Reborn Book Review Thread

[mde2001]

Thanks for the contributions guys . I've added them all.

The Day of the Jackal is in Action

The Count of Monte Cristo is in the newly created Adventure section with a tag of where to find it in classics.

Mr Mercedes is in Mystery.

I'll add some more reviews of my own later on.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

First one of the top of my head is supernatural. That in itself will cover a lot of bases. For example, The Dresden Files. It fits into fantasy, action, mystery and several others but I'm sure anyone else who has read the series will agree with me that supernatural is the most fitting.

And I will be talking about the D files at some point. Or Fanboying, either or.

I'm actually doing one on the First few books for the Dresden Files ((I got most of it worked up I jsut wanted to make sure about he category thing. lol. It's one of my favourite series I need to get onto reading more. Honestly though The D FIles should be under the category of Detective Novels, since... that's what it is XD. Like at it's core it is a Detective story that happens to have super natrual and Fantasy elements worked in. SO, it'd more be Mystery ((which, yes Detective Novels are mystery but really their own subset as it's got a lot of it's own genre tropes etc... so I'd almsot say the category should be changed to Mystery and Detective since... well I think Detective Novels are big enough a difference to at least warrent a mention in the category name, buuuut that's me XD>))

Either way, The Dresden Files are foremost a Mystery series, supernatural and fantasy second. The elements do add a lot to the sotry but they play more backseat to the overall all detective shenanigans and the cases.

Also... how does recommending books within a series go? Does one do the whole series... or each individual book?

Also, an entry for Historical Fiction.

The Killer Angels - Mike Shaara

This is a piece of well American literature that follows a dramatization of the Battle of Gettysburg what is widely considered the turning point of the war. While it does draw from a lot of Historical fact, a lot of it is romanticized or written in a way to give it a story arc etc... It flips between both the Confederate Sides and the Union giving us views into both sides of the conflict. We see the struggles they face from the common infantry up to the high ranking officers who all make their appearances throughout. It goes through all 4 grueling days of the battle and hits most of the major notes within it. It covers all the way up until the High Water Mark of the Confederacy and even a bit afterwards. It is a well detailed account of the events and even still hailed as one of the most realistic and believable Historical novels of all time. If you have any interest in American history it's worth the read.

Some fun facts((can ignore these for the post... I just wanted to include them.)): The Firefly series Creator Joss Whedon strictly stated that this Book was an inspiration for the series. The final episode of the first and only season, Objects in Space" even pays homage to this fact.

The Killer Angels was the source of the Screenplay for the 1993 film Gettysburg. In fact, a lot of the books dialog was used for the script and quite a lot of it remained intact.

[Felicity]

If you've only read the first 6 or so books of D files then I can see how you'd think they're detective stories. That is how the story structure is after all. I'm, uh, considering the entirety of the series and throughout the whole of the series Harry's role as a P.I does slide off to a backseat position, thus why Supernatural is a better genre for the series. Hell, the most recent one is a story about a heist, no detecting at all.

Even so, here is my take on the Dresden files.

This series, quite a long one mind you with 15 books to it's name so far and going to a staggering twenty WITH a concluding trilogy, is indeed about a man known as Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. Harry is a Wizard for hire in Chicago, taking on P.I jobs of the mundane and extraordinary kind alike. First allow me to clarify, this series is not an explicit supernatural secret society series. The world of the Dresden files makes no effort to hide itself, its just that Harry is the only one to actively advertise himself.

The first few books spend time familiarising you with Harry, the people around him and the people against him. This is by no means a small cast but every single person is significant in their own way. From mortals to half fae to beings capable of breaking reality (and actively trying to do so). Then the series picks up a little with the Red War, no that isn't an official term or anything, there's no other way of saying it without some kinda important spoilers. Once this war comes to a close, you get a midpoint trilogy that focuses on bringing the war to a close and focusing on the aftermath. We are now still balls deep within that aftermath as of the most recent book Skin Game.

