Books Read in 2001 & 2002

Historical Fiction

• The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara, © 1998, Ballantine Books, pp. 612 - The Last Full Measure is the sequel to The Killer Angels which I have not read. However, this novel is capable of standing alone. It covers the last two years of the Civil War. Shaara has obviously done his research, and while no one can know for sure, tells credible tales from the perspective of many of the major generals of the conflict. Even though I knew the outcome, the book drew me along compellingly.

• Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks, © 2001, Viking Books, pp. 304 - Another plague novel of 1666. It seems historically accurate and it is well-written. It tells how a young woman fights and survives, and brings as many others as she can through to the other side.

• Longing by J.D Landis, © 2000, Harcourt, pp. 442 - This book makes me want to go out & buy some of Robert Schumann's music. It tells the story of his life, love of Clara, and of his madness. Mixed in are stories of the great musicians of Schumann's time. Amazing how many died young.

• Mary Queen of  Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George, ©1992, St. Martin's Press, pp. 866 - Mary is made out to be a martyr, and, if Ms. George's research is correct, she probably was. This is fairly well written, though in parts it tends to drag.

Mystery

• Graveyard Dust by Barbara Hambly, © 1999, Bantam Books, pp. 408 - Benjamin January is a freeman of color (Read that one too!) in 19th century New Orleans. He is a physician and itinerant piano player who has the knack for being able to figure out who dunnit. There are four or five of these now (this is the third), and hopefully, there will be more. Hambly strives for historical accuracy and succeeds, see her apology for errors & promise to correct them in the future. In this one, Olympe, his voodoo queen sister, is arrested for murder. January fights to solve the murder, while New Orleans fights "yellow jack", an outbreak of yellow fever. Hambly populates her novel with believable characters in interesting situations.

• The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, © 1983, Harcourt Brace, pp. 535 - William of Baskerville, an ex-Inquisitor, goes to an Italian monastery, finds murder, heresy, and one of the best libraries of its time. I like this book more for the insights it gives into Catholicism, than for the mystery, though the mystery is excellent. Eco's philosophical insights into religion, books, and words make this a compelling read.

• Paid and Loving Eyes by Johathan Gash, © 1993, St. Martin's Press, pp. 261 - Ah, Lovejoy. Enjoyed him on the TV, now he's in the books, actually the other way round, but what does it matter. No one reads these. He's almost as enjoyable as a novel character as he is on the tube.  Gash does an excellent job, and gives Lovejoy a more rounded character than he seems on the tube.

Fiction

• The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton, finished by Marion Mainwaring, © 1938, Penguin Books, pp. 406 - Wharton's last novel, this is the tale of five American social climbers. It really turns into a love story between Nan St. George and Guy Twarte. Trapped in a marriage to an indifferent duke, Nan tries to escape gracefully.

• The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos, © 1990, Perennial Library, pp. 407 - Cuban immigrants come to New York to seek fame and fortune. Hijuelos bends time to revisit the glory days of the Mambo Kings and to tell the tale of what became of them. This is a mystical novel.

• The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini, © 2000, Plume, pp. 271 - I read this one because my mother was a quilter. It would probably be categorized as a "woman's" novel, but I think it is a book that men could connect with as well. It tells the story of a couple who move from a university town to a rural town the prospect of a job for the husband, but little for the woman. The man, a landscaper, gets a commission to work at the estate of a recluse woman, and the wife gets a job cleaning the house. Chiaverini pieces the story of the couple together with the story of the recluse like a fine patchwork quilt. Recommended.

• Something Out There by Nadine Gordimer, © 1984, Penguin Books, pp. 203 - A collection of short stories and one novella, Gordimer presents interesting stories of South Africa. These are not as powerful as her novels, but well worth reading.

