Dodger

author: Terry Pratchett

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.89

book published: 2012

rating: 4

read at: 2013/02/14

date added: 2014/01/12

shelves: young-adult

review:

Young Dodger is a tosher, digging about in the sewers of London for coins and jewelry he finds there to scrape out a living. One night he intervenes to save a young lady named Simplicity from a group of men who seek to harm her, and his life is set on a new course.



This is a standalone novel for younger readers by Terry Pratchett, and it weaves a fictional story in mid-1800s England. Dodger finds himself in the right place at the right time during many scenes of the book and is taken interest in by Charles Dickens, as well as Benjamin Disraeli, Robert Peel (head of the famous police called "Peelers), and Angela Burdett-Couts. Along the way, he runs across the famous, and here pitiful, Sweeney Todd. The story weaves a path through a tough time in London's past and does so with some of the trademark Pratchett humor. Lots of fun.





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Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition

author: Ben Schott

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.03

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2014/01/11

date added: 2014/01/11

shelves:

review:

A portmanteau (besides being a large suitcase) is a word that is created by combining or mashing together 2 or more words. Words like chortle, affluenza and bootylicious are all examples of words that are portmanteaus.



The book Schottenfreude by Ben Schott takes a series of difficult to explain occurrences (like new car smell or kicking through autumn leaves) and shows how one word in German can be used to precisely explain the situation (in this case Kraftfahrzeugsinnenausstattungsneugeruchsgeuuss & Herbstlaubtrittverguugen are the answers. Along with the words, literal English breakdowns are given (like automobile-interior-furnishing-new-aroma-pleasure & Autumn-foliage-strike-fun). There is a word origin (if there is one) and a pronunciation guide.



The humor of it all works because it's all presented so earnestly and seriously. The definitions delve into literary situations, and German words can seem quite long to English speakers, so cramming a bunch of German words together to form new ones (ala portmanteaus) seems somewhat logical. Rather than make the language more accessible the process makes the language even more of a mouthful. Clever and fun.



I was given a review copy of this book by Penguin Group Blue Rider Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.





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Vitriol the Hunter

author: Billy Martin

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.71

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/01/10

date added: 2014/01/10

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Basilika City has a huge vampire problem on their hands and the only person that seems able to do something is our hero, Vitriol. The cops are woefully outgunned and outclassed, and every time you turn around another another nameless rookie cop is getting torn apart by vampires. Just to make things more fun, the vampires find a serum to create werewolves.



It's a weird juxtaposition. The art by Billy Martin has a cartoony quality like you find in kid's comics. It's an angular style with broad lines and brighter colors, but at the same time, there are decapitations, arms being ripped off, and all that blood splashing over the panels. Also, the story is quite simplistic. The characters are so one dimensional, and the story seems to be so very simple that it feels like a story for children. And yet, there is all the violence and death. Is this a book for children? I'm confused by the audience for this book.



But it has a B-movie goofiness to it that I kind of liked. Vitriol gets beat up in just about every fight he's in, but he seems to be the only person capable of stopping all this supernatural evil. He's a likeable hero just because of his sheer determination.



I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.







via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/715387708?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

The 47 Ronin: A Graphic Novel

author: Sean Michael Wilson

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.58

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/01/06

date added: 2014/01/06

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

In feudal Japan there is a famous story of 47 ronin who avenge their master. There is a recent Keanu Reeves movie that tells the story, but adds supernatural elements. This graphic novel tells the story without these sort of elements and it's a pretty compelling story on it's own.



A cruel shogun pushes a young lord Asano to the point where Asano attempts to kill the shogun. The shogun demands the young man's death. This shocks and outrages Asano's samurai, but rather than take immediate revenge, they enact a subtle plan that will take years to fulfill. There is a reason that this is a famous story in Japan, and it's one that I wasn't familiar with.



The art by Akiko Shimojima is black and white and very good. At times, it's a bit hard to follow the action. For Western readers, there could have been an introduction or appendix to explain some of the things happening in the story, but overall, it's a great story.



I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Shambhala Publications, Inc. and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.









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Knights Templar: A Secret History

author: Graeme Davis

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.67

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/01/03

date added: 2014/01/03

shelves: non-fiction

review:

The Knights Templar: A Secret History sets out to give a brief history of the Templars. Starting with history and moving into theory, the book mostly succeeds, but unlike other Osprey publications, the latter half seems to rely mainly on one scholar. This is not a total failing. I'm just used to more source material being drawn from in Osprey publications.



Drawing mainly on the work of Dr. Emile Fouchet, the origins and timeline of the Templars are traced from 1119 AD to the present. Also discussed is their rise and fall in popularity, mainly by defying the Catholic church. The Holy Grail is discussed as well as the theories about where it might be. As the Templars were driven into hiding in Europe, the book moves into the shadowy history, with the Templars coming to America to help the colonies. Then back to Europe where their machinations seem to be behind the scenes until the present day.



There are some great conspiracy theories in here and there would seem to be a grand war happening between the Templars and the Masons. The unification of parts of Europe seems to fit in with the Templar goals. It's all a bit spooky and I did end up enjoying the book. There is a timeline of Templar history and a bibliography. Intriguing and concise.



I was given a review copy of this book by Osprey Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/641286253?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

The Colonized (TP)

author: Chris Ryall

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.64

book published: 2013

rating: 2

read at: 2014/01/02

date added: 2014/01/02

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

The Colonized is a mostly fun story that suffers from too many wacky characters. It takes place in a fairly isolated self-governed town, where one of the town leaders has recently died. When aliens attempt to retrieve a body and create a legion of zombies, they team up with some of the town people to stop what they've started.



Along with the aliens and zombies (including zombie farm animals), there are a group of rogue rednecks out to shoot anything that moves, and a lone ATF agent who stumbles on something that could make his career. With all these characters running around, the result is mayhem, which is good, but it leaves the storyline a bit overpopulated. Overtones of green friendly governments and equal rule are just lost in the rest of the story.



Art by Drew Moss is fun. Zombies, zombie pigs, crazed gun toting rednecks and aliens fill the pages of the story. But too much of a good thing can be too much, and I wanted to like this more than I did.



I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/715387739?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger's Daughter

author: Rachael Hanel

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.82

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2014/01/01

date added: 2014/01/01

shelves: non-fiction

review:







via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/584882521?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss