Book Review: The Name of the Wind

I just finished a book "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.  I had avoided this book as it had a lot of hype.  I don't like hype.  Hype usually hinds a whole lot of issues . . . like ridiculous angst or poor writing.  So, why did I read it?  That is a very good question.  You see I found a copy of "Sten" by Chris Bunch at a bookstore awhile back and gave it to a friend who I had suggested the book to (if you can find it buy it, its great - hard to find though).  As I wouldn't let him pay for the book, I got a book in return.  That book was "The Name of the Wind."  I put off reading it for awhile.  I had a bunch of books already and I'd been feeling a bit done with "traditional" fantasy.  I was never surprised anymore . . . the writing wasn't wowing me . . . I thought maybe I'd worn myself out of the genre.

This makes it look a bit too somber

I finally picked up "The Name of Wind."  It had me by the 7th page or so (That is fast for me, some times I reread beginnings of books after I get a bit in and start to care a bit).  The writing is to put it simply - lovely.  It really rolls around in your mind.  It has been a long time since I've taken such delight in how a traditional fantasy novel was actually written.  It is not dense or heavy or dark, though that is all in the book.  I am left with the humor of it.  Natural humor.  The humor of a good story teller telling you a terribly sad story so that you can't help but laugh.  My favorite kind of story and teller! There is no despair and gnashing of teeth.  There is practicality and the understanding that the world is essentially ridiculous.  I love it.  Add to that a interesting lead character and some very well developed and interesting side characters and we really have a story!  I was totally absorbed and wanted to know more immediately.  The writing is too good to skim to the action parts, so I had to be patient . . . it is a long book.  This is the first book in awhile that has made me want to take a long time with it.  Delightful!

red hair too! :)

The book is the story of Kvothe - Hero/genius/kingkiller/demon/beggar/inn keeper . . .  The book is told (in the form of a story by Kvothe. This actually works really well).  Chronicler tracks hims down in his retirement to separate the lies for the truth of the story of Kvothe the greatest hero or demon the land has ever known.  I'm not going to tell you too much about it as I want you to have the joy of finding it out for yourself, but I will say it is a colorful life.  I have a soft spot for boy geniuses who cause mischief, but I think that most people would enjoy Kvothe.

A reminder of the entire book is available on Rothfuss's blog - it is awesome (please read the book first . . . unless you need convincing as to how cool and funny this book is . . . then read part of the comic - read the book - get back to the comic!

That is my glowing review.  If you don't usual read fantasy I would say this is actually a pretty good place to start.  Funny and interesting.  What could be better? I must say I was surprised and how little happened in the rather long book . . . can't say that I was disappointed by the story or the plot.

Final Note - Authors who have Joss Whedon T-shirts are awesome (and know what funny is)

Rothfuss = awesome

If you don't know what a Jayne hat is . . . I'm sad for you :(

Top 50 Books

It is list time. A book list is difficult.  At first I thought of doing it by genre, but to be honest I don't have enough not sci-fi/fantasy favorites to make an entire list of 50.  Don't worry the list isn't all "that kind of book" if you aren't into that.  I thought of doing all 50 by rank and it would just be splitting hairs really.  So, only the top 10 are in any kind of order. The rest are generally increasing in the amount of love I have for them, but not overly deliberated on.

50. Devin's Luck - Patrica Bray
49. Elvenborn - Andre Norton
48. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
47. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling
46. The Giver - Lois Lowry
45. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
44. Intruder in the Dust - William Faulkner
43. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl
42. Crown Duel - Sherwood Smith
41. Furies of the Cauldron - Jim Butcher
40. Covenants - Lorna Freeman
39. Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
38.Peter Pan - JM Berrie
37.Sabriel - Garth Nix
36.Redwall - Brian Jacques
35.Stardust - Neil Gaiman
34.Pawn of Prophesy - David Eddings
33. Deerskin - Robin McKinley
32.Soulless - Gail Carriger
31.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
30.The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper
29. Foundling - DM Cornish
28. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Katie Dicamillo
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
25. Thirteen Orphans - Jane Lindskold
24. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
23. Dealing with Dragons -Patricia Wrede
22. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffery
21. Miss Petiegrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson
20. Alana - Tamora Pierce
19. The Book of Atrix Wolfe - Patricia McKillip
18. Dragonbone Chair -Tad Williams
17. Lillies of the Field - William Barrett
16. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower - CS Forester
15. Matilda - Roald Dahl
14. Sten - Chris Bunch
13. Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett
12. The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
11. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Ruthfuss

Now we are getting serious!

10. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

9. Valor's Choice - Tanya Huff

8. The Thief - Megan Whalen Turner

7. Slaughterhouse-five - Kurt Vonnegut

6. Watership Down - Richard Adams

5. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

4. Kidnapped - Robert Lewis Stevenson

3. The Stranger - Albert Camus

2. Hamlet - Shakespeare

1. Jane Eyre - Charlot Bronte

I simply adore this book!

