Suffer the Children*

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
Louise Murphy

With hundreds of books and bloggers writing about so many different things at the same time it's almost a source of comfort to simply surround yourself with the books you have and simply admit that hey, not reading all highly recommended books isn't that big a problem. But there are books that get your attention amidst everything that is out there. And this is one of them.

I first became aware of the book during the 12th Edition of Bookworms Carnival where Nymeth compiled posts relating to fairy tales. There was a discussion about the author's take on Hansel and Gretel at Natasha's blog and most of the readers chipped in their thoughts, particularly with respect to a negative review culled from Amazon. It was a healthy exchange of ideas. Consequently when my name was drawn from the hat to pick any book from all the Carnival posts I chose this one.

And now my mind is blank. I'm trying to remember as I read this last month. It's not that I can't, it's just difficult and not just a tad painful to recall the entire story given the nature of the subject matter.

There's a stepmother indeed. And two kids sent scurrying to the forest. They found an old, ostracized woman living alone in the woods. But this is not a fairy tale. This is the story of two Jews, the two children, trying to escape the horrors of Hitler's edict that the world be purged of people other than the Aryan race.

It starts with a chase. A family trying to escape a handful of Hitler's men in the outskirts of Bialowieza Forest. The woman, stepmother to the two children, reasoned with her husband to let the children off to the forest to allow them a chance to escape. Christening the children as Hansel and Gretel, the two were told never to mention their real names, never bring up their past, never to let on that they were in fact Jews. With that, the spouses tried to use the remainder of the petrol to drive off as far away as possible from the children's drop off point and as the petrol ran out, a footrace with the Nazis became inevitable.

This is the story of that two children we only know as Hansel and Gretel. Of how they chanced upon Magda, the witch, and of that small hamlet where the people are trying as much as they can to survive the war. A hamlet almost forgotten that the visit of a high-ranking SS officer caused fear to spread in their hearts like wildfire. This is the story of the husband and wife after leaving the children and their search for the two afterward. This is the story of people wanting a lot of things: escape, revenge, reason, survival. This is a story of the Holocaust recreated in the essence of a grim (and Grimm) fairy tale. It is fiction and yet it is real, it feels real and it must have been real in other guises way back then.

It is a powerful, moving story but it is not for everyone. I say that because of its unforgiving take on the war, a subject painful enough as it is and reading it is distressing. I rarely bracket readers into categories but this is definitely for mature ones. I say that without referring to any age of course given that some people do have childish thoughts even if they are past 30 and some young ones can be a little too precocious and well-above the maturity level of the former. That being said, some scenes are disturbing and graphic but I find them apt for the type of story being told.

While elements of the fairy tale were integrated seamlessly by Murphy, she also managed to negate the stereotypes against witches and stepmothers you can't help but be thankful of them in this tale; their presence in the story felt like little victories amidst the pain and suffering of those times.

Books about the Holocaust or any other instances of war are never easy reads, be they factual or imagined. They force us to take stock at the depths of depravity fellow human beings fall under, remind us how easy it is to be weak against a will deemed far stronger than ours. They also show the tenacity, the perseverance, the refusal to give up of those who survived them. They teach us to hope in spite of everything. In a sense it almost always bittersweet to go through them given the emotional roller coaster one feels through the stories. But go through them you must, at the very least that's how I feel. In doing so you honor the memory of those who suffered. It also gives you the opportunity to treat others fairly, judiciously; because little depravities, little acts of villainy matter once you've glimpsed the darker side of other people through the eyes of those who suffered the most.

Read this. You must.

Other interesting points of view:

Book Addiction
Maw Books Blog
Random Wonder
Sonderbooks
What Cheesy Reads
What We're Reading Now
You've Gotta Read This

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My thanks again to Nymeth for my copy of the book.

*A song by Tears for Fears that I can't get out of my head for one reason or another while typing this up.

Not the Movie

The Moon-Spinners
Mary Stewart

Last month, amidst the endless racket of the house being repaired, I found myself sorting through boxes and boxes of stuff I didn't even know were there to begin with! Like a pile of unused white bed linens, a handful of comforters that aren't even necessary in this tropical country, cooking implements that haven't been seen in decades, and well, books! Some partially nibbled at by termites while others were barely there, with pages crumbling to touch as if merely waiting for my discovery so I could throw them away and be part of the air (eh, dust) I breathe. Oh dear.

I discovered this book. And to escape the sounds of machinery all around me I vicariously travelled to Greece! Aaah, the land of Plato! Hahaha!

Nicola Ferris is on vacation in the Cretan location called Agios Georgios. As she found herself arriving far too early to check into her hotel, she decided to hike through the lovely woods and there discovered another Englishman like herself named Mark Langley, apparently shot and on the brink of death being cared for by his Greek friend Lambis, inside an unused farmer's hut. She learned that Mark and his brother Colin witnessed a murder the previous night and they were shot at by the perpetrators. When Mark came to, Colin was gone and only much later did Lambis discovered him somewhere in the woods and then brought to this barely secluded hut.