• Cavedweller by Dorothy Allison, © 1998, Plume Books, pp. 434 - Cavedweller tells the story of Delia Byrd and her daughter, Cissy. It only tells Delia's story in a back-handed way. Cissy is the true protagonist, and is the cavedweller. Though I must say, "dweller" is a misnomer except in her life. She dwells in the cave of her mind far from the travails of her mother's previous hippie band lifestyle, her dying step-father, her two step-sisters, and life in a small Southern town.

• The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, © 1993, Scribner Paperback Fiction, pp. 337 - I learned more about knots from the chapter headings of this novel than I ever wanted to know. It is the story of Quoyle who returns to his ancestral home of Newfoundland. Without the snow, her descriptions of the landscape remind me of my own on the Northern California coast. Quoyle, a newspaper man of less than sterling quality, gets a job at the only newspaper in his hometown, transforms it, and heals the wounds of a dysfunctional family.

• The Terrible Threes by Ishmael Reed, © 1989, Dalkey Archive, pp. 180 - This is the continuance of the story of The Terrible Twos. It stars Santa Claus, Black Peter, Reverend Clement Jones (a televangelist, faith healer, and White House confidant), and numerous others. It also stars Reed's special brand of voodoo mystery writing. Conspiracy to control the world rests at the center of the book. It mirrors much that has happened in the U.S. Homeless people and lower class people are referred to as "surps" for surplus people. It is population control at its scariest.

• Peace Breaks Out by John Knowles, © 1981, Bantam Books, pp. 178 - Not really a sequel to A Separate Peace, Peace Breaks Out uses Devon School to again explore the themes of adolescent boyhood. It is set right after WWII, and Pete Wexler is the returning war hero, come back to take his place on the faculty. Knowles uses Wexler as a narrator to give this book more maturity than ASP.

• Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières, © 1994, Vintage Books, pp. 436 - de Bernières has written a Catch 22 with a love story. This is a magical book that tells the story of a Greek Island, the German invasion, and the Italian invasion. This novel's Yossarian is Correlli, an Italian mandolin player, who invades the island, makes his troops salute all the pretty girls, and falls in love with the prettiest of them all. To tell more would give it away.

• Omerta by Mario Puzo, © 2ooo, Random House, pp. 316 - Another book about the Mob. A rat, a daughter of a Mob boss who loves the rat, the Mob boss, the hit man, and the Cuban mules who have the connections. Not as convoluted as The Godfather, a decent read. Not the best, or the worst of Puzo's body of work.

• The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, © 1977, Knopf, pp. 337 - This is one of my favorite novels of all time and it was about time I reread it. It tells the story of Milkman and his family, the Deads. There are close ties to African-American folklore. It finally struck me that the title has more to do with the novel, than with the book in the Bible. A must read.

• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, © 1987, Penguin Books, pp. 341 - A novel of two couples, the males both start out as college teachers, the wives as house mouses, and their relationships over the years, Crossing to Safety is not what I would call Stegner's typical Western novel. In most of his books, the West is a palpable character, while in this book, the action takes place from Wisconsin east. That is not to say that this is a bad book; to the contrary, this is one of my favorites.

• Hard Times by Charles Dickens, © 1995, first published 1841, Penguin Books, pp. 298 - The stories of the Bounderby's and the Gradgrinds, inextricably intertwined forever. Gradgrind of the "facts" and Bounderby of the coming up through the "hard times" do diverge at the end, with Gradgrind learning about life and Bounderby not. I like the first part of the book for its portrayal of education ala Gradgrind.

• Room at the Top by John Braine, © 1957, The Riverside Press, pp. 301 - One of the "Angry Young Men Novels, this is the story of Joe Lampton and his quest for power. Here is a link to a critical paper I did. This was a racy novel for its time and a worthwhile read.

• Recapitulation by Wallace Stegner, © 1979, Doubleday Books, pp. 278 - Bruce Mason returns to Salt Lake City to bury his aunt, and encounters memories of times gone by. This is the sequel to The Big Rock Candy Mountain, but can be read apart from it.

