Books Eighteen and Nineteen,2013

This past few weeks I read two amazing books, mind you that I’m not that into science fiction I’m more of a fantasy guy. That been said I think that one of the books I read is probably the greatest science fiction novel I have read.

To start of  I read the Second book of the trilogy, written by the Italian writer and archaeologist Valerio Massimo Manfredi about  the enigmatic Macedonian king, Alexander the Great.

This book chronicles the quest  of Alexander to conquest Asia.  As he marches on he recovers some Greek cities that had fallen into the hands of the Persians  His journey takes him south until he reaches the Libyan desert were he  founds himself in the ancient enigmatic land of Egypt, there he decides to build the greatest city the world has ever seen, Alexandria.

He also encounters who is perhaps is greatest enemy and the only one that could challenge is march down Asian territories, Memnon of Rhodes, the Greek mercenary commander of King Darius III army. Alexander himself call him the only worthy enemy he has encounter .

In all this is a very entertain book that introduces us to one of the greatest man to ever walk this earth.

The second book was Orson Scott Card’s behemoth of a book.

Ender’s  Game follows little Andrew ” Ender”  Wiggin, the boy genius who is the only hope for our planet to defeat the ever present “buggers” threat, an insectoid-like creatures that have tried to invade earth on a couple of occasions.

The novel follows Ender training in battle and commander school and you witness how his military genius blossoms at a very tender age.

With a tremendous pace and several plot twist this is a book that I think will be revisited several time in the coming years.

So that’s 9,723 pages down, 40,019 pages to go.

Total Pages 121.303 pages .

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Books Fifteen,Sixteen, and Seventeen 2013

So I have been away for a while, you know how it is with life.

But that hasn’t stop me from reading.

ImagenIn this past weeks I have finish three amazing books, one graphic novel and a very interesting magazine about generations throughout human history.

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The first book I finish was “The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman, this intricate story follows the witty Lyra Belacqua and her dæmon, a sort manifestation of ones soul in the form of an animal, Pantalaimon. Our heroine is trown into a perilous journey where she must face the mysterious Lord Asriel and his quest to find the enigmatic origin of the substance known as “Dust”, the ruthless Mrs.Coulter, the exiled armored bear Iorek Byrnison, the child-stealing Gobblers, the honorable gyptians and even several clan of witches. With it’s profound subject matter and beautiful narrative this novel is destined to become and ageless classic.

The second novel is Kerouac’s masterpiece “On the Road”, a chronicle of the journey throught a infinite number of miles that Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty travel in order to find the meaning of their existence. A rocky road fill with jazz, drugs and the ever stretching mystical highways of america. This novel tap into my need to go out and explore the world, to find some epiphany with the radio blasting and the road unfolding before me.

The third book was the collection of short stories “Smoke and Mirrors” by Neil Gaiman. I will highly recommend this book to witness the large scope that Mr. Gaiman can cover. Some of my favorite stories are collected in this volume like “The Price” the story of the brave black cat, or ” Murder Mysteries” the thriller about the murder of an angel. I also found new material to me, especially the tip of the hat to H.P. Lovecraft.

As you can see the range of this novels are all over the place, but and with any good book they make take a journey into the unknown.

So that’s 9,044 pages down,  40, 698 pages to go

Total Pages 120,624 pages

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Book Fourteen 2013, Norwegian Wood

A beautiful novel laced by lost love and forgotten lovers, our narrator Toru Wanatabe, takes us on a reminiscence of his college years, his sexual conquests and mishaps.

But the main drive of the story is the infatuation of our narrator with two lovely ladies, Naoko and Midori.

As  a back-drop to the story our narrator bear witness to the Tokyo student protest in the late 60’s. An event that was behold in many other nations.

As always Mr. Murakami weaves an intricated story full of beautiful moment as well as heart-wrenching events, all of this accompanied by a radiantly poetical narrative.

Of the three novels I have read of this japanese author this is my favorite.

As an interesting fact, the name of the novel comes from a Beatles song of the same name, and has mention throughout the novel as the favorite song of Naoko.

So that’s 7,651 pages down 42,091 pages to go

Total Pages 119,231 pages

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Book Thirteen 2013, Invisible Monsters

This was going to be the first novel publish by Chuck Palahniuk but the publisher find it really disturbing and decided not to go ahead. After the success of Fight Club they gave it a second shot.

 
The story follows a disfigured super-model who goes by many false identities given by Brandy Alexander, a transsexual with whom she spends most of the book.
 
From the moment they meet in the hospital you’re thrown into a menagerie of eccentric characters that goes from a triage of drag queens to a special vice agent who is obsessed with how he looks in a speedo.
 
The story touches deeply in the burden of being perfect and how can she  find new beginnings after her way of life is literally rip apart. 
 
This is no light reading, but as all of this authors work is beautifully executed.
 
So that’s 7,369 pages down, 42,373 pages to go.
 
Total Pages 118,949 pages
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Book Twelve 2013, Frankenstein

As stated in past post reading this book has become a new tradition, being of course the second year that I intentionally read this fantastic book an plan to do it , for the foreseeable future, at least once a year.

Mary Shelley wrote it as part of a competition of who could write the best horror story, said competition was between herself, her husband Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori.

