I first read “The Celestine Prophecy” when I was a very young and impressionable preteen when it came out in the nineties.  My dad had picked it up and gave it to me to read so we could talk about spirituality.

“The Celestine Prophecy” tells the story of a man who encounters an old friend who tells him about the recent discovery of a manuscript in Peru, one that contains the secret to spiritual evolution in nine insights.  As he discovers each new step in the spiritual movement, each new insight, he also steps closer to danger, for the Peruvian government will do anything to stop the manuscript from being made public.

I have to say, when I first read it, the book definitely made an impression on me, specifically the first three or four insights. I remember wishing life were that simple, wondering if maybe James Redfield was onto something.

Before I talk about that though, I want to talk about the book itself.  Now that I’m older and have been through it again, I can talk about this book a little more closely. Quite plainly, I didn’t enjoy the writing style one bit. Specifically the way the plot was advanced, and the fact that we as readers have our noses shoved into this spiritual jargon so fast, we don’t even have any idea it’s happening. Until we realize that there isn’t much of a real plot, and even less character development.

That said, the book as a work of fiction (if you ignore perhaps the other messages) is tedious. It holds our hands through the story instead of letting revelations naturally come to the reader.

So the interesting thing is that this book sold millions and millions of copies and spawned three sequels and lots of spiritual groups. Perhaps it hit at the right time, when people were perhaps getting ready for Y2K?  Maybe it just connected with people at the right time. I don’t know.

But, I think some of the beliefs are definitely interesting and worth a look. For instance, the acknowledgement of the movement towards a spiritual evolution. I think this is interesting. Will humanity do it? Can we as a race accomplish this? 

Whether it will start with the noticing of coincidences in everyday life, I don’t know. But maybe Redfield has a point? Often in my own life, I feel like things happen for a reason. If only we knew the answer, or could pay attention to the signs that we’re doing exactly what we should be doing, would we lead better lives?

Other insights, like the fourth—the one about power struggles between people—also have valid applications to life now. The fourth insight talks about the daily struggle between people for power—others seek to dominate in order to better their own position in life, whether consciously or unconsciously. It is only after we learn to recognize which role we play (Redfield lists four basic ones), that we can overcome this and increase our energy towards enlightenment.

Well, I’m not sure about all that, but it sure does make for some interesting inner reflection.

Overall, I like the book for the questions it raises. Not such a great read if you’re going for story, character development, or style. And try to remember that it’s a work of fiction while you’re at it. 

Verdict?

Buy/Borrow & Read/Skim/Skip

- asecretcity

Having been a long time fan of James Franco as an actor, when I heard he was putting out a collection of short stories, I was excited.  What else could come from his very talented mind? I wondered. 

“Palo Alto” was published in 2010 and is a collection of 11 short stories that take place in Palo Alto, California and surround the lives of some teenagers who are growing up there jaded.  They drink, do drugs, have sex, and generally cause mischief and mayhem.

I have to say after my initial excitement, I delved into the stories ready to love them.  I read the entire book pretty quickly; most of the short stories don’t span more than twenty pages or so and the writing style Franco adopts is spartan and to-the-point. He doesn’t dillydally along with flowery descriptions, nor does he spend much time musing about life and waxing philosophical.  The details in most of the stories is spot on, painting a cynical and slightly terrifying picture of the minds of these teenage kids growing up in this neighborhood. 

But there, my interest waned; while each of the stories was a little different from the last, they all centered around these self-destructive kids wanting nothing more than to fuck, fight, and do drugs.  Some even want to kill, and in each story without fail there is some act of violence rendered.  Perhaps I just grew up sheltered, but it seemed hard for me to swallow that ALL of these kids should suffer this violence in their every day lives.  

If they were to suffer these events, there should be some growth, some realization from at least a few of them of something deeper than the violent act, perhaps some emptiness.  But in most of these stories, Franco stops short of reaching for anything deeper than the fact that these events happened to these characters.  Life moves on ever turning its melancholy wheel, and these lost souls of the generation fade into nonexistence. For example, in “Lockheed,” a young girl who cannot seem to connect with anyone spends her summer at an internship looking at footage of the moon; when she meets an unlikely tough-guy crush at a party, her prospects are dashed when he gets into a fight and is hit by a car and killed.  In “Killing Animals,” some young hooligans do just that—they kill animals with slingshots—but also vandalize property around the neighborhood, even pelting people with hard boiled eggs until one night it goes wrong and they in turn become the victims.  And finally, although this is surely not the last example, in “Jack-O’ ” Manuel, after asking a series of questions, drives his grandfather’s car into a wall; he seems to crave only chaos.

