Book Review - Middleworld by J and P Voelkel, Jaguar Stones book 1

After finishing 100 Cupboards I found this at the library on CD and grabbed. it. I wasn't expecting too much from the description, but thought I would give it a try. While it started with many of the young adult stereotypes the story and characters were more than enough to keep us listening. It wasn't long before I was enjoying myself. While there were plenty of things that I was able to predict it was a fun listen and we're disappointed that our library does have books two or three. One of the real enjoyable things about this book was the look into Mayan history and culture. On the young end of young adult, Middleworld is a great introduction into the adventure genre. Adventure mixed with some urban fantasy, but defiantly adventure. I'll be keeping my eyes out for books two and three. Audible cares this title as well. The narrator is Scott Brick and he does a great job.

Plot: Max Murphy is your typical 14 year old. He enjoys video games, things his archaeologist parents are boring, and feels incredibly crushed when they leave for a dig in San Savior without him. His anger at being left behind is replaced by trepidation when he finds himself on a plane and then a bus, following after his parents. He arrives in San Savior only to find that his parents are missing and in a world unlike any he could have imagined. It isn't long before Max's curiosity get him into trouble that he can't get out of. Only with the help of Lola, a modern Mayan with two pet howler monkeys can Max escape the horrors of the ancient Mayan, modern conquistadors, and the ever dangerous jungle.

My personal favorites: Max and Lola were really fun characters. Max acted his age and was a character that I could relate to. There were plenty of times that I wanted to hit him, but they didn't dwell on it too much and the story was able to move on. The action was well written, suspenseful but with good pacing. Like I mentioned earlier, the book is based on Mayan culture and I liked the exposure to a previously lesser known group.

Considerations: Mayans did have blood sacrifices and the book does discuss them. For the record, there are no fatal sacrifices preformed either on humans or animals. The book does have peril, but it is age appropriate and handled well. While there is lots of action there is very little death. All in all I don't have any reservations recommending this book to young readers.

I don't know when I will pick up the next books. They are certainly on the list and I look forward to reading them. The total length was just over 11 hours.

Audible Book Review - Spiral and Terminal By Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

I'm doing something a bit different today with this book review as I will be reviewing two books. This works because it is the last two books in the series and fall right on the heals of each other. It is very easy to discuss plot points and implications between the two books. I finished the two books in very short order both because they were quickly paced but also because I had lots of driving and project time during which I could listen. My overall impressions of the series is mixed. In the second book we see our first instance where we are led to believe that someone is dead but then it turns out that they aren't. This motif ran through the rest of the series and got to be more than little annoying. There are plenty of people who die in the book - it takes a rather apocalyptic turn in the last two books and we are placed in situations where millions of people die, but when a character who we believed to have died two books ago shows up I was just annoyed. On the flip side, I thought that many of the characters were very good - I was delighted with Eddy the Styx. Motivations made sense (for the most part) and the villains are truly villainous. There was weight to many of the decisions that were made and it showed that weight accordingly. All of those things I enjoyed. The things I didn't include the "coming back from the dead" mentioned above and many of the unresolved issues (dominion, the trio of New Germanians, what happens to the rest of the world, and most of the ending). The reveal at the end was gutsy, but I rolled with it moderately well. The series is certainly a science fiction story, even if it initially felt like an urban fantasy. Here is the Audible link to Spiral and here is the link to Terminal. They were narrated again by Steven Crossley, whose performance was very good. There were some sound edits that were very short (Sometimes it felt like they jumped viewpoints in a conversation), but it didn't happen often. All in all, I enjoyed the series but I know that I may not recommend to some people.

Plot: With the team reunited on the surface and with a breathing space, thanks to the availability of a vaccine to the dominion virus, things take on an almost normal aspect. Granted, being on the Styx's most wanted list and learning combat techniques at the age of sixteen is hardly normal. Will, Chester, and Elliot fall into a new routine. However, they start to hear alarming reports of terrorist acts not just in England, but all over the world. Acts of terror carried out by British citizens. Attacks by New Germanian troops, suicide bombers targeting world leaders - it is clear that something is happening and the team is trying to find out what. With a little inside help they learn that the Styx are experiencing a period called The Phase where Styx women are able to create what is known as the Warrior Class - Ultimate soldiers who feel no emotion but are ruthless killing machines. Even if stopped, if The Phase is not completely and utterly eradicated it will trigger a second part to The Phase that will bring about the creation of the Armagi. With their name as the root of the word Armageddon, the Armagi can alter their form to adapt instantly to any environment, can reproduce inside human hosts, and are capable of regenerating if even a single finger is preserved. The team suits up under the direction of Perry as he calls in favors from his old days in the British Military. The raid is successful, up to a point. And that point triggers a true Armageddon. Britain is alone, despised by the other countries for acts of terrorism initiated by the Styx. London falls and the team must regroup and be prepared to travel to the center of the world and back again to see it through.