Nicola decided to help the two even if both men highly discouraged her from doing so for fear that she might get entangled in the mess they found themselves in. Besides, Nicola should enjoy the Easter break and in a few hours her cousin would be arriving as well. What would you do if you were in Nicola's place and the lovely little town of Agios Georgios is at your feet waiting to be explored?

Well of course you help Mark and Lambis! And hopefully find Colin as well, right? Otherwise there won't be a book to speak of. I mean, this isn't exactly a travel book. Hahaha!

A fast-paced and well-written story filled with images of the Cretan seaside and hold-your-breath scenes.

Of course the thing with reading stories dated at least a good forty years back is that locales such as the somewhat isolated Agios Georgios is practically that, isolated. No cell phones, no internet well, back then obviously, hahaha! But I didn't exactly look for them. I was taken by the place - the description of the windmills, the different types of birds flying over, the flowers found all around, plus the people, the kids who welcome the tourists - I mean goodness, it must've been a lovely, lovely destination! And there's plenty enough action.

The title of the book refers to legend of the Moon-Spinners - the enigmatic ladies of old who take down parts of the moon as it wanes, winding its light like threads and then bringing it all down to the edge of the sea and wash it so that it can be spun again for the new moon. It's a tale retold by Nicola to Mark while waiting for Lambis to return from the hidden boat.

But when the story finally ended and I closed the book with a smile it sure was jarring to discover I was back in the house and it was far too late to continue sorting through things.

Not My Aunt!

Black Maria
Diana Wynne Jones

I don't think I'd do justice to this book. I don't think I can express myself very well. It scares me when I think I can't translate into paper the things I felt while reading a book that appears to be just another fantasy tale imagined by Diana Wynne Jones. Well, the description "just another fantasy tale" doesn't fit DWJ exactly if you've read her or loved her stories as much as I do. One thing is certain, she'll draw you in and next thing you know you're in the middle of the story you don't want to let go of on the one hand, and yet alarmingly the scenes make your blood boil you just want it all to end. I do get ahead of myself, right?

It starts quite ordinarily enough, as ordinary as say having Mig and Chris' father dying from a car crash. Together with their mother, they repaired to Aunt Maria's house to accompany her, the latter an aunt of their father by affinity only. But once inside Aunt Maria's house things start to get a wee bit crazy.

For one, the house seems haunted. Chris sees a ghost appearing in his room at nights. Then there's the seemingly intelligent cat that somehow reminds the three of the previous companion of Aunt Maria. Then there's this group of wives - friends of Aunt Maria - who visits the house and never fail to entreat the three of the things they should and should not do. Then there's Aunt Maria herself. A wicked, wicked woman! Hence the the title of the book.

Most of us know someone like her. Someone who makes you feel guilty into doing something her way. Someone who makes you feel powerless. So manipulative, so controlling, so, so, so evil she exasperates me no end! And yet, and yet so real. Aunt Maria is so real. So real that somehow you see a part of yourself in her. Well, probably not the evil, evil part. But one way or another I had to admit I understand her perfectly and I cringed at the thought that I could be as manipulative as her at times! Oops!

Technically speaking this is not just a story of an evil aunt. It has many layers and scenes that will chill your heart and make your spine tingle in ways you wouldn't want it to. The main characters - Mig and Chris - are young, teenagers in the cusp of life (gee, that sounds like something I heard or read from cheesy sports ad) and you don't want them to experience life this way. It's quite easy as well to say that this is a book that deals with that tension between genders. It is but somehow that's not enough.

Nymeth asks "What did you think about the way gender stereotypes were dealt with in Black Maria?"

It felt unreal at first. It was something I wasn't expecting from the first few pages and yet it became apparent later on. Using the controlling power of magic as a source of the struggle between the two genders it's apparent that DWJ puts the issue out there without insulting the intelligence of the readers both boys and girls alike. That there is gender stereotyping is clear enough and that the two main characters were made to understand this. There is inequality as in the case of real life and yet without choosing sides, both were made to see that either gender's unjustifiable control of what is and what should be done then there will be no satisfaction on either side. That in the end what's more important is not one's gender but one's humanity that counts without of course negating the fact that stereotyping is present and is or can be a cause of tension.

Oops, did I just give away something in that? La di da.

What I'm trying to say is (hahaha) that, take away the magical element it is a relevant story for all readers of all ages but something that young boys and girls early on should be made aware of. Oh dear, I sound like a stern librarian telling people what to read. Then again, you should read this.

Other interesting point of view:

Things Mean A Lot

If I missed your post do tell me so I could add your link up as well.

Interview Me Meme

I'm doing the Interview Me meme that has been going around. The rules are:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

So here are the five questions my Book Twin sent my way more than a week ago (and it's only now I get to answer them:

1. A variation on the "which characters would you want to be friends with" question: are there any book characters that you like but don't think you'd actually get along with?