• The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe, © 1959, Plume Books, pp. 176 - Even beyond the title story, this is a fine collection of short stories that make me want to search out Sillitoe's later works. This was his first, and many would argue his best. My favorite stories are "Uncle Ernest," and "The Decline and Fall of Frankie Buller." If you haven't checked out my critical paper on the "Angry Young Men," here's a link.

• A Shooting Star by Wallace Stegner, © 1961, The Viking Press, pp. 433 - Stegner quit writing novels for about 10 years after the poor reception of the novel now known as, Joe Hill. This is his return. While I wouldn't call it triumphant, it's not bad. A doctor's wife gets fed up playing second fiddle and tries to recapture life.

• Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, © 1985, Bantam Books, pp. 416 - Paul Morel, aka D.H. Lawrence, works to escape his working class background and his domineering mother. All right, so that's not quite right, but it's close enough. Sons and Lovers is said to be Lawrence's best book, and it is a good book at that.

• A Painted House by John Grisham, © 2001, Doubleday Books, pp. 465 - Not Grisham's usual lawyer schtick, but the tale of Luke Chandler, a 12 year-old boy in rural Arkansas, and the adventures he encounters one summer. My wife didn't like this one, but I thought it good. Except, of course, to the references to Harry Caray, not my favorite baseball broadcaster. Murder-mayhem abound, and Luke has to deal with it all.

• The Spectator Bird by William Stegner, © 1976, University of Nebraska Press, pp. 214 -  Stegner won a National Book Award for this one. The narrator is Joe Allston, same as with Angle of Repose, suppose I should reread that one too. Most of the Stegner reviews are rereads, but they are all well worth the time. Here, Allston goes back to the land of his mother, Denmark, and explores his memories. While I did a paper on his use of setting (See Big Rock Candy Mountain), perhaps it would have been better if I would have examined his use of time.

• Island by Aldous Huxley, © 1962, Harper & Row, pp. 335 - This is a counter-view to 1984. Not as well-received, but still worth the time to read. It is set on an idyllic island that is almost untouched by the ravages of civilization, no army, etc. It reflects Huxley's more spiritual bent toward the end of his life. "Attention. Here and now, boys."

Science Fiction

• American Empire: Blood & Iron by Harry Turtledove, © 2002, Del Rey Books, pp. 630 - Turtledove again weaves his magic. God knows how he churns these things out. He has to be up there with Asimov when it comes to quantity, as well as quality.  This is the continuation of the Great War series: the North has won, the South is bitter, Socialists are in the White House. Turtledove again makes the characters believable, and interweaves story lines. One wonders if he writes each person's story, then cuts and pastes them into a coherent order. Just when one is starting to get interested in one plot line, he changes it.

• Heaven's Reach by David Brin, © 1998, Bantam Spectra, pp. 557 - David Brin is one of my favorite authors. This is the final book of the Uplift trilogy. A multi-species crew of the spaceship Streaker, tries to bring the secrets of the universe to the upstart humans.

• The Bohr Maker by Linda Nagata, © 1995, Bantam Spectra, pp. 325 - Maker's are nanotechnology that build things, repair things, or just cause general havoc.  Of course, in the "civilized world," they are outlawed, since they can reproduce and, hence, money cannot be made from them.  Bohr Makers are extremely intelligent and especially insidious. Nagata weaves a masterful story with plenty of excitement and suspense.

• Passage by Connie Willis, © 2001, Bantam Books, pp. 780 - This is like Flatliners with the Titanic. The tunnel with the bright light at the end of it is really one of the passage ways on the ship. A doctor uses a psychoactive drug to try and define near-death experiences. Along the way, Death visits. This is a compelling read, even if it is familiar.

• Otherland: Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams, © 2001, Daw, pp. 1066 - Good vs. evil. Good loses some, wins some. See the previous reviews for more details. As you can tell, the story is getting overlong, another of those writers who seems to be getting paid by the word.