Now, I'm biased here, but the Dresden files shines in many different ways. First and foremost for me is the attention to detail that is important. Everything Harry, who narrates the series, says is important to either set up the scene or display what Harry is thinking and what insight he gleans from the scene. The second way the series shines is that it's funny. The Dresden files deals with some pretty morbid and gruesome things, monsters tend to deal in that after all, but Harry's wiseass demeanour and commentary helps ensure that the dark doesn't cling to every part of the story. It's this wonderful mix of observational humour and stupidity that blends with the mature insights into the world to create a very funny sense of humour. Of course I literally grew up with it so, it may not be as funny to you.

The next point that is fantastic is the continuity in the world of Dresden. Each book is different in it's own right, they tend to focus on different aspects of the world as they go. One book will be about Vampires. the next, Werewolves, the next will be the Knights of Denarius, hellions and demons banded together. Despite these fairly large changes in threat and the nature of what Harry faces, the stories all blend together as Harry gains clues as to what is happening in the world at large. Huk was right that it's a detective story but Dresden is trying to piece together clues abut his reality on the whole. The characters and cast all tend to devlop over the course of the series. Relationships change, people grow, Harry learns more about people as life goes on. In particular Harry goes through the most development, which is only natural as he is the main character. Mainly thought this is shown in how he learns to face the world and his approach to things. He's literally taking something from every fight and coming out with a new lesson learned. Like not being a sucker for a damsel in distress.

It's very hard to pick out flaws in the series for me. I think the biggest really is the volume. These books are pretty chunky, moreso as you go on, and if you find that you don't like stories that are rooted to one perspective then it could drag. It might help to read them out of order if I'm honest. Funnily enough I started on the fifth book in the series. I don't regret it. Each book is worth reading in it's own right but if you take the time to get stuck into the series on the whole then you'll have a lot more to appreciate.

If you want, audiobook may be the way to go with this one. James Marsters, also known as Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, does a fantastic job narrating and in doing so taking the role of Harry Dresden.

Go read it for the love of God, this series holds a place nearer and dearer to my heart than some of my family members. Give it a go and see why.

[Ironbound]

What, no Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot? What is this sorcery?

A suggestion, Michael. I assume you want this thread to be as vast and full of books as a real library, containing the names and a synopsis/exposition about each as a label, to help a new reader engross themselves in it, right?

It seems to me then, that when an author and their works are mentioned, you can add the list of their entire repertoire. There can be a second classification by Author name, cross-indexed with the current classification by genre (though most of the typical author's repertoire will be the same genre usually.) This way, the library list will be truly comprehensive.

For instance, when I earlier mentioned Frederick Forsyth and PG Wodehouse, I gave reviews of some of their best (in my opinion) works, but there are so many more that can and should be included. In this case, having read them all, I can give a short review for each of them, but until then I think it might be a feasible idea to allow contributors to name an author, introduce the author and their style, and then list out the titles of their series (if they have one) to be added. Then, subsequently, when they (or another sourcvastdds a review for an individual book in the series, the list can be updated. Eventually, it will be a full library, instead of just containing one or two snippets.

I say this because I think it a real shame that this thread should remain a mere magazine. I know that Google can yield a hundred online libraries at once, but we want to keep a cosy, club-like environs here, for our members to contribute and benefit from a library made by them and for them, don't we? What say? Of course, it does require more indexation and work, but you're certainly not going to be alone; the more the members, the more people who will contribute and exponentially expand the library.

[Ironbound]

Don't let the thread die! Aagh, quick, someone do something!

I reserve...um...ah...Pride and Prejudice. I'll write something about it later.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Viridescent

[mde2001]

I've added two more reviews of my own, this time both Australian.

I Can Jump Puddles is under based on true stories;

Tomorrow When the War Began is under action.

Looking forward to the Pride and Prejudiced review- an excellent book for sure

[Ironbound]

Here we are, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.

All right, so I'm not really a very romantic person (coughs at least this one is not as soppy as Wuthering Heights) but a classic is a classic. I am also amused by the number of people who compare my personality to Darcy's.

"Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues."

That's the official review. Now for mine.

This book is quite possibly one of the most insipid novels I have ever read in my life. Granted, I think romance is a lot of tomfoolery by people with no serious dedication, but why this book is so highly treasured by society is beyond me. It is 345 pages of nothing. The characters are like wispy shadows of something that could be interesting, but fail to be so because of the blandness and inanity of the actual story itself. The language is admittedly beautiful, with lots of quips, witticism and artful jibes that make one almost relish the feeling so crudely conveyed today by 'OOH, BURN!' But the book after all does call itself a romance, and is therefore well stocked with a lot of soppy lines that to me, spoil the language's wit. I read the book multiple times, and each time was tired of having to stumble through the pages only to emerge unsatisfied, for the plot is non-existent, as though Austen decided one fine day that she wanted to write a novel and began without having any idea what would happen next except that there would be a boy and a girl who seemingly didn't like each other but in the end got married. The story really could have been told in about 10 pages, but Austen make us slog through 345 of them, full of mind-numbing balls and dinner-parties. I appreciate the old English humour and the portrayed nobility and nature of Darcy and a few others, but mostly I don't quite think it's my cup of tea. However, romance fans would certainly be pleased to join the world in elevating this book to godhood.

All reviews can't be honey and nectar, you know.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Viridescent

[mde2001]

Added under classics with a tag in Romance.

Also if you bag Wuthering Heights again Viri I will fight you.

I've mentioned this under the review but in case of books getting negative reviews I'm open to a positive one being submitted too to show the good in the books (this particularly applies to classics).

[Ironbound]

(Don't worry, I won't touch Wuthering Heights again, not even with a ten foot pooper-scooper!)

Anyways, it's a fair review insofar as the experience is concerned. I admitted to liking the language aspect, but not the plot. As impartial as an opinion can be, but such is mine anyway.

[Maelstrom]

Tomorrow When the War Began is under action.

I saw the movie on Netflix. How do they compare?

[mde2001]

I don't remember the movie that well, but my memory is that it was pretty bad. If I remember correctly it did the classic make the action and the romance the only important things, and get rid of all of the more delicate themes, which I wasn't a fan of.

So I'd say the books are a lot better, but I don't remember the movie well enough to give a good comparison.

[Ironbound]

It can be said in general that a movie of a book is seldom as good as the book, let alone better than it. By necessity a movie has to condense all the story into a given time slot, so, unlike a play, it cannot be a complete adaptation.

Then again, a book is better in my view because it makes us imagine and cultivate our own mental picture of the story. Having another person's interpretation of it shown to us as a movie, however creative or enjoyable, is rather mentally sterile, for our mind no longer has to picture the characters or the environs; it is simply given to us to digest, besides also being compromised as stated.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Viridescent

[Despair Syndrome]

What, no Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot? What is this sorcery?

You call, and I deliver.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

The final 12 of 56 Sherlock short-stories are arguably one of the best. All 12 short stories in this book present the most unique and mysterious cases (or as Watson puts it: the most singular occurrences) of all the Sherlock short-stories (not counting the novels). One of the stories is from Holme's point-of-view instead of Watson's which is admittedly an interesting style, and Doyle nails it down perfectly. The adventure fails to feel any less exciting and you can clearly feel Sherlock's ego through the writing.

Easily my favorite Sherlock Holmes book and it would be a lot more enjoyable if you read through the previous stories too.

And here's another Sherlock story! Albeit, not one written by Arthur Conan Doyle, yet it never fails to amaze me:

Moriarty

by Anthony Horowitz

Although not written by Doyle, Anthony Horowitz manages to capture the spirit of the Sherlock Holmes books that we all know and love and he arguably does it better too. The book focuses on Professor Moriarty, widely considered as the primary antagonist of Sherlock Holmes and yet, only ever appears in one short story (The Final Problem). The events of the story take place after the events of the Final Problem, where Moriarty and Sherlock seemingly fall to their demise.

