I want this time back

This is one of those books you wish you had spent the time doing something more useful, like cleaning behind the refrigerator:

"First Stringers: Eyes That Do Not See" contained promise within the concept and potential story lines, unfortunately, the execution falls short and leaves the reader disappointed at many points along the way.

This is a story where the characters have the ability to manipulate the quantum strings to affect their environment. The concept sounds wonderful, but the author fails to fully understand quantum mechanics by limiting the characters to only have control over certain realms of their environment. Since quantum mechanics takes place at the subatomic level, a character would not be limited to elemental restrictions (i.e., have only the ability to make fire, or only the ability to alter chemical compounds). Because of this, the story comes off as a poor copy of The X-Men, rather than an individual work of its own.

Also, the overall writing is amateurish and in many places elementary-level. The characters are too naïve to their powers considering they've all been aware of them for years by the time the novel begins, and conversations contain clunky dialogue that are not only difficult to read but awkward to speak. Descriptions are not always appropriate to the scene context. The author has a tendency to over-describe a room of no significance, while failing to mention key elements during important scenes. The plot is over-simplified, predictable, and clichéd.

I would suggest that experienced science fiction readers steer clear of this book, but there's no doubt they probably won't get far into it before tossing it to the "donate" pile anyway. If you have nothing else to read, and you don't mind the above distractions, then you can probably make your way through this story and enjoy it for a semi-entertaining distraction from the real world. Otherwise, I'd suggest the author take this one back and give it a serious rewrite.

Until next time...
Thankfully off to read something else,
Michael

Book Review: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body Yoga

If you've never practiced yoga because you believe it belongs to the realm of the skinny and flexible, then it's time to change your perspective. While yoga is practiced by skinny men and women who can contort themselves into the oddest of positions, yoga bests benefits the rest of the world...you know, us normal people.



"Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body Yoga" by Emily Slonina shows us all that yoga isn't restricted to those who are already fit, but can be practiced by the overweight, the elderly, and even the wheelchair-bound. Using models that represent every body type, except the ultra-thin, Slonina provides extensive pictures of various poses and their alternates that can be performed sitting or standing, on the floor or in the office chair, alone or even with a grandchild.

The book is divided into different sections relaxation, meditation, of course, the poses. It does lack a deeper dive into some of the mental aspects of practicing yoga, but considering it's size and price, this book is hard to beat, especially when considering the target audience.

If you've always wanted to try yoga and gain the benefits of regular practice, but have felt intimiated by stereotypes, then this is the book for you.

Book Review: "Reduce Your Cancer Risk"

I recently reviewed a book I found extremely informative and enlightening. I've posted that review here::

"Reduce Your Cancer Risk" has to be one of the best books I've read on the topic in many years. It exceeded my expectations in so many areas, I don't know where to begin.

I had expected the authors to either bore me with endless statistics that would eventually make my eyes glaze over, or, I expected to be condescended with sentences and vocabulary aimed to the lowest common denominator of reading skill. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the intelligent yet common sense tone of the text mixed with a good balance of supporting documentation and facts.

Even though I have considered myself well versed on the topics of health and nutrition, especially for someone not in the medical profession, I learned something new with nearly every page in the book. (I must confess that I skimmed two chapters that did not apply to me: tobacco and 'when you've already had cancer.').

If you read with a highlighter or ink pen, bring more than one, because you'll definite use them up as you read this. I've recommended and shown this to friends, although I won't loan it out for fear of not getting it back. This is worth owning, reading, and referring to time and time again. The information packed within will have you re-examining and evaluating your lifestyle choices and the impacts those choices have on your long-term health.

The only beef I have with this wonderful book is: first, the stance of support for censoring Hollywood to remove smoking from its films, which I believe is naïve; and second, no mention that I noticed about the connection between general oral health and the link to increased risks of other types of cancer. The only other concern I have is in the Obesity and Cancer chapter in which the author passively supports fad diets as a way of initiating weight loss, i.e., Atkins, South Beach, etc. Those short term solutions never have the lasting effect that straight forward exercise and diet-control have, and in some cases have the opposite effect.

All in all, this book belongs on every bookshelf in every home in the country.

Book Review for LibraryThing

Here's the full text of a review I recently published on LibraryThing.com:

"Dare...to Have Sex Everywhere but in Bed" is a cute little book that seeks to inspire couples to have intimate fun outside the usual confines of the bedroom. It that aspect it succeeds, as it offers plenty of ideas of where, when, and how couples can spice it up via role-playing or even exhibitionist-style. The only problem with "idea" books in general is that usual the people who purchase or read them have already thought about or tried a majority of the suggestions. Honestly, who hasn't thought about making love in their own kitchen, in the car, or in the back yard.

But with that being said, there probably are a few situations in here that many couples haven't considered, or may not have weighed the possibilities of successfully pulling off without getting caught. Many of these are in public spaces, or the traditional office, elevator, park, restroom, etc. etc.