• Litany of the Long Sun & Epiphany of the Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe, © 2000, Orb, pp. 543, pp. 716 - These are really four novels written from 1993 to 1996. It took the longest time for me to figure out what the Long Sun was. This tetralogy tells of a society escaping a the planet of the Short Sun to colonize and survive. Patera Silk goes from being the pastor of a poor church to being the savior of the people of the Long Sun. These are well-written, well plotted, and have excellent characterization. There are many surprises throughout and are recommended.

• Shadow and Claw & Sword and Citadel by Gene Wolfe, © 2000, Orb, pp. 409 & 411 - Again, these are omnibus editions of four novels printed in the early '80's.  I started reading these because I thought that they were a continuation of the Long Sun story, or maybe a prelude to them. The story of the Long Sun was good enough that I wanted the groundwork. Instead, they tell of the Torturer Sevarian and his adventures.

• Limit of Vision by Linda Nagata, © 2001, Tor, pp. 347 - Nanotechnology runs amok, especially in the eyes of the "authorities" who have laws against that sort of thing. Fortunately for mankind, the poor, not in authority, get there first. This is a suspenseful tale worth reading.

• The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, © 1987, Orb, pp. 372 - This is the last book of the New Sun cycle. Sevarian the Lame continues his story. These are more fantasy than science fiction, but Wolfe is such a good writer that it doesn't matter. I think that what I like about Wolfe's books is the philosophy that he blends in with the story.

• Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott & Sphereland by Dionys Burger, © 1994, Harper/Collins, pp. 120 & 208 - I'm not sure how to categorize these books, presented here in the tradition of the Ace Doubles. Flatland tells of the world on a two-dimensional plane that is visited by a being from the third dimensional plane. There is much geometry (the reason I'm an English teacher) and it is explained in an archaic manner. Sphereland is a continuation of the first, but takes into account Einstein's theories of curved space. The first novel was written originally over a century ago, so the second reflects the "knowledge" gained over time.

• Six Moon Dance by Sheri S. Tepper, © 1998, Avon/Eos, pp. 534 - Before humans colonize other planets, rules will be set down. Hopefully, one of the rules is the premise of this novel, that no settlements will be made on planets with intelligence on them. Kind of like Trek's Prime Directive. The only problem is: What if the intelligence is the planet? Ms. Tepper handles the problem with ease and great craft.

• Killing Time by Caleb Carr, © 2000, Warner Books, pp. 332 - I was somewhat disappointed by this novel. His other work, mysteries, have much more substance. This is the tale of the near future, apocalyptic, and how a group of eco-terrorists come to save the world.

• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, © 1992, Bantam Books, pp. 578 - This is Willis' first book. It is a time travel book that puts the protagonist, Kivrin in 14th century England. It was the intention of the historians to place her right before the time of the plague, but technical difficulties and a plague in her own time, put her right in the onset of the dreaded plague. It is really two tales intricately interwoven; the one of Kivrin, and that of the efforts to return her to her own time. For a first effort, this is a most excellent book.

• Earthgrip by Harry Turtledove, © 1991, Del Rey, pp. 264 - Ok, if Harry Turtledove wrote cereal box ads, I would read at least one of them. This is outright space opera. His protagonist is Jennifer Logan, a language scholar who, to make money, takes on trading missions in the outer reaches of the galaxy. While Turtledove does his usual good job, this is not as satisfying as his alternative history novels.

• Crescent City Rhapsody by Kathleen Goonan, © 2000, Eos, pp. 526 - This is a prequel to Queen City Jazz that explains how things got the way they did. In light of recent events, it is a scary book. Goonan is another writer that I would read off of cereal boxes. I like the way she weaves music through the book, & pulls it off beautifully.

• Gibbon's Decline and Fall by Sheri S. Tepper, © 1996, Bantam Books, pp. 465 - Tepper has come close to reality in this book of fundamentalism and right-wing conspiracies. She uses a cabal of five women who became friends in college to fight for "right." The only problem is, one of the women is supposed to be dead, yet she continues to influence the others and make appearances.