The story follows Frederick Chase and Inspector Athelney Jones as they try and stop an American criminal organization from taking over London after Moriarty's demise. Horowitz's portrayal of London is vastly different from Doyle's, focusing on more of the grim criminal underworld aspect with a touch of American in it too. He also manages to spot the many holes in Doyle's 'the Final Problem' and use them to see his advantage to craft a perfectly believable Holmes story.

If you're a fan of the Sherlock series, I'd highly recommend this story as it has many references to the canon works.

Both belong in Mystery. Though only the first book should be in Classics.

#dontletbookreviewthreaddie!

[Lugruf]

Here it goes one of those books-you-MUST-read-in-your-life. I'm not sure of the category though.

Next up A confederacy of dunces by John Kennedy Toole probably, if I have time.

The catcher in the rye - J. D. Salinger

The catcher in the rye can't be explained. You must read it. It tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a teenager that has been expelled after failing almost all of his subjects. He will tell in first person the next few days of his life, from the moment he leaves the school until he has to face his parents, wandering in the city of New York. But what is good of The catcher in the rye is not the story itself, but the main character. Holden will tell the story in first person, in an informal style, as if he was telling the story to you in person. The reader will be able to see the world with Holden's particular viewpoint and follow his train of thought. It's an amazing glimpse of the thoughts of a person, free and uncensored, giving voice to many of those things we think but we can't say.

Throughout the story, Holden will leave us meny memorable phrases. Here it goes one of my favorite quotes:

“I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”

[mde2001]

Added all of those.

The Sherlock stuff is under Mystery (duh).

Catcher is the Rye is under Classics.

Thanks for the reviews!

[Dante52]

Just some notes on the Wheel of Time review under Fantasy...
There are a couple words missing in the second sentence, probably "defeat the"... "Aes Sedia" should be "Aes Sedai", "forsaken" should be capitalized, and so should the second "dark one"...
Sorry to be annoying!

I think this is a fun idea! Thanks for doing this!

[Ironbound]

Reserving the Asterix series of comics by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.

Gotta love puns.

[Halloween]

I have been mulling about posting here again for a while now, but I keep pushing it up; "I have better things to do than spending an hour writing about books" – until Cool Girl made another book thread, with shorter reviews, which renewed my zeal.

So today, ladies, gentlemen, people of non binary gender and people that put pineapple on their pizzas, it's time to slither deeper down the rotting tombs of civilization, tomes either praised to the heavens or burned to hell by religious fanatics. Love it, hate it, disregard it: it's manga time.

I think they should get a graphic novel category

Oyasumi PunPun

Sample image:

This amongst the greatest growing-up works I have ever read, which is ironic because I wouldn't recommend it to anyone below the age of 16. It deals with puberty, spirituality, mental illness, individuality, love & death in a manner ranging from awkward to painful to surreal. The story follows Punpun, depicted as a crudely drawn penguin among backgrounds and other characters where every frame is an artwork, from the elementary school to his early 20's, and his crushes, misfortunes and deliberations with God. Some of the many things this manga does great is the inner debates of "Am I good? Am I going crazy? Will I amount to anything?", the shame and stigma surrounding sex, and how loss can change people. Or in this case, penguins.

This work contains graphic sexual themes and violence.

concerning the sexual themes and your rules; whenever it comes up, the point is never the sex itself, it's the feelings and culture surrounding it. if anything the violence should be a bigger issue.

Otoyomegatari

Sample image:

Don't dismiss this one just because it's labeled as a love story, because more than anything else, it's an incredible day-to-day insight of a culture that you might not have paid much attention to otherwise. And besides, it's not about that kind of love.

The story is set during the late 19th century on the Asia-European border, and centers around Amir, (♀, 20), whom is put in a arranged marriage to a boy 8 years her junior. This is a setup that could go terrible with clichés in so many ways, but Amir and Karluk, her 12 year old husband, take the situation in stride and proceeds to try from each other's cultures and habits. The author doesn't do much to criticize the system of arranged marriages, as askew it might be, but rather takes us into the bottom of a culture of hunting, mat weaving, natural disasters, bread making and ancient medicine. It's not a story of forbidden romance, death or war, but despite it's melancholy it rarely drags either, and the art is marvelously rich and detailed.