The Lisbon siblings come to mind, from Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides. All five of them: Therese, Bonnie, Lux, Cecilia and Mary. There's a certain appeal to the siblings that make you want to learn more and yet you also want to stay back and allow them to live their somewhat demented life. They were a strong bunch of girls albeit not that strong enough to break free. Or maybe their freedom is death. They never had any real girl friends they could share with stories with, to help ease the burden of say living the teenage life. They just had each other. While reading the book a part of me wanted to save them, to offer a helping hand while another part was thinking "No, they don't want to let anyone in, they don't want to be saved."

2. Who was your first favourite author? Are they still a favourite today? Why or why not?

While I actually started reading more fiction in highschool most of them were the usual romance stuff meant for girls my age, yeah like Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley Twins. Well, sometimes they stray to the Mills and Boon territory. Rather, most of the times, hahaha! Guilty pleasure indeed. But in terms of following authors I have four in mind.

Mary Higgins Clark was my first favorite author. After reading Stillwatch I made it a point to buy her other books of suspense with a bit of romantic angle thrown in. I read about ten novels before I stopped. It was around the time I was hankering for reads other than suspense stories. Hey, I have nothing against suspense, I like them a lot, but it gets tiring and predictable after awhile. This was the early 90's. Then a friend of mine mailed a copy of Deck the Halls (co-written with daughter Carol Higgins Clark) to me sometime in 2000 and well, obviously I enjoyed reading that as well.

Two authors I adored to death early on in my reading life were Robert Ludlum and Frederick Forsyth. I know it doesn't show here in the blog that I used to read a lot of international espionage and thrillers but I hey, I loved them a lot back then. Remember the Cold War? Or even the real-life assassin Carlos? Both these authors put a spin on Carlos way back then. Those of you who read all the Bourne novels as well as The Day of the Jackal should know. With Ludlum I count The Matarese Circle as a favorite, With Forsyth, ahh, I love his books still but The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Fourth Protocol are really good reads.

Then there's Sidney Sheldon. Those thick books of his filled with drama, mystery, romance and a triumphant heroines in the end... guilty pleasure indeed. Like MHC I think I stopped reading him after ten or so books. Unlike MHC, his books were twice as thick, you know the kind where the spine would break in the middle particularly if your copy is the mass market paperback?

I remember these four because one way or another they all made me appreciate plot development, red herrings, international intrigue, well-researched data mingled with the story elements, among other things. And all four know how to make your spine tingle, your heart race enough to keep you reading way past bedtime. I still appreciate them a lot and would probably read the other books I put off reading decades ago if I feel like it. I don't think I'd buy or go out of my way to get new copies of their books though. If and when a part of me wants to read their other stuff then I'd go to my favorite bargain bookshop. But I think I outgrew the part where I have to buy their books. I would be just as happy to read the stash I kept a long time ago and that's a considerable stash indeed.

3. Tell us about your biggest bookish disappointment.

Hmmm, bookish? Mostly I'm disappointed if the story doesn't live up to my expectations. You know when you pick up a book a feel a certain affinity to what the story should be and somehow things don't add up in the end? And your copy has this pretty, pretty cover and the pages are smooth and won't leave smudges all over the place like some paperbacks do? But I'm generalizing. Let's see, last year I reread The Time Traveler's Wife. I had a great time reading it a couple or so years back I ended up telling my friends to get it and read it for themselves (I never lent my copy, I'm possessive of books I adore after having lost a handful of favorites from friends who conveniently forgot to return books - a flaw I myself am guilty of, I'm afraid) and I thought it would stand a second reading...it did not. I don't know why it didn't hit the mark. Instances in Clare's life I adored the first time turned petty and horrible in my eyes. And I started doubting the plot, doubting the story altogether. Noooo! I hate it when that happens. While I can't say this is the biggest disappointment, it's the most recent one that I can think of.

It's like saying worthy reads for me are ones that should stand up to a second (or more) rereadings and it's disappointing when the magic of favorite books fades when I revisit their pages.

4....and your biggest bookish unexpected delight.

I'm extremely delighted in finding books I've been meaning to buy in my favorite bargain bookshop. In a third world country such as the Philippines, books are probably considered a luxury (I call it a vice, an addiction I don't want to get rid of, hahaha) though it helps that it's not taxed. Yeah, tax-free baby! That's why new books are basically cheaper here than let's say if I ask my sister in the States to buy them for me if I go by the conversion rate as she has to pay a sales tax while I don't. That notwithstanding, books are still expensive so I save up for it.

Finding good titles in a bargain bookshop is a lifesaver. For a price of a new book I can get around five to six secondhand titles in one go. Although of course I do buy new books of authors I adore like Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. That's a given.

Hmmm, I didn't know if I answered that question correctly. Hahaha!