While the details were spot on in most places, I failed to find the deeper meaning in these stories. I wanted to; I respect Franco as a creative talent and wanted to see what he could bring to the table with this collection. But I feel as though he missed the mark on this one; with some more revision, with some meaning, his writing could be something special. 

But I’ve also read other debut collections by unknowns who were better writers; so in the meantime, I’ll keep hoping that Franco will keep at it as a writer and keep looking for something deeper in himself, that maybe one day he’ll be able to share it with the rest of us.

In “Catching Fire,” we pick up with Katniss Everdeen shortly after she has returned to her life in District 12 after winning the Hunger Games along with her fellow victor Peeta Mellark.  Except for a large amount of cash, life for Katniss is the same—that is, until President Snow visits her with a warning: incite any sort of treasonous thoughts or help encourage even the smallest of uprisings in her District or in any other, and there will be fatal consequences for the ones she loves.

While unsure of how to react to this threat, Katniss and Peeta vow to maintain their cover story for the general public in the hopes that it may placate the Captiol. Peeta’s public marriage proposal, however, actually serves to bring more supporters to their supposed side; rebellion breaks out in a few of the Districts.  Just as Katniss decides to run away, an announcement from the Capitol rocks her world. In honor of the 75th Games, all districts must send two previous Games winners as the tributes this year. 

Katniss returns to the arena along with Peeta and Haymitch as their mentor, and together try to come up with a plan to survive. However, this time  Katniss will risk everything in order to save Peeta—even herself.

I waited a little while to start this book mostly because George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series got in the way. But also because ending of “The Hunger Games” didn’t leave me necessarily wanting more. 

What I will say for this second book is that once I started it, I was pulled back into its easy prose and was able to finish within a matter of days. And just like in the first book, when Collins decides to deliver, she delivers. The pacing in these parts is fast, engrossing, and I’m left wanting to know more, waiting on the edge of my seat for what happens next.

But this book has the same problems that the first book had. I found the proportions odd for this book; the entire first half of the book is spent going back and forth between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. I realize this is a “Young Adult” novel, but come on. The love triangle is about as interesting as watching the grass grow, although to be fair, I think th is stems from the fact that Katniss as a character is duller than a sack of rocks. To me she has absolutely no personality other than what she is told to portray. And in my mind, she is almost sociopathic in her detachment from normal things.  All we’re left with in this story is the reluctant, flat Katniss, leader of the supposed new revolution. Hurray.

Part of me also feels exasperated with the outcome so far of the series. At times I find myself predicting something that ends up coming true in a few chapters; this kind of predictability frustrates me as a reader. I want to be surprised. I want to feel as afloat as the characters. It makes the emotional payoff of reading a story like this worth the time I take to experience it. And the fact that this book has almost an identical structure, save for the ending, as the first book… Really? If I wanted to read the same kind of story, I would have reread the first book, Suzanne. 

Verdict?

Read if you want to find out what happens…

Buy/Borrow   &  Read/Skim/Skip

”Girlfriend In a Coma” by Doug Coupland

It’s the 1970’s in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and a group of six friends attend a typical teenager party: Karen, Richard, Wendy, Linus, Pamela, and Hamilton. There would have been another, Jared, a promiscuous jock, but he had only recently died of leukemia, and now a constant shadow in the back of the minds of everyone.

Karen is a typical 17 year old, taking diet pills to lose weight, and typically just enjoying her youth.

Richard is Karen’s boyfriend, a normal teenager like most. On the night of the party he and Karen finally have sex for the first time.

Wendy is the dedicated student, working hard to become a doctor. She had harbored feelings for Jared, and can’t quite get over that despite his death.

Linus is a bit of an introvert, but still manages to hang out with the group. He’s very introspective and observant of society and his own existence.

Pamela is Karen’s best friend with hopes of becoming a super model.

And finally, Hamilton, a bit of a punk who seems to have no goals in mind other than continuing a tumultuous, drama-filled, on-and-off relationship with Pamela.

On this faithful night, Karen has a prophetic vision of the future: of a world devastated by some disaster, devoid of all hope. She has some instinct that something is going to happen, especially to herself, and desperately makes love to her boyfriend, Richard. Afterwards, she ominously gives him a letter, telling him to return it to her, unopened, the next day.

However, after a night of pill-popping and drinking, Karen suddenly falls into a coma.

