Sunday, April 14, 2013

The Cloud Roads

The Cloud Roads (The Books of the Raksura) by Martha Wells

The book is about an orphan named Moon.  He is living with a group of people called the Cordura.  The Cordura are physically different looking from Moon and wonder about his heritage but so does he.  He has no idea where he came from or what he is.  What he does know is that he can shift his body into another form - a form with scales and wings.  He doesn't do this in front of the Cordura and he has managed to keep this part of himself a secret for quite sometime now.

This book is about Moon's journey to find out who he is and where he came from.  It is also his journey from being a solitary loner who trusts no one as a matter of survival to learning to trust others and open himself up to them.

This is the first in a series of three books as of now.  This author has written quite a few other books as well including a series called Fall of Ile-Rien with 3 books.  I like the story although like many fantasy books, you have to decide if this alternate world is one you can relate to or really want to spend some time in; if so, keep reading the series but if not, stop after the first book.

I have so many books on my "need to read" list that I don't think I'll plan to continue the series as it stands.  Maybe if I find myself thinking about the world of the Raksura I'll change my mind.  It only took me a couple of days to read this so I wouldn't be making a huge time commitment.

For not, I'll get back to the four books that I am reading right now.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

If you have never read the blog written by this woman, I highly recommend it.  Check it out www.TheBlogess.com

Jenny grew up in rural Texas.  Her father was a taxidermist and her family was not wealthy.  Jenny always wanted to fit in but never did.  Jenny suffers from depression and panic attacks.  This book is all about her life with some extra imagination sprinkled on top.

She can take a horrific situation and make it sound absolutely hilarious.  I laughed most of the way through the book.  This book is not for the faint of heart or very young.  She covers a variety of topics but if you can't stand the sight of blood in the words on a page, skip this one.  For everyone else, you should buy this book and read it!

Apocalyptic Planet

Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth by Craig Childs

If you are a Creationist or a non-believer in science, I don't recommend this book.  It will be, to you, a work of fiction and delusion.

If you are very interested in science, geology, the history of the planet and where we are headed, this is a great read.

The author traveled to a variety of locations around the globe to see first hand what was going on with the climate, the topography, the plant and animal life that exists now as well as to probe into the geological evidence of the past.

The scientific evidence he brings forth takes us clear back to the birth of our solar system and planet.  There is some very deep science and immense stretches of geologic time covered in a way that is interesting and readable.

This book combines science and adventure to make a very readable book.  He gives us the thoughts and predictions of a variety of scientists regarding where we are and where we are headed.

I highly recommend this book.  It is a book that doesn't have to be read cover to cover but you can pick and choose which chapters you want to read first (although I recommend starting with the first and ending with the last but the middle is easily a mix and match).