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The story that emerged from Mary followed the tragically fantastic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his obsession with bestowing life to a creature form by scraps of dead bodies, that with a spark brings to life.

In his success, Victor, creates a hideous deform creature who he resents from the first moment the creature takes a breath.

He is later haunted by the very creature he created as his life is systematically destroy and everyone he loves is taken from him.

For me it raises question of that troublesome persona buried deep in the dark confines of our being, latent , evil and waiting to get out.

Who is the monster here?

The Creature or the Creator.

So that’s 7,172 pages down, 42,570 pages to go.

Total Pages 118,752 pages

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Book Eleven 2013, No Country for Old Men

This is the second book of Cormac McCarthy I have read this year, and let me tell you as always he doesn’t disappoint.

Of all the book I have read by this incredible author this one is the most accessible and will be a great launching point for someone who is looking to delve in his amazing body of work.

The novel is set in 1980 on the border of Mexico and the United States after a drug deal goes terribly wrong, good old boy Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon the massacre, where he finds a huge shipment of heroin and a couple of million dollars abandon.

Against his better judgement he takes the money and opens up a whirlwind of trouble mainly in theImagen figure of the psychopath hit-man Anton Chigurh. Following their steps is veteran Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, he also provides so in-depht thoughts about the rise of violence and the degradation of society.

Touching on subjects that are both timeless and the building blocks of our society.

McCarthy make us dwell on the very things that makes us human and how sometimes  they transform us into monsters.

So that’s 6,965 pages down, 42,777 pages to go.

Total Pages 118, 545 pages

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A new tradition

As I approach the end of the eleventh book of this year I can see what has become a tradition rapidly approaching.

Like last year I plan to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It’s one of my favorite book and for the foreseeable  future I plan to read it at least once a year.
Now my only conundrum is which edition to read. As I mention it another post  I just recently bought three different editions, so I’m asking for your help to decide which one to read.
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As seen in the picture above from left to right:
  • Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics.
  • Barnes & Noble Hardcover Classics.
  • Editorial Tomo Spanish Edition.
You can cast your vote my commenting which edition you prefer.
Thanks for your invaluable help, Happy Readings!!!!
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A Review of Hatter M Vol.4 : Zen of Wonder by Frank Beddor

As the other volumes of this fantastic story it centers on Hatter Madigan, bodyguard of Princess Alyss of Wonderland, and his never ending search for his lost princess.

Is the latest entry of The Hatter M Institute for Paranormal Travel efforts to map he’s journey through our world from 1859 to 1872.
We find Hatter Martigan in San Francisco circa 1870 in search of an long last samurai only to find himself face to face with a  very unexpected zen master and her journey back to Japan, an blade collecting pseudo-Captain, a memory of the forge in the millinery, a much deserved vacation in paradise , some Japanese demons control by a huge pumpkin, a lost brother and more importantly the zen ideas that could easily reshape his quest.

The breathtaking artwork is beautifully render by the talented hand of Sam Makkonen, it looks like a cross between Ben Templesmith and Dave McKean.

The hardcover edition hits shelf on June 11, 2013 be sure to pick it up.

5 of 5 stars.

Get deeper immerse in this fantastic world by visiting http://frankbeddor.com/ and http://www.lookingglasswars.com/home.html

Or you can also support Frank in his Kickstart project at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/149372651/hatter-m-zen-of-wonder but hurry there is only 5 days left.

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Book Shelfs, New Acquisitions January-March 2013

Although my book shelfs are overflowing with tomes I haven’t read, the temptation to add just a bit more always win over reason.

Sure I have plenty to last a few years but with books it’s never enough.

This time my loot was quite good, nine books in all.

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On the top row(left to Right)

  • No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (Currently Reading)
  • Trópico de Cáncer by Henry Miller
  • Infancia by J.M. Coetzee
  • La Silla del Águila by Carlos Fuentes
  • Federico en su balcón by Carlos Fuentes (publish posthumous)

Bottom Row (Left to Right)

  • Las ventajas de ser invisible by Stephen Chbosky
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (B & N Hardcover Classics)
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (B & N Leatherbound Classics)
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Editorial Tomo Spanish Edition)

Well let see what new things the next months bring to my already abundant shelfs.

Happy Readings!!!!!

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Book Ten 2013, Rayuela

P1020844Couldn’t be happier to arrive in this year first milestone.
The 10th book of the year!
This honors fell to the master-piece by argentinian writter Julio Cortázar, Rayuela.
The story chronicles the life of Horacio Oliveira which mainly centers in two periods of his life.
The first being when he lives in Paris, apparently he goes there to study but never does, where he forms a group of rag-tag bohemians known as ” El Club de la Serpiente” and haves torrid love affair with “La Maga”, event that deeply scars him, that even when he returns to Buenos Aires her ghost keeps haunting him.
The second period he goes back to Buenos Aires and reunites with a old friend, Traveller. He embraks in a couple of odd jobs in a circus and as an night orderly in a mental hospital. All of this while having visions of Talita, Traveller’s wife, as she was her long lost “Maga”.
The innovative form of a non linear way to read the book, gives the reader, control over how to enjoy this master-piece.
A must-read for anyone who enjoys latin american literature.
This puts me right on schedule with my goal, so on to the next book, No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.
So that’s 6,512 pages down,  43,230 pages to go.
Total Pages 118,092 pages
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