This book does offer practical tips and advice on how to get away with certain acts, and how to avoid certain pit falls that could land an adventurous duo in an embarrassing situation. There are "Difficulty" ratings concerning both physicality and practability, "Costs" and "Risks," as well as "Pleasure" ratings.

Unfortunately though, the book was originally written in French and some awkward phrasing will make the reader pause, and many of the inspirational media cited are French works and films and may not be available elsewhere.

Until Next Time...
Off to the next spot, er...um...I mean, next book, off to the next book,
Michael

"Sustainable Network" book review

I recently reviewed "The Sustainable Network" for LibraryThing.com and have included the review here for those who are interested:


Surmised from the title and as stated in the introduction, "The Sustainable Network," takes a look at the role the Internet and all the other networks that connect the world’s computing devices have on our lives, from our politics (as witnessed by the recent presidential election) to our carbon footprint. The author states that this book is the output of her deep realization and appreciation of the global network we've created for ourselves, and she also states that everyone who uses this network should develop a deep appreciation and understanding of it and its potential to change our lives.

But I think on many levels, this book doesn't hit that target.

The author and publisher's mistake is the target audience of the book. Those most likely to read a book of this nature already know 80% or more of the material printed, and in most cases probably understand the technology and its environment. Those most likely to benefit from the material in this book, which is the target audience, either wouldn't read it or probably don't care, i.e., you don't have to appreciate how a car works in order to successfully drive one.

With that being said though, it is a decent high-level read for those interested in information technology in today's society. Yes, there are the occasional mistakes as can be found in every book on the shelf, but there are plenty of things the author got correct as well. Her enthusiasm and appreciation is evident and contagious throughout the pages, and propels the reader to further independent investigation of the topics presented. And even though this book will be out-date within just a couple of years, it's worth picking up a copy.

Mathematically speaking, it's logical

Any one who knows me more than five minutes knows that I have many many other interests besides books and movies. One of my other interests is astronomy, and I'd consider myself more of an amateur astronomers if I actually made it outside a bit more.

Any one who knows me also knows I read pretty much anything and everything I can get my hands on, including National Geographic. And this month's issue briefly profiles a topic that I've been following for years.

The search for planets outside our solar system has heated up this past decade, with new discoveries coming almost at a steady stream. As the equipment and search techniques have gotten better the search for a terrestrial, Earth-like planet has intensified.

While the article in this National Geographic doesn't present any new material to someone who's been staying on top of this field of research, it does offer some really cool pull-out graphics that help readers grasp the discoveries and put everything in a physical perspective unlike many other magazines. The article is also a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the search.

As an avid reader and astronomy nut, I recommend picking up this issue, or at the very least, checking it out from your local library.

In the meantime, to borrow and paraphrase a phrase from a few friends of mine:

Until Next Time...
Keeping a Watch on the Skies,
Michael

Short People Got No Reason....

I can make that reference to the classic Randy Newman song with no karmic penalty for two good reasons:
1)I, too, suffer from Vertical Challengement
and
2)I recently published at LibraryThing.com my review of Bich Minh Nguyen's "Short Girls" in which the father has an obsession with that song.

So, since publishers and LibraryThing.com like it when we publish our reviews on our blogs (as well as where we were assigned to), I present to you my review of "Short Girls":

"Short Girls" is a wonderful debut novel about two Vietnamese sisters and their father struggling in modern America. The oldest daughter Van escapes through overachieving: she works hard in law school, then in her career as a immigration lawyer, and in her marriage to a firmly implanted Chinese American man who happens to be a perfectionist. Younger sister Linny, the rebel, is her opposite: she relies on her beauty and fashion sense to eventually land a job in a catering company, only to jeopardize that job by having an affair with the husband of one of her clients.

This novel is about discovering ones sense of self in an "alien" land, and is reflected in the title "Short Girls." In a country that seems to be mostly tall people, their father, Mr. Luong constantly reminds his children that they are short people growing up in a world designed for people taller than themselves and that they have to work harder than other people to overcome the world's bias.

Stylistically, Nguyen seems to have a wonderful command of language and is able to pack a lot of emotion into her tight prose. Alternating between the point-of-view of each sister, the reader is able to follow each character as she sorts out her recently troubled life and the author does a wonderful job of firmly establishing each character's unique voice. And while the plot itself is nothing exciting, the story is well worth the time.
*************

Until next time...
Vertically Yours,
Michael OCD

We Only Wish Doomsday Had Come...

Apparently my review of "Any Given Doomsday" by Lori Handeland has become popular enough to be officially labeled a Hot Review on LibraryThing. So...I thought I'd post it here for those who aren't 'Thangers - may my simple little review save as many lives as possible.

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Any Given Doomsday - Lori Handeland

I honestly cannot find one redeeming quality about “Any Given Doomsday.” Despite the fact that the cover states that Lori Handeland is a New York Times bestselling author, this book reads like an amateur first draft with character inconsistencies, bad plotting, terrible dialogue, and classic blunders.