My personal favorites: I already covered these in regards to the whole series, but there were some other gems that I found. I loved Eddy. He is easily one of my favorite characters and I was even able to accept his motivations and designs. Drake continued to be a delight, and I also enjoyed the 2nd Officer. There was plenty of action and the science fiction parts were quite interesting as well. It's been a while since I've read a book that takes the story as far as this one did - and it took it as far as it could possibly go. It was a most interesting read and a great example of modern science fiction.

Considerations: The Phase, to put it bluntly, is disturbing. The Styx do not do anything that can't be found in nature in other species, but that does make it pleasant or any less gross than it is. The books remain free of overly graphic descriptions, but again, it doesn't have to be graphic to be disturbing. A very large number of people die in the book in rather gruesome ways, and while we are only exposed to the aftermath it might still be considered distasteful to some.

Overall, the series was interesting and quite different from anything I've recently read. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 16 simply because of the more disturbing elements of the Styxs and their rather disturbing practices. Both Spiral and Terminal were just over 12 hours in length each.

Missed post

I was not able to post on Monday morning for a number of reasons, the biggest one being that I was unwell Sunday evening. I will have a book review up shortly and will be back on track for next week.

Out in the snow

Today Kanga asked if we could go out and build a snow man. It's been a couple of days since we had fresh snow and even then it was more powdery than anything else, so I was a little skeptical. But trying to be a good dad I suited up and joined her. As soon as I got out there I was impressed that the day before she and Tigger had used an old beach pail to make Snow-henge.

They packed the snow into the pail and then flipped it over to make this quartet of what Kanga called "snow castles." When I got out there she was pouring water on them "to help them stay longer." We got started on a snowman as soon as she was done.

According to Kanga, the way you build a snowman is to make a big base, then a round belly, and then put the head on top. Then you add a hat, scarf, and other things to decorate it. We used her little snow shovel to pile up a decent sized cone of snow. It was crusty enough that I could cut blocks from it but we somehow got it to pack together. After a while she said it was time to work on the body, so I started to make a ball to put on the cone. There was no way to roll it, but, again, we managed to get the snow to stick together enough that it held when I picked it up. She helped me cement it on with more snow and then we made the head by packing the bucket really full of snow and plopping it on top. The hat hides the flat top, and it doesn't look too bad.

We used old pears that had shriveled to the size of marbles for the eyes and our neighbor's tree had a branch break that gave us the arms. The two other things on it's face are seashells that have been hanging around from the last owners. Originally, Kanga was going to use them for the mouth, but when it was clear there was no good way to do that she went with using them for rosy cheeks. So there you have it, the Kanga approved way of building a snowman. I'm glad that this old dog can learn new tricks. 

Audible Book Review - Closer by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

I took a break between Freefall and Closer because I was getting frustrated with the series. The break was enjoyable and while apprehensive I was interested in continuing the series. As I get further into the books I hope that a lot of the stuff that happens has significance in the last two books because when I got done with some scenes I wondered why it happened in that place or in that way. Closer was more exciting than Freefall and was also more intense. It didn't seem to drag as much and while there were some odd things (like the tree people - why are they even there?) the overall story was rather interesting. We learn more about Elliot's background as well Drake's. We see death, terror, victory, and reunion. Here's a link to the Audible page for the book. Continued to be read by Steven Crossley, the narration is good and the voices for the characters are established enough that you can tell who's taking rather easily.

Plot: Despite Will and Elliot's attempts, the Rebeccas live. They make their way out of their predicament and are able to rendezvous with the division of limiters sent to find them. Of course, this bodes ill for Will, Dr. Burrows, and Elliot. Things are moving towards a showdown, especially after both the Rebeccas' and Will's groups discover they are not alone in the Garden of the Second Sun. Meanwhile, (back at the ranch) Drake gets involved with an ex-limiter who owes him a favor. Finding himself working with (and maybe even liking) someone from the other side presents it's own challenges. Luckily for Chester, Drake and his new "friend," Eddy, are able to save him from a situation that could be described as worse than death. Newly rescued Chester tries to reconnect with his parents only to find that it's not going to be easy. While this is all going on, Mrs. Burrows has her own challenges. Forever changed by the dark light, she has to come to grips with her new reality. So, with Will, his father, and Elliot in the Garden of the Second Sun; Mrs. Burrows in the Colony; and Drake, Chester, and Eddy on the surface what is it going to take to get the team back together? And who will actually be there when they do?

My personal favorites: I loved the joke about the children's book towards the end. This book had a good mix of suspense and adventure. The pacing wasn't bad - It didn't feel as slow as the last book. I particularly liked Drake's part of the story as it was exciting and different than other things we've seen so far. Eddy's motivations and intentions were quite interesting. I have to say that I really liked him. Things also seem to be picking up with the story, and that's refreshing.

Considerations: The Styx continue to be ruthless - killing without mercy or remorse. But I must say that Chester's ordeal was a virtual Silence of the Lambs. It was intense and a little disturbing when you consider all that he goes through. As with the previous stories there is no gore or sexuality. Descriptions are not graphic but they don't have to be to still be intense. These books are still considered young adult and I don't dispute that. I also classify young adult as 13 and up.

