Six Mini-Reviews

Between packing a house, driving extra distance to work, playing with a toddler, searching (and finding) a new home, dealing with a six-month-pregnant bride, and sundried other things, I’ve not had much time for reading, let alone writing reviews.  However, I have read a few things and am offering some short, concise reviews/impressions.

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The Great Hunt, by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time #2) – I read this book a year ago and mocked it the whole time.  It was trite and uninteresting and I abandoned the WoT series for naught.  On a whim while perusing the audio section at the library I decided to pick up the book and try again.  And wouldn’t you know that the thing captured me this time.  The two narrators did a great job and helped make my commute time much more enjoyable.  I actually found myself wondering about the world when I wasn’t in the vehicle.  Still clichéd and somewhat juvenile, but there is plenty within to enjoy.

The Dragon Reborn, by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time #3) – After enjoying the audio of The Great Hunt, I happily picked up the third book in the massive WoT series.  The audio was still working for me, and the plot was still keeping me interested.  Rand, Mat, Perrin,  Egwene, and Nynaeve all are woven into the pattern for different purposes, and The Dragon Reborn continues exploring the world when an ancient darkness is threatening to spill out and blot the light.  I'll definitely be moving to the next book.

The Walking Dead Volumes 14 - 16, by Robert Kirkman – I’ve grown rather tired of this series.  The story has stalled and I feel like certain plots are being rehashed over and over again.  I’m ready for something more than what I’m getting.  Volume 16 takes the Reader up through Issue #96 of the series.  If Volume 17 does nothing absolutely brilliant and game changing, then I might just quit.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, by Grant Morrison – Dave McKean illustrated this.  My first exposure to him was through Gaiman’s Sandman series.  Because of that, I can’t help but feel like I’m reading a Vertigo imprint of the Bat as opposed to DC.  The dark themes also seem more Vertigo than DC.  Regardless, Arkham Asylum is like looking inside the mind of someone who’s gone crazy.   The panels, text, drawings, colors, and fonts all add to the illusion.  The story is jumbled and largely left up for interpretation.  Loosely, all the inmates of Arkham Asylum have escaped their cells and are holding the place captive, demanding Batman come in and join them.  I found the book readable, but mostly as a work of art as opposed to a coherent story.  This is apparently a landmark Batman title, but it’s just another Batman book to me.

Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster – I read Foster’s Celebration of Discipline as part of the weekly Coffee Talk group read.  Foster, a Quaker, writes with passion and eloquence.  His words are challenging, and his practical advice for living a life as Jesus’s disciple is very applicable.  This book is a great read for those wanting to grow in their faith through discipleship and following Christ.

The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - This is another Coffee Talk book.  Written by the famous Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran who stood up to Hitler during the height of the dictator's power, Bonhoeffer's words read almost as if they were written this year.  His examples and illustrations are perfectly applicable, and his insight was particularly beneficial to me.  The book is definitely not for the faint of heart, nor the feeble minded, as Bonhoeffer was a professor as a German seminary and writes like one.  While I theologically disagreed on some of his teachings (i.e., the sacrament chapters towards the end), I very much enjoyed the challenge of this book. 

The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft, by H.P. Lovecraft – This book is available for free from CthuluChick.com.  Collecting all the works of Lovecraft in chronological order, I started this book during RIP.  I read the first nine stories and enjoyed two – “The Tomb” and “Beyond the Wall of Sleep.”  The problem is that Lovecraft uses the exact same structure for nearly every one of these stories.  A guy is retelling a story about some horror he witnessed and is now going crazy.  The POV needs to change occasionally, or the passive verbs need to capture my attention more or something.  I abandoned the book and may or may not try it again down the road.

Mini-Reviews: Edition, the First

Crazy Heart:  Highly acclaimed and brilliantly cast, the story of an old and nigh-forgotten country music star.  Bad Blake once spent his days performing for thousands, and now he's lucky to get fifty at a bowling alley show.  Jeff Bridges does amazing work in this film, singing many of the songs himself (and I suspect playing the guitar, too, though this is unverified).  Bad is an alcoholic, and much of Crazy Heart deals with his problem.  This was a stirring movie that I rather enjoyed.

Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy Blu-Ray:  With only a few extra features compared to the DVD trilogy, the blu-rays nevertheless look stunning in their high definition.  Probably not worth it to the casual viewer, but definitely for the fans.  Oh, and the box is shiny...

Alpocalypse:  I've been a Weird Al fan since I was a wee lad.  His were the first albums I e'er bought, if I remember correctly.  His creativity always is great, and the fun, crisp music he produces is more often a hit than a miss.  He's got some flops, but he's also got some gems, too, in his latest record.  His take on Gaga is funny.  His tribute to Charles Nelson Riley is sheer genius.  And his soulful "Stop Forwarding that Crap to Me" had me giggling.  So yeah, if you like Weird Al, you'll enjoy this, provided you can tolerate contemporary pop music.

Wise Man's Fear (Spoiler Free):  I've been reading this aloud to Keisha for a while now, but I recently picked up the audio at the library and have been listening to it at work, too.  I've been following along Jo Watson's Rothfuss Re-Read on Tor.com and I admit, I missed a lot the first time through.  I've read NOTW twice, and keeping that in mind with things from WMF, it's like, wowzers.  How did I miss this?  It's so... obvious.  I suppose I missed it cause Pat's just too darned clever. 

Harry Potter:  With the much anticipated conclusion to the epic HP film franchise on the outside edge of a span away, I've decided to re-watch the films.  Keisha and I spent much of the long weekend nestled together on the couch watching the first six films (okay, we skipped PoA and GoF, but it's only cause we've seen them a bajillion times) and gearing up for TDH:Pt2.  I confess, I cannot fathom why or how there are people that dislike the Boy Who Lived.  These books have done so much for the reading world.  So many people have been turned on to reading because of the books, and in my opinion, the films are beautiful to behold and fun to experience.  Aye, they have their faults, but overall, each movie is wonderful.

ESV Study Bible:  I got this bible when I thought I was going to become a deacon.  I'd been putting it off until something else happened, cause frankly, I've got plenty of bibles.  Even so, the ESV Study Bible is an excellent reference bible that has easily become my daily reading bible.  It's thick and teeming with so much stuff that I don't often know where to look.  In addition to the holy Word of God, there's a ton of footnotes, helpful maps, charts, and many other tools for deeper learning.  There's also a couple hundred pages of essays and reference text spread throughout the bible and after Revelation.  I'm really liking it.

Avonlea Brynn:  My babe is growing growing growing quite well.  She spends most of her days eating and pooping and sleeping and, lately, crying.  I'm still amazed at her, honestly, and I'm sure I always will be.

Google+:  Hmmm.  Can't decide, really.  It seems quite cool, actually.  It's nowhere near as cluttered as Facebook, plus it's Google.  It's basically like Facebook, but has no ads (yet) and only people that I care about (so far).  Only thing I dislike is that I can't use "logankstewart" as my name, but I must use "Logan Stewart."  Perchance that'll change.  I can't make up my mind about this type of social media anyway.

Lunch:  Ah yes, what a delicious meal.  I had leftover bbq hamburgers and hotdogs and corn-on-the-cob from last night's 3rd Annual Stewartland Extravaganza.  Oh, and sour cream & onion chips, too, with a mug o' Mello Yello to quench my thirst.  Good stuff.