5. And since you didn't get to do this Weekly Geeks task, I shall ask now: what are you greatest passions besides reading?

I love to travel. I looooove to travel. Well, I haven't traveled outside the country but I visited more places in the Philippine archipelago's 7,100 islands than your regular Filipina. I can honestly tell you that the much vaunted tourist destination Boracay beach doesn't compare to the better waters of Panglao or even some of Palawan's undeveloped beach fronts (although of course Boracay has a wider stretch of really powdery white sand than the two). I've traveled far north and down south there was a time I could honestly brag you could drop me off anywhere in the country and I could find my way back into the city. Of course when I used to say that, it didn't cross my mind that I could be dropped off the the mountains of Sierra Madre, hahaha! I love the feeling when I'm on the bus (train, plane, car, boat) and I start imagining the life being lived by those on the outside while I fervently hope that the destination is as full of promise as my hopes and dreams. Now that's way too dramatic.

For someone like me who likes to eat (a lot), learning how to cook well is probably the next best thing. While saying that I love to cook is stretching it quite a bit, I find that I enjoy myself in the kitchen. Thing is I can't really cook that much but I try. I can be a bit intuitive in it and I experiment if and when I can although of course I end up with scorched pans sometimes (maybe I should get better, thicker pans, hahaha). Other than cooking I can bake a mean batch of brownies and a handful of cakes. I learned how to bake when I was young (you know when you were a kid and you were "rewarded" with cleaning the batter of bowls and wooden spoons?) and it's something I haven't forgotten up to now. I don't know how to do icing though. Those swirly things using different tips? Nope, no idea how to use them. Hahaha!

I love to write. There was a time I used to join the weekly writing prompts of 3WW in my (now deleted) main blog and I adored the stories I used to come up with. But I never got past the short stories or whatever because I'm terribly insecure. Hahaha!

I adore taking pictures but I don't think I have the knack for it. Still I persevere (if and when the opportunity for doing so presents itself).

And I love the law. Rather, I love the study of law. I hope it loves me back when I take the bar. Hahaha!

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So there, rambling done. Thoughts on backlogs hopefully up starting tomorrow. Have a great weekend book blogging friends!

E-bow the Letter*

© Leo Reynolds

Today's post is brought to you by the letter E. Care emailed me a letter a couple of days back and it's only now I find myself finally posting this. I was waiting for today, you see. You'll know why in a couple of minutes. Hahaha!

So here are the ten stuff I connect with the letter E. Well, the ten stuff I find myself writing about, that is.

1. Exercise
Not my favorite thing in the world but something I (well, all of us) could do. Particularly now that I've gained quite a few pounds (hahaha, understatement really) and that my sister, who has always been chubbier than me, is now practically four sizes smaller. It works out somehow: I get to use her old clothes. As the youngest sibling I'm so into hand-me-downs. Still, I would like to go back to my ideal weight but I'm too lazy to really exercise. Walking would be fun but my location in the metro isn't apt. Then again I could simply use the stairs (I live on the fourth floor) as my uh, stair-climbing machine. Except that there's a dog on the third floor and sometimes he barks at me when he feels like it.

2. Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.
Because it's a haunting song I can't get enough of, at times.

3. Edgar Allan Poe
It's not obvious in this blog but I adore him! For his short stories which are creepy, dark yet fascinating as hell though I've yet to read most of them, but moreso with the poem titled "Alone" which is probably the only poem I can recite by heart. I'm not exactly a poem person but since I read it it somehow got stuck in my head. And it's been there for quite sometime now. Here's a clip from YouTube of the poem being read while using a Tim Burton short film:

4. Endings
Well, it's what you don't hope for in a good book (at times) and what you can't wait to happen in a bad one.

5. Eraserheads
My favorite Pinoy band of all time. Hands down. No one else comes close. Seriously. Local music critics hailed them as the Beatles of the Philippines. I've been a fan of the group since my college days in UP, back when they were just starting and you hear from classmates that there's a band out there who plays songs that speak to you. When the first album came out a part of me was happy for their success and yet a bit selfish that the whole country will get to listen to them. I have all their albums on tape! Tape! Well, back then I wasn't into buying cds as they were more expensive. And like the Beatles they had their creative differences. As a fan it was hurtful watching them bicker and disband but I chose sides as well.

Then last year they had a reunion concert that ended dramatically. I wasn't there as I don't like seeing them live to begin with. But all the drama from last year made me listen to all the tapes again and again and again now I'm contemplating on buying the cds but I doubt if they're still available. Who knows, though?

The continuation of the reunion concert is on March 7 (because the first one ended abruptly as all fans know). Again I won't be going. I'm happy with the music I have.

I think I'm sharing way too much. Listen to them here. The Wikipedia site also has clips of some of their songs.

6. Englishmen
Hugh Grant. Colin Firth. Neil Gaiman. Jeremy Irons. Hugh Laurie. Kenneth Brannagh. A a whole lot of others.