Closer was a better book than Freefall. The pacing was better and the shifting between characters enabled one group to do exciting stuff while the other was traveling or waiting for something. Again, I think I liked Eddy the most and can't wait to see how he plays out. The total length was just over 14 hours.

Book Review - The Chestnut King by Nathan D. Wilson

Tonight Angel and I made dinner to, folded laundry to, and finally just snuggled as we listened to the last hour of The Chestnut Kind by N.D. Wilson. It is the concluding and crowning book to 100 Cupboards, and Dandelion Fire. And we loved every minute of it. It was exciting, satisfying, and just a wonderful ride. There were twists, turns, failures and victories. Villains were villainous, heroes were heroic, and Richard was Richard until the end. We were very pleased with the book and with the audio presentation, narrated by Russell Horton. Like the other books before it we got the books from the library, but you can also get them from Audible. We were very happy with the series and will continue to recommend it to others.

Plot: While Darius is dead, his mistress has moved on and had positioned herself in a place of power that she cannot be shaken from. Henry's dreams plague him as he sees her in an unliving garden with ten men who she has granted power. The place where he blood marked him when they first met face to face is slowing consuming him, leaching the very life from him. And unless she can be killed, he will go mad and then die. His father and uncle Caleb leave to try to find a way to kill the deathless. However, the emperor has plans of his own. Henry's family is taken hostage as bait for a trap for his father. In the end Henry must travel from Kansas to Endor to the fairy's second world and the seat of the empire in his quest to save his family and find a way to destroy the evil that constantly eating away at his life. And everywhere he goes he takes his dandelion fire with him. But will it be enough against the witch's servants and the might of the emperor's soldiers?

My personal favorites: Again, the characters are golden in this book. Whether it's Uncle Franks' calm, farmer sensibilities, or Caleb's coolness under fire, Richard's awkward devotions, Henrietta's determination, or Henry's realness it was easy to relate to them and understand their motivations and desires. Something else I really liked was how throughout the series actions had consequences. It didn't leave things unattended. There were real consequences to actions. When the character's stuffed the witch through a random cupboard, it didn't leave it at that. When Henry, Zeke, and Henrietta open a door to a watery grave the water doesn't just disappear. The concluding chapters and epilogue wrap up loose ends and don't leave anything left unexplored.

Considerations: Like the other books before this one the witch is not a nice person and uses some magic that might be considered disturbing. However, like the previous books, there are no graphic descriptions and I did not find anything that would sway me away from recommending this book and series.

Even before completing this review I've gone on and marked the books for purchase. They will probably end up as a gift for Angel or Kanga, when she's a little older. I loved the way they flowed and the wonderful story that N.D. Wilson told. I've also marked his other series to consider. The book was a little under 15 hours and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Farewell first house

Many may know that since May of 2012 my wife and I have been trying to sell our previous home. With us moving closer to family we vacated the old home and put it on the market with high hopes. We had completely redone the wiring and had redone the cabinets, counters, and floor in the kitchen. We tore out old carpet and put in blinds which required a hammer-drill and masonry bits. We put money, time, and love into the house while we lived in it and were hoping that our work would pay of at sale time. But as my grandmother pointed out, "Any improvements you do are for your own benefit." The house sate on the market for over a year and a half. Finally selling a few days after Christmas. Ironically, it sold almost exactly two weeks and four years after we bought it. We did get some money from it, but nothing like what we initially thought we might. Yes we were disappointed but we were also very excited that we would no longer have two mortgages to pay each month. While we did have renters in it for about a year, the last seven months or so it's been empty and soaking up money. But we are free at last and can now use that money for much more worthwhile things.

While I am very happy to have that particular debt cut from our collection of them, I do have fond memories of that house. It was built in 1956 during a period of growth and is the same basic floor plan as almost every other house on the street. We bought it from the daughter of the original owners who had passed away only a handful of years before we moved in. Built of cinder block exterior it sat on a narrow lot that had an alley running along the back property line. The alley was useful for getting stuff in and out of the back yard. It was a little smaller than we originally wanted, but it had enough good stuff going for it that we were excited to move in. One of the biggest things that we liked was that it was in the same church boundaries as our apartment so we were able to continue to attend the same ward as before. The price was also something that was worth while. We knew that we would have to fix it up but with my in-laws help we knew that we could do it. We even liked the challenge that it presented.

It wasn't long before we were tearing into the electrical and replacing two pronged plugs with three pronged ones and pulling wire through every inch of the floor and walls. We added outlets, we fixed light fixtures, we increased the original 8 circuit breakers to 16 and then 20. We removed an old sliding door and framed in the wall, furring the entire surface out almost a full inch to accommodate wiring and a window sill we couldn't remove. We tore out three levels of flooring (while Tigger took a nap down the hall) and replaced it with laminate. We painted the night we signed the closing papers. We did a lot of things that I have never done before. I learned a lot about home repair. My tool box didn't just come into being, but actually began to grow with things I used often. I got to purchase the biggest, baddest drill ever! I have a collection of spare screws and nails. I wish I have taken some more pictures before we started, but here is a collection of before and after.

And after.

 

It was a good house. I hope the next owner appreciates what we did to it. I know that I will always appreciate what it did for us.