The lives of the friends are dramatically affected once again similar to Jared’s death. However, they continue to live their lives while Karen, who also happens to be pregnant, sleeps away. Each of the friends continue down a slope of obsessions and addictions, perhaps their ways of coping with the loss or maybe to blunt their bitter taste of cruel life.

Richard, devastated the most by the loss of his girlfriend, succumbs to alcoholism.

Wendy throws herself into her work and school, leaving no room for anything or anyone else in her life.

Linus becomes melancholy, travels the world to try and discover himself.

Pamela eventually does become a world famous model, but gives in to the decadent lifestyle, and eventually getting addicted to heroine.

Hamilton seems to just drift around, doing all sorts of drugs.

Karen eventually gives birth during her coma, to a baby girl named Megan. She is raised by her parents, growing up into a rebellious teenager.

And that’s what happens for the first two-thirds of the book: life goes on for seventeen years. They all go off in all parts of the world, but eventually all return back home, one way or another. And then on a Halloween night, Karen finally wakes up.

Karen wakes up as if nothing has happened, like waking from a night of sleep. Her body is frail and looks older, but her mind is still that of a young seventeen year old. She is practically a medical miracle. Her friends as well as the whole world have many questions for her; and while she is surprised and enthralled to find a full grown daughter who becomes like her newest best friend, she is jaded by the advances of the world. People are all disconnected, despite the technology. Karen then reveals her baleful premonition of the end of the world.

And just like that, the end happens: people all over the world fall to sleep, never to awaken ever again. Society collapses and no one is left alive… except for Karen, her friends, and her daughter. The seven of them are what remain of humanity on the whole planet.

This is my favorite part of the book: seeing how the group copes with being last on earth. There is no shortages of money, wealth, drugs, and food. They are free to take whatever they want. They have money fights. They raid pharmacies. But it can only last for so long. There’s no hope or future, and they just somehow let themselves fall into the same pitfalls as before the apocalypse, remaining immature and refusing to evolve.

The ending is a bit too meta for my tastes and is a bit too convoluted to explain.

I’ll be honest, when I picked this one, I thought it would be a fun science fiction type book. I was looking forward to seeing how the world ends, and what explanation there was for it and Karen’s coma. And their dead friend, Jared, also plays some kind of role as well, but it just didn’t make much sense to me.

It took some time before the book really got into the end of the of world. I was reading all about the group’s lives and how they went on to live as adults after school, expecting some kind of sign or anything out of the ordinary that might be a premonition of what’s to come. But there are no such signs. They just… go about their own lives like normal people.

The concept of a modern Rip Van Winkle is intriguing to me. Where a person from the past wakes up in the present/future and sees how the world has vastly changed without him/her. It would certainly be a shock. Unfortunately for Karen, she wasn’t that impressed with our advancements. That could certainly make us question ourselves: are we really evolving as a species? Or are we just disconnected? If you’re into those kinds of philosphical discussions, then this book is probably up your alley.

Sorry, but not for me. Points for the fun ways they tried to live after the world ended though. Reminded me of “I Am Legend.”

Buy/Borrow & Read/Skim/Skip

- JayNCoke

This book serves as our introduction to Westeros, the fantastic land where George R. R. Martin’s world comes to life.  

As well as I can, I will summarize the events of this book, since many of you are now following the HBO television series adapted from this first volume. 

Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death… I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all the nights to come. — Night’s Watch Vow, Jon VI,  522 

As we arrive in Westeros, we’re far in the north, just beyond the Wall where there have been reports of strange things happening. The Night’s Watch rangers have disappeared, the Others have been sighted, and the Wildlings are on the move. Meanwhile, King Robert Baratheon with his Lannister wife and host make their way north to nominate Ned Stark the new Hand of the King. But tensions rise as the new Hand assumes his duties and finds himself in the middle of a struggle for power, a game of thrones, that may prove deadly.

Meanwhile, across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen is coming into her womanhood as she is married off to  Khal Drogo, the most powerful Khal of the Dothraki. One of two of the last of the Targaryen line, together Daenerys and her brother Viserys travel the continent awaiting the time when they can sail across the sea and conquer Westeros which was taken from them when their father, Aerys the Mad King, was slain. 

I won’t go into more detail than that because I simply cannot do justice to the sheer enormity and scope of this first book. On a first readthrough, there are so many characters that even the most careful of readers will feel lost (yes, even with the hefty fifty page appendix at the back of the book).  There are several major houses that are spoken of frequently that you will want to get to know (meaning… that knowing of will make your life easier): Stark, Baratheon, Targaryen, and Lannister. Guessing the overall plot will be much easier once you have a handle on these houses. 

