and follow your passions.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: As self-help books go, this one hits its marks. It points out how doing what we hate ultimately backfires, and offers to help the reader find ways to escape the dullness and drudgery that made them seek a self-help book to begin with. Some questions and exercises help one start figuring out just one one would rather be doing. The actual process of creating a viable income doing something one enjoys, though, remains largely unexplained here; further research is recommended, or the services of a life coach... which, by a coincidence, the author just happens to be. I can't fault him for self-promotion, nor can I fault the overall message he offers. It's just a lot more work than a single short eBook can hope to cover.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Supplies (Julia Cameron) - My Review
Making a Living Without a Job (Barbara J. Winter) - My Review
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Pirate's Passage (William Gilkerson)
Pirate's Passage
William Gilkerson
Trumpeter
Fiction, YA General Fiction
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: In 1952 Grey Rocks, a small coastal Canadian town, young Jim's life is full of problems. The powerful Moehner family has it in for him and his mother, targeting their struggling historic inn with a number of petty nuisances. He only has one friend in school, a girl named Jenny who, like him, was bumped up a grade. He's even plagued by a personal demon, the Moehner-owned attack dog Grendel, who only ever strikes when nobody's around. Then a November storm blows a stranger into his life.
Captain Charles Johnson, sole crewman of the rickety old vessel Merry Adventure, claims that failed engines brought him to the dock beneath the Admiral Anson Inn, but right away Jim notices some very strange things about the man. He's English by his accent and passport, but seems very vague on his origins and destination. He also seems to know an awful lot about the harbor and the inn for someone who claims to have come here by accident. And when Jim asks the salty old sea dog if he might be able to help with a school essay on pirates, Johnson proves to be a veritable expert on the matter... moreso than any living man has a right to be.
REVIEW: An eBook reissue of an older title, I grabbed it during a freebie download window. Gilkerson manages a tricky feat: not only does he make real-world history engaging to modern readers, but he weaves it into an engaging tale about a boy growing up and underdogs fighting back. Just who (or what) Captain Johnson is never is explained, though he possesses strangely intimate knowledge of long-lost lore and, as Jim discovers, his stories have a strange way of drawing a body into them. The characters may not be dynamically original, but they become real enough to care about. A strong theme through the story is the matter of piracy, and how blurry the term becomes under close scrutiny. When governments simultaneously condone and condemn pirates, when the law itself becomes enough of a crime that breaking it is the only way to survive, when heroism and villainy are two sides of the same coin, where is the line drawn, and by whom? Piracy isn't whitewashed here, either; while some had codes of morals, others - especially after the Golden Age - were monstrous. In listening to Johnson's tales, all of which are drawn from real-world historical sources, Jim learns lessons that help him in his own life. The story moves at a decent pace, though Jim's a little slow at times. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, and I even learned some things myself.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Piratica (Tanith Lee) - My Review
Bloody Jack (L. A. Meyer) - My Review
Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) - My Review
William Gilkerson
Trumpeter
Fiction, YA General Fiction
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: In 1952 Grey Rocks, a small coastal Canadian town, young Jim's life is full of problems. The powerful Moehner family has it in for him and his mother, targeting their struggling historic inn with a number of petty nuisances. He only has one friend in school, a girl named Jenny who, like him, was bumped up a grade. He's even plagued by a personal demon, the Moehner-owned attack dog Grendel, who only ever strikes when nobody's around. Then a November storm blows a stranger into his life.
Captain Charles Johnson, sole crewman of the rickety old vessel Merry Adventure, claims that failed engines brought him to the dock beneath the Admiral Anson Inn, but right away Jim notices some very strange things about the man. He's English by his accent and passport, but seems very vague on his origins and destination. He also seems to know an awful lot about the harbor and the inn for someone who claims to have come here by accident. And when Jim asks the salty old sea dog if he might be able to help with a school essay on pirates, Johnson proves to be a veritable expert on the matter... moreso than any living man has a right to be.
REVIEW: An eBook reissue of an older title, I grabbed it during a freebie download window. Gilkerson manages a tricky feat: not only does he make real-world history engaging to modern readers, but he weaves it into an engaging tale about a boy growing up and underdogs fighting back. Just who (or what) Captain Johnson is never is explained, though he possesses strangely intimate knowledge of long-lost lore and, as Jim discovers, his stories have a strange way of drawing a body into them. The characters may not be dynamically original, but they become real enough to care about. A strong theme through the story is the matter of piracy, and how blurry the term becomes under close scrutiny. When governments simultaneously condone and condemn pirates, when the law itself becomes enough of a crime that breaking it is the only way to survive, when heroism and villainy are two sides of the same coin, where is the line drawn, and by whom? Piracy isn't whitewashed here, either; while some had codes of morals, others - especially after the Golden Age - were monstrous. In listening to Johnson's tales, all of which are drawn from real-world historical sources, Jim learns lessons that help him in his own life. The story moves at a decent pace, though Jim's a little slow at times. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, and I even learned some things myself.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Piratica (Tanith Lee) - My Review
Bloody Jack (L. A. Meyer) - My Review
Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) - My Review
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