7. Egg pie
Better yet, custard pie but we Filipinos call it egg pie. Yummy especially if the custard is creamy, sweet and smooth. Sinful as hell if you eat more than one piece. But who cares, it's egg pie! Oops!

8. Evolution
Fascinating, simply fascinating. Our world is in constant state of change. We are continuously evolving. I love reading the discoveries of creatures that thrived way back. I love watching shows that deals with evolution. And I love to know what's going to happen next. What I'm sure of is that today is Charles Darwin's 200th birthday!

9. Everlong by Foo Fighters
I can listen to this on and on and on and won't tire of it.

10. Examination
September this year I will be taking the bar examinations. Again. Four Sundays of intense essay questions numbering around twenty or so per subject. Five months waiting for the results to come out. Political Law. Labor and Social Legislation. Civil Law. Taxation Law. Mercantile Law. Criminal Law. Remedial Law. Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises. Eight subjects. I didn't make it the first time and that somehow made me depressed last year I ended up close to doing nothing much than wallowing. And reading books. Wish me luck.

Ok so I haven't been reading that much. I mean I just finished one book for this month yet (Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye, awesome - how's that for a not-quite review?) For a book blog it means I won't be able to post that much unless I count my January backlogs. But I digress.

I won't be blogging until next week so have a happy weekend to all you book bloggers out there! And if you want to play along with the letter meme leave a comment and I'll send a letter your way as soon as possible!

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*Another R.E.M. song

A Girl's Perspective

Guys Write for Guys Read
Edited by Jon Scieszka

What's a girl like me reading and reviewing a book meant for guys?

The fact is I was taken by the number of guys writing for guys. They include authors and artists I like (Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Stephen King, Lemony Snicket), a handful I heard of (Darren Shan, Avi, Mo Willems) and so much more authors or artists who are new to me (Chris Van Allsburg, Laurence Yep) to name a few. Thing is, when I picked the book up I was actually looking at the back cover with all the names of authors and artists featured I didn't bother looking at the title. It was only when I was paying for it when I saw that eh, the book is meant for guys. Hahaha! But what the heck, I'm a woman and I read anything!

So what's the book about? It's meant to encourage young guys to read or draw, but I see it mainly as a book meant to explore one's creative outlet in any form. The authors and artists featured here write about their past - Avi recalls the time he started a comicbook drive for war veterans recuperating in the hospital (of course with his own agenda in mind), or Neil Gaiman writing about why books are dangerous, or Anthony Horowitz daydreaming in class, or Stephen King remembering his nanny called Eulah-Beaulah who farts loudly - events of authors past that somehow relate well with what teenagers and young boys are going through now. As for artists, most of them scoured their chests filled with very old drawings and proudly say "I somehow sketched this flat, two-dimensional piece with sticks for legs and arms and look what I can do now" or something to that effect. Highly encouraging indeed knowing that the old drawings doesn't make that much a difference with your own art way back in grade school.

Of course not all stories are fun or funny. It's a guys book so there are guy things, guy poems and guy manifesto. Some are gross (Chris Crutcher's anecdote rings with uh, grossness), some are funny (David Shannon's "No, David" drawings from way back and his updated version), some are sad, some are boring I won't bother naming names (hahaha), and others insightful (Rick Reilly's titled Funny You Should Ask). All in all a worthwhile effort to nudge the reluctant young boy to pick up a book and read (or hell, pick up a pencil and start drawing stuff).

The other good thing about it is that Scieszka includes a list of two to three books of the authors in each anecdote, sort of egging the reader that if you somehow enjoyed the story or drawing you might want to check out the good stuff, read: the actual books themselves. I had a handful of choices in mind already. Hahaha!

Joanne asked "Do you think this would be just as enjoyable for girls? On the other hand, what makes these stories specifically 'for boys'?"

I had fun reading the stories and looking through the drawings particularly the recollections of authors and artists I adore. It's like reading a part of their lives one normally doesn't get to read unless they blog about stuff or write memoirs. So in those instances it's a good read for anyone for that matter. However, some stories really are meant for boys - like it takes a boy to understand the thrill in having to launch yourself from the rooftop or something to that effect, or the ones telling them how to act or that it's ok to wrestle and fart or not wear pink, or some other stuff that girls can't relate with - while they're not exclusively boys' stuff, boys tend to relate or understand them better.

There are some tidbits available online. Visit Guys Read, the project that the editor has in encouraging boys of any age to read.

I leave you with a handful of quotes:

If you stand up for your rights, you can count on the fact that wicked people will find sneaky ways to change the rules. But you should stand up for your rights anyway because there aren't enough sunny days in the world, and everyone should enjoy them. (Daniel Handler)

It may not always be a good idea to meet your heroes up close and personal. (Daniel Pinkwater)

I don't think the meaning of life is gnashing our bicuspids over what comes after death, but tasting all the tiny moments that come before it. (Rick Reilly)

Afterwards I asked myself how come there's a project out there encouraging guys to read while there are none for girls as far as I know. Oh wait, there's a Girls Read site! But it looks more like a blog than a similar campaign encouraging girls to read.