Suffice it to say that Martin is an incredibly detail-oriented writer; rarely dry, his prose is a good mix of action, dialog, and explanation. Since the chapters alternate perspectives, the pace of the novel gets going and never stops, rarely allowing you a moment to become jaded or bored. But therein is another problem that some readers may have with Martin’s writing; because of the quick pace of the novel as well as the perspectives, sometimes events will happen in passing without the reader being able to witness it directly. Key events. Important events, specifically, that one may feel outraged by when they are heard indirectly. 

Brace yourself. “A Game of Thrones” is deeply absorbing. Despite its designation as ‘fantasy,’ it reads almost more like historical fiction in an alternate universe; the storylines and characters are believable and so delightfully gray. It’s hard to explain, but somehow the fact that there is no ‘good’ versus ‘evil’ distinction in this novel makes it more engrossing. Who can you trust? Who should you pull for when all of the characters have faults that make them so tragically real? 

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground. — Cersei Lannister, Eddard XII, 488

Verdict:  One of my all-time favorites. You won’t regret investing yourself in this series.

Buy/Borrow & Read/Skim/Skip

I held out reading “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” because of how incredibly popular it became in a short period of time here in the States. Interestingly though, I saw the movie when a Swedish friend of mine procured an early copy that must have been translated badly, because we kept falling asleep and I didn’t really think it was that interesting. And that was over a year ago, so I really only remembered bits and pieces of what the story was about. 

Well, it only took me about fifty pages before I was hooked. In “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Larsson opens with Mikael Blomkvist, who is a publisher of a small magazine and who is facing libel charges against the Wennerström corporation.  He is found guilty and must serve prison time, but before he can, he is contacted by a representative of the Vangar Corporation. Upon investigation, it is Harald Vangar himself who wants Blomkvist to write a family history of the Vangars and to see if he can discover any new information about the disappearance of Harriet Vangar, over thirty years ago. 

Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander, a socially reclusive woman in her early twenties, takes an interest in Blomkvist’s work. When Blomkvist tracks her down and asks her for help after realizing that she is a talented detective in her own right, they return to the small island of Hedeby, where some of the main members of the Vangar family have lived for a long time. As they’re drawn deeper into the mystery of Harriet’s disappearance, they discover that there may be a connection between the mysterious clues left in Harriet’s journal to murders that have dated back to before that time period and beyond and realize that this mystery may be bigger than anyone thought. 

So the story itself was interesting, but where I was really hooked was when reading about Salander. She’s in her early twenties, incredibly smart, yet has been declared unable to have control of her own finances. Her past is unknown, and when her current guardian dies, she comes under the care of a sadist who abuses her. After dispatching this man neatly and ensuring that he will never terrorize her again, she takes an interest in Blomkvist’s case and eventually ends up helping him, even falling for him.  Salander is resourceful and smart, yet she’s detached from her emotions for the most part until she realizes her feelings for Blomkvist. Throughout the book she becomes almost more intriguing than the mystery unfolding, and ultimately, her character is what pulled me through some of the dryer patches of prose.

The truth was that she enjoyed digging into the lives of other people and exposing the secrets they were trying to hide. She had been doing it, in one form or another, for as long as she could remember. And she was still doing it today, not only when Armansky gave her an assignment, but sometimes for the sheer fun of it.  It gave her a kick.  It was like a complicated computer game, except  that it dealt with real live people.  And now one of her hobbies was sitting right here in her kitchen, feeding her bagels. It was totally absurd.” (264)

The mystery of the Vangars does end unexpectedly; had I not seen the movie, I wouldn’t have known at all where it was going, but I was satisfied with the answers that were given.  What started as a story about an evil corporation turns into something more.  Lesser writers wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without the story being contrived or seem like the twists were out of nowhere, but Larsson manages to construct a believable plot and keep it moving forward, keeping readers wondering what’s coming next.

And as for the writing itself… At least since this is a translation, I think the translator did well. I hope it retains some of the original character of Larsson’s writing. Other than that, I found it clean and easy to follow, wonderfully detailed and interesting.

I enjoyed this first book of the series and I can’t wait to start the second. After I read them all, I’ll watch the movies, which everyone loved. It’s nice reading something after the hype has died down (although I do feel like I missed out). At least this way I can enjoy them without the pressure of reading each one immediately as it’s published. 

Verdict?