The main character, Elizabeth Phoenix, is not the brightest crayon in the box, and frequently has to have things explained to her two and three times before she understands something, but will then follow up with the exact same question that started the long, boring, and stilted explanation the reader has just suffered through. Her actions and reactions are also inconsistent with previous experiences in the story. For instance, after fighting two demons who turned to ash upon their deaths, learning that her ex-boyfriend is a half-vampire, and killing off a town of werewolves, Elizabeth Phoenix drops the phone in shock to learn that a previous victim had the blood sucked out of her body. To the reader, that seems like the *least* shocking revelation, but not to our sharp-as-a-bowling-ball heroine.

Another moment of supreme stupidity is after Elizabeth is captured, stripped of her clothes, and seduced/raped by her ex-boyfriend turned temporarily evil, she is told that she will become a sex slave and will never again wear clothes for the rest of eternity. She leaves to take a shower, only to be insulted and shocked upon her return to find her tattered clothes missing from the bedroom with no new clothes left in their place.

The two male characters are so two dimensional that their every action seems contrived, and their feud and mistrust of each other goes beyond absurd to simply annoying and distracting. But that fits lock-in-step with the overly simplistic and predictable plot. The supremely intelligent, ancient and wise evil vampire/antagonist is killed off with the easiest of effort stolen straight from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but only after revealing his “secret” plan to our nude and captive heroine (i.e. in the classical-cheesy method: I’m going to kill you, but first I will reveal my plan to take over the world.). Then after one more poorly written sex scene, our heroine’s now reformed ex-boyfriend disappears like a cliché in the early dawn hours, leading us straight into a sequel you couldn’t pay me to read.

This novel is proof-positive that once publishers spot a hot trend or sub-genre, they will rush any ol’ title out there to grab as much cash as they can as quickly as they can, thereby smothering with certifiable crap the very market they’re trying to build. It’s just unfortunate that the authors don’t at least make an honest attempt to craft a better story.

Scale of 1-5 Stars:
one-half star

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Hoping for criminal charges to be filed,
Michael OCD

Not Burning...but history none-the-less

Wow -- just about finished with a long spat of reviews. I have two reviews to finish (including the draft below), and one more book to read. I still feel as though a great weight has been removed from my shoulders as I pick up this last book, plus I also feel a bit of gratitude that it's a standard-sized, mass-market paperback ARC and not some over-sized trade paperback or some spiral bound unfinished ARC. It is true, you don't truly appreciate something until it's gone for a while, and in this case, I've missed the compact size and ease of handling of the good ol' fashioned mass-market paperback provides. It simply can't be beat. Yeah, sure, hardbacks are good for long-term collecting, and trade paperbacks are good for taking notes or instructional use, but nothing beats a mass-market paperback for reading on the go.

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Here is my review of “Obscene In the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’” as posted at LibraryThing.com:

The title of the book “Obscene In the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’” is deceptive of its contents. While the first chapter spends a few pages discussing the efforts to ban the book from the Kern County library, and while the last chapter focuses more on those efforts and the immediate aftermath, the rest of the book focuses nearly exclusively on the labor issues in California during the 1930s and only mentions “The Grapes of Wrath” in passing references from time to time.

The background and history of that region is important to understand in order to appreciate why Steinbeck’s classic came under fire, but author Rick Wartzman devotes more time than is necessary to convey this point. He mentions that the book was also banned in other regions of the country, but rarely, if at all, states why these areas outside California found it necessary to do so.

The book's “heroine” is a Kern County librarian who was brave enough to write a stern letter to the Kern County Board – her employer – and managed to loan a good number of copies out to other libraries who struggled to keep up with the demand for “The Grapes of Wrath”, but beyond that, either Ms. Gretchen Knief did nothing of note or else the author chose not to mention it. From the available text, it is difficult to tell.

Thankfully, the author does spend some time discussing Steinbeck’s actions in California during the 1930s, but despite the title of this book, most of the focus is prior to the penning of his classic novel. Once again, this was interesting and necessary, but not in keeping with the title.

With all of that being said, though, this work told a detailed and compelling story of the laborers of that region and their struggles. These pages could serve as a good solid starting point for anyone wanting to learn of the era and the atmosphere at a tumultuous time in California’s history when the political and social stakes were high. For that much, this is a good read.

But as a book about the burning and banning of an American classic, this reference falls short with a title that is as deceptive as the land-owners it chronicles.

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Since Fall officially begins tomorrow, I'm off to pick my Classics & Cheese movies for the upcoming months of cool weather, fallen leaves, and longer nights. I've recently purchased some modern horror films (by modern, I mean made within the last ten years) that I haven't opened yet, so maybe I'll strip off the cellophane and fire those up.

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Taking a bite out of clear plastic,
Michael OCD