• Time and Again, by Jack Finney, © 1970, Scribner Paperback Fiction, pp. 397 - Finally, a time travel novel that doesn't depend on implausible inventions. Here, time travelers are trained to hypnotize them self and, using the bits of the past that are still in existence, i.e., buildings, the travelers transport into the past.  Si Morley, the protagonist, is an artist, who goes back to New York of the 1880's to see a letter being mailed. Of course, adventures develop from there. This is an excellent read & I have to get the sequel.

• To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis, © 1998, Bantam Books, pp. 493 - Ned Henry, the protagonist, spends much time looking for something called the "bishop's stump." A rich woman in the future wants to restore Coventry Cathedral to all its glory, even though religion has no place in the future: it's not cost effective. Jerome K. Jerome is the source of the title. Figure it out for yourself.

• Distraction, by Bruce Sterling, © 1998, Bantam Books, pp. 532 - Sterling is one of the best writers in the last twenty years.  This story is set in the near future, an election year, and a conspiracy to turn the United States back into a first rate country. Neuroscience is involved and it is extremely plausible. Another good read from Sterling.

• The Broken Land, by Ian McDonald, © 1992, Bantam Books, pp. 360 - I have been looking for a book by McDonald for some years. He is recommended reading on most of the lists I've seen. This book shows the hunt was worthwhile, though I'm still looking for King of Morning, Queen of Day. This is on an alien world ruled mostly by outlanders. Mathembi Fieleli is a girl who is deserted by her family, not by choice, and she takes in on herself to reunite them.

• The Real Story: The Gap into Conflict by Stephen R. Donaldson, © 1991, Bantam Books, pp. 241 - There's the outlaw, the outlaw police woman, the government conspiracy, this cycle has it all. Of course, there's also the handsome, but roguish, protagonist. The first, Angus Thermopylae, kidnaps the second, Morn Hyland, and the third, Nick Succurso, does his best to rescue Hyland. Except, the rescue isn't exactly what Hyland has in mind.

• Forbidden Knowledge: The Gap Into Vision by Stephen R. Donaldson, © 1991, Bantam Books, pp. 454 - And the plot thickens. Succurso takes Hyland into Forbidden Space where the Amnion, an alien race, tries to transform her in return for birthing and growing her son by Thermopylae. The Human Empire tries to use Thermopylae to combat & capture the other two.

• A Dark and Hungry God Arises by Stephen R. Donaldson, © 1992, Bantam Books, pp. 518 - At Billingate the trio mentioned above confront each other and the Amnion. While this cycle is a good read, it almost seems that Donaldson is being paid by the word. There are two more books in the cycle, but I have yet to read them. And, I don't know if I'm going to spend the effort doing it. Each one of these is subtitled "Gap into blah, blah, blah," but so far, I haven't figured out what Gap is exactly.

• The Great War: Breakthroughs by Harry Turtledove, © 2000, Del Rey, pp. 584 - The North triumphs in Turtledove's alternative WWI. This is the third of this trilogy and is as satisfying as the first. As mentioned elsewhere, he could write cereal boxes & as long as it was alternative history, I'd read it.

• Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, © 1980, Aspect Fiction, pp. 306 - Two supernatural beings square off, trying to breed more like themselves. One manipulates people like animals, breeding them, using them, then discarding them like a used gum wrapper. The other, female, escapes the clutches of the first to begin her own community. An interesting read that keeps the reader going until the end.

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, © 1932, Perennial Books, pp. 268 - A disutopian novel that is worth the reread. The Savage meets Civilization and loses. Though, methinks that often it is civilization that loses when conformity overtakes it. Still idealistic, I see myself in Bernard Marx and the Savage.

• From Time to Time by Jack Finney, © 1995, Scribner Paperback Fiction, pp. 303 - Simon Morley screws around in time again. This takes off where Time and Again leaves off. Si has a wife and child in the 1880's, but has altered the timeline. Reuben Prien tries to fix it, except there are other interlopers who want things to go back the way they were.