Then I laughed and well, most girls are readers and most of us need no encouragement. Kidding.

If you reviewed this before kindly leave a link so I could add it above.

Weekly Geeks 2009-05

This is my first Weekly Geeks since the much-missed Dewey passed on. I'm glad that a lot of bloggers are still keeping up the geeky tradition this year with interesting activities that keep us book bloggers busy. I didn't have time to post last week so I'll try to make up for that.

This week's Weekly Geeks sounds simple enough but we all know that simple is indeed a relative term. Hahaha. Like what book to pick, much less how many covers to choose from. And I do love scouring the internet for covers of books but I ended up choosing Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. It's a book I reviewed early last year and that I loved dearly. It's also a book with a lot of covers considering that it's been around for fifty-nine years. Hmmm, maybe that's why I chose it. Hahaha!



This is the cover of my trade paperback copy. I gather from the Wikipedia entry that this is the cover of the first edition. Lovely. But mine is newer considering that it's the fiftieth year edition or something with a new introduction by the author. Much as I'd like to post an actual photo I do have a habit of shipping books I've read home to make room for more books here in my little space I call home in the metro.

And here are some of the covers I found online but click on the photo to enlarge it:



For reasons I can't explain I do love the cover of my copy. It's simple and yet otherworldy. Stars, sky, clouds, trajectories and spaceships. Since the book is basically a compilation of stories, I loved the simplicity of this cover as compared to the other editions I featured here.

My least favorite is the yellow one, first one from the fifth row, probably because it features a Martian-like creature. I find it a bit distracting and somehow colors one's perception of what a Martian should look like in the stories. I think the beauty of the stories presented here is to allow the reader to imagine what a Martian should look like or something to that effect, and the cover somehow negates that.

While most of the covers depicting Mars are apt I find the first photo from the third row perfect for that last story titled The Million Year Picnic.

Oh and well, not all covers I selected here are book covers. If you look closely you'd see that one of the book covers isn't exactly for The Martian Chronicles but hey, I don't know if it's an erroneous version, hahaha. One of the covers is for an audiobook. And one is a poster for the film version starring Rock Hudson.

And while I didn't feature any editions translated in other languages, feel free to visit this LibraryThing link where some of the covers of the translated versions are included.

Lovely exercise for the week!

Are You A Midnighter?

Midnighters: The Secret Hour
Scott Westerfeld

To usher in the new year I had to discover that a day is comprised of 25 and not 24 hours and that a handful of people are the only ones who walk through that magical extra hour. You could be one of them really, if you were born anytime between that mysterious midnight hour. But I'm getting ahead of the story.

Bixby, Oklahoma is not your ordinary small town. It has a curfew for those below eighteen year olds. The water tastes funny (or so they say). And every house has this thirteen point star plaque on them. Those are just a handful of things Jessica Day discovered in her new highschool after she and the rest of her family transferred from Chicago following her mother's promotion. And then one night she discovered that when the clock strikes twelve everything freezes except her. She can traipse through the whole town turned silvery blue on her own. Until she realized it wasn't a dream when she met others like her.

There aren’t really twenty-four hours in the day, Jessica. There are twenty-five. But one of them is rolled up too tight to see. For most people it flashes by in an instant. But we can see it, live in it.

The midnighters are basically those born during midnight. And the extra hour isn't the only magical thing about the story. All those born within the time frame have a power of sorts. Rex, Melissa and Dess - three highschool outcasts - now have to explain it to Jess because she has yet to discover her power. Those powers are necessary because the twenty-fifth hour isn't meant for humans. There are things out there - slithers - who live in the dark. And right now they are after the new girl in town.

So now's my time to gush. But let me explain.

I've read all four of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series last year and I couldn't get enough of it. It came to a point that I'd probably trust anything Westerfeld has ever written and I was glad that this one didn't disappoint. The first book in the series is a fine balance of teenage life, science fiction and well, horror. I mean if a dark, slithering thing coming at you isn't horror then I don't know what is. That's the lovely thing about Westerfeld's stories so far; there is plot that actually goes somewhere and then there's good writing sure to make you turn pages and next thing you know you only have a handful to go and you curse yourself for not having the second book in the series yet. So yes, this is a fitting introduction to the whole series.

Series? Yes, this is a series and I want to read the next book. There are three books so far though I've no idea if this is just a trilogy. But I want to know what will happen next, particularly since I noticed a hint dropped sometime in the pages that I'm sure will be mentioned again in the succeeding books. Well, that's just my gut talking.

If I sound like a Westerfeld fan I probably am.

Then again, Westerfeld probably has the pulse on what it's like as a teenager not to mention a wandering mind for plots that is magical yet believable, scary but adventurous without forgetting that he's writing human characters thrust in situations out of the ordinary.