Pluto

Sample image:

The fantastic collaboration from two of manga's greatest masterminds. As much as you can call it a collaboration when one of them is dead, at least. Fans of Do Androids Dream of Electrical Sheep/Bladerunner, eat your heart out.

Gesicht, a german robot policeman, investigates recent murders of robots and humans alike, as line between what should be considered human or not crumbles. There's a sobering realism to the manga, from real life tie-in with the Iraq wars and the contrast between the ones who wages war and the ones that has to fight it, to childish insights, self-doubt, governmental control and how much power for destruction one individual should be allowed have, but the heart of it all is in the end very human. The art, managed to be both detailed and at the same time austere – the robots, especially, look very much retro, like the ones we have now, rather than some kind of sleek, sci-fi designs.

so you don't have to redo the code for sample images, here's the code for all of them to copypaste into bbc code mode. with "submitted by" included c:

[b]Oyasumi PunPun (Submitted by Halloween)[/b]
[spoiler][b]Sample image:[/b] [spoiler][img=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O-daTZIeTxQ/T7c6M9if5mI/AAAAAAAAFeo/NLYi_Vt23_A/s0/Goodnight%20Punpun%20v10%20p069.png][/spoiler]This amongst the greatest growing-up works I have ever read, which is ironic because I wouldn't recommend it to anyone below the age of 16. It deals with puberty, spirituality, mental illness, individuality, love & death in a manner ranging from awkward to painful to surreal. The story follows Punpun, depicted as a crudely drawn penguin among backgrounds and other characters where every frame is an artwork, from the elementary school to his early 20's, and his crushes, misfortunes and deliberations with God. Some of the many things this manga does great is the inner debates of "Am I good? Am I going crazy? Will I amount to anything?", the shame and stigma surrounding sex, and how loss can change people. Or in this case, penguins.
This work contains graphic sexual themes and violence.[/spoiler]

[b]Otoyomegatari (Submitted by Halloween)[/b]
[spoiler][b]Sample image:[/b] [spoiler][img=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90qHZYRb9CE/T82_4FL_Z-I/AAAAAAAAEaU/bdj05bdEk2o/s0/026.png][/spoiler]Don't dismiss this one just because it's labeled as a love story, because more than anything else, it's an incredible day-to-day insight of a culture that you might not have paid much attention to otherwise. And besides, it's not about that kind of love.
The story is set during the late 19th century on the Asia-European border, and centers around Amir, (♀, 20), whom is put in a arranged marriage to a boy 8 years her junior. This is a setup that could go terrible with clichés in so many ways, but Amir and Karluk, her 12 year old husband, take the situation in stride and proceeds to try from each other's cultures and habits. The author doesn't do much to criticize the system of arranged marriages, as askew it might be, but rather takes us into the bottom of a culture of hunting, mat weaving, natural disasters, bread making and ancient medicine. It's not a story of forbidden romance, death or war, but despite it's melancholy it rarely drags either, and the art is marvelously rich and detailed.
[/spoiler]
 
[b]Pluto (Submitted by Halloween)[/b]
[spoiler][b]Sample image:[/b] [spoiler][img=http://ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/plutoint.jpg][/spoiler]The fantastic collaboration from two of manga's greatest masterminds. As much as you can call it a collaboration when one of them is dead, at least. Fans of Do Androids Dream of Electrical Sheep/Bladerunner, eat your heart out.
Gesicht, a german robot policeman, investigates recent murders of robots and humans alike, as line between what should be considered human or not crumbles. There's a sobering realism to the manga, from real life tie-in with the Iraq wars and the contrast between the ones who wages war and the ones that has to fight it, to childish insights, self-doubt, governmental control and how much power for destruction one individual should be allowed have, but the heart of it all is in the end very human. The art, managed to be both detailed and at the same time austere – the robots, especially, look very much retro, like the ones we have now, rather than some kind of sleek, sci-fi designs. [/spoiler]

Edited May 19, 2016 by Halloween

[Ironbound]

My god. Weenie....what have you done.

