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thebacklistborrower's Reviews (570)
A dark and bizarre retelling of the biblical flood story that left me on the edge of my seat. Portraying Noah in a way that most of us wouldn't do, it creates a rather disturbing story of a man who appears to do things to maintain his "edict", and the biblical order of things, but otherwise not care about those around him who his actions affect.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The one and only Le Guin I’ve ever read, and its not one that is in the typical repertoire of books to read by her. But after rereading this book, I believe it is so beautiful, and so touching. I have read a lot of books with teenaged love, and NONE capture it so perfectly and purely as this book.
Written in 1976, the book is about a 17-year-old boy named Owen, a really smart kid who wants to go to MIT for science, and who has always felt like an outsider in his small Oregon town. However, he meets Natalie, and for once doesn’t feel so much like an outsider. Also a loner, Natalie is dedicated to her music and getting out of the small town they live in, scrimping and saving from giving music lessons. They raise each other up and have fun -- as friends-- outside of the pressures from peers and family to live the American Dream, until Owen thinks he wants something more.
This is a beautiful book that is touching in its portrayal of being a teenager in a small town, especially when you don’t fit in with the rest of your peers, and the peace that can be found when you find somebody else. Their friendship has ups and downs, but ends on a lovely note that while may not be an HEA in the conventional romance way, makes me happy.
This is a brief novella that probably could get read in a day if you’re looking for something to fill a gap, but read in a day or a month, this is well worth the read.
This was a beautifully written book that was very touching. The core question of the book -- is human intelligence a gift or an "occasionally useful plauge -- prompts two gods to give fifteen dogs human intelligence. Their experiences, ranging from death to beauty to love, and the dog's evaluation of humanity and human intelligence is fascinating and thought-provoking.
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This book was a departure from Tamora Pierce's usual badass heroine, but was still excellent. She expanded on her well-known Tortall universe with the backstory of Numair (from the Immortals series) Varice, and Orzone ([b:Emperor Mage|858668|Emperor Mage (Immortals, #3)|Tamora Pierce|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1271798899s/858668.jpg|3094151]), whose backstories are further developed into complex characters.
Outside of that, the world that Pierce builds is strong and engaging, drawing you in and holding you in as she grows the story of people and their stories at school into a much deeper, more dangerous mystery, set around a character who shows strong empathy to many different characters who aren't granted empathy by many others.
I'm interested to see if Pierce's strong female heroine will make an appearance somewhere down the line, but Numair (nee Aram Draper) may fill the role of an atypical male heroine. We shall see.
Outside of that, the world that Pierce builds is strong and engaging, drawing you in and holding you in as she grows the story of people and their stories at school into a much deeper, more dangerous mystery, set around a character who shows strong empathy to many different characters who aren't granted empathy by many others.
I'm interested to see if Pierce's strong female heroine will make an appearance somewhere down the line, but Numair (nee Aram Draper) may fill the role of an atypical male heroine. We shall see.
Geology of British Columbia: A Journey through Time
JoAnne Nelson, Sydney G. Cannings, Richard J. Cannings
This was a great book for people interested (even a little bit) about BC geology. While it sounds like a textbook, it is very easy to read, and has lots of graphics to help get across more complex ideas. The book goes into just enough detail that I feel next time I'm driving around, I'll be able to know a bit more about the rock and soil around me, but not so much detail that I'm going to get overwhelmed and not remember any of it.
The book is divided up into two parts: the geology, and then post-glacial ecology, which discussed how species changed before, during, and after the ice age, and how they migrated into BC as the glaciers melted. This was a great touch, as the glaciers affected our topography so much, but we might not realize how it also affected our ecology.
The book is divided up into two parts: the geology, and then post-glacial ecology, which discussed how species changed before, during, and after the ice age, and how they migrated into BC as the glaciers melted. This was a great touch, as the glaciers affected our topography so much, but we might not realize how it also affected our ecology.