I need to stop gushing. Go get this for a fast yet satisfying read (save for that time when you turn in the last page and wish you have the next book ready). Oh wait I said that before.

Other interesting point of view:

Amanda at 5-Squared

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Midnighters: The Secret Hour won the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2004. This is my 6th book for the Book Awards Reading Challenge II.

Just Quotes

The Memory of Running
Ron McLarty

I already reviewed this book way back, four months or so after I first started this blog. So why am I posting about it again? Well now I finally found the photo to match the book I have at home (hahaha) and that now I can post some of the lines that made it to my notebook awhile back. Obviously I just found that notebook. Hahaha!

I think, I really think, that people who love each other should never let anything interfere with that strange emotion.

Money is nice. I don't mean it's wonderful like a river or anything; and, as they say, it can't buy happiness, but it's comfortable in your pocket.

The longer you wait and put off the nice things you should do on a regular basis, the harder it is to do them, until finally you have to force yourself to be nice, to be thoughtful, and it isn't easy, because you're embarrassed about not having done those nice things in a natural kind of way. Also, the people who you're nice to come to expect your regular niceness. That's it, in a nutshell.

People that you love can lift you and confuse you. Understanding them doesn't seem so important when they're inside your head. That's why love should be easy. I guess it is. I just don't know.

So, then I was a loner who wished not to be alone. It's something I have thought about, and now I feel that at any given time there are a lot of lonely loners out there. We just don't understand the process of making some friends. The complicated format of friendship. It's not easy.

It would be great to get to a place where there's comfort all around in just being somewhere.

We cannot live lives and worry what others think.

Three years and I still recommend this title to anyone. Such a sweet, sweet book. Also, it's an excuse to post.

Leftover Dream

The Dreaming Place
Charles de Lint

I picked up Charles de Lint's books because of you book bloggers! Yes, bad bloggers you all! Kidding. Like even before I read my first de Lint I have read and been piqued by posts on Newford and the magical, wonderful stuff that happens there not to mention endearing characters you'd like to have as your friend.

The problem with the Newford books is that they're too many. Well, that's not exactly a problem. For someone like me who started reading the Discworld series somewhere in the middle and worked my way back, searched for arcs and somehow found the time to read and reread most in order, "too many books" seem the least of my concern. The more imminent one is finding them. Hahaha.

This is my first Newford book. I've read a de Lint before and it left me open to reading more of his work although that one wasn't set in this imagined place (as far as I know).

This one tells the tale of one angry, grieving young girl named Ash who found herself in the midst of a spiritual, magical journey to save her cousin Nina. Why Nina needed saving is a story in itself. Because in Newford, things aren't what they seem: an innocent bargain made sometime ago, long forgotten was apparently heard and filed by magical beings that inhabit the place. And now's the time of reckoning.

Urban fantasy and yet relates well with teenagers going through the usual teen stuff - angst, anger, boys, magic - name it! You can somehow feel your way through that magical place and believe that there are spiritual guides and tests along the way. And you start remembering the petty things you once consider as paramount when you were a teen (of course if you read this way past your teenage years).

This book is a swift read (160 pages) and while not entirely a "takes-your-breath-away-and-leaves-you-sprawled-on-the-floor" kind of read, it shows you that de Lint's heart is in its proper place and he knows that he has created a place where the magical and the ordinary fit perfectly together. Hence you long for more of Newford, more of the magic. Because somehow he shows us that maybe, just maybe we should be wary of haphazard prayers made because someone - or some other kind of being - might be listening.

I gathered from Marg's Newford list that The Dreaming Place is the first one among all Newford books, assuming you've read Dream's Underfoot, a collection of short stories. I haven't read that one but the I'll keep the list in mind as my other three Newford books are interspersed all throughout the list. Hahaha!

Other interesting points of view:

Bart's Bookshelf
Bride of the Book God
Saving My Sanity

Tell me if you also posted about the book so I could add your link as well.

Leftover Rat

King Rat
China Miéville

Where to start, where to start? Should I go with the general story without giving anything away? Should I go down to the nitty-gritty and somehow spoil the entire thing to my readers, one way or another? Oh wait, how do I write first? I think I lost my writing chops during my long break from internet! Help!

When I first started reading this book I never really imagined that this is a sequel of sorts to a very popular yet grim children's tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin. There, that's one spoiler. I mean you never really know it from the beginning. There's Saul Garamond whose mother died from childbirth and has a not-so warm relationship with his father. He returned home one night, didn't bother looking up his father in the other room and by the next day he becomes a suspect to his father's murder.