Also since this is a revival, I am reserving the Calvin and Hobbes series, along with the aforementioned Astrix series. You all need to laugh more, and laugh at intelligent things, not inane ones.

[Halloween]

I've opened the gates of hell; weep, Viridescent, as Mahabharata gets listed in the new Epics section straight above Naruto and as the philosophical, insightful humor of Calvin and Hobbes has to share spotlight with the slapstick of Gintama.

And since you practically asked for it, a Chinese one

Collapse of the world as we know it

Sample image:

Abandon all sanity, yeh who enters here. This manhua is unlike anything else you will ever read; and not necessarily in a good way. Every chapter has a new horrifying theme, often starting out weird and ending straight up macabre. It's not deep, it's not well-drawn, but if definitely worth a read for it's unhinged creativity.

code

[b]Collapse of the world as we know it (Suggested by Halloween)[/b]
[spoiler]Sample image: [spoiler][img=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzG32GcQChw/VOIQCND7vHI/AAAAAAAAqqY/WWPbFLHm9ZM/s0/006.png][/spoiler]
Abandon all sanity, yeh who enters here. This manhua is unlike anything else you will ever read; and not necessarily in a good way. Every chapter has a new horrifying theme, often starting out weird and ending straight up macabre. It's not deep, it's not well-drawn, but if definitely worth a read for it's unhinged creativity. 
[/spoiler]

[mde2001]

I'm happy to keep adding stuff to this.

All of those are added Halloween, under the visual novels section.

[Tartar]

Among those books not already mentioned there is none I could recommend more heartily than the wonderful tale that is Umineko no Naku Koro ni, a "kinetic sound-novel" (eg. a visual novel without branching paths) by 7th Expansion.

Umineko takes takes place in 1986, on the island of Rokkenjima where the rich Ushiromiya family is gathering in order to discuss what will happen to patriarch Kinzo's inheritance, since he has been ill in recent years.

While the arguments about the inheritance ensue, a typhoon traps all eighteen people on the island. The family then finds a mysterious letter from a person claiming to be Kinzo's alchemy councilor, the Golden Witch, Beatrice. Beatrice claims that she has been summoned by Kinzo to claim the inheritance, as the family has been deemed unworthy of it.Unless someone solves the riddle of the epitaph on her portrait before midnight on October 6th and becomes the family successor, Beatrice will claim everything that the family owns, including the ten tons of gold that Kinzo claims will be given to the successor. This is only the beginning of the strange and shocking events that will occur on the island during these two days. Panic, reasoning, romance, heated confrontations and a lot Mind Screw ensues.

But above all else this story is about finding the truth about what really happened during the meeting of the Ushioromiya's. No character are what they seem, and the puzzles and mysteries the story presents will leave you thinking about possible solutions even when not reading. And here comes the true beauty of this game, the true answers are never revealed. It is up to the individual to read this tale and piece together for themselves the truth behind the events that occour. No book has engaged me for as long, or made me think so in depth about something as Umineko. Therefore I recommend anyone even merely interested in what I've written to give try and read the book.

The first chapter of the Visual novel can be found here which takes about 10 hours to read through. Otherwise a great Manga adaptations of the story exists, and you can read more about it here

I welcome you all to the wonderful world of Umineko!

Edited May 21, 2016 by Tartar

[mde2001]

I've added that as well. I put it under visual novels, as it seemed to fit there. If this isn't where you wanted it let me know.

[Tartar]

I've added that as well. I put it under visual novels, as it seemed to fit there. If this isn't where you wanted it let me know.

No, it's perfect. The "Kinetic Sound Novel" is really just a sub-genre of Visual Novels, and really means nothing more than the story being one continuous narrative rather than one with branching paths (like Clannad and Steins;Gate).