Fantasy

• Dinotopia Lost by Alan Dean Foster, © 1996, Ace Fanatasy, pp. 325 - Pirates invade Dinotopia and pay the consequences. I bought this after seeing the TV miniseries hoping to get more background, but I suppose that I need to read Gurney's original books. While this is entertaining, it didn't give me what I wanted.

• Through the Darkness by Harry Turtledove, © 684, Tor Fantasy, pp. 684 - World War II continues on the continent, though this is thinly disguised as a fantasy world. With dragons instead of airplanes, and powerful wizardry instead of the bomb, this is still a compelling read.

• Enchanter by Sara Douglass, © 1996, Tor Fantasy, pp. 669 - This is the sequel to Wayfarer's Redemption. I thought these were new novels, but it turns out they are only new in the U.S. Reminds me of the Tolkein cycle.

• Moonlight & Vines by Charles de Lint, © 1999, Tor Fantasy, pp. 461 - An uneven collection of stories that take place in the fictional town of Newford. Some of the stories are quite compelling, but others seem there only to take up space. My favorite is "The Pennymen."

• Merlin by Stephen R. Lawhead, © 1988, Eos, pp. 445 - His father, Taliesin, dead, Merlin grows up and comes into his own. He narrates this from his resting place waiting to be recalled. This is a must read, whether you are an Arthur addict like myself, or just interested in legend come to life.

• Arthur by Stephen R. Lawhead, © 1989, Eos, pp. 446 - Pelleas, unlike the other books in this cycle, narrates the story of Arthur's rise to power. It is a refreshing change from the all-knowing Merlin. Arthur, in this one, deals with insurrection and invasion with equal aplomb and to the same end.

• Pendragon by Stephen R. Lawhead, © 1994, Eos, pp. 436 - This is Book Four of the Pendragon Cycle. It is yet another retelling of the Arthur legend. Lawhead does an excellent job as a writer using Merlin as the narrator. In this cycle, Merlin and his relatives are exiles from Atlantis, who settle in a somewhat modified Britain. There is a section extending from where Cornwall is presently. This tells of Arthur's challenges after he ascends the throne. An excellent read.

• After the King: Stories in Honor of J.R.R. Tolkein, edited by Martin H. Greenberg, ©1992, Tor Books, pp. 497 - This is an uneven collection of stories that are reputed to pay homage to Tolkein. As someone who used to have whole chunks of The Lord of the Rings memorized, it was a frustrating read. The table of contents reads like a Who's Who of Fantasy Writers, but many of the efforts don't seem to have any connection to hobbits, orcs, or any of the other inhabitants of Middle Earth.  The best story in the book for me was Dennis McKeirnan's "The Halfling House." It has just enough magic, hobbit's (of course), and a credible villain. Pick this one up on your own discretion.

• Polgara the Sorceress,  by David & Leigh Eddings, © 1997, Del Rey Fantasy, pp. 754 - Eddings is one of those people who cranks out novel after novel about a world of their own creation. This world is peopled with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Polgara is the daughter of Belgarath, a wizard of great strength and age. In an earlier book, the Eddings told his story with him narrating. This is basically the same story with Polgara narrating. Even if you have read the other book, this is a good read.

• Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, © 1999, Scholastic Publishers, pp. 435 - Harry does it again. Enough twists and turns to build a new maze. Still a good read. Wait until the fourth comes into paperback.

Horror

• Black House by Stephen King & Peter Straub, © 2001, Ballantine Books, pp. 658 - A sequel to The Talisman, read many years ago, Black House also brings in elements of King's Gunslinger story cycle (What I wouldn't do for another one of those). Jack Sawyer, all grown up and a retired LA detective, finds that he cannot escape the Territories. This is a quick read, though disbelief is hard to suspend at times. I really like the Thunder Five characters.

• Ghost Story by Peter Straub, © 1979, Pocket Books Fiction, pp. 567 - One of the scariest books I've read. How do we know these people aren't out there? Tales within tales make this a compelling read.