Then there's King Rat, the titular character who proudly proclaims:

I’m the big-time crime boss. I’m the one that stinks. I’m the scavenger chief, I live where you don’t want me. I’m the intruder. I killed the usurper, I take you to safekeeping. I killed half your continent one time. I know when your ships are sinking. I can break your traps across my knee and eat the cheese in your face and make you blind with my piss. I’m the one with the hardest teeth in the world, I’m the whiskered boy. I’m the Duce of the sewers, I run the underground. I’m the king.

He helped spring Saul from prison and tutored the young man to the ways of the rat. Because Saul has a history that only King Rat knows. And it's a secret that brews hate in every fiber of the Pied Piper's being. Ok, so another spoiler there.

Things like that won't necessarily spoil your reading. It's like telling those who haven't read or seen The Lord of the Rings that a ring of power must be destroyed right in the middle of the enemy's lair. Hahaha. It's the manner by which the author creates the story that matters.

It's easy to lose myself reading King Rat after some fashion. I like urban fantasy and there's a space in my heart for characters who inhabit both the seen and unseen parts of the city. That's why I love Neverwhere to bits. And in that aspect King Rat is similar to it. There's this other city of London, the kind where King Rat and other magical beings traipse through. It's there and only a handful of citizens see or feel it. Saul's heritage conveniently makes him capable of walking that thin line between London and dare I say it, Un Lun Dun (or Smoke).

Here I'll add Nymeth's question: What did you think of the way the city was portrayed?

London as a whole seemed dark and ominous peppered with lots of unfeeling or selfish or self-centered people. It's the only way that people like King Rat can escape through the cracks unseen or unheard and yet somehow felt one way or another, particularly by those who believe that there are other things out there. Given that I read Un Lun Dun previously, London as portrayed here is similar if not darker. Plus, King Rat mentioned Smoke.

But there are parts of the book that somehow made me want to put it down every so often. Particularly when Jungle (that music of Natasha) is being discussed. Thing is, I can't hear it in my mind's ear. Oh yes I can hear drum and bass lines if I want to conjure it from thin air but pages and pages of description doesn't create music. I can even add on a flute note or two but never enough to match the pace that the pages are telling me. I'm not a composer, maybe that's the problem. Either that or I don't have that many Jungle-sounding beats in my brain. It would've been nicer for me if I can actually hear the music playing in Miéville's book since too much attention was focused on it. That way I can somehow understand the pull in Saul's or King Rat's. Obviously this is one of my nitty-gritty moments.

That being said I know what beats do to you: it can make you dance or sway. And that's the power of the Piper. And basing a story on "Whatever happened to..." fairy tales of old is always a welcome idea given that the battle lines between the Piper and the rats are drawn early on. It is obvious who is more powerful from the very start. But this story evens up the match somehow.

I remember posting in my review of Charles de Lint's Wolf Moon that it's a first for me to read of a magical entity called the harper. Silly me, really. Back then it was obvious I forgot about the story of another musical, magical entity: the Pied Piper. Then again, it's not a favorite story of old for me. I can never understand the viciousness of the Piper in taking the children away, but I digress.

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!


Ok now, if you haven't read the book stop reading now. Seriously.

Like right now.

I'm not kidding.

Seriously.

One thing that somehow bothered me after I put the book down was that technically speaking, Saul isn't a hybrid. I know I'm going way too much into the story now but I can't help it. He's pure rat. And by some magical transformation that allows denizens of the unseen London mingle with the London as we know it, that doesn't make Saul's parents uh, humans. And doesn't make Saul a hybrid. I know there are things I should put off as simply part of the magical aspect of the bloodline but that part is important. Saul isn't the son of the dead Garamond but of King Rat. And his mother is a rat. That doesn't make him part-rat but a full-blooded rat through and through save that he grew up in the London as we know it. I know, I shouldn't take things too seriously but it's just me. When something nags at my brain I try to uh, nag back. Hahaha!

Aren't you a bit miffed that you continued reading after the warnings?


SPOILER OVER! SPOILER OVER! SPOILER OVER! SPOILER OVER!

Still, it's a story I had fun reading despite the blood and gore. It's interesting, discovering secrets along the way with Saul and uncovering plots both by the Piper and King Rat. After the lapse of sometime, I was bothered by that gaffe. Or to me a gaffe. Kidding. But the ending was apt and tied the whole story together.

Oh and the title of this post refers to the fact that I've read this last year and only had time to review this now. Maybe my next post won't be as long as this. Given that the next book is far shorter, I don't doubt that.

Other interesting points of view:

The Ax for the Frozen Sea
Things Mean A Lot

If I missed your review please let me know so I could link you up as well.

February 6 Onwards

I'm so looking forward to this:

I'm sure most of you dear book blogging friends feel the same way I do. Aaah.

Hmmm, is it obvious I keep putting off typing a review? I'll try to remedy that in a bit. I can't seem to find my copy of King Rat or The Dreaming Place. I probably left them at home. Hahaha! Excuses, excuses.

Belated But

I had fun reading Gertrude and Claudius late last year.

John Updike
March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009

*Author illustrated by A. Richard Allen.