Hope you find something you like!

Book Challenge Update: Blameless!

I have finished another book challenge book, yay!  I've finished Blameless by Gail Carriger (at least that is the one that counts).  This one is for the Series Challenge.  I read the first book in this series Soulless, for a different challenge and was hooked.  To get to reading Blameless and catching up with the series, I also read Changeless.

I can't say to much about the actual story without giving to much away.  But, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed both books.  They both were not quite the delight of the first (how can they be the element of surprise was lost).  However, the writing is still delightful.  I love the characters and the whole ton of the novels.  As a scientifically minded and curvy woman I can definitely identify with Alexia or Soulless protagonist.  I dare say I have been accused of being eccentric . . . imagine at my age!  Where can I go from here?

Technology: The Kindle 3G

Part 1: The Struggle

I love books.  I really really love them.  I love the smell and the feel of them.  I couldn't imagine not want to read books - the nice paper kind.  I mean they even smell good.  I mean the title of this blog lets you know how much books are a part of my life. 

Very small selection of my books - multirows deep

Technology is taking over.  I love technology.  I really really love it.  I love figuring out how it works and the optimization of function.  However, I love technology with function.  Technology that improves the activity or makes the activity possible at all.

I fought the ipod.  Oh yes I fought.  I'm pretty sure I was the last, the very last person at my University to get and ipod.  I'm pretty sure that the ancient grounds keeper got one before me (I went to a small school that had a master grounds keeper- Beloit College (it is a good one you should visit the site)).  I lost this fight.  My father - great technology lover that he is - forced it on me as a present after years.  That is right, I held out for years.

I love my ipod.  When the original one died 1) I tried to fix it with the powers of the internet 2) I brought it to the mac store 3) they were like wow it been a long time since I've seen one like this 4) I bought a new one that day . . . .
Technology always gets me in the end . . .

ebooks are the future, like eeverythingelse.  Why?  It is easier.  In my defense I will point out I still send out mail, not email (okay I do both).  I hand right with mail with pen and ink and seal it.  Often the post people have never seen such a thing before.  I enjoy it, so I do it.  Old things survive - it is not my main source of communication.

Part 2: The Justification

To me technology needs to be justified (that is for my own personal use - not for its existence, I like that robots exist - I don't have a use for that yet).  The great cost must out weigh another way of doing things.  Or must form a practical function that cannot be achieved in another way.

Case A: I'm going to be in Japan for over 1 month this summer (working, but you know you get some time off).  Obviously buying books in the tiny island I'll be on . . . in English . . . is not really an option. Plus, if I buy a book I want to keep it.  They are heavy when you get a number of them together though.  I don't have the room to pack it full of books.  When I was in Greece (also for a month) I brought a few books.  They weren't the right books.  I ended up not wanting to read them and just carried around a heavy load. It was a fail.  I don't like packing fails - I like packing success.  Japan with be my 3rd continent this summer.  I spend a lot of times on planes etc.  I don't like be a pack mule.  Possible solution - kindle with many multiple books loaded on

Case B: I live in a foreign country, currently.  Who knows where I will live next.  I move a lot.  It is the nature of being academically focused.  I read a lot.  Some might say I collect old and new books.  They pile up.  Come moving day I need to pay a lot to move them.  Make someone carry the heavy box.  Or discard (o_0) some.  Functioning things should not be discarded - very not optimal.  It is a dilemma I face everything time I move - be it to a new apartment or a new country. Possible solution - kindle with many books on it, but not taking up physical space

Case C:  I live in Canada.  The land or crazy high book prices for not known reason.  I mean crazy stupid high.  Like twice as much as US books sometimes.  It makes me ill sometimes.  Even used books sell for more.  It hurts my practical soul, tears it in two right along the line with my book buying obsession.  Possible solution - kindle has many many free ebooks. It also tends to sell books a bit cheaper than their paper copies. Not much of a deal really, but it is something.

Part 3: The Verdict?

I just accepted a Kindle 3G (the free 3G option is really pretty cool . . .) as a birthday/congratulations present from my parents.  I have a lot to celebrate this year.  I have received 6 grants this year - 2 of which are huge prestigious research grants.  I have to academic publication coming out - one journal article and one book (yeah that's right). I'm steaming ahead on the dissertation. And I'm teaching my own class.  Its been a really good year.



Accepting was a big thing. I don't like to waste money - even if the money was part of a gift.  I'm committed now.  If I can't adjust to this thing . . . I will not be pleased.  So, what is the verdict?  I don't know.  I just got the thing yesterday. It took me a bit to be swept up by the ipod.  I can say it has a nice weight to it.  It is a good size.  It is pretty intuitive.  The screen looks good. I have some classics loaded on that I really enjoy/always wanted to read.  I also have some of my pdfs for school on there as I hate reading it on my computer and feel it might go better.

I'll post an update then I'm through the trial period.