Buy/Borrow & Read/Skim/Skip

“Jumper” by Stephen Gould

I remembered seeing the movie a couple years ago when I found a copy of this science fiction novel at a garage sale (getting books for less than a dollar? sweet!), and I thought it looked like a pretty interesting read. Based on the cover, I thought it looked a bit dated (1993? god, I’m old) and something I probably would have read in middle school. However, it has a bit more going for it other than a simple boy who discovers he has the power of teleportation.

David Rice, a young teenager who is constantly abused and beaten by his drunk father, suddenly finds himself in the local library, with no recollection of how he got there from his bedroom where moments ago he was being whipped. At first attributing it to selective memory or amnesia to deal with the trauma, he takes the opportunity to escape and run away from his old life, eventually arriving in New York City.

Through a series of trial and error, as well as living the dangerous and pitiful life of a run away, David learns that he actually does have the power to teleport. As long as he has been there before, and has the location point fresh in his memory, he can “jump” there, as he calls it. There’s no explanation for how he got this power, but he takes full advantage of it to start his new life: and he starts by robbing a bank. After devising a plan to jump into the locked vault, he manages to come away with nearly a million dollars!

Backed by a large resource of money, David begins to live a life full of freedom, reading all the books he wants, attending Broadway shows, and fancy dining. He soon meets a woman, Millie Harrison, who is visiting from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Eventually they begin a close and romantic relationship, although he hides his jumping abilities from her.

David also manages to find his long lost mother, who had abandoned him as a child after years and years of abuse by his father.

There are several antagonists that David runs up against. A nosy cop who investigates him after he was jumped to the park for abusing his wife. An NSA agent who catches wind of David’s jumping ability and hunts him down. And eventually terrorists who hijack planes, an interesting point to read about, pre-9/11.

The book differs greatly from the movie. Don’t expect some clandestine group of ‘jumper-hunters’ looking to capture David. And don’t expect some wild chase scene involving cars and jumping through traffic. It’s actually much more down to earth than that. I can actually see myself going through the motions and actions that David goes through. And it’s so cool to see how he uses his jumping abilities.

He creates a secret room, with no doors or any way in other than jumping into it. He jumps into theaters at the best seats. He can jump anywhere across the globe, provided he has been there first (he has to book flights to the airports and sit through them before he can start jumping back and forth). David is very ingenious when it comes to using his ability. But he is also very humble and generous. He doesn’t abuse it (other than the one bank robbery), and he is very honest and supportive when it comes to helping those less fortunate.

After finishing the book, I felt like having the ability to jump would be so much fun. The dangers of people looking to use you is there, as well as what would happen to your loved ones. Bu David is a great hero. He has his flaws, which is understandable after coming from an abusive life. But he recognizes them and he does his best to take the high road. Although it was really funny when he jumped a guy who was being a douchebag at a party miles and miles away.

It’s a fun book and a real page turner. I really wish I could jump… I’d so be in the beaches of some tropical island right now, right after picking a friend up in another state. We’d spend a couple hours in the sun, and then be back home in time for dinner!

Buy/Borrow Read/Skim/Skip

- JayNCoke

So I inherited a bunch of old sci-fi books from my dad. I took them with me during Christmas and they’re now sitting, stacked haphazardly on a shelf in my living room.

Although I attempted to read the first one in January, I lost it somewhere in a movie theater. For my second attempt, I chose Julian May’s “The Surveillance” which is Book One of the Intervention series, evidently.  This book was about a small group of people scattered throughout the world in alternate-universe earth.  These people have developed telekinetic powers, and as part of the plan for this planet, Rogatien Remillard (Rogi) has been asked by a higher being to ensure the family’s survival, as it will play a vital role in the human race’s ascension to greatness.

Or something.

In between somewhat incomprehensible gibberish up on a spacecraft between apparently higher beings trying to establish that the human race’s survival was at stake, the memoirs of Rogi helping his nephew Denis were probably the most coherent, as there was an actual story behind Denis’ rise to telekinetic greatness. 

Maybe I just didn’t connect with the writing style; according to other reviews May writes fluidly with great imagery. But in this book, it seemed completely disconnected from everything else, not easily understandable without having read other books in her different series I suppose. 

Well, this book wasn’t for me. And for some reason I don’t have any of the other books in the series, and I have no desire to continue reading in this series. Even though Jean Auel (author of “Clan of the Cave Bear” and the subsequent series) gave it a good review, I still don’t think I will get the others and peruse them. Maybe people who enjoy serial sci-fi books would enjoy this though,who knows.

Verdict?

Buy/Borrow